Chapter 235: In The Dark

In another part of Greyvale City, inside a dark room. This room lay within the undercroft of an ancestral estate, its upper halls adorned with portraits of esteemed ancestors and tapestries celebrating heroic lineages.

Yet here, beneath the polished veneer of nobility, the air felt colder and heavier, thick with a quiet desperation born from threatened ambition.

A single circular table made of black oak dominated the center of the chamber, its surface smooth and gleaming under suspended crystal lanterns that cast a muted amber glow over five figures seated evenly around it.

Each bore a name that held weight in Greyvale; each commanded lands, coin, and retainers sufficient to sway trade, politics, and law. And yet at this moment, they appeared less like lords and more like individuals ensnared in the unraveling threads of a carefully woven net.

Lord Hadrien of House Solmere sat upright in a high-backed chair carved with his family’s sigil, a silver falcon grasping a blade. His face was narrow and sharp, features disciplined into habitual composure; however, tonight that mask strained at the edges.

His fingers drummed lightly against the table not out of impatience but calculation, as if each faint tap marked shifting probabilities in his mind.

Across from him sat Lord Pellian, broad-shouldered and red-faced with agitation. He leaned forward with both hands planted firmly on the wood, rings glinting on each thick finger. His breathing was slightly labored, whether due to temper or constitution and his eyes flickered restlessly among the others as if searching for betrayal.

To Pellian’s right was Lord Kessarine of House Drovan; his gaunt frame and hawk-like gaze gave him an almost predatory air. Clad in unadorned dark attire, he spoke little but thought much, the thin line of his mouth suggested deep contemplation.

Beside him sat Lady Veyra of House Lunehart; she held herself with poised stillness, her pale hair elegantly bound at her neck while her cool eyes shone like moonlight on still water.

Finally, Lord Merrowyn of House Talbrek, silver-haired and weathered by years spent negotiating rather than fighting, reclined slightly in his chair with one hand thoughtfully resting against his chin as he observed the others with an air that hinted he had witnessed too many alliances fracture to be surprised by discord.

The silence around the table didn’t last long.

“This wasn’t part of the agreement,” Pellian exclaimed, his voice echoing off the stone walls as he slammed his palm on the table, causing the lanterns to sway slightly.

“We were supposed to consolidate our influence quietly, through contracts, supply leverage, and favorable legislation. Then suddenly, the Guild is attacked, walls breached, blood spilled in the streets. Now every official in Greyvale is scrutinizing any movement involving Guild assets. Our window is closing by the hour.”

Hadrien’s drumming fingers came to a halt. “Lower your voice,” he replied coolly. “Panic helps no one.”

“Panic?” Pellian shot back, his jowls quivering as he leaned closer. “This isn’t panic; it’s sabotage! Whoever orchestrated that attack has made us all look reckless.”

Lady Veyra shifted her gaze from one lord to another before speaking with a measured tone that held an undercurrent of steel.

“Let’s establish something clearly,” she said, folding her hands on the table. “None of us sanctioned a direct attack on the Guild. If any of us had chosen such a course of action, we wouldn’t be sitting here in mutual ignorance.”

Kessarine nodded slightly in agreement.

Merrowyn narrowed his eyes subtly. “Then the question becomes: who benefits?”

“Not us,” Pellian muttered darkly.

Hadrien surveyed them all carefully before finally speaking up. “An external force,” he concluded.

“Someone who either underestimated the Guild’s resilience or aimed to provoke instability. The timing was… inconvenient.”

“Inconvenient?” Pellian scoffed. “It has made our gradual acquisition strategy nearly impossible! The Guild’s leadership will tighten internal controls; donations and patronage will be scrutinized. Even the smallest overture now looks suspect.”

Lady Veyra tilted her head slightly. “Perhaps not impossible,merely… altered.”

Pellian turned sharply toward her. “Altered? The Guild nearly lost one of their elite squads! The Adventurer District is half in ruins! Do you think they’ll welcome assistance from noble houses without suspicion?”

“Suspicion fades,” Veyra replied calmly, “but necessity does not.”

A brief silence followed, punctuated only by the faint hum of lantern crystals.

Kessarine finally spoke again, his voice low and precise: “We must separate emotion from strategy. The attack didn’t destroy the Guild; it merely wounded them. Wounds require resources for healing, reconstruction, compensation, morale stabilization, all of which demand coin and influence.”

Merrowyn’s lips curved faintly into a smile. “So you propose we step in as benefactors?”

“Publicly,” Kessarine confirmed with conviction. “Generously and united.”

Pellian blinked in surprise at this unexpected suggestion. “United? After this chaos?”

“Especially after,” Kessarine replied. “If we approach separately, we risk appearing opportunistic. But if we present ourselves as a coalition genuinely concerned for Greyvale’s stability, we’ll come across as responsible.”

Hadrien leaned back slightly, contemplating the idea. “A joint reconstruction fund.”

Lady Veyra’s eyes sparkled with interest. “With oversight provisions.”

Pellian frowned and asked. “Oversight?”

“Absolutely,” she said smoothly. “If we’re committing significant resources to rebuild the Adventurer District, it would be irresponsible not to ensure proper allocation. We could establish a committee with advisory roles and regular audits.”

Lady Veyra smiled inwardly as she looked at them. Let them argue about oversight and influence. She had already planted two of her own people in the reconstruction crews. By the time the others noticed, it would be too late

Merrowyn nodded slowly. “And through those advisory roles, we gain access.”

Hadrien resumed his quiet tapping on the table. “Access to internal logistics, contracts, and resource channels.”

Pellian’s earlier agitation shifted into cautious curiosity. “Do you think they would accept such oversight?”

“Pride is costly,” Veyra replied confidently. “Reconstruction is even more so.”

Kessarine added, “The public mood favors unity right now. If the houses are seen stabilizing the city while the Guild recovers, refusing our help would seem… ungrateful.”

Pellian exhaled slowly, his anger giving way to contemplation. “So you’re suggesting we turn this damage into leverage?”

Hadrien allowed himself a thin smile. “We were always going to acquire influence gradually; this just accelerates certain aspects.”

Merrowyn’s gaze sharpened with focus. “But carefully.”

“Carefully,” Hadrien echoed.

The tension around the table shifted from accusatory to strategic, though an undercurrent of distrust still lingered.

Pellian cleared his throat. “We still haven’t tackled the central question: If none of us orchestrated the assault, who did?”

Kessarine’s expression darkened slightly as he responded. “There are factions beyond Greyvale that resent the Guild’s growing prominence, mercenary companies displaced by their contracts, noble families whose private militias have lost relevance, and even foreign interests that view the Guild as a stabilizing force against their designs.”

“Speculation,” Pellian muttered.

“Possibility,” Kessarine corrected him.

Veyra briefly glanced at the lantern light above them as if weighing her words carefully. “And then there’s Valeria.”

At her mention, a subtle shift occurred among them.

Merrowyn spoke first again. “Her rise complicates matters significantly.”

“A Six-Star Grandmaster Knight at her age,” Pellian remarked quietly.

“She commands loyalty not just through strength but also through presence,” Veyra added thoughtfully.

Hadrien tightened his jaw slightly in response. “That’s why controlling the Guild is crucial, if it continues consolidating power under such charismatic leadership, its independence will only grow.”

Merrowyn nodded thoughtfully. “An autonomous Guild with military-grade talent and loyalty throughout the city becomes… a challenge for governance.”

Pellian leaned back, arms crossed. “So we agree on the goal.”

“Always,” Hadrien added softly. “The Guild must align with our interests.”

Veyra’s eyes flickered. “Align, not destroy.”

Kessarine inclined his head in agreement. “Destruction breeds chaos; alignment fosters stability.”

Merrowyn studied each of them carefully before continuing. “We’ll proceed in stages. Stage one: public solidarity, reconstruction funding and advisory oversight. Stage two: contract influence. Stage three: internal cultivation.”

Pellian frowned slightly. “Internal cultivation?”

“Promising adventurers,” Merrowyn clarified. “Those ambitious yet overlooked. We should provide them sponsorships and private incentives, loyalty isn’t exclusive only to the Guildmaster.”

Hadrien nodded approvingly. “Divide their influence.”

Veyra added quietly, “And keep a close eye on Valeria. If she rises further, she could be either a valuable ally or a significant obstacle.”

A hush fell over the room.

Pellian shifted uncomfortably. “You speak as if conflict with her is unavoidable.”

“Not unavoidable,” Veyra replied gently, “but it is possible.”

Hadrien’s expression hardened slightly. “That’s why we avoid open hostility, for now.”

Merrowyn exhaled slowly, acknowledging the gravity of their situation. “The recent attack has made one thing clear: the Guild is vulnerable to external threats. That vulnerability presents both an opportunity and a risk.”

Kessarine lowered his voice further, emphasizing his point. “If this unknown aggressor strikes again, the city could fall into instability, complicating our efforts significantly.”

“Then we must ensure stability,” Hadrien asserted firmly. “Publicly condemn the attack and offer support; position ourselves as guardians of Greyvale.”

Pellian nodded slowly in agreement. “And what about behind closed doors?”

“Behind closed doors,” Hadrien replied decisively, “we tighten our grip on power.”

The lantern light flickered faintly as if reflecting their intense resolve.

Lady Veyra finally leaned back, her expression unreadable but contemplative. “It seems that our setback might turn into an advantage.”

Merrowyn allowed himself a small smile of contemplation. “As long as we stay united.”

Kessarine glanced around the table one last time before stating, “Unity is efficient.”

Pellian huffed softly but didn’t object.

Hadrien rose from his seat, prompting the others to follow suit after a brief pause, the motion almost ritualistic in nature.

“Then we proceed,” he declared with renewed steadiness in his voice. “We act swiftly, visibly, and together.”

One by one, they nodded in agreement.

The meeting concluded not in anger, but with a calculated coolness. Above them, the Guild continued its restless recovery, blissfully unaware that beneath its streets and estates, power dynamics shifted like tectonic plates, poised for future upheaval.

The Guild was busy rebuilding its walls while shadows conspired in hidden chambers. Meanwhile, the noble houses, presenting smiles in public, were sharpening their intentions behind closed doors.

The game was far from over; it had simply taken on a new form.

However, what these greedy nobles failed to realize is that their plans hinge entirely on the Guild’s willingness to accept their help. Without the Guild’s approval of their so-called “noble assistance,” all their efforts would be futile.

After all things are not simple as they planned out.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep