Chapter 355: Myth of the Golden Highway (1/2)
The head of the Adventurer Guild, Falz (Root), sighed heavily.
The guards, secretary, and the guild manager of the area opened their eyes wide at that rare state of his.
There’s a hole in front of them.
A hole that’s big enough that several people can line up.
It is something that should by no means be there, and they were there to investigate exactly because of that, but the number one most distinguished person here, Root, was not breaking his serious demeanor.
“Falz-sama, this certainly is something that mustn’t happen, but with 3 days, we could finish mending it.”
“…You don’t understand.” (Root)
The secretary that has the easiest time talking to Root speaks out the feelings of everyone there.
But the response was words of disappointment.
““…””
“Where’s this place?” (Root)
“The Golden Highway.”
“That’s right. The distribution path that the world prides in, and just like its name states, it is the place where gold…where money continues flowing.” (Root)
“Yes.”
“The major powers of that time, the influential merchants, and the Adventurer Guild made a decision that surpassed the borders, and consolidated on it…that’s an outstanding feat that remains in history.” (Root)
“Yes, even in the present, as long as you pay the fee, anyone can safely travel through it without being controlled by any country as per agreement. Whether it is pricey or not would be perceived differently between each person though.”
For adventurers and regular people, the travelling fee for the Golden Highway is high.
It sees the most use from merchants that want to safely transport large amounts of goods.
Judging from how the secretary is speaking, the passage fee must be expensive for her.
The guards also nodded lightly.
It is the price for security, but for adventurers who have the ability to protect themselves to a certain degree, it must be normal to feel the price is too steep.
“Since our very far past ancestors, putting a hand on this place means that…they are basically picking a fight with the Adventurer Guild. Do you understand?” (Root)
He closed his eyes, lowered his head, and then looked at everyone in the place.
It was a sight of him rarer than him sighing; a Root with visible anger.
““!””
“Does that woman think anything can be forgiven just because she is the Apostle of the Goddess?” (Root)
“…Falz-sama, the damage done to the Golden Highway was unfortunately the handiwork of adventurers from Aion. The involvement of this person called the Goddess’s Apostle has not been confirmed.”
“Correction: adventurers hired by Aion under the orders of the Apostle. If you don’t have an accurate grasp of the truth, one mistake will just lead to the other, you know?” (Root)
“But the whereabouts of the people themselves is unknown, and the wanted posters are out, but it would require time. Regarding this being under orders and its details, we would have to capture them and interrogate them first before we can have definite information about it…”
“They should be dead already. As if they would be left alive after showing up in the report of them attacking Alpine. They are not so soft and don’t have the leisure to spare them… That Alte, using a dirty move like setting adventurers to make it certain that her first lightning strike would hit Toa and her party…” (Root)
Root’s anger was not lowering.
The cold coming out from his eyes were freezing the surroundings, and even the skilled guards were trembling at that suffocating anger.
The Golden Highway is a nonaggression zone.
This rule has been kept for several centuries, and it has already become common sense in this world that doesn’t even need to be explained anymore.
Even the demons that have spread around the world and move in the shadows after their grand invasion haven’t put a hand on the Golden Highway.
And yet, the Goddess’s Apostle did exactly that for the sake of something like attacking Toa.
You could say it is an aggressive and bold surprise attack, but in the standing of Root, it is a challenge to the Adventurer Guild that is one end of the world’s order.
Of course he wouldn’t find it amusing.
The Golden Highway that he was involved in greatly and made possible in the long past, as well as its history, has been made a mockery of after all.
Of course, no one here knows that the Golden Highway wasn’t the achievement of some ancestor they are not familiar with but Root himself.
“U-Uhm, Falz-sama, I understand that you are angry, but…uhm, don’t tell me you are going to get retribution from the Aion Kingdom?”
The Adventurer Guild is neutral.
More accurately speaking, it is an organization for the sake of adventurers.
Where there’s adventurers, there’s guilds.
Their main objective is to support the activities of adventurers, and they don’t involve themselves in the wars of nations.
Even in the war between hyumans and demons, they haven’t publicly announced what side they would be taking.
Of course, even in the civil war between Tsige and Aion, they must maintain their neutrality, and no matter how angry Falz is, if he were to act by emotions, it would be extremely troubling as an organization.
The worry of the secretary was natural.
“Like maybe…side with Tsige?” (Root)
“You must not! The adventurers cooperating with one side or the other is their own freedom, but the guild itself clearly supporting one side is against the policies of the guild!”
“…I obviously wouldn’t do something like that.” (Root)
“Phew, right. I am sorry. Your face was showing so much anger that I was unsure for a second there.”
“But…” (Root)
“!”
“I will get retribution. Having the Adventurer Guild mocked and belittled is not a wish of ours after all. ‘Cooperation is decided by the individual’, this action of theirs that was as if getting back at us has led to this unsightly result… It is not amusing.” (Root)
“Uuh…that’s…true. But when you say retribution…what exactly do you plan on doing?”
“First, I will do this.” (Root)
Root places a hand on top of the big hole opened in the Golden Highway.
“?”
At the time when everyone’s attention was gathered around the actions of Root, magic power gathered in his hand, and light exploded.