The Lord of Heat and Explosions—even the title alone suggests a fiery, hot-tempered nature. Considering how one’s inherent magic subtly affects their personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if the slightest trigger would set him off.

It’s not just his temperament that’s concerning; it’s the fact that he carries explosives. There’s something uniquely dangerous about a hot-headed person wielding bombs that mirror their personality. The former might harm themselves, but the latter? They’re a danger to others.

One can ignore a person who endangers themselves, but the same cannot be said when they endanger others. Just as I was about to close the tent and hunker down, the Commander burst out, shouting.

"Don’t act recklessly! Our opponent is the Lord of Heat and Explosions!"

Standing in the middle of the road, he blocked the fleeing crowd, his voice booming.

"His direct subordinates all have propulsion devices from the Lord of Heat and Explosions! You won’t escape anyway. Resist here!"

Perhaps his advice was the most rational response. Explosions are threatening and loud but not as dangerous as they seem. They dissipate; their heat spreads out. Even a minimal grasp of internal energy can deflect fragments or scorching winds with rebound techniques.

The real danger isn’t the rockets... but the lunatics riding them. Against them, scattering only increases your chances of being picked off. Standing together to resist is many times safer.

But humans are imperfectly rational beings.

"Don’t be ridiculous! You fight him! I’m out of here!"

If everyone united, maybe they could face the Lord of Heat and Explosions. But if others resist while you flee, your safety is guaranteed. This dilemma led the scavengers in the camp to unanimously choose to flee, losing the battle before it even began. With no one left to stand in their stead, they couldn’t even ensure their own safety.

"Everyone, to the north gate!" "And why are you heading to the south gate? Trying to use us as bait, huh?" "Shut up! Just use the closest gate!"

Their cunning only served to deceive one another. Amid the shouting, each one frantically clutched their belongings as they dashed off. The alchemists with stalls were slower to react. As they hurriedly packed, the Commander yelled out.

"Idiots! Don’t leave! This is the safest place! Here is—"

‘Here is the Verdigris Lord! An alchemist’s nemesis!!’

Whoosh.

Just then, a rocket tore through the tent, landing right in front of the Commander. Alchemists scattered in terror. The Commander could have dodged, but Peru stood behind him. Determined to shield her, he infused energy into the tent, stepping forward.

At that moment—

“...In my presence.”

The fuse’s flame extinguished. Not just that—the igniter, the brass casing—it all disintegrated, unable to maintain its form. The fire turned to ash and smoke, the steel rusted and corroded, breaking apart.

As everyone watched in stunned silence, Peru stepped out of the tent and onto the street, her foot crunching the shattered metal beneath her. She murmured softly.

“...Nothing shines here.”

The rocket had crumbled and rusted in an instant. The alchemists gasped involuntarily at the sight.

“Verdigris Lord?”

Mixed emotions flickered across the alchemist merchants’ faces following Peru’s appearance: one part relief at their survival, the other... a dread of permanent loss.

It wasn’t a fear borne from instinct but a fear understood through reason. The alchemists clutched their belongings, inching back.

The reason was simple.

Peru, the Verdigris Lord’s power rendered the precious metals and items held by alchemists... utterly “unusable.”

In the Heat Nation, “unusable” holds a different meaning. With alchemy capable of transforming items at will, metals hold value equal to their weight. If they’re no longer needed, they can simply be refined again.

However, Peru nullifies even the value of their weight.

Only unusable, verdigris-ridden debris remains.

“We... we survived, but...” “That... power…”

The alchemist guild grappled with the dilemma: save their lives or their livelihoods. Truly a strange luxury, weighing life against wealth. I’ll give them the answer.

“Hey, you there! Instead of praising us for saving you—”

Just as I was about to sternly reprimand them and use them as bullet shields, something caught my eye. A blackened, square fragment fell from my torn sleeve, looking like a scorched card remnant.

Is that... a diamond symbol? Wait—

“Aaaaaah! My diamond card!”

Damn. Diamond cards are all transformation-grade alchemical steel, extremely susceptible to Peru’s abilities. It disintegrated just from being in her vicinity! Even my clothes are getting gnawed away!

The clovers and hearts that hold potions and medicine are more stable and holding up for now, but not for long. I tucked my remaining cards deeper into my sleeve and shouted.

“Stop your ability! My cards! They’re all going to disappear!”

“...Ah.”

‘...I broke something again. No point in making them if they just break.’

Peru withdrew her power, gazing bitterly at the remains. Yet corrosion doesn’t stop when retracted. Once it begins, the process accelerates until the material is unusable. With a heavy heart, I sifted through the diamond card remnants, feeling like my heart was breaking alongside them.

The alchemists, seeing my card in ruins as an example, made a decision. One stepped forward to speak.

“Verdigris Lord. Forgive me, but if you’re here, we must leave.”

It was a statement defying common sense, but the Heat Nation doesn’t abide by typical rules. Peru, versed in Heat Nation’s logic, understood them.

“...I know.”

“However,” the alchemist continued, “your power could counter even the Juggernaut. If you repel the Lord of Heat and Explosions, we’ll greatly reward you.”

In other words, they valued both their lives and money but wanted Peru to go and fight instead. An alchemist, recognized by the Golden Mirror, demanding something of a Heat Nation lord. Bold indeed.

But… strangely, it works in the Heat Nation.

‘The Verdigris Lord Peru has no wealth or power. Her destructive abilities make it impossible for her to amass wealth or build a following. Give her a bit of money, flee when things go awry. She has no means to stop us.’

The Heat Nation’s peculiar economic system works against her. Peru, without the resources or influence to make them, is respected for her power but still unwelcomed. Despite their transparent manipulation, Peru was willing to confront the Lord of Heat and Explosions. However…

“...I... can’t fight.”

‘…She creates valuable assets, but if she fights, whether she wins or loses…’

The value perishes.

In the Heat Nation, whatever is fought over or plundered ultimately transforms into something else. Yet Peru’s very presence erodes the nation’s wealth. She is alchemy’s, and the Heat Nation’s, natural enemy.

So Peru cannot fight. Instead…

“If you manage to drive him off,” she turned to me and said, “I’ll cooperate. Whatever you need.”

Hoho. The job’s been delegated all the way down to me now. It’s a bit irksome to be used, but…

Well, I’ll consider it a minor investment. Besides… I think we’d end up dealing with the Lord of Heat and Explosions anyway.

I drew out the remaining diamond card, one crafted in the Abyss, reinforced with Tir’s True Blood. It remained unscathed by Peru’s power. Transforming the card into a spear, I spun it in one hand.

“Understood. Hey, alchemists, prepare my payment. And don’t try to stash anything away; I’m not that easy to deceive.”

One alchemist, clearly planning to stash items, flinched at my words and shouted.

“W-who are you, anyway?” “Me?”

When asked who I was, it was only polite to answer. Gripping the spear, I struck a pose.

“I’m the Apostle of Peace, here to protect this world.”

“Woof! Woof woof! Fire! Fire! Woof woof!”

Just then, Azi dashed towards me, covered in soot. Judging by his appearance, he’d gotten caught in an explosion. Barking loudly, Azi ran straight toward me. Good timing. I’m a bit slow on foot, so I’ll borrow his speed.

“Borrowing this for peace,” I said, heading toward an abandoned cart. Someone had taken the horse but left the cart behind. I climbed in and tapped my feet on the edge.

“Azi, it’s a dog sled. Let’s go!” “Woof! Just this once!”

Azi, dashing like the wind, landed in front of the cart and grabbed the shaft with his mouth. Heavy as the cart was, with Azi’s strength, the front wheels lifted easily.

“Let’s go!” “Woof!”

With my signal, Azi leaped forward.

Whoever decided only hoofed animals could pull carts hadn’t met the king of dogs. If humans can pull carts, then the Dog King certainly can.

With a jolt, the cart rocketed forward, tearing down the streets of the Heat Nation.

As we sped at full tilt, voices of astonishment echoed from behind.

“Is he insane? He’s using a beast-man dog as a sled dog!”

You’d think I was some ordinary Regressor, based on that remark. Really? That’s all they had to say? Fine. Wait ‘til I get back.

 

Outside, the chaos of escape continued. Hundreds of scavengers scattered like mice, each one quick enough to seem nearly impossible to catch individually.

“Whistle! Did they think they could escape? First wing, take the left! Second wing, take the right! The rest, spread out!”

Yet, first of all, they weren’t alone.

“Cackle! Do these creatures crawling on the ground think they can escape from the Wyvern Corps of Rocket Lord? Ignite!”

With the sparks lit, shadows hiding in the night sky were revealed. Large wings adorned with rocket pods flared to life, gliding through the night. Instead of flapping like birds, they angled their wings upward.

The Wyvern Corps soared to their peak, then steadied mid-air.

“Now! It’s hunting time! Tear, slash, and plunder!” “Whooosh!”

Dozens of fire trails bloomed in the sky. With rockets blazing behind them, the Wyvern Corps descended upon the ground.

The coordinated hunt mercilessly claimed the scavengers.

A swipe of a wing sent a blade slashing through a scavenger, who rolled across the ground with a scream, the force of the fall dealing a fatal blow. Any that survived the crash had no choice but to surrender, for without their mounts, they were merely prey in the wilderness.

A lucky few dodged the Wyvern Corps’ assault with nimble maneuvers, but even such feats were only fleeting triumphs. Missed targets were left for the next comrade, who was already on the hunt. Ascend, descend. Each wave brought a fresh spray of blood as the Wyvern Corps honored their name with brutal efficiency.

“Run! Save me!”

For the uncoordinated scavengers, facing the Wyvern Corps’ aerial onslaught was a losing battle. With no choice but to run, they found an opening in the encirclement.

“Look! There are none over there!”

Southward—toward the Military Nation—there was a conspicuous gap in the Wyvern Corps’ formation. Even a fool could see it was bait.

But they had no choice. The scavengers sprinted towards it with all their might.

Leading the Third Wing, “Wing” Roderick laughed as he watched them flee.

“Yes! Run, towards the Military Nation! That’s the only place you can survive! Hahaha!”

As he reveled in the hunt, a “Feather” approached, matching Roderick’s speed. The Feather asked him.

“Leader, they’re fleeing toward the Military Nation now, but won’t they just turn around once they’re out of range?”

“Heheh! They might. But they’re short on supplies and funds. After crossing the border, they’ll have no choice but to return!”

With the Lord of Heat and Explosions’ aggressive stance, the scavengers had only one option: to raid the Military Nation and sell iron with guaranteed protection.

No guarantee is foolproof, but it’s different for Juggernaut holders. They wouldn’t risk losing the Golden Mirror’s masterpiece. They’d uphold the protection with every effort.

The scavengers knew this, so they headed toward the Military Nation—not to plunder, but to save what they could.

And Roderick knew it well.

“Our duty is just to whip these piglets into action! Let’s go, everyone! Inspire them with a desire to plunder!”

With that cry, the Third Wing Commander flew ahead. The other Wyverns, grasping his meaning, laughed and followed.

The well-fed are always slow to hunt.

But when their bellies are cut open, they plunder with true intent.

However, they had no idea…

what was hidden among that pack of scavengers.