Located at the center of the desert region in the southern part of the continent.
A magical barrier surrounds the area, creating an oasis in the heart of the desert.
An ancient Floating City drifts above it. Endless streams of water pour down from the castle in the sky, nourishing the city below.
[Eryuentiu]
This is the name of the capital. In the ancient language of this world, it means "the great tree at the center of the world," the very same meaning as YGGDRASIL.
According to legend, after the Eight Greed Kings died, the various races of the world quickly reclaimed their territories and completely overthrew their rule.
Yet Eryuentiu, which has stood for five hundred years, has remained untouched.
Thirty Guardians of different forms stand watch over this place.
Anyone who attempted to seek the treasure of the Eight Greed Kings has died.
It is said that two hundred years ago, only the leader of the Thirteen Heroes managed to borrow several magic items from here.
...
Inside the Guild.
In a dimly lit room, nine figures flickered in the candlelight. They were the Guardians who once served under the Eight Greed Kings.
The atmosphere was cold and silent. No one spoke first.
Some lowered their heads in thought. Some rested with their eyes closed. Others calmly trimmed their nails. Everyone occupied themselves with their own matters.
When their eyes occasionally met, they were filled with caution.
Although the Eight Greed Kings belonged to the same Guild, their relationships had never been good.
They often encroached on each other's interests and caused trouble behind the scenes.
Sabotaging one another had become routine.
What began as minor disputes gradually escalated until they nearly erupted into open conflict.
As the tension intensified, these Guardians were forced to take sides, pledging loyalty to the King they supported.
Even those who wanted to resolve the conflict found their efforts meaningless.
In the end, they were dragged into it as well, trapped in endless schemes and mutual deception.
Until the day that changed everything...
"Since everyone is here, let's begin."
"The Sorcerer Kingdom has been established. The Platinum Dragon Lord is still missing. The Guild weapon's whereabouts are unknown…"
"What do you all think about this?"
A slightly aged figure stepped forward. He appeared to be around fifty and had pointed ears.
A faint smile rested on his face, giving him a gentle, kindly air.
His gaze swept across the room, though inwardly he felt a trace of helplessness.
How many years had it been? Nearly four hundred, perhaps.
Since that world-shaking battle, the Guardians had not gathered like this for a very long time.
Even though he genuinely hoped to ease the tension between them, the effect was still minimal.
"What opinion is there to have? As long as it doesn't interfere with the plan, nothing else matters."
The one who replied was a pale-skinned man. His blood-red eyes slowly swept across the room, his tone cold and indifferent.
"That's not quite right. If a Player obtains the Guild weapon, we can temporarily submit and lull them into lowering their guard."
"It would also draw attention toward them, buying time for the plan to be completed."
"But the problem is that it's not impossible for a True Dragon Lord to obtain the Guild weapon. That would be troublesome."
A figure with their head lowered spoke slowly, worry evident in their voice.
At those words, the room fell silent.
The hatred the True Dragon Lords held toward the Eight Greed Kings was well known.
If they had the chance, no one doubted that they would destroy the Guild weapon without hesitation.
"We should never have lent out the Guild weapon back then."
"And that individual might even be our King."
"For the sake of a possibility that might not even exist, you took matters into your own hands and used it as bait, luring the Platinum Dragon Lord into seizing the Guild weapon."
"I cannot accept that!"
One figure suddenly stood up and slammed his fist against the table, speaking with obvious fury.
From his words, it was clear there had been more behind the incident back then.
The Platinum Dragon Lord obtaining the Guild weapon had not been an accident.
It had been planned from the start.
They had even used the leader of the 13 Heroes to make the transfer of the Guild weapon appear legitimate.
And they did all of that despite knowing that the captain might very well have been their own King.
"We couldn't be certain… Besides, hasn't that possibility already been disproven?"
"Handing the Guild weapon to the Platinum Dragon Lord was a decision approved by half of the Guardians."
"We had no other choice. If we wanted to buy time, it had to be done."
After a long silence, a somewhat hesitant voice finally spoke.
The Platinum Dragon Lord believed that possessing the Guild weapon allowed him to threaten these Guardians.
But in truth, they were using him as well.
Under those circumstances, only by letting the Guild weapon remain in the hands of the Platinum Dragon Lord could they truly feel at ease.
"Enough. Stop arguing."
"There's no point debating this now. Our priority is to confirm the status of the Guild weapon before the plan is completed, so nothing unexpected happens."
Seeing the atmosphere turning worse, the elderly figure spoke decisively.
His gaze then shifted to the side, where someone was watching the entire scene with clear amusement.
That person was not one of the Guardians under the Eight Greed Kings.
He was a collaborator bound to them by contract.
"Clear Light, I'll have to trouble you with a trip outside."
"Only you can freely leave and return without being detected."
Although they could not leave the Guild Base themselves, they still possessed some information about the three Players of the Sorcerer Kingdom.
None of the Guardians doubted it.
The moment they stepped outside the Guild Base, they would immediately be surrounded and attacked.
After all, the magic barrier deliberately surrounding the area was an unmistakable warning.
Right now, only the person before them could slip past the barrier and leave unnoticed.
"Sure. I've been curious about the Sorcerer Kingdom anyway. This is a good chance to take a look."
The figure did not refuse and agreed without hesitation.
Under the gaze of the Guardians, his body gradually became transparent until it completely vanished.
"His control over space has improved again."
"That's a good thing. The stronger he becomes, the higher the chances of the plan succeeding."
Some reacted with slight changes in expression. Others remained completely impassive.
"What about the Elf King?"
"With the Platinum Dragon Lord absent, the Slane Theocracy might take action against him."
"The King's offspring… we don't need to worry about that for now."
"Even if he dies, it doesn't matter. Part of his soul is stored within the Guild. We can simply resurrect him at the end."
"We must accelerate our plans before the end of this world arrives…"
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Slane Theocracy, capital city.
A lone figure slowly walked inside.