Fiona drooped her shoulders, looking down like a puppy caught in the rain.
She seed overly downcast over sothing so minor, but everyone’s perspective differs, after all.
Officially, she’s the Grand Duchess; privately, she was my peer and my first teacher.
It made sense if she wanted to maintain that dignified image.
"Could I appear that unsightly?"
"...Did he say anything else?"
Anything else?
Of course, he did.
Actually, quite a lot.
But was any of it really Fiona’s fault?
Most of it ca from Fiacra’s mouth, anyway.
He ntioned things like being her boyfriend, though that was likely just to tease her.
"Well… he did ask to convince you to give up the title of Grand Duchess."
"Really… ha. You don’t need to worry about that. Anything else?"
"Anything else?"
Was there sothing more important than that?
Fiacra's objective?
Fiona spoke cautiously as I looked at her, puzzled.
"Uh, sothing about the Grand Ducal House...?"
"Did sothing happen?"
"No! I just thought maybe, that's all."
She was practically broadcasting, *I’m hiding sothing~, but pushing her to talk about it didn’t seem right.
"But what about the Grand Duchess succession issue?" I asked.
Fiona had said it wasn't my concern, but how could I not worry?
I had no desire to intervene, but knowing Fiona might be in danger, I couldn’t ignore it.
"It’s fine, really. Even in the worst case, it’s unlikely to devolve into violence. While hierarchy matters in the line of succession, ultimately, it’s about who garners the most support."
"So hierarchy isn’t everything?"
"The hierarchy is there just in case. It’s mainly for ergencies, like if the position were vacant during a war, to fill it quickly. Official succession happens through the electors’ vote."
I’d never been much into politics, but learning that a Grand Duke could be elected was news.
It reminded of the old Holy Roman Empire, where the emperor was chosen by electors.
"So people emphasize succession order, but it's not absolute. There’s competition, of course, but it’s more about public appeal and showcasing one’s abilities. So, Roman, focus on yourself first. You’ve had your own close calls recently, haven’t you?"
"That’s true."
"Are you still not considering joining the Expeditionary Corps? They could protect you from all those troublemakers."
The Expeditionary Corps.
It wasn’t classified like a guild, but the elite forces concentrated there were said to be on par with the Pioneers.
As Fiona ntioned, joining them would ensure protection, but it would co with more restrictions than belonging to a guild.
"I already have sothing planned for that," I replied.
Fiona, seemingly expecting this, gave a slight pout.
"Let know if you ever need anything."
"Likewise, Fiona."
Our conversation didn’t last long.
We were both busy, after all.
We parted, leaving things for next ti.
---
At the main entrance of the League’s headquarters.
After confirming my promotion had been processed swiftly, I returned my Novice badge and received my new Senior badge.
There, Leif and I were greeted by an indignant little lion.
"You left behind!?"
Ray was looking back and forth between Leif and , her frustration and hurt evident.
"I left you a ssage."
"Still!"
"Now, now, Ray, calm down. We trusted you, which is why we went ahead."
"Yeah, and besides, your sixth sense works fine within the city. We knew you’d be okay."
"...You think so?"
Due to the unique magical field in the Abyss, Ray’s sixth sense dulled the further down we went.
It had worked decently on the first floor, but on the second, it was barely reliable.
We guessed that by the ti we reached the third floor, it wouldn’t work at all.
If Ray grew stronger, there might be room for improvent, but for now, that was the situation.
Ray, feeling a bit guilty about not guiding us better, lowered her eyebrows, which had been arched high in irritation, at our praise.
"But still…!"
...She raised them again.
With a clap to lighten the mood, Leif said in a cheerful voice, "Oh, Ray, what about your assessnt?"
"Surely you didn’t fail, right?"
"What’s that supposed to an? Of course, I passed!"
"Ooh~ How’d you win?"
"Ha! Do I have to tell you again?"
Simple-minded, indeed.
We’d long figured out Ray’s personality.
Leif and I exchanged a silent look, filled with pride, as we humored Ray, who was enthusiastically recounting her victory story.
"So, look! I’m a Senior Seeker now too!"
"Wow~ I better get promoted soon, too. Now both Roman and Ray are Seniors."
"Heh. I’ll teach you well. Call Senior!"
All her irritation was gone.
Ray, apparently forgetting she’d been angry, jumped onto my back, wrapping her strong but surprisingly soft arms around my neck.
"Ack! Hey, my neck!"
"So, where are we going now? The Frontier?"
"Shouldn’t we recruit guild mbers first? It’d be helpful to show off our team when we’re trying to persuade people."
Once I freed myself from Ray’s grip, I finally answered them.
"Both are good options."
Securing cooperation with the Frontier seed likely, and gathering guild mbers, including so of my peers, would add appeal.
Both were solid ideas.
But my thoughts were slightly different.
"I received an invitation."
"An invitation?"
"Yeah."
Conveniently, there was a ssage for at the League with my na on it.
The League was about to deliver it, but I showed up just in ti.
"It’s from Conquerors."
---
**Conquerors.**
As their na suggested, they had a grand ambition to conquer the Abyss, and their guildhouse was located near the central gate in the inner city.
There was no need to ask for directions or look at a map.
It was easy to spot.
Out of the top five guilds, all but Enigma had large headquarters, and Conquerors was no exception.
They had 58 mbers, and when you added the support staff and those who assisted with expeditions, the total exceeded a hundred.
The sprawling complex of Conquerors’ guildhouse was on a different level from smaller guilds like Telema Academy.
There was no doorbell, so I wondered if I should bang on the massive iron gate.
"Hey, isn’t that them?"
"They’re here."
"Right?"
"Yes."
Voices, identical in tone but with subtle differences, exchanged words as the gate opened.
Standing beyond were two girls with faces as alike as their voices.
"Hello."
"Hello."
"Welco."
"To."
"The Conquerors guildhouse."
"Castra."
"I am Maji Burnett."
"I am Angie Burnett."
The girls, taking turns to finish each other’s sentences, bowed their heads.
They had identical appearances, height, and build. Identical twins.
Each wore her rose-gold hair, a mix of pink and gold, differently—one in a ponytail, the other in twin-tails, to tell them apart.
"Tear moles, huh? They’re different too."
For identical twins, even their beauty marks were in different places.
The one with twin-tails had a mole beneath her left eye, while the one with a ponytail had one beneath her right.
‘Those don’t look like ordinary moles.’
I sensed a faint magical aura from them. Perhaps they were special tattoos?
So spells were known to be activated through tattoos, after all.
In age and size, they looked like they’d make good rivals for Ray.
Ray, seemingly impressed by eting soone her age, stopped grumbling and took on a serious expression, carefully observing the twins.
After her inspection, Ray smirked slightly, raising her chin with a faint satisfaction.
"...Heh."
What was that smirk of triumph?
I decided not to ask. Ray’s fixed gaze already answered that question.
"Ahem. Sorry to drop by unannounced, but would it be possible to have a eting?"
Although they were clearly younger, I maintained respectful decorum as I was a guest, and they were hosts.
Even if I had been invited, I also ca with a proposal of my own.
"It’s fine."
"Yes."
"We invited you."
"After all."
The twins spoke in sync as if they shared one mind, flowing smoothly without hesitation.
Leif, amazed, muttered a soft “Wow,” and nearly applauded but caught herself and hid her hands behind her back, embarrassed.
"Then, please lead the way."
"Co."
"Follow us."
We entered Conquerors’ guildhouse, led by the twin girls.
---
The Conquerors’ guildhouse, Castra, was clean and unadorned.
Without the typical luxurious decorations or famous paintings found in successful organizations, the simple interior seed almost bare.
Yet, the minimalism lent a sense of confidence to the place.
We were led to the top floor of the largest building, where our exploration paused.
"Welco. I am Leph Gromadine, deputy guild leader of Conquerors."
He spoke in a rough tone but was surprisingly short in stature.
However, his small build didn’t an he was slight.
On the contrary.
His body
, trained to the extre, radiated sheer power.
Standing around 165 cm, his height was likely a racial trait.
*A half-dwarf.*
Typically, dwarves were about 150 cm tall, so he was unusually tall for his race.
Having t dwarves before, I could tell the subtle differences between Leph and them.
"I’m Roman Sun. These are my companions, Ray and Leif."
"Welco. Please, have a seat."
He warmly greeted us, gesturing to sit.
His friendliness was reassuring, easing so of my initial tension.
"Maji, Angie."
"Yes."
"Mr. Leph."
"Please prepare so refreshnts, Angie’s good at it."
"Ugh, I’m good at it too!"
"Don’t worry."
After sending the twins off, Leph turned back to us.
"Sorry to make you co here first. We should have reached out sooner."
"Not at all. I appreciate the warm reception."
Currently, Conquerors’ guild leader and core mbers were out on a major expedition in the depths of the Abyss.
They’d also recently lost a Master-ranked Seeker, Grant, and three guild mbers who had followed him. The blow to their forces was substantial.
Although Conquerors stood strong among the top five guilds, any lesser guild would likely have dissolved by now under such circumstances.
"First, let thank you. Returning Grant’s remains was a significant matter for our guild."
Significant?
Grant's relics were, of course, important, but Leph seed to place equal value on his remains.
"Is that so?"
I subtly asked for clarification, and Leph replied as though overlooking my curiosity.
"Yes. If not for that, we might have had a confrontation with the Frontier folks."
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