It was a dark place, the only light coming from a few torches flickering faintly in the corners. Their dim glow cast eerie shadows that seemed to move with a life of their own. Four tall pillars stood evenly spaced, exactly fifteen meters apart, marking the corners of a square room. At the center was a round table, its smooth surface reflecting the low light. Twelve seats circled the table, each numbered, though four remained conspicuously empty.
The air felt thick, heavy with unspoken tension. It was clear this gathering wasn't casual, these people had come for something important. The silence that hung in the room was almost palpable, each person lost in their thoughts as they waited for something or someone.
And then, the silence was broken.
A man entered the room, his footsteps sharp and purposeful as he crossed the threshold. His presence seemed to shift the weight in the room, momentarily disrupting the quiet. With a nonchalant air, he made his way to the number eight-seat, his face a mix of excitement and perhaps a little too much confidence. Without hesitation, he settled into the chair, casting a glance around at the others.
His sudden arrival, casual as it was, sent a subtle ripple through the gathered crowd. All eyes shifted toward him, but there was no immediate reaction. It was as if they were used to such disruptions, their focus returning to the matter at hand almost immediately.
But for some reason, his grin seemed to linger in the air long after he'd sat down. The atmosphere shifted just slightly.
"You came a little earlier than planned," a woman spoke from the shadows, her voice smooth but carrying a sharp edge. Her face was obscured, her features hidden in the darkness, but her presence was undeniable.
The man's grin widened at the comment, unfazed. "Well..." He paused, as if savoring the moment, before pulling out a small, glowing crystal from his pocket. He held it up, letting the faint light dance across his features. "Honorable Second, I got the thing."
His words hung in the air, and though his tone was light, the object he revealed carried immense weight.
"I see." The woman's response was cold, almost indifferent, but the shift in the room was immediate. The others, seated around the table, leaned forward. Their eyes locked on the crystal, mesmerized by its glow. It was clear from their expressions. They had been searching for this for a long time, and now, it was finally in their hands.
"Is that it?" the man asked, his voice tinged with mock disappointment. He looked at them, feigning a pout. "I thought I could at least get some praise." He leaned back in his chair, smirking as he continued, "I could've died, you know. That Reaper came unexpectedly, thankfully, his Highness Reid took the fall for me. Such a young, courageous man. He will be missed."
His voice cracked with false emotion, his hand rising to his face in exaggerated grief. But his eyes, cold and calculating betrayed him. The tears didn't come, and there was no sincerity in his actions. He was playing a part, and he knew it.
BANG!
A sound of something fired roared across the dim room.
The bullet hit the man square in the forehead, and for a brief, unsettling moment, his head seemed to dissolve into a dark, liquid-like substance, the edges of his face dripping and shifting. But in the blink of an eye, the liquid reformed into his familiar features, an unsettling grin spreading across his face.
His eyes gleamed, filled with twisted excitement, as if the pain, or perhaps the thrill of the situation, had only fueled his amusement.
"Come on now," the man said, his voice light, unaffected by the shot, "I've just returned from a dangerous mission, Mr. Newbie number twelve... or should I call you Roy Ela Caldris?" He smirked, his gaze locking onto the one who shot him, with unnerving confidence.
"What did you do to my brother, lowlife?" Roy's voice was laced with fury, every word dripping with the weight of his royal title and the burning desire for vengeance.
The man chuckled, the mocking tone evident in his voice as he smirked, unbothered by the intensity of Roy's glare. "I do?" he mused, raising an eyebrow in feigned innocence. "Prince Reid offered to let me escape. He's a good and courageous man. He shall be missed" His sarcasm was thick, dripping from every syllable as he toyed with Roy's emotions.
Roy's grip on his weapon tightened, his knuckles white with rage. "You're fucking dead!" he roared, raising the weapon once again, his intent clear in his eyes.
But then, everything changed in an instant.
Blades made of condensed light formed out of thin air, their glowing edges cutting through the air, filling the entire room with a hum of raw power. It was as if the very atmosphere had been warped by the force emanating from them. Silence descended, thick and oppressive. Even the man, who moments before had been dripping with arrogance, now seemed hesitant.
"Oi oi... We were just playing, you don't need to show this much force!" The man's voice, once laced with sarcasm, now carried a frantic edge. He spun toward the woman, who stood watching with cold detachment, her eyes unwavering as she observed the man. His previous bravado was nowhere to be seen.
Roy stood still, his eyes scanning the room, watching the man's antics. The contrast between his reaction and the woman's composed demeanor was stark. "Pardon me for losing my temper," Roy said, his voice measured, aware of the strength of the woman before him, though there was a coldness to it now.
"Take your seats," the woman commanded, her voice cutting through the tension with an icy authority. "What happened?"
"At least withdraw your blades before asking, just one is already threatening, what more if there were a hundred of them?" the man said, raising his hand in a surrendering gesture, his earlier bravado now gone.
"I see," the woman replied, her voice cold and composed. A moment later, all the blades disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, leaving the room in an eerie silence.
"Can I leave now? This is just ridiculous," another woman spoke, she looked like nothing more than a teenager, her tone dripping with impatience.
"We have an important matter to discuss, stay." The woman's command was final, a subtle warning in her voice that left no room for objection.
"Tsk..." The young woman glared at the man with a look that could kill him.
"Ok, ok... calm down," he said, feigning fear, but his sarcasm was still evident in his tone. "Well, the mission's a success in more ways than one."
"What is?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We got what we wanted, for one, the God's Fragment, the power to control this world," he said with a smug grin. "As for the other matter...Silford's hero, you could say we caused a lot of damage... emotionally, that is. We can just go ahead and capture her."
"I see." The woman's response was flat, unreadable.
"It was a pretty good plan, don't you think? After all, a living hero is a much more useful vessel than a dead one."
"Silford's hero, huh..." The younger woman spoke up, her voice cool as she assessed the situation. "If I remember correctly, that accursed Reaper is under her service, and the Elf hero has close ties with their country."
"Dealing with a hero is already a problem on its own, what's more, if there are two of them, then that Reaper of all people." said another man, sitting on the tenth seat.
"More than that, the Demon Lord of the West has joined hands with her," the man added casually, though the weight of his words was clear.
"What?"
A stunned silence fell over the room, everyone digesting the revelation.
"You're joking, right?"
"I hope too, but I don't."
"That can't be!... That means..."
"Yeah, that cursed dragon too, Sena Ksherkel."
"It seems like a lot had been going on right under our noses," another voice commented, disbelief evident in their tone.
"But don't worry," the man said, his smirk returning, "I have the perfect plan to get that hero."
"And what is that?" asked the younger woman
"Just wait for it."
"Tsk..."
"Just make sure it's successful." The woman's voice was sharp, her command final as she stood from her seat.
...
"Oi, why are we riding in carriages?" I asked, glancing out the window as the landscape passed by. It had been an hour since we left Agatha and were heading toward the Capital.
There were three carriages in total. With me were Evangeline, Sena, and a person I didn't recognize. Sylvia was supposed to come with us, but she'd disappeared after our last conversation. No one seemed to know where she was, so we left without her. It wasn't like she needed a ride anyway, she could just teleport to the Capital. We could've done that, but we weren't.
"What's the matter?" Evangeline asked, glancing at me.
"It's too inconvenient," I replied. Not only was the road unpaved but there was nothing to cushion the constant jolting of the carriage. It was uncomfortable, and honestly, it hurt. On top of that, Evangeline could've just called a lesser dragon or flown straight there herself. It would've been faster and more convenient.
"Even demons have something called formality," she replied simply.
I couldn't argue with that, so I just stopped talking.
"Hey, Evangeline..." I called out, hesitating for a moment before asking, "What do you think of Silica?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, her tone curious.
"I don't think she's fine at all."
"Why do you think that?"
I told her honestly what I thought. Silica had been acting strange ever since Vera passed. To be honest, I would've preferred to stay back and keep an eye on her. It felt like she was on the edge of something dangerous like she might do something irreversible at any moment.
"You could at least trust her a little," Evangeline said, her voice calm and reassuring.
It would've been easy if it were that simple, but I just couldn't shake the feeling. It gnawed at me, and I couldn't get it out of my head.
...
Meanwhile…
The discussion had ended, and most of the members had already left, except for some.
"You fucking lowlife!" Roy yelled, grabbing the man's armor. He was still dressed in his Caldris gear. "What did you do to my brother?" Roy raised his gun to the man's head. It was a curious weapon, one that shot projectiles using a controlled explosion. Like a bow, but far more dangerous and powerful.
"Tsk tsk tsk..." In the blink of an eye, Roy was sent flying. His body crashed into the pillar, destroying it on impact. He didn't know what had happened, he only knew he had been thrown.
"You bastard!" He hurriedly stood up, but before he could get fully to his feet, dark liquid seeped from the broken pillar, and the figure of the man fully materialized. His sword stuck under Roy's neck.
"Don't get too full of yourself... Boy... You are nothing more than a replacement, if you don't act accordingly..." there were no words said after but Roy understood what the man meant.
"Tsk..." Now the only thing he can do is give up.
"Well now, if you had a problem with your brother's passing, you should take all that to that Reaper bitch." The man said as he slowly creeped out of the pillar
"Tsk... I will kill that bitch and one day I will kill you. You fucking bastard." Roy said as he stood up and left
"Well it was just a suggestion, didn't think he was that dumb," the man said, his eyes fixed on Roy as he walked away, words Roy didn't hear.
"Looks like we need a replacement for the twelfth seat," the woman remarked in a cold voice, her gaze following Roy's retreating figure.
"Sure is," the man replied with a hint of amusement, before the two of them turned and separated, their footsteps echoing in the silence.