Chapter 68 - Return (3)

The booming voice not only drew my attention, but also Mea who'd come to greet me, and Hecate who was handling business giving waiting tickets to Explorers seeking Devil Sorcerers.

"W-what's this."

Being morning, and with most expected visitors having already arrived, the few visitors present glared at the door with displeasure.

Their looks said, “We've been waiting since morning, who does she think she is making such a racket?”

But those looks vanished like bubbles the moment they saw who entered, roughly throwing the door open with a BANG.

"What is it?"

The visitor looked quite young.

About... mid-twenties?

Her appearance suggested late twenties to early thirties at most.

Violet hair lighter than Mea's deep purple.

Her thin, sharp eyes might look narrowed from a distance, but up close, one could see golden pupils shining keenly within.

Her colors were similar to Mea, who had purple hair and amber eyes.

And through her ears, I realized this wasn't a mere coincidence.

Pointed but not very long ears.

The same Half-Elf trait I'd seen in Leaf.

Add healthy bronze skin to that and there was no doubt.

Dark Elf mixed blood.

But unlike Leaf who sometimes seemed not just shy but almost timid, her bearing couldn't be more dignified.

She had a smile of absolute confidence on her lips.

Walking forward with strides that seemed to embody self-assurance itself, she was a shock to behold.

If there was such a thing as level, this was it.

I could tell at a glance…

What I should aspire to be was walking right toward us.

"Viola..."

"Why is Frontier Guild..."

"Damn, couldn't she at least leave the First Floor alone..."

Sighs and shock erupted from all around.

Only then did I realize this woman's identity.

One of the eight Pioneers.

Arthur's master and Frontier Guild Master.

Viola Pelletier.

How could anyone not know that name?

Having connections through Arthur and Rei now, I should be ashamed I didn't recognize her immediately.

But why is someone of her status walking around alone without attendants?

Except for "Come hither," she hadn't said a word, just walked, yet the space itself seemed to become Viola's.

Even Hecate, the building's nominal owner, couldn't handle her presence.

Viola pulled out an empty chair at the bar table and sat down, scanning the crowd.

"What's this, why are you still here?"

Get out quickly.

That was the meaning of Viola's question.

Resistance?

As if.

These were words from someone standing at the peak of the Explorer world.

To refuse those words, one needed to be another Pioneer, or with the status of someone like Fiona, the Grand Duchess.

But bulldozing through with authority like this would damage not just her personal reputation but Frontier Guild's prestige...

"Master!!"

Ah yes, here comes the damage control duty officer.

"You're late!"

"Master, you're just too fast!"

Now here was a welcome face I hadn't seen in a while.

Blue hair rushing in while panting.

Arthur Carlyle.

He spotted me, gave a quick bow in greeting, then moved straight to damage control.

"Everyone, I apologize. Here, if you'll write your names on this list, we'll arrange for you to join future Frontier Guild expeditions."

Arthur showed a clipboard while speaking.

The previously disgruntled faces relaxed at this compensation from Frontier Guild.

"Well, if we can join Frontier expeditions..."

"Hehe, we were about to leave, but seeing Lady Pelletier's noble countenance... we got carried away... we'll go now. Just let me write my name..."

"Evolver hunting is gambling anyway. If we can't find any, hiring a Devil Sorcerer would be wasted, so joining Frontier expeditions is the sure bet, right?"

Visitors flowed out like the tide.

They made the wise choice of betting on safe assets rather than uncertain Evolver hunting that might displease a Pioneer.

Soon, the Telema School interior became quiet.

Finally satisfied, Viola whistled and pointed at Mea and me standing blankly.

"You there, what are you doing? Quickly, sit."

"...Still the same, Viola."

"They say Elves only change when they die."

Viola giggled, saying it was too early for that.

I couldn’t tell her age, but her behavior matched her appearance at least.

"Sorry, but I have prior arrangements."

"Huh?"

"If you contact me later, I'll visit Frontier Guild then."

"Huh?"

Viola let out a mocking laugh as if saying, “Look at this guy.”

Arthur showed signs of anxiety beside her.

Between raising her voice earlier and now this, I saw a new side to Arthur I hadn’t previously seen.

Not that I particularly wanted to.

"Is that more important than me?"

So what if you’re a Pioneer or the Guild Master of one of the Five Great Guilds or whatever?

Who doesn't know that?

However, to me, you’re nothing more than an outsider.

In contrast, Rei and Leaf are companions who share deep secrets with me.

Isn't it clear which should take priority?

"My teammates are waiting."

"I came for a serious talk."

"I also promised my teammates a serious talk."

"Reaally~?"

Viola's face relaxed as she drew out the word.

Belatedly, I remembered what Rei had said.

She was a crazy woman.

Under the descending tension, Viola continued, "Not bad. Yeah, you need that kind of spine. I don't dislike it. But, I'm quite busy too, you know? I'll ask once more. Which is more serious? I won't ask again."

Did I push too far?

Help me, Seir!

[It might be better to back down here. That woman is too strong for you.]

[Right. Haa, she’d be fun to hunt, but with our pact-bearer in this state... tsk.]

Sorry for being weak, my Devilish Ladies.

But I got my answer.

If even Devils who ruled hell immediately called her strong, she must be truly at the pinnacle of the human world.

Those who understood the world's principles said the more complex something was, the more fragile.

Therefore, the stronger something was, the simpler it must be.

In other words, Viola was an unpredictable time bomb.

"But I think your talk might be more serious."

"Good thinking."

This wasn't because I was scared, but because I was worried our precious Telema School might get destroyed.

Hecate better appreciate my deep devotion.

"I wasn't being forceful at all, right? If you'd given the same answer twice, I would've let you go. Really! Would I treat Arthur's friend and benefactor roughly? If you can't eat what's offered, that's your own fortune. Right?"

"Your words are most wise."

Should've just left.

Oh, my Devilish Ladies, why have you forsaken me with such judgment...

[T-the pact-bearer made the decision?]

[I didn't say anything? Just said it would be fun to hunt.]

These responsibility dodgers!

"Anyway, I wanted to see you and finally have. So... Roman Sun?"

"Yes, that's right."

"You..."

Viola's golden eyes took me in, scrutinizing everything connected to my very existence.

"You're interesting? Want to spar?"

"...Master, that's..."

"Ah ah, I know, I know. Devil Sorcerers can't duel, right? I know. How much did that Hecate dodge around because of that."

The arrow suddenly flew to Hecate.

When I looked at Hecate, she wore a disgusted expression.

"Could you just state your business? Frontier. Guild. Master?"

"So cold. Your father would've given me a good fight. Did you inherit Chronix?"

"That's...!"

"Ah, sorry. Devil’s true names are taboo, right? Anyway."

She was really the embodiment of “my pace”.

Rei had “my pace” tendencies, but Viola made even Rei seem ordinary.

So this is what absolute strength backing “my pace” looks like...

"Anyway, heard a lot about you. Killed a Chromatic Fiend, killed that Evolver thing, and now even took down a Sentinel?"

"A Sentinel?"

Arthur muttered in surprise.

It had only been a day, but I guess this was Pioneer-level intelligence.

"With that much skill, you must have killed that one too."

"That one?"

"Jegan. The Undead Jegan. Don't know?"

"The necromancer from the Abyss Worshipers?"

"Right. Guess you didn't know. Why didn't the Grand Duchy tell you? Ah, don't misunderstand. Arthur kept his mouth shut till the end. Did you make him sign some Devil pact? How did you silence him?"

The conversation jumped around, but Viola cut herself off with an "anyway" and returned to the original flow.

"This shortcut situation on the Second Floor. You discovered it?"

"I did."

"Met the romantic too, he wouldn't stop talking about you."

"Romantic...? You mean Luke?"

"Yeah. That guy who keeps refusing to join our guild for whatever reason."

If Luke's alias is “Romantic”, that's quite fitting.

"This situation is likely the Abyss Worshipers' doing. Practically confirmed."

"As expected..."

Who else would do such things?

"But lumping them all as Abyss Worshipers is only half right. Abyss Worshipers aren't a single group. It's a category. Like the city, they're divided into various factions."

We learned this at the training center too.

Like the Five Great Guilds, Six Great Schools, and Three Great Clans, there are four particularly large, powerful, and dangerous groups among the Abyss Worshipers.

"Shadow of Trees, Desperados, School of the Abyss, and various other weird groups make up the Abyss Worshipers, but there's one group to be especially wary of."

The same name came from both my and Viola's lips.

The Cult of the End.

Beyond worshiping the Abyss, they were extreme fanatics who believed the Abyss was the true world and sought the outer world's destruction.

While no Abyss Worshiper was harmless, they were more dangerous than any other group.

And simultaneously, our enemy.

"You know?"

"Yes. Heard from Fiona."

That the Abyss Worshipers who attacked us were most likely The Cult of the End.

With Pioneer Viola pointing to the same group, that accuracy must be incredibly high.

"Unlike the attack, this is just speculation, but I think The Cult of the End is behind this too."

"The reason..."

"They're the only group that can create shortcuts, Roman."

Mea answered first from the side.

Come to think of it, during the training center attack, they freely manipulated the underground space.

And the core that necromancer, Undead Jegan, used then became my Axis.

The Cult of the End likely preserved spatial magic that was supposedly completely lost now.

"Other groups desperately tried to make shortcuts too, but The Cult of the End is the only confirmed case of artificial creation. Heard the School of the Abyss developed magic to locate naturally occurring shortcuts, but nothing’s confirmed yet."

Though it seemed like highly classified information, Viola casually tossed it out like it was nothing.

"So, I've been put in charge of the expedition to resolve this Second Floor situation."

"You?!"

Hecate suddenly burst out.

Viola lightly asked her, "Why? Want to come too?"

"Ah, no, that's..."

Hecate immediately shrank back.

"Since The Cult of the End might be involved, they want someone of my level moving. Both the Grand Duchy and Union are on edge after the training center attack. Anyway, that's why I wanted you, Roman..."

BANG!

"Hey! Roman! Why aren't you com… ing..."

Oh dear.

I tightly closed my eyes at that voice.

Rest in peace, Rei-Rei.

"Ah, ahem, busy I see. Okay. I'll come back later. Then!"

"Lion cub."

The presence felt from outside froze at Viola's words.

"Back to position."

"B-back to... position..."