The walls opened in front of him grandly as if paradise itself was welcoming his arrival. Sier could only look with awe as he walked into the fortress that began to glow with runes, coming to life. The runes masters, awakeners, and the soldiers tried to rush inside but strong wind pushed them back and the gate closed.
"Is it that newbie?" William asked with bafflement that Sier shared. He had no idea that someone he picked up using his ability would grow this much in less than six weeks. Even though he was weak right now, Arthur's ability in anything runes-related had always left him amazed.
The gears shifted as the fortress began to move. The group looked at each other before nodding and heading deeper into the fortress. The first layer consisted of offensive runes, the second was a wide space, the third was of giant corridors, and the fourth was like the second but only larger.
As they stood in front of the fourth layer's gate, they all felt tense. Just like before, the gate opened to reveal an elegant hallway. There were engravings on the walls of trees and seas looking almost life-like. They passed the entrance and found themselves in a giant foyer.
"Uh, are we in a different place?" Zas couldn't help but ask. His confusion was understandable since this place looked more like a mansion than a fortress.
A set of doors opened toward a smaller room, but still fairly large. They entered and found Arthur and Ivy sitting inside. It seems they were already having a conversation. They were sitting on a round table that held a sand-watch on top. The room was brightly lit by runes and held a few other pieces of furniture and a long table. A Silver chandelier hung from the ceiling and glittered with stars.
"Do you think you can do it?" Ivy asked with a convinced but worried tone.
"With this fortress, I can." He answered and turned to face Sier and the others. He spread his arms as a grin plastered his face. "Welcome, everyone."
"Are you the one controlling this place?" William asked with obvious skepticism. Arthur wasn't offended and nodded. "How?"
"Simple. I decoded the core this fortress had and had it acknowledge me as its master."
"You?" Zas was startled and glanced at Si. It seems everyone thought that the obvious master of Mistletoe's fortress should be Sier, their leader.
"Yes, me." Arthur didn't seem to realize their thoughts. "It's not like I can choose someone else. Whoever cracks its shell open would be the one it submits to. Plus, I think I'm the best fit for controlling runes."
Everyone's attention was shifted toward Si. He carried a stoic expression as he looked at Arthur, studying him.
'He looks different.' Si realized. Arthur's eyed glowed brighter than before, his demeanor more confident. If Si had to guess, it would probably be that he finally realized his worth. He didn't hate this but liked it a lot.
"Why is everyone looking at me like this?" Si shrugged. "You guys make me feel like I've taken whatever you obtained before. This place is Arthur's since he was the one who planned for it and obtained it. We merely helped him."
"But…" William frowned. "You should be the one to control our hideout, not someone else."
Sier's ability was related to perception, so he was unparalleled in reading faces. Even though he couldn't read Arthur's mind, he was still able to deduce that Arthur didn't like what William said.
'Is it because he's being selfish?' Si pondered. 'No, he was the one to suggest that we use this place. What is it?' After a few seconds of thinking, Sier felt that he found the probable cause. 'He sees this place as his own. He didn't like William proclaiming this place as his own.'
Even though it had been a short time since the two got to know each other, Sier was able to deduct a few things about Arthur. First of all, he was naïve but also not stupid. He realized a couple of things, things that should deter him from certain actions, but he chose otherwise.
He was strong-willed. He wasn't easily influenced by others.
"The association couldn't even get past the fourth layer of this place, but Arthur took over in a single day. Do you think this place would have been ours if not for him?" Sier didn't say it explicitly, but his words were obvious. This was Arthur's gain.
"This place would serve as Mistletoe's hideout." Arthur followed up. "There are already enough rooms for everyone here and a lot more. You can rest until we reach the south-eastern border."
"What? Why are we going there?" Hua turned with shock at Arthur's words. "There's an ongoing war if you haven't noticed!" Her accent was subtle yet distinct. The others also turned to Arthur in confusion, Si included.
"Payback is what he says." Ivy shrugged and slumped in her chair. The group stood there standing so Arthur gestured for them to have a seat. With awkwardness, the group made their selves comfortable.
"As Si had said, public image is important. If we want to be more than just a band of thieves in the public's eyes, we need to prove our principles with actions. That's why I want to use the fortress to aid the army."
"Weakening the army is beneficial for us," Zas interjected.
"Yes, but not in the long-run. What use would it be if the kingdom was robbed before we get anything from it?" Arthur shook his head. "We need to establish a proper public image for later. Right now, the people are untrusting of the royal family." Arthur paused and looked at Sier.
"What do you think would happen if, a group that opposed the royal family, worked to guarantee the safety of the people?" His words fell on the group.
"The beginning of a rebellion." Si smiled and crossed his hands. He looked at Arthur knowing that this wasn't Arthur's motive, but an excuse. He still liked his idea nonetheless. This would be a proper beginning toward his dream.
It had taken him some time to see through Arthur's real motives behind things, but he didn't mind. He liked this disguised righteousness that Arthur wore. He would always do things that would benefit him and the others. Ending the war would help the soldiers, but it would also give Mistletoe a real shot.
He didn't act with only his benefit in mind and nor did he act with only others' benefit in mind. He acted while thinking of both. Arthur met his eyes and smiled as well.
"What do you think, Si?" Arthur probed him and he nodded.
"Let's do as you say."
With this, their next destination was set in stone. Arthur gained access to every rune in the fortress including the high-tier ones, allowing them to cut across landscapes faster than any plane.
In half a day, they were already near the battlefield.
***
"We have just received word that the Calamity Spider has been stolen by Mistletoe, a notorious group of thieves that made several debuts in the past over precious resources. We have no idea how they were able to control the fortress, but witnesses have stated that it had flown into the distance half a day ago." All over the Yalveran Union, the live footage of the war was being watched by the citizens.
From simple farmers to rich companies' CEOs, the events surrounding the war was being monitored by every nation in the world. After all, if the balance gets toppled then it would be the beginning of the fourth World War in modern history.
News of Mistletoe's theft made its way to the ears of even the cavemen living away from civilizations. Without exception, everyone thought they had crossed the line this time. There was so much more at stake that the public demanded every nation to set bounties on the heads of this gang.
The online forums buzzed with activities as theories were constructed around the identity of Mistletoe's members. This wasn't their debut operation as they had already robbed auctions, museums, and their infamous robbery of one of the top guilds in the world two years ago.
However, very little could be found about them. The group was known for its evasion of the law without fail every time it gets on their tails. This way, the game of cat and mouse lasted until the present day.
Now, their actions threatened every nation in the world. If the Ilios Empire manages to conquer the Yalveran Union, their targets would shift to the other nations.
"We have just received footage showing the ongoing war between the two nations." The news anchor stated before footage of the ongoing war was broadcasted. It could be seen that the cameraman was standing a distance away from the battle as the camera showed bright lights exploding and mountains breaking down.
"Heavens, this is the true might of the awakeners." The cameraman muttered as he took footage of several figures entangled with each other as they flattened landscapes and beheaded humans.
As the camera was rolling, a shadow was cast over that hindered its view. The cameraman cursed his luck silently for being the target of a giant cloud and looked upward. His jaw dropped as he hurriedly lifted the camera toward the sky. The live broadcast showed a giant dome shape spaceship-looking object covering the sky as it headed toward the battle.
"U-UFO!" The cameraman shouted in terror.