The Divine Artifact
"Everyone, withdraw. I must speak with this man alone for a moment."
Karayan, the Master of the Ruins Merchant Group.
Very few knew her true identity. Aside from a handful of high-ranking executives stationed on the top floor, almost no one had ever seen her real face.
Yet, a mysterious man who had suddenly appeared had seen right through her disguise.
What was more, Karayan had actually agreed to a private audience with him.
What is this? She's granting him an audience this easily?
Naturally, Loren, her escort knight, couldn't help but worry. Glancing at her, he immediately volunteered to remain as her guard.
"Master, just in case something happens, perhaps I should stay..."
"No."
But Karayan shook her head without a moment's hesitation.
"He is right. If he had malicious intent, he would have killed us all long ago."
"B-but..."
"It is fine, so leave us. I will handle this matter myself."
"..."
Loren nodded reluctantly and followed the others out.
Yet, no matter how much his master insisted she was fine, he couldn't shake his anxiety as her guard.
...I can't just leave it like this.
Unable to suppress his unease, Loren decided to use his trump card.
It was one of his secret techniques, Shadow Slip.
This skill allowed him to hide a clone of himself inside a target's shadow in preparation for emergencies. Loren frequently used this technique to protect Karayan whenever they were separated.
"Ha."
But at that exact moment, a scoff echoed through the room.
"I believe I requested a private audience with the Master of the Ruins Merchant Group."
"...!"
The man's gaze shifted toward him the instant the words left his mouth. His eyes gleamed sharply, as if he had instantly seen through Loren's trick.
W-what...!
Startled, Loren quickly canceled his skill. His body froze stiff, like a rabbit facing a lion.
A suffocating silence filled the air. Even as the heavy doors of the top floor slowly creaked shut, the man's eyes remained locked onto Loren.
Though the man's body was emaciated, as if he had starved for days, the dignity radiating from him was extraordinary. Completely overwhelmed, Loren swallowed hard.
He saw through my skill in that split second...?
A cold sweat trickled down his spine.
Not only had he killed the Human Butcher, Barba, in a single strike, but he had also instantly detected Shadow Slip. Just what level of mastery had he reached to make such feats possible? Loren couldn't even begin to fathom the man's strength.
With a heavy thud, the doors shut completely, leaving only silence in the hallway.
The high-ranking executives, suddenly locked out, could only exchange bewildered glances.
Now, no one would ever know what transpired between the stranger and the Master of the Ruins Merchant Group.
Whew.
Once I confirmed the doors were shut, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
I only called out Loren the Shadow Knight just in case...
But it turned out he really was planning to use Shadow Slip on the guild master. I was glad I shut down that possibility beforehand.
Otherwise, he would have hidden in her shadow and interfered with everything I planned to do, using telepathy to meddle in our conversation.
I couldn't let that happen.
In any case, having successfully cleared out the pests, I turned my attention back to Karayan. She was still looking at me with a mix of belief and doubt, unsure if I was truly the savior who had saved her life.
To dispel her doubts, I spoke.
"I merely laughed it off when a young beggar girl declared she would become a tycoon ruling over this world."
"...!"
"I never expected you to actually realize that ambition."
Karayan's eyes widened. Hearing a story known only to her and her savior, the last of her doubts finally vanished.
"I-I have been waiting for your return, my benefactor...!"
With a soft thud, Karayan prostrated herself on the floor, bowing deeply at my feet.
Her voice trembled with an indescribable wave of emotion. She seemed genuinely overwhelmed with joy at finally meeting her savior.
"I will not ask what business brings you here, nor why you have only appeared now."
"..."
"But whatever you desire, my benefactor... as long as it is within my power, I will do absolutely anything for you."
Strictly speaking, this situation made no logical sense to Lea de Karayan. Why was her savior mixed in with the slaves? Why did he kill the Human Butcher, Barba? And more than that... what on earth did he come here for?
Hundreds of other questions were probably plaguing her mind.
But none of that matters.
Cold and calculating to a fault under normal circumstances, but completely devoted to her savior—that was the character setting of Karayan, the Master of the Ruins Merchant Group.
In the game, there comes a point where Karayan learns of her savior's death. A few days later, she loses all will to live and ends her own life.
Honestly, the character setting is a bit extreme, but... well, it's a game setting.
In other words, reuniting with her savior was practically Lea de Karayan's sole purpose in life.
Which means...
As the one who saved her life—or rather, the one currently impersonating that savior—I could demand anything from her right now.
There was no need for idle chatter. I had to take advantage of her clouded judgment, get what I wanted, and leave quickly. From the moment I stepped onto this top floor, I had one specific goal in mind.
"Lea de Karayan."
"Yes."
"I understand that almost all stolen goods on this continent eventually flow into the Ruins Merchant Group."
"T-that is correct."
"Excellent."
I nodded and continued.
"A few years ago, my cherished weapon was stolen."
"...!"
"I recall hearing rumors that the Ruins Merchant Group keeps a secret vault of Divine Artifacts. I would like to take a look. My sword might be in there."
The secret vault. Normally, it was a space that absolutely no one could enter unless they were of the highest rank within the Ruins Merchant Group. It made sense, as every single item stored there was a priceless treasure worth billions of shillings.
Even the VVIPs of the black market didn't even know this vault existed.
Normally, they would never show this place to an outsider.
But...
"...Yes. I will escort you to the secret vault immediately."
As I said, Karayan couldn't refuse my request right now. To her, my value as a person was far greater than a few pieces of equipment.
It's probably not just because I'm her savior.
I was a powerhouse who had effortlessly killed the Human Butcher, Barba, and instantly detected Loren's Shadow Slip. She must have calculated that gaining the favor of such a person would only benefit her. Lea de Karayan was, after all, a woman who excelled at such calculations.
"A world overrun by monsters, where all great human civilizations have fallen."
This was the catchphrase that defined the lore of Lost Elder. As one could tell from this, the game's setting was incredibly bleak, just like any other hardcore open-world RPG.
...Humanity is no longer the master of the continent.
Unable to build grand civilizations due to the monsters, humans huddled together in isolated, walled cities. Fewer and fewer people ventured outside into the monster-infested "Untamed Lands."
With minimal interaction between them, these isolated cities developed distinct characteristics, and their laws and regulations varied wildly depending on their geographical traits. Hundreds of years had passed like this, and the world was slowly hurtling toward its demise.
Simply put, it's easiest to think of it as a dark fantasy apocalypse.
Anyway, the reason I'm explaining all this in detail is...
...because I need to clearly define my future relationship with Karayan.
Lea de Karayan, the Master of the Ruins Merchant Group. She ruled like a queen in the shadows of this chaotic world. In this bleak setting where all kinds of crimes were commonplace, the influence of the Ruins Merchant Group under her command went without saying.
If I establish a formal alliance with Karayan, I can receive immense help from the Ruins Merchant Group.
Financial backing, sourcing rare items, and even assassinating NPCs that are difficult for me to handle directly. There were countless ways to utilize the guild.
But I shouldn't blindly ally with them just because it's convenient.
Every advantage has its drawback. At the end of the day, the Ruins Merchant Group was a strictly evil-aligned guild. Aligning with them carried a high risk of ruining my relationships with other NPCs.
First of all, I'd become enemies with all the good-aligned factions...
Midtemple, the Holy Families, the Holy Sisterhood, the Ruins Investigation Team, and various other factions hostile to the Ruins Merchant Group would become my enemies.
...And above all, the moment I ally with them, I'll never be able to escape the shadows.
In noir films, they often say the only way to leave the syndicate is in a coffin. The Ruins Merchant Group was no different. Once you formed a deep connection with them, severing it was practically impossible because the mark of the Ruins Merchant Group would be permanently branded on your body.
The moment that mark was branded, the regions I could visit and the NPCs I could interact with would be severely restricted. It was equivalent to drastically reducing my freedom of movement. This would become a massive penalty for my future.
Therefore, my course of action is simple.
I shouldn't make them my enemies, but I must maintain an ambiguous relationship so I can cut ties whenever necessary. In other words, I just need to exploit them up to a manageable limit. And the boundary of that limit was right here—the secret vault of the Ruins Merchant Group.
"We have arrived."
Guided by Karayan, I entered the secret vault and looked around.
The vault was illuminated by soft magic lamps. Behind display cases protected by security wards, dozens of brilliant weapons were laid out. Seeing items I had only ever viewed through a monitor realized in front of me, I couldn't help but marvel.
So these are the Divine Artifacts.
True to their name, which meant "weapons bestowed by the gods," each of these weapons possessed a unique effect. For instance, the blue spear in front of me, Fang of the Sky Dragon, had a massive active effect that summoned lightning around the wielder with every swing.
But this is useless to me.
Caressing the shaft of the spear, I shifted my gaze to the other weapons.
There's only one weapon I need right now.
I recalled my fight against the Human Butcher, Barba. The moment I activated my skill, the one-handed sword couldn't withstand the impact and cracked. Shortly after, it crumbled into dust.
...I need a durable sword that can withstand the Soul of the Sword Master.
If I used a mediocre sword, it would break every time I used the skill. That would drain my funds. A weapon must never be a consumable. This was especially true considering Lost Elder's setting, where only a handful of blacksmiths capable of forging proper weapons remained. Therefore, I intended to obtain a piece of equipment here with stats good enough to carry me all the way to the ending.
"I don't see my sword."
"...!"
Lea de Karayan's eyes trembled.
"In that case, you may take any Divine Artifact you desire, my benefactor."
"...Any of them?"
"Of course. Please consider it a reward for saving my life. No Divine Artifact is worth more than my life."
Perfect. Everything was going exactly according to my scenario. Of course, some might criticize me for bleeding Karayan dry, but... I was the savior who saved her life. Or at least, that was what she believed.
Well, considering that, this is a cheap price for her to pay.
With that shameless thought, I scanned the vault once more.
...Huh?
Right then, a certain longsword caught my eye.
Holy crap.
The moment I saw it, I couldn't hide my shock.
"...Why is this weapon here?"
I muttered to myself, walking toward the longsword as if possessed.
A blue blade radiating a chilly aura. Yet, as it neared the hilt, the metal took on a reddish hue, giving the sword a unique appearance. There was no mistake. It was Frostglow, one of the most highly rated Divine Artifacts among players. It had once ranked first in a popularity poll for sword-type items among top players, which said it all.
"You have an excellent eye."
Standing beside me, Karayan spoke softly.
"That is a Divine Artifact called Frostglow, which we acquired just a few days ago. It is a masterpiece without equal. It is also the most expensive weapon in our collection."
"..."
"Does it strike your fancy?"
I swallowed hard, my eyes darting around.
Frostglow. The active effect of this Divine Artifact was always considered top-tier among all weapons. Finding this sword here made this trip to the secret vault entirely worth it.
But I don't quite understand...
Was Frostglow supposed to be in the possession of the Ruins Merchant Group at this point in time? Strange. If my memory served me right, this weapon should have been in someone else's hands by now.
Reaching out, I slowly lifted Frostglow from its display stand while lost in thought...
Clang, clatter!
"...?"
It was at that exact moment. Frostglow began to thrash violently on the floor, letting out a screeching, ear-splitting noise.