Dark Clouds

"That is all for now. You can return to your rooms now and relax until further notice."

Once Conrad said this, he bowed his head slightly—same as Vida, Lucielle, and Brutus.

"We really appreciate you sticking with us despite all that has happened. Humanity thanks you."

As always, Adonis tried to be humble, and a few students reacted awkwardly. Rey acted stupefied, and before anyone realized it, they were already on their way.

As Conrad watched the Otherworlders leave, his smile grew broader, but a distant worry echoed in the depths of his eyes.

"It seems like we haven't suffered too much of a loss. We have more prospects than ever before, and we aren't fighting on our own."

The presence of the Otherworlders comforted him, and the comrades that stood by his side.

"Sir Ralyks will be here within five days, so we should make all the necessary arrangements for the Dungeon Raid."

The mysterious man that they had only gotten to know about barely three days ago seemed to be their best bet and central figure in the success of the planned Raid.

If he didn't show up, everything would crumble into pieces,

But Conrad had hope. It was the same kind of irrational hope he had when he first heard Ralyks' intentions of saving everyone by himself.

Against all odds, the man succeeded.

As such, Grandmaster Conrad chose to place his faith once again in the one whom the entire United Human Alliance relied on.

The Dark Adventurer, Ralyks!

"We still don't know anything about him, though. All my connections tell me the same thing—that there is no top-ranked Adventurer with such a name." Lady Vida's voice oozed with skepticism.

Conrad couldn't blame her. She hadn't met the man personally, so she couldn't understand.

"It's possible that he is using an alter-ego. What matters is his strength and willingness to help." Conrad responded.

"Besides… it's not like we have other options, right?"

Vida sighed and reluctantly agreed.

In the end, the current Otherworlders weren't as strong as they needed them to be.

Under the protection of this Adventurer, all of that was going to change very soon.

If that was the only issue on ground, then smiles were meant to be planted on the faces of the four individuals present.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

"Did your connections tell you anything about the movements of the criminal underworld?"

As Conrad asked this question, a few seconds of silence echoed in their midst.

No one uttered a single word.

Until finally…

"No. No one is saying anything. This goes deeper than the surface, and not even my connections know what is coming next."

What the two were referring to was the recent power vacuum left behind as a result of the deaths of the previous rulers of the Criminal Underworld.

With the demise of the three Royal Council Members that governed and regulated activities in the Black Market, it was inevitable that those hidden in the darkness would begin to surface.

If the Underworld—which had grown considerably larger than they could even fathom—was left unchecked, it could swallow the entire Alliance whole.

"How about on your end? Have you been able to collect more information from Evals Redart?"

"A-about that. He ended up committing suicide during one of the investigations."

The moment Conrad heard this from Brutus, his eyes widened in surprise.

"W-what?!"

"My apologies. We weren't able to get any more than the location of a single central hub of criminal activities."

It was difficult enough to extract information from someone as stubborn as Evals Redart, but he thought with Lucielle finally recovered, they could give it a try with Magic.

Unfortunately, he died before they could even explore that option.

"Haaa… I guess it can't be helped. It's best we don't focus on the unchangable."

Tons of Magic and Skills existed, but there was none that could raise the dead.

At least, not one the humans had.

"What happens in this central hub? Where is this central hub located?" Vida spoke up, her gaze directed at the flustered and mortified Head Warrior.

He wasn't the one who led the investigation, but he was most likely taking responsibility for what happened.

"We don't know much about the specifics, but we know of the city where it happens."

Every eye was on Brutus as he announced the name.

"The Allied Merchant City."

Everyone's eyes widened at the sound of the place of interest.

The Allied Merchant City was the central hub of commerce in the entire United Human Alliance.

It generated over twenty percent of the total revenue that the Alliance used to operate.

It was a hotspot of all kinds of trade and commercial activity, so while it was not surprising to see that shady business was being done there, the four were incredibly anxious about how to make their move.

"What should we do?"

Any wrong step, and they could collapse a monolith that was keeping the current economy afloat.

A small mistake could compromise everything.

"The situation is too delicate now, but if we don't act quickly, things we'll get even more unstable."

This wasn't a problem that concerned the Otherworlders, which was why they didn't say anything to them about it,

Even if they had done so, it wasn't like any of them could help them out with it.

In the end, it had to fall into the hands of them—the Royal Council.

While the Otherworlders tried their hardest in the Royal Dungeon, they had to find a way to resolve the issue they lay before them.

… Before it became a cancer that they could not control.

"This 'Obsidian Council', the 'Slave Trade Association', and the 'Mercenerary Gang'… they have to be stopped somehow."

The combined body was called 'The Grand Triumvirate' by the now deceased Slave Trader, and for good reason.

They ruled everything in the underworld.

"It appears we were never as united as I had hoped." Conrad said bitterly as he looked at the three before him.

Vida, Lucielle, and Brutus.

They all knew the ugly truth at this point.

"The Dragons aren't our only enemies."