Chapter 106: Guild War — Moonlight (3)
Chapter 106: Guild War — Moonlight (3)
All explorers who had advanced into the depths were elite.
They were the strong who had passed the quality screening conducted on the battlefield below.
Those whose abilities were even slightly lacking had all been filtered out. It would not be wrong to say that only renowned explorers remained.
“Everyone, stay sharp!”
Inside a relatively intact building.
Tilda Ires, an infiltrator from the Eyes-Eyes-Bear-Love Guild, waved both arms frantically.
“Mordan said it too, didn’t he? Golden Crow Kar can use [Transformation] without any sense of incongruity! He’s a cultist of Cataclysmic Dawn!?”
Cultists who served the Evil God Okail, the chief deity of the evil gods, were beings who brought chaos wherever they went.
Even after the Grand Holy War, how many purposeless upheavals had occurred across the Three Continents?
Even the Harmony Church refused to extend its spirit of unity to cultists of Cataclysmic Dawn, who deliberately placed people in danger or hardship.
“One of the people here could be him! If he’s determined to hide, there’s no way to find him!”
“Do not worry.”
A middle-aged warrior exuding extraordinary presence.
Luphrite, the guild master of the Fire Turtle Guild—considered the next most likely victor after the Ashen Wolf Guild—smiled gently.
“[Transformation] has the weakness that the user’s self becomes assimilated with the form they take. In truth, Golden Crow is the one who should be anxious.”
“…Still, we have to find him!”
“Just wait a moment.”
Luphrite glanced toward the window.
A dragonblood wearing glasses was attaching beautifully cut jewels to a mirror artifact.
Eradra, guild master of the White Jade Hand Guild.
The greatest artisan in Pletika.
“Do you know what Eradra is making?”
“Of course not. You all were whispering among yourselves.”
“It is an artifact that temporarily seizes the mind of whoever appears in the mirror and allows one command to be issued.”
“…Oh?”
It was an effect impressive enough to make one’s eyes widen just from hearing about it.
“Once it is complete, locating a hidden cultist will be simple. We can use it on everyone once and command them to reveal their identity.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed. With [Transformation], where the self and the transformation target become mixed, it is structurally impossible for the mind to become perfectly identical to the target.”
The words of Luphrite, an explorer with twenty years of experience, were highly persuasive.
“Then… when asked their identity, the one who answers strangely must be Golden Crow?”
The true self and the transformation target.
Since the two identities would mix, their response when asked their identity would surely contain traits of both.
“Golden Crow probably wishes he could run out of here right now. But he cannot.”
There were only two exits to the building.
The main entrance and a hole in the center of the wall.
But both were blocked by the large explorers of the Great Warrior Guild.
“We’re guarding the exits, so relax, skinny ones.”
“That’s right….”
Heavyclaw, the bear beastman guild master of the Great Warrior Guild whose size rivaled Targon.
And Kukus, a Wise Ogre martial artist famous for wielding peculiar Mysteries.
“Once we extract information from the Golden Crow we find, we’ll confront the Ashen Wolf Guild. At that time, we will also seize Targon’s mind.”
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
Luphrite of the Fire Turtle Guild was so confident that Tilda hesitated to raise doubts directly.
So she asked indirectly.
“But where did you get such an incredible artifact?”
“Our vice guild master Raenis obtained it.”
An elf with a topaz embedded in his forehead stepped forward and bowed.
“I acquired that artifact at the Interracial Association Market not long ago. We were fortunate. It was incomplete, however.”
“But Eradra, the greatest artisan in Pletika, was able to complete it?”
“Yes. Normally it wouldn’t work on someone whose Soul Rank is higher than the user’s. But since this is the [Battlefield of Sun and Moon], even someone like Targon won’t be able to resist it.”
Luphrite nodded slowly.
“If we seize Targon’s mind, eliminating the other guild members—and even the Light Wyvern—will be simple. We only need to issue a command like ‘Fight for us.’ What do you think of my plan?”
A strategy to subdue the Ashen Wolf Guild and deal with the Light Wyvern easily.
“As expected of the Fire Turtle Guild. I could never compete with that.”
Though Tilda sparkled her eyes in admiration, her thoughts were different.
Does this make any sense…?
The Fire Turtle Guild’s operation was perfect, but every step relied entirely on one absurdly powerful artifact.
An artifact capable of interfering even with a monster like Targon had been obtained “by chance” at a market?
The feeling was bad.
Apparently thinking the same, the wood elf Rael exchanged a quiet glance with Tilda.
If things go wrong, run.
Agreed.
Raenis and Luphrite both seemed suspicious.
And there was another suspicious one.
Tilda approached Rael as if casually chatting, then secretly threw a hidden dagger.
Whoosh.
Kukus, the Wise Ogre martial artist of the Great Warrior Guild, casually caught the dagger aimed at him.
“…What was that.”
Heavyclaw, the bear beastman guild master, rose with a frown, clearly displeased that a member of his guild had been attacked.
Tilda grinned confidently.
“None of you noticed? That guy is fake. A sluggish Wise Ogre couldn’t possibly catch a hidden dagger that fast.”
Perhaps she had shown off too much.
But what could she do about being smart?
“……”
Eradra of the White Jade Hand Guild stared at Tilda with an annoyed expression before speaking.
“Kukus possesses several Mysteries that increase agility.”
“…Huh?”
“You’re the suspicious one.”
Eradra tapped the bracelet on his wrist.
Whip—!
The bracelet floated into the air, stretching into a long chain as it flew toward Tilda.
“Ah—!”
Tilda tried to flee in shock, but she was quickly bound by the bracelet artifact.
“Stay like that until the suspicion clears. Right now, you are the most likely candidate for a [Transformation] disguise attempting to cause internal conflict.”
“…Me?”
“Then who else?”
Heavyclaw clicked his tongue while looking down at Tilda with displeasure.
“The Eyes-Eyes-Bear-Love Guild isn’t much after all. Well, I suppose that’s inevitable since your guild master was eliminated first.”
“……”
Tilda silently made a firm decision.
I’ll stab you in the back later…!
As she glared at the bear beastman, a human explorer resembling her approached and crouched beside her head.
“Tilda, I believe you aren’t the cultist Kar.”
“Sister…!”
Tilda Ires’s older sister.
Beldora Ires, the next candidate for guild master of the Eyes-Eyes-Bear-Love Guild, shook her head.
“So please stop embarrassing yourself and stay still.”
“…Okay.”
“I’ll find Golden Crow Kar.”
“Okay!”
Tilda nodded vigorously.
Her sister was truly reliable.
The depths of Lumerlan’s ruins had once been a village where priests who guarded the sacred relic lived.
As time passed, those priests all died.
But one lonely being remained, wandering endlessly.
KWA—!
The Light Wyvern fired a beam.
A brilliant streak of dazzling light erupted.
“Don’t get hit!”
“Tear him apart!”
The ghouls had apparently learned something. They nimbly dodged while slowly inflicting small wounds on the wyvern’s body.
Though they were merely scratches.
《Without Mysteries, the Slaughterer Ghouls cannot defeat the Light Wyvern through brute force alone.》
It meant that ghouls alone could not obtain the [Orb of Lumerlan].
Perhaps that was why, in actual history, neither vampires nor ghouls ever managed to obtain that sacred relic.
—KROOO!
Kar, disguised as someone else, listened to the wyvern’s savage roar before returning his focus to the situation inside.
“It’s finished.”
Eradra of the White Jade Hand Guild raised the hand mirror.
A rare artifact surrounded by tightly embedded beautiful jewels.
[Consciousness Usurper].
It could temporarily seize the mind of whoever was reflected in the mirror and issue a single command.
Complex commands were impossible, and each use inflicted severe mental shock on the user.
Even so, it was powerful enough to be considered absurd.
“Good work.”
Smiling gently, Luphrite of the Fire Turtle Guild approached and extended his hand.
“Now hand it over.”
“……”
But Eradra simply stared at the hand without giving the artifact.
Had he realized the other’s intention?
Raenis of the Fire Turtle Guild stiffened.
“Eradra. Ownership of that artifact belongs to our guild.”
“Of course it does. I know that.”
Though he acknowledged it verbally, the dragonblood artisan’s hand remained unmoving.
The pleasant expression on Luphrite’s face turned cold.
“Stop being difficult and say what you want.”
“That artifact would not have been completed without my craftsmanship.”
“…I admit that.”
“Then is it fair for me to request proper compensation as the craftsman?”
Eradra pushed up his glasses.
“As payment, I’d like to use this mirror on you first, Luphrite. Honestly, you’re the most suspicious.”
“…How dare you.”
The shaman of the Fire Turtle Guild lunged forward in fury.
If the guild master had not raised his hand to stop him, he might have grabbed the dragonblood by the hair.
Despite receiving angry glares, Eradra calmly fiddled with the back of the mirror.
“I don’t understand why you’re reacting so strongly. We were going to use it on everyone anyway.”
“Seems you have something to hide.”
The green orc bard of the White Jade Hand Guild snickered mockingly.
“Watch your mouth.”
“……”
The human tracker and werewolf shaman of the Fire Turtle Guild stepped behind their guild master.
Four explorers from the Fire Turtle Guild had reached the depths.
The second largest number after the Ashen Wolf Guild.
Although outnumbered, Eradra remained relaxed.
“I don’t understand why you’re so angry. Do you really have a reason not to go first?”
“Eradra, that’s enough. Stop creating unnecessary conflict.”
“Isn’t refusing my legitimate request the real cause of conflict?”
“……”
The two guild masters stared into each other’s eyes, engaged in a silent mental duel.
A tense confrontation between equals.
The air suffocated in silence.
“…I’ve had enough of this!”
Heavyclaw, the bear beastman guild master of the Great Warrior Guild who had been watching with bored eyes, stomped forward.
“How long are you going to glare at each other! If you’re going to fight, then fight with Mysteries and fists!”
“…That was the problem?”
Still bound, Tilda muttered in disbelief.
“Luphrite, Eradra. I’ll settle this.”
The enormous bear beastman raised three thick fingers.
“There are two options.”
“That’s three.”
The wood elf Rael of the Eyes-Eyes-Bear-Love Guild clamped Tilda’s mouth shut before she could continue rambling in such a tense situation.
“Either you two cooperate and root out this crow bastard together. Or both of you get beaten senseless by me. Choose.”
“……”
It sounded as though he was saying he could defeat both of them easily if he wished.
The atmosphere between the guild masters turned even colder.
A spark away from violence.
As the explorers quietly reached for their weapons, Raenis the jewel elf sighed.
“Guild Master… it would be best if we yielded here.”
“…Raenis.”
The Fire Turtle Guild tracker called his name as if asking whether he had lost his mind.
But Raenis had already decided.
“If we start fighting among ourselves here, the Ashen Wolf Guild’s victory will be guaranteed. Now is the time for everyone to work together. Please stop this conflict.”
A sincere plea.
His delicate appearance lent the words an added melancholy that made them even more persuasive.
Soon the guild masters spoke, somewhat embarrassed.
“…You’re right, Raenis.”
“Your guild’s vice guild master is better than the guild master.”
“Indeed. We shouldn’t exhaust ourselves before facing Targon! I need you all intact so I can fight Targon fairly!”
The frozen atmosphere thawed like spring.
Unity made possible only because the Ashen Wolf Guild existed as a common enemy.
“Then I’ll use it on you first, Luphrite?”
“Very well. I’m not pleased, but it cannot be helped.”
Just as the hand mirror slowly approached Luphrite’s face—
“Uh, I suddenly got curious about something.”
Beldora of the Eyes-Eyes-Bear-Love Guild suddenly spoke.
“What was the inherent trait of dragonblood again? I feel like it might be related to the current situation.”
“…What are you talking about all of a sudden.”
The wood elf Rael lowered his head.
Beldora and Tilda.
The Ires sisters suffered from a congenital, incurable illness—an inability to read the situation.
“Ah! I know that, sis!”
Seizing the moment when the mouth restraint loosened, Tilda blurted out.
“It’s not widely known because dragonblood keep it secret, but once they reach adulthood they learn a martial-type Mystery that amplifies a person’s Mysteries or the performance of tools!”
Tilda truly had no sense of timing.
She had no idea what consequences her words would cause.
“Wait… then does that mean this mirror artifact too?”
[Consciousness Usurper] could issue a single absolute command to the person reflected in the mirror.
But—
If touched by a dragonblood?
Perhaps it would no longer be just one command.
“……”
Receiving the gazes of doubt, confusion, and anger directed at him, Eradra smiled faintly.
“You noticed?”
“……”
Silence fell over the room.
At that moment—
Kar, disguised among them, nodded slightly.
It has begun.
The chaos that the Schemer who loved grand designs could never handle.