SSS Ranked Dragon King: My Innate Ability is Unbelievable.-Chapter 180: Tell me when!

Chapter 180: Tell me when!

" These apples look nice but I also like how big and firm the grapes are, or maybe i should pick this. Huh?’ Melinda stopped, holding a pear, when she overheard two people walking by, talking in scared whispers about the missing people outside the city.

" See, what did I tell you, This city isn’t safe for us anymore. First they mentioned seeing hundreds of corpses buried beneath it–," one said, his voice shaking. "And now this? I’m telling you, it’s high time we left this place, Rose city is already a mess."

" And go where? Ain’t your head on straight, they’ve been talking about how all those adventurers keep going missing everytime they head outside, I bet you no one’s coming into the city anymore. Who knows what could happen if we try leaving now."

" I can’t believe the city’s reached Thai point, I remember the time when Rose city was one of the most safest city in the region, but now look at it. We can’t even move about withou worrying about being abducted or running into monsters if we try to head on outside the city." The man sighed, his expression made him look as if he’d aged several years in an instant.

Melinda’s grip on the pear tightened, and she turned to the vendor girl. "Is that true?" she asked, her voice calm but worried. "What they’re saying about people disappearing?"

The girl’s smile faded, and she looked a bit older all of a sudden, almost scared. She wiped her hands on her apron, glancing around like she didn’t want anyone to hear.

"I wish it was just talk–" she said quietly, leaning in closer. "But it’s real. When the first missing group was noticed, Some adventurer groups went to check it out, thinking it was nothing. As I’m talking to you now, They never came back till this very moment."

"The guild even put up a mission to look into it, but everyone who took it is gone too. It’s been almost a week now, with no luck. Although I’m not entirely sure, I heard the Viscount himself might even get involved soon."

Melinda and Emilia shared a quick look, so fast most wouldn’t notice, but it was heavy with meaning, like they both knew something others didn’t.

They went back to picking fruit, in the end, Melinda decided to go with some oranges, a handful of berries, pears, basically an entire fruit basket. She then paid the girl before they left.

The girl waved them off with a big smile, happy with the sale, her earlier worry hidden behind her now cheerful self.

As they walked away, their bags heavier with fruit, the market’s noise seemed to fade, leaving a tense quiet between them.

Some distance away from the stall, Melinda slowed down and looked at Emilia, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Is he behind this?" she asked, her words this time around were as sharp as a blade, her eyes searching Emilia’s face. The unhappy look on her face was clear, like a storm brewing.

Emilia flinched, her delicate face tightening as she struggled to answer. Melinda’s question was like a double edged sword, on one hand she didn’t want to get into trouble with that ruthless demon and on the other hand, she didn’t want to ruin her new relationship with Melinda.

For once, she didn’t know what to say. She looked away, her eyes flickering with doubt, unable to meet Melinda’s gaze. Melinda’s frown grew deeper, her lips parting like she wanted to say more, but the words stayed stuck in her throat, in the end she didn’t say anything, the both of them simply headed back home yet one thing was clear. The dragon Kings wife was definitely not pleased in the slightest.

At the Montgomery family’s grand estate, the dining room was a sight to behold, with its towering ceilings, polished oak table, and chandeliers casting a warm glow over the silverware and fine china.

Seated around the table were Viscount Edward Montgomery, his wife, Isabella, and their children, Victoria, Esmeralda, Henry, and Charles.

The Montgomery family, with their striking blonde hair and emerald eyes, all shared a regal air, except for Isabella, whose blue eyes sparkled like a clear summer sky against her golden locks.

The aroma of roasted turkey, buttery potatoes, fresh-baked bread and several other exorbitant dishes, filled the room, but despite the lavish lunch spread before them, there was a subtle tension in the air, not thick enough to choke on, similar to the faint trace of something one tried to conceal and the one trying to conceal it was naturally Viscount Edward Montgomery.

Everyone could feel the storm brewing in Edward’s tightly clenched jaw and the way his fingers gripped his wine glass, his suppressed rage simmering just beneath the surface.

Enough to show that even the Viscount who once seemed unreadable, couldn’t suppress this negative emotion within him completely.

Henry, his hands gripping his utensils and his emerald eyes flashing with impatience, broke the uneasy silence. "Father, we can’t keep pretending these cases don’t exist." he said, his voice steady yet one could detect the urgency hidden within.

As he leaned forward, he dropped his fork and table knife beside his plate. The crisp sound resounding within the room. "It’s foolish to ignore them any longer."

Isabella’s delicate brow furrowed, her blue eyes narrowing as she set down her napkin, yet her gentle actions were a tad rushed as if she couldn’t completely mask her irritation.

"Henry, we’re eating." she said, her voice soft but sharp, like a blade wrapped in silk. "Have you forgotten your manners? Your father will handle this matter, There’s no reason for you to disturb this peaceful moment because of it." She glanced at Edward, her expression urging him to take control, her fingers smoothing the edge of her lace sleeve as if to calm herself.

Henry’s jaw tightened, and he cut her off before she could continue. "When, Mother?" he asked, his voice rising a little, his hands clenching into fists on the table.

" Is it when the commoners start mocking our family? Or when they start whispering that we’re doing nothing because we’re somehow involved in this mess?" His voice trembled with frustration, his blonde hair highlighting his dashing feature’s as he leaned forward, his words and actions throwing the room into a still silence.

"Mind how you speak to Mother!" Victoria, her emerald eyes blazing with indignation, slammed her hand on the table, the clink of her bracelet against her plate drew everyone’s attention.

" Do you think you’re the only one upset about this?!" She snapped at him, her voice so sharp that it made Esmeralda who was seated next to her, flinch.

Victoria’s poised beauty, her high cheekbones and perfectly silky hair, did nothing to soften the fire in her glare as she stared down her brother.

Henry’s frown deepened, his lips twitching with barely restrained anger, but he forced a tight smile, his voice dripping with strained politeness. "I’m only pointing out that we can’t waste time anymore." he said, his eyes flicking to his father. "Time is of the essence, and we need to act soon before it’s too late. I refuse to just stand by and do nothing!"

BAM!!!

Edward’s fists came down on the table with a thunderous crash, the plates rattling and the wine sloshing in its glasses.

"What would you have me do, Henry?!" he roared, his emerald eyes blazing as he glared at his son, his slightly plump frame seemed as if it filled the room with his fury.

"We’re still waiting on the McClains’ response to know where they stand on this!" His voice echoed off the high walls, and the air seemed to grow heavier, as if the very room was holding its breath under his wrath.

Henry’s face paled, his hands trembling slightly under the weight of his father’s presence, but he gritted his teeth, his stubborn streak refusing to back down.

"There’s nothing to wait for, Father." he said, his voice low but still firm on where he stood in the matter.

He rose from his chair with a scraping sound that cut through the momentarily silence of the room.

"It’s clear as day the McClains are behind this. Why do we continue to turn a blind eye, it’s obvious they refuse to play by the rules."

" Give me the chance to deal with these incidents, and I’ll make them pay ten times over, for what they’ve done." His chest heaved, his emerald eyes burning with a mix of fear and determination, his blonde hair falling slightly into his face as he stood tall, daring to challenge his father’s authority.

Victoria scoffed, the sound was crisp and mocking, drawing Henry’s glare like a magnet yet she didn’t even bath an eye, her lips curling as she rolled her eyes instead, her fingers tapping impatiently on the table.

"You?"

" Of all the people we should send, why should it be you? Have you suddenly gotten so big headed that you believe you could uncover a case that e

ven the city’s enforcers failed to detect for so long." she said, her voice dripping with disdain.