Chapter 142 - The Enemy's True Aim
The room is empty except for one person, and I know it. I wonder what surprises he's left for us, if any. Maybe there's nothing at all. "Alright, I'm opening the door, then?"
When we arrive, guided by Verone, the ever-energetic Gradena is the first to step in, kicking open the large door and shouting, "Hey, we're here to cause some trouble!"
The room looks normal—normal in the sense that it exudes authority. But that's beside the point. More importantly, the Guild Master is sitting at his desk, the only person in the room. I’ve never seen him before, but Verone knows his face, so it has to be him. A man of power facing his end alone—it’s a strangely lonely sight.
He’s leaning on his desk, his elbow on the table and his chin resting on his hand. He doesn’t flinch or even shift his posture, maintaining that air of authority. What a show-off. Even now, he seems strangely composed, which is a bit concerning.
He doesn’t react to Gradena’s rude entrance or greeting, just staring at us. Hmph, such a cold response. Well, if he’s not going to start, I guess I will. Staring each other down isn’t getting us anywhere.
"I came all this way. Need me to state my name?"
"No need, Kikyo Society women. What do you want?"
What a ridiculous question. "What for? I’m not in the mood for pointless banter. I’m here to settle the score for your misdeeds."
There’s no point in listing his crimes. We’re both criminals, and this is just an extension of our ongoing feud. The Kikyo Society is simply returning the favor.
The Guild Master’s calm demeanor is tinged with a self-deprecating smile. "You’re actually considering making an enemy of the Adventurer Guild? That’s foolish."
"An enemy? You’re the one who chose to be our enemy." Even in a local branch, the top of the Adventurer Guild working with rogue adventurers to commit crimes is a serious issue. But that’s beside the point. You picked a fight with us, and we’re not backing down.
We’ve already taken care of the troublemakers in the Kikyo Society’s territory, but Exembra is vast. There are rumors of the Snake Head Society and the Gandrault Gang operating in their territories, both openly and in secret. We need to cut this off at the source, or they’ll just come back to our turf.
I think we’ve nearly eliminated the rogue adventurers, but we can’t be sure. "You’re the ringleader of those rogue adventurers. You look just as despicable as I imagined."
Siegrune provokes the calm Guild Master. "What a joke. Where’s your proof? You must have solid evidence to say such things. If you acted without proof, you’ll regret it!"
He’s defiant, but the current situation is proof enough. We don’t need physical evidence. For criminals like us, evidence isn’t always necessary.
Does he not realize how desperate his situation is? Demanding evidence at this point is laughable. Whether he’s serious or joking, it’s annoying.
"Proof? Who cares? So what if we don’t have it!"
The presence or absence of evidence is ultimately irrelevant. We know he’s the mastermind. Why should we go through the motions of presenting evidence? Of course, having proof would make things easier. It would silence any complaints, but are you prepared to accept those complaints?
Of course, I have no intention of accepting them. If you have complaints, say them! That’s the way of criminals.
Violence is the quickest solution. No matter how much someone talks about justice, they can’t argue with raw power. This is the world we live in. I’m not doing anything special; this is how the Kikyo Society operates.
If we take him down, we’ll have handled at least half the problem. He’s the leader of the rogue adventurers who declared war on the Kikyo Society. There’s no other choice but full-scale war now, and we’ve already won.
If there are any annoying complainers left, we’ll silence them. A good beating usually shuts most people up. If not, we’ll keep going until they do.
Criminals can do as they please because they’re strong. Even those who claim to be righteous ultimately rely on violence. At least in this city, it’s all about who has the power. I’m not going to pretend to be righteous.
"…Ha, I understand. I know how you people operate."
How rude. Who’s the one who doesn’t understand?
"Regardless, I will be eliminated."
At least he’s aware of his fate.
"Hey, old man, you seem pretty calm. Talking about evidence earlier, but now you’re confessing?"
"If you’re going to be eliminated, there’s no point in hiding anything."
The Guild Master looks at Verone and the others with a mocking gaze.
"I have no reason to cooperate with you. I’m going to die anyway."
He seems certain he’ll be killed, no matter who does it. Maybe he’s a big catch, or maybe he’s just given up. But he’s underestimating us. We’re not just dealing with some noble’s hired assassin. We’ve taken care of them.
"We’ve already dealt with the assassins targeting you. As long as you cooperate with us, you won’t die."
"That’s ridiculous. They’re different from the rogue adventurers. You can’t defeat them so easily."
"Didn’t you hear? We didn’t just defeat them; we didn’t let them escape."
"That’s a lie. Don’t get cocky."
Despite what Gradena and Siegrune are saying, he’s still refusing to believe us. Maybe he’s had a bad experience. He’s a stubborn one.
"Believe us or not, it’s your choice. You can die now, or take a small chance at survival. Choose."
It’s just a bluff. We won’t kill him, but I am angry. He’s been a real pain.
"Hey, old man, cut the crap. I wanted to beat you to a pulp, but you’re useful. But if you keep this up, you might actually get killed. Want me to bring you the heads of the assassins we killed?"
He’s silent but seems to be considering his options. One more push.
"Onee-sama, someone’s coming."
Someone is running towards us. It’s probably one of our members, not an enemy. Valeria stands by the door, ready to greet whoever arrives.
"Long time no see!"
"Ophelia! How did it go?"
Perfect timing. If Ophelia came rushing here after attacking the Guild Master’s residence, she must have found some evidence.
"Did you find any evidence?"
"Yeah, probably."
"Probably?"
"I’m not sure what counts as evidence. The Intelligence Unit said it was good, so it must be."
That’s a letdown. Her uncertain tone deflates the tension a bit.
"But hey, if we torture him, we won’t need evidence, right? Valid, are you ready?"
Heh, he’s starting to understand. It’s almost funny.
Our gazes shift back to the Guild Master. This is the moment of truth. If he keeps being stubborn, he’s in for a world of pain.
"…Unfortunately, this was expected. My life is valuable, but there’s nothing I can do. I’ll take you all down with me."
"What are you talking about?"
I feel a surge of magical energy. It’s like being enveloped by a magical device.
"The guild is equipped with countless magical devices. The first stage is about to activate."
What’s the first stage?
Whatever it is, it feels really bad.
"What kind of magical device is it? It feels like a large-scale barrier."
Valeria starts to move.
"It’s a barrier spell. You’ve probably never seen one, but I can recognize it."
So that’s what it is.
"It’s a cage. To prevent you from escaping."
"Are you trying to trap us?"
"While the barrier is troublesome, it’s not enough to contain us, the Kikyo Society."
We can break through small barriers with brute force, and the energy source won’t last forever. So why trap us?
Then, I feel a rapid surge of magical energy from the many devices in the guild.
"I said, I’m taking you all down with me. There’s no choice for you…"
Oh no, this can’t be good.
The Guild Master, connected to the nobility involved in this incident, and the intentional malfunction of the numerous magical devices. If they all malfunction in a chain reaction, it will cause a massive explosion.
The destructive energy will be contained within the barrier, leaving us no place to run.
We don’t have time to find and destroy each device one by one. This is a large-scale trap using the Adventurer Guild as bait. It’s a crazy plan, but it’s perfect for eliminating all the troublemakers at once.
"Damn, we don’t have time."
"Yukari-dono, can you do something with a shield?"
Each malfunctioning device is like a bomb. The explosions will be massive, and they’ll come from all directions within the sealed space.
The pressure inside the barrier will be immense. We need to find a way to survive.
"Onee-sama! Underground!"
Valeria says a few words and suddenly uses Collapse Magic to turn the floor into dust.
"Whoa! We’re falling!"
"Valeria!?"
We fall, but we don’t panic. When we land on the floor below, Valeria continues to turn the floor into dust, leading us deeper underground.
Once we reach the lowest level of the Adventurer Guild, we understand the plan.
"Everyone, gather around me!"
In the lowest level, with no magical devices below us, I can focus on creating a shield that covers only half the area. This reduces the burden, allowing me to create a strong shield even with the limited time.
As I pour my magic into the half-sphere shield, a powerful shockwave hits us.