Trying to Save my Favorite Character from His Tragic Fate - Chapter 125: The headmaster of the phantom guild

The ink from the nib of a fountain pen paths across the piece of paper. Each stroke is like a habit memorized by those steady hands. King Ethern finishes off the last word with a light flick to sharpen the tail of the word. He lifts his eyes off the document and places the fountain pen down.

He lets out a sigh and reaches towards the drawer by his side, looking at the box that held the black mana stone pendant, but now, it is empty. The last remaining item that he had from the woman he loved. The gods have taken her too early, leaving him with nothing but an apathetic heart.

The doorknock takes his mind off of the thoughts that inhibit inside for almost two decades now. He closes the drawer and permits the person knocking to come in.

Chancellor Liam Rowe enters into the study and performs his formalities to the king.

The king leans on his chair, “What is it that you want to talk about, Liam?”

“Your majesty, could you please reconsider your decision w-.”

“Liam,” King Ethern interrupts the chancellor, “I am not taking my decision back.”

“Your majesty… No, Austin Ethern. As a friend, please… Don’t do this to your child. You never even spared a glance at him, but disowning him…”

The king slams his fist on the desk, “Enough! Stop saying that he is my child! He should have never come into existence if all he does is take away other people’s happiness… Not only did he kill his mother, but also in possession of a curse!”

“Why do you take that woman’s words seriously? She is a complete stranger!”

“She is my wife’s sister! A shaman! What? Are her words wrong? That child is cursed!!! He does not possess the slightest of favor in fate! He took away the only thing I wanted in life.”

King Ethern points in the direction of where the kingdom of Aria should be, “He even manages to corrupt a temple…”

The king lets out chuckles at how absurd the situation is.

“Do you really think that Prince Ian would do any of that? He is a good kid! An excellent student and kind-hearted kid! He took your words to heart. And… for a long time, that kid only wished that you could just pay him some attention… Austin! He is facing the death penalty! In a foreign kingdom!”

“I know what you are thinking, Liam… You have always sympathized with that kid, and I don’t blame you… You never had a family. But some existences should just disappear… Plus, what could we do?”

“At least to avoid the death penalty!” Chancellor Rowe scrambles for words and ideas.

The king laughs, “No one will spare him. They will want to cast stones at him whenever they see him. Isn’t death better now?”

Another knock on the door interrupts Chancellor Rowe from exploding. He takes a deep breath as the king tells the servant to come in.

The servant bows, “Your majesty, someone claimed to be the headmaster of the phantom guild is asking for an audience.”

The servant extends his arms to hand the phantom guild’s emblem to the king. The king takes the emblem made out of the same material as the communication devices that got out of this mysterious nameless guild. This mysterious phantom guild comes up with the most ingenious creations. Still, the king, till this day, despite the number of resources poured for months to find the headmaster or clues as to where the guild comes from, never manages even to have a slight clue that could lead him somewhere.

There is a point in time that King Ethern really thought that the existence behind those creations is not even human – maybe of other races like the elves or dwarfs that brought to the world incredible artifacts.

“From my source, that guild became uncharacteristically active in the kingdom of Aria yesterday,” Chancellor Rowe says after studying the emblem.

“You mean how the phantom guild suddenly turned against Aria’s second prince’s faction? Those nobles are about to face a potential bankruptcy later this month…”

“Yes, your majesty! The situation has been completely uncalled for, and it can be said that the guild is specifically targeting the second prince’s faction. The guild seems to be well connected to a lot of other guilds and merchants, but how come no one even knows that phantom guild’s name or headmaster?”

“We are missing information, Liam. Why the nobles of a specific faction?” The king pinches his chin, “Something happened related to the second prince? Did the prince offend someone?”

“None that we know of,” The chancellor responds.

The king stares at the chancellor in silence, “Then, just bring them in, and prepare some rooms just in case.”

“Yes, your majesty,” the chancellor bows and walks out.

The chancellor meets with a group of hooded, masked men and welcomes them to the palace. He guides them to the king’s study.

On the way, Kyrie looks at the chancellor’s back, “Chancellor Rowe, aren’t you a bit too trusting?”

“No one with bad intentions will come through the front door,” replies the chancellor.

“That is a very naive assumption. How unexpected of you, chancellor.”

The chancellor smiles, “It is still better than facing someone who sneaks in.”

Rowe opens the door for the group of masked men and lets them in. However, the chancellor puts his arm out to stop Federline.

“I believe the guards should stay outside,” Rowe glances at Federline’s waist.

Kyrie gives a glance at Federline, who is getting provoked. Looking at Kyrie, Federline takes off his hand from the hilt of his sword and backs away. The door closes behind the three masked men.

The king greets them and tells them to sit on the sofas. The maid prepares the tea and some refreshments before going out.

The king, acting as if he is in a good mood, takes up the cup to take a sip.

“What brings such important individuals to my humble kingdom?” King Ethern asks while trying to look past the shadow cast from the hood over their heads.

He rubs his fingers on his sweaty palms as he observes the three. The one sitting in the middle has his leg crossed over to the other, beaming an aura of confidence and grace. On his right, the man seems rather stoic and disciplined – his back straight with his hands on top of his knees. As if each side are the opposite extremes, the one on the left seems to have melted on the sofa, uncaring how people would stare. He carries an air of a free spirit and would curiously look around the room.

Judging by how the two men would glance at the one in the center, the king determines that he is the headmaster who gave the servant the emblem.

The one on the center smiles, “Humble? The king must be joking!” As he speaks, he takes out his mask, “I am not a man who likes to beat around the bush, and it so happens that I am also a bit short of time.”

He removes the hoodie, showing off his silver hair. The king widens his eyes, looking at Kyrie, so he instantly looks over to the man to the right. Both Ian and Nate take off their hoodie and mask after Kyrie.

The king is shocked enough that he is at a loss of what to say. Then, he carefully examines the emblem and the material. His heart sinks when he determines that the emblem is real once again.

‘That means…’ The king looks at Kyrie, almost forgetting how to breathe.

“Sir Rowan is the headmaster?”

Kyrie confirms the king with a smile, so the king slowly moves his gaze nervously to Ian. He leans to the sofa slowly, and his body slowly deflates on his seat. Although what he is feeling is not exactly regret, the king feels like he walked into a trap that he could not back out of. He is now a rat suffocating to death from a mousetrap that couldn’t kill him instantly.

The kingdom of Ethern might face a future without the artifacts made by the phantom guild. Now, he is sure who the second prince has offended.

‘No, not the second prince. The king of Aria,’

Although, there is the question of how Kyrie managed to intervene in all those nobles’ business from the second prince’s faction.

King Ethern thinks while his eyes wandered to the man on the left.

Nate notices that the king is staring at him, so he takes out his master’s emblem, placing it on the table that separates the king from them. The king looks at the sunflowers on the emblem, and his body starts to shake. Everything is starting to piece together. Of course, the Guild of Clytia would be able to do so much damage to the second prince’s faction. However, the guild would suffer losses from withdrawing agreements.

The king locks eyes with Kyrie, ‘Why is the Guild of Clytia willing to cooperate with the phantom guild?’

“What is the purpose for the headmaster of the phantom guild and the Guild of Clytia here?”

Kyrie nonchalantly replies while putting two sugar cubes on the tea, “I think you know a part of the reason.”

He hands the cup to Ian and stares up at the king, whose calm facade is crumbling down.

The king forces out a crooked smile, “You want me to take him back? Is that it?”

As if something snaps inside Kyrie, and before anyone could have reacted, he steps on the tea table, and his fist flies across the king’s face.