Drake's eyes widened. The other High Priests also stared sharply at Tauros.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course, we are," Tauros replied calmly. "Frankly, I believe it would be best to immediately recall all citizens stationed outside, seal the gateways, and sever all ties with the outside world using Shinshi's full power."

"I agree with Tauros."

"Yes, I support his opinion as well."

"Same here."

Holstein, the Priest of Magic, nodded from beside Tauros. Two more High Priests and a governor also voiced their agreement — Palgye, the Priest of Wealth, Mary, the Priestess of Flocks, and the dwarf governor Alber.

The entire Production Department, which forms the foundation of Shinshi, had come together with one voice.

A tense silence spread through the hall.

It wasn't yet a majority, but with several High Priests and a governor in alignment, the proposal carried weight. It couldn't simply be dismissed as just another opinion.

With a heavy heart, Drake asked, "Can I hear your reasoning?"

"Because we believe there is no longer any need for us to remain involved with the outside world," Tauros replied. "Shinshi is already perfect as it is. We see no reason to continue exposing ourselves to the impurities and dangers of the outside."

Drake frowned. Some of the High Priests also scowled, while others nodded in agreement. Drake judged the situation to be dangerous.

"Tauros… don't tell me… you're a Purist?"

"And if I am?"

"What do you mean 'if'? That's a huge problem…"

Drake wanted to collapse on the spot.

Purists were those who believed that Shinshi must remain pure and untainted. Roughly 170 years ago, Shinshi began absorbing talents from the continent—starting with the legendary Thirteen Heroes. This was done through the system known as Dragon's Dream, which carefully selected worthy individuals to bring into Shinshi.

But not all who were absorbed were great heroes. Many were brought in simply to sustain the city's functions. Talented individuals, capable workers, and even slaves were recruited from the outside.

Even the lowest class in Shinshi lived in greater wealth than most nobles outside. Within the divine city, filth, squalor, and servility were forbidden. Citizens were granted proper housing, paid fair wages, and even given holidays.

To those who had once suffered outside, Shinshi was paradise — the very city of God. Despite this divine grace, those who broke the law faced strict punishments. Minor offenses allowed for one chance of redemption. For major crimes or repeat offenses, the criminal was exiled and magically forbidden from ever speaking of Shinshi again.

Though more severe penalties like execution or mutilation were considered, it was agreed that being cast out of paradise was a harsher punishment than any physical torment.

This system of "absorption" had continued for over a century, and now those of outside origin made up nearly a third of Shinshi's population. But in recent decades, a disturbing shift began — even those who had been granted full citizenship were being viewed as lesser than "pure-blooded" Shinshi natives.

These were the Purists. They claimed Shinshi, as the holy land of the gods, should remain untouched by outside impurities. Their ideology began to gain traction not only among officials but even within some High Priests.

When Drake was informed of this growing movement, he was horrified. The last time similar sentiments spread, it nearly tore Shinshi apart, causing a rift between citizens and newcomers.

He immediately took action to suppress it. Some sympathetic High Priests came to their senses after recalling that past nightmare, and Shinshi narrowly avoided another catastrophe.

But Drake always knew that some still quietly harbored Purist ideals. And now, of all times, Tauros had revealed himself to be one of them.

Drake felt a headache coming on. Sometimes he cursed his own unnaturally strong body — if only he could collapse dramatically by clutching the back of his neck like a normal person…

"…So? Why bring this up now? Are you suggesting we expel every citizen of outside origin from Shinshi?"

"No, I have no intention of going that far."

"Cutting off all contact with the outside world already sounds extreme enough to me."

"Sigh… Drake, you're misunderstanding. Yes, I view Purism favorably. But I have no intention of causing unnecessary conflict. My suggestion is purely for the sake of our great god and the protection of Shinshi."

With a deep sigh, Tauros calmly delivered his reasoning.

"The reason my comrades and I have stayed silent until now," Tauros began, "is because we believed that contact with the outside world posed no significant threat to Shinshi. In fact, we thought there was merit to gaining supplemental resources and information by maintaining such connections, especially during our system's formative stages. But that's no longer the case, Drake. After reviewing the footage, we've concluded that the threats outside could endanger Shinshi's peace—possibly even disturb the slumber of the gods."

With a clap of his hands, a video projection appeared above Tauros's head. It was one of the recordings shown earlier by Tsaindoruks, capturing the moment when the vampire-like girl lunged at him. Tauros pointed to the spear in her hand.

"That lance she's holding? I'd estimate it's at least a legendary-class weapon—possibly higher. As a certified Master Blacksmith, I guarantee it. And the girl wielding it… I believe she is someone who serves a Player like us."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Simple. Look—based on Chaa's footage, we can safely assume she's a vampire. And yet, she fought on par with Tsaindoruks' armor. That alone puts her power on the level of an Elder Vampire. But she still maintains a very human appearance."

Vampire traits are widely understood—most possess grotesque appearances, especially at higher levels.

For someone to rival Tsaindoruks in combat, she would have to be among the highest-ranking vampires.

But her appearance was nearly indistinguishable from that of a normal human girl.

"You know what that means, don't you, Drake? In fact, we would know this better than anyone. That girl was designed—not evolved. She was given a high-level weapon and a specific form. It would be more unnatural not to suspect divine or player-level interference."

Drake had no choice but to agree. He understood—at least partially—how the gods created them. The gods defined races and forms separately, often assigning appearances independently of species. This led to inconsistencies, like Kaguya and Lion.

Kaguya, though a rabbit beastkin, looked completely human aside from her ears. Lion, a tiger beastkin, had a majestic lion's mane.

Many of Shinshi's early residents were like this—causing confusion when appearance and race didn't match.

"And the most important reason why we believe Shinshi should sever ties with the outside world is…"

Tauros paused, then turned. "Mary, would you explain?"

"Yes, I'll take it from here."

Mary, a petite girl radiating a warm presence, stood up. Though she appeared the weakest among the Twelve High Priests, no one dared underestimate her. While not a combatant, her intellect rivaled even Orochi's—and was sometimes said to surpass it.

"You may see it differently," she began gently, "but I believe the current situation is extremely dangerous. Too dangerous for Shinshi to get involved."

With a clap, another projection appeared. It showed one of Monkyspanner's videos: the forest-turned-desert and a crater glimmering like glass. She pointed to the scenes.

"That vampire-like being possesses combat power comparable to a High Priest. And yet, these adventurers known as 'Darkness' managed to defeat her. While Monkyspanner believes they may be related, I find that unlikely. You don't destroy something that powerfully with such force if you're allies."

"On what basis do you say her power is on par with ours?"

Lion, clearly displeased, raised an eyebrow. But Mary turned to Kaguya instead.

"Kaguya, earlier you said that tenth-tier magic—maybe even super-tier—might've been used at the scene, correct?"

"Ah, yes. I'm certain tenth-tier magic was used. As for super-tier... that was Monkyspanner's assumption. I can't confirm it myself."

"I see. Then, Lion—based on Kaguya's analysis, we can assume that either tenth-tier or super-tier magic was unleashed repeatedly. The enemy required that much firepower to defeat. Doesn't that put them at our level?"

"…Ahem."

Lion coughed, then looked away. He couldn't deny it. With his limited magic resistance, even he wouldn't have survived such an onslaught unscathed.

"But here's the strange part," Mary continued. "Why go through all that trouble to eliminate this creature in the first place? In the footage, the creature only attacked when approached. When distance was maintained, it did nothing. Even while being attacked, if one retreated far enough, it went back to its spot. Isn't that right, Chaa?"

"Yes, that's right," Chaa confirmed. "That being chased me for a while when I tried to retreat, but once I created enough distance, it returned to its original position."

"That makes it even clearer then," Mary said. "They went out of their way to eliminate a powerful entity that could've easily been avoided—and left behind a conspicuous battlefield in the process. They even fabricated a ridiculous explanation for the Adventurer's Guild, claiming it was caused by a berserk eighth-tier spell crystal. Maybe that works on the surface, where eighth-tier casters are rare, but if those adventurers were gathering intelligence, they would definitely know about beings like the Six Great Gods, Eight Greed Kings, or the 13 Heroes. For them to flaunt that level of firepower so openly—it just doesn't make sense."

"So… there's another motive?" Orochi muttered, almost to himself. Then, suddenly, he gasped sharply, a theory flashing through his mind.

No way… but the circumstances line up too well. A series of worst-case scenarios ran through his head.

Mary chuckled.

"It seems Orochi and I are thinking the same thing."

"…Impossible. No, the possibility is real. But if that's the case, then it doesn't make sense they've been silent until now."

"Or maybe that's why they've been silent," Mary replied softly.

"Hey, what are you two mumbling about?"

Monkyspanner interrupted, frowning at their cryptic exchange. He might be considered a lower-ranking High Priest, but he still prided himself on being one of the smarter beastmen.

"What, you two telepaths now? Quit speaking in code and explain it so normal folks like me can understand."

Mary sighed. "I thought you were more human than monkey, but fine. I'll make it simple enough for even your banana brain to follow."

"The hell did you just say?!"

Monkyspanner yelled, flustered by the unexpected insult, but Orochi ignored him and spoke plainly:

"Shut up and listen. It's just a hypothesis, but… there's a chance a Guild scale force from Yggdrasil has descended into this world."

"Yes," Mary added. "And based on what we've seen, I suspect there may be two such forces—maybe even more."

"Haaah?!"

Monkyspanner was left speechless. The less-informed High Priests widened their eyes in shock, while the more perceptive ones let out weary sighs—"So it's true…"

"Why would you think that?" Monkyspanner finally asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Mary answered. "On one side, we have entities clearly related to Yggdrasil—like us. On the other, unknowns with similar origins. These outsiders are moving in the shadows, just like the Eight Greed Kings once did. And in a world they likely haven't fully grasped yet, they chose to unleash such visible destruction—without even trying to cover it up. That tells us they had to reveal their power in order to eliminate that entity."

"…So that would mean the vampire-like girl was on the opposing side," Orochi concluded. "But beings that serve players wouldn't be left out in some random wasteland for no reason. More likely, she was neutralized and abandoned—used as bait. Then, when someone came to retrieve her, they ambushed the rescuers and wiped them all out. That's what I think caused the destruction."

"I agree completely," Mary nodded. "That's exactly how I see it too."

The two exchanged a mix of cheerful and bitter smiles. The logic and scale of their deduction were so overwhelming that Monkyspanner had nothing left to say.

They figured all that out… just from those two clips? Even if it was just a theory, everything they said made terrifying sense.

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