The following day, the team chosen to accompany Broken on his expedition gathered at the town gate, where two carriages stood waiting to transport them.
Broken decided to ride in the same carriage as Ivana and the knights, mainly because he wanted to avoid getting caught up in the chatter with everyone else.
“Yay… we’re going on an adventure…,” Anna said enthusiastically as the carriage began to
move.
“Can you please restrain your excitement in front of our Lord, Anna?!” Karl, the swordsman, scolded.
“Yeah, you really can’t help yourself sometimes,” Yann, the archer, added.
Ivana chuckled at the exchange. “I think our Lord doesn’t mind, as long as it means he doesn’t have to talk to too many other people,” she said, giggling.
Broken glanced at Ivana, who was sitting beside him. “Who told you that, Ivana? Freya?”
Ivana giggled softly at his question. “That’s just my observation. Am I wrong?”
“No, you’re right,” he answered casually.
From afar, unbeknownst to them, a group of people watched the carriages intently as they departed. A spirit beast flew high above, giving them a clear vantage point to observe the
scene.
“Ha ha ha… At last, they’re gone! Maylock, Livelywood, Starfall, and Toberry have all left Slumdon Town,” a female voice exclaimed, filled with excitement. “Now is our chance to seize this tremendous opportunity and gain fame and glory.”
***
Valantar City, Kesseon Kingdom.
Valantar City was nestled near the border between the Kesseon Kingdom and the Dissidia Kingdom, making it a popular hub for adventurers traversing the South Continent. Many travelers heading to the mountainous and desert regions chose to stay in this remote but bustling city.
“Have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
“Slumdon Town is experiencing some promising developments. Apparently, a lot of wealthy people are investing there.”
“Wow, that’s good for them. But let’s be honest, a ghost town like Slumdon could never compete with Valantar.”
“That’s true, but the Ass Guild is backing Slumdon. Everyone knows they have endless wealth to throw around.”
“Does that mean Valantar might end up deserted?”
“Not if I can help it.”
Rumors of Slumdon Town’s promising developments and the Ass Guild’s backing had spread among the residents of Valantar City, unsettling many guilds based there. The news spurred them to consider taking action, worried about the potential competition and shifting power dynamics.
Constantine, the Guild Master of the Sword of Justice Guild and the Champion of Wrath, was a prominent figure among the nobles of the Kesseon Kingdom. However, his true ambition went beyond mere recognition-he sought power over the entire kingdom.
“I am a very intelligent person,” Constantine boasted, a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
He had calculated that a war between Kesseon and Dissidia could be his key to gaining ultimate power. By exploiting the existing tension between the two kingdoms, he aimed to ignite conflict-no matter how minor or massive-and use the ensuing chaos to seize control. “It’s time to begin our important meeting,” he declared.
The gathering was with the Valantar Guilds Alliance, an influential organization made up of various guilds based in Valantar City. Today’s meeting was pivotal; Constantine planned to sway the alliance, using their collective strength to further his ambitions and achieve his goal through these means.
Constantine stood before the group of Guild Masters representing each guild in Valantar City.
“You might consider this a trivial matter,” he began firmly, “but if you open your eyes, you’ll see that Slumdon Town has significant backing from the Ass Guild. And, as you all know, that guild is full of wealthy members.”
A slight smile played on his lips as he continued, “Our mission is simple. All we need to do is destroy Slumdon Town, and those who participate will be handsomely rewarded for dismantling that arrogant guild.”
Suddenly, Lucy, a woman in her thirties, wearing mage robes and with striking blonde hair, stood up. “I’d like to speak,” she said. “As the leader of the Valantar Guilds Alliance, I want to express my opinion.”
She continued. “I am Lucy from the Fairy Tool Guild. Constantine, why have you suddenly decided to come and see us, when you could comfortably bask in your popularity in the capital city? Do you really think you can just walk in here, order us around, and take advantage of us so easily?”
She paused, her eyes narrowing at him. “If we ever choose to attack Slumdon Town, it would be on our own terms, and it would have nothing to do with you.”
The room fell silent as the other Guild Masters turned their attention back to Constantine, waiting to see how he would respond to this challenge.
“Oh…” Constantine replied casually. “You must understand, Lucy. Even though my guild is based in the capital, we all reside within the same kingdom’s territory, do we not? I’m simply offering you the support you need to carry out this attack properly. After all, if we wanted to, my guild could destroy the Ass Guild alone without needing any help from smaller guilds like yours,” he added with a smirk.
Lucy slammed her fist on the table. “Would you just shut up, Constantine?! We don’t need you to be part of this operation! Leave this city-you’re nothing but a burden to us!” she snapped.
Constantine’s faint smile widened as he heard her response. This was precisely what he had been aiming for. He wanted to provoke these foolish guilds into taking action against Slumdon Town and the Ass Guild, pushing them into a direct conflict. That had been his true intention for this entire gathering.
Inwardly, Constantine reveled in his plan, thinking, “I can trigger a war between Slumdon Town and Valantar City without even getting my hands dirty-just watching from afar. Isn’t this a brilliant move? Ha ha ha… Maybe I should be known as the Champion of Genius, or the Champion of Mastermind, rather than merely the Champion of Wrath. Don’t you think so?” Constantine addressed everyone present. “Don’t come crying to me if any of you end up struggling. I’ve offered my assistance from the beginning, but you were all too arrogant to accept it.”
“Get out of here, you jerk!” Lucy shot back.
With a smug expression, Constantine turned on his heel and exited the meeting room. As he walked away, he thought to himself, “They are all so gullible. Those guilds are nothing but a collection of fools-I can manipulate them with the slightest effort.”
Constantine then declared proudly to himself, “All I have to do is wait for the Valantar Stupid Alliance to strike the Ass Guild. The Ass Guild will retaliate, attacking those simpletons in Valantar. This will surely irritate the officials of Valantar City, prompting them to attack Slumdon Town. And so the chaos will continue until the higher-ups in the Dissidia Kingdom take notice, sparking a much larger war in the region.”
His face lit up with a twisted pride, his admiration for his own cunning apparent. “Ah, I’m truly impressed by my own brilliance… I’m at least twenty times smarter than Maylock!”
He laughed to himself, savoring the feeling of being the puppet master behind it all, convinced that his plan would unfold exactly as he envisioned.