"A little bit of convenience?"
Fels was not foolish enough to agree immediately to the transaction proposed by Roy. In their brief exchange, he had already realized that this young man was not easy to deal with. It wasn't the powerful adventurers he feared, but the ones with culture and cunning.
"Ouranos..."
Fels took out a crystal ball the size of a baby's fist, clear and transparent, and silently made a call. The Great God on the other side had heard their entire conversation.
Roy watched enviously—that was a good item.
Fels, the
"Sage,"
possessed the Development Ability Mystery. He was likely the most accomplished creator of magic items in the world today. He had once stepped into the
"Divine Realm,"
creating the Philosopher's Stone, which granted immortality.
That crystal ball was also one of his magic items.
The magic item was called the Eye Crystal. The sights and sounds captured by one crystal ball would be reflected in another. This item could transmit messages even across great distances and was the only means of communication in this world.
"Agreed!"
A moment later, a calm and firm voice came from the crystal ball. Roy and Ryu felt their spirits tremble. It was the Great God Ouranos, the Founder of Orario!
Although neither of them had ever met Ouranos, this voice gave them that distinct impression—an impact stronger and deeper than that of an ordinary God.
"The transaction is complete. As long as you don't expose the information about the Juggernaut, you can do whatever you like," Fels' figure gradually disappeared into the darkness.
"The Guild's Ghost..."
Ryu recalled something. It was rumored that Guild staff occasionally spotted a mysterious black-robed figure near the headquarters. The stories evolved, and the figure became known as the omnipresent "Ghost." There was also a rumor that this was the Guild's private army.
It seemed now that the information was not false.
"The most crucial bargaining chip is in hand!"
Roy inwardly smiled. Fels taking the initiative to come to them was simply perfect.
What the Guild desired was the exploration of the Dungeon and the completion of the three great adventurer quests entrusted to Orario by the world. For this, they would prioritize the "bigger picture."
Even when Freya charmed all of Orario, the high-level Guild management had to step forward and shield her.
As long as it was for the greater good, they would stop at nothing. Roy even felt a slight pang of regret.
He should have extorted a few more magic items from him.
A mere one or two items slipping through Fels' fingers would be enough for Roy to navigate the world with great ease.
The "Sage's" obstruction was a small interlude. Roy and Ryu continued toward the Guild Headquarters.
With the Guild issue resolved, Ryu gained a little more confidence in Roy's plan to destroy the Rudra Familia.
After they finalized all the details, a huge building constructed of white stone appeared before them. It was magnificent and imposing, resembling a grand temple—this was the absolute center of Orario, the Guild Headquarters.
A large number of adventurers streamed in and out.
Some were fresh out of the Dungeon, exchanging the earned Magic Stones for Valis. Others had just joined a Familia and were coming to the Guild to register their status or seek advice. In short, this was a place that had nothing to do with being
"quiet."
"It's Gale."
"That person didn't die?"
"Don't be silly. Someone saw her on the Eighteenth Floor two days ago."
...
The moment Ryu entered the Guild Headquarters, she instantly drew the attention of many people, who began whispering.
A slender, beautiful Elf was already eye-catching, and Ryu, a Level 4 Second-Tier Adventurer, had the name "Gale" renowned throughout the world.
There was practically no one in Orario who didn't recognize her.
For this very reason, even though the incident involving the Astrea Familia had not been officially announced, the rumors were already flying everywhere.
Innumerable gazes in the Guild Hall were focused on Ryu. The Elven girl showed no sign of stage fright, her face taut and as cold as a block of ice.
Ryu walked up to the counter. The person receiving her was the experienced shift leader, Remer.
"Miss Ryuu Lion, how may we assist you?" Remer asked courteously.
"I have come to withdraw the adventurer status for Alise Lovell, Gojouno Kaguya, Lyra... and ten others,"
Ryu said. Every name she spoke felt like a blade slicing through her heart.
This pain, however, would ultimately transform into surging flames of vengeance aimed at the Evils.
The spacious hall of the Guild Headquarters fell into dead silence.
What did withdrawing adventurer status mean? Almost everyone present knew. The annihilation of the Astrea Familia was now a certainty!
"Hiss!"
A collective gasp of cold air echoed through the hall.
The Apollo Familia, with over a hundred members but only one Level 3 adventurer, could be called a Mid-Tier Familia. The Astrea Familia, with nine Level 4s and two Level 3s, was on a completely different level.
Looking across Orario, only the Freya Familia, Loki Familia, and Ganesha Familia, among a few others, were overtly stronger than the Astrea Familia.
The destruction of the Astrea Familia was nothing short of a thunderbolt, shocking Orario to its core.
Shock, confusion, unease, and even satisfaction...
Roy saw complex emotions on the faces of the crowd. All of this was not hard to understand.
Some feared the resurgence of the Evils. Some felt satisfied due to past grievances with the Astrea Familia. Still others looked utterly lost.
Roy also felt complicated. He hadn't even registered his own adventurer status yet, and here he was accompanying someone to withdraw theirs. It seemed like an ominous start...
Roy then shook his head, clearing those messy thoughts out of his mind.
Even Remer looked utterly incredulous and asked again,
"Are you truly going to withdraw the adventurer status for Alise Lovell and the other ten people?"
Ryu's expression was displeased. "Yes!"
Remer dared not hesitate any longer and quickly summoned his colleagues to retrieve the Astrea Familia's registration documents. An adventurer who had lost all their companions was a ticking time bomb, and he wanted to get this hot potato out of the way quickly.
In a short while, the process for withdrawing adventurer status was completed. The files of Alise Lovell and the others were stamped with the red label: 'DECEASED.'
"Miss Ryuu Lion, is there anything else we can help you with?"
Remer asked cautiously.
Ryu replied, "I want to post an Adventurer Quest!"
The adventurers who were just about to leave the Guild Headquarters to spread the news stopped dead in their tracks. The matter was not over yet!
Ryu slapped the banknote Roy had given her onto the counter. "This is a bank draft for eighty million Valis. I want to issue a War Game challenge against the Rudra Familia. If they do not agree, this money will be offered as a reward for an Adventurer Quest, a bounty on the Rudra Familia, three days from now!"
"What?!"
The adventurers in the Guild Hall widened their eyes in disbelief, staring at the Elven girl.
A threat! This was absolutely a threat!
There were only two options laid out before the Rudra Familia: accept the War Game, or be hunted to death by Orario's adventurers, lured by the high bounty.
But had this Elven girl been driven mad by fury over the annihilation of her comrades? To single-handedly take on the entire Rudra Familia?