Chapter 356: Bad news for Candy.

Crown keeper Tobias stared at the woman standing in front of him, his eyes practically bulging out of his sockets from sheer curiosity.

At first, he had completely ignored her. He was a busy man! He had a territory to run. But the very second her lips moved and the name "Zyra Scorpion" popped out, Tobias had almost jumped over his new marble table to grant her an immediate audience. Zyra Scorpion meant big pay day, and he was looking to collect.

He slid back onto his throne, resting his chin on his palm and tilting his head like a confused puppy. "Alright, let us try this again. Who are you, lady?"

The woman threw her head back, her chin high enough to poke an eye out. She did not look like someone standing in front of the absolute boss of Hollomgad.

"My name is Candy Duggar, and I come from the Duggar clan of The New Jersey Republic," she declared, her voice booming off the high stone walls without a single tremble.

Tobias slowly scanned the three men standing behind her. Their clothes were shredded, their faces were smeared with dirt, and their leather boots looked like they had been chewed on by a pack of feral hounds.

Right, Tobias thought to himself, these folks definitely crawled out from the deep end of hell. They have no resemblance to any members of a famous clan. How much can I get from them?

Candy, on the other hand, was rapidly running out of patience. She tapped her dusty foot against the floor, watching Tobias flex his shoulder muscles as if he were posing for a portrait.

"Look, your highness or your majesty," Candy snapped, crossing her arms. "Did Zyra Scorpion pass through your town or not? We need to get going as soon as possible. The sooner you provide clues, the sooner I reward you."

Tobias let out a loud, dramatic smirk. He loved making people wait, no matter the reward. It made him feel powerful. "Now, now, lady. Why is a woman from a large clan like yours looking for Zyra Scorpion?" He doubted they were from a large clan, because he knew all the privileged clans.

Candy sucked in a deep breath, her nostrils flaring. She hated time-wasters. She looked like she was two seconds away from jumping on his throne and biting his ear off.

Seeing that his boss’s fuse was completely burnt out, one of the beat-up companions quickly stepped forward, waving his hands frantically. "Sir! Zyra Scorpion killed the young master of the Duggar family! We are here for answers!"

Tobias rubbed his chin, his brow furrowing into deep wrinkles. "The Duggar family_ The Duggar family_ Man, why does that sound like a brand of very cheap alcohol?" He said in a despising manner.

Cassian, Tobias’s trusted advisor, quickly shuffled over from the right side of the throne. He leaned down and whispered frantically into Tobias’s ear, dropping all the juicy gossip about the Duggar family’s lineage and power back in New Jersey.

"Ah! Right, right, right!" Tobias clapped his hands together, the light bulb finally turning on in his head. He looked back down at Candy, his eyes full of pity. "I remember where I have heard the name Duggar, now. It briefly made the news sometime back. How long have you all been hiking in the wild lands? Are you even plague free? You could have brought the disease here. More importantly, when last did you hear from your relatives?"

Candy blinked. "What do you mean? What does it matter when we last heard from them?" She couldn’t help suspecting that they were planning to hold them for ransom.

"Did nobody tell you?" Tobias leaned forward, whispering like he was sharing a dark secret. "The Linestrich Guild got wiped out. The Sanctum caught them red-handed, charged them with illegal smuggling, and executed the whole bunch for their crimes. And then, the human vultures pounced, robbing the properties and business of the guild. Some were even set on fire. Both in Jersey and the Aurora Dominion. The Linestrich guild which your family belongs to is no more."

Candy froze. The color instantly drained from her face.

She took three shaky steps backward, her hand flying to her chest as if she had just been stabbed. Her eyes went wide, swimming in sudden, painful tears. ℴ

The guild had been smuggling and partaking on robberies for years, but they had never been caught. Someone must have given them up!

No wonder her messages had been bouncing back! No wonder nobody had answered the guild’s emergency phones for days! Her parents and siblings too, she had not heard from them in a while. Her entire support system had been wiped out!

"My_ my father?" Candy gasped, her voice breaking into a fragile squeak. "What about my father?!"

Tobias gave a heavy, tired sigh. He hoisted his heavy leg up and carelessly plopped his boot right onto the velvet armrest of his magnificent throne.

"Oh, old man Duggar?" Tobias asked casually, picking a piece of dirt out from under his fingernail. "Yeah, his head is currently stuck on a spike right at the main entrance arch of Myrtle City. I reckon its a skull by now as birds ate the flesh."

The world spun for Candy. Her knees instantly turned into soft jelly, and she collapsed onto the hard floor with a heavy thud.

Before anyone could offer a fake sympathy card, a wild, earsplitting noise shattered the tension in the room. Outside the room, chaotic screams broke out. People were running, shouting, and crashing into walls. It sounded like trouble.

Tobias didn’t bother sitting around like a brave king. He scrambled off his throne and bolted toward the door, tailing right behind his fully armed guards.

"Ah, damn it!" Tobias cursed as he ran. "Is that giant, stupid red bird beast back again?! Get ready to fight back!"

But when he burst through the double doors and stepped out into the bright lights, his jaw dropped straight to the floor. It wasn’t a king beast bird.

Stretched across the dusty courtyard were thousands of heavily armored transport beasts, row after row of lethal soldiers, and, standing right in the front with her arms crossed, was the one person Tobias feared more than death itself_ Julia Nomad.

Tobias felt his heart drop into his stomach. He quickly wiped the look of utter disappointment off his face, replacing it with a nervous, trembling smile that looked like he had a facial twitch.

Julia hadn’t visited Hollomgad in ages. Usually, she traveled alone, but today? Today she brought a whole battalion of scary, stone-faced killers.

"Ah, Mistress Julia!" Tobias squeaked, walking out with his hands spread wide, trying his absolute best to sound respectful. "What a glorious, unexpected surprise! Welcome to_"

"Wipe that ugly, fake smile off your face, Tobias," Julia interrupted, her voice as cold as ice. "This isn’t a social call."