Lord of the Sky City

On the second day after returning to Machine City, Rocky sent all the information related to Kasin City to Cyril. Cyril then studied the details of the mission together with Bernardo and the commanders of various family forces.

"Everyone, to be frank, if Rocky deemed my branch of the family worthless, I could absolutely stay in Backhill Village, but you cannot. Rocky would never acknowledge you."

"So this time, we must fight brilliantly. We must make him realize the importance of the families."

Since the essence of this battle was establishing loyalty, Cyril had only one demand for Bernardo: not only must they win, but they must win spectacularly—ideally not just showing Rocky that the families are valuable, but earning his admiration for them as well.

With this goal in mind, she even laid bare the truth: Rocky could keep her branch as idlers in Backhill Village due to their connection to him and their relationship with Athena. Cyril was confident about this, but she was equally certain that Rocky would never take notice of the other members of the families.

Ironically, her straightforwardness resonated more with the commanders led by Bernardo than it did with the elders. Furthermore, these commanders also understood Cyril's proactive decision to let the family troops take the vanguard much better than the others, as they were most familiar with the family's capabilities.

Under these circumstances, everyone, including Bernardo, began intensively strategizing on how to attack Kasin City, how to defend it afterward, and more. Fortunately, the materials Rocky provided were highly reliable, containing not only detailed maps of Kasin City but also marked locations of demons, along with their numbers and species. These documents proved to be immensely helpful for combat planning.

Additionally, Bernardo had ample time to complete final fortifications and preparations.

A week slipped by in the blink of an eye. During this time, the soldiers of the families were motivated, fueled by Cyril's personal mobilization of the troops. Every soldier understood the significance of the upcoming battle for the families, and none dared to take the matter lightly.

However, on another front, certain factions within the families were growing restless. Over the same week, a deeply discordant rumor began circulating within the families. This rumor alleged that Cyril's incompetence as Clan Leader had led to massive casualties during the counteroffensive campaign, and now she intended to offer the entire family to Rocky.

Nobody knew where the rumor originated or when it began, but it spread rapidly across the families' remaining five Sky Cities. Inevitably, the civilians residing in these cities became emotionally charged by this rhetoric.

The heavy losses suffered during the counteroffensive campaign had already bred widespread dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction further deepened when the anticipated gains failed to materialize—what should have been rewards were negated when the families withdrew from the Allied Forces. Given these circumstances, the new rumor about Cyril offering the families to Rocky, regardless of its truth, acted like a powder keg, igniting the hidden grievances within people's hearts.

This resentment wasn't confined to these two issues. It encompassed all the frustrations and pressures that had accumulated since the families' downfall. Once it erupted, it caused severe consequences. In every Sky City, protests and petitions emerged, demanding Cyril be removed as Clan Leader.

Initially, Cyril paid little attention to the chaos. She was wholly focused on preparing the family troops for battle and had no time to deal with the rumors. However, as events spiraled out of control, it was too late by the time she attempted to regain control.

When Cyril finally tried to stabilize the situation, she discovered that matters were no longer under her command. Apart from Machine City—the only Sky City exclusively under her branch's jurisdiction—the civilians in the other five Sky Cities were already in fervent unrest. Under such circumstances, the family convened an emergency meeting, as was inevitable.

This meeting included not only the elders but also all major and minor members of the families. Even those who had withdrawn from managing family affairs—like Atted, Lexington, and Kelly—were in attendance.

Clearly, this was a pivotal meeting. Most participants had either already guessed or could easily deduce the agenda, Cyril included.

"These people… these people are truly the epitome of incompetence!"

As Clan Leader, Cyril was the last to receive notification of the meeting. Upon receiving the notice, she was so furious she nearly burst into tears. She had already inferred the elders' intentions, and that was precisely why she was enraged. During such a precarious time, the elders were still intent on undermining her!

Her face darkened as she arrived at the large meeting hall capable of accommodating over a hundred people. Conversely, some elders wore smiles, as they believed Cyril was still far too inexperienced for such a tumultuous environment.

The management of a prominent family was akin to a massive vortex—a voracious mouth that devoured everything in sight. To survive, mere ability and fervor were insufficient; one needed exceedingly strong political acumen. In this regard, Cyril was still far from adequate.

While she possessed capability, her political cunning clearly lacked the ruthlessness needed. If she thought her title of Clan Leader alone could overcome all obstacles, she was too naive—resulting in the predicament she faced today.

Cyril was well aware of the elders' mindset and grew even angrier. As soon as she took a seat, she opened with a harsh tone:

"Elders, what are you trying to accomplish? Don't you know the families are currently preparing for war?!"

"Clan Leader, the council does not approve of your actions. Besides, the civilians in the cities are in uproar. We should temporarily suspend the war preparations and prioritize calming the citizens' emotions. After all, the civilians are the foundation of the families."

With a faint smile directed at the incensed Cyril, one elder spoke up. However, just as he was about to continue, two soft coughs rang out, cutting him off.

All eyes in the hall turned toward the source of the sound and found that the one coughing was Cyril's father, Atted.

"Atted, you are no longer an elder and have no right to speak at the family council."

Several elders frowned at Atted, promptly issuing a sharp reminder.

Indeed, as the family declined, its original three factions had long dissolved, leaving Atted without his former influence. He currently wielded less power in the families than even Cyril. Naturally, Lexington and Kelly were likewise sidelined—the families' prolonged downfall had stripped them of their ability to command winds and summon rain.

Yet Atted simply smiled at their remarks before slowly saying, "Elders, I have no intention of speaking. I merely wanted to remind everyone about an important family member who is coming to attend this meeting."

Just as he finished this sentence, the meeting hall doors swung open, and Rocky's figure appeared before everyone!