"Are you talking about a faction?"
Could it be that she waited for me because of that?
But I couldn't fathom the reason.
Why would I wait for a faction to recruit me?
"Yes, I am aware that you're a necromancer. However, a faction is a separate matter, right? You haven't already joined the Mornes' faction, have you?"
"A faction is still a premature subject for me."
"No, it's not premature. Why? Because you already have a ring, don't you?"
"A ring?"
I examined the ring Hegel had given me.
In fact, it was just an item with no discernible effect in the game, so I had considered it more of an ornament or a keepsake. But was there a deeper meaning to it?
"Do you not know about the ring? Shall I explain it to you?"
Eika looked at me as if she were looking at a child.
In her eyes, there was a profound wisdom that differed from her appearance, making it eerie.
Without waiting for my response, Eika began her explanation while I held the ring.
"That ring was created when the Assembly was first established. The dark sorcerers who founded the Assembly at the time were all ten in number, and ten rings were created along with them."
I didn't know that.
There were ten dark sorcerers who founded the Assembly.
Now, with over a hundred members, it had certainly grown.
"At first, it was just a ring to signify membership in the Assembly, but as the Assembly expanded and founding members retired or died one by one, the meaning changed. Gradually, these rings became symbols of the Assembly's power."
Eika raised her hand to show me.
Among the numerous rings on her hand, one of them was the Assembly ring.
"Subsequently, as the Assembly went through various events and ups and downs, the meaning embedded in these rings was strengthened. Officially, rules were established."
"Rules?"
"Yes, rules. The Assembly initially aimed for a horizontal power structure, but it was concluded that this wasn't conducive to the group's growth. Recognizing that they couldn't immediately switch to a vertical structure, the previous Assembly leaders promised that whoever collected all these rings would lead the Assembly."
"Are you saying that collecting all ten rings makes you the leader of the Assembly?"
"That's right. Exactly like that."
I learned a fact I didn't know about the Assembly.
Then, could the existence of factions be related to these rings?
It's challenging to protect the rings with individual strength.
However, creating a faction would make it easier to safeguard or seize the rings.
'It was entirely unexpected information, but it's helpful.'
It seemed like a new option had been presented to me, who had been considering taking over the Assembly.
But a question arose here.
'The symbolic significance is crucial, but it's not an exaggeration to say that the rings are the reason the faction exists. Why would Hegel just give me this ring?'
What could the meaning behind it possibly be?
I shouldn't just assume that he gave me the ring.
There was a good chance that he had an ulterior motive.
"Eika, so you suggested that I join your faction because of this ring, right?"
"Yes, that's right. To be honest, the ring holds more significance to me than Adrias Cromwell."
Her frankness was to the point that it didn't even anger me.
"Why not just take it by force?"
"Take your ring? I still don't want to fight Hegel."
Eika's smiling response made it seem like she was underestimating me, but I actually welcomed it.
Whether she would become an enemy or an ally was still uncertain, but the more the opponent underestimated me, the easier it would be to manipulate them.
Leaving that aside, it seemed like Hegel, despite being neutral, was not someone Eika was willing to mess with.
Although I had doubts about his strength based on my personal experience with Hegel, it seemed that he had shown me a lot of favor.
"What do you mean by 'not yet'?"
"I'm quite ambitious. Someday, I plan to collect all the rings."
That was obvious. If they didn't have their eyes on the rings from the start, they wouldn't have become the leader of her faction.
However, my current situation was ambiguous.
Joining Eika's faction was currently on hold. I would likely gain nothing by just handing over the ring.
"What happens if I don't join faction?"
"It's a shame, but it doesn't matter. However, what you should know is that among the current ring bearers, you are the most vulnerable. Anyway, others will all have their eyes on you, so why not earn my favor before they do?"
"I appreciate your favor, Eika. But now that I've just joined the Assembly, I lack too much information to join faction."
In response to my polite refusal, Eika smiled, raised the corners of her mouth, and nodded.
"In the end, it's your choice. Regret will be your responsibility."
Her response was surprisingly gentle for a rejection.
It worried me that it was too normal for the Eika I knew.
But I soon understood why Eika was so good at controlling her anger.
Thud!
I felt a presence outside the room, and then the door, encased in spider silk, burst open.
"Friend!"
Now, an affectionate nickname that had practically stuck to my ears.
Luna rushed towards me, her eyes sparkling.
"Hehe, you're up. Is your body feeling better?"
And following her, Morne Dwalski entered the room.
So, this was why Eika couldn't run wild.
"Luna, Morne, you're still here."
They arrived at the right moment.
Luna checked my condition by quickly looking me over, and Morne smiled and spoke to Eika.
"Hehe, Eika, so did you get what you wanted?"
"Eugh, not really."
Eika frowned and ignored Morne, then shook my hand.
"See you next time. Take good care of the ring."
With that, she displayed a bizarre movement and disappeared in an instant.
Only after Eika left did Morne finally assess my condition.
"You've been through a lot. Dealing with that old lady is quite a hassle."
"Not at all. What about you? I didn't know you were still here. Is there something left to do?"
"What's left to do? I was just waiting for you to wake up."
He chuckled at my side and pointed at Luna, who was happily giggling.
"With a friend here, I wasn't bored at all."
"Friend, are you okay?"
I smiled at Luna's concern.
"Yes, I'm fine. I took up your time for nothing."
"Don't worry too much about it. We waited because we wanted to. Besides, I'm glad you're all right. I never expected to clash so intensely with that Hegel guy."
I, too, had awakened unexpectedly, and I didn't remember everything clearly.
I just pieced together fragmented memories.
In fact, even if I used the soul imprint again on Al Ghurd, I probably wouldn't gain the same enlightenment as this time.
In fact, thanks to a powerful opponent like Hegel, I had grown.
'Come to think of it, I can receive a second soul imprint.'
Since my sword handling ability had improved with the soul of an Aura Master, the second soul imprint would be Warlock, right?
Of course, I couldn't just create Warlock's soul easily.
"I had a partial grasp of Hegel's intentions. Maybe he wanted to test your abilities and understand them. At the same time, he probably wanted to roughly demonstrate his insight to other guys. The one who invited you is none other than Hegel himself."
"Did you hear anything about the meeting that followed?"
"It was extended by one day. It ended the next day."
"I was curious about the discussions taking place. It's a shame."
I subtly laid the groundwork to hear the stories from the meeting.
But then, it wasn't Morne who responded, but someone else from another direction.
"I know!"
Luna raised her hand like a student eager to make a presentation.
"I'll tell you. I remember everything!"
"Well, I'd appreciate that."
Luna, despite her occasional absentmindedness, was a mage of warlock caliber. She was intelligent and didn't easily yield to others.
She immediately began to inform me about the agenda and opinions from various factions at the meeting that I hadn't heard, as well as the most crucial topic: "Wrath."
"Friend, do you know what 'Wrath' is because you've seen it?"
"Yes."
"Rumor has it that 'Wrath' can be found in the land of the Northern Barbarians. But, it's not an object; it seems to be a child, and the child of the tribal chief, no less!"
I already knew this information. I also knew the fate of that child.
To be honest, the best thing I could do was to save the child, but whether that was possible was far from certain.
'Come to think of it, the Assembly seemed to have their eyes on 'Wrath.' Now, with the Emperor pursuing 'Wrath,' it's clear that a war between the Empire and the Barbarians is inevitable.'
"That's quite surprising. So, what's the plan?"
"We decided to employ mercenaries to avoid leaving any traces. Since we know the location and the person, getting 'Wrath' should be quick."
Luna said this with an excited expression.
Seeing her like this, it was clear she was a true dark mage.
That an infant was Wrath was just intriguing; there was no concern for the child.
But did I care?
'I don't really care.'
That an infant was Wrath was deserving of empathy.
Yet, it was somewhat amusing for me to empathize.
In my previous life, I had killed a considerable number of innocent people.
All were for orders and missions, but that didn't absolve me.
Maybe I was someone who suited a dark mage more than anyone else.
"When will it happen? After we have 'Wrath,' will the Assembly reconvene?"
"Yes, we've entrusted everything to Hegel. He knows their location and who they are. Once Hegel brings 'Wrath,' the Assembly will reconvene."
That was perfect. Now that I was a part of the Assembly, I could naturally intervene or influence when 'Wrath' arrived.
Thinking about it, I realized that I would gain more control over all the dark magic-related events that would happen in the future.
'I can probably manage or eliminate about 30% of the dark magic events that involve the players.'
It was like the old saying, "If you want to catch a tiger, you have to enter the tiger's den." Well, I wasn't trying to catch the tiger, but make it mine.
My influence within the Assembly was increasing, and once I formed a faction and gained power, I'd be able to have a say in almost 30% of the events.
'I'm grateful to Hegel.'
Entering the Assembly and obtaining the ring were all thanks to Hegel. I still couldn't fully understand his intentions, but for now, it was all beneficial to me.
"Kid, are you busy right now?"
I had been lost in my thoughts for a while when Morne approached.
I didn't know what it was about, but I shook my head.
"No, it's the weekend, so I have some free time."
"In that case, how about going somewhere with this old man?"
I pondered his offer for a moment and then nodded.
"Sure, let's go."
I wasn't sure where he wanted to take me, but I had a feeling it wouldn't lead to any trouble. Instead, I was hopeful that he would share something useful with me.
"All right, Luna, you're coming with us too."
"Okay!"
Having Luna along would provide some assurance.
"Then, let's go right now."
"May I ask where we're going?"
"Kid, have you ever heard of the 'Mage Artisan Trauler'?"
"Trauler... You mean the person known for crafting magic weapons?"
"That's right. He's famous for creating magic weapons."
Wow, this is really...
Trauler was a renowned blacksmith in the game world who was unique in his ability to craft magic weapons using only his human abilities. Named items and equipment were typically crafted by non-human races, and it was extremely rare for a human to craft such exceptional items.
"From now on, we're going to see the 'Magic Artisan.'"
Morne led the way, muttering to himself as he walked. I had never imagined that Morne had a connection with Trauler. Trauler was known to be reclusive and rarely seen, even in the game. I had encountered him only twice in the game, which showed how elusive he was.
'The Magic Artisan Trauler.'
A new encounter was waiting for me.