Chapter 207
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: The Seventh Royal Class
GHO had been swamped day after day ever since acquiring intelligence that the Seventh Royal Class might emerge.
The Royal Class were kings of the world.
Kings who wielded overwhelming power and authority that no one could touch.
Even GHO, which reigned supreme over global power structures, couldn't afford to trifle with these ultimate absolutes.
For GHO, tasked with safeguarding its top position, the emergence of a new king was a target that absolutely had to be either recruited or eliminated. Given the gravity of the matter, every day was consumed by meetings and heated debates.
Thud!
Today's meeting wrapped up as usual, and Vice Director Charlie stormed out, kicking open the conference room door.
His flushed face broadcast that things hadn't gone his way.
"Vice Director..."
His secretary looked at him anxiously.
Fuming, Charlie shot her a glance and ground his teeth.
"Let's go to my office."
"Yes, right this way."
With the meeting over, there was nothing more to do.
He figured he'd head back, sip some hot tea to soothe his mood, and sort out his thoughts.
But right then—
Whoosh.
As Charlie took a step, crimson flames erupted beside him, and Ignito emerged from within.
"Charlie."
Ignito's voice carried its usual playful lilt.
Charlie averted his gaze, looking troubled as he faced him.
"I have other commitments... What gives?"
"Ahem. Calm down first. Let's talk in my room. Secretary, lead the way."
"What's there to guide? Let's go right now."
Grab.
Ignito's hand clamped onto Charlie's shoulder.
"H-Hold on."
Startled by Ignito's divine presence teleporting right beside him in an instant, Charlie reached out, but he couldn't reverse the decision.
Flames sparked from Ignito's fingertips and swallowed Charlie whole in a flash.
And just like that, the two vanished from in front of the conference hall amid the flickering blaze, gone in the blink of an eye.
Just what kind of guy is he, anyway?
Ignito rarely even showed up at GHO headquarters, so how had he sniffed out that intel on the Seventh Royal Class had leaked after just two days of meetings?
Swish.
Ignito turned from the window to face Charlie.
Charlie, who had naturally shifted his gaze along, let out a pointless cough.
Though Charlie treated Ignito casually, even as GHO's number two, he was just a puppy facing a tiger before a Royal Class like Ignito.
"Spit it out now. We explained it clearly enough for me and the old man to understand, so convince me why you leaked it to GHO."
Charlie's answer came swiftly.
"The Director brought it up first."
"That sly old fox?"
"Yeah... No idea how he knew, but he called me in privately and asked. You know you can't lie to the Director's questions."
The GHO Director.
Number one in global power, and perhaps a unique human with strength rivaling the Royal Class.
Ignito's brow twitched at the mention of the Director.
"The old man wouldn't have said anything... That fox who never cared about Royal Class suddenly asks you about it?"
"That's right."
Ignito nodded slowly.
If it was the Director asking, even Charlie—bound by promises to the Royal Class—couldn't hide it.
"Does that make sense now?"
"If the Director asked, yeah, I get it. But..."
Flames flickered up from Ignito's fingertips and died down.
Charlie swallowed dryly at the threatening heat.
"You're a smart one, Charlie. Sometimes I can't figure out what you and that old fox are thinking."
"What do you mean... I don't follow."
"Exactly what I said. You predicted I'd ask this, didn't you?"
"Why would you say that?"
"Come on. How'd you have an answer ready so fast? And one I'd buy right away, no less?"
Charlie swallowed again.
"Isn't that right?"
As Ignito said, Charlie was one of the sharpest minds, highly intelligent.
He'd anticipated this scenario and prepared his response.
Yet he couldn't keep his cool.
Because...
'He's Ignito.'
A man whose actions were utterly unpredictable.
Someone whose thoughts could veer off in any direction at any moment.
"No answer?"
After frowning briefly, Charlie took a deep breath and spoke.
"Honestly, I did predict it. But everything I said is true regardless. If you don't believe me, pull out the Eye of Truth that only Royal Class have. I'll say the same thing."
Ignito's piercing gaze bored into Charlie for a long moment.
"Fine. I'll buy it."
He shrugged, lightening the tense mood a bit.
Gazing out the window again, Ignito asked,
"So how's the meeting going? To keep our promise, you obviously side with helping that friend Yong-un, right?"
Charlie grimaced.
"I'm pushing for that, but it's not easy."
"Huh?"
"The remaining executives are all voting for elimination. They think anything threatening to GHO shouldn't be left alive."
"Sigh. What do those shit-for-brains foxes know? They never go outside, just sit on their asses rolling pens around, piling up crap. Tsk tsk."
Unexpected meeting details ignited Ignito's flames around him.
He scowled, spitting out irritated words.
"Idiots. Do they think they can stop a Royal Class? That they can block it if they try?"
"Unfortunately, that's how they see it. Strike before it grows."
"That's why I call 'em shit-for-brains foxes. They don't go out, so they don't know. Yong-un's already a full-grown dragon. How do they plan to stop him?"
Ignito, mid-rant, suddenly smirked.
'What's he thinking?'
Chills ran up Charlie's spine at the sight.
Why was this madman smiling right now?
As Charlie flinched, Ignito whipped his head around to stare at him.
And said,
"Charlie. You vote for elimination too."
"W-What...?"
"Let's show them. They'll only know if it's a snake or a dragon after tasting it themselves."
"But if we do that..."
"GHO takes a huge hit. Hell, Yong-un might get pissed and flip the whole place."
Shrug.
Ignito shrugged.
"But what's that got to do with me? They brought it on themselves."
Definitely a madman.
Charlie thought for a second.
Imagining mobilizing GHO Hunters to antagonize and eliminate Yong-un.
The conclusion hit immediately.
That massive dragon, who endured against two Royal Class, swallowing GHO's U.S. headquarters in one gulp—a horrific end.
'I have to stop it!'
Charlie's eyes widened for the first time in ages.
"Sounds fun. Heh. Oh, we won't help, of course. We're backing Yong-un."
Tap tap.
Ignito appeared beside Charlie in a flash.
He patted Charlie's shoulder twice and grinned.
"I did warn you. If you break the promise this time, I'll smash GHO myself. Even if that old fox pulls tricks... Well, bye~"
Whoosh.
Ignito tossed out the chilling words and ignited flames.
Charlie turned away from the searing heat.
The blaze roared as Ignito vanished in an instant.
But this time, oddly, as the flames rose, a strange noise followed.
Thud.
It was brief, though.
Just before Charlie turned back to look—
Whoosh.
Flames surged again, and he whipped his head around.
"Ah..."
Ignito was gone.
This was why Charlie feared Ignito.
No such scenario had been in his predictions.
A Royal Class with utterly unpredictable thinking.
Reminded anew of how terrifying that was, Charlie clutched his forehead against the oncoming headache.
"The plan's even more fucked now..."
At that moment.
The Mercenary Guild was repairing the crumbled walls and top floors.
And once again, the Mercenary King was absent from the guild master's chair.
He hadn't visited the fortress he'd built himself in years, so the guild members, along with vice guild masters Porter and William, were used to it—they clicked their tongues and got to work.
"William! Not there with that boulder!"
William, levitating a human-lifting stone with telekinesis, yelled back at Porter's shout.
"Then you do it!"
"How?!"
"How'd you become vice guild master without telekinesis?"
"My skills are more useful for guild ops than your telekinesis."
Whoosh.
Porter activated his skill, summoning more guild members around.
William shook his head.
"Fine, handle it. I'm out."
"Sure, bye. I'll report to the guild master."
"How do you report to a guy who's not even here? Even the War God left."
William taunted Porter with a mocking look.
But Porter just smirked back instead of getting mad.
"What's with that face?"
"That 'rotten guy' you mentioned? He's on the floor below."
"What?"
William's expression hardened.
His gaze dropped to the massive hole connecting to the lower floor, carved out from Yong-un and the Mercenary King's battle.
"Just need to move stones?"
The Mercenary King, lounging comfortably, leaped out of the hole like he was showing off.
"G-Guild master?"
Snap!
The first thing he did upon surfacing was smack William hard on the back of the head.
William clutched it, eyes nearly popping from the pain.
"Move that rock over there."
"Easy."
As Porter instructed, the Mercenary King effortlessly hoisted the massive boulder with his signature superhuman strength.
The moment he was about to hurl it into place—
Thud!
He dropped the rock from his hand.
"Guild master?"
Wobble.
The Mercenary King boasted a rock-solid body and immense power.
Porter and William had never seen him stagger; they gawked at his faltering legs.
The Mercenary King clutched his head, steadying himself.
Porter and William, shocked at first, soon grinned.
"Guild master's getting old, huh? Pfft! Grandpa status, haha!"
Grimacing from the headache, the Mercenary King suddenly smiled at William's words.
As if to prove the slip meant nothing, he lifted the dropped boulder again and perfectly slotted it where Porter indicated.
"Guess not. Damn, wanted to beat you senseless."
William sighed regretfully.
The Mercenary King charged at him.
"H-Hik!"
William flinched, bracing for a hit.
But contrary to expectations—
Whoosh.
The Mercenary King scooped William up with a thrilled, boyish grin, like he'd found something amazing.
"Finally... Finally found them!"
"What'd you eat wrong? What's with the sudden freakout?"
"Found them! That guy and his!"
Muttering madly, the Mercenary King suddenly hurled William to the floor and leaped out through the hole in the outer wall.
"Gah!"
Leaving William crashed on the lower floor behind him.