NOVEL NEXT Chapter 497
<497 – Thief Guild vs Revolutionary Army (1)>
Shu Churros immediately activated the emergency alert as an executive.
Revolutionaries are approaching.
Regardless of the authenticity of the information passed by the Assassin Maid of the Foundation, it didn’t matter.
If it’s a lie, the organization is out of danger, so they can gladly accept the punishment.
If it’s the truth, they can respond preemptively.
As long as she has loyalty and is willing to accept the sacrifices for the Thief Guild, the alarm must be raised regardless.
To put it frankly, the chances that this response wouldn’t end up being futile have significantly increased.
“Citizens have gathered under the pretext of a festival and events in the ground access route, and there are those who have actually submitted a permit application at the city hall.”
“Behind the festival, a nefarious group is growing in the city. Rumors of a cannibal restaurant that kidnaps children from the slums and cooks them are spreading, and those enraged are preparing for protests and riots.”
“Unregistered adventurers not registered in Kanelle City have entered the underground tunnels.”
“Adventurers using the pretext of hunting demonic beasts, but their actual destination is undoubtedly our patrol route. They are also acting as agents for the revolutionary army above, leaving traces of ragged clothes, bloodstains, and human bones so that the citizens can become outraged.”
“A notice has arrived from above regarding the closure of the sluice gate. Even high-ranking officials in Kanelle City are involved in this operation.”
“Even if there’s no entry through the tunnel, escape also seems to be difficult.”
As they face a simultaneous attack from all three fronts targeting aboveground, underground, and maritime, the guild is undoubtedly in a crisis.
“If the authenticity of the information is confirmed, I will now take custody of the lady.”
“Sorry, but that won’t be possible.”
“You lack faith.”
“It’s not a matter of will; it’s a matter of ability.”
“…?”
“A professor from the academy is imparting skills to that Oknodie child.”
“…!”
“I heard that it’s a crucial ritual that the VIP cannot afford to miss. Until the acquisition is complete, both Oknodie and the professor cannot leave the headquarters. As long as I must protect them, a complete withdrawal of the Thief Guild cannot be established.”
With the emergency alert sounding now, urgent procedures were already underway beyond the situation room to destroy and incinerate documents.
In addition, they plan to conduct double destruction and disruption operations using special reagents to prevent magical restoration.
If all magic used is identified and a method to access the destroyed documents is discovered, all this effort would be in vain, and all the information of the Thief Guild headquarters would suddenly fall into the hands of the revolutionaries.
‘How can the Thief Guild, serving the enemy of the VIP, face the disgrace of leaking information? I absolutely cannot allow that.’
A chilling cold voice reached Shu Churros, who was resolute.
“How foolish. You sacrifice your lives due to the organization’s circumstances.”
“If you were in the same situation, would you abandon the Foundation?”
“I would abandon it, if it were the Foundation.”
“That sounds like you would protect anything that isn’t the Foundation.”
“I just can’t abandon the lady.”
“We are both just as foolish. The Thief Guild is made up of people who cannot abandon the VIP either.”
The Destroyer’s Warrior was always a step behind.
Numerous victims had emerged, and grieving families were present.
Those families witnessed.
Citizens who despised them as an adventurer party that was of no help.
The adventurer party, quietly going about their duties while receiving countless curses.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t figure it out a little faster. I couldn’t arrive a bit earlier.”
Seeing someone who shouldn’t have to apologize do so for them, they forgave him.
As one human to another.
Forgiving the man known as the Destroyer.
And they resolved.
This time, it was their turn to protect him.
“If the swordsman has three sword kings challenging him for the Sword God position, and the magician has the five tower masters of the Multicolor Magic Tower, then for the thief, there are the continent’s ten great thieves.”
“How many will step forward?”
“All three, every one of them.”
The highest powers of the Thief Guild have all come forward.
*
Kanelle City, Aboveground.
Central Park.
“Gather more citizens. Kanelle City’s daily floating population exceeds one million. Be prepared to mobilize at least 100,000 people and spread the propaganda.”
Under the command of the revolutionary army’s propaganda squad leader, Goerang, the rumors spreading within the city intensified.
– In the underground, there are crazy chefs boiling children to death.
– Blood and flesh are for eating, and bones are offered as sacrifices for demon summoning.
– If the truth isn’t uncovered soon, there’s a high chance of a drastic drop in house prices throughout Kanelle City.
The most enraged citizens were those worried about the plummeting house prices.
“I’ve worked for years to buy a house with blood, sweat, and tears at the Adventurer’s Guild, and it’s dropping!”
“I barely settled in the city after a decade of working as a merchant; what will I do if this place goes to ruin? I don’t want to be a merchant again at my age!”
“Do you expect us to let demon-worshipers take the land our family has lived on for generations?”
There’s a saying: It takes time and patience for the masses to move, but once they do, they create kindling and set themselves ablaze without needing a spark.
Once the public is set in motion, they can be easily directed.
“The Thief Guild headquarters will be finished with this.”
The Destroyer would lose influence, and the revolutionary’s actions would become increasingly daring.
“If the fire has spread this far, the sparks ignited in Kanelle City cannot be extinguished by anyone.”
Those who have tasted the power of the masses would willingly gather for the revolutionary army on the upcoming day of revolution.
“Is that so? What a joyous occasion. We can have a festival to commemorate today.”
“Wait, who are you?”
Suddenly feeling suspicion at the presence of a man who naturally threw an arm over his shoulder, the propaganda squad leader’s body began to tremble violently.
Sparks crackled as the man’s protective magical tools exploded, starting from the glasses on his face to the rings he wore.
“Stop worrying and let’s just enjoy ourselves, my friend. Leave all the troublesome things to me and have a festival in your dreams.”
“Ugh, agh!”
“Right. Close your eyes. Just give up the initiative of your consciousness. That’s how [Body Snatcher] shows its true value, isn’t it?”
The man who took down the propaganda squad leader pressed his forehead against his, exerting even more power.
Splatch.
The massive trench coat-wearing man collapsed on top of the fallen propaganda squad leader.
With one hand, the squad leader pushed away the giant, who was now shrunken, while the crowd couldn’t see the change where the squad leader looked like a giant as he now towered over everyone.
He was currently in a hotel room overlooking the central park business area.
Knock knock.
“I’ve come to report on the state of the propaganda.”
“Alright.”
The propaganda squad leader picked up the top hat that had fallen on the head of the man who had collapsed and placed it on his own head.
Due to the change in the headwear, a yellow light sparkled in one of the man’s eyes beneath the tilted hat.
“Let’s make some chaos.”
*
The manager disguised as an adventurer sneaked into the infiltration route of the underground tunnels, revealing his annoyance at the revolutionary army that showed no signs of descending even after the scheduled time.
“You both, go up and check the situation. Don’t come back until you figure out what caused the disruption to the plan.”
The members of the management unit were all officially trained revolutionaries even within the revolutionary army. They were not weaklings who could be easily dealt with by mere city adventurers or guards, so he could send them without doubt.
In fact, a few minutes later, someone did return from above.
“Pabo and Buki sent us. There was a temporary disruption to the operation due to a counter-operation from the Thief Guild, but it should be resolved soon.”
“Is that so. Until then, should the management unit remain on standby?”
“Just a bit longer, please. It would be problematic if the Kanelle City Guard or the Adventurer’s Guild clean up the mess we made.”
“Got it. Thanks for your hard work, and go safe.”
As he turned away, an amnesiac dart struck the neck of the courier.
The courier collapsed like liquid and seeped into the ground.
While the startled members of the management unit hastily raised their guard, a voice echoed from the nearby floor.
“How did you know?”
“They wouldn’t send a courier without companions like Pabo and Buki. If they send someone, they should have figured out the procedures through prior research and skillfully manipulated thoughts, temporary hypnotism, and strong brainwashing to bring the two along with them.”
“How considerate. Thanks to that, I learned a valuable lesson. I’ll take note of it for the next theft.”
“Next? There won’t be one. You picked the wrong opponent.”
A cloud of gray emerged from under the manager’s feet.
A domain used only by those of rank five or above.
Someone who has set the foundation of control within their body and stepped into the first stage of exercising influence over the world connected to them.
To be appointed to a managerial position, one should have that level of skill.
“A domain user can exert their best skills over the surrounding space. And by fulfilling special conditions to improve the purity of mana, they can increase the power of their domain even further.”
“Aren’t you being too honest?”
“Just so you know, my primary ability is [Grab]. The oath is [Not keeping secrets].”
“That’s a difficult ability to work with in a secret organization.”
“Doesn’t matter. The moment you learn a secret, I need to be strong enough to crush you.”
The energy that sprawled in all directions forcefully gripped the lingering energy on the ground.
“I’ll give you a piece of advice. Such an arrogant oath should only be made when you have the strength to protect yourself. It should be no concern for a rookie barely hitting rank five to try it out.”
“…!”
He caught it.
But he lost it.
Even a martial artist trained in unarmed combat and an assassin skilled in stealth couldn’t be held down by a domain.
No matter how much he grasped, it slipped through like water in his hands, vanishing.
A sense of crisis surged as if something was wrong.
No matter how dense the domain, no matter how stealthily it extended, no matter how substantial the target, none of it worked.
The energy he held in his hands slipped away like liquid and disappeared.
Feathers were lodged into the back of his neck.
“My specialized function is [Flight]. I’m a thief who swore to be as [Honest] as you. Unlike you, who barely shined for a few years, I’m the number eight ranked among the top ten thieves of the continent, with a twenty-year long standing.”
“I’m strong in spirit; my body is a different matter! How dare you show yourself before me!”
The concentrated energy intended to tear him apart was cut off.
“Ugh…?”
In a reverse hold, it felt like his own limbs had been severed as the manager’s astonished face was covered in despair.
“Mastering flight allows one to freely navigate the boundaries between the material and immaterial. If I can do it, I can draw in others. Just like your ability to grab has future potential.”
The next target was his actual limbs.
Thud. Thud.
Not just the manager’s body.
Other members of the management unit also erupted, exploding and dying as they turned to flee.
In the blink of an eye, the tunnels filled with corpses as Kkamagwi Suin extended a hand resembling bird’s feet with wings on his back.
“From the other side of the dimensional boundary, I catch and pull them, then throw them into the boundaries. Everything happening here is a result of that alone.”
“N-No way. How can mere thieves wield such, such absurd power!!”
Laughing at the manager’s head, which he had picked up, Kkamagwi Suin chuckled.
“This is nothing. The Destroyer and the other continent’s top ten thieves are a hundred times stronger than this.”
Without sparing a glance at the body writhing without a head, he quietly seeped back into the earth.
The tunnels were wide, and there were far too many units of revolutionaries he needed to eliminate.
But he felt no burden.
“In the first place, it’s your weakness that you can’t even catch an eleven-year-old brat.”
Even when gathered, they were weaker than the one they needed to protect, Oknodie.
He had already grown curious about Oknodie, who was holed up in the headquarters, and had witnessed a portion of her true power.
As thoughts settled, that memory slowly started to surface on the surface of his consciousness.