***

Two days passed.

Porco City.

The evacuation had been carried out completely, and the refugee camps were divided into two locations, the south and the north.

Alanor Guild was in charge of accommodating the refugees who went south, while LionArk handled the refugees in the north.

Even though the camps were in different places, it was certain that the refugees were treated well and humanely.

Evan, as the leader of Alanor Guild, had promised Ethan to take good care of every refugee.

"There are a total of 23,769 refugees in the northern camp, while the southern camp has a total of 10,850 people," Sherly answered. Ethan cleared his throat and nodded.

As far as Ethan remembered, the number of residents living in Porco City used to reach 70,000 people. Now, only half remained.

It clearly proved that Porco City had gone through a massive conflict they could never have imagined.

Thousands of lives had been lost, all because of the selfishness of the two guilds fighting for power.

"What about Alanor Guild?" Ethan asked.

"I already talked about it with Mr. Evan. They have enough money to support the refugees for one month. They explained that they only provide shelter," Sherly answered.

"As for food and everything else, it is fully up to the refugees."

Ethan agreed. If Evan and Alanor Guild kept paying for everything, it would drain their money, and that wouldn't be a wise choice.

He and Sherly could only hope that the conflict would end soon. That way, Ethan wouldn't have to keep worrying about the condition of the refugees and the city.

BLAST!

While he and Sherly were talking, he was startled by an unexpected explosion coming from the city border.

Some LionArk members were running away from their posts in a panic. Three people walked toward the City Hall, where Ethan and Sherly were speaking.

"Report, Sir Ethan. The Red Faction and the White Faction are fighting again," the man said.

Sherly was surprised, but Ethan's reaction looked normal. He already knew that Eagle War and Avalon would eventually start fighting again.

It was unavoidable since the ceasefire had officially ended.

"What will we do?" Sherly asked.

Ethan clearly didn't want to take a risk. He didn't want many LionArk members to get injured or die, because that would reduce LionArk's strength and capability.

"Tell Zidan to pull all troops back from the border area and place them in a neutral zone," Ethan said firmly.

"I'll deliver your order, Sir Ethan."

The man and his companions began walking away, heading to the northern gate to inform Zidan, the leader of their small team.

Sherly listened to what Ethan said. She didn't expect him to make that kind of decision.

At first, she thought Ethan would join the battle on one of the sides, especially since the refugees were already saved.

"Why don't you stop them?" Sherly asked.

"Let's just say I don't know about the fight. They won't admit anything," Ethan answered.

"Besides, both sides are stubborn. None of them wants to back down."

"The only peace that can happen is if one faction wins," Ethan explained.

"But isn't that the same as you supporting the war?" Sherly asked.

Ethan fell silent. He didn't know what to call himself. If he were accused of being involved and supporting the war, he did do it behind the scenes.

But what people saw was Ethan acting as someone who didn't support the war.

To the common people, Ethan came to Porco City as a mediator, not someone with a mission to support one of the factions.

"What matters for us is staying alert and cautious. We must not let either side attack our troops," Ethan answered.

Sherly nodded. Ethan still hadn't answered her question about why he didn't help mediate the fight happening right now.

She suspected that Ethan was hiding another plan that she and others didn't know about.

Zidan arrived with several members of his unit. They had returned from the conflict area, letting the two factions fight each other again.

Sherly ordered the mages from LionArk's medical team to start treating the wounded. Ethan walked into the city hall and left everything outside to Sherly.

The hall doors opened, and Ethan walked slowly until he reached the negotiation table. There was no one else there.

WOSH!

"The territory of the Eagle War Guild and the Red Faction keeps shrinking. Several districts have been taken over by the White Faction," one man explained, arriving behind Ethan and wearing black clothes and a black robe.

"Which district is the leader of Eagle War Guild in?" Ethan asked.

"People call it Stormalley District."

"What's the troop ratio between the two factions?" Ethan asked.

"The ratio is 1 to 3, Sir Ethan."

"That's a huge difference in numbers, and I'm sure the Red Faction's forces are continuing to decrease."

"What's your plan, Sir Ethan?" the man asked.

Ethan went quiet for a moment, then turned around to give the next order to Hanss' small team.

Since the Red and White Factions were fighting again, Ethan would offer another negotiation to the Red Faction.

If the Red Faction agreed, the negotiation would be held with the condition that they were not allowed to propose any new terms.

If they refused, then the fight would continue.

"We're going to begin Operation Eagle Beheading."

"I'll explain the plan. You and all members of Hanss' team must be ready."

"We understand."

***

The next day.

Porco City.

Ethan stepped out of the city hall carrying a written message. The message contained a persuasion for the Red Faction, allowing them to request another negotiation.

He handed the message to Sherly, and Sherly left with Zidan and 50 LionArk members to the Red Faction's central area.

Sherly met Jacques. She and the others clearly saw that the Red Faction was already in chaos, their morale broken, their confidence falling, and their energy and stamina drained from nonstop fighting.

If they kept forcing themselves to fight, they would collapse in less than two weeks, especially since the White Faction kept receiving hidden supplies from LionArk and Alanor.

After waiting for around two hours, Ethan saw a representative group from the Red Faction arrive.

They came with around 200 people, with Jacques once again leading the group.

Not only them, Sherly and Zidan were also walking with the group. Ethan clearly saw them moving behind the Red Faction's representatives.

Sherly nodded at Ethan, a simple gesture showing that the Red Faction had agreed to hold another negotiation.

"The ceasefire ended and you immediately fought again? Some of my members were injured because of yesterday's battle," Ethan said, greeting Jacques.

"The battle must continue no matter what. We're on the brink of victory," Jacques answered.

Ah, he was lying when he said that.

"Please proceed."

"What about the White Faction?" Jacques asked.

"We'll inform them. You don't need to worry," Ethan answered.

Jacques and the others entered the city hall, while Ethan stayed outside. He gave Sherly another message to be delivered to the White Faction.

The message was important, concerning the end of the Porco conflict.

"Do it quickly," Ethan said.

"I understand."

Ethan walked back into the city hall. The doors opened, and Jacques and the Red Faction representatives saw Ethan inside, standing alone without anyone accompanying him.

"When will they arrive? Are they afraid to meet us?" Jacques asked.

"They will come. Please wait for a moment."

Jacques and the others nodded. Ethan faintly saw how Jacques and the other representatives were sweating from the heat.

He brought out a bottle of wine and offered it to them. At first, Jacques refused, afraid that there was poison hidden in it.

"Haha, why would I kill you? I'm not the one fighting you."

To prove it, Ethan poured himself a glass. He drank it quickly and let them wait.

Ten minutes passed, and there was no sign of poisoning, especially as the room grew hotter and more suffocating.

"Give me the wine," Jacques said.

Jacques and his friends poured the wine into their glasses. Their first sip tasted normal, nothing suspicious, and Jacques even said it tasted good.

But when they tried to drink their second and third sips, Jacques and his five companions suddenly felt tightness in their chests and struggled to breathe.

Ethan's plan worked perfectly. Jacques and his companions were now dying, and no one could save them.

Ethan walked closer to Jacques and looked at him with a cold, sharp stare.

"You… support Avalon?!"

"I won't let Porco City fall into your hands," Ethan said.

"The Red Faction will fall today."

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