Chapter 523: Chapter 18: Driven by Shared Interests

As Julia advanced, the news spread quickly, like a drop of scalding oil abruptly plunging into the seemingly calm hot soup of Feiyan City.

Adventurer Guild.

A few adventurers who had just returned from the border sat around a table, speaking in low, grave tones.

Their voices were hushed, yet the fragmented, bloody words like “Ramding,” “Nobles,” “Ambush,” “Skinning,” “No guts left” seeped into the ears of those around, like cold venomous snakes through the gaps in the noisy air.

Soon, the entire hall fell silent, broken only by the crackling of the fireplace.

An old adventurer with a scarred face suddenly slammed the table, causing the cups to leap, his eyes bloodshot as he roared, “Damn those Ramding bastards! My brother… not even a complete corpse left! All for that bottle of water!”

This cry of rage was like a starting gun. Repressed anger and incredulous sorrow erupted instantaneously, curses, table slams, and the sound of shattering glasses resounded in unison.

The adventurers, these men who usually live on the edge, brazen and untamed, now burned with a shared resentment in their eyes.

They affirmed the details they heard: which team was missing, who was confirmed dead, where the body was found on the edge of which damned Ramding noble’s hunting ground… The news swept through every corner of the guild like a wind, then surged with the furious crowd onto the streets.

Inside the Oak Shield Tavern.

A drunken swordsman was spitting as he vividly described to those around him: “…Did you hear? The ’Silver Wolf’ team! All six of them! All gone! Those gold and silver adorned Ramding wolves, they’re not robbing, they’re slaughtering! They…”

The swordsman choked on his words, downed a hefty gulp of ale, and continued hoarsely, “They nailed the captain’s badge to a tree!”

The tavern fell deathly silent, followed by sounds of gasps and stifled sobs. The “[Silver Wolf]” team was quite renowned in Feiyan City, their captain a hearty man who often treated everyone here. This news brought real fear and anger into the hearts of every tavern guest.

Light Square, by the fountain, a few women with baskets of vegetables gathered, exchanging information with pale faces.

“Did you hear? Over in Ramding…”

“Oh my God! It’s horrendous! Those children… how old are they?”

“The blacksmith’s son next door was in an adventuring party, and there’s been no word lately. His dad’s nearly going mad…”

“The Church has sent people to investigate! They say the evidence is irrefutable! It’s those damned nobles that did it!”

“For that bit of ’Water of Life’? Do those Ramding people have no heart?”

Fear and concern spread among the common folk. Adventurers weren’t just distant heroes; they were also the neighbor’s son, the blacksmith apprentice on the corner, the regulars at the tavern. Their killing shredded the ordinary citizens’ sense of security, igniting a deep-seated hatred towards the Ramding Kingdom.

The same scenes played out across Feiyan City, in taverns, squares, blacksmith shops, training grounds, churches, and even in ordinary citizens’ homes.

As everyone discussed the bloodthirsty ruthlessness of the Ramding Kingdom, a wave of hatred swiftly spread through their hearts…

Soon after, Feiyan City Council.

In the office, Erwin sat at his desk, quill in hand, organizing manuscripts.

“Cough! Cough!” A few coughs sounded from time to time.

Erwin, now 118 years old, had long surpassed the limit of human lifespan in this world, surviving purely on the rare magical materials given by Lynch. Even so, he could feel his body declining, and ever since a small cold some days ago, the cough remained unresolved.

Although Lynch hadn’t explicitly shared a specific timeframe with him, Erwin understood he didn’t have much time left.

“Knock, knock, knock!” At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Erwin said without lifting his head.

A young man walked in, about 20 years old, quite ordinary-looking, with slightly small eyes, appearing to be just a regular youth.

This was Fred Arantino.

Just as Erwin once with Greywell, Fred was being groomed as Erwin’s successor.

Fred approached, saluted, and said, “Teacher, there have been some unpleasant rumors in the city recently, about the Ramding Kingdom adventurer tragedy. I don’t know who spread the word, but now everyone is talking about it in the city.”

Erwin furrowed his brows slightly.

He sighed lightly, “This Holy Daughter really doesn’t rest for a moment, does she.”

It didn’t take Erwin much thought to figure out who had spread the news about the Ramding Kingdom’s affairs.

After pondering for a moment, he asked the young man in front of him, “What do you think?”

Fred replied, “I think…”

“If it’s just at this level, there’s nothing special that needs to be done. Although the rumors are fierce, the Adventurer Guild just needs to temporarily close that Underground City to resolve the conflict swiftly.”

“However…”

At this, he shifted his tone, continuing, “If the Minstrel Guild gets involved, things might not be so straightforward. The voice of the minstrels possesses magic, and once they start chanting, people’s anger will be fully ignited, spurring unnamed heroes to rush to the Ramding Kingdom for revenge.”

“By then… war would be inevitable, wouldn’t it, Teacher?” Fred asked meaningfully.

Erwin smiled.

Because there was ample time, Erwin was nurturing several students at the same time, but he ultimately chose Fred due to a special ability he possessed that others did not—

Shrewdness.

From the moment the Light Church started getting involved in the excavation of the 2186 Underground City, Erwin had already noticed. He fully understood what this Holy Daughter hoped to achieve.

He had a myriad of chances to prevent the situation from escalating, but he did nothing to intervene, instead letting it unfold, allowing it to escalate to the current level.

This was because Erwin himself also desired to see the advent of war.

His time was running out, and he was still far from the goals set long ago, while Lynch remained without any plans for external expansion. Waiting passively like this, he didn’t know if he would live to see his ambitions realized.

But the emergence of Julia provided Erwin with an opportunity.

Though he couldn’t actively incite war, if war were to come passively, then it wouldn’t be his fault, and he would have another chance to realize his grand blueprint.

Therefore,

From the onset, he watched the situation develop, and even earlier, he’d been preparing for this.

Because,

The one who pushed to place Julia, the Holy Daughter candidate, before Lynch wasn’t anyone else.

It was Erwin himself. Updates are released by novel✶fire.net

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