The Sound Of Despair

There had been trouble, but not more than Sturm had expected. Most of the guards had been spared by him, just like at the gate. Luckily, Lapi, the shield scribe, had failed to identify him. The most likely cause was that he was simply blinded by the bright lightning. 

Other guards, like the ones he had encountered in front of a tavern, had threatened to kill him and his whole family if he did not surrender. Their attitude showed their arrogance, and the way they immediately attacked before Sturm could even respond demonstrated their despicableness. 

Not like their approach was wrong. One had to use every means possible to eliminate imminent threats, but Sturm did not appreciate being the target of their little tricks. Before they could even realize their mistakes, lightning had already reduced them to ashes. In the end, it was nothing more than self-defense, so Sturm's conscience was clear.

Afterward, everything went well. The few high-step noble guard captains that tried to intercept him were led into traps by Schatten and Licht. Most commoners ran away at the sight of him, and with [Avatar of Thunder] activated, reaching the docks was a matter of minutes. 

The Siren Merchant's warehouses were guarded by multiple mercenaries, and even the city guard seemed to patrol a lot more around that zone. As the mercenaries were all commoners, they were unable to stop Sturm's intrusion. After killing several of them, a part of his conscience seemed to start questioning if those who were only hired really deserved death.

Just like the city guard, they were only doing what they were hired to do. The only difference was that Sturm did not have a direct enmity with Dagger's Rock Town. Schatten repeatedly told his contractor to be merciless with enemies, and even though they were just fulfilling their jobs, the mercenaries were unquestionably part of the enemy force.

On top of that, the mercenaries and even the simple dock workers charged at Sturm with determination, and few fled at his sight. Not even killing dozens of them seemed to discourage their attacks. The only logical conclusion for their behavior was that death wasn't the worst outcome for them. Maybe their family was held captive by the Siren Merchants, or perhaps they were all drugged, but it did not matter. Whoever stood in the way would be removed.

Inside the first warehouse, Sturm was rapidly transferring all the goods into the lightning space when he encountered a seventh-step noble inspecting a shipment. The noble seemed even more arrogant and full of himself than others and immediately ordered the few workers next to him to attack.

A single punch was enough to incapacitate the wealthy noble. Just like on Earth, just because someone was physically fit did not mean that they knew how to use their superior physiques to fight. With the power of a seventh-step, a skilled fighter would be able to reduce the impact, even if they couldn't handle Sturm's speed. 

The noble, who soon after tried to use his connection with the Empire to survive, did not even try to block, dodge, deflect or even ball up. A second punch was all that was needed to kill the man. Then, after ordering Schatten and Licht to kill the remaining two Siren Merchant workers, they proceeded to loot the other warehouses. 

<<If those nobles that are still trapped in Schatten's dark lightning are as weak as this one was, then maybe I have nothing to fear.>>

During their looting spree, sometimes innocent bystanders spotted Sturm destroying the Siren Song Merchant Group's forces. Still, they were simply knocked out as long as they did not wear the company's uniform. It took Sturm fifteen minutes to clear out everything that wasn't bolted to the ground. The warehouses were left completely empty, and even though there was no time to check their loot, for now, the acquired wealth was bound to be considerable.

…

A little while after Sturm had already left, a troop of golden armored guards arrived. They were one of the reasons few dared to act out inside Dagger's Rock Town. As the town lord's loyal special forces, they had killed even pirate nobles that refused to obey the local laws. 

"If the lord was still in town, that intruder would already have been dealt with," said one of the guards.

Their captain, a man with several skulls engraved on his shoulder guards, kneeled down and took a handful of earth from the ground.

"We are the lord's sword; his absence is no excuse for our failure. Initially, I thought we were dealing with a magic beast, as those traps that held us back were mana constructs. But a magic beast would neither rob warehouses nor leave behind human footprints, so we are most likely dealing with a mage," the captain explained.

The other elite soldiers gasped in response. Mages were simply too fearsome. How was one supposed to block a giant fireball flying in your direction? Or how could a simple warrior defend against quicksand suddenly opening up beneath him? In the Pirate Seas, mages were incredibly rare, which only served to mystify and exaggerate their abilities.

"Do you think it is Arcanus Attalus? He supposedly already left a long time ago, but what if he just hid or came back?" A guard asked.

The captain frowned in thought but quickly shook his head. "Arcanus Attalus could simply order every single merchant inside the town to give up their goods; there is no need to cause problems like this. Furthermore, as a noble mage from the Empire, how could he covet the insignificant wealth gathered on Dagger's Rock Island? No, we are most likely dealing with a rogue mage, and he's most likely a self-taught pirate, or else we would have been annihilated instead of just being stalled."

As expected of the leader of an elite force, he perfectly analyzed the situation. The other members quickly regained their courage. A trained noble mage was genuinely fearsome, but capturing a little rogue pirate mage was well within their capabilities. If they could force him to swear allegiance and then get a mage from the Empire to train him, then maybe their lord's crimes would be forgiven.

…

While the elite unit was looking for Sturm near the docks, the young man was already on his way to the town's merchant district. There was one more person that had to be dealt with, Sebastian. 

Schatten was jumping through shadows trying to find the merchant, but even after searching Sebastian's house for hidden doors or chambers, there was still no sign of him. So it most likely meant he was hiding with Geronimo in the Mercenary Association.

{Ts. Does he really think his brother can protect him from us?} Schatten questioned.

"No, but probably the dozens of mercenaries around him. It surprises me that he isn't rushing towards my thunder. Wasn't experiencing thrilling situations what he was all about? Anyway, while it does complicate our operation a little, we should be able to handle it. Schatten, go keep stalling the high-step nobles. Apparently, the former town lord's elite unit is on its way. Try to reduce their numbers if you can, but don't take unnecessary risks," Sturm answered.

With his enhanced hearing, Sturm had overheard some normal guards talking about the golden guard unit. Even though those common guards had not met him yet, and did not know his true strength, their confidence that the problem would be easily dealt with spoke of the elite troop's prowess. 

{Alright, but don't blame me if none of them arrive here. You have been taking care of most of these soldiers, so I still need to quell my thirst for battle,} Schatten responded before vanishing again.

Licht, on the other hand, jumped down from a roof next to Sturm, shaking his head. {I myself am glad you are doing most of the dirty work. That trash is beneath me. If they sully my paws and fur any more, then it will take me days until I get all this blood off me. Next time, please let that dog take care of the workers by himself.}

Even if the tiger did not like it, he had to fight and kill to accelerate his evolution. Only then would Sturm still be alive when the beasts attained their former strengths. Otherwise, it would simply take too long, even with the lightning space's influence.

"Does that mean you want Schatten to leave you behind? I guess all cats are lazy. Well, don't come complaining to me when he starts bullying you. That's all on you. I can take care of the mercenaries myself, so just go sleep inside the lighting source."

After so much time, Sturm knew exactly what to say to motivate the two beasts. Threatening with punishment and training was good, but using their rivalry was even better. When the raitiger realized his contractor was right, his demeanor immediately changed.

{I can't be outdone by that little dog! Also, this is an important moment for you, so of course, I will be doing my best. Come on, hurry up. If we get there soon enough, Schatten won't have time to… I mean, he won't have to risk his life!}

Sadly, Licht was not big enough to serve as a mount yet, so a human clad in lightning and a white tiger ran side by side towards the Mercenary Association. On their way, sometimes a few especially brave guards tried to stop them. Then, a thunderclap later, their ashes were scattered through the wind. Every time the thunder boomed, the townspeople trembled.