85[Fanfiction] Volume 14: The City-State Alliance
As always, thank you nobetteridea for reviewing the chapter. I know I'm slow as fuck to write them, but you keep helping me, even at my rhythm. For this you deserve my praise.
Chapter 2 — Decision
Part 6
Thunderbird entered a towering building that overlooked the city of Troya.
Brokk and Sabaoth had put on their green hoods to make sure that no one recognized them. Truth is that lizardmen and dwarves were rare sights in the City-States, and if someone saw a representative of one of these peculiar races, they would quickly establish the link with Sabaoth and Brokk of Thunderbird. That was without saying that they wanted to avoid such disconvenience. To avoid an unfortunate outcome, their adamantite plaques had been tucked into their pockets, and their weapons carefully hidden inside their clothing.
When they had arrived in Troya, their first stop had been at Waldonus house.
They wanted to meet him and give him the gold stolen from the bandits — but they didn't find him here. Nothing too weird, considering that it had been more than six hours that Halona had left him in front of his ruined home. It was only natural that, at some point, he would go on with his day and do something different. He had left drawings behind, for when Halona would come back, to explain where he held the meeting with Momon.
This place was the meeting point — none other than this city's Adventurer Guild.
As they crossed the doorstep, Sabaoth looked for the slightest hint of an enemy. He was even more cautious than usual. In the city and its surroundings, they were criminals whose capture was highly rewarded. If a single one of these people recognized them, they would have to fight against the First Company who followed them or — even worse — against the Death Knights posted at the exit. To avoid this outcome, he had to consider the whole world as an enemy and look for any out of the ordinary behaviour that would indicate their cover being blown.
— Still, this building was quite reassuring to him.
Since the Adventurer Guilds operated throughout the nations, it was different than the other organizations of the City-States, in the fact that they had an unofficial rule saying the guild would never take part in inter-human conflicts. If not, they wouldn't be able to cooperate with each other in different countries. If this didn't change, they should have no reason to denounce the members of Thunderbird. Moreover, the existence of adamantite adventurers was necessary for the morale of the people and stability of the guild. As such, Thunderbird still had an important role in the Guild's affairs as they were the unique Adamantite party in the City-States. Most of the officials would mostly be friendly with Sabaoth and Brokk, unless they had a good reason to act otherwise.
The lizardman only hoped that it would be the case here...
"Let's get a seat at a table and wait for your friend. Halona, you are forbidden from doing anything other than stare at your surroundings, ok ?"
She turned back at him with a look that clearly implied that she was shocked by his words.
"Come on ! I understand the situation, I won't do anything stupid."
"It's not about that. I know what you want to do, and it's a firm no."
Sabaoth knew her by heart. Halona's attention was helplessly drawn to the counter, and it was clear that she wanted to sign up her name to officially become an adventurer again. Like hell would he let her do such a stupid thing… Pulling her into a chair, he heard her grumbling and ignored it along with her wound up glares.
In his turn, he sat and patiently waited.
Brokk immediately took the wooden trinket Halona gave to him earlier and started studying it like his precious ring. In a fraction of second, his attention had fully shifted to his examination of the peculiar object, and he would not be able to sense the slightest clue of tension in the room. So quick to go from an anguished dwarf to a dispersed kid with his new toy…
A lost cause.
Instead, Sabaoth would have to be on guard by himself.
A quick glance told him a lot about the other people present in the room. Apart from the receptionists, the various clients of the Guilds or the simple visitors, there were many adventurers, ranging from copper to platinum rank. None of them represented a threat, since it would at least take an Orichalcum class to be able to keep up with him alone, but he was still cautious about a poisoned dagger or a magic scroll hidden in a pocket. They may be the strongest Adventurer group in the City-States, but it would only take a stupid mistake to get killed.
Talking about mistakes, he thought about the dangers awaiting them in the near future.
If they were going to the Sorcerer Kingdom, they would probably have to fight a monster stronger than them sooner or later. Considering such an inevitable outcome, he thought of preparing himself for the eventuality and getting every advantage on his side to hope for the win.
First, he needed information.
After making sure that no one was listening in on their conversation, he watched Halona straight and questioned her.
"I have a question, Halona. I know you've had an encounter with the Sorcerer Kingdom. Can you tell us their difficulty level ?"
Among adventurers, there were many who spoke about the difficulty level given to monsters or quests. The higher the level a group became, the more difficult the quest available to them were. Of course, there was an unspoken rule among adventurers that one should never judge an opponent by merely their difficulty, but this system was created so that people wouldn't lose their lives recklessly attempting to do dangerous missions beyond their ability.
For example, while an Orichalcum adventurer had an estimated level of 80, Thunderbird could take on missions with difficulty up to 180 — which was supposedly their limit.
It was an astounding number to even think of, going as far as being able to fight in the realm of the Evil Gods. This incredible strength was widely recognized in the City-States, and mainly came from the two pillars of the group — Halona and the Rhapsodist Goddess. Given their current power, and since Halona had an excellent ability to judge her opponents, it would give him a good idea of their chances against a critical encounter in the Sorcerer Kingdom.
"Mhh— I'm not really sure... but for the dark elf I talked about, I would say well above 350. There was also an insect that would come across 400 and a giant rock whose power was in-between. It could be even higher, but they're far over the limit of power one can attain in this world — of that I'm sure."
His heart throbbed loudly as his respiration stopped. Sabaoth froze and stared at Halona's eyes with an expression of shock. He couldn't believe what she just said. Thanks to the gods that Brokk was so absorbed by the trinket and wasn't listening to this, else he would have a heart attack right now.
— Did she just say that to extrapolate ?
No, she wasn't the type who would do such things, and he trusted her ability to judge her opponents. But how could she stay so calm in the face of having enemies whose strength could shatter the world ? He wasn't even sure that he could comprehend the power of such monsters, let alone imagine fighting against them. If he had been given the title of Sabaoth the imperturbable, he had lost it for this one moment.
"A—Are you kidding me ?"
Halona looked back at him with eyes carrying a determination that did not lie — she was most serious about it.
"Not the slightest... but don't worry, I'm sure we can win ! No matter how frightening it is. A victory against such beings would be a commendable feat that people would talk about for millenia ! Doesn't it excite you ?"
Commendable was a weak word to express how much of a feat it would be. Did she really believe it was possible to win ? Probably — knowing her temper… After all, one could only know after trying. However, she was right — he was excited about it. His warrior blood was boiling, just thinking of having the chance to see such an incredible opponent. It wasn't every day that he could find someone stronger than himself in this small world. This alone woke up the flame of the warrior deep within his heart.
Frightening, uncertain, out of reach — everything he asked an adventure to be.
He longed for the day he would be able to face the monsters of the Sorcerer Kingdom on a fight equal to equal.
"You really found us something to devote our lives to, Halona. I will be looking forward to it — and maybe find a death without shame."
The mention of death caught Brokk's attention as he deposited his glasses on the table to get involved in the conservation.
"Mhh ? What are you talking about ?"
Before Halona could explain, Sabaoth began laughing heartedly. The dwarf wasn't as suicidal as himself, so he would probably get terrified if he knew their conversation.
"Ku — kukuku. It's better, if you don't know — you wouldn't like it."
Brokk felt a bit left out as Halona began laughing too. He observed the two of them with an embarrassed expression and grumbled down into his toy.
"Humpfh.. If it's like it, I might as well unveil the secret of this precious."
With their laughs dying out, an unknown voice started rising in the room.
His heart stopped. The tension built up in an instant, and Sabaoth instantly turned toward the new presence with his hands on his weapons. This moment of distraction could cost of him a lot — and he knew it. If this was an enemy, he had the element of surprise.
"There are heretics among us, who are spreading distasteful rumors. I feel the need to purge this foul slandering of the Sorcerer King !"
Sabaoth let out a sigh of relief as his hands released the handle of his war-axe.
It was another one of those guys.
Slowly turning back to his seat, he peeked at the reactions of his friends, and saw that Halona had a completely different attitude than himself — she was totally inquisitive towards the man's words.
"—What is this ?"
Knowing how dangerous she could be when she was curious about something, Sabaoth quickly intervened to explain what it was about.
"Don't pay attention. It's one of the priests of that new cult. They worship the Sorcerer King like a deity, and preach that the undead are a superior race."
"Ohhh—"
Instead of provoking disgust, it piqued Halona's curiosity even further, as she now carefully listened to the man's speech.
"We are but maggots, writhing in the filth of our own corruption ! While our Lord and Savior, Ainz Ooal Gown, is the true god of man !
Cruel, yet gentle. Mighty and unerring. To you, we must give our devotion ! And deserve our praise you do, for our Savior you will be !
Ere you ascended and the Six Great Gods became One, you walked among us, magnificent, not as a god, but as a man ! Now — you rule the realm of Gods, and you reshape this land of yours to bring peace and prosperity.
Aye ! For this very idea is inconceivable for the Council of the Mayors who rules from above ! Sharing the same earth as we do ? With mere citizens ? Ha ! They can barely tolerate our presence on earth !
But for Ainz Ooal Gown who brought down the heaven, we are the children of the gods ! We are equal, and deserve the best in our lives !
Embrace the words of the Sorcerer King, and this soil will become a paradise we will rule — forever ! You may fear the cultural differences it will usher, and attempt to fight and deny the change, but is a future of unity and coexistence not worth the risk ?"
Sabaoth lost interest in the meaningless speech.
The City-States counted more and more of these fanatics with every day counting that it became harassing to hear them re-hash some old baloney everywhere they went.
If you thought further, that whole religion-thingy could be a strategy to convert the Alliance and make them join forces with the Sorcerer Kingdom — or perhaps just another cult of the leader set up by their opponents. But, in any case, no one with a sense of intelligence could be dumb enough to swallow this nonsense.
"So cool ! Hey Sabaoth — the Sorcerer King seems like a good person ! This guy says he had been chosen to spread his words."
"..."
With an exasperated sigh, Sabaoth facepalmed. He did not expect Halona to be so fascinated by the man's words that she would forget who the fanatic was talking about.
"...If you follow this guy, you will become a subordinate and work in his cult. That means you will wear the same clothes as he does, and preach the good words of the Sorcerer King all day."
Suddenly turning to watch deep into her friend's eyes, Halona made a look of disgust before sitting back on the chair.
"Bweeeh ! He almost had me going, that bastard."
Sabaoth didn't make a comment about it. All he could think was this question he had asked himself a thousand times :
How could someone like Halona be so smart and stupid at the same time ?
Sometimes he wondered how she had survived for so long with that mindset of hers. She knew things that people would never imagine, even in their wildest dreams, and could use every single detail to her advantage — but at the same time, she didn't have a single ounce of discernment, judgment, or discretion. When someone tried to trick her, she would fall right into the trap, and did not even understand that people could have multiple faces they would hide.
Hopefully, Halona would always have someone to stop her before she made an unfortunate decision...
"—Excuse me. Can I help you ? It's been a moment since you sat at this table."
Oh — right. He forgot to warn the guild's receptionists about their intentions.
This one was a beautiful lady with an elegant nose and a face that looked willing to help with all her soul. She had a pen and a piece of paper in her hand as if she was about to take their order. After all the good-will she had shown them, it would be rude not to explain what it was about.
"We're waiting for someone, he should —"
"Me ! Can I sign up as an adventurer ?" Halona interrupted them.
That damned girl... It was precisely what he had tried to avoid at all cost. She would always make a point to do the exact same thing regular people would do, which meant she wouldn't consider herself an adventurer until she had gained entry into the Adventurer's Guild once more. It was exactly the kind of problems she was fond of getting into, and Sabaoth wanted to avoid.
What use was it to warn her beforehand — she never learnt…
Quickly taking a glance at his friend, he found that Brokk had also stopped focusing on the wooden trinket and seemed as panicked as himself.
"To become an adventurer, you need to pass a literacy test and pay the entry fee which is 5 silver coins. Is that alright with you ?" the girl replied, pushing aside her paper with a radiant smile.
"Err— could I just pay the fee ? I was already an adventurer before, but I had to stop after a while."
The woman seemed surprised by the declaration Halona had just made. One does not simply resign from an adventurer status and come back later. Usually, you would just keep the plaque in a corner of your home and tell the guild to cross your name off the list. After that, if ever the time came to take back the job of an adventurer, the guild would just rewrite your name on the register with the same fee as the entrance.
"Just show me your plaque then, and I will register you."
Halona made a quick head movement toward her friends who were clearly implying that, in no way, she should show her adamantite plaque to the receptionist. This time, Brokk decided to take the lead and prevent a disaster.
"It's a bit complicated. She doesn't have her plaque and wants to have a fresh start from Copper. Could you grant us this selfish demand, please ?"
They were starting to overtax the receptionist, who now looked panicked. She had no idea how to handle the situation with just her own experience, but also did not want to displease anyone.
"I—I'm sorry, but the rules are the rules. I can not register her as a new adventurer if she already has a plaque. Plus the literacy test is mandatory ! Ah—"
As she desperately turned in an attempt to flee and seek help, the woman bumped into a dark armor that stopped her advance instantly. Before she could fall, the figure quickly caught her and put her back in place.
"Here— be careful."
"...uhh."
The woman stood up and deeply bowed as she realized what happened.
"S—Sorry ! P—Please accept my apologies ! Ahh— d—did you come to ask me a question ?"
The dark armor turned to Halona and thought for itself in a moment of silence. After a few seconds, it looked back at the receptionist and made its declaration.
"Umu… I appear to have overheard your conversation. Could you make an exception for her ? I will take responsibility if there are any problems."
As shocked as she could be, the guild's receptionist took a quick glimpse at the dark armor. She was judging the man standing before her. Who could he be for making such a claim, and taking such a responsibility ?
Quickly, her eyes opened wide as she recognized the object around his neck.
As if she had been struck by lightning, her mind suddenly changed and she stammered words of apology.
"A—Ahh s… sorry, my Lord ! It's as if it was done !"
As swift as the wind, she asked Halona for her name and disappeared behind the counter to seek the register. It stirred the curiosity of the group and — while Sabaoth and Brokk seemed to have understood the reason for the change in the receptionist's mind — Halona stayed clueless.
Her curiosity took over after a moment of silence, and she went to ask the dark adventurer.
"Err— Thank you for the help, sir. You saved me. To be honest, I couldn't take the literacy test… but you seem to be quite a respected person. Can I ask who you are ?"
The adamantite plaque around the man's neck gleamed as he turned to Halona.
Taking a closer look, she could now see the red eyes glowing through the helmet, and soon, his low-pitched voice echoed through the room.
Yes — there could only be one man with such notoriety who wore an armor of an obsidian black.
"I am Momon, from Darkness."