"I will have you all work for me. To restore the world that the [King of Ability Users] has distorted back to its rightful form."
Beria Sans issued the command to the Cyclamen Order executives gathered in a certain room.
With those final words, Beria's body scattered like mist in the exact same way it had appeared, leaving only a reddish-black haze drifting in the air. Once the mist vanished, Beria was gone from the room.
After confirming Beria's departure, the [Hero] Felix Roots Kreutzer left the room without saying a word.
[Rakshasa] Stieg Strom watched Felix's retreating back from the corner of his eye and spoke up.
"Well then, [Battle Ogre], shall we head to the Second Farm first?"
"Hah? The Second Farm? Why the hell do we need to stop by some deserted island? We should just charge straight into Tsutrail. I want to fight the [Sword Princess] as soon as possible."
Dimon Ogle, the [Battle Ogre], scowled in displeasure at Stieg's suggestion.
"She is currently in Daruane. So even if we attack Tsutrail right now, she won't show up. Besides, I'd like to test the performance of the magical beasts we created at the Second Farm. Wouldn't it be better to make effective use of the time until they return to Tsutrail?"
"Then we can just head straight to Daruane."
"Please don't lose sight of our objective. Our goal is to completely break Orun Dula's heart. If we want to destroy him thoroughly, Tsutrail—where many members of [Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky] are stationed—is the most suitable place."
"You… A newbie like you ordering me around. Even my patience has its limits, you know?"
Dimon's face flushed red as his body trembled with rage.
"Patience…? Could it be that you're sleep-deprived and your head isn't working properly, Dimon?"
The red-haired little girl known as [Scorching Blaze] Ruari Welt, who had been slumped over the table listening to the conversation, yawned and cut in.
"What'd you say…? Hey, you damn brat. Watch how you talk to me if you don't want to die."
Dimon glared at Ruari with bloodshot eyes.
Ruari simply stared back with half-closed, sleepy eyes, showing no particular surprise.
"…Hey, Philly. Can I turn this guy into ash after all?"
Philly Carpenter, the [Guide], who had been quietly looking at a map that had somehow appeared beside her, let out a long sigh.
"...Hold off on that. If you're sleepy, you can sleep as much as you want until it's time to depart."
"Eh, really!? Yay! This body is cute and I like it, but the fuel efficiency is terrible. I'll go sleep right away then!"
Ruari expressed her joy in a manner fitting her youthful appearance, then left the room in high spirits, apparently no longer paying any attention to Dimon.
"Hey, wait—!"
Just as Dimon tried to chase after Ruari, who had ignored him and run off, Philly stopped him.
"[Battle Ogre], that's enough. You agreed to follow [Rakshasa]'s instructions this time, didn't you? Once you've decided something, see it through."
The gaze Philly directed at Dimon carried an overwhelming pressure.
"…Tch! Fine, I got it!"
Dimon clicked his tongue, still clearly dissatisfied, but fell silent.
"Hohoho. Young people are so full of energy."
Gunnar Schulten, the [Thunder Emperor], who had been quietly watching their exchange, stroked his beard with a gentle, amused smile.
◇
Beria, who had left the room earlier, was now in the Grand Master's office at the Explorers Guild headquarters, checking documents.
A knock sounded at the door, followed by a man's voice from the other side.
"Beria-sama, may I come in?"
"Enter."
At Beria's permission, a man stepped inside, saying "Excuse me."
Beria turned his gaze toward the newcomer.
The man standing there was completely unremarkable. The kind of person one would forget shortly after parting ways.
"Solder, what do you need?"
"The regular meeting is approaching, so I thought I should inform you."
The man Beria had called Solder was the Guild Master in charge of the eastern continent.
"…Ah, it's already that time. Understood. I'll head over now."
"You always seem so busy. Well, it's only natural when you're serving as Grand Master of the Explorers Guild, which can now be called the center of the world without exaggeration. I will continue to offer whatever modest assistance I can, so please don't hesitate to ask."
"I'm always grateful for your help. If anything ever happens to me, you would probably be the next Grand Master."
Beria possessed the ability [Eternal Invariance].
For several hundred years since he had founded the Explorers Guild, Beria had continuously occupied the seat of Grand Master.
He said those words while inwardly thinking that such a thing would never happen.
"Ahaha… That responsibility would be far too heavy for me. However, if it ever comes to that, I intend to carry on your will and fulfill the role to the best of my ability."
"…Hmph. That's reassuring."
Continuing their conversation, Beria left the office together with Solder.
"By the way, there were almost no damage reports from Amuntsars last year. If I remember correctly, the last time they killed an explorer was in May of last year in the great southern labyrinth."
Last May was around the time when Orun's disciples, the [Twilight Moon Rainbow], were still part of the tenth squad as rookies and aiming to conquer the thirtieth layer.
Amuntsars was a criminal organization notorious for killing explorers, making them a sworn enemy of the Explorers Guild.
Even Solder, who could be called the number two of the guild, had been unable to track Amuntsars's movements after June of last year.
That meant Amuntsars had not killed any explorers since the incident in the great southern labyrinth.
"They're an organization that makes nonsensical claims like 'you must not conquer the great labyrinths.' It's true they've been relatively quiet this past year, but there's also the saying about the calm before the storm. We shouldn't let our guard down until we've completely wiped them out."
"You're right. I'll suggest strengthening our vigilance against them even further during the meeting."
"Yeah. I'm counting on you."
By the time their conversation ended, the two had arrived at the meeting room.
Inside were Guild Master Leon Conti of the southern region, along with the other Guild Masters and high-ranking members of the Explorers Guild.
The one who unified all of them was Beria's public face as Grand Master of the Explorers Guild.
"Thank you all for gathering despite your busy schedules. Let us begin the regular meeting."