Chương 279: Glorious ups and frustrating downs

"Have any one of you heard of a place called Deep Site 3?" Anasta Temren's question was met with shaking heads, which only caused her to chuckle.

"You would probably have to be a priest of Knowledge to have done so, so let me paint you a picture. Imagine a town built around the upper reaches of a deep mine shaft that has been mostly abandoned by local powers since the operations of plumbing its depths simply became too complex to be profitable. It's but one of five similar sites, in the otherwise unclaimed land quite far to the west of Hua-Xi, around halfway from here to Vitesse.

There's a nearby city-state mining the richer veins, but even their tax collectors come by infrequently, if at all. The town barely sees any light, but plenty of people come there to risk the depths with the hopes of escaping whatever haunts them in the world above. These aren't usually the valiant sort either, as the mana is too thin to become lucrative for adventurers to make the trip. And those that do are mostly there to hunt people who did horrible enough things to warrant such contracts.

But given that was almost everything we saw of adventurers; these imposing outsiders who appeared, only for people to start go missing. Sure, we knew that many deserved it. But not all of them were truly bad people. How do you think that made the people of Deep Site 3 feel about adventurers? The Adventure Society?"

"Afraid?" Kite ventured after Anasta had posed her question, with Wander following up.

"They sure should be. That was what I remember from back home too. When people with power came around, you really wanted to make yourself scarce, no matter if they were the shiny kind of not~."

"Indeed. Because there were essence-users present, of course, just not the adventurer type," Anasta confirmed.

"But those were the monsters we knew and thus could circumvent. You learned that really quickly. And little Anasta Temren learned quickly too. Those were wild and tough times, but not without their charm now that nostalgia has painted them with its shimmer. Dodging adventurers and local thugs alike, I was quite the daredevil along with a good friend of mine.

While I won't bore you with the full story, one particularly ambitious plot even landed us a small haul of essences that one of the local bosses was smuggling in through the tunnels below. A scissor essence might not be much to the more affluent adventurer families, but to a scrappy elf girl it changed the world. Unfortunately, in more ways than one, as it led to no end of troubles once the boss in question found out.

My friend was taken, and I would have been too by the bastards chasing me all throughout town and into the tunnels. At least until Corinne appeared. Sketh, you wouldn't believe how terrified I was as one moment three iron-ranked thugs had me cornered, only for them to suddenly all fall limp to the ground like half-filled sacks of skething sand as this dangerous-looking woman comes into view.

I never saw her needles then, but I learned soon enough, as not only had she actually bothered to help me, she and her two companions helped me retrieve my friend too. I honestly thought that was the end of it, but they came back not that many weeks after. And stayed. Took in me and my friend. Helped us learn. Gave us tasks that I only later would find out were just like the contracts you've all taken. Then she taught us how to find tasks for others with power that could help, and somehow…

Somehow that's how the little Adventure Society branch in Deep Site 3 was born. Just an office, much smaller than even Gilded, but the order that presence helped bring to the town and it's skething people as more and more of those with actual power got a reason to coordinate and actually do something worthwhile for both themselves and others?"

Anasta trailed off a bit, seeming surprisingly caught up in her own story as some kind of foreign accent started slipping into her speech, with the occasional curse Kite didn't recognize but suspected was a local one of her home.

"Me and my friend managed that little office for years. Perhaps she still does, although I'm not sure if she's forgiven me yet for leaving to manage other branches. But I saw what the presence of the Adventure Society could do for even my little literal hole in the world, and I wanted to do more of that, but for more people. The Society isn't perfect by any means, often a skething mess of bureaucracy and politics of its own.

But I think that without it, many places in the world will slip from the grasp of civility, leaving people - misguided or not - to suffer. And while this kingdom has frustrated me to no end, I won't just leave it behind without doing my damndest."

Gone was the stern woman whose aura seemed to want to sever anything and anyone that inconvenienced her, or rather it was as if that part had somehow turned translucent to reveal a passionate ideal beneath that still lived even though tempered and hardened through what had no doubt been a life with both its glorious ups and frustrating downs. Kite felt quite moved by her dedication, as were many of his companions as the brief story no doubt resonated with them in one way or another, and it was he who first spoke.

"I agree with you, Director. My homeland might have its issues, but I've spent quite some time trying to make my own mark on parts of it as I too feel that it has the possibility to change for the better. And while discordance and strife might be unavoidable where people congregate, there is a vast difference between accepting and meeting that compared to actively inviting and cultivating it. So many would fall victim to a society based on such values. Probably already have.

The task might feel more daunting than ever, but I will keep up my part in these struggles." While it didn't seem to come as a surprise, Anasta still looked pleased at his words, as did she when Dragonfly spoke next.

"Same here. Just thinking about what those frustrating bastards seem to have done here over the years makes my blood boil. And now they've finally started to become something punchable rather than just shades in the background. We can do something important here."

"Not to mention the evil and falsehoods they keep actively inviting into this kingdom!" Will stated, agreement clear in his voice.

"How many cells of Undeath, Destruction, Plague, Deceit and the like have we unearthed by now? And many still remain, hidden beneath the veils of our foe. I say that my Lady and I will be in a perfect position to help pierce that iniquity."

"We'll have to spread the word in the guild too," Walker chimed in as the sentiment kept gaining momentum.

"While we can't force our members, I suspect that there are plenty of them who'll gladly take part in what ways they can. Although… We have already noted a surprising number of warrior-clergy among our ranks. That does make this old man wonder if things haven't already been moving behind the scenes…" At his words, there was suddenly a slight shift in the aura of the temple around them, as Knowledge's steady presence shifted into the spiritual equivalent of a slight knowing smile.

After the first startled silence, Walker only sighed even as he made a reverent bow towards no one in particular.

"As I assume that we won't get to know anything more than that, I still hope that you may convey our thanks to whomever of your fellow divinities that are involved, Lady Knowledge," he said before turning back to the actual people present.

"Still, we'll need to go about it with some care as we don't want things to get out of hand."

"Seeing to the continued stability of the northern regions is helpful enough, Guild Master," Anasta replied.

"There is often an image of the less populated regions as something more wild and untamed, but in this case it seems like the truth is actually the opposite."

"We'll do our best, Branch Director, and those contracts you mentioned will surely keep many members motivated."

"Gosh, now I'm starting to feel bad, given how darn noble you all are acting," Wander grumbled from her corner of the room, her humanoid form accompanied by half a dozen of her rat-selves that looked on with equal amounts of faux-exasperation.

"I may not hail from this kingdom, but I guess that it's home. At least you guys are. So count us in too, right Braid~?"

"Of course," the weaver agreed, even though he also looked thoughtful.

"To think that the trails we were sent to follow up in Bastion all those years ago turned out to be part of something so vast… I can't wait to piece this whole tapestry together."

"Well, now this is a bit awkward…" Amica muttered, seeming to not want to accidentally burst the growing bubble of resolution that was growing the room.

"I want to help in any way I can, but I'll also soon be called back to Gauntlet to start forming that team I've been telling you about. But as I already mean to be back while on leave, I'll of course pitch in…" It was obvious that the telekineticist was torn, but before Kite had the time to try and console her, Little Crow had already stepped in.

"Please do not fret, my dear," the celestine said with his usual confident smile as he lay an arm around his companion.

"While impossible to completely compensate for your absence, I shall endeavor to strike down enough enemies for the both of us so that any return trip of yours can focus on other things more important and pleasurable both."

"Good boy," Amica replied with a slight smile at his words, still torn but at least somewhat mollified. This only left Soul, seated in her usual meditation in one corner, who simply nodded without looking as she still seemed to feel all eyes being directed towards her.

"Thank you, all of you," Anasta said after having everyone's confirmation.

"While there are gold-rankers involved in this conflict, dependable silvers will always make up the bulk of the Society's work. Because that's what we are doing, the tardy powers-that-be be damned. With that said though, I would hope that you all will continue to try and reach gold-rank as soon as possible.

While perhaps not the best suited for all of you, Maximilian and I shall personally mentor any one of you who wish for it, as we can arrange for you to be portaled directly to and from the Adventure Society here to the Adventure Society campus of Heavenward. You are all probably already familiar with the courier in question too. Riz might not seem like it, but she has a stellar track record when it comes to discretion if the contract requires it.

In addition, I will make sure to have all of you placed under my personal command during the upcoming monster surge. We should have two to four years until that hits, but I don't want you whisked away outside of my reach during that time of tumult, because while I hope that the sects and other forces will buckle up and do their duties, we don't want to open you up to foul play."

"Oh, right. The surge," Dragonfly said.

"It's already drawing that close? Feels like it wasn't so long ago since we were in the thick of it, but that was back at bronze rank…"

"The world won't wait for us to resolve our issues in peace and quiet, it seems," Kite agreed, squeezing his wife's hand.

"No indeed," agreed the voice of Venerable Owl as the high priest reentered the room and jumped right back into the conversation. The leonid looked quite pleased overall, even though Kite wasn't sure if it was his inspection of the temple grounds or him being told of their agreement that was the source of his contentment.

"As you seemed to have worked things out for now, how about we head back, Branch Director? I got the feeling that you'll be missed if you're away much longer." Anasta nodded, not questioning the high priest of Knowledge when he got such hunches, and as Venerable Owl gestured to conjure a portal that appeared out of streams of ink that started writing complex patterns in the air to form the gate, she turned to Kite and the others.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"As for your erstwhile colleague Bright Day, you can probably imagine that she readily agreed. She's already hard at work in the capital. I will admit I had my doubts when you introduced the idea, Kite, but you were right. She's a useful asset," the branch director said as she then addressed them all.

"You'll be hearing from me soon. This might be some of the most important work of our lives, everyone. Let us work hard to safeguard that which strife wants to claim." Then the pair of gold-rankers left, and Kite and his companions did likewise a bit later, but not before making plans. A lot of them. Ametrine looked at Gold Mask across the council chamber, her features hidden behind her porcelain mask even though there was no one present beside the two of them. At least not yet.

"Is it time?" Gold Mask asked her, to which Ametrine nodded.

"The connected crystal has been giving the signal for a few minutes now. Any other preparations you want to make?"

"Nothing that would matter. Activate the arrays and then conjure the portal. We'd best move forward and seize whatever momentum we can," Gold Mask said gruffly. Ametrine could only do as asked. The two of them had actually been cooperating surprisingly well during the last two weeks, but she assumed that it was always easier to handle the monster you knew.

After some deft manipulation of the control stone, the protective arrays that surrounded the hidden council chamber came to life in order to shield Ametrine's portal from detection by the network of portal platforms across the city. The arrival of a gold-ranker would always cause a stir, and this one did not wish to announce herself so brazenly to the city at large. In a surge of mana, Ametrine's portal of shimmering smoke appeared in the middle of the room.

As a gold-ranker, the range of her power would let it reach most of the world as long as she had the requisite knowledge of the other end, and while it had been a long time since she had last visited, the particular hidden sanctum of their god that was her target still remained clear in Ametrine's mind. The shimmering aperture barely had the time to fully manifest before a figure emerged, eating up a good chunk of the portal's capacity as her gold-ranked aura unfurled to examine her surroundings.

Altessia Sessante was a regal human woman with dark brown hair and a tanned complexion that would stand out as quite exotic on the streets of heavenward. She was dressed in what first looked like the impractical gown of a foreign socialite - a deep red thing with plenty of frills and folds - but it only took Ametrine another glance to note that the garment was completely illusory and manifested above form-fitting light armor of some kind.

Gold-rank seemed to have heightened Altessia's mature features rather than prettyness, giving her more of a dignified beauty that - along with her rank - no doubt made her hard to interrupt in many social settings. She quickly took in the room without so much as a twitch of her perfectly manicured eyebrow before walking forward as other figures started appearing in her wake, and Ametrine had to fight to keep her composure as another gold-ranker appeared in her wake along with over three dozen silver-rankers.

The other gold was an elven woman with rust-colored hair and fair, dainty features whose aura felt younger and less refined than Altessia's, and she seemed clearly deferential to whom Ametrine assumed was her mentor and superior. But while Ametrine held her composure well, Gold Mask wasn't as subtle.

"What is the meaning of this?" he growled, half standing from his seat.

"We were informed of only one gold being sent." Altessia's charge seemed to bristle at the sudden hostility in his tone, but the woman herself seemed unfazed as she instead smiled slightly.

"Such a harsh welcome for one who is coming to your aid, my brother in strife," she replied, her trade speech colored by a slight lilting accent as she gestured towards the younger woman at her side.

"It was indeed a bit of a last-minute arrangement for Cala here to join me, and one for which we should praise Discord, as it was our God who generously used a bit of their mandate on our behalf that was recently provided to them through the actions of those who would oppose us. I promise you that she will be a most helpful asset to our cause."

"Of course, honored Sister," Ametrine quickly added in an attempt to forestall any further protests from Gold Mask that might further lower the foreigners' impression of them.

"We are all here to make sure that Discord's garden can bloom in this kingdom as it has not openly done for quite some time."

"Ah, yes," Altessia said, turning to Ametrine.

"I must admit that I was most skeptical when I first heard of the project when it began all those years ago, but it would seem that I was mistaken about its potential. Inviting other allies with the promises of their own smaller territories inside our protective domain was quite ingenious. Not only will they provide the muscle needed to protect the forming gardens, but their future quarreling should only help sustain it."

"Indeed," Ametrine agreed.

"In spite of some recent setbacks, the project has now entered its final stretch as the slow-burning spark of conflict behind the sects has been lit and previous lines already crossed. The years to come should provide what we need to see the Discord's garden become reality."

"You will have to forgive me for pointing out that if this conclusion was as sure as you make it sound, I doubt that our God and the church would have spent the resources to send reinforcements to this half-forgotten nook of the world," Altessia pointed out, the pleasantness in her voice giving way to a tone of command that grated on Ametrine's nerves.

"I would have your report of the last decade of the project to properly know where we stand. Because while you seem to have done a good job with the resources available, I am also quite sure that we shall find plenty of ways to improve things to further cement our advantage. Also, isn't it well past time to end that pointless charade with the masks? If we are to see Discord's garden a reality, we will soon need to stand tall as his champions anyway."

This sudden and rather unexpected demand had both Ametrine and Gold Mask stop in their tracks, glancing to one another and then to the silvers that had spread out around the room. Altessia apparently caught her meaning, as she quickly waved for her underlings to take their leave. It spoke to their loyalty that they did so without further hesitation, Ametrine's own people leading the way for the new arrivals.

This only left the gold-rankers present, and after a moment of hesitation, Ametrine eventually steeled herself and removed her mask. Altessia and Cala had come unmasked after all, with no illusions hiding their features, and to insist on anything else at this stage would only show weakness.

"I am called Ametrine Dreams Wreathed in Silk," she stated calmly, unmasked within the council chamber for the first time in decades.

"To this kingdom, I am known as the first courtesan of the King, His Majesty is an asset that I have cultivated since bronze-rank. I have kept his ear in all matters over the long years, and he leans on me for most political decisions even to this day. Through me, the strongest warrior in Hua-Xi unknowingly serves our cause."

Altessia nodded to this news with some apparent satisfaction, while the younger gold-ranker at her side seemed to have more of a sour response even though Ametrine suspected that it was more due to Cala being used to be the fairest person in most given rooms; an area where Ametrine was not ashamed to claim that she had the foreigner beaten. Gold Mask shot Ametrine a look, but eventually followed suit.

"And where Porcelain Mask- I mean, my honored sister here - has the King in her hand, I command a gathering of the kingdom's strongest warriors," he stated, drawing himself up as his aura swelled slightly.

"I am known as Might of Inner Calamity, leader of the Thunderous Soul Sect. Through their might and the contention it creates among the worthy warriors of the heartlands, we have been able to slowly cultivate exactly the kind of fertile ground that this undertaking needs. The sect has remained loyal to me for decades as well, with several of our fellow adherents embedded among its members as well as almost every other sect of Hua-Xi."

Altessia nodded to this with some appreciation as well, before beginning a thorough questioning of the history of their grand undertaking. As the memories of gold-rankers were deep, this took some time, but time and patience were something they all possessed.

Looking back, Ametrine herself had the chance to properly appreciate the work of her and the council in a new light as they went through the multitudes of projects they had undertaken and schemes they had enacted to get where they were today, from the gradual infiltration of the sects and the proliferation of pride and conflicts as norms were pushed and warped over decades to the more recent - and sometimes failed - projects like her own experiments up in the Autumn Lands in both gathering the remnants of a once fallen sect for a comeback as well as the spreading of the aura plague to further bend people from calm reason.

In the latter parts of the telling, the guild in the north also featured quite prominently as she had tried to use it to incite further strife although only partially succeeding. One of the few things she left out though was the Pathbreaker and his people in particular, seeing as they played a key role in her own personal plot to enact vengeance on Altessia's predecessor.

"- and as such, the spark seems to have gained a life of its own since the Proving just like we intended," Ametrine said as they were nearing the end of the report.

"While the interference of the Adventure Society and the guild did muddy the initial results somewhat, it has still been deemed more than enough. Not even the capture of Black Wood Mask's disciple should be more than an inconvenience by now, as all reports indicate that the sects are continually ramping up their conflicts against one another to seize territory and resources after previously mostly having kept such open clashing to the regular local tournaments.

Our prediction is that we should have amassed enough momentum around the kingdom in another eight to nine years, letting us keep to the accelerated schedule agreed upon a few years back. With your reinforcements-""Seven." Ametrine fell silent at the interruption, looking to Altessia.

"Excuse me?"

"Seven years, if that," the foreigner stated with confidence, looking from Ametrine to her counterpart.

"I don't believe that you are correctly identifying the threat still left in this city now that Black Wood Mask has been removed. This gold-ranker of the Tengu clan does seem to have the power set to be a true danger if left unchecked, and while my predecessor seems to have had the capabilities to keep him in check, neither I nor Cala can claim the same. He needs to become a priority target for removal, or the project as a whole will be at risk.

We need to leverage our assets even though it is a risk, and even should we succeed I deem it likely that anything more than seven years will be too much of a stretch. The other gods will surely start moving a lot more actively now that all the seeds we have laid out truly start sprouting, and we can't allow such a risk to keep growing basically next door to us."

Altessia spoke with such confidence and absoluteness that Ametrine found it hard to object even while she was also already bristling inside at the foreigner who dared come here and speak to them with such a commanding tone, a sentiment apparently shared by her brother within the council, albeit that Might of Inner Calamity had a bit less restraint.

"You dare come here and command us like this, Sister?" he barked, all but spitting out the honorific at the end.

"We have been managing this project towards success for decades. On what grounds do you think that-" He cut off, however, as Altessia's aura slammed into his like a localized thunderclap. Neither of the pair spoke for the next half a minute as their spirits kept grappling and pushing for supremacy. Might of Inner Calamity was an old hand at this sort of conflict, and yet Ametrine was surprised to see him on the losing end and forced to bow out when the full minute had passed.

"The church would not have sent me if I wasn't needed, Brother," Altessia said coldly, although her voice softened just a bit as she continued.

"A fresh take on things like this is usually needed, and given the assets you already have cultivated, I deem it quite reasonable to use them to handle this matter. Your project is close enough to completion, enough so that the church is taking more of an active interest. So do not mistake your experience for the pride that lies simmering below. Pride is the weapon meant to sow strife between our enemies, after all, not for us.

So for Discord's vision to come true, you will follow my lead on this, as well as some other projects and interventions that have come to mind during hearing your reports. Is that clear?" There was no denying the anger and hatred in the eyes of Might of Inner Calamity as he stared at the foreigner, and as such Ametrine made sure to speak first as she found the thought of any further conflict here a waste of their time.

"We should be thankful for the advice of our peer," she said pointedly, trying to convey meaning to the man across from her with her eyes. This was not a battle they would win, given the station of their sudden ally and rival. Better concede this battle and focus on the grander scheme of things.

"I for one am willing to listen to her suggestion on how to remove the Tengu clansman and his shadowy webs." Might of Inner Calamity's reply only consisted of smoldering silence, but seeing as he did not openly protest, Altessia seemed to deem it an acceptable one.

"It seems that we have much work ahead of us yet if we are to mitigate as much damage as we can from earlier shortcomings and the actions of those who would oppose us. From what you describe though, at least handling the Tengu gold-ranker should be simple enough given the pieces you have arranged. All we need is to give them a little push."