Chapter 24, From Now On

Translator: Kazumi

Editor: Silavin

 

The materials Kousuke had mentioned to Vibro were all components used in the Divine Power Engraver—a complex device constructed from various monster parts, each serving different purposes. However, the materials he had listed were specifically essential for the Divine Power-related functions.

 

Kousuke had deliberately chosen these materials because he suspected they were used in the machine that created the Tower Conquest Guild’s cards. This was not mere speculation; he already knew the cards contained Divine Power. While he couldn’t detect it at first glance, he’d noticed the Divine Power after passing through portals multiple times and observing how the cards updated automatically.

 

The presence of Divine Power in the card creation process also reinforced his theory that this Tower had been conquered before. Though he was not certain whether the same materials were used in the same manner as the Divine Power Engraver, judging by Vibro and Alta’s shocked reactions, he had clearly hit his mark. Secretly, Kousuke felt relieved.

 

He had only mentioned materials that were absolutely irreplaceable. Despite the Divine Power Engraver undergoing numerous updates over time, these particular components had never been successfully substituted. While he had made the revelation as something of a calculated gamble, he maintained an outwardly casual demeanor.

 

Vibro stared at him with a dazed expression. Never had he expected that someone he had dismissed as just another Guild adventurer would reveal secrets that had been passed down through their organization for generations. His shock was entirely natural.

 

“…Who really are you?” Vibro demanded, his eyes boring into Kousuke.

 

Kousuke merely shrugged. “I’m simply another adventurer from a different Guild. That’s what you thought until just now, right?”

 

His nonchalant response drew a large, deliberate sigh from Vibro. “I don’t think so anymore—that’s why I’m asking.”

 

“Then let me ask you the same question. Who are you?”

 

“Me? I’m Vibro, representative of the Tower Conquest Guild.”

 

“Then my answer remains the same. I’m Kou, a member of the Wolf Fang Guild.”

 

“I see…”

 

Watching Kousuke maintain his cool composure, Vibro realized he wouldn’t get any more answers. Even leveraging his position as the Tower Conquest Guild’s representative wouldn’t work—their previous interactions had made that abundantly clear.

 

“A snake coming out of a bush, huh?” Vibro muttered under his breath.

 

Kousuke pretended not to hear.

 

…

 

After Vibro and his members departed, Eku bowed apologetically to Kousuke.

 

“Sorry for bothering you with this.”

 

“No need to worry about it,” Kousuke replied, waving his hand dismissively. “They came here intending to cause trouble from the beginning anyway.”

 

While Eku could have handled the situation herself, Kousuke had stepped in because he thought it would be faster to deal with the annoyance directly. The Tower Conquest Guild’s ultimate goals remained unclear, but they had undoubtedly arrived with the intention of intimidating Wolf Fang and forcing various concessions from them.

 

Whether they employed similar tactics against other new Guilds, or if they were specifically targeting Wolf Fang after observing their Tower-clearing methods, remained unknown.

 

“At least this should keep the Tower Conquest Guild quiet for a while, right?” Kousuke said hopefully.

 

However, it was unclear how the other executives, apart from Vibro and Alta, would respond in the future. Based on their earlier attitudes, they might stir up trouble despite Vibro’s apparent willingness to back down. Predicting the actions of individual members within an organization was notoriously difficult.

 

Eku sighed after hearing Kousuke’s assessment. “I’m sure we’ll deal with similar situations in the future.”

 

Even if requests from large organizations like the Tower Conquest Guild remained infrequent, complaints and strange demands from smaller Guilds would likely increase as their reputation grew.

 

“Probably true. But I think that will diminish once Kouhi establishes herself in the arena,” Kousuke replied.

 

If Kouhi performed well in the arena, at least there would be fewer people making unreasonable demands through force. The only remaining concern would be organizations that might try to use political power to get their way.

 

“The Main Adventurer’s Guild is the only other major player left,” Kousuke mused.

 

The two most powerful entities in Seichun were the Tower Conquest Guild and the Main Adventurer’s Guild. Kousuke had now neutralized one of them.

 

“Well, I guess we’ll have to wait for information from the Defrayer Clan. That’s why I brought her here,” he continued, speaking freely since only trusted associates were present.

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Now, I suppose it’s time to focus on some important requests.”

 

The Adventurer’s Guild likely had requests for materials from the Tower’s upper Floors. Completing these requests successfully would help keep the Adventurer’s Guild in check. Additionally, smooth completion of such requests would attract attention from the major merchant Guilds that frequented Seichun, gradually increasing Wolf Fang’s influence in the city.

 

“I appreciate the support. Our team is getting accustomed to the work, so I don’t anticipate any problems,” Eku replied.

 

“Good to hear. By the way, how did it go with taking Cecil and Arisa to the appropriate Floors?”

 

“No problems at all. They were pleased they didn’t have to start from the 1^st Floor.”

 

“Excellent. That system works fine for now, but when we expand to Crown, we’ll need to establish proper protocols.”

 

Currently, since their members were almost all family, they could easily track each other’s abilities and register them on appropriate Floors. However, Crown would have numerous registered adventurers, making it impossible for the organization to accurately assess each individual party’s capabilities.

 

Kousuke wished he could simply determine abilities through Crown card rankings, but now that they knew rank differences existed between continents, relying solely on that system would be dangerous.

 

“True. But will you be that directly involved?” Eku asked, tilting his head. From past experience, he knew Kousuke rarely engaged deeply in Crown’s management.

 

“Hmm. That’s a tricky question. It will depend on when we can transfer Crown’s operations to others. We’ll have to see how things develop.”

 

Everyone in the room chuckled at Kousuke’s characteristically vague answer. It was typical of the man who had created a massive organization like Crown.

 

…

 

When Vibro returned to the Tower Conquest Guild building, the executives who had accompanied him immediately began voicing their complaints.

 

“Why did you back down so easily?” they demanded in unison.

 

Their original purpose in visiting Wolf Fang had been to uncover the secret behind their seemingly effortless Tower conquest. While Kousuke’s group did possess a high-performance carriage and considerable party strength—both important factors in Tower progression—even these advantages should not have made navigating the monster-filled Tower so straightforward. Everyone present believed there had to be another explanation.

 

Vibro raised his hand to silence them. “Listen carefully. We will no longer interfere with Wolf Fang as the Tower Conquest Guild. This is my decision as the guild leader.”

 

“Guild leader!” one executive protested.

 

Vibro shook his head firmly. “No matter what you say, this decision will not be overturned. I’m warning you—do not attempt anything unnecessary.”

 

When Vibro emphasized his final words, the executives retreated with reluctant expressions.

 

Both Vibro and Alta sighed deeply once they were alone.

 

“…What do you think?” Vibro asked.

 

Alta considered the question carefully before responding. “It’s a delicate situation. I don’t think they’ll act out immediately, but…”

 

“This has become a real headache.”

 

After their conversation, both Vibro and Alta found themselves nursing headaches as they contemplated what complications might arise next.