City of Vernes, Somaria,
At the airport, three private aircrafts landed, and from one of them emerged a man with blond hair and blue eyes.
"Master Louis, we have an appointment with the World Association this afternoon," a middle-aged man said, following Louis closely.
Louis nodded, signaling his acknowledgment of the schedule.
The man, a Hunter serving the Rothschild family, was somewhat intimidated by Louis's reputation for having a short fuse. However, Louis had been surprisingly reserved throughout their journey.
This change in demeanor was the reason James felt more assured that Louis wouldn't stir up any trouble during his stay in Somaria.
But what was going on in Louis Rothschild's mind was unknown to them.
'I will find the evidence here,' Louis thought to himself as he surveyed his surroundings.
Standing in Vernes, located in the southern part of Somaria, Louis was there not only for the mission given by Dalton and James but also to seek evidence.
With each passing day, his anger and frustration intensified, driven by his desire to expose Asher Greville, the man he blamed for his mission's failure and the subsequent damage to his reputation.
If the Zephyr incident hadn't been classified as a top-level threat, it would have left an indelible stain on his name.
'These Greville bastards are related to Zephyr, I will prove it,' Louis thought in his head.
He had kept silent only because no one would believe his seemingly outlandish claims. Thus, Louis decided to uncover the truth himself.
He was in Vernes because if the Greville Family heir was involved with Zephyr, this was where he would find any leads.
Suddenly, all the hunters, including Louis, became alert as they sensed the approach of powerful individuals.
They heightened their mana levels but remained composed, as Louis' team consisted of highly skilled S Rank Hunters.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Nice to meet you, Sir Louis Rothschild. I am the Squad Leader assigned to collaborate with you during your stay in Somaria," said the man in a suit, greeting Louis warmly with a smile.
These individuals were members of the World Association, there to welcome Louis, who had been sent on behalf of the Rothschild Family to assist the World Association when they needed additional manpower.
With the emergence of numerous Dungeons worldwide, many B Rank and lower Hunters were being mobilized.
Even S or A Rank Hunters were tackling B Rank or higher Dungeons, tasks they wouldn't normally undertake.
Louis was present under the guise of an exchange program, where the World Association lent their manpower below A Rank to their Desmar branch.
"I can't believe we have the opportunity to collaborate with the renowned Louis Rothschild," the man remarked, smiling.
Louis nodded, understanding the flattery; coming from an elite family, he was recognized as a formidable hunter among his S Rank peers, despite his notorious reputation.
The main challenge in working with him was his temper, which is why this World Association member, an S Rank Hunter himself, was cautious in his approach towards Louis.
"The vehicles are ready for you to-," the man began, only to stop as cracks suddenly appeared on the ground.
Crack!
A fissure appeared in the land, and a man was seen levitating above.
"Why does the Second Son of Sir Dalton Rothschild grace our land?" an elderly man inquired, his presence instantly recognizable to Louis.
"Hassan Trevino," Louis muttered under his breath, causing the Hunters around him to become alert.
They all knew this name: Hassan Trevino, the right-hand man of the Sword God, an SS Rank Hunter.
Although the enormous shadow of Nathaniel Greville undermined Hassan's strength but these Hunters weren't clueless about the identity and the strength of the old man that was floating in the air.
The mana around them started rising as they were ready to fight for Louis if the situation demanded it.
"What do you want?" Louis asked, his expression stern.
Despite Hassan's formidable strength, Louis's status was significantly higher and this was something he was aware of.
There wasn't a rule preventing members of other Elite Families from entering Somaria, and Hassan couldn't stop Louis this time. Louis was not only representing the Rothschild Family but also acting on behalf of the World Association.
Hassan looked down, observing the hunters surrounding Louis Rothschild.
"A private aircraft? We weren't informed that such powerful hunters were landing in Somaria," Hassan commented as he landed on the ground, facing the World Association representatives.
"Since a few months ago, numerous pesky flies have been entering Somaria. Forgive me if my greeting seems overly cautious," Hassan explained.
"Why do we need to inform anyone about our arrival?" Louis retorted with a frown.
He was struggling to contain his anger, as even the mere mention of the name 'Greville' was enough to agitate him.
"I'm just here to remind you to be mindful of your actions on this continent," Hassan said, his smile disappearing as he made his intentions clear.
The atmosphere shifted, and everyone's expressions changed.
"Does the head of the Greville Family know what you are saying?" A man from the World Association finally spoke up.
"Hoh, it seems people have forgotten my methods. But I'm sure the Second Son of the Rothschild Family remembers well," Hassan said, locking eyes with Louis.
Louis stared back at Hassan for a few seconds before raising his hand to restrain his man from reacting.
"We are here solely to assist the World Association," Louis clarified, to which Hassan responded with a smile.
"If that's the case, then we will have no issues," Hassan said as he floated into the air, soon disappearing from sight.
"Forgive me, Sir Louis. I will report this to our superiors," the man from the World Association said, hoping to appease Louis.
"Don't bother. That man wouldn't act so provocatively on his own," Louis replied dismissively.
"What do you mean?" The man looked puzzled.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"That man acts only on the orders of one person: Nathaniel Greville," Louis muttered.
"Forget about this. Lead the way," Louis instructed, shifting his gaze to the man.
"Ah, yes, please follow me," the man replied hastily, now understanding the gravity of the situation.
Louis was correct, someone like Hassan would never provoke the other party on his own, as his actions could damage the honor of the Greville Family, but there was only one case where Hassan wouldn't care if his opponent was the World Association Chairman himself.
And it was when he was working under the order of the Nathaniel Von Greville.
***
"Leader, are you certain he will heed this warning?" one of the Greyhounds members inquired.
They were dispersed throughout the area, eavesdropping on the conversation between Hassan and Louis Rothschild.
"It doesn't matter. Anyone perceived as a threat will be eliminated. Those were our orders," Hassan responded.
The benign demeanor of the old man with grey hair and black eyes had vanished. Now, standing before the other Greyhounds, was their leader — as ruthless as he was strong.
Before departing, Nathan had issued very specific instructions to Hassan and the other two SS Rank members of the Greyhounds: to eliminate anyone who posed a potential threat.
"Shadow every individual accompanying Louis Rothschild. I want updates on every single action they take," Hassan commanded.
"YES, SIR!" All the Greyhounds chorused in unison, vanishing from their positions.
While these events unfolded in Somaria, the heir of the Greville Family was entering one of the cities bordering Halcyon's capital.
"Boss, are you sure you want to go into that area?" Dane inquired.
"Yes," Asher responded, removing his mask.
"Getting past all the security will be challenging, especially since we'll be passing through the World Association's Headquarters," Kai remarked, gazing at the imposing building in front of them.
<Our target is in one of the areas beyond this city. Only members of the Royal Family and the heads and heirs of the Everett and Allister Families are permitted to access that place.>
"Get ready, we only have a month to reach that place," Asher replied.