"Yes, sir. Can I know what my mission is?"


    "Let me congratte you first, Bryce. I''m not sending you to Buck Town on a mission, but you''re going to be the new City Lord of Buck Town. Yes, you''re going to participate in the Ruler''s Alliance meetings with me in no time."


    "What?"


    Bryce fell to the ground on his knees. "Sir, I''ve never had any intentions of surpassing you as City Lord. Please give me a chance to prove myself, Lord George..."


    Bryce prostrated himself repeatedly, and George walked up to him to stop him before pulling him to his feet. "You''re the man I trust the most, Bryce. You''re going to be the City Lord of Buck Town because of a change in the system. Don''t be so worried."


    "Let me ask you this: how are you going to thank me once you really be the City Lord of Buck Town?"


    "..."


    Bryce gritted his teeth. "I would be loyal to you, Lord George, and no one else. I''ll do everything and anything you want me to do without a singleint."


    "Good. Now remember this: you''re going to give me seventy percent of Buck Town''s yearly earnings, and the remaining thirty to Lord Hadirt. No one else can know about this. Do you hear me?"


    Bryce nodded meekly. "Yes, sir."


    The day passed by in no time, and on the third evening there was a piece of good news in Buck Town: Dalton had been found!


    Edmund''s men had found Dalton and sent him to the Chris family grounds.


    Dalton knelt on the floor of the main hall. "I''m back, Hadirt."


    "Get up and let me take a good look at you."


    Dalton got to his feet, and Hadirt walked around him once. "Tell me where you''ve been the past three days. Why didn''t youe back?"


    Edmund looked at Hadirt, a smile peeking out from his pale face.


    Dalton said, "I learned something new after killing Wilbur that day. I was at a bottleneck with my ice dragon powers a few years ago and was struck with sudden inspiration that showed me the way. That''s why I found the nearest cave to cultivate in. Sure enough, I made a breakthrough after that, and my ice dragon powers were raised to another level. I think I can easily take on two Wilbur Penns now, you know!"


    "Oh, really now?"


    Hadirt''s gaze shed coldly. He reached out all of a sudden, grabbing Dalton by the neck before channeling a wave of energy into his body.


    "Boom!"


    Dalton exploded into dust before he could even struggle, and Hadirt turned toward Edmund looking positively murderous. "How dare you lie to me, Edmund. Did you think you would be able to get by me by asking someone to y my brother? I''m going to make you pay for your actions. To hell with you!"


    Hadirt clenched his right hand, sucking Edmund right into his palm. Upon seeing this, Edmund chewed through the pill he had been hiding beneath his tongue.


    "You!"


    Hadirt''s gaze shed. At the same time, Wilbur, Felix, Grote, Augheimer, and the others came rushing out. Edmund''s body jolted as a powerful energy aura spread out, breaking him out of Hadirt''s grasp.