It took another hour to mobilize the troops.

Summer was the freshest of them all. As a vampire, she didn't technically need sleep, just periods of stasis.

She was already dressed in her scandalous red dress, looking smug as she watched the others stumble around.

"You look terrible, Husband," Summer teased, patting his cheek. "Need a transfusion?"

"I need coffee," Judas grumbled. "Or whatever passes for it in this volcano city."

They dressed in their new, heat-appropriate attire. Judas wore a loose white tunic that exposed his chest, trying to mitigate the sweltering heat that was already building up despite the early hour.

When they finally headed down to the inn's common hall, the atmosphere was chaotic.

Usually, mornings in an inn were filled with the clatter of spoons and sleepy conversations about the weather.

Today, the air vibrated with tension. Shouts echoed from the street, and the patrons inside were huddled in tight circles, whispering frantically.

"...emptied! I heard they took even the floorboards!"

"...impossible! The Lustrous Lounge has a barrier set by a Grandmaster!"

"...no trace. Just shadows."

Judas kept his face perfectly neutral as he led his wives to a large corner table. He glanced at Nyx.

The dragon was walking with a slight skip in her step. She looked remarkably pleased with herself, like a cat that had not only eaten the canary but also sold the birdcage for a profit.

"So," Judas whispered as they sat down. "Floorboards?"

"They were mahogany," Nyx replied quietly, picking up a menu. "High resale value. Why waste them?"

Judas choked on air. He looked at her small, innocent frame. She hadn't just robbed the place; she had effectively deleted it from existence.

"And the goods?" he asked, tapping the table.

"In the inventory," Nyx said, tapping the space where the Couple Space entrance would be. "Gold, gems, artifacts, and legal deeds. I also dismantled the slave collars. The slaves ran into the city. The guards are chasing them, not us."

Judas relaxed. The beauty of the Couple Space was its absolute isolation. It existed in a separate dimension. No matter how powerful the investigators in this city were, they would never find the loot.

"Smart," Judas praised her.

Nyx preened, puffing out her small chest. "I am efficient."

A waitress arrived, her hands shaking slightly as she placed water pitchers on the table. She stared at Judas's group—six incredibly attractive people in a room full of sweaty, panicked adventurers—but she didn't say anything.

"Meat," Nyx ordered immediately.

"I'll have fruit," Luna added elegantly.

"Same for me," Ezra said.

"Meat!" Nina cheered, siding with the dragon.

Summer said nothing, her eyes falling to his neck. Judas knew what she wanted.

He shook his head. "Meat, too..."

He tried his best to ignore how Summer's legs were parading on his inner thighs.

As they waited for their food, the uproar outside grew louder. The sound of heavy iron boots marching in unison echoed against the cobblestones.

CLANG.

The double doors of the inn were kicked open. They slammed against the walls with enough force to crack the wood.

Silence descended on the common hall instantly. Every spoon froze. Every conversation died.

A squad of twenty soldiers marched in. They wore the crimson and gold armor of the Draconis Judiciary—the city's elite law enforcement. They carried heavy spears, and their helmets obscured their faces, giving them a faceless, menacing appearance.

But it was the man leading them who drew the eye.

He was tall, incredibly thin, and dressed not in armor, but in billowing silk robes of emerald green embroidered with gold dragons.

He held a fan made of razor-sharp metal feathers in one hand, tapping it rhythmically against his chin.

His face was caked in white powder, his lips painted red, and his eyes were narrow and serpentine.

"Lock the exits," the man commanded.

His voice was like nails on a chalkboard. It was high, shrill, and painfully feminine, lacking any depth or bass. It pierced through the silence, making several patrons wince.

"No one leaves," the man screeched, fanning himself. "The City Lord is displeased. Very displeased. A rat has stolen his favorite toys from the Lounge. And until we find the rat, every stranger in this district is a suspect."

The innkeeper, a stout man with a mustache, hurried forward, bowing so low his nose nearly touched the floor.

"Captain Valerian!" the innkeeper stammered. "This... this is a humble establishment! We have no thieves here! Only honest travelers!"

Captain Valerian.

Judas narrowed his eyes. He activated his Appraisal skill silently.

[Name: Valerian]

[Title: Apprentice Dragon Rider]

An Apprentice Rank.

"Honest travelers?" Valerian scoffed, his voice cracking upward. "We shall see. My baby is hungry, and she smells lies."

A green aura flickered around Valerian. From the sleeve of his robe, a small, snake-like creature slithered out.

It grew rapidly as it hit the floor, expanding into a three-meter-long creature that looked like a dragon made of twisted vines and thorns. It hissed, drooling acid onto the floorboards.

The patrons recoiled in terror.

"Check them," Valerian ordered his men, pointing his fan at the room. "Check their bags. Check their spatial rings. If anyone resists... feed them to the Ivy."

The soldiers began to move, overturning tables and dumping out backpacks. The sound of breaking glass and crying adventurers filled the air.

Judas calmly picked up a piece of bread from the basket the waitress had dropped before fleeing. He took a bite.

"Ignore them," he told his wives. "Eat."

Nyx didn't need telling twice. She was busy tearing into a massive steak that had just arrived, ignoring the armed soldiers entirely.

But their group was impossible to miss.

As the soldiers moved through the room, Valerian stood in the center, looking bored. His gaze drifted lazily across the terrified faces... until it landed on the corner table.

He froze.

First, he saw Luna. The High Elf's ethereal beauty was radiant even in the dim inn. Then, his eyes snapped to Summer.

The vampire's red dress and dangerous curves made him blink. Then Nina, the exotic wolf-girl. Then Ezra, the cool beauty. And finally, Nyx, the small, doll-like girl devouring a steak larger than her head.

Valerian's Adam's apple bobbed. He gulped audibly.

There was no lust in his eyes. It was greed.

In a city where unique bloodlines and beautiful slaves were currency, seeing five top-tier women sitting at one table was like finding a pile of diamonds in a pigsty.

'Who's the owner of them?' Valerian thought as his gaze landed on the middle. His breath hitched instantly.

Sitting in the middle of them was a man.

"Hold," Valerian shrieked, snapping his fan shut.

He walked toward them. The soldiers parted ways. The Wood Dragon hissed and slithered behind him, its thorns scraping the floor.

Judas didn't look up. He buttered his bread.

Valerian stopped at their table. He loomed over them, waiting for them to bow, to tremble, to beg for mercy like the others.

Judas took another bite. Crunch.

Nyx ripped a chunk of meat off the bone. Tear.

The disrespect was palpable. A vein bulged on Valerian's powdered forehead.

"You guys..." Valerian began, his voice trembling with suppressed rage and excitement. "You seem very... calm."

Judas finally looked up. He wiped a crumb from his lip.

"Is being calm a crime in Scale-Iron City?" Judas asked. His voice was steady, deep, and utterly unimpressed.

Valerian flinched at the tone. He wasn't used to people speaking back to him.

"It is when a major crime has been committed!" Valerian shouted, his voice reaching a pitch that made Nina flatten her ears against her head in pain.

"But I am sure this gentleman is not such a person." Valerian's tone changed as a blush crept up his cheeks. "I am wondering if you are free tonight?"

He then glanced at the five women. "You and me. No bitches."

"How dare-" Ezra almost summoned her sword.

"Okay.." but paused stupified after hearing Judas. Even Nyx stopped eating as she gazed at him.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.