After walking a few hours, we finally arrived to the closest safe room of the forty-third floor. And again, we weren't attached by beast, even though we passed rooms that were definite locations to get attached by beast.
This made me start to feel like maybe, the prophecy really was not wrong at all. Maybe everything was changing. But still, what we needed to do didn't change.
Since we had already had our fill of adventure for a day, we all decided to give in to the exhaustion and get some sleep in. Since there was no day or night in the dungeon, most adventurers base their sleep on how much work they put in and how much rest they had.
But another problem always arose, and that was getting yourself to sleep. My party and I had our way of putting ourselves to sleep. We talk. After deciding who takes what shifts as lookouts, we talk to help put ourselves to sleep.
"Tracy." Jade called out and asked. "Are you guys here on a quest, expedition or training?"
"Training?" Tracy said. "Of course we aren't here for training. We are a B ranked party. So you know what that means? It means we evolved! We were able to become Demons."
"That's amazing."
"Of course it is. There are only about twenty B ranked adventuring parties it all of Mavis. And we are one of them."
"Traccyyy!!" Estrid shouted he name in a way that sounded like a subtle warning. "That's enough bragging."
"I wasn't bragging. I was just letting her know."
"I think she knows."
"Anyway." Kiera joined in. "We aren't here for training. We did just evolve not too long ago, so... we are kind of here for a quest. A long quest."
"How did it feel?" Nick said to Kiera. "How did it feel to evolve?"
"Amazing!"
"Kinda scary." Olga and Tracy said.
"Exhilarating!" Kiera replied. "Everyone you ask will have different answers. But, I will say this. It was a crazy experience."
"How did it happen?" Jade asked.
"Oh! That's a long story."
"Well... we do kind of have time."
Kiera sighed. Then she smiled and began the story. "We were in a quest. In the outlands. It was one of those rare quests that the guild will tell you is a simple quest, but ends up being different."
"It was a C rank quest. Simple mission to kill a beast and deliver it to the guild. But then we stumbled upon the den of a decal millennial beast. It was about fifty thousand years old. There was almost nothing we could do to hurt it. We thought we were going to die. But then... Olga here. She didn't back down. She held he weapon against the beast without wavering. She inspired us."
"That's true." Estrid said. "We were about to give up. The beast had a roar so loud, I thought my ears were going to burst. I looked in its eyes and froze. I couldn't move a muscle. But she faced the beast. My little niece. She took her weapon and charged at the beast. She inspired us. So we followed. And in the end, we were able to defeat it."
"We killed the beast together." Kiera continued. "And we evolved together."
"Wow!"
Their experience must have been tough. I thought. Evolution was something that didn't happen to everyone easily. After conquering the Innate Realm, one must have to undergo an ordeal that will force out the changes.
"That must have been really scary." Zara said to Kiera. "You all had to go through something that tough to evolve. And you are warriors. I wonder how we will evolve. I wonder if we will ever be able to become A rank Engineers."
"Don't you mean B rank?" Ace said.
"Huhn?"
"I mean. You said you wonder if you will be able to evolve into A rank, instead of B rank."
"Oh!" Zara exclaimed. "No! Engineers ranks are different. We are a B ranked group of engineers. For engineers, our tanks are, E for beginners. D, C and B for the Innate Realm ranks. A, S and SS for the Demon Realm ranks. So unlike adventurers, B ranks are not Demons, but the Final Innate Realm."
"Ohhh! I get it now." Ace shouted then grinned.
"Evolution is a complicated subject." I said. "But the fact that other people, who aren't even warriors, have managed to evolve. Means that there is a chance. For everyone. So don't give up."
*
*
Of the Five Guilds of Mavis, the only guild that had connections everywhere, including the north, was the Merchant Guild. It had been two months since the Northern Empire had been buying goods from the Merchants Guild under the name of Minora.
In the headquarters of the Merchant Guild, situated in Novaland. The Guildmaster, head of all the affairs of the Merchant Guild, called a meeting with the five Master Merchants.
The five Master Merchants were the five highest ranking staff of the guild, who were each in charge of trade in the five different regions of the continent.
The Central Master Merchant, Nina, a human. The Eastern Master Merchant, Sven, a giant. The Western Master Merchant, Doris, a human. The Southern Master Merchant, Marsh, an elf. And the Northern Master Merchant, Ronnie, the human who had been assisting the Northern Empire with trade.
The Guildmaster Master, George, was a human who after many long years of working with the guild, finally rose to his position almost five years ago. He had been running the guild smoothly for years but now something was happening that was about to change that.
He stood in his big office in the headquarters with his hands folded at his back as he stared out into the street from his window. Then his colleagues came in. People he had chosen personally for the positions they were now holding, and people he considered his friends.
The five merchants walked in the room and sat on the two couch positioned opposite each other with a small table in between.
George moved away from his window and went to take his sit facing his colleagues. Then he began. "We have a problem."
Those four words he uttered were enough to change the mood of the room. The merchants who came for the meeting thinking it will probably just be another meeting on how metal ore and other materials are getting scarce and how they have to discuss what they can do to change that.
But it wasn't any other meeting. George used the word problem. In all the years George had been in his position, they had never heard him use that word.
"What do you mean George?" Nina, who was known to be George's closest friend, asked. "What's going on?"
"The North!" George said. "There's a problem in the North."
Immediately George said that, everyone's gaze turned to Ronnie. She was the Merchant in charge of trade in all of the north. Which was the largest region in Mavis.
"Something has changed in the north!" George continued. "I just received classified information from the Information Guild. Apparently, last week, some adventure were sent to the Mistletoe Forest."
"Mistletoe forest?" Marsh asked.
"Yes. You know... that forest between the borders of Glavis and the Northern Region."
The merchants nodded.
"Well, when they came back from the forest, they reported that they saw something. Something they had never seen before."
"What?!" Ronnie asked.
"A wall!" George announced. "They said they saw a tall wall. Like a city wall or a border wall. The wall covered the Northern Region. After they reported this, the adventurers guild told the information guild to investigate. So the information guild sent out some investigators and a special investigator to find out more."
"Wait! Why would the information guild move just based on some report gotten from some adventurers?" Nina said. "The information guild doesn't make moves unless something or someone important is involved. They even sent out a special investigator. Why would they do that?"
"I was also wondering about that too. But I think it might have something to do with the rumours that had been spreading around the guilds for two months now. Anyway, they found something, and more."
"What is it George?" Doris asked eagerly.
"The north has been unified. The Northern Region and Minora are now under one nation and one king."
"What?!!!" Doris shouted while the rest gasped in surprise.
"When did this happen?" Nina asked George.
"They don't know the exact time. But they think it's been almost two months or so." George replied. "Now the monsters are under the rule of one man. One king."
Doris shook her head vigorous. "But—but! That has never happened before. Monsters have never bowed to one person before!"
"That's why this is a problem." George said. "But before we talk about that. Ronnie." George said as he turned his head to her. "I need to ask. Did you know?"
"No!" Ronnie answered shaking her head. "Yes I have been trading with the north, but, I didn't know about this. How could I know and not say anything? I am in the dark as much as you!"
"How come I don't believe you?" Doris said to Ronnie.
It was common knowledge to everyone in the room that Doris and Ronnie had always been on bad terms with each other since they graduated from the Academic City together.
"Seriously Doris? You wanna do this now?"
"How can we trust what you tell us? Can't you all see? She is lying!"
"Oh come on Doris!" Ronnie shouted angrily. "I don't care that you have been interfering with my business for the past year, but I won't let you slander me."
"Interfering with you business?" Huhn! I don't know what you are talking about. All I know is, we are the only guild that are employed by the north. And you, are in charge of all trade in the north. So how can you not know!"
"Enough!!" George shouted. "Both of you. Ronnie,... Doris is right. It's hard to believe that you wouldn't know anything about this. But. We'll have to put that on hold for now. Because something more important is happening. This classified information I just received has also somehow been leaked. The news has spread to the governments of the new five nations and it's only a matter of time till it leaks to the public. And when that happens, people will panic."
"But why will people panic?" Sven asked.
"Because of the rumour about the great change. People might think this is the change and that war is coming."
"War?!"
"Yes!" George continued. "The prophecy states that after a change, a king will return and war will follow. People might think the king mentioned in the prophecy is this unknown king of the monsters."
"That actually makes sense!" Doris exclaimed.
"What do you mean?"
"Can't you see? The monsters have always had eight different rulers. But now, someone just decides to unite then. Maybe it is the one true king mentioned in the prophecy."
"Hmm." Nina turned to George and said. "I hate to say this, but Doris might be right. We should at least consider it, I mean, war might break out."
Ronnie shouted "What! Are you guys serious? That prophecy is almost a hundred years old. How can you make such assumptions so easily? We need to look at this differently. We are merchants. Instead of think about war, we should think about how we could be the first of the five Guilds to make a connection with this new nation. We should think about being the first to accept them."
"No!" Doris exclaimed. "Why do you always think about yourself first? Why do you always put your profit first? This is about more that us."
"That's not what this is about and you know it!"
"No diviner's prophecy has ever been wrong. Maybe the prophecy is just coming a little late. Maybe the monsters united because they want to start a war with everyone."
"How can you think that way?!"
"That's enough from both of you!" Nina shouted at them. "You both should put your personal feelings and opinions aside. We are leading members of the five Guilds. Things we decide on actually affects the continent. We need to be objective."
"Nina's right guys." Marsh said. "We can't bring emotions into this."
George rubbed his eyes, looked around the room and said. "True. We need to be careful. Especially since the war might actually happen. Regardless of prophecy, the north has broken the unwritten rules. Now the other five nations have enough cause to start a war against the them. But we are the five guild. We need to decide, so we will take a vote. We have there options. First, as Ronnie suggested, we be the first to stretch our hands out to the north. Second, we take a stance against the nation of monsters. Or third, we wait. And we see how things progress, before making a lasting decision. So, let's vote."
And so they took a vote to decide the stance the Merchant Guild will take. The vote ended in favour of the third option. With one vote by Ronnie for the first option, another vote by Doris for the second, and the remaining four vote in favour of waiting to see what action the Monsters take before they act.
"Alright." George said. "We will wait and reconvene in a month or two depending on what changes. You all can go now. I have to meet with the other guild leaders to discuss what we have decided. The meeting is over."
The five Master Merchants stood up and exited the room. Ronnie was last. As she walked out of the room, she turned back to look at George, who was already back at his position staring out the window with his hands folded at his back.
I am sorry Klaus. Ronnie thought. This is as much time as I could give you. Now the rest is left to you. Then she left the room.