Chamber of Commerce Tower.
The directors once again had gloomy and livid expressions.
To be honest.
These directors couldn't even remember how many times they had been frustrated this year. In the past, whenever the Chamber of Commerce wanted to do something, they almost never failed. The intense satisfaction made these directors feel ecstatic, as if the whole world was in their hands.
However, this year's Waterloo, however, had come rather unexpectedly.
Slapped in the face by the Supervisory Commission, slapped in the face by the Flametail Knight, slapped in the face by Raythean Industries, and this time, slapped in the face by the Knight King's Tomb.
*Smack, smack.*
It was already November 1095.
If one were to use a sentence to describe the Chamber of Commerce this year, it would most likely be:
Either getting slapped in the face, or on the way to getting slapped in the face.
It could be said.
Since the Chamber of Commerce was founded, it had always been smooth sailing, almost never suffering a setback. But this year, it seemed to have swallowed all the setbacks it was owed from the past in one go.
Some kind of principle of conserved bastardry.
"How is the situation..."
The Chairman sitting in the main seat asked a director next to him in a deep voice. In the past, unless it was a particularly important general meeting, the Chairman wouldn't come to meetings more than a few times a year. Even if something came up, it was all handled over the phone. But this time, the situation concerned the Knight King's Tomb, concerned whether he could obtain the Holy Sword and become the second Knight King of Kazimierz.
And the Knight King's Tomb was as complex as an underground city.
To find the main burial chamber, an unknown number of people had died. There were even many explorers from other countries who all lost their lives here. These explorers were all lured over by news deliberately leaked by the Chamber of Commerce. After all, a tomb isn't something ordinary people can enter. Setting aside the traps, just navigating the spiderweb-like passages, being able to accurately find the main burial chamber was a big problem. Therefore, attracting these incredibly experienced explorers to act as cannon fodder was for the best.
After half a year.
After an unknown number of deaths, they finally found the main burial chamber.
In the center of the main burial chamber, besides the Knight King's coffin, there was the legendary Holy Sword, stuck in a stone.
However.
The Holy Sword was not as sacred as the legends said. It was dilapidated, as if it had just been dug out of the mud, and it was covered in rust. However, when they tried to pull out the sword, they discovered an anomaly. No one could pull it out.
This Holy Sword looked old and broken, but it seemed to possess a magical power. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't pull it out. They even used machinery capable of lifting tens of tons, but it had no effect at all. They also tried cutting the stone from below, then slowly grinding it down to remove the stone attached to the Holy Sword. But then, not only was the Holy Sword strange, even the stone it was stuck in was extremely strange. No matter what method they used, they couldn't damage it in the slightest. Not only could the Chamber of Commerce people not pull it out, even the proper knights sent by the Supervisory Commission couldn't pull it out at all. Even the Grand Knight Commander, Russell, had tried, and couldn't pull it out.
It was precisely because of this almost miraculous, unscientific phenomenon that the directors of the Chamber of Commerce all came to believe in the legend of the Knight King, and began to study the ancient texts, seeking a way to pull out the Holy Sword.
But the things recorded in the ancient texts were too esoteric.
This was very difficult for a group of atheistic directors to accept. They couldn't even understand it.
According to the records in the ancient texts.
The Holy Sword has its own soul and will choose a person with a character worthy of the Holy Sword as its master. His Majesty the Knight King, by virtue of his own noble soul, gained the recognition of the Holy Sword, thus obtaining the power to drive out the gods. As for the second method to pull out the Holy Sword, it had been torn out of the ancient texts.
Character?
That esoteric?
A sword can have its own soul?
To be honest.
The Chairman couldn't figure it out no matter how he thought about it.
And the second method seemed to have been maliciously torn out. This gave the bigwigs in the Chamber of Commerce a very bad feeling. It seemed someone had already realized this and torn out this page. Because this book had always been kept in the Chamber of Commerce's library. If it weren't for the Holy Sword, no one would ever read it. Moreover, the Chamber of Commerce's library wasn't a place just anyone could enter. Since it was torn, it meant someone had already read it, and it was one of their own...
Perhaps it was just as he feared.
This morning, the Chairman received some very absurd news.
The Holy Sword was gone...
Literally, the Holy Sword had vanished!! It was stolen!!
And it had vanished inexplicably right under their noses. This outrageous humiliation made the Chamber of Commerce directors so angry they almost fainted, but there was nothing they could do.
One thing was certain.
The theft of the Holy Sword was definitely related to the person who maliciously damaged the ancient text.
This person must have found the second method to pull out the Holy Sword while reading the ancient text, which is why they deliberately tore out the second method.
A person who could enter the Chamber of Commerce building's library was definitely no ordinary person; they had to be someone from within the Chamber of Commerce.
"Report, Chairman. According to our round-the-clock screening, during this period, no one has entered or left the library. Even if we push the time back a year, no one has entered the library."
"......"
The Chairman didn't speak, his face growing darker.
"Meaning, the Holy Sword vanished into thin air??"
The Chairman's voice grew louder.
Normally, the Chairman gave people the impression of an emotionless superior. No matter what he said or did, there wouldn't be much emotional fluctuation. But this time, it concerned the Holy Sword, concerned his ability to rule all of Kazimierz. The Chairman was clearly getting anxious.
"Chairman! I have someone I suspect."
Suddenly.
Director Barton shouted. The Chairman, who was like a volcano about to erupt, looked up and glanced at Director Barton.
"Speak."
Director Barton didn't speak, but fell silent. Some directors who didn't understand looked at Director Barton in confusion. Why wasn't he speaking?
But Director Barton was silent.
The three Chairmen were also silent.
Because, based on Director Barton's silence, they had already roughly guessed what Director Barton was about to say.
If it was him, perhaps it really was possible...
Damn it!!
However, this was just speculation; they couldn't be too certain.
Right now, the Flametail Knight could no longer be said to be a threat to the Chamber of Commerce. Although they were also puzzled as to how the Flametail Knight, who was ridiculously fierce in the Spring Major, had suddenly become so watery in the Major.
Although strictly speaking, the Flametail Knight's strength was genuinely good. If she went all out, she might have the standard of a top 4 knight. But compared to the terrifying strength the Flametail Knight displayed in the Spring Major finals, she was too weak now. This further proved one point: during the Spring Major, the Flametail Knight must have taken some kind of potion that could massively increase her strength to win the championship, otherwise, there was no way to explain it.
Although they had never heard of such a drug.
But one had to remember.
Behind the Flametail Knight was Raythean Industries.
It wasn't strange at all for Raythean Industries to have its own mysterious drugs.
And in the Major, the Flametail Knight probably hadn't taken any drugs, so the strength she displayed was much weaker.
Such a weak Flametail Knight could no longer be an enemy of the Chamber of Commerce.
Although they couldn't send assassins to kill her directly, the public opinion about the Flametail Knight was now an overwhelming victory for the Chamber of Commerce. As long as the Flametail Knight didn't win the Major championship, she posed no threat at all to the Chamber of Commerce. The only annoying thing was that they couldn't kill her. Otherwise, the Chamber of Commerce really wished they could just kill this Flametail Knight directly.
At the current trend.
The Blood Knight was so formidable he was practically unbeatable. He had won all his previous matches. Not only had he won, but it was almost uniformly a crushing victory.
This year, they just needed to let the Blood Knight win the championship, and the Blood Knight's status in people's minds might even be on par with the Radiant Knight.
Moreover, the Blood Knight was the first knight to go from the Spring Major to the Knight Major finals without a single loss, a knight with a 100% win rate. Just this point alone was enough for the Chamber of Commerce to hype up for several years. And the Chamber of Commerce, as the ones pulling the strings behind the Blood Knight, would completely win a lot of public support among the masses.
————————
"Sona!! Just rest well in bed."
Justyna held Sona back, not wanting Sona to get out of bed to train. However, Sona insisted on getting up.
"Justyna, I've pretty much recovered. Besides, the match is the day after tomorrow. I have to..."
"Even if I lose, I don't want to lose too badly. If I lose too badly, I've let down Mr. Reeve who taught me."
Sona put a lot of psychological pressure on herself. Normally, Sona had a cheerful and optimistic personality, a total ball of energy. But in certain aspects, Sona could display an obsession far more severe than ordinary people.
"No! Your injuries right now!!"
How could Justyna let Sona leave the hospital bed? She forcefully held her back, not letting her get up.
The two of them were thus locked in a stalemate.
Suddenly.
The hospital room door was pushed open.
A gentle voice came from outside the door, drawing closer.
"What is there to be sorry to my teaching for? I should be the one to apologize, because I only taught you for a month and a half before I disappeared."
This familiar voice?!!
Sona turned her head in disbelief.
And outside the door, Lucas Reeve was standing right outside the door, looking at Sona with a smile.
"Mr.!! Mr.!! Mr. Reeve!!"
Sona stopped struggling. Her whole person seemed to have lost its soul, sitting on the bed, looking at the door in utter disbelief.
"I'm back."
"Wuu!! Mr. Reeve!!"
After confirming it was really Lucas Reeve, Sona quickly scrambled off the hospital bed, still wearing her patient uniform, but she had already rushed to Lucas Reeve's side, throwing herself into his arms and hugging him tightly.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Mr. Reeve! It was only the top 16, but I..."
Lucas Reeve interrupted Sona's words.
"You've already done great, kid. The caliber of the Major is different from the Spring Major. Forget the top 16, any one of the top 32, if thrown into the Spring Major, would be the champion or runner-up. When I just woke up, I was wondering if you even made it into the top 32. I didn't expect you, Sona, to exceed my expectations and enter the top 8. Don't say anything about being dissatisfied. I am very satisfied with this result."
"Mhm!!"
Sona nodded.
Suddenly.
Sona saw that Lucas Reeve hadn't come alone. Besides him, there was a large group of pretty older sisters behind him.
...
After a brief silence, Sona quickly let go of Lucas Reeve. She was afraid these sisters would misunderstand something.
She truly only had respect for Lucas Reeve, treating him as an elder, a teacher, a master.
After Lucas Reeve and the others received Magallan's distress message, they didn't follow their original plan. Instead, they left Rhodes Island directly for Kazimierz. Due to the issue with Lucas Reeve's medicine, Rhodes Island had directly cut 80% of its R&D expenses. The largest expense was cut by 80%... It could be said that, almost instantly, Rhodes Island had gone from being dirt-poor to quite wealthy. All Operators' salaries were increased to varying degrees, and those Operators on buyout contracts were given some extra living expenses.
Amiya also had a lot more free time, so when Lucas Reeve and the others headed to Kazimierz, Amiya had also come along.
To be honest.
If it were anyone else calling for help, they would definitely be in a huge hurry, afraid that a second's delay would be disastrous. But for Magallan's call for help, after seeing the distress message, the group wasn't worried at all. They slowly boarded the aircraft, then headed to Kazimierz, and even after arriving in Kazimierz, they weren't in a hurry to find Magallan, but came to Sona's place first.
After all...
Magallan's fate was too tough.
Besides, Nine-Colored Deer had already said it: danger, but no harm. Although if they didn't go, the variables would instantly change, but since they had already come now, the only thing left for Magallan herself was the 'danger.' So, going earlier or later really didn't make much of a difference. The group really wasn't worried about Magallan. After all, if Magallan really died that easily, she would have been gone in her previous explorations.
And due to the young miss's personal arrival.
As the person in charge of the branch, the President stood respectfully by Jessica's side.
"Mr. Reeve, do you have your own body?"
Sona said in a small voice, so Justyna couldn't hear.
Lucas Reeve nodded in affirmation.
With Lucas Reeve here, Sona let out a complete sigh of relief, as if she had found her backbone. Whatever Lucas Reeve said, Sona would do it without a second thought.
"Stop thinking about the competition, Sona. You rest first."
"I still have some business in Kazimierz. I need to go out with your sisters. Be good and recuperate in the hospital room, okay? As for the competition, it doesn't matter. You're only twenty. Even by the next Major, how old will you be? Twenty-three. Train for three years, right in your prime. The next Major is your peak, Sona. So, relax."
"Mhm!"
This time, it was Lucas Reeve's instruction, and Sona was much more obedient. Her fiery red tail wagged nonstop.
After Sona obediently agreed, Lucas Reeve also injected a soul fragment into the necklace around Sona's neck, and then left again with Jessica and the others, boarding the aircraft to head to the location of the Knight King's Tomb.