•••The point of view of the woman who serves as the head of The Mind Show Cierliu City branch•••
*Tap. Tap. Tap. I quickly tapped the table with my index finger.
"Why are they taking so long?!" I asked a man much older than me.
His hair was almost entirely white, though a few strands at the ends were still black.
"Calm down, Dasni," the old man replied.
"Calm down?! You pamper your people too much! All those adventurers have no discipline in themselves! I and all of us have been waiting for more than 1 hour!!!"
Yet he laughed casually upon hearing my rant. "Dahahaha!"
"That's just how adventurers are. Besides, each of them has their own business."
Yes, that's true. Those high-level adventurers throughout the Outer Slums indeed have their own activities.
But isn't it very rare for people like them to take Quests? Considering it's impossible for high-level monsters to appear attacking the Outer Slums every day.
*Tsk. I clicked my tongue. "That's just an excuse. Besides, each of them could return quickly because of teleportation rings."
"That's true… But still—" The old man's words stopped immediately when the sound of several footsteps heading toward the room where we were could be heard.
*Klak. Klak. Several footsteps in iron boots were heard.
*Tap. Tap. There were also footsteps that sounded like leather shoes or something that wasn't metal.
"That's them," the old man added.
I and several people who were already inside the room immediately turned toward the door that slowly opened from the outside.
*Kerchak.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Guild Master," said a man in a calm voice.
That man was named Fusra Vircous. He was a Rank-S adventurer ranked 3rd. With that fairly large one-handed sword of his, he managed to reach rank 3.
Well, you could say he was the pride of the Adventurers Guild of Cierliu City because he was the only native of Cierliu capable of competing with other cities.
However,
"Sorry, Miss Dasni Kanzachk. Gathering high-level adventurers just for one problem makes us feel lazy."
Seriously? He said that while smiling kindly?
This is why I hate them. People like them always underestimate the Intel division like us and always think 'Information' is useless compared to field facts.
"Whatever," I replied curtly. I chose not to waste time and preferred to go straight to the main issue.
Those people walked in casually behind the man.
"So what's the problem this time?" someone asked before sitting in his chair, *Thud.
I observed them one by one. "Why did only 4 people come, Mr. Pirlo?" I asked the old man, who was the Guild Master of the Cierliu City branch.
His name was Pirlo Darima. He had previously been an adventurer in his youth, and after his retirement, he was chosen as the next Guild Master.
"As I said, they must have their own business," he replied in a calming tone.
Before I could respond, someone immediately cut in, "Even if they don't have business, of course some of us don't want to come just for one problem. If this wasn't Mr. Pirlo's request, I wouldn't even bother coming."
It was followed by a nod from the man beside him. "Seriously…"
Carteus and Curtius. They were a pair of siblings.
Carteus was a woman probably around my age. She was a long-range fighter who relied on her Mythril bow.
And her younger brother, Curtius, was a close-range fighter who relied on his two medium-sized axes.
They were the mainstay adventurers of Zerna City, and their current Rank-S positions were rank 4 and 6.
I chose not to respond, because arguing with people like them never ends.
And then came the muttering of the last person. "After defeating a monster, I was wandering past Geaz City flying as usual, you know what happened there?!"
This is what I hate most about most people.
"The entire city of Geaz disappeared! Replaced by a huuuuge black hole!!!"
He said it with a tone that couldn't be described, both hands spread wide upward. How should I put it, his words always sounded exaggerated.
Some people looked tense, though it was unclear whether they believed it and were afraid or were annoyed and disgusted.
"Geaz City disappeared?" I tried to respond to the absurd statement. "That's impossible."
*BRAAAK! He slammed the table, refusing my denial. Several pairs of eyes glanced at him with looks already fed up.
"IT'S REAAAAL!"
"Yes, yes," Mr. Pirlo quickly pulled him back so he would sit more calmly.
Wanner Orthe. Or commonly called Joker. He was a man younger than me, about 8 years younger.
At that age, he had already reached Rank-S position 1. His ability was Gravity. He could remove the weight of objects around him or increase their weight. And that also applied to his own body.
However, his weakness was that he was hard to understand. Clearly, he was strong, but there was a gap in that.
Fusra suddenly spoke, "Speaking of Geaz City, have you heard about Beltiro being dead?"
Carteus and Curtius nodded together. *Nod. Nod.
"And they say the new ruler is a 17-year-old man, right?" shouted Wanner.
"Named…" he tried to recall.
"Reigh." My eyes immediately widened when that name was spoken.
"Reigh?" What a coincidence?... But impossible…
I and we members of The Mind Show only operate in one city, so information from outside always arrives late to us.
In contrast to those adventurers, especially high-level ones, who are always outside the city completing Quests.
Maybe…
"So what's the problem this time, Mr. Pirlo?" Fusra glanced at me. "To the point Miss Dasni used her once-every-6-months right."
"I also don't know. And this is the first time she's been so eager to use that right."
We, The Mind Show, have a special privilege.
That is, we can summon adventurers from low rank to the highest rank. For example, like now, where we can summon Rank-S adventurers or limit it specifically to that rank.
And those adventurers are required to answer our summons, and at least one of them must come. Well, even though some adventurers don't care.
However, that privilege only applies once within a 6-month period. And it cannot be used more than once in a short time. For example, if we call today, then a month later, even if the 6-month period has passed, the privilege still cannot be used.
"Well… Sorry about that," I said softly, breaking the silence as all eyes turned to me.
Without further ado, I stood up from my chair. *Tup.
Raising my right hand forward, then saying softly, "Show." *Scret. Kresk. A thin screen immediately appeared, pointing in five opposite directions.
Those screens were positioned right in the middle above the table. They began displaying the memories I had seen with my own eyes at that time.
All eyes immediately focused when my memory began.
And it began with loud laughter and the shout of a boy. "Ha… Ha… Ha… KHI… KHAHAHAHA! THIS ISN'T OVER YET, IDIOT!"
Wanner immediately leaned over the table. "Whose voice is that?!" He wanted to see clearly what was on the screen since all that appeared was the black screen over Fiblio's head. "Who is he?!"
"Fiblio Asteion. Head of the Courter Ashley trading company, found in a mad state after his company was massacred by someone."
"Fiblio?" Carteus spoke, "Oh, I remember. He's the person you monitored for 10 years because of the sudden death incident of his parents, right?"
"More precisely, Fiblio and his subordinates were the ones who killed them both and took all their assets."
Everyone's faces except my subordinates immediately stiffened when I said those words.
"Really!?" Wanner asked loudly.
"Yes. He was a leech who drained the entire life of his savior. I only found out after seeing his memories during yesterday's incident."
"Wait, Miss Dasni." Fusra's face showed confusion. "What do you mean 'his savior'? Wasn't Fiblio also part of the Asteion family?"
Accompanied by slow nods from the others.
Well, it was natural they reacted that way. After all, that was what had spread among the public.
I stopped the scene on the screen.
I needed 2 minutes to briefly yet clearly explain Fiblio's background based on what we of The Mind Show had personally witnessed from Fiblio's original memories.
In short, "That's how it is." I closed my explanation.
Mr. Pirlo responded in a quiet tone, "I see. That happened 10 years ago. It's true the Adventurers Guild has no authority over it because it was under the Merchant Guild. But the biological child of Asteion suffered because of it."
"Yes. And this is where the problem lies, Sir," I replied, restarting the screen in front of all of us.
"The biological child of Asteion, named Reigh Asteion." All eyes immediately turned to me even though the screen in front of them was showing memories that some of them might have been more interested in, yet they were more interested in my words.
"That biological child has taken his revenge, and we also don't want to be involved in that. But…"
"Based on his dialogue when speaking to himself," I immediately changed the scene to where Reigh was speaking alone.
"He plans to involve the Inner Dominion."
Everyone's eyes sharpened instantly, chairs shifted at once. They immediately looked at me with sharp gazes, then quickly turned back to the screen in front of them. "Impossible." They reflexively said those words.
But what they saw was indeed true.
"What do you think?" Only a voice was heard unconsciously, since Fiblio as the medium only displayed a black screen. Maybe he was curled up in fear.
"It would be more fun if we stirred up all sides, right? Hah!? Why is your answer so flat?! Of course, right?! After your personal matter is over, we'll continue my plan."
*Khuhuhu…
"Fighting the Inner Dominion… Of course you want to face those 100 thousand soldiers, right? Yes, that's how it is. People of the Outer Slums are too stupid, even though they have potential in everything, a simple example is that fruit case."
*Cresk. I turned off the screen. Because I felt I might get killed if I continued it.
"S-See, right?!" I tried to speak amid the silence filling the room.
The atmosphere suddenly dropped drastically. If their emotions were provoked further, my head might come off instantly.
"Reigh Asteion… Yes?... Who was he talking to like that?.. He even wants to involve everyone…" Carteus snorted.
Curtius interrupted his sister, "Probably just nonsense."
I immediately cut in, "In my opinion, his words carry weight."
"Hah!?"
I immediately restarted the scene where Reigh carried out the massacre that day.
A few moments later, as they watched the screen,
"Just wind magic?!" exclaimed Fusra.
Likewise Wanner, the most excited one. "Hooo! Wind magic can be used to lift things like that too, huh?!"
That was what he said when he saw Reigh—or whoever called himself Hgier—using wind magic to lift a severed head.
However, it was not clearly visible. Because the view seen by Fiblio always looked shaky on the screen. Maybe he was frustrated that there was no way out.
"By the way, don't you feel something strange?" Mr. Pirlo asked, not directed at anyone in particular.
We all immediately turned to him.
"Why did he introduce himself earlier with the name Hgier? And besides that, Reigh's behavior and way of speaking suddenly changed."
Those Rank-S adventurers only then realized it.
Mr. Pirlo then looked at me.
"Yes. I also don't know about that, Sir. And the conclusion we of The Mind Show can accept is, perhaps he… 'Has a Disorder'?"
"What disorder?"
I shrugged uncertainly. "His parents were killed in front of his eyes, it's impossible for him to still be sane, right?"
As everyone began to accept my words, I added again, "Put that aside. And there is something that, in my opinion, is why I consider him far more dangerous."
"What is it?" Mr. Pirlo asked me.
"This." I immediately sped up the massacre scene.
Toward the torture scene carried out by Reigh or Hgier.
At first, they underestimated my words because as Rank-S adventurers they were surely used to blood and massacres, saying, "What's so terrifying about what a kid does?"
However, after a few minutes passed, when they saw the torture.
Even Carteus, who was famous for always sneering at things, now sat frozen after watching the screen in front of her.
Everyone immediately stiffened in their chairs. Some people looked downward while sweating.
*H-HAAA…
"We are not underestimating you Rank-S adventurers who always face death. But know this, even we who are used to torture tremble when seeing that…" I said, stammering.
Honestly, whenever I replayed and watched that torture scene again, I always trembled.
*Drip. Drip.
"From his movements alone it's clear he is very skilled at it. If an amateur tortured someone, he would surely be confused about the next step."
*BRAAAK. "But he wasn't! He's someone who enjoys doing that! Maybe for many years!"
"Not to mention—"
What is this?... Did I talk too much?...
When I looked at them one by one, they all seemed extremely annoyed.
"Enough, Miss Dasni…" Fusra said curtly.
"Alright."
I immediately added again, "And lastly…"
I sped up the scene on the screen again.
"This is the reason why I called all of you."
"Hello, The Mind Show."
All eyes immediately returned to the screen.
"He realized that?!" Wanner was the first to exclaim in shock.
"Yes. Strange, right? Even though the information that we would view Fiblio's memories only spread after the incident ended. Let's assume he might have heard rumors from the citizens about us and began betting that we would handle his case. But what about the next part?"
"I know you will see Fiblio's memories. But let me tell all of you, there are things in this world that must not be crossed. Do not disturb me… Or I will hunt you. I… Or rather 'We'… Know everything about the entire Outer Slums."
"Bye, LOSERS~"
*Crash. Kresek. Kresk. The screen went dead.
"See!? Do you think his background is that of an 'Ordinary Kid'? It's as if he arranged everything, even the screen above Fiblio's head shutting off wasn't my doing! It was like Fiblio's own memories were manipulated, even Fiblio's memories after that can no longer be accessed."
I kept watching the movements of the people in front of me. They began to tense up, sweat sticking to their foreheads.
Even the sound of table tapping was clearly heard. *Tuk. Tuk. Tuk.
"I have a speculation. Perhaps he deliberately informed us of his plan to involve the Inner Dominion and the Outer Slums."
Suddenly, silence.
Maybe they thought my rant made sense, or maybe they felt disturbed.
But… this might be the right time to submit a Quest request to them.
"S-So—"
*Khehehe…
Someone laughed?!… "Who is that—" I immediately turned toward the source of the sound coming from the corner of the wall behind me. I didn't know whether anyone else also turned.
"Y-You…"
"I felt something strange when I heard the Special Privilege call from Miss Dasni Kanzachk, who is famous for her selfishness, who even used that Right for the first time during her entire tenure."
"Hah!?"
"Turns out this case is indeed INTERESTING~." The man smiled.
••• The story soon shifts, to a place extremely far away•••
Inside a vast luxurious room with a long red carpet stretching across it, the sound of iron footsteps broke the silence. *Klak-Klak-Klak.
He passed massive statues standing on the right and left.
His gaze stared far ahead, ignoring everything around him.
*Klak. When he arrived exactly at the throne he was heading toward, he stopped his steps.
Behind the throne were two enormous paintings. One depicted a man with cloth covering his chest diagonally on the left. And a woman with cloth covering her chest horizontally on the right.
The two figures were painted facing each other, each radiating an indescribable aura of grandeur.
However, the man in front of the throne did not care much about the painting.
*Whosh. He spread his long robe trailing downward. *Klak. He immediately knelt with a swift motion.
"My apologies for the failure," his head lifted upward, looking at the magnificent throne.
"Your Majesty."