“So, it’s built next to the Divine Tower? That’s… Surprising.” Emmy muttered as she stared at the map with a thoughtful look. It slowly dawned on her that they were about to go to the heart of the capital, where the tower was.
The mythical structure that caused the death of countless people and the suffering of many more. Nobody could completely comprehend how it would look from up close. All they could see of it through the window was its shrouded silhouette, standing like a divine pillar that held the skies from falling.
“Wow… So that thing outside is this?” Finlay asked curiously as he peeked at the map. “That… That is an impressive structure… How did they build it, I wonder.”
“If you don’t know how, I doubt anyone does, Finlay.” Arthur laughed as he patted the boy’s head. The two dwarves were experts at architecture and engineering, and yet even they were quite impressed by the tower.
“So, are we going or not?” Danny asked.
“Is that even a question?” Arthur raised an eyebrow. “There is really no point in refusing now. They know where we are and what we are going to do. We might as well try to get some help from them.”
“What if their intentions are malicious?” Emmy asked. “We can’t just believe everything they say.”
“Emmy is right. I don’t trust those bastards.” Herculia rubbed the back of his head. “Hostile or not, we’re still dealing with unknown people.”
“We are going.” At that moment, Isla spoke coldly, making everyone turn around and look at her. “But… We aren’t going there to get help. We are going to strike a deal. That is most likely what the royal family is looking for too.”
Isla could easily read what was going through the mind of the person who sent them the invitations simply because his mind worked just like the people she learned to deal with in real life. The greedy, power-hungry bastards who use every means possible to get what they want even if they resort to deception and lies.
She understood those people perfectly and this man was most likely the same type. So, all she had to do was treat him just like how she treats the others and be very careful with every single word she says.
“Strike a deal, huh?”
“What kind of deal?”
“Optimally, to keep them away from us as much as possible. They will most definitely try to drag us into their plans and make us work like pawns. But, they also know that we’re the ones at an advantage here. They cannot get rid of us even if they wish to. We are immortal in their eyes so even death threats cannot control us.”
Players were technically unkillable in the eyes of the people in this world. No matter how many times they get stabbed, burnt, or decapitated, they would reappear again a while later. It made controlling them almost possible. So, Isla’s hunch was that the royal family would resort to something way harder.
“What are they going to do then?” Arthur asked.
“Deception. He will probably try to make us believe that his offer is something that we can’t miss and that it’s out of goodwill. That way we will be under the illusion that we are free to do what we want while they’re leading us by the nose to where they want.”
“A carrot and a stick, huh?” The boy muttered. ‘Yeah, that sounds very much within the realm of possibility.’
“Well, that will be a tough nut to crack,” Danny said. “But, if we play our cards right, we shouldn’t be dragged into anything stupid. Except of course if a certain person does something really stupid and ends up dragging us all with him.” Saying that, Danny glared at Arthur.
“Hey! Don’t look at me like that. I’m not going to speak, you lot are better at negotiations than I am. Just do what you need to do.” Arthur clicked his tongue with an offended look.
‘I know how to pick the trouble I want to involve myself in. I’m a picky troublemaker.’
“It’s not time for arguments now. Listen to me carefully.” Isla said. “Here is the plan for tomorrow.”
Immediately, the group surrounded the table as they listened carefully to what their leader was about to say. Unbeknownst to them, one person stood at the back, unable to listen to what she was about to say.
***
*Unknown Place*
Far away from where the group was situated on one of the high buildings of the capital. A silhouette stood alone on the roof of the building, watching the snow accumulated on the streets of the city.
The world around him was dark, shrouding him in complete mystery as if he were a ghost of sorts. His body was completely motionless except for the occasional small steamy breaths he exhaled due to the cold weather. Nobody knew for how long he stood there. Minutes, hours, perhaps even days. It was unclear.
“…”
At a random point, he slowly opened his closed eyes as if he sensed something. His eyes were a shocking mix of blue and green. Heterochromatic eyes with a strong gaze that could make anyone shudder in terror.
His suppressed aura appeared like a misty halo around him with how thick it was. Even the snow beneath his feet had melted, creating a large dry area around him.
At that moment, several silhouettes appeared out of nowhere on top of the building, all aligned perfectly behind the man. Then, they all instantly kneeled on their feet.
“We are back, Your Highness.” They all said at the same time.
The man didn’t reply as he stood there, completely silent. They were accustomed to this attitude of his and so they didn’t really think much of it. Their master was indeed a very weird man with an eccentric personality.
“So?” Finally, after what seemed like ages, he opened his mouth and asked.
“… We have delivered the invitations, sir. We expect all of them to attend tomorrow.”
“…” Slowly, the man nodded his head. “Good. The night sky had told me of their arrival. Those stars… Uh, what a beautiful night. I know that tomorrow will be good too.”
“…”
The man then turned around. “This snow is a blessing upon me. Those Gifted individuals are now within arms reach, after all these years. Hahaha… Hahaha…”
None of his followers dared to even speak or look up. The words their master was uttering were not new, but they were also cryptic and incomprehensible.
“Your Highness…” freёweɓnovel.com
Out of nowhere, one of the followers spoke, surprising everyone else. It was rare for one of them to speak when they weren’t addressed. It was simply too risky to do that.
“What?” The man stopped his laughter and looked coldly at who spoke.
“… We… Ehem, one of those Gifted players we came across… He was very odd.” The man said.
“Odd? In what way?”
“… We have traced a faint aura on him… That aura is similar to yours, your highness.”
“…” For a second, his Highness was confused. His eyes squinted slightly as he contemplated those words. Then, slowly, they widened. “Tell me everything.” He spoke after a second.
A//N: Don’t forget to give the book some golden tickets for good luck! :3