Level Up Inquisitor [EN]: Chapter 188

188. The Holy War (2)

Click.

Eile, seated, looked ahead.

Across from him sat Dagoth, silently.

He was the highest-ranking executive of Apollion, who had come in person.

Despite the current situation where the followers of the Order of Light filled the camp, he showed no agitation at being in the heart of enemy territory.

‘He can’t be unaware of the importance of his position, but this is an unexpected variable.’

Whether he had prepared something or had something to rely on.

In any case, in the current situation where they didn’t know what they were up to, they couldn’t recklessly lay a hand on him.

“So, what do you want to talk about?”

Eile, assessing the atmosphere, spoke first.

The fact that he had business with him, even setting aside Karin, the guild leader of Nightmare who was right next to him, meant it wouldn’t be a formal conversation.

Then Dagoth opened his mouth.

“The business is simple. Withdraw from this war.”

“…You came all the way here just to say that?”

Eile asked, as if dumbfounded.

It was a word that he hadn’t expected because it was too obvious.

For the highest-ranking executive of Apollion to come all the way here and say something like this.

“You probably have some idea about our identity. I heard you’ve been in contact with the Iron Cross several times.”

“You’re not even trying to hide it.”

“Even if you found out now, nothing will change. It’s not a story that anyone would believe even if you went around spreading it.”

The absolute guild of the first-generation game, East Horn, Alcyone.

Although he didn’t mention it directly, it was virtually the same as saying it outright.

When Sir, the guild leader of the Iron Cross, first told him, even Eile found it hard to believe.

They knew that there was no use in spreading it without evidence.

“You know what happened to East Horn. Warlord will end up the same way.”

‘He’s full of confidence.’

When it was the first virtual reality game to appear and once enjoyed the status of the current Warlord.

It was Alcyone that dominated the entire game.

They had a past record that no one could criticize even if they were full of confidence.

‘But the current situation isn’t at a stage where they can be sure of victory.’

The ancient spirit side, which was their hidden card, was virtually blocked, and the war situation between the guilds was also tight.

Below, the Order of Light was pushing in, and no one could easily predict the outcome of this war.

Yet Dagoth seemed to have complete confidence.

‘Are they planning something?’

Eile carefully examined his expression.

The six major guilds, including the Iron Cross, were all those who had held the highest or close to the highest position in a game.

The six major guilds, who had experienced all sorts of hardships, wouldn’t be fooled by shallow tricks.

In the current situation, ordinary tricks wouldn’t work.

“Any guild that has ever opposed us will never be able to set foot here again. However, I’m giving you special absolution.”

Dagoth, still unable to read his expression, continued.

Absolution, a word choice befitting his arrogant tone.

“Why am I the only special case?”

“I don’t know the details either. All I know is that Kruger likes you, unlike the other guys.”

“That’s all?”

“Even we didn’t expect that you, as an individual user, would have this much impact. I admit that. But to us, your Order’s power is nothing. And even more so, the impact you can show.”

A cold silence filled the air with a somewhat provocative tone.

But it wasn’t just nonsense.

Rather, it was true from a realistic and universal perspective.

No matter how much a user flies and jumps, they would be completely meaningless in front of the six major guilds.

“Then I’ll give you a choice. If you leave the Order of Light, you can join Apollion. If you’re already in the rankings, it won’t be difficult to give you an executive position.”

[‘Light Judge, Lou’ is furious!]

“…That won’t happen.”

“Then there are two options left. Either move the Order to strike them, or withdraw from this situation altogether. Either way is fine. If you leave now, I can guarantee your safety after this war.”

“First, the former. Even if I’m an executor, I can’t move the Order as I please. And the latter is impossible. I’ve already made a deal with Nightmare, and I’m going to receive the core fragments of the relics in return.”

For the Order of Light and Lou, relics were an indispensable price.

The reason they were currently hostile to Apollion was to secure all the core relic fragments.

“It’s not that I didn’t know that when I made this offer. The Order entered this war because of the relics. Then, after the war, we can hand over not only what we have, but also the relic fragments we take from Nightmare. The justification for moving the Order and the deal with Nightmare will not hold you back. But if you don’t change your attitude even in this situation… there’s no need to say what will happen after that.”

Dagoth, having said everything he wanted to say, closed his mouth.

He crossed his arms and stared at him as if he only had to listen to Eile’s decision.

He would give all the relic fragments even if he only withdrew from this war.

It was a condition that would allow him to receive compensation with much less risk, and he didn’t forget to add a threatening word at the end.

It was an offer that anyone would be tempted by.

But Eile’s answer was extremely simple.

“I don’t want to.”

“That means…”

“It means I have to see the end with you guys.”

There was no hesitation.

Since he had already stepped so deeply into the war between the six major guilds that he couldn’t turn back.

No matter who the opponent was, he had no intention of bowing down and being humble.

“The story is over. I hope it’s a choice you won’t regret.”

Dagoth got up from his seat and left.

His back, as if he had no regrets, left the camp.

* * *

Royal Capital Askalon.

The capital of the kingdom and the largest and most developed city in Warlord.

The royal palace was visible at a glance in the middle of the city, and the splendid main street captivated people’s eyes.

But on the contrary, there are places where people’s eyes do not reach.

Swish.

Neshua, who appeared in a dark alley, came out to the main street with his hood pressed down.

Neshua, who was conducting an investigation in the capital, wrote down the newly obtained information on parchment and organized the contents.

‘Sirio…’

It was the name of a nobleman who had been showing suspicious movements recently.

He was a powerful man who was in the royal palace and even held the position of a councilor, and he felt the need to tail him.

[‘Observer in the Dark, Hin’ is watching you.]

A message from the deity appeared in front of Neshua’s eyes.

He was originally a silent and taciturn deity, but recently, the degree had become even more severe.

It was probably because of the relic problem.

This investigation had nothing to do with the relics, and in fact, Neshua had given up on the relics a long time ago.

The deity ‘Hin’ still wanted to obtain the relics, but he, who had heard the truth from his sister Sir, refused any further requests regarding the collection of relics.

As a result, his favorability dropped sharply, but Neshua didn’t care.

Becoming an apostle of the shadow order, a minority among minorities, was also his will.

Even if there were any disadvantages, he didn’t touch things he didn’t like.

From Hin’s point of view, if his only apostle came out so firmly, there was nothing more he could do.

The deity and the apostle were only in a close contractual relationship, not a master-servant relationship.

Flash!

Neshua, who was walking along the main street and arrived at the designated point, disappeared in an instant.

The next place where he appeared was a corridor inside the royal palace.

He sneaked into the royal palace without any restrictions.

Thanks to the fact that he had spent several days creating an entry route, he was able to enter without any problems.

Originally, it was almost impossible for a user to infiltrate the royal palace, but as Neshua, an apostle of silence and shadow, it was entirely possible.

‘There he is.’

Hidden in the shadows with stealth, Neshua’s gaze turned to a man.

Sirio, the suspect and target of the tail, was heading somewhere in a hurry, and he immediately followed him.

The place where Sirio headed was a closed warehouse in the corner of the royal palace.

It was a place where no one usually visited, and several suspicious people with purple cloaks and hoods were standing there.

‘This is…!’

Neshua, who lowered his head while holding his breath, was shocked.

It wasn’t just a suspicious contact, but he witnessed these people secretly preparing something in the basement of the royal palace.

Judging from the progress, it was too late to do anything.

Neshua, who grasped the situation at once, came out of the basement and hurriedly left the royal palace.

‘It’s the worst situation…’

The worst-case scenario that he had assumed while investigating was in progress, and he had to quickly inform the Iron Cross of this fact.

It was no longer just a dispute between the six major guilds or top users.

It was a problem that affected the fate of all users in Warlord.

* * *

“To come all the way to enemy territory in this war and say that’s all.”

Karin shook her head as if she couldn’t believe it.

The story about Dagoth, the highest-ranking executive of Apollion, was still absurd.

However, in the urgent battlefield situation, she had already prepared to return to the front line.

Since the supply route was successfully cut off and the lower front line was left to the Order of Light, she intended to focus on the confrontation with Apollion for the time being.

However, there was a worrying point.

The fact that the followers of the Water Order, who were in charge of other fronts, were gathering together.

As the Earth Order unexpectedly began to be pushed back, they were trying to put all the Water Order into the lower front line.

The Order of Light, which had been larger in size and had been showing a dominant appearance against the Earth Order in a full-scale war.

If the Water Order joins in, the story will change.

The Water Order was by no means a small force, and it was enough to turn the tide of the war at once.

“Eile, you told me to leave it to you, so I’m just leaving… What are you going to do now? No matter how much it’s you, you won’t be able to deal with two orders at the same time.”

Karin’s worried gaze turned to him.

But Eile silently shook his head.

The plan that Eile was conceiving in his head was not just about dealing with two orders.

‘I’m sorry, but it won’t end with just two orders.’

Eile recalled Dagoth, who had come to warn him.

Now that he was properly hostile to the Apollion Guild, there was no need for each other to be ambiguous.

No matter how much he struggled, the impact that the Order of Light and Eile could show was nothing compared to the conflict between the six major guilds.

But Eile was going to show more than that.

Swoosh!

He called two crows with a whistle, tied the prepared letters to their legs, and sent two letters.

The places where these letters would go were not near the battlefield, but underground.

Eltris and Sidna.

The letters that flew to the two underground worlds would reach the devout residents of the underground world.

Their existence had been hidden, but now there was no need to do so.

It was time to reveal themselves for the true holy war.