Chapter 104: It all ends now!
0% “Simply put, the Republic is finished. There’s no hope of recovery.”
Robert barely reacted to my words. Without hesitation, he offered to introduce us to the Apprentice and led Roka and me through the city.
“I, a mere department head, am now the second-in-command of the Republic. Everyone above me, except for the Apprentice, has already fled to the Empire through the Gate.”
“Then why didn’t you run away, mister?”
Roka interrupted. Robert scowled at being called “mister,” gripping a cigarette between his teeth. He took a slow drag, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke before responding.
“Because I have nothing left to lose by staying.”
His mood had soured. He deliberately blew the next puff of smoke toward Roka.
Roka pinched salt from her millstone and purified the smoke before it reached her. Her tail thumped against the ground in irritation. Then, taking another pinch of salt, she sprinkled it on Robert.
“The young lady has quite a temper. I had a wife like that once.”
Still, the gesture worked. Robert shifted, now blowing his smoke away from people. His expression softened slightly as if lost in distant memories.
“She went flower‑viewing in the Caldera Mountains with other wives and children, claimed Lady Catherine invited her. Then... the incident. They disappeared, and I know they’re dead.”