Knight really didn't want to get involved in this mess.
The goal of the dark guild Iron Forest was to use "Lullaby" to attack the Guild Masters' Alliance, which was currently holding a routine meeting.
Honestly, they were dealing with guild masters. What could a dark guild possibly do? It was like a group of ants attempting to attack a pride of lions.
Where did Iron Forest even get the confidence for this? Even with their heads full of fantasies, they wouldn't dare attempt such a foolish plan.
So, instead of getting directly involved, Knight decided to hand this issue off to the Internet.
The friendly "netizens" might just solve Erza's dilemma. And if no one came through, he could always have the big boss [Voldemort] step in.
"Ask the Internet?" Erza blinked, remembering when she had consulted [Voldemort] about the R-System two days ago and had yet to receive a reply.
Now that Knight was suggesting she try it again, she felt a bit doubtful.
"It doesn't hurt to give it a shot," Knight reassured her. "Trust in the power of the netizens."
"Alright, I'll try…"
Erza opened the magic network and began drafting her inquiry. After spending the last couple of days in bed recovering, she'd become somewhat addicted to the magic Internet and knew her way around posting.
Soon, she had a post ready.
Just as she was about to submit it, Knight stopped her.
"Hold on."
"What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"
"No, not at all. It's just that you need a catchy title to draw people in. You want to hook readers right away… Ahem, I mean, attract people so they click on it. The more eyes you get, the better your chances of finding someone helpful."
Erza's original title was far too straightforward. Knight leaned over, half-sitting on the bed, and helped her come up with something more attention-grabbing.
[Shocking! The Dark Guild is plotting something terrifying...]
Once posted, even Erza had to admit, she felt compelled to click on it herself.
"What did the Dark Guild do? What's so shocking?" she thought, a bit amused.
"You're brilliant, Knight!" Erza turned to him, praising him sincerely.
She'd definitely be using this tactic next time.
Knight grinned, uncertain whether to laugh or feel embarrassed. If this weren't Erza, he might've suspected sarcasm.
"Now, keep an eye on the replies."
Meanwhile, deep in a desolate forest where the trees were withered and mushrooms grew among the dead leaves, a hidden path led to a dark castle.
This was the base of Iron Forest.
A young man wearing a gray-black scarf and cloak approached the guild. A short-haired man with a silver scythe on his shoulder emerged from the castle.
"You're back, Kageyama," the scythe-wielder said grimly. "Did you get it?"
"I have it, Mr. Eligor," Kageyama replied, revealing a skull-shaped flute from beneath his cloak.
"This is the 'Lullaby' you wanted."
"Well done, Kageyama!" Eligor grinned wickedly. "With this, we can finally take our revenge on those despised guild masters!"
His hand tightened around the flute, veins bulging from his fury.
"Also, I found something else," Kageyama added, opening his left hand to reveal a silver ring.
"What's this? A ring?" Eligor frowned.
"Yes, on my way back, I ran into a few Phantom wizards. They were talking about some new magic called the 'Internet.' Apparently, this ring is required to access it."
Kageyama nodded, explaining how he'd taken the ring from them after interrogating them.
"The ring binds to whoever inputs their magic first. This one's unused. According to them, the Internet is a place to exchange information."
"Interesting..." Eligor mused, slipping the ring onto his index finger. After channeling his magic into it, a translucent interface appeared in front of him.
"Text without magic?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's asking for a nickname?"
Curious, Eligor typed in "Death" and entered the forum.
Among the many posts, one with the words "Dark Guild" caught his attention.
Following Kageyama's instructions, he tapped the post, which opened instantly.
The post read:
I encountered some wizards from the dark guild Iron Forest in a tavern and overheard the name 'Lullaby' in their conversation. They seemed to be planning something. Does anyone know what it is? They mentioned it being sealed, and they want to unseal it. Please, if anyone has information, let me know. I'll reward you with 200 points as a thank you.
Poster: Knight
Seeing this, Eligor's face darkened. He turned sharply to Kageyama.
"You were discovered?"
"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Eligor!" Kageyama stammered, visibly shocked. He had no idea where he might have been exposed.
Eligor dismissed him with a cold glare. "It doesn't matter. We have what we need. But it seems this 'Internet' is a place where guild wizards exchange information anonymously."
A smirk crossed his face. "This could be useful…"
He blended in among them, and no one knew who he truly was.
As he scrolled down, the comments beneath the post began to make his blood boil.
Iron Forest? The small guild that got expelled from the Alliance six years ago?
A dark guild still doing assassination requests?
They've been warned by the Council multiple times but continue? Serves them right for being kicked out.
Wasn't Eligor their ace? Nicknamed 'Death God'?
Yeah, that guy. It's hilarious. What kind of 'Death God'? Just some assassin with a record.
What's he even doing now?
Rumor has it he's a lackey for the Six Demon Generals.
A small guild that became a dog for others. Unlike us in Spectre, we're still top tier!
"Kageyama… who are these fools?!" Eligor's eyes filled with murderous intent as he clenched his fists.
Kageyama nervously wiped sweat from his brow. "Mr. Eligor...?"
Unable to contain his fury, Eligor's fingers flew across the translucent screen as he typed:
Death: [You're in no position to mock Eligor's strength. In Phantom, he'd be an S-Class wizard!]
More replies quickly appeared.
Picking his nose: [S-Class? More like D-Class. He became infamous through petty assassinations.]
Pouting: [Relax. Someone's salty. Are you Eligor's fanboy or something?]
Laughing: [Maybe it's Eligor himself! Haha.]
Their mocking replies enraged him even further. He could almost picture the smug expressions behind the words.
In his blind rage, Eligor typed furiously:
Death: [Just wait! I have Lullaby in my hands! My revenge is about to begin!]
Death: [You fools have no idea of the power of the Cursed Song!]
Death: [Watch as I, 'Death God' Eligor, destroy every last one of you regular guild dogs!]
Death: [I'll start with your precious guild masters!]
He had just exposed their entire plan.
Suddenly, the comment section fell silent.
After a brief pause, a reply appeared:
Knight: [!!!]
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