CHAPTER 128: LATE AT NIGHT

Late at night, Steward was sitting at his desk, still working.

It was said that Guild leaders have little work, because they relegate everything to their subordinates, since they have several department leaders and other qualified people under them.

Perhaps it was like that with other guild masters, but Steward is different.

As diligent as he is, he tends to work very late to leave everything ready for the next day. Perhaps he is one of the few Guildmasters who is like this, which is why the Runic King gave him his trust to give him the only Guild quarry outside the Kingdom’s territory.

Because of this, he must sleep little, but he has been able to keep the guild companies running in perfect condition despite not having much contact with the other guilds. Each player’s investors and backers are fully satisfied with his good arrangements and management, so they have all discharged their trust in him.

That’s why he worked late into the night. He wanted to live up to the expectations placed in him.

He sighed as his hands moved quickly between the documents on the table and the computer.

"Sigh." At the same time, he leaned back against the back of his chair and looked up at the ceiling.

"The money is enough. Winning that little tournament has brought us too much profit, to the point that our companies have considerably increased in value." He whispered with a small smile.

He had even received trade alliance agreements with other guilds in other cities. Although somehow, from Loen City, only The Cats had asked him for a commercial and strategic alliance.

The rest of the guilds seemed to be keeping silent about his moves.

"It makes sense, too. Clark and the Academy don’t seem to have weakened. Even though they’ve lost hundreds of millions these days, it doesn’t seem to affect them. How envious that they can be so rich." He scoffed and moved on, ready to get on with the job.

But then he was stunned, and in one swift movement, he jumped back, summoned his sword, and stood at attention.

There was a person in front of him. He was dressed entirely in wide black robes and a black tunic over the top that covered his entire body.

’An assassin?’ he thought. But he shook his head quickly. ’No. It wouldn’t make sense. He would have lost his best chance to strike.’ He thought.

He decided to ignore whatever this person was and stood on guard.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

The person there seemed to look at him and spoke, "What do you know about Elliot Clark?" he asked. The hoarse, strange voice shook Steward.

He couldn’t recognize it. He wasn’t from this town.

Besides, why was he asking about Elliot?

"The one who just won the Tournament of the Stars? He’s a talented guy, I..."

"Don’t talk nonsense." He interrupted him and raised his voice. "I know he’s in your guild and you value him highly, to the point of granting him a special and very beneficial contract."

Those words silenced Steward.

He didn’t know how to respond. He could not reveal things about Elliot to a stranger.

But that stranger stood up and walked toward him.

"Don’t even try to attack. Your strength is not enough to scratch me." In one motion, he reached in front of Steward and knocked his sword down, and grabbed him by the neck, even lifting him up.

’Huh?’ Steward felt his body shudder at being neutralized in such a simple move.

He then lashed out with his fists at his enemy’s face, but the enemy simply cocked his head slowly, enough to dodge him.

"I just want to know one thing." He said. "There is a rumor that he is a man the system or the Just Law does not restrict. Rumor has it that he is his own Justice." His grip on Steward’s neck intensified.

"Are they right?" he asked.

Steward felt his neck ache, so he tried to cough, but was unable to do so.

He quickly shook himself. "N...I don’t know...anything...about...that." He tried to speak, but his voice was barely audible.

But his answer was not satisfactory to his enemy. He squeezed him even tighter.

"I’m not talking bullshit here. This is precious information I need to know. Is he a man unrestricted by the System?"

Steward felt his neck was going to snap. He felt a terrible pain striking his neck and reaching every part of his body like lightning or a raging sea.

Though his arms were firm on his opponent’s, he couldn’t even move him a millimeter.

’Too... powerful.’

He wanted to cough, but could not. Still, with great difficulty, he spoke.

"I... really... don’t know anything..."

His enemy’s eyes seemed to glow with intensity, and then he culminated in squeezing...

Suddenly, something exploded between his hands...

Steward fell backwards.

A fear of death invaded his body from the moment he saw a mannequin built with really resistant materials, being shattered in front of him.

At the last moment, that guy let go and smashed it. It was a mannequin that he pulled out himself.

Naturally, he wanted to show him what he would do to him next.

Now that he was free, Steward began to cough heavily.

"You want to try that?" Steward’s enemy asked and crouched down in front of him.

Steward simply looked straight ahead. There was some fear in his gaze, but he stood his ground.

"Do you want to die? I told you, little guild master. Tell me plainly, is Elliot Clark an unrestricted person?"

After clearing his throat many times, Steward put a hand to his neck and rubbed it.

’Too hard. I’m completely in his hands.’ He thought, still feeling the pain in his bones.

Still, he shook his head once more.

"Sir... that doesn’t make sense. If there were an Awakened One capable of passing over the Laws of the System, doesn’t that mean he would be higher than a God? If there is a rumor of that, then it must have been invented without any foundation. There is no way such a thing is possible." he replied.

He stared at it for over a minute before standing up. Immediately, a longsword appeared in his hands, and he swung it sharply upward.

"If you won’t tell me, then you’re useless to me."

Steward frowned and looked at the sword coming swiftly towards his neck. For a moment, his whole life flashed before his eyes.

That sword brought a powerful force to break every bone in his body. Let alone to slice his unprotected neck.

But he felt no fear.

’...I can’t do anything...but you won’t get anything out of me. You should know that my best blessing is not being a good talker. That has caused me to never reveal anything important!’ His mind seemed excited at the last moment, and he didn’t even close his eyes.

The sword approached his neck and...

SWOSH*

A cold wind hit him, stirring his hair.

But the sword didn’t hit him.

It had disappeared.

"Good." His enemy said and suddenly spat out something. It was like a small beast.

’Voice modulating beast?’ Steward thought as he saw it fall between his legs.

It was still writhing strangely, which meant it was alive, though it would soon die.

In shock, Steward looked up and found a beautiful face in front of him.

"Lady Anna!" He exclaimed.

She smiled. "You’ve done well, Steward. You seem to know the importance of that information." She said, grabbing a chair to sit in.

’Was it a test?’ he thought. His body seemed to relax immediately, and he fell backwards. He was exhausted.

It was very little time, but the confrontation was so intense that it could have killed him.

Finally, he understood what she was doing. She had found out about Elliot’s quirk, and since he knew about it, she needed to know if it was reliable for him to know about it.

That’s why she took him all the way.

But...

"What would have happened to me if I said anything?" he asked, trembling.

She smiled. "Your head would be separated from your body right now."

He smiled. Although he felt fear, somehow this made him realize that the Main Guild was behind him in their decision to protect him.

This information, if told to the Gods of the rest of the continents, would cause a total cleansing of this place. Many distant gods would come to destroy it completely, and no one would be spared.

After all, the blood of one of the families of this forgotten continent had given birth to a terrifying existence. Who could say it wouldn’t happen again?

And that was just what they saw as valuable in Elliot.

"He needs to grow up." Anna said suddenly.

Steward finally grabbed strength in his legs to pull himself up and sat across from her.

"But we can’t let him grow up without love for the guild. Wouldn’t that be counterproductive, too?" he asked.

She smiled.

"I knew SkyDome before. He was a loyal man and faithful to his wife. If he inherited his personality, there should be no problem." She spoke.

"Although." She spoke again. "You need to curry favor with that girl, Jenna. If you tie her to the guild, their relationship will keep him here."