Hello, ITalkToSky here.
I managed to get this chapter out a lot faster than I expected with the leftover part I cannibalized from the previous chapter. Do not expect this to be the norm.
Here comes the long-awaited chapter about the Round Table Council conference. I hope you guys enjoy the surprise I have in this chapter.
Enjoy!
Discord invite code: nSMHjar
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Guild Hall, Akihabara, a few days afterward
Far from the hustle bustle of the city, there exists a conference room that could be considered one-of-a-kind. Tall domed ceiling converged onto a large skylight, providing ample lighting for the spacious space below. Lining the wall supporting the high ceilings were the status of women, whose solemn faces inspired strange sense of respect and awe. In the middle of it all was a table, surrounding by ornate chairs. This opulent meeting room was available to anyone owning a guild hall. Though its location on the sixteenth floor made it quite an unpopular spot to host a conference.
Yet, that place hosted the largest congregation of guildmasters representing the majority of Akiba since the Catastrophe.
Black Sword Knights' Grand Commander Isaac
Honesty's Guildmaster Eins
D.D.D's Chief 'Berserker' Krusty
Silver Sword's young leader William
West Wind Brigade's harem style Guildmaster Soujirou
Oceanic Systems' 'Strong Armed' Michitaka
The Rodrick Firm's Guildmaster Rodrick
Shopping District 8's young boss Charasin.
Crescent Moon Alliance's Marielle
Grandeur's Alchemist Woodstock
Radio Market's expert mechanic Akaneya
Shiroe of Log Horizon
And finally, Scarlet Devil Mansion's representative, Lunaire Vivian Meister
His presence raised eyebrows among some. It was widely known that the none of the recognized faces of the Scarlet Devil Mansion like Lunaire, Reisen and many others was the guildmaster. After all their high profile move, not a single soul even knew the name of their elusive leader. Of course, this was not for the lack of trying. In this meeting comprised of the most powerful and influential guildmaster in Akihabara, only the Scarlets showed up with a representative. Fortunately, most had no complaint, while those that did preferred to keep it to themselves. They had bigger mystery to uncover in the meeting.
The agenda of the conference was as vague as it was heavy, the future of Akihabara. Details were mostly omitted, leaving on the fact that it was jointly hosted by Log Horizon's Shiroe and Crescent Moon Alliance's Marielle.
A few aides stood behind each of the thirteen leaders. Ten-odd players on the outer rings stared at each other with mixed expression. Some seemed absentminded, while other were surprised. Only a selected few maintained their poker face. Rarer still were those radiating confidence and control. This was a given since the invitation arrived rather abruptly, merely the night before.
The attendees divided roughly into three groups. Oceanic systems, The Rodrick Firm and 8th District Shopping Center comprised the big three production guilds, accounting for majority of manufactured goods in the city. While it is unfair to overstate their contribution, they played a vital role in keeping the economic system in Akihabara together after the Catastrophe. Without them, the massive influx of production-class Adventurers would drain resources right out of the city and replace them with junk, low-level goods.
Black Sword Knights and D.D.D. were the most successful battle-oriented guilds, whose measures after the disaster differed like night and day. One chose to focus on quality, doubling down on the restricted recruitment policy that accepted on the highest-level players. On the other hands, D.D.D. swelled their ranks by absorbing smaller guilds to expand their capability. The other battle-oriented guilds like Honesty, Silver Sword and West Wind Brigade, although individually outshone by the behemoths, represented a not ignorable portion of the fighting power in Akiba.
Crescent Moon Alliance, Grandeur and Radio Market were the leading guilds behind the failed attempt at forming smaller guild coalition. Their leaders and to certain extent their guilds boast different sort of reputation, but there were not no-names by any stretch.
As for the Scarlet Devil Mansion, they quickly grew their reputation from a nobody to a respected guild shrouded in mystery. Their guildmaster, their membership size and the capability remained unknown. Any attempt to investigate the matter yield complicated result. The guild had many low-level members, suggesting that they were a newfound newbie guild, but their deep pocket and impressive manufacturing capability put many smaller production guilds to shame. One would then be tempted to concluded that their focus was on crafting, yet their members were often seen venturing outside of Akiba and returning with high-level monster materials.
More famous than their complicated status however was their unique system of procurement that offered opportunity to lower-level players while also appealing to the interest of more dominant guild. Since its initial inception however, this not only expanded in size but also evolved. Over the past month, they also issued quests on behalf of the Landers along with their own. This was revolutionary in their own way. The Landers who depended on the Adventurers' help gained a method to reliably seek their service and flocked to the Scarlets. To that end, some people started calling the new procurement office an Adventurer Association and dubbed Koakuma as the first receptionist girl.
Finally, was the Log Horizon, a totally unknown guild. Yet, merely the infamy of Shiroe, its guildmaster, more than qualify their presence in this conference room. Only few had never heard about this man or his exploit within the Debauchery Tea Party.
As probing stares were exchanged between each participant, Crescent Moon Alliance's Serara came by and served cold fruit tea to everyone. This beverage had not been sold in Crescent Moon stall yet, surprising the participant with its unusual taste.
When Serara came around to Lunaire, he nodded at the timid girl. He waited for her to pass him before taking a brief sip, finding the new taste quite novel even if he was not too fond of it. The magician quickly focused the attention elsewhere however, observing every little hint from the apparent mastermind of this event.
"Shiroe-chi? Are you fine nya?" Lunaire heard the barest whisper from the cat man assistant to the Log Horizon's guildmaster.
Shiroe nodded, feeling touch from the concern. Then, his expression steeled like a man stepping onto the battlefield. Fueled by his intent, he stood up with the light in his eyes.
"Thank you everyone for making time from your busy schedules, I am very grateful. My name is Shiroe from Log Horizon…I invited all of you here to discuss an agenda. The content is complicated, and I will need to spend some time on this, so please be patient."
Shiroe paused momentarily, scanning around the room.
"Keep your speech short, 'Debauchery's' Shiroe, it's not like we don't know each other," Isaac interrupted. This meathead was as Reisen described, boorish but refreshingly straightforward.
"What is the purpose of this meeting?"
The youthful elf brimming impatience was William Massachusetts, leader of Silver Sword. He kept crossing his legs alternatively, eager for any opportunity to just up and leave.
"Since someone wants to speed it up, let us go directly into the main topic. Should I say question or proposal? I want to discuss the current situation in Akiba. As everyone knows, we are stuck in this alternate world since the Catastrophe with no way to log out, and no clue on what to do. This is something we must live with. On the other hand, the atmosphere in Akiba is deteriorating. A lot of our friends are losing their drive and even giving up on life entirely. The economy is poor and exploration efficiency is not improving. I want to settle this situation."
"And we are here to do what?"
"So troublesome…"
"Why do we need to discuss this sort of thing?"
"I understand what you mean, but what can we do?"
Honesty Guildmaster Eins asked, "something like the small guild alliance?"
"Sort of, but I heard that the plan was a failure," Shiroe replied as he swept his gaze toward the initial ones pushing the plan. Akaneya and Woodstock all nodded glumly. Whether in term of members or resources at their disposal, Grandeur, Radio Market and even Crescent Moon Alliance hardly qualified to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the behemoths here.
Representing all of them, Marielle explained nervously. "That plan has been dissolved. We tried to tackle too much. The plan was trying to unit small guilds to compete with larger ones, protecting our common interest. That was where the problem lied."
"Yes, but we only agreed to cooperate on the surface and ended up pursuing our own agendas in the end. There is no way such union can last." Akaneya chipped in on Marielle's explanation.
"So, you want tray again to gather all the…or at least the guilds that can represent Akiba here to readjust our relation in the city?"
"…small guilds cannot ally together, even more so if they affect the power balance of the major guilds. This is madness?"
Lunaire curled his lips into a cynical smile. Of course, the larger guild would prefer the status quo and reacted defensively when the smaller players looked to band together. This was probably the biggest obstacle in their plan to bring order to this city.
Back to the topic at hand though, Lunaire wondered which approach was Crescent Moon Alliance aiming for this time. It could not have been that Marielle intended to unite the larger guilds instead of the smaller ones. She did not appear senseless enough to expect anything to work with these behemoths when she failed at a much smaller scale.
Perhaps Marielle intended to make a touching petition, appealing to the sense of community and conscious. He doubted even Buddha himself could make these people listen, at least not at this stage. Without showing explicitly the common benefits of cooperation, they would not see reason.
"If that is the case, please allow us to leave first." William, the one most unhappy and impatiently crossing his legs all this while, stood up. He adjusted his dagger on his waist and put on his cape. His intention could not have been clearer. "We are a battle guild. The atmosphere in Akiba has nothing to do with us. In other words, we are fine with the city being in chaos or in harmony. The affairs of the city should be left to those who are interested. It is probably a waste of time, but we do not think this is a bad thing. We are simply not keen to take part, so count us out."
A boorish meathead through and through with even less maturity than Isaac, Lunaire shook his head. Even as a purely battle guild, they still relied on the infrastructure of the city to operate at maximum efficiency. Their needed services of bank, blacksmiths, and apothecaries. If the town became a cesspool, access to these necessities would become more complicated. Still, William chose to leave without much tantrum, so their discussion took neither a step back nor forward.
Alice, assigned as aids to Lunaire, watched as the faces of Grandeur's, Radio Market's and Crescent Moon Alliance's leaders soured. Just like before, the situation started slipping from their grasp.
However, Lunaire chose not to allow Silver Sword to simply walk away. Akiba needed all the fighting capability it could get. Having one major combat guild completely out of touch with the reality around them was unwise. Even if Lunaire already felt the encroaching headache, he put out a few words.
"You already took the time to come here. Wasting a few more moments here won't hurt, will it?" Lunaire spoke up condescendingly. He did not know whether the soul behind Willian was just young or a man-child. Regardless, he predicted that some a goading tone could provoke a response. "It is not like you can do anything productive with a few minutes not attending this meeting. Unless, you have a raid coming up in the next hour, hmm, William?"
"You…"
"If not, I do suggest that you sit down. You do not have to say anything and can just treat it like watching a show. Get out some popcorn. There is no harm in watching people squabble as a trashy fun." Lunaire let some amusement creep into his tone, hoping to pacify William. Pushing him to far could result in him just barging out from sheer spite.
"…Fine." William threw his hands in the air. "I don't have anything better to do anyway. But I am leaving after half an hour."
"Fine with me. We can go out together and grab something to eat if nothing production happens. I value my time quite highly as well." Lunaire only got a huff as a response.
"Thank you for your consideration." Shiroe's surprise was evident. The Scarlet Devil Mansion convincing the less cooperative members to stay was not in the calculation. After nodding appreciatively at the magician, he soldiered on. "As Silver Sword's guildmaster mentioned, the reason for inviting all of you was to form an organization known as the 'Round Table Alliance' to discuss the operation of Akiba as a city. There are two major goals. The first is improving the atmosphere of Akiba, to guide the citizens to revive their vigor. The next is the improvement in security. I hope the organization can operate with these two goals in mind and slowly become the tool that can solve the problems in the function of the city."
A blanket of silence enveloped the room. Each participant opted to probe each other for any reaction.
The Scarlets face remained unreadable as their minds churned. Forming governing body to administer the city was the long-term solution their guild aimed for. Yet, there were many prerequisites that need to be met to establish any form of central authority over such a large group of people. The situation was simply not ripe, so this meeting would achieve little. Lunaire expected himself to follow William out as promised.
"Before that, can you explain the criteria of choosing the members?"
"I understand. Firstly, Black Sword Knights, Honesty, Silver Sword, D.D.D, and West Wind Brigade are either major battle guilds or successful ones. Oceanic Systems, The Rodrick Firm, and 8th District Shopping Center represent the big productions guilds. Scarlet Devil Mansion…their contributions to this city and the rapport they built up with the lower-level players cannot be ignored. Crescent Moon Alliance, Grandeur and Radio Market represent the small guilds. These are the reasons why I chose everyone here to participate. But this is something I do not want you all to misunderstand. The last four are representing not just themselves, but also all the small guilds that do not have the chance to participate. They are here to reflect the views of all these guilds and people. Even the smallest guild should have a chance to express their views. If we succeed in forming the organization, I hope these 4 guilds will uphold this standpoint."
Lunaire stared at Shiroe briefly. Shiroe just unilaterally handed the responsibility of being the voice of common people to them. Lunaire assumed that Crescent Moon Alliance and other folks were in his clique, but he should not have expected Scarlet Devil Mansion to follow his vision.
"What about you?" D.D.D.'s Krusty asked.
"I am taking part as the organizer."
"Um…in other words, you organized this meeting and sent out the invitation to qualify for this discussion?"
Shiroe fired back confidently, "that is correct."
"Assuming we create organization, how are we going to maintain security? No, firstly, what do you mean by the deteriorating security?" Isaac asked, visibly tensing Shiroe up.
"Some guilds have confined beginners in the name of protection. This is a common knowledge, correct? This is not a healthy situation."
"…Is it regarding EXP Pot? But that is not illegal, correct?"
This topic struck a nerve. Half the participants reacted as if they expected this to come up. If asked to defend their actions, they would all guiltily cited that they breached no law.
Lunaire and Alice quietly shook their head in unison. In their opinions, there was nothing wrong with the rate in which one accumulate experience point. They would even go as far as the power gain in this world was simply unnatural. With good effort, one could easily reach the highest level within a year. To see so many people resorting to slavery just to make the process even a little bit faster utterly disgusted them. Lunaire started having second thought about entrusting any sort of responsibility to these people.
"Players do not have any laws to follow. Breaking non-existing laws is just an excuse. I hope everyone here understands this point." Shiroe replied to Isaac, whose face blackened from the blatant stab. "This is not limited to just the EXP Pot incident. The problem is that the players have no legal guidelines to refer to, so we can do as we wish in this world. Is that so? But even so, to us, it is not about the legality. The abhorrent thing is that we don't feel guilt over this."
Isaac chuckled coldly. "You are being illogical. Law does exist. If players fight in a non-combat zone, they will be killed as punishment."
"That is merely natural phenomenon, the way this world operated. We did not agree to this and we did not set the standard. It is wrong to consider that a legal system." Shiroe shook his head firmly. "For example, when I went to Susukino, there is a guild Brigandia abducting young NPCs and selling them to players as slaves."
The participants all shared a look of shock. Only Lunaire and Alice watched on unperturbed and noticed a quick glance from Shiroe, perhaps wondering why his news garnered no reaction at all from them.
"Based on your concept, this is not illegal because the guards did not attack them. But that is not what the law is about. This action can be done in this world, but that does not mean it should be allowed. The legal system is based on the question of 'is this acceptable to us?'"
People began thinking. One group leaned toward Shiroe's assertion and thought there needed to be some ground rules to prevent something abhorrent from happening like in Susukino. The other thought that there was no way they could come to a consensus.
"Assuming an influential group appearing in Akiba who does not agree with the existence of this organization, what should be done? In other word, there may be others who oppose the consensus of this alliance." Krusty looked down slightly, concealing his eyes behind the reflection of his glasses.
"That is to fight, basically chase them out of Akiba. Even if they sneak in, it will be hard to perform any activities. We can also consider forcing their guild to disband."
In the world without true death, many deterrent methods of the previous world held little meaning. Capital punishment would merely deduct some experience point and equipment durability. Violent expulsion from the city could not be feasibly enforced with the Royal Guard interference. Arrest meant little as one could commit suicide to respawn elsewhere. All the typical enforcement sticks available on Earth no longer applied in this strange world of Theldesia.
Although, in the unlikely scenario where all participants agreed to a consensus, they may be an enforcement method available. By guarding all entrances and asking production guilds to refuse trading with criminals, they could give teeth to the alliance. However, it would cost exorbitant amount of resources and manpower, lowering the efficiency overall.
"But you will need the help of battle guilds like us to achieve this, yes?" Isaac grinned like a predator eyeing his prey. "In the end, if it is 10 or 20 people, we can perform this type of punishment. But assuming if one of the major guilds here opposes the edicts of the council and announce that the law can go and eat shit…that will be war then? Even if the organization is formed, there is no guarantee every issue will be settled smoothly. I want to know if there is a way to integrate all our views. If someone objects and cause a war, won't this meeting be pointless?"
Isaac's veiled threat summed up Lunaire's misgiving about this meeting. If a large guild, say Black Sword Knights, revolted, it would be impossible to suppress them. Since they would nominally be part of the enforcement arm themselves, it would be like a civil war. Worst yet, the fighting would not have a natural ending of one side defeating the other. It could go on until one side decided they had enough, wasting precious resources better spent elsewhere. Other measures like economic sanctions proved to be ineffective against a guild beyond a certain size. As the members increased, they were bound to have some production subclass and become self-sufficient to an extent.
Yet, Lunaire remained in his seat, sensing something is afoot. Everything said thus far was the obvious. If anyone sat in these seats without accepting these underlying conditions, they were fools. Therefore, there was a reason for Shiroe to send out the invitation despite this.
"Your proposal can only be described as impractical, yes?" Krusty asked in pleasant tone that matched his chiseled handsome face. It was hard to resolve the mismatch of his impression and his title as a berserker. "I think there is merit to forming this organization but…if it will be hollow like this, I don't think it can enforce the laws it created."
Shiroe raised his hand.
"Today…about 4 hours ago, I purchase the guild building zone. I have the authority to change the settings of the zone, including who can enter the zone. In simple terms, I can blacklist anyone and ban them from using the guild building. This means they cannot use their guild hall, the bank and the warehouse."
Everyone one in the venue froze. At the same time, something clicked inside both Lunaire and Alice head. This was the final piece of the puzzle that they needed, in more ways than one.
"I have the authority to change the settings of the zone, including who can enter the zone…In simplest terms, I can blacklist anyone and ban them from using the guild building. This means they cannot use their guild hall, the bank, and the warehouse."
Everyone had the expressions as if they were choking on something as they stared at Shiroe. Only Henrietta let out a sigh. In this spacious meeting room, only she seemed to have seen through Shiroe's intent. The man himself could only let out a sheepish smile momentarily.
"See, it's so black that it shines."
Henrietta seemed to say with a tone of both sympathy and resignation. Marielle nodded strongly in agreement. Shiroe's word sounded the death knell for all opposition. Henrietta would have call it a job well done if she did not notice the calculative look from the silver-haired magician and his aid.
Lunaire was not dull enough to miss the implication of Shiroe's words. This was a blatant blackmail. Anyone who defied this man would essentially lose the privilege to the centerpiece of the town. While Scarlet Devil Mansion never used the service of the Guild Building, except for that one time to register their guild, Lunaire understood that it was something that most adventurers could not do without. Shiroe's feat was nothing less than impressive. In such a short time, he found a tool to bring an entire city under his chokehold.
At the same time however, it served to make whoever at Minami even more impressive. They figured out this method to unify the city way and implemented it much earlier after falling into a completely bizarre situation.
Back to the moment, Lunaire could never allow himself and his friends to be held under the authority of one man from who knew where. Although Shiroe championed the cause to establish order in Akihabara, he could be just another power-hungry dictator or a clever devil like the mastermind behind Plant Hwyaden.
This check could not be allowed to turn into a checkmate. And thus, Lunaire closed his eyes and send out a focused burst of mana, tracing back the same line he used to broadcast the meeting to his friend.
"Did all of you hear that?"
"No need to say it. This is dangerous," replied a childish voice characteristic of Remilia.
Unlike the message function commonly used by the adventurer, Lunaire relied on mana-based telepathy spell. This came with one undeniable advantage. The conversation needed not be out loud. With proper practice, the entire exchange could occur in the safe confine of their minds. There was the risk of interception, but it was surely better than blurting out his plan in the middle of a conference.
"Do any of you know the procedure to buy a zone?" Lunaire continued hurriedly, hoping that his tone conveyed the urgency of the situation. "No matter, I am sure you can figure it out. Please take every single penny out of our vault if you must. Buy out the Cathedral."
"This will be painful on our finance, but I concur."
"We cannot know of his true intention. There is no other option but to force a stalemate."
"That is dirty!"
"You are threatening us!"
The announcement that Shiroe 'owns this guild building' had the same effect as an explosion. The only ones who did not feel the blow were Shiroe himself, Nyanta behind him, the Crescent Moon Alliance members, and Soujirou of West Wind Brigade. The last did not know the actual plan but had somehow sensed the situation from his experience with the famed tactician.
The guild building was one of the main facilities of Akiba. Its main functions included the forming, joining, withdrawing from guilds, as well as dissemination of special events for high-level guilds. As the name suggested, it was crucial for any matter involving guilds.
In addition, the guild building lobby in Akiba also housed the bank counters, an important facility where one could deposit money and rent warehouse space to store items. This function was important because of the death penalty in Eldertale. Dying in the game would deduct some experience point, damage equipment and most importantly randomly drop the items stored within the inventory. The bank was necessary to help preserve the hard-earned wealth of the Players. When they needed to spend it on expensive items, they could pay a processing fee to remit the money.
For Elder Tales players, the bank was something you used every day, an important and convenient facility. Akiba's only bank counter was in the guild building's lobby. Shiroe controlled its access. This had major implications.
There were banks in every city, and the accounts were linked. Be it cash or items, you could process the withdrawal from any bank. For instance, you could deposit cash in Akiba and withdraw it from Hannan. But with the intercity transport gates down, it was risky to travel to a city so far away. Shiroe's group traveled to Susukino before, but that was a rare case. After the Catastrophe, players who traveled to another city from his starting city were probably less than 0.1%. Taking the current situation into account, Shiroe now had the power to freeze the bank accounts.
"Freezing bank accounts? What else can you call it but intimidation?" The small guild Grandeur's guild master Woodstock said in a trembling voice.
"I am only responding to Isaac-san's question, which was 'Even if the council is formed, depending on the agenda, the big guilds might object and incite a war'. My answer is there will be no war, because the one starting it will lose all access to Akiba's guild building."
"Isn't that still a threat..."
Shiroe replied to his relentless questions.
"If you want to say that this is intimidation, then if a big guild like Isaac's uses the tactic 'if you propose anything that is detrimental to me, I will start a war', it will also be intimidation, correct? What is the difference between these two? I am only proposing 'setting up a council to discuss official business' and did not ignore any criticism. Please consider which request is more reasonable."
Then came a soft giggle. Slowly, it grew into something like an amused chuckle. Before long, the attention of all attendants was captured by the laughter with undisguised mockery. They all looked to the source of it all, a charming silver-haired magician.
"So, you do admit that it is still an intimidation, yes? Something on the same level as the threat thrown out by Isaac-san, just that yours is way more potent than anything someone else in this city can muster." Lunaire smiled refreshing, but his eyes showed a predatory glint. "Oh, and where were you again. Right, you were trying to set up an organization that will oversee the common good of the city…based on coercion and intimidation? A bit ironic, don't you think?"
With the whole venue completely silent, the people drank in his word. Shiroe showed slight sign of panic and raised his hand to object. "Regardless of how it is formed, the goal is as I stated initially in this meeting. To revitalize the city and create legal framework…"
"Ah, yes, you said that. But since when can we trust something so critical to the word of mouth? Since when can a man's word be a guarantee for his true intention? Since when is it a good idea to entrust our fate wholly to the man whose character cannot be known?" Lunaire scanned through the crowd. Although no one nodded, he could see the message sinking in. From the darkening expression from Shiroe and the Crescent Moon Alliance, they knew it too. "No, in fact, we can already see part of his true character. For a man saying that he has lofty ideal on how the society should be run, he sure has no reservation about using power to demand obedience."
"That is not…"
"You!" Lunaire stressed. "You said it yourself in regarding to the system that prevent fighting in the safe zone. To quote 'we did not agree to this and we did not set the standard. It is wrong to consider that a legal system.' If we, the Scarlets, D.D.D. and Black Sword Knights did not consent to it, whatever system you have for us will merely be like a game mechanic handed down to us. Your system will merely be a natural phenomenon in which we have to suffer wordlessly."
Although Lunaire had to twist the word slightly, he managed to turn Shiroe's own word against him, much to Isaac chagrin. On the side, Krusty watched the entire exchanged with raptured attention. He knew this would be both intriguing and entertaining in equal measure.
"Look, Shiroe-san, is it? I do not know you. I will even go as far as to say that most people here do not know you. They know you as the Shiroe, the genius strategist of Debauchery Tea Party, but they do not know your true self. They do not know the motivation that drives you. And you just came along expecting us to place our trust in you. To entrust what is essentially unlimited power to you?"
"No," Shiroe had enough of the interruption and seized the opportunity to answer. "It will not be an organization led by one man. This will be a council to discuss the matter of the city and find solution that will be acceptable to all."
"But the one holding the executive power will be you, Shiroe. You, the owner of the guild building, alone hold the final say in all matter deliberated by the council. Is it not like the Tsar Nicholas the second and his Duma? The council can discuss all they want. If they ran counter to the direction you wish, you can use your power–the very same you are using now–to force our compliance. You may promise not to abuse power, but can I truly trust someone who abused his power once not to do it again?"
Isaac and William nodded strongly. Somewhere along the line, the latter started getting invested in the drama and was listening intently. Lunaire made sure to remember this and tease him about it later.
"Let us give you the benefit of the doubt that you are truly intending the best for this city with no ulterior intention at all." Lunaire sighed deeply in his seat when he saw the spark of hope in Marielle eyes, the most upbeat person present. "I still believe that this is the wrong way to go about it. I am a realist to a degree. Sometimes, the ends justify the means. On a matter so crucial, drastic measures must be taken. However, not this, not on something so critical, so fundamental…the very foundation of a government. Whatever system that arises from threat and coercion has already started on the wrong foot. It will be sending the wrong message that authority can be derived from the will of a single man. What if a lunatic came upon the same magnitude of power that you had and decided that a totalitarian system of governance is the way forward? What then? It might just be that we are lucky that this time, the man who stumbled upon such power is you. But I cannot expect you to be the last to ever do so."
The silence fell on the venue. The more impulsive men like Isaac and William had something to ponder. The talk about ideal appealed to their hot-bloodedness even if the finer nuance completely missed them. The more ponderous sort like Akaneya and Woodstock closed their eyes and nodded slightly. The leader of the largest guild showed no strong reaction however, content to observe the situation a little while longer.
Lunaire observed the reaction Shiroe's little clique. Marielle, who wore her heart on her sleeve, looked down and sank into her seat. Henrietta, her aid, stared at the magician with wide eyes, seemingly surprise that he pulled out an ace out of no way. She knew that the tide began to turn against Shiroe. After having his highhandedness highlighted so thoroughly, pushing through with his power would have their compliance but not their acceptance. On the side note, Lunaire found it difficult to read the expression of a humanoid cat behind Shiroe.
"Frankly, I am not against establishing the council. As you said, we need a way to limit ourselves, so that we do not lose ourselves to the uglier side of Humanity. However, it must be created on the spirit of cooperation and understanding, not coercion and threat. The council should come into existence because we, the people, want them to exist, not because someone grabbed us by the horn. It should be a proof that we can see the potential of our community…that we understand we are in this…together."
Lunaire clenched his fist to add emphasis as he scanned through all the attendee.
"It is truly…unfortunate, Shiroe-san. You have opened a Pandora Box. The prospect that the council can be found upon mutual understanding is no longer possible. You have already tainted this place with the knowledge of this overwhelming weapon. While not quite analogous, it can be said that you just unveiled the first atomic bomb." Lunaire eyed Shiroe sharply. The severity of his words cut deep. "You can no longer put it down and pretend that it does not exist, lest someone unsavory uses it against all of us."
These words struck Shiroe hard, causing him to stagger back a step. In his effort to find the quick solution, he lost sight of the whole picture. The goal would be reached, but the implication was certainly not pretty. Still, it was as Lunaire said. Shiroe had no choice but to soldiered on. There could be no stop midway.
"Therefore, it is regrettable. I will do what must be done. Because of you, we can no longer aim for the most ideal outcome…but we can settle for the second best." Lunaire opened his interface in the view of everyone present and navigated to the messaging function. "We have come hoping for the best yet prepared for the worse. Reisen, please, do it."
Of course, Lunaire could not have predicted that move from Shiroe. They were simply not well-versed with the game-like mechanic of the world. However, it sure made for a good showmanship.
After a long moment of silence, Isaac asked curiously. "What are you doing?"
Rather than asking his question directly, Lunaire spoke firmly. "Ah…this truly demonstrates the human folly. No one can sit still if only one among them hold the weapon of mass destruction. To eliminate the vast power disparity…Today…1 minute ago, a member of my guild purchased the Cathedral zone. We now hold the authority to modify the access setting, locking any players who respawned there from ever exiting."
For the second time of the day, a giant bombshell was dropped upon the venue. At this point, the jaws of everyone in the room hit the floor. This time, rather than a commotion, the solemn expression on Lunaire's face prevented the commotion from breaking out. The silver-haired magician stood up from his chair, which vanished promptly.
"Then, Shiroe-san, stop talking down to us from above. Let us speak on equal ground." Lunaire state, stamping down on the cold marble floor.
Everyone in the room knew. With access to either guild building or the Cathedral, life in Akiba was utterly impossible. When both side barred access to such critical infrastructure, the city would die. If both sides wished the best for the city, they had only one option, which was to talk.
"Since both of us hold executive power, we will be each other's checks and balance. Although not ideal, it will prevent one party from ever completely dominating the organization that will spring up from this meeting." Lunaire straighten up his posture and declared solemnly. "I believe that everyone will find this more acceptable. With the executive power of the council derived from two parties, we can ensure that tyranny will never take hold of Akiba."
With his final remark said, the silence reign supreme.
Then, they heard a clap. Lunaire turned to the source and saw the man in blue army clapping slowly while smiling softly. The magician could not help and tensed up slightly. Such smile was the one he usually associated with a schemer.
"Bravo…bravo, that is a good show of both your spirit and foresight. Very impressive."
"…Thank you."
"However, we have yet to hear your vision regarding the formation of this council. Shiroe has already stated his goal to revitalize the city and establish a legal framework to regulate our actions. What is it that you want to do?"
With a single question, Lunaire became the focus of the stares from an entire room once again. His parched mouth swallowed his nonexistent saliva. All this politicking started to take its toll. Unfortunately for him, this was hardly the end. There was still a long way to get. Taking a deep breath, Lunaire mustered his answer.
"The goals we have for…is the name Round Table Council finalized?" Lunaire smiled wryly even if no one laughed. "The goals are the same with Shiroe's proposal. The organization should serve as a platform to regulate our action and resolve the problems that crop up in the city."
This gathered more than little peeved looks from a few people, who thought that there was little need to go through the song and dance if Lunaire was going to agree with the proposal in the first place. Some even thought he was quite egoistical to be so averse to swallowing a loss.
"But I propose that we go even further…I propose that we expand the scope of activity for our organization…I propose…that we form a nation."
After Lunaire uttered that word, another bombshell dropped on the unexpecting attendees. And it exploded with a thunderous boom. The magician only shook his head wryly from their reaction.
"Please, order, order!" Lunaire waited until the dissenting voices died down. "You might find my wording shocking, but I assure you that it is deliberate. Rather than mincing my words, I prefer to describe something as it is. What my guild and I want from the creation of this organization is not merely a means to regulate ourselves. We wish that it can also provide security and direction for this city. After much thought, only the establishment of nation-like entity can all our desires be met."
"Safety? Safety from what?" Isaac asked, alarmed.
"That is a good question." Lunaire paused briefly. "Earlier, Shiroe pointed out the worrying development in Susukino from his personal recollection. For many of you, it is the first-time hearing about such tragedy. Yet, our guild has known about this matter for many weeks already."
"What? You knew? But why did you not tell anyone about it?" Shiroe asked.
"Will that make any difference? Everyone here should know that we are not in the position to intervene. With our city divided, are we in a position to bring peace to another many thousand kilometers to the north?"
"How did you know of it though? Did you travel to the city as well?"
"No, we merely listened. The Landers that most of you people ignored are excellent sources of information on the various events occurring on Yamato. Various merchants who managed to escape the grubby hand of the Brigandia are quite emotional and eager to spread the words of the Adventurers' barbarism that took away their wealth or worst yet, their daughters. While their testimonies are exaggerated and somewhat inaccurate, we have a rough grasp on the situation." Lunaire sat back down on the chair that materialized to catch him. "This leads to the next issue that we have. That is not the only worrying development that trickle down the grapevine."
These people seemed quite weak to surprise bombshells. Lunaire wondered what they would say if there was a lot more where that came from. Oh, so much more. No one in his guild expected the opportunity to disclose their alarming findings would be this close…
Maihama Firm Akiba Branch, a day earlier
Albert thought something was wrong the moment he stepped into the room. Normally, this client of his wore an affable persona and usually greeted him with a quip or two the moment he walked in, but not this time. No, he felt an indescribable dread building up within him. At that point, Albert felt tempted to simply walk out and pretend he did not hear about the appointment, but alas, that would not do. Mustering his courage, Albert said his greeting. The client sat unmoved on the couch with his back still turned to him. This time, he was accompanied by a maid, another known member of Scarlet Devil Mansion.
Every step Albert took got heavier. When he finally sat down on the opposite side, the unease became unbearable. Lunaire seemed to be sleeping. His eyes were closed and his breathing even. However, the threatening air enveloped him like a blanket. From behind him, the maid also sent him a pointed stare.
"Albert, I am going to you one chance and one chance only. Do you have anything you should have told me?"
Those strange pairs of eyes snapped open, revealing the striking signature prismatic purplish-blue color. It was that look of apathy, which the merchant came to despise and fear in equal measure. With this very same expression, Lunaire coldly denied the opportunity to better the lives of others. Though this time, it was much worst. Beneath that façade of apathy was not uncaringness, but cold fury. The chilling gleam in his eyes promise untold terror and suffering, squeezing the very breath out of Albert.
"…"
Albert knew in his gut that no amount of placating gesture would deter Lunaire. This was an ultimatum. His hand clenched and unclenched repeatedly. He tried his best to meet the cold pair of eyes, but whenever he did, he felt an unknown pressure. Never had his word failed him as miserably as that day.
"Very well then…it seems that I am correct."
"Please calm…"
"From this, I have no choice but to conclude that Maihama Firm…and by extension, the Eastal League of Free Cities…is undeniably working against Akiba's interest."
"What?!"
The silver-haired magician chuckled softly. To the man on the other side, it sounded just like the mocking laughter of a devil.
"Hmm…you see Albertine…I understand. Sad as it may be, it is expected for a business to be swayed by the authority wielded by the local lords and ladies. This goes doubly so for a well-established firm since they cannot just up and leave whenever they please. When I came to you, I understand that. It is for this very reason we have let you continue to snoop around for so long."
"…" Albert opened his mouth, but no word escaped his lips.
"There is no harm in a little look." Lunaire voice carried a joking hint, but his cold eyes dared anyone to laugh. "What I do not expect however, is for a merchant to take direct action against us on behalf of your patron."
"There must be some misunderstanding somewhere…"
Lunaire wagged his finger to interrupt the man. "Albertine, Albertine, tell me…will a merchant make such a risky move on their own? Spying on their client so determinately…we have found more than thirty of your people snooping about."
"As I said, there must be a misunderstanding somewhere." Albert hardened his voice, sounding like he was offended by the accusation. "We can never do something as brazen as spying on our customer. We are just merchants. Why do you suspect us? Are we the only people you do business with? Even then, your movements these days are so high profile that everyone and their mothers probably heard about them."
Lunaire clicked his tongue as if chiding a child. "I have an exceptionally good memory and I remember the names of just about everyone who manned the desk downstairs every time I come to visit. Imagine my surprise when I see so many of those names on the zone ban list of our mansion."
Albert was a perceptive man and understood the implication. At first, he thought there was still a wriggle room. Landers commoners carried no surname and their names could only be so diverse. The name of those spies could coincidentally match his staffs…even if that happened more than a handful of times and that those people often did not stay for long in Akiba. Lunaire stated this like firmly like a confirmed fact. Albert knew that any excuse at this point would do nothing but digging a deeper hole for himself.
"No merchant will continue doing what you did after the mark clearly indicated that they know about your monkey business, yes? Therefore, it is only reasonable that Maihama Firm must not be a normal business, but the one with special agenda. To be able to mobilize the power of such a large organization, is there anyone else other than someone high up in Eastal, hmm?" Lunaire raised his hand to stop Albert from getting another word in. "Ah, we have no problem with Eastal growing a little curious, of course. We have quite a lot of interesting trinkets in our store. However, we draw a line at information warfare."
"Calling it warfare is a bit…"
A word as aggressive as warfare elicited the expected reaction from the merchant. Albert sweated bullet and did not even have the composure to wipe them up. He even missed the fact that his word was an indirect admission that he did something that could constitute the warfare.
In the strictest sense, Lunaire usage of the term was indeed correct. Information warfare was the deliberate manipulation of information to compromise the interest of said target. What Albert did for this past half a month fell solidly in this territory. He intentionally concealed such vital information to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. He excelled in this task, so much so that it was a lucky coincidence for Sakuya to even caught wind of the matter in the first place.
"Enough, I have said all I wanted to. Since you do not have answers for me, I will take my leave. Sakuya, let us go." Lunaire stood up from his couch and walked toward the exit.
"Certainly, Lunaire-sama."
"Please, please, wait!"
Albert quickly barred the exit with his body. The pair of cold eyes cut him to the bone, but he bravely stood his ground. It was so pathetic to see a hulk to be trembling merely from a stare that Lunaire could not help but smirked disdainfully.
"Move, Albert, before you exhaust the last of my civility."
"No…No, you need to understand. We have no choice."
"Just like you, we also have no choice." With a flick of his hand, a gorgeous crystal spear materialized beside him in a flash of blue. The azure flame sealed within its blade flared with his next words. "Move, Albertine, I will not say this the third time. If you wish that the hostility commences right this very moment, be my guest."
Even then, Albert did not budge. Like swallowing down a bitter bug, he strained out. "Fine. Fine! I will tell you alright. Just please, listen. We have good reason for this."
Lunaire glanced toward Sakuya briefly and said after registering a brief nod from her. "Susukino, Minami and Nakasu, talk. Now."
Albert was conflicted inwardly. Two choices warred endlessly in his head. Albertine was a loyal citizen of Maihama. When he took his office as the head of Akiba branch, realization that the so-called neutrality of Maihama Firm was merely a sham did not faze him. If this were necessary to create a stable Eastal, he would gladly do his part. Yet, this priority clashed with the directive handed down by the main headquarters, specifically from the president himself.
By any means necessary, the rumors and news of the matter that transpired in Susukino, Minami and Nakasu were to be kept secret from the Adventurers in Akiba. May Incident brought about many great upheavals. Not only did the Adventurers rebelled against their role as the silent protectors of Eight Races, they became the very force of disorder they sought to destroy. One after another, their cities fell to chaos one after another. Merely a little over a month, three of the five Adventurer Cities went right down the gutter. The places that were the source of pride and comfort for the country became the gnawing dread in the pit of their stomach. The only remaining Adventurer Cities that were operating in relatively proper manner, Shibuya and Akiba, were all located within Eastal. As the only nation left on Yamato that still maintained a solid grasp on these vital components, Maihama intended to keep it this way.
Knowledge was power. Without the knowledge that revolution was possible, they wished to maintain the status quo for the moment, buying time for the nobility to deliberate a more permanent solution. In the first place though, Albert and even the president himself thought it too optimistic that this information could be concealed for long. At most they could only delay the discovery for two of three months and that was only possible because the Adventurers did not seem too interested in the Landers' business.
Unfortunately, the Scarlet Devil Mansion somehow obtained this information far earlier than even their worst projection, compromising the entire plan. There was no hiding this matter anymore. It was too huge. If Albert stuck to the original directive and continued to resist, the relationship with the Adventurers of Akiba would be damaged beyond repair. It would defeat the purpose of the information blockage in the first place if it antagonized those they wished to have on their side.
"It all started with Susukino…Everyone ignored it at first from how outrageous it sounded. Mere days after the disturbance, the royal family of Ezzo Empire was driven out of their very own capital. Who could have believed that?" Albert leaned heavily against the door. "Then, the news of the refugees rolled in. First were the influential merchants and then the well-to-do citizens, they slowly trickled to Eastal northern territory by ships, bringing stories of the horrible barbarism that befell the city."
Both Lunaire and Sakuya listened with morbid fascination. They underestimated the hideous part of humanity. It seemed that after discovering their newfound powers, the Adventurers of the north quickly employed that against the hapless Landers, plundering their wealth. Worst yet, there were even rumors that the younger women were abducted and sold as slaves within the city.
"But I thought that no combat is allowed in the city," Sakuya asked.
"There are many ways to make a person suffer without ever touching them in the city." Albert chuckled darkly. "Without getting out of the city, how could one get food to fill their stomach? How could one live? Sure, there is food vendor, but those depended on the mercy of those band of rabbles, the Brigandia, to bring their product into the city."
Sakuya could not help but said, "how utterly vile."
"This is the least of it. Most of the rumors were much more than this, though it might just be exaggeration."
Anyone who dared defy the Brigandia, a disgrace of an Adventurer guild, would be merciless harassed in the city. No one could do business with them, lest their supply chain got shutdown too. If they took even a single step out, their vicious warrior would always be waiting, licking their blades all the while. This was in line of the rumor that Sakuya caught, but much worst. Lunaire started to believe that they got off lightly in Akiba. At least the apathetic people were not causing too much mayhem.
Still, this was not the worst of their worry. The disorganized rabble would not have the will to threaten Akiba far south of them. Rather, something threatening arose to their west.
"What about Minami? I heard that the city underwent serious restructuring."
"Restructuring is an understatement. I do not claim to know much about you people, but at least I know the Adventurers organizes themselves into guilds. Within a city, you can expect to see hundreds or even thousands of small groups. It had always been like this for more than a century. Yet, over a span of weeks, all of that vanished…In their place arose the one and only guild of Minami…Plant Hwyaden."
Lunaire almost burst out laughing. Albert, for his European sounding name, utterly butchered the Welsh words, Plant Hwyaden, meaning duck children. Also, he wondered who would name their guild so strangely. At the very least, they could pick a better one like Hwyaden Fach for duckling.
Reigning in his amusement for the more serious topic, Lunaire asked, "how could they unify those Adventurers so easily? You can see the current state of Akiba."
"I do not know. No one understands how you people think. It just happened. Also, not much information made it through anyway. Since the May Incident, much less merchants cross over from The Holy Empire Westerlande. All that I know is mostly from second or third hand accounts."
"Do you think this is a deliberate act?" Sakuya inquired. "To contain the spread of information?"
Albert glanced at Sakuya, a little surprised. For a maid, she seemed quite involved in the matter of her employers. After taking a closer look at her appearance, she closely resembled Lunaire, except her eye color. Quite done with speculation, Albert shook his head. It was not in his business to mettle. "That is the most logical explanation. Without merchants moving about, the money does not flow. For them to do that, it must be because they have something big to hide."
Lunaire smelled a great deal of foul play in this and looked to see the same thoughtful look on Sakuya's face. There was utterly no way that diverse groups could band together that easily. He could believe it if they merely joined as a coalition or an alliance. However, for the Adventurers to abandon the identity of their guild and voluntarily join another en mass, that was unbelievable.
"That is worrying…I have no doubt that everyone did not join up willingly."
Albert squeezed his temple tiredly. "Yeah, after what happened in Nakasu, it should be clear as day. Half a month after the May Incident, Plant Hwyaden suddenly appeared in the city and unilaterally declared the unification with Minami."
The accounting was conflicting. Some said it was an outside invasion. Some said it was a strike from within. Regardless, when the dust settled, two things were clear.
"What a joke!" Albert chuckled cynically. "Unification? What unification? After all the members of Kunie branch clan and their affiliated workers in Nakasu were all slew to the last"
Lunaire sucked in his breath in surprise. "Kunie clan…you mean the large family that managed the bank system in the guild hall and care for the Cathedral?"
"Yes, the people keeping Nakasu alive by providing the critical service for the Adventurers. They are all gone. Without them to operate their arcane Alv technology in the various locking mechanisms, not even a single gold could be withdrawn from Nakasu branch. Without them…the city died."
"How accurate is this information." Lunaire asked hurriedly.
"It is much more certain than the news from Minami. The Ninetail Dominion is understandably outraged by this move that deprived them of the mainline defense against the monsters. They spared no effort to spread the word of this affront heaped onto them by Plant Hwyaden. Every merchant that managed to slip through the border of Holy Empire Westerlande sang the same tale of atrocity."
Nakasu was Lunaire's worst nightmare coming to life. It was now beyond any shadow of doubt that Plant Hwyaden harbored terrible ambition and was not afraid to act upon it. If they had the gall to act against a large entity like an Adventurer City, Akiba was undoubtably a viable target.
Their situation spiraled down deeper by the minute. On a sudden notice, they suddenly found themselves with the enemy within and without. Never could they have imagined that their random curiosity about the origin of Crescent Burger would lead to such a staggering realization. Both Lunaire and Sakuya felt chilled about what could happen if they ignored that little packet in Meiling's hand and just keep on leveling up. Perhaps, by the time they reached max level, Akiba would be no more.
"Thank you for your information." Lunaire spoke grimly. "This is where we take our leave. Please excuse us."
"Wait, wait! You must understand. We have no choice but to conceal this information. We are afraid that this city will also…"
"Sakuya, if you please?"
"Of course," the maid answered succinctly and retrieved her pocket watch.
The next moment was the most mystifying experience that Albertine Gilford had ever experience. One moment, they were there. And the next, there were not.
That night, the Scarlet Devil Mansion remained lit up throughout the night. Decisions were made and plans were adjusted. Unfortunately, before they ever got to do anything substantial, a curious invitation arrived at the door of the Scarlet Devil Mansion to a certain conference.
00000
And there is it.
You never expect that now, did you?
I hope that the long flashback does not confuse you too much. The reason I set it up this way is because I do not want to reiterate the information about the events at the other Adventurers cities to the council once again in the next chapter. That is just pointless filler. Instead, it will be better to explain it in the flashback and let you imagine how the reveal to the council goes. Of course, without retelling the information you guys already know next chapter, it will free up space to add in more information on this new nation that will be born from this meeting.
Discord invite code: nSMHjar