The Ancients World

Chapter 182: The Heist of Bellvia VII

We lay in the soft bed and enjoy the calmness of the night. Sally is already asleep and using me as a pillow instead of the actual pillows. I stare up at the dark ceiling in the dimly lit room. As a first time, I\'d say that went well. I only lasted a few minutes. Sally only lasted a few minutes too, so I don\'t think the standard is set very high, which is a very nice thought. The events that have taken place to lead up to this situation aren\'t going to present themselves again. I close my eyes and think about the next step to take, and that step is finding a crew to rob the treasure room. To find a crew, I need to talk to someone who knows the area inside and out. The most common people who know things like this are the old.

I could head back into that underground town, but that place is filled with common criminals and bandits. They are not professionals who know how to pull off a complex job like this. The professions I\'m looking for would have a separate place to meet and talk—one of neutral ground and secrecy. Finding a place like that in a huge city like Bellvia isn\'t going to be a single-day job. Getting into contact with people as skilled as I won\'t happen at the snap of my fingers either. They would only talk to someone who has a reputation themselves, which I don\'t have. The true complexity of this job isn\'t going to be as easy as walking up to someone and getting all the answers I want. There is a network I have to follow.

Since I\'m not a famous criminal, that means I\'ll have to be a prospective buyer. If a crew can\'t be found, then I\'ll bring them to me. This is going to be a huge cost. The last place that was successfully hit was the treasure room of Zenith. They were at war, and the thieves took advantage of that. Hold on... I can knock out three birds with one stone. I can use the same method that the robbers used in Zenith here, with my own touch and spin. Once I have the crew assembled and prepared, I can cause a distraction. I can use my authority as the grandson of The Almighty Father to cause chaos. The information on Bellvia\'s sins is sure to cause an uproar, while I\'m causing such an uproar. The heist can commence.

I can get information on Ulma Runa and complete that quest and free the dryads once I get the information on the curse. While these two are happening, there will be chaos. The heist can go down without any problems. Thus three birds, one stone. However, I have to think this over for any possible holes—one of those identified early. If I\'m discovered before I can set this plan in motion, it will be naught. Another thing I\'m overlooking is Sally\'s involvement with this. She has many useful skills and can help with this plan a lot. A half-elf won\'t go unnoticed, though, and a hood won\'t hide the more perceptive people. Those are the real problem. The ones in charge have ways of learning things, seeing things. I have to distract the ones who are watching for people like me.

I\'ll need a crew filled with one-of-a-kind talented people. Bellvia won\'t have any of that, not out in the open. Unknown to Cera, there is a group of three individuals in Bellvia at this exact moment. Plotting their own revenge. These three people being Creatureman, Ghostzero, and Krialder. It so happens that their plan for vengeance aligns with Cera\'s plan for The Dice of Wayland. The only question is, how do these people meet. While all this is happening in Bellvia, there is a discussion between the top guilds in a neutral valley east of Yweliers Range. The meeting is between Wilted Rose, Sir Erikson, and Drak Blade. The one starting off this meeting is Wilted Rose. This meeting is, of course, about current events and Zern.

I look at my two fellow guild members, and I can see both of them have added and gained strength to their guilds. My Willow Tree has also been growing, but the competition has never been fiercer at this point, and now that Zern has been revealed to us. It\'s time to renegotiate what we originally agreed upon. "We all know that the meeting was going to come to this point. We need to discuss what we are going to do about Zern now that he is revealed to us." As I address the biggest topic of this meeting, the other two here quiet down and place contemplating looks on their faces. I notice that Sir Erikson is more content with where this is going. It\'s become known by the major guilds that Sir Erikson is protecting and looking after Zern\'s family.

He definitely knows more about Zern than we do, and one of his top guild members turned in the information and got a legacy class and gear of similar grade. "Sir Erikson... You are not obligated in any way to give us any information about Zern. However, in these sensitive times, the players need someone to look to and know about. If we can humanize Zern, the players will have security knowing someone powerful is on their side." Dark Blade tries to sell that bullshit to Erikson, and I sigh inwardly. Sir Erikson gives Dark Blade a knowing glare and begins to laugh out loud. "You may find this matter laughable, but the players... the humans from earth need him!" Erikson quiets down and closes his eyes.

He takes a breath and looks at Dark Blade with a red face from laughing. "In truth, I know very little about Zern. His family is currently a part of my guild, but I don\'t bother them out of respect for Zern. If I caused trouble for them and found out, my guild would be gone the next day. We have no idea what kind of power he has. What if he can somehow disband guilds? I don\'t want to find out the hard way." I can hear some sincerity behind his words. I doubt a single player would have that much power though, in his shoes, I\'d do the same thing. This puts him at a huge advantage, though, and we are just going to have to deal with it. The fact he has a legendary class in his ranks is enough to make me mad. I\'m even more peeved it\'s a blacksmith class.

I sigh and close my eyes. I have to be the leader my guild needs. I can\'t go hunting for Zern. So this is Sir Erikson\'s win. My priorities are much greater now, and with the shit storm we\'re in, this seems like the only opportunity we\'ll have to talk for a long time. "This Zern situation isn\'t going to go anywhere anytime soon. We don\'t even know where he is, and if Erikson did, he wouldn\'t be here right now." I announce my deduction, and I see the calculating look in both their eyes. "I suggest we all dissolve the first pact we made and focus on our own goals. If you manage to convince Zern to join you, I\'ll be more impressed than jealous. It\'s obvious that he wants nothing to do with guilds." The confident smiles fade, and the thought-filled looks burst forth.

They are both in their own worlds thinking, whether or not to dissolve the pack now. I can see why Dark Blade hesitates, but Sir Erikson never wanted the pact to begin with. It makes no sense why he might remotely want the pact to stay in action. "I want to keep the pact in action. The more information we all know about Zern, the better. We can share whatever we know with the general player population." Dark Blade\'s use of the remaining people from earth is obvious, but Erikson\'s silence actually worries me. Why, in a million years, would he want the pact to remain? He has way more information than he is giving us, which violates the pact. What will we do to call him on it? Nothing bad will happen to him. He loses nothing and gains more than something.

He looks hard at Dark Blade and shifts his gaze back to me. "What if I told both of you that I\'ve come into information regarding the location of Zern..." My body stiffens instantly. This is some sort of trick. There is no way he would share this kind of information. Dark Blade has the same thoughts as me with the look on his face. "Oh c\'mon... Don\'t give me that look. I may be a shrewd man, but what you truly know about me is very little." I don\'t believe those words for a second. He is playing some sort of game here. "If I tell you, what\'s it worth?" He is looking to swindle the fool here. I wonder who the bigger fool is... The one who thinks he can fool us, or one of us taking that risk. "Contact my courier when you are ready to discuss a price." He walks away, and that leaves the pact still in action, but at this point, that\'s worthless.