Harbingers of Change

Chapter 14

Yuuki sat on a comfortable mat by a small, round table, leisurely enjoying a rich cup of coffee. Across from him, an elderly man with bright white hair and a young, blonde girl, around ten years old, were engaged in quiet conversation. Their fine attire stood in stark contrast to Yuuki's modest uniform.

He was always meticulous, keeping his allies in the dark about each other. Kagali, the traitor, couldn't have known either of the people or their current location. Whenever he wanted to meet with the two in front of him, Yuuki had always gone alone and in person, mentioning the need to investigate this or that, or just going off on personal vacations, and there were far too many instances of both for Kagali to properly investigate.

His underestimating Tempest was undoubtedly a large blunder, but at the same time, he made sure to maintain safeguards against failures like these. The biggest setback, for the time being, was the temporary loss of control over the Free Guild and all of its resources and manpower. With him unable to fight the monsters in an open battle, retaking his former position would prove to be a difficult endeavor.

Still, despite its autonomy, the guild had to abide by the influence of its shareholders to some degree, and this greatly restricted Tempest's ability to utilize them for their purposes, save for probing certain ledgers, nobles, or merchants. And this was exactly why the largest and most prominent of the shareholders, the Rosso family, were sitting with him, being patrons since the very beginning. They were the wealthiest individuals in the West, surpassing even Falmuth's and Ingrassia's royal families by miles and miles.

Granbell Rosso was a living legend; the man was an old true hero who had guarded humanity against monstrous threats for all this time. Then there was his great-granddaughter Mariabell Rosso, a reincarnated soul, who not only possessed the unique skill Greed but was also endowed with one of the sharpest minds for economics ever seen.

She, despite her young age, had established a financial network so powerful that a mere order of hers could destroy an entire kingdom's economy, even Falmuth's if push came to shove. And her raw skill in controlling other people only increased her reach and ability to manipulate the markets, making her the wealthiest human alive.

Yet in the past month, a mysterious company originating from Tempest had rapidly pushed back against her influence by trading coveted and exotic commodities just out of her reach, reaping profits that were unprecedented even by her standards. The millions of gold coins that were destined for her coffers flowed into theirs, and it infuriated her to no end.

"Explain to me how you failed to infiltrate Tempest's inner sanctum?" Mariabell inquired, her tone composed as she took a delicate sip from her porcelain cup.

"They could block out my skill, even when fought against. It should have been impossible, but somehow I was overpowered," Yuuki replied. "Your Greed likely won't work on them either."

"Intriguing," she mused. "Grandfather, might you shed some light on this matter?" She turned to her right, flashing the old man an innocent smile.

"Yuuki was too careless and foolish in his attempts. Now, the council is in chaos, and it will take time to get things back on track. For the time being, we should go on the defensive and preserve control where we can," Granbell stated flatly, his gaze piercing through the young man before him.

"...I must admit, I was overconfident."

'Careful now. While they hold value, they must also be prepared to become suitable tools. A straightforward attempt is unnecessary,' Ker's silky voice invaded his mind once more.

At first, she was furious about Hinata's failure, threatening to punish him by extracting even more of his power and lifespan. However, she ultimately conceded that her own impatience for swift success had led to Hinata being pushed beyond her limits. On the positive side, now they fully knew what they were dealing with and could plan their next steps accordingly.

'I know, but you will have to find another way to empower them. You saw what creating the sword did to me.' Yuuki responded with a thought.

'Patience. Serve me well and I will teach you how to regain your youth. You don't want to disappoint me do you?'

For an instant, Yuuki could swear he felt her breath against his neck. Ker's presence was definitely becoming stronger and more imposing. As much as he tried to conceal his true feelings, the Goddess likely was aware of them anyway. He was her tool and opening into this world, nothing more than a convenient pawn, ironically much like the ones he had manipulated in the past. He feared that she would gain entry into the world, tearing through him and leaving a soulless, mindless husk behind, and was certain that Ker knew it.

'I would prefer avoiding that, my Goddess.'

'Good. For now, listen to them. Play the role of a loyal dog and I will chip away at their defenses bit by bit. That girl is an easy target… Such arrogance invites nothing but weakness. The old man desires his prize… mmm… I will find it.'

'What prize?' Yuuki inquired.

'You'll see. Put your attention on your next steps.'

'As you wish,' he affirmed, then redirected his mind to the ongoing conversation.

"How foolish. You lost what advantage we gave you. But I do think there is a silver lining in all of this. We might finally be able to destroy any control that Demon Lord Luminous has over humanity. Make sure to steer clear of the monsters' strife, for I've devised strategies to use the conflict to our benefit," Granbell declared, a smile playing on his lips. "I may have to retrieve an artifact from that Demon Lord's sanctuary when an opportune time comes."

"Mind giving details?" Yuuki asked in return, seemingly eager to offer up what he could in support.

"Not yet. You have already failed once. You will lay low for now… The last thing we need is to fight Tempest directly while their monsters already roam near Siltrosso's borders," Granbell retorted, akin to a grumpy grandpa scolding his grandchildren, which Yuuki may have as well been given the age difference.

"I agree. It is time for us to fix your mess. I will be extra careful to avoid revealing my involvement, even if it means temporarily losing both money and influence," Mariabell announced.

She might have been Greed itself, but she also was highly calculating and careful, and the massive fiasco with Falmuth had shown that Tempest wasn't a force to be taken lightly. For now, her best approach was to find her way into the Fuschio company and secure control over its owners, or at the very least, a majority of its shareholders.

The execution of her plan, however, was another matter entirely. Despite the confidence she had in her skill, there already was one person impervious to it, her great-grandfather Granbell. Their very first meeting was marked by her audacious yet futile attempt to control him, an effort that only amused the hero as she, still a toddler, boldly tried to exert her will.

This resistance suggested the existence of others who might similarly elude her grasp, unpredictable elements that could disrupt her carefully laid plans. And from what she had gathered, Tempest's leaders were likely too formidable for direct manipulation. Nevertheless, that didn't mean other methods couldn't be found.

Patience was the virtue she understood best, and she had to be patient. The world would be hers one day.

<X>

Elmesia carefully scrutinized the recording of the battle for Tempest while sipping a brandy, chilled by ice magic and infused with enough magicules to poison a normal human.

With some reluctance, she had to admit that Tempest's foods and alcohol were slowly turning her into a glutton and an alcoholic, even with all of her various resistances. With her power, it wasn't an actual issue as she wouldn't suffer any negative effects from her overindulgence, but she would likely have to soon tone it down to prevent creating an obvious exploitable weakness to others.

Seated beside her was her uncle and most trusted subordinate, Erald. His only shortcoming was his constant worrying about his free-spirited daughter, but otherwise, he was by far one of the most competent individuals under her employment. He often joked that his heart wouldn't be able to handle the stress of another child like Elyun, with how often she waltzed around the world and the elves willy-nilly.

The main thing she deduced from the intelligence reports and the video was how grossly she had miscalculated the full extent of Tempest's true might, a revelation that would inevitably reshape and affect her foreign policies. Elmesia had always believed that she and her mother could match Tempest's leaders in combat on an even footing, but now she faced the possibility that this belief was misguided.

The ease with which Momonga eradicated a hundred thousand humans was disturbing, to say the least. And it was likely he could do the same to other races as well, such as elves or dwarves.

'It seems my decision to withhold information from Leon was correct. Should Sarion be perceived as hostile towards Tempest, the resulting loss of life would be catastrophic, even if we somehow managed to win.'

"Intriguing, isn't it? Tempest has finally revealed their cards," Elmesia remarked with nonchalance.

"Your Imperial Majesty, we must work on countermeasures. If such an ability is used on our people…"

"But of course. I will look into it personally," she responded, pausing to savor another sip, enjoying the pleasant burn in her throat. "If we play our own cards right, we can position ourselves as a formidable force, perhaps dissuading Tempest from any provocation, regardless of their leaders' prowess. Have we gathered any information on their joint venture with Dwargon?"

"Only rumors. The facility and faculty are likely guarded by those shadow creatures, and Gazel seems to have completely given up on forming intelligence networks within Tempest itself," Erald reluctantly admitted.

"You are too tense. Here, have one for your health. I insist," Elmesia poured him a glass of brandy, simultaneously chilling the glass with her hand.

Erald immediately accepted the offer, knowing how futile any arguing with his niece was. He downed it almost immediately.

"So, what rumors are floating around?" She inquired.

"Guns, tanks, magicule engines."

"Hmm, so they're trying to recreate otherworlder technology. If that is all they are doing then we have nothing to worry about. That would never come close to my mother's research."

"While I admit Sylvia does create technological marvels, your Imperial Majesty, you must admit this turn of events will likely cause the reappearance of angels."

"I wonder… you know, if Momonga's specialty truly lies in vanquishing large amounts of lesser foes, then he would be the perfect counter to the angels. Perhaps I should press for an agreement of mutual support for the next Tenma War, once the politics have died down from the current events. It would also foster a friendly relationship without the entanglements of localized conflicts," she mused, her lips breaking into a devilish grin.

When it came to politics, she knew how to get just what she wanted without paying more than necessary, scarily so. Everyone would have to fight angels when they arrived from the skies, and while Sarion could defend themselves easily, it would be very beneficial to team up with another powerhouse like Tempest to repel the masses.

"That is an excellent idea, Your Imperial Majesty," Erald nodded in agreement, his cheeks reddening. Compared to his niece, he was a lightweight when it came to strong spirits, but that was the case for most elves. Unless they had Poison Resistance, of course, and even then it had to be fairly strong. Elmesia and Sylvia were anomalies in that regard, being able to drink anyone under the table.

What truly instilled fear was the fact that Elmesia didn't lose her eye for politics and unerring scheming no matter how drunk she got. Many nobles had attempted to fool her during festivities, only to later realize that she outplayed them, tremendously so.

"In either case, a visit to Gazel may be in order. Let's see for ourselves what his people are working on. I do not doubt that Tempest is hiding their real research in places we would never consider. Speaking of which, did you find out more about Nazarick?"

"Unfortunately not. That information remains elusive. Even our best spies have reported nothing but failures in penetrating their defenses."

Elmesia tapped her nose thoughtfully. "Maybe a personal trip to Tempest is also warranted. Did Mother assess my homunculus body? The last one was deteriorating too swiftly."

"I cannot say for certain. You know how she is. I have reminded her dozens of times to look into it, but she always seems to forget moments later."

"Inform her that she will receive new materials to play with if she keeps her act together for a month."

"Your Imperial Majesty, how could you possibly-"

"Oh, don't be surprised. Acquiring Beliat is not as challenging as one might think. Dwarves have a knack for misplacing such items, after all."

"Then I shall inform Sylvia once I figure out in which laboratory she is working at the moment."

"Throwing dice or blindly pointing on a map might actually be the safest bet in finding her," Elmesia laughed. Her mother was akin to an elusive ghost for most, setting up new laboratories on a whim and then neglecting to inform anyone else. Even tracing resource routes to track her was difficult thanks to her myriad of technologies that enabled near-complete autonomy.

Eran chose not to say anything in response. His sister-in-law had always been an impulsive and unorganized person, completely unsuited for rule. But given enough time, he knew he could guide her back on course, at least until the next time she dropped the bat and fled for another laboratory.

Editing by aidan_lo

Proofreading by Zprotu, Sluethen, Cakeeight, Malguis, FantasyTroll, Thea, LightFlan and NuggetLover

AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (https://discord.gg/WmGKVU3XG2) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader (gives access to chapters months ahead of regular readers).