Chapter 160 Roeni’s Desperate Vigil The Chilling News of Betrayal
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The Adventurer’s Guild never truly slept. This was only natural, as the great Labyrinth that enriched the Royal Capital held its own irregular cycle of night and day within its depths.
Because of that, adventurers often slipped through the ‘Gate’ in the deep hours of the morning, matching the time of their target floor. The same went for those who returned with success, their pockets full. The shouts of those coming and going, a distant clamor, barely reached the secluded negotiation room where Roeni waited.
Yet, even with the vibrant evidence of her work filling the air with noise, the Baroness’s heavy mood refused to lift.
She found herself staring, laser-focused, at the clock’s ticking hands, her skin crawling with irritation over the time she felt was being wasted. The hour had just crossed one o’clock in the morning, and the usually bustling negotiation complex was not supposed to be this lively at midnight.
Most merchants had closed their shops, despite the Labyrinth’s ceaseless stream of resources. However, urgent deals were always on the table, and since the magic cast upon the room kept conversations from leaking outside, it was a perfectly discrete place for executing secret maneuvers.
—But six hours had already passed since she’d set her trap.
With absolutely no sign of trouble in that time, it was impossible to keep her nerves settled. She had paced the room so many times that her companions had finally seen fit to warn her off.
”Perhaps you should try to settle down a bit, Roeni-dono?” Mondo, the veteran gate guard, advised. “Even if the culprit is found, being so agitated will only hinder your ability to give chase.”
”…You are correct, of course. Thank you, Mondo-san,” Roeni responded, her voice taut with anxiety. “But this is a serious situation we’ve made of this, even if it is an internal matter. If my instincts turn out to be nothing but a false alarm, I’ll be deeply embarrassed, I assure you.”
Was her intuition truly right? Her husband had instantly provided the necessary funds, but she’d been forced to select the personnel herself. This naturally led to her choosing those of a lower standing who had earned her trust, which unfortunately created an atmosphere where they hesitated to criticize her frustration.
The one who spoke up was Mondo, a veteran guard at the Gate who had looked out for her since her adventuring days. He was familiar with her and was also the original watchman for that time slot. Sitting imposingly in his armor in the corner of the room, he gave a steady word of advice to her unsettled heart.
Still, even with the elder’s helpful words, Roeni knew the responsibility rested solely on her. Having acted on such thin evidence, the thought of being wrong made it impossible for her anxiety to lift.
”Nonsense. If you ask me, the arrangement was suspicious enough to warrant this,” Mondo asserted, his tone low and steady. “Better to investigate and laugh it off later than to ignore it and suffer the consequences. Besides, we’re all receiving proper pay from the Baron’s house. If you, Roeni-dono, believe this is worth the effort, then even if it’s a dry run, this is still respectable work.”
”Your words are a great comfort. Truly, the best outcome would be that all of this effort turns out to be entirely in vain.” Roeni sighed, the small exhalation a sign of the immense pressure on her. If the dreadful news came, it would surely force a heavy burden on everyone who had gathered here. Compared to that, it was infinitely better for them to simply not carry out whatever wicked plan they were brewing.
”But still, it was a direct order from the Vice-Guildmaster, wasn’t it? Usually, he’d never interfere with the watch schedule of a low-level guard,” Milka, the receptionist, interjected, her voice slightly strained as she looked up from the documents spread on the desk. She wore the crisp Guild uniform and was tasked with handling the necessary paperwork if the situation escalated.
”I’m trusting your gut, Sis. It’s kept me from dying more times than I can count. So yeah, I’ve prepped myself to take a life if I gotta.” Hatcha, the lightly armored swordswoman, drawled casually, reclining easily on a fine sofa. Her red hair and the major scar across her face gave her a raw, rough look, but she was a completely trustworthy friend from Roeni’s adventuring days. She was meant to be the one to pursue the suspects with Roeni in an emergency.
The calming of Roeni’s inner turmoil seemed to break the silence, as the two others now offered their supportive, though still cautious, agreement with her impulsive plan.
”Hmph. To remove a guard with the Appraisal skill, specifically Marcos-kun, from the watch roster at a specific time… it practically screams that someone who doesn’t want their skills to be seen is returning at that exact moment,” Roeni murmured, her mind running through the awful possibilities.
The more she considered it, the worse her predictions became. The Labyrinth was the lifeline of the Royal Capital, something to be used but never, ever lost.
For this very reason, a guard with the Appraisal skill was mandatory at the ‘Gate’—the critical juncture—to watch out for anyone attempting sabotage. Even the Vice-Guildmaster surely understood that obstructing this was a serious crime. If a secret violation could be pulled off for just a few hours, then a powerful figure pulling the strings from the shadows was undoubtedly providing cover.
”Usually, I wouldn’t pick up a chestnut from the fire even if such a thing happened once in a while,” Milka quietly observed.
”Yeah, let ’em fight it out amongst themselves without us, that’s how I feel,” Hatcha agreed with a low grunt.
”I know, I really do…” Roeni assented, her voice trailing off.
She had never expected all politics to be pure and clean.
Even as a simple adventurer, and especially as a Baroness, she usually only reported vague or unverified acts of corruption to her husband. But the timing of this particular interference with the guard duty was too terrible to simply ignore.
”Hmm. Even if the stage is set for covering up the culprit, I simply cannot imagine how they plan to break through that security detail, whether the goal is to harm Your Highness or not,” Mondo mused, shifting in his heavy armor.
”I agree with you on that point…” Roeni admitted. “However, the fact that they are willing to have the Vice-Guildmaster cross such a dangerous line makes it impossible for me to believe that the other side hasn’t already made their move.”
As Milka said, it truly was foolish to deliberately involve herself in a plot with such an unclear objective.
But Princess Marina was currently undertaking the shallow-floor conquest, the condition for her right to succession. Roeni herself had overseen the arrangements and naturally knew the schedule for the conquest.
”Besides, it’s exactly the tenth day! Your Highness was supposed to have conquered the twenty-sixth floor by the eighth day, according to the documents submitted. If they planned to commit the act in the quiet of the twenty-seventh floor’s ‘Safety Area’ and then quickly extract the culprit, an extra two days is a logical allowance.”
It was depressing work, reinforcing the logic of a wicked plan with her own analysis.
The Confianza Baron family was currently aligned with no faction. Yet, the Princess’s party included a young protégé of Roeni and the daughter of a Count with whom she was personally friendly.
Moreover, the notice for the guard reassignment had arrived two days ago, effectively guaranteeing that the order would be executed after the estimated time of the crime, making any preventative action impossible. Still, clinging to a thread of hope, she had dispatched Hatcha’s younger scout sister with a magic recording stone that very day.
However, given Yuuri’s skill in guiding through the Labyrinth and the Princess’s excessively strong escort, it was possible they had reached the ‘Safety Area’ even before the eighth day, and the deed might already be done. If so, sending the scout now would likely only find traces already absorbed back into the Labyrinth. But as long as there was a possibility that the Princess had survived unscathed, or that traces could still be found, she couldn’t afford to do nothing.
”Eh, even if a skilled team was waiting for them, the escort’s got Arman on it, right? If that man charges in, it’ll all be over. If he, one of the neutral faction just like the Baron’s house (ours), is keeping an eye on things, the Prince’s faction won’t dare to pull anything crazy,” Hatcha stated, sounding completely at ease.
”That’s what I keep telling myself…” Roeni sighed, a shaky breath.
She had seen the familiar face the morning they departed, before the send-off ceremony. Arman was a man of justice who had made her rethink her noble-hating perspective back in her adventuring days—a quick-witted, generous man who defied the snobbish noble stereotype.
He was an extraordinary person, permitted to hold the title of Knight only in his generation due to his natural gifts and the synergy of his two Skills. Thanks to his presence, she had felt a sense of relief over the stronger formation of the escort.
This very fact was what made her less certain about the severity of the incident. Still, following the unwritten rule of adventurers—always prepare for the worst—she had steeled herself to speak directly to her husband.
”So then, what’s the plan if the suspicious person does come back? Your group alone can’t handle the mastermind behind something this huge, and taking it straight to Her Majesty would take way too long,” Hatcha pressed, looking genuinely curious.
”I’ve already coordinated things with the Alegria Count’s family, so that part is handled,” Roeni explained. “They can’t move lightly either, so I simply informed them that I would be setting up a surveillance net myself tonight.”
Given that the Count’s daughter was the Princess’s lady-in-waiting, Alegria was fully aligned with the Princess’s faction.
Therefore, any careless action could make them a target for the Prince’s side, and sadly, they couldn’t offer full cooperation until an incident was confirmed. Conversely, this was the fine line that allowed her to be forgiven if it were a false alarm, the utmost concession the neutral Baron’s house could hope for.
”Ha. Okay, I get why you’re so jumpy, Sis. No way I could ever deal with all that political groundwork. Too much hassle,” Hatcha admitted with a shake of her head.
”Well, if you finally get that, then start taking your usual reports more seriously! Do you have any idea how much trouble I have because you submit reports with incomplete details every single time?” Roeni snapped, the pent-up stress finally venting into a small, playful outburst.
Everything that could be done had been completed beforehand. All that remained was the outcome. With all her worries laid out, Roeni felt a small lightness enter her mood.
She even found the energy to casually vent a long-held complaint. Hatcha, who was now shifting her eyes awkwardly, probably dug her own hole on purpose to help Roeni release some stress. Roeni was grateful for the gesture, now certain that effort-in-vain was truly the best possible outcome. It was, after all, much easier to apologize to all involved for over-preparing than to deal with the alternative.
With that thought, her eyes drifted to the internal communication device on Milka’s desk.
Though the magic-stone comms were expensive, the Guild prioritized information relay for profit, so every negotiation room was equipped with one. That was the primary reason she had chosen this place as her base, and the only person who should be calling at this late hour was the guard currently watching the Gate.
—A sharp, sudden chime rang out.
Roeni instinctively knew her furrowed brow was visible.
Ignoring the suddenly frozen atmosphere in the room, she lifted the receiver and switched the call to speaker so everyone could hear. The sound that came back was the clamor of the Gate area, confirming that the unwanted future had just arrived as news.
”It’s me.”
”Roeni-san. I was able to record the Appraisal results on the magic stone. That… uh…”
Roeni strove to sound calm, careful not to unnecessarily panic the person who had to report the dire news. Her effort seemed to work, as the response came from Marcos, the young man who should have been off-duty, though his voice was shaking. Two days ago, Roeni had brought the young guard, who was confused by the sudden change in his shift, into the soundproof room to reveal the true situation. The youth, who had always viewed his Appraisal skill as a mere complement to his life, was clearly shocked to find it now a tool in a dirty plot.
Roeni had barely managed to convince him to cooperate, not by scaring him but by appealing to the very core of why he became a guard. She made him realize that running away would mean trampling on the dignity of his work, which was to protect the lives of the people. “Just do your job, like always,” she had gently instructed. Marcos had done his job perfectly.
”How many people was it?” Roeni asked, her voice a low, steady tremor.
”One, ma’am… Just one!”
The faint, distinct sound of chattering teeth was audible over the receiver. A chilling realization ran down Roeni’s spine.
If there were multiple culprits, they would have scattered and acted individually, even with the Appraisal guard removed from the Gate. They wouldn’t have delayed their entry until the very last minute, only to have a single person slip through. This meant the culprit was truly a lone wolf.
Excluding an unknown assassin, there was only one person who had the capability to eliminate the heavily protected Princess and her retinue, including an Armored Knight and a skillful young woman, all by themselves.
—It can’t be. Roeni instantly dismissed her own horrific thought. This was no time for useless speculation. The answer was right in front of her. Taking a single, deep breath, she asked Marcos the final question.
”The Appraisal results. …What skills did the person have?”
”Body Enhancement and Adamant Body, ma’am…!” Marcos cried out, his voice on the verge of tears.
At least a guilty criminal would have covered their face with a deep hood. But Marcos and the others used Appraisal to see through such feeble tricks.
What they had just seen was a synergy of two skills far too famous, too specific. It meant that a renowned Knight had betrayed his duty and his target, and was now returning in triumph.
—
Summary:
The political tension within the Adventurer’s Guild reaches a fever pitch as the loyal Baroness Roeni waits in a silent, late-night chamber, struggling with the anxiety of her covert operation. She and her trusted allies, the steady veteran Mondo, the casual swordswoman Hatcha, and the anxious clerk Milka, have set a dangerous trap based only on Roeni’s hunch about a suspicious guard reassignment—a move that suggests a high-stakes conspiracy targeting Princess Marina’s quest.
The climactic moment arrives as the magic communicator chimes, and the terrified young guard Marcos relays the chilling result of his Appraisal. The detected skills confirm Roeni’s worst fear: not just a culprit, but a famous, trusted Knight, Arman, has betrayed the Princess, completing a brutal political assassination.
—
Character Insight:
Roeni’s true strength is her sharp political instinct and her deep-seated loyalty to those she cares for, even the friends of her protégé. Despite her high status as a Baroness, she operates with the adventurer’s ethic—always prepare for the worst.
Her willingness to risk her neutral Baron house’s standing and coordinate covertly with a faction-aligned Count shows her desperation. Though she doubts herself constantly, her strategic mind correctly pieces together the horrifying puzzle, concluding that the only person powerful enough to eliminate the heavily guarded Princess’s party is a trusted insider, setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation over royal succession.
—
Behind the Scene:
This scene establishes the political fault lines in the kingdom. The Prince’s faction is shown to be willing to use the Vice-Guildmaster for a covert, illegal act, confirming that the Labyrinth’s Gate is the current weak spot in the power struggle.
Roeni’s efforts to enlist a neutral-aligned Baron and a Princess-aligned Count show the delicate political maneuvering required to fight corruption without being immediately targeted by the powerful conspirators. The revelation of Arman’s betrayal is the engine that drives the story forward, moving the plot from anxious waiting to immediate action.
Notes:
• Roeni – Guild receptionist, former adventurer, now a baroness—mentor to Yuuri.
• Ai – The recently-formed sub-divinity/ego who manages the world’s Skills. Her sudden, intense burst of divine will (‘ki’) almost bleached Yuuri’s wicked thoughts. Called Yuuri ‘Elder Brother’ and declared genuine affection and trust based on his efficiency with her Skills.
• Mondo – An elderly, highly experienced gate guard at the Guild’s ‘Gate’ to the Labyrinth, where he’s been for decades. He wears full, well-maintained plate armor, which gives him a calm but imposing presence even while sitting. He was a caretaker to Roeni during her adventuring days and remains a trusted friend.
• Milka – A junior Guild Receptionist, a promising and well-organized junior colleague to Roeni. She wears the crisp, professional Guild uniform and maintains a neat appearance, but her focus on the paperwork betrays her nervousness.
• Hatcha – A trusted friend of Roeni from her adventuring days. She’s a quick, lightly armored swordswoman, characterized by her vibrant red hair and a distinct, large scar across her face that hints at a rough past and a violent capability.
• Marcos – A young, unsuspecting gate guard who was pulled into Roeni’s covert operation when he was displaced from his shift. He possesses the crucial
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
• Arman – Knight captain who escort Marina on the first mission.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply