Chapter 264: The Indomitability Represented by the Snake - II

"Mr. Lawrence," Marlina, still fixated on the light screen, interjected, "Could you kindly reveal Mr. Hyena's movements? If I were him, I would be setting off to meet one of the other three leaders, or perhaps..."

The ordinary young girl's eyes were firm and restrained: "Hold a, not so well-intentioned, meeting."

Lawrence quickly pulled up a new image, just as Marlina had predicted, our protagonist, Mr. Hyena, was sitting at a round table. Across from him was a tall, sinister man, to his left sat a cold and beautiful woman with a vertical scar in her left eye, and to his right, a corpulent man.

"Oh, this is really..." Lawrence opened his mouth, revealing sharp teeth, appearing somewhat astonished, "Can it be this accurate?"

"Of course, Marlina is the smartest!" Seraphina proudly raised her head, then seemed to remember something and whispered, "Hmm, maybe just a bit less than Ansel."

"Mr. Ansel, who is the man across from Mr. Hyena?"

Marlina, who had been ignoring them, asked.

"Vulture."

"Then the lady must be Miss DappleSpider, and the remaining one is Rodent..."

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Marlina mused, "How do their forces compare to Mr. Hyena's?"

"Hyena controls nearly half of the black market, but the actual force he can mobilize, rather than just nominally under his name, is probably about a third of the black market. The remaining two-thirds naturally belong to the other three leaders."

Ansel smiled as he watched Marlina, "Thought of something?"

"The identity of Mr. Ansel as Faust cannot compare with the grand duke, although you assure me that there will be no upper-level problems interfering with me, that is only upper-level problems."

"In our 'proxy' confrontation... even with the support of the Grand Duke of Luminaris, my force can only go so far. Therefore, if I want to monopolize the slave market, I must pay a certain price in other areas."

"Interest."

Lawrence, who had seen a lot, took a sharp breath: "The young lord really never misjudges anyone..."

Who is Hyena? Hyena is an extraordinary businessman who can dominate the black market in the capital, where the most noble nobles and the most powerful extraordinary beings of the entire empire gather.

Although he mainly relies on the powerful influence of the Duke of Luminaris, the other leaders also have their own backers. On the surface, what they compete for is ability, and Hyena's ability is self-evident.

Lawrence, a rat of leisure, harbored a profound concern for the well-being of Ansel's pact heads and those in his circle. Upon arriving in the imperial capital, especially after Seraphina demonstrated her formidable abilities before the pact heads, he took it upon himself to inquire into the sisters' circumstances.

There is no need to elaborate on Seraphina; her talent in combat is unparalleled, a monstrous prodigy capable of withstanding the power of two pact heads, earning the recognition of all present pact heads, including Flamelle herself.

As for Marlina... to be frank, Lawrence discerned nothing particularly remarkable about her; at best, she was merely intelligent.

But was Ansel's entourage lacking in intelligence? Far from it; he was the most astute of them all. Thus, Marlina seemed nothing more than a subordinate tasked with menial duties.

Yet, could a minor figure, responsible for menial tasks, evolve from an ordinary village girl to perfectly replicating the thought processes of a black market leader in just a few months?

"As for what follows..."

The meeting between "businessmen" escalated into a dispute, and Marlina shifted her gaze from it to the other slave markets.

"This is not a true 'market'; within the artificially crafted chaos, even the methods that cannot be openly displayed are considered legitimate. It's time for the surprise attack I initially mentioned."

Boom!

A sudden explosion erupted from a shop below, startling Seraphina, while Marlina remained focused, observing the chaotic scene displayed before her.

Hyena's enforcers stormed into the slave markets owned by Vulture, catching them completely off guard.

"The final and decisive factor, stemming from extraordinary..."

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