Chapter 235: A Wave (1/2)
Winged City, Royal Borough.
Luxurious carriages pulled by all sorts of exotic tamed beasts could be regularly seen on the main streets of the borough. This situation was a lot different than it had been only a few weeks ago.
Back then, even the fanciest of carriages were pulled by horses and only the highest-ranking nobles in the city possess Tier 2 demonic horses.
However, everything changed the moment a certain merchant arrived in this city. He was a hooded commoner, yet he was strong enough to own an exotic beast and a magic carriage that could put the nobles to shame even with the simplistic design of the magic carriage.
Noble pride could not allow this insult to stand and even the lowest ranking nobles had spent an exuberant amount of money to purchase exotic mounts that now parade the city non-stop. They were most common in the Royal Borough but some could be seen in the other boroughs.
The rich merchants and Hunters also seem to be doing the same. It seems that VIP merchants had started a very expensive trend that no longer solely relied on the design of the carriages.
Casually staring at this scene from behind his office window, Aur took a sip of red wine from his glass and chuckled.
'Such simpletons.'
Aur mused silently as he played with the wine in the glass. He had his usual stoic expression on his face but seemed to be in a rather good mood. He was about to take another sip from his glass when he felt a faint presence suddenly appear behind him.
However, he didn't seem concerned by the sudden presence and resumed the motion of taking a sip of wine before speaking curtly to nothing in particular. As though he was talking to a ghost.
”Report.”
”Yes, sir. The investigation on the mysterious merchant known only by the name Lix which we believe is an alias has met a dead end. According to the guard, not many merchants and hunters has heard of him before his arrival, and afterward, he had only worked with a single Hunter group. Aside from the Merchant, guild, he has also made contact with the Magic Institute.”
The figure had appeared behind him and genuflected respectfully. She was slim and slender with black watery hair that reached the lower parts of her back. She wore a tightly fitted black outfit.
Spotting a similar black mask that covered the lower parts of her face and dark purple metal greaves that matched the same colored gloves with metal knuckles.
”I see... so nothing new then. How disappointing.”
”My apologies.”
”That's fine Aika. Have you tracked down the missing Hunter party yet?”
”I'm afraid not my lord. Our intel points to them wandering into a Numbers base located in the south borough but our intel has not gotten any confirmation of their death or capture. This does not fit their mode of operation.”
”And our inside source?”
”Nothing.”
”Such nuisance.”
Aur furrowed his brows as he thought of the elusive VIP merchant that he knew next to nothing about. It was a new feeling for him to be so ignorant of anything.
The main reason why he had established the Ghost Legion was for situations like this. In order for him to move up in the family as he was unable to increase his strength. So naturally, information was vital for him. He wanted and needed to stay three steps ahead of everyone.
However, things had begun to go wrong since that merchant stepped foot into his city. 'Or was it before that?' There was also that annoying scout but he was dead now.
”Any word from the Guilds on the current expenditure?”
”No sire. It seems the Hunters are yet to make contact with either guild. They may still be in the midst of clearing out the mine.”
”And what of Sypilia?”
”The lady Syphilia has denied our request to investigate the event with Lix companion and her Vice.”
”Why must that woman choose to be such a pain at every turn. She's even more infuriating than that bastard Zomatsu. Speaking of which. How are things with the Undead army going?”
”As we expected. The family had sent a few representatives to infiltrate the undead army. We're not exactly sure of their main objective.”
”So we're going to participate in such a meager war after all. If Mammon was truly killed by the behemoth who had unknowingly succeeded in seizing the castle from underneath the great five, there's no telling what such as deviant is capable of. Such an elaborate play of war just to show his cards for us to devour.”
”I see... forgive my ignorance master. But if our only objective in this war is to show the behemoth's hand. Isn't an army of only 20,000 plus undead too small.”
”Indeed it is. It's safe to say this behemoth is stronger than Mammon who was strong enough to take down a primordial. He was at a level I can only dream of. Still, if he is truly stronger than him and hadn't used an item to claim victory, an army of just 20,000 plus undead is far too small to shake him.”
”So—”
”So that's what we want him to think.”
”...”
”Who do you think the family has sent to represent us?”