Chapter 489: VILE - 2032 [The Butcher]

There was no doubt about it in my mind.

She was a crazy bitch. She had hidden it well when I first met her, but those eyes I saw in her final moments, despite being fixed on something that could only be described as an anomaly, were unmistakably insane.

That was most likely her real self.

Yes, she was a crazy bitch.

’I guess it was all a facade. I can already see her real personality leak before my very eyes.’

"I’ll make it quick."

Despite her best attempts at hiding it, her face was haggard.

"I was asked to escort you to the Guild Master. It seems like he wants to talk to you."

"The Guild Master?"

My heart froze.

Thinking about that man, I felt my stomach twist.

Don’t tell me he noticed something? Thinking about it, given how sharp the Guild Master was, I could see him suspecting me of being the ’Butcher’.

"Yes, he wants to see you."

Even Catherine appeared surprised by the fact that the Guild Master wanted to see me, but she didn’t appear to be too interested as she switched the topic.

"Besides that, there’s been a little incident. There will be no Gate diving for a while."

"What?"

I pretended to be surprised.

"But I thought the BUA had given the green light."

"They have."

"Then...?"

"This is an internal decision. You’ll be filled in on the situation later."

As if tired of speaking to me, she stood up and nudged the door with her chin.

"If possible, I’d like to get done with this quickly since I’m rather tired. Is that okay with you?"

"Oh, yes."

Considering her current situation, I didn’t make things more difficult for her. I nodded and stood up. Or at least, I tried.

".....!"

Propping myself up with the armrest, I nearly stumbled back into my chair as a wave of dizziness and weakness washed over me.

"Hm?"

Catherine stopped, turning her attention towards me.

I hastily clenched my teeth and forced myself upright, playing it off as though I was fine.

"You okay?"

"I’m fine. A hit the leg of the chair."

"...Oh."

She hid it well, but her expression seemed to say, ’What an idiot.’

I ignored it and forced myself to act as naturally as I could. Even so, it became painfully clear that I was in a weakened state. My back was drenched in sweat, and every step felt heavier than it should have. Thankfully, Catherine seemed to be in a similar condition and didn’t pay much attention to me.

Otherwise...

"...Let’s go."

Catherine spoke up, her voice strained.

"Let’s not make the Guild Master wait for long."

*

How could I go and describe the Guild Master’s office in the branch guild? It was certainly different from the one in the main Guild.

The ceiling was tall, the floor paved with gray marble, while dark pillars rose along the sides to support the structure. Large windows exposed the streets below, and even the desk was impressive, crafted from dark marble that matched the floor.

"Ah, it looks like you’re here."

The Guild Master greeted us with a light smile as he sat behind the marble desk, his clean dark suit neatly outlining his well-built frame.

Standing beside the Guild Master was a figure I didn’t recognize. Still, given his presence in the Guild Master’s office, it was clear he held a high position within the Guild.

Most likely a Section Chief of sorts.

"Ehm."

I still pretended to be confused as I walked into the room.

Looking around, I settled my gaze back toward the Guild Master.

"I heard a little bit from Catherine, but I’m not quite sure about the situation. What am I being called here for?"

It seemed I hadn’t chosen the right words; the moment they left my mouth, the man I assumed to be a Section Chief frowned in displeasure. Thankfully, before he could say anything, the Guild Master spoke up.

"Your confusion is understandable. I’ll explain the situation to you in a bit. For now, sit down."

I subconsciously sat down.

Not because I wanted to, but my body just moved on its own.

It was always like this with the Guild Master. Ours was a cooperative relationship, yet the longer I stayed in his presence, the more suffocating it became. He looked friendly and easygoing, but there was something lurking in his gaze and the way he carried himself, something that made me feel as though I were being quietly swallowed whole.

Before I knew it, my already drenched back was even more soaked.

"I’ll get straight to the point. There’s been an incident."

The Guild Master’s gaze was directed at me as he spoke.

"It only occurred recently, and the reason I’m bringing this up is that I don’t believe this incident was a rare case caused by a Gate’s mutation. There’s reason to believe it happened due to someone’s interference."

"What?"

This time, I didn’t fake my surprise. I was genuinely surprised as I looked at the Guild Master. How did he know?

How did he know that this incident occurred due to someone’s influence?

"I won’t get into the technicalities, but after analyzing the reports and the analyst’s data, the Section Chief and I have reached an agreement. There’s reasonable suspicion that the incident occurred due to someone’s influence."

A heavy silence hung across the room as neither Chaterine nor I spoke.

But eventually, it was Catherine who shattered that silence.

"Is it because of the World Congress?"

"There’s reason to believe that’s the case, yes."

The Guild Master nodded, his expression calm.

I alternated my gaze between the two, still finding the situation to be confusing.

"The two of you are the most promising recruits present in the Guild at the moment. You two were probably the target."

"....."

The Section Chief, beside the Guild Master, grew even darker in expression, so much so that it almost seemed as though storm clouds were gathering behind him. It looked like he had something to say. Especially when he looked at me.

He looked at me, right?

"To some extent, you can say it’s your good luck for not going into the Gate today." Directing his attention back to me, I felt my back straighten subconsciously as I quietly nodded my head, "...I guess so."

But why did it seem like there was another meaning to his words?

"We’ll go into more detail about the situation later when we have more information, but I’m here to inform this to the two of you so that you’re more careful in the future. Since you might be targeted, it’s best to pay closer attention to your surroundings. Of course, the Guild will try its best to keep you safe, but given the nature of the situation, there’s reason to suspect there’s a traitor within the Guild."

"....."

’He’s really sharp, isn’t he?’

He was somehow able to deduce most of the situation. Of course, the sharper he was, the more his gaze stung.

Feeling his gaze sweep over my one more time, I took a quiet breath.

Relax. He doesn’t know anything.

Don’t show anything.

"Aside from that, there are a few things that I’d like to mention..."

The conversation continued from there, with the Guild Master speaking for several more minutes, and he turned his attention towards the Section Chief and Catherine.

"I think I’ve said everything that I needed to say. If possible, I’d like for the two of you to give us some space."

Catherine and the Section Chief exchanged glances before then looking at me. While I didn’t feel anything from Catherine’s gaze, the Section Chief’s eyes appeared to tell me a lot of words as he stared at me in silence.

But fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the two of them soon left the room, leaving only the Guild Master and me behind.

"....."

"....."

The silence in the room felt suffocating as I tried to speak, and I felt the weight of the situation press down on my mind as I struggled to find my words.

Thankfully, the Guild Master’s lips opened a moment later.

"VILE - 2032."

"...Excuse me?"

Looking at the Guild Master, I saw his lips curl further up.

"The Butcher. That’s the name assigned to the anomaly present within the Gate’s incident of today."

Staring at me with his deep eyes, his tone lowered.

"Is that your new identity?"