Chapter 709: Hidden Agendas

A group of burly men sits around Henwell in the room's reception area.

"I've already sent your families the upfront family allowance of one thousand gold coins."

"Anyone who returns alive will receive another two thousand. If you die, your family gets four thousand."

A bearded man can't hold back. "Guildmaster, what exactly are we doing this time?"

Henwell glances at him. "Philir, I will explain this only once."

"Once the mission begins, don't ask questions, especially not of anyone outside our group."

"We will follow the people from the King's Shield and explore some ancient ruins."

"It'll be dangerous. Stay alert and use your heads when the time comes."

Danny, one of the guards, lights up. "Ruins? There should be plenty of treasure, right?"

Another guard, Dacro, leans forward eagerly. "How much do we get?"

Henwell raises one finger. "Ten percent."

Everyone looks disappointed. Philir mutters, "Only ten percent..."

Henwell replies evenly, "Ten percent is a hundred thousand gold coins. Split among the nine of you, is that still not enough?"

The men pause and exchange silent looks.

Henwell taps the gold ball in his hand against the table. "Do not get any ideas. Your families are still with the guild."

"If I do not return, things will end badly for you."

"And to make sure you behave, I have already issued a commission and left a sum of money in Peace Haven."

"If I die under suspicious circumstances, every one of you will be investigated."

"Now I will ask one last time. Are you taking the job or not?"

The men look at Henwell with deep apprehension. They force smiles and hastily assure him that they will not try anything.

Once most of them have agreed, Henwell looks at the last guard. "What about you, Miller?"

The thirty-year-old man hesitates, then gives a slight nod. "I'll do it."

Henwell has selected nine capable guards from the guild. The four named men, Miller, Philir, Danny, and Dacro, are all Battle Knights.

The other five are at the Knight rank and serve as trusted deputies to those four.

The Qili Guild's elite guards are one reason it is so well known.

Anyone who has dealt with it knows that its several guard teams are exceptionally capable.

Every man selected for this mission has already begun harboring disloyal ambitions and is preparing to make trouble.

They lack the ability to seize control of the guild themselves, but the branch guildmaster they support has plainly coveted Henwell's position for a long time.

The next morning, Henwell takes the nine professionals and more than thirty guards outside Kuka City to join the rest of the expedition.

The Lady of Calamity has also brought more than thirty guards. The three men and two women closest to her are all at the Battle Knight rank.

Solomon's group is much larger, numbering a full hundred people.

The captain of Solomon's guards is a Grand Knight, and the group even has a second professional at the same rank.

The remaining guards are also elite fighters, clearly subjected to rigorous training.

The moment Henwell arrives, he nearly attacks on the spot.

It is not the small fry around Solomon who provoke such a strong reaction.

The short woman dressed as the Lady of Calamity's maid is Alex, the assassin who nearly killed Henwell.

If the Lady of Calamity had not deliberately blocked his path of attack, Henwell would already have struck.

Alex hides behind the Lady of Calamity and bares her small fangs at him. Henwell reaches for the long cylindrical case strapped across his back.

The Lady of Calamity gives him a subtle look. After a moment's hesitation, Henwell slowly lowers his hand.

Solomon misses the exchange entirely. Looking over the assembled party, he feels much more confident about the mission.

Solomon then announces the rules. "First, do not ask too many questions."

"You will be told what you need to know. Asking about things you should not know will help no one."

"Second, do not cause trouble."

"Until the mission is over, no drinking in taverns and no seeking out women. Ask permission before leaving the group."

"Third, my word is law."

"Once the operation begins, you will obey every order I give without question."

"Getting yourselves killed is your own affair. Endangering everyone else is unforgivable."

"There is still time to withdraw. If you remain when we depart, I will assume you understand my rules."

"Break them afterward, and you will face punishment beyond anything you wish to endure."

Solomon keeps his speech brief, then orders the expedition to depart.

Two hundred horses escort more than a dozen four-wheeled Grand Carriage wagons made in Peace Haven as the column sets out for its destination.

They spend the night in a town where the King's Shield has already arranged food and lodging.

During dinner, Henwell smiles at the Lady of Calamity. "I like this gift. Give me a few days, and I will deal with it without leaving a trace."

The Lady of Calamity sighs. "You cannot kill her. I invited her here to help us."

Henwell keeps smiling. "I know. You can trust me to handle it quietly. No one will notice a thing."

The Lady of Calamity frowns. "They are useful, and I promise they will not hunt you again."

Henwell's smile slowly fades. She has refused the opening he gave her.

"My life and my family's lives matter more than your assurances. I appreciate your help before, but those two have to die."

The Lady of Calamity shakes her head. "Henwell, everything has a price. What will it take for you to spare them?"

Henwell's tone is firm. "I told you, this concerns the safety of my family and me. No amount of money is enough."

The Lady of Calamity pauses. "Keeping them alive also concerns your safety."

"They come from a powerful organization on the Abundant Continent, and they are important to it."

"If you kill them, trouble will come for you without end."

Henwell scoffs. "What a joke. They have powerful backers, so I shouldn't dare kill them? I should just accept whatever they do to me?"

"If I kill them now, it will not be long before I reach the Glory Rank."

"I know the continent imposes restrictions on Glory Rank professionals. They cannot kill others at will."

"Those rules do not prohibit fighting back after an attack."

"The Forgotten Continent is different. It restricts every powerful professional who comes from outside."

"I would not be afraid even if a Domain Master came here. One mistake, and the intruder would die by my hand."

"No matter how powerful their organization is, would it really send a Domain Master across the sea to avenge them and risk that professional's life?"

"As for the Forgotten Continent itself, how many Glory Rank professionals has it produced in the past ten thousand years? Would any of them risk their lives against me?"

The Lady of Calamity remains silent for a long time. "Having them with us will make the next stage of our journey far less dangerous."

"I also promise to tell you a secret afterward, a secret concerning the Hundred-Year Calamity."

"I guarantee that you do not know it, and that it will be extremely useful to you."