When Fantasy Glitches

Inside Arbarth's office, the Major General sat behind his desk, eyeing the still-masked Magnus, whose demeanor had settled back to normal. Magnus had just finished giving what could only be called a quick rundown of everything that had happened. Arbarth was clearly shocked, but also relieved by the news.

"So, they were using an entire guild as part of their operations? That explains some of the stranger reports my agents have been sending in while tracking their movements. In any case, good work making the connection. I can't openly commend you for wiping out the guild, but given their affiliation, I can handle the cleanup without much trouble."

Magnus cut in.

"Well, I didn't wipe out all of them. I captured their leader, along with two regular members. I figured you might have a use for them."

Arbarth's eyebrows went up.

"Oh? That would definitely make it easier to justify the upcoming raid. Did you bring them with you?"

Magnus shook his head.

"I couldn't teleport with all of them, so I'm having... a servant of mine deliver them in person."

Arbarth's interest sharpened at that. He'd kept tabs on Magnus for quite some time—at least until recently—and as far as he knew, Magnus didn't have servants. Just the occasional ally.

"May I ask who they are?"

Magnus nodded, hesitating before answering.

"When I was dealing with those vampires, I needed a little help with their... unique physiology. So I captured one and made a deal: I'd let him live and work for me, and in return, he'd help me take care of the rest of his kind hiding in the city. There's no need to worry about his loyalty. After our agreement, I used my gift to create something like a binding contract. He can't break it, no matter what. I can promise you that." The Major General didn't look entirely convinced—Magnus's so-called "gift" had always been vague—but Arbarth knew this wasn't the time to debate it. Not when they had such a big target in front of them.

After a brief pause, Arbarth nodded.

"Alright. I'll have some of my men ready to receive your servant when he arrives. Moving on—you mentioned you needed me to dig up something?"

"That's right," Magnus said.

"From what we know, Nightshade's base is underground. It's got multiple entrances through unsealed waterways, but I doubt their operations stretch across the entire underside of the city. I plan to do some recon on my own, but I could use the old schematics of the sealed sewer sections. I imagine you could get your hands on something like that?"

Arbarth brushed his chin thoughtfully before giving a slow nod.

"Probably, yes—but I'll need to tread carefully. From what you've told me, Nightshade's gotten its hooks into the nobility through Lord Vostus. And with the Jackals' connections before you uprooted them, he's bound to try and slow us down if we make the wrong move. On the other hand... it might be a chance to deal with everything in one decisive strike."

Magnus looked like he wasn't following.

"What do you mean?"

"You said Lord Vostus probably didn't contact Nightshade or Zeth directly, but went through this guild leader. It's only a matter of time before the nobles involved start wondering what happened to the Jackals, their dealings, and why their arrangements with the Metal Gear Guild suddenly fell apart. Naturally, they'll send Vostus to investigate. That's our opening. If we can get the guild leader to confess, then Vostus showing up at their headquarters will give us reason enough to arrest him. Paired with all the evidence you've helped gather, we should be able to detain him and the other noble families involved until the Royal Court can pass judgment."

"Ah, I see." Magnus understood now—the Major General was planning to turn the whole thing into an ambush for Lord Vostus. If the interrogation of the three guild members Magnus had Niall deliver went well, they could launch the raid and seize every noble tied to Nightshade, whether through the Jackals or the Metal Gear Guild. At least for a while, they'd be free to work without interference.

"It sounds like a plan. I'll leave the nobility to you, then. But there's one last thing we need to discuss."

At that, Arbarth's focus sharpened.

"What is it?"

Magnus leaned forward slightly, his tone shifting.

"I'm sure you remember what I told you about the vampires and their abilities. Even with Kolten, Alwen, and your men's support, the fact that the Jackals had such powerful forces in their higher ranks doesn't bode well for us."

Arbarth frowned but gave a short nod.

"Agreed. I'd like to believe there aren't many more unknown Adept- or Master-level combatants in an organization like this, but that's just wishful thinking. As it stands, Alwen and Kolten are the only Master-level knights we have in Arlcliff City. With this storm, I'm sure Mia, Gerald, and Marcos are tied up, and we can't count on them returning in time for this operation. As for Adept-level knights, most had been sent out as platoon leaders to assist Mia's group."

In short, they were stretched thin. At the time, the Major General had judged the situation with the Nullfang serious enough to send extra forces to support Mia, but that had also ended up draining most of his reserves. Dispatching any more men would mean pulling troops from other posts, leaving Arlcliff City vulnerable, something he didn't have the authority to do casually. That all meant, aside from Alwen and Kolten, there were very few knights he could still spare.

Knowing all this, Magnus spoke again.

"That's exactly why I brought it up. Do you remember Luden?"

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Of the Rilhawk Family? Of course," Arbarth answered without hesitation.

"Well, he's been helping me with all of this. In fact, he's the reason I even found out Lord Vostus and other nobles were involved in the first place. Thanks to him, I also managed to locate the Metal Gear Guild's base of operations. I won't get into the details, but he has his own problems with Vostus, and by extension, he's willing to help us take on Nightshade. On top of that, he's offering to reach out to other members of our faction and ask for their support. I'm sure you know the details of the Live Examination well enough by now, so I doubt I need to tell you how useful they could be."

"Hmm..." Arbarth went quiet after the sound, his thoughts turning over. Magnus wasn't wrong—he knew exactly who was part of Magnus's faction and what they were capable of. They were undeniably powerful, and if they joined this operation, their strength would boost the odds of success by a large margin. But there was a problem—most of them were heirs to noble families. Letting them take part could open the door to countless complications down the line. And beyond that, the Major General couldn't help but question why Luden would agree to help in the first place.

The nobility weren't like the military. When they wanted something done, they had far more tools at their disposal than direct conflict. Which meant for Luden to choose this method meangt he wanted something.

As if reading the meaning behind the frown on Arbarth's face, Magnus said, "I know why you're hesitant—and you're right. I did have to agree that he'd be doing the Batis Military a favor. In other words, he wants to build connections with you, and he also wants to make sure that he, along with any other potential members of our faction who offer their assistance, are cleared of any legal responsibility during the raid."

Hearing that, something clicked for Arbarth.

"Ah, I see..." He muttered.

Noticing the Major General's continued hesitation, Magnus let out a slow sigh.

"I know it's a lot to ask. But like you said, we need the help. If we're going to do this right and completely wipe out Nightshade, we need to hit them with as much force as possible, and from every angle we can. I'd say owing a favor and making sure they don't get arrested or reported afterward is a small compromise, wouldn't you?"

Arbarth's frown deepened, but after a few moments, he exhaled heavily.

"I suppose you're right... Fine then—tell him I'll agree to his terms."

The tension in Magnus's shoulders eased.

"Perfect."

With that settled, they went over a few final details, such as when Niall would arrive with the captured guild members and their leader. Soon after, Magnus rose from his seat, ready to leave.

"I'll keep mobilizing my forces, and I'll try to get you those schematics by tomorrow. But remember—we're on a tight schedule if what you said about the executives' meeting is true," Arbarth reminded him, his gaze fixed on Magnus.

Magnus nodded.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to identify the best entry points before the meeting. All that's left now is to inform Luden of the dates and the overall plan."

"Hmhm. In that case, good luck," Arbarth said, watching as Magnus started toward the door—only to vanish in an instant, teleporting away.

Once he was gone, the Major General leaned back in his chair with a long sigh.

"This is going to be messy," He muttered to himself.

"Once he finds the entrance to Nightshade's base and we begin the operation, I should issue an evacuation order for the area topside—just in case."

•

Year 348 of the Great Sundering Era, 2nd Month, 19th Day of the Mistveil Cycle.

Inside Zeth's private room in the nightclub, the executive and technical founder of Nightshade sat before a floating crystal ball on the table. His usual composed demeanor was cracked as he spoke to the figure on the other side.

"Wait—what? I may only be partway through that updated list of materials, but the guild's making good progress. We've had to put a few clients on hold, which certaintly didn't make those noble bastards happy, but we're still managing. Just give me a few more weeks and I can-"

Zeth was cut off by the voice from the crystal ball. The tone carried no emotion, only the blunt delivery of facts.

"It's too late for that. Perhaps you haven't realized yet, but the guild you're so proud of has already been destroyed—likely by the same mage who took out Heiman. I'm not sure why they're moving so quickly, but the point remains: any plans you had involving that guild are now worthless."

The words hit Zeth like a hammer. He slumped back in disbelief.

"B- But that's not possible, I'm still getting report-" He stopped short, his eyes narrowing as the truth sank in.

No... Now that I think about it, I haven't gotten any reports lately, have I? That idiot I left in charge might not have been a genius, but he knew how to follow orders. He wouldn't have missed so many updates.

The realization set in, and disbelief quickly gave way to fury. The image of Magnus's face burned in his mind.

"That fucking brat, again!" He slammed a hand against the table, making it shake.

He'd already been told his attempt to capture Celia had failed, which hadn't surprised him. That move had been more of a probe—something to divert Magnus's attention and confirm whether the girl was under his protection. If she were, harassing her could have still been considered a way to buy time. If not, she could be taken hostage and used as leverage. In the end, it had been the latter. But before they could even mobilize again, and instead of slowing Magnus down, it had only pushed him to dismantle Nightshade even faster.

Fucking hell. Even if Nightshade fell, that guild was my second option. It was far enough removed from Nightshade that one could survive without the other. And with all the connections it had built among the elite, even if I had to abandon Arlcliff City, I could have kept the guild running elsewhere—on a smaller scale at first, but still alive. From there, I could have grown it back into something as large as Nightshade, with the nobility and Tonic backing me.

But now, all of that was gone. The Metal Gear Guild was gone, and Nightshade would be next. Not to mention, without the guild, there's no way for him to get the materials the mages need—not without direct access to the nobles.

In an instant, everything had collapsed. And it was all because of one brat.

"Are you finished?" The voice from the crystal ball cut in, making Zeth's gaze snap upward.

"What do you mean, am I done? Isn't this bad for both of us?"

"As we said before, your last report forced us to move up our schedule. We were prepared for things to go wrong—though being prepared doesn't mean we were ready for every outcome. We're now pushing forward much faster than intended, and the results are still uncertain. That's why we sprung our traps early. Fortunately, most of them have worked, or at least are drawing in the proper targets. With the major threats occupied outside of the city, it's time for you to take the stage and handle two very important tasks for us."

Zeth's anger cooled slightly, replaced with a guarded edge as he shifted in his chair.

"And what tasks would those be? You do remember my options are limited right now, don't you?"

"Indeed—and our first request will limit them even further. Above all else, you must ensure that Nightshade is completely mobilized from this point on. We don't care how you do it, but if the organization is going to fall, it cannot happen quietly. We need the entire city to be focused on the event. Every available force is to be deployed to stall Nightshade's destruction until the very end."

Zeth nearly scoffed, his eyes narrowing with disbelief and curiosity.

"So you basically want me to make sure everyone goes down with the ship when that brat comes to finish things? Why? Even a fragment of Nightshade could still be useful to you."

The figure didn't answer his question.

"You don't need to know our reasoning. You only need to follow orders. Nightshade will fight to the last. Is that understood?"

Their tone sharpened with the last sentence, leaving no room for anything but agreement or refusal.

Zeth was silent for a moment before finally nodding.

"Fine. I suppose I can use the guild's sudden collapse as a decent excuse to mobilize our men—call it a precaution ahead of our next executive meeting."

"Good," the shadowed figure said.

"Because that leads to the second task. And it's one that will only become possible once Nightshade is fully embroiled in conflict."