Marco sat down slowly, trying to process what had happened, before locking eyes with the smirking, sweaty guy kneeling in front of him.
“You saw it too, right?” Alan smiled, struggling to breathe. “T-There’s no turning back from that now.”
Still shaken, Marco did his best to ignore him and what had been revealed to him. He stood up without Amelia’s insistent help, readjusted his suit and turned to the still expectant crowd.
He paused to close his eyes. The visions extracted from Alan’s head were still fresh, tormenting him like rabid dogs barking around him. He needed five more seconds to steel himself, creating uncertainty between everyone gathered.
“Nonsense,” Marco muttered to himself before addressing the crowd. “Friends, listen please. Shooting Stars is crumbling. Can’t you see it has fallen from grace? It happens even to the best of guilds. And it’s happening to ours! It began yesterday when this man dared to show up at our doorstep, and it followed with our precious Guild Master giving preference to this fool. I mean… wasn’t meritocracy the foundation of this guild?”
Marco’s words were received with applause and cheers.
Jason Foreman chimed in through the microphone, <
“Yes, yes. You get it,” Marco resumed, taking in the clamor of anger and frustration. “You all deserve the best! That’s why, I had to take manners in my own hands, swallow my pride, and ask another guild for help.”
The uproar faded and was switched for frowns and whispers. Marco then looked at Jason who nodded. The screen changed images shortly after. The face of a smiling young teen soon stared at the audience.
With caramel-toned long hair and violet eyes, the smiling girl beamed at everyone present, her bright expression almost too radiant to be genuine. A moment of awkward silence lingered before her voice crackled through the speakers.
<
The crowd shifted uneasily. Amid the murmurs, Alan caught a name: Death Bringers. Judging by their reactions, that was the name of a rival guild.
A male guild member suddenly shot up from his seat. “Marco, what’s the meaning of this?!” He then turned to the crowd. “Don’t you see who that brat is?!”
<
Alan recognized Oscar as the man who had brought him to Londorus on his giant winged cat.
Oscar’s face turned red. “It was a rhetorical question, you moron! What I mean to say is, Marco, are you betraying Shooting Stars?!”
“I can’t betray a guild I’ve already quit,” Marco replied smoothly.
Oscar gaped at him in disbelief.
Kathleen took over. <
“Are you serious?!” Oscar barked, fists clenching. He looked about ready to charge at Marco, but Jason stepped in front of him.
<
<
“Don’t listen to her!” Oscar shouted. “This must be a misunderstanding! Astrid would never—!”
“Then why does he have the First Officer badge?” a girl from the crowd pointed at Alan.
Alan blinked. Above each person, if he focused, he could see their name and guild affiliation. Some had rank badges. He vaguely remembered checking his status the day before and noticing a new title, but he had brushed it off. Now, as he focused on Marco, he realized something, Marco’s name was there, but his guild tag was missing.
“If this is all a mistake, I didn’t see you defending this guy until now,” Marco said smoothly.
Oscar opened his mouth, then closed it, clearly conflicted.
“Anyway,” Marco continued. “Anyone who wants to leave this place and join Kathleen is free to follow me. I’m done with this.”
<
"HOLD ON!” Alan’s voice cut through the noise. His body tensed. “If what your colleagues are saying is true, and Shooting Stars really is at the top of the world, then I don’t believe for a second that you made it possible! So why are you all listening to this asshole?!"
Marco’s smirk twitched. "What?"
Amelia watched as his fists clenched. “Marco…”
"I bet it was all thanks to Astrid’s efforts while you just tagged along for the ride!" Alan went on, standing up. "I bet she whipped you lazy bums into shape every damn day until you became elite warriors! You owe it to her!"
Murmurs of protest and promises of making him suffer filled the hall, but Marco silenced them with a single raised hand.
Smirking, he took a step forward. “Do you know what we used to call you before we met your stupid face? ‘Alan, the Ghost’. We joked about you being invisible, or that your name was just a glitch on the guild roster.” He tilted his head. “So tell me, Ghost, how could you possibly know how we got to the top when you were never here?”
"To everyone gathered here!" Alan shouted. "How can you believe everything he says without question?! I know I’m a complete stranger to you, and it’s fine if you don’t trust me, but every single issue he has with me can be solved! That I stole his paycheck? Use a 'pickpocket' ability on me and see I’m broke! Go and check the guild’s vault or something! That I stole his position? That sounds more like a system glitch from logging back in! Listen, I..."
He stopped mid-sentence, reconsidering his next words. The whole situation was ridiculous, and he wanted nothing more than to throw the truth in their faces and see Marco Souza flustered, maybe even begging for forgiveness. But the voices of Isabella and Ashley echoed in his mind, reminding him of his mission.
“…Just be honest with yourselves. Is this bullshit really a good reason to abandon something you’ve worked so hard to achieve?”
Alan scanned the crowd, searching for any sign… someone nodding, whispering, anything that showed they were actually considering his words. But the guild members' lips remained sealed, their gazes unapologetically cold.
They know, Alan realized, catching sight of Amelia’s mocking grin. Some of them know Marco is wrong. They just don’t care.
He locked eyes with Marco. "After what you saw inside my mind, do you still want to keep up this charade?"
"What I saw doesn’t concern me," Marco replied with a shrug. "As I see it, those images were nothing more than the fractured psyche of an experienced con artist."
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
"Wow, projecting much?" Alan scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "I can see now that Astrid didn’t hire you for your wits..."
Amelia caught the flicker of anger behind Marco’s calm smile. “Don’t bother. Let me,” she said, stepping forward. She raised her right palm, mana surrounding her. “Jason? Turn off the arena settings. We’re done playing.”
The red and blue lights separating the ring changed to white, and the dangerous skull beside Amelia’s level seemed even deadlier than before. Alan knew this time, he would not respawn so quickly.
"Haven’t you killed him enough times already?!" Oscar yelled, stepping forward. "If you’re not part of this guild anymore, then just go!"
"He’s right," a female voice cut in as a girl jumped in front of Alan, shielding him. "Why don’t you get the fuck out of here and go kiss Kathleen’s ass already, Marco?"
"Marissa," Alan breathed. Then he spotted Tamara rushing to his side.
"Oh, Alan, I’m so sorry! I had no idea what they were trying to—!" Tamara cried, frantically examining his arms and hands. "Are you okay? Should I heal you?"
Shortly after, Alan saw Matthew Bernstein and William emerging from the corridor, their gazes unapologetic.
So these guys were only a distraction. Alan glanced at the agitated Tamara and then at Marissa, who stood firmly in front of him. He could picture her glare from the sharpness in her tone.
"Marissa, mind your words," Amelia called, stepping forward. Her voice then softened. "It’s time to leave this joke of a guild. Will you come with me?" She reached out, but Marissa's attention was on Marco.
"If only I had known there was a venomous snake among us," Marissa muttered, barely audible. She shot a quick glance at Matthew. "At least some of us knew. Isn’t that right, pumpkin?"
"Matthew is coming with me," Marco interjected, still unnervingly calm. "And there’s a place for you too. For everyone here." He gestured toward the watching crowd. "Well, not everyone." His gaze settled on Alan. "So why don’t you join—"
Marissa vanished.
Marco caught her just before she hit the ground. Alan watched him closely but saw no rage on his face. Not even a flicker.
"Shut your mouth. I’m tired of you."
Amelia's eyes widened in panic. "MARCO!"
It happened in an instant. Alan barely processed it. A silvery blur streaked through the air in a wide diagonal, followed by an absurd amount of blood splattering onto the white-lit floor.
Amelia… Did you really protect that asshole?
"Why did you do it?!" Marissa’s voice trembled as Amelia's body collapsed backward. Marco caught her just before she hit the ground.
Amelia… Did you really protect that asshole? Alan paid attention to Marco and could not detect a hint of rage on his face.
Marco gestured to William and Matthew to rush to his side. But even though Matthew was a good healer, Alan could see Amelia’s HP bar had dropped all the way to zero.
"You’re right, Oscar," Marco said, his voice low. "Enough blood has been spilled today."
Without another word, he turned toward the exit, not sparing anyone a glance. William followed, carrying Amelia in his arms.
Matthew tried speaking to Marissa, who had fallen to her knees, staring blankly at the pool of blood beneath her. But he only shook his head before silently following the others.
The rest of the guild began to disperse, some muttering insults, others throwing glares at Alan as they passed.
Then, Alan’s whole world went black.
* * * * *
* * * *
* * *
* *
*
"Not every day you see dozens leaving through the front door," a female voice said, snapping Alan back to reality.
He opened his eyes to a familiar ceiling. As his senses returned, he realized he was lying on a bed, with Tamara sitting beside him.
"How are you feeling? An NPC checked you over. He said you just had Battle Fatigue. That's why you fainted."
"I fainted?" he asked weakly, trying to sit up. That’s when he noticed another woman in the room, perched on the windowsill.
"You dropped like a rock." She smirked. She looked around the same age as any other Tandem, with black hair in a sleek bob that framed her youthful features in an inverted triangle shape. What caught Alan’s attention, however, was her outfit—similar to what Marissa had worn last night. A navy-blue, low-neck catsuit adorned with golden embellishments on the boots, hips, and arms. "My name is Helen Reed. Nice to meet you, Mr. Warden."
The name rang a bell, though it took him a moment to place it. "You’re Astrid’s best friend."
Helen's eyes widened slightly before she sneered. "Did she say that?"
"Well, she told me you were her very first friend here in the Novus."
"After you, I suppose," she quipped, crossing her legs and resting her chin in her hand. "But yes, you could say that. I’ve known Astrid since before I joined her as the ‘third’ official Shooting Star. She wouldn’t stop bugging me about it for an entire week.” She studied Alan, her gaze seemed to scan him inch by inch. "Tell me, what else did she say about me?"
"I could ask the same! And, um, sorry, we haven’t really had the time to catch up properly. But she mentioned you, so that means she holds you in high regard, right?"
"Alan?" Tamara suddenly spoke, her delicate hand brushing against his left shoulder. "Did she--did she mention me too?"
Oh, crap. Me and my big mouth.
"Uh… Yes, of course!”
"She only mentioned my name, didn’t she?" Tamara's gaze turned gloomy.
"Y-Yes, b-but like I said, we barely talked last night. She just gave me a summary of the last three years here in the Novus."
Actually, she talked non-stop for like four hours.
"It’s okay…" Tamara whispered, looking away. "My time with the guild has been short, so it’s understandable that I’d be nothing but a footnote in her story. Heh-heh…"
Ouch… What have I done?
"Don’t feel like that, Tammie!” Helen said. “If it makes you feel better, Astrid barely mentioned this guy over the past three years too, ha-ha!"
As Helen laughed cackling, both Alan and Tamara gazed at her with narrowed eyes.
Alan then locked his eyes on the sheet and asked quietly, “Tamara, I’m ready to hear it. How many people quit?”
“Thirty two,” Helen interjected, making Tamara gasp.
“Helen!”
“Why are you asking anyway? Do you feel responsible?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Tamara placed her hand over his. “Alan, it’s not that simple. The majority of the people that left were already extremely loyal to Marco from the start. They’d have followed him anywhere anyway, no matter what happened today.”
“And others were convinced by his words,” Alan let out with a broken voice, withdrawing his hand.
Helen jumped down from her seat. “Are you saying he’s right about everything he said about you? That you’re nothing but a fraud?”
“I-I never presented myself as a great warrior.”
“Could you explain the recording then? The one where you treated Marco as trash.”
“I don’t know what that was all about, but that wasn’t me, I swear!”
“What about the part where Astrid recognized you as the new First Officer. That didn’t look like a fake to me.”
“If what Astrid said it’s true, she didn’t consult me about it! I… I can’t take that role!”
“So Marco was right about being mad with you for losing his job, huh. Is that what you’re trying to say?”
Alan grunted and held the side of his head, exasperated by Helen’s barrage of venomous questions. Tamara was quick to reproach Helen, but her voice sounded distant as Alan’s head started pulsating, threatening to overheat and shut down at any second. Just like a boiling engine. And yet, he found his heart rate in peace and his thoughts as clear as crystal. All of that in tandem was perfect for thinking about Marco’s actions.
He orchestrated that whole scenario just to punish me by Amelia, insult me by their constant berating, and humiliate me in front of everyone. But why?! I’ve just arrived here. I bet that aside from my name in the member’s guild list, he knew nothing about me. He even received me at the Trophy Room, curious about my sudden presence and genuinely intrigued by my existence… And then… All of this happened. The whole charade about me stealing his guild position, his salary, and this false recording of ‘another me’ defame him. It’s--It’s as if…!
“I shouldn’t have gotten involved in this shit!” Alan suddenly cried out, glaring at Helen. “For what I’m concerned, I was nothing but an excuse to vent Marco’s growing dissatisfaction with this guild and leave under his own terms!”
Having said that, Alan found himself silent, wondering how he came to that conclusion? But it’s what I truly believe.
He then crossed eyes with Helen who was smirking, satisfied with the outcome.
“What are you going to do now, Founder?”
Alan forced himself to return to his previous state of mind before it was gone forever, and after another metal rapid debate with himself, he found his answer. “Where is he now?”
“He?” Tamara asked, frowning. “You’re not talking about Marco, are you?”
“He said to be waiting for anyone that’d like to join him at the Drinking Banshee, remember?” Helen giggled. “Why?”
“Where is that though?”
“Alan Warden, what are you thinking?!” Tamara cried out, jumping from her seat. “You’re not thinking about doing something as stupid as going there!”
“Why? Because it’ll be brimming with people that despise me?”
“Worse! The Snow Diamond might be there! Do you have any idea what kind of woman she is?!”
"Why would you willingly walk into a lion’s den?" Helen asked, arms crossed, and tilting her head. “If you’re looking for a way to get back at him, I don’t think that…”
“That’s not it. This has nothing to do with what he did to me or this guild,” Alan said gazing at the window and the world beyond it. “It’s something I have to do.”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Tamara yelled, grabbing Alan by the shoulders. “Listen! Astrid would never--!” Tamara suddenly got silent and lost control of her body. Unconscious, her head fell into Alan’s lap as he looked in astonishment at Helen, her open palm raised aloft.
“I’m sorry, but she was starting to get on my nerves!”
“H-Helen! What did you--!”
“Don’t worry! Despite her cute appearance, she’s quite tough, so she’ll wake up in a couple of hours. That’ll give us plenty of time to pay Marco a last visit, yes?”
With no other explanation of her actions, she helped get Tamara in bed. She then got one leg out of the window before turning to him. “Are you coming or what? We can’t leave through the front entrance, you know.”