Just then, Spiegel returned, having successfully lured a group of mobs toward them. The two men raised their guns.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Spiegel called out.
"No worries. Let's get to work," Noir replied.
For a while, the topic of murder vanished, replaced by the mechanical repetition of the hunt. After returning to the city, they decided to head into a tavern to rest. The moment they stepped through the door, Spiegel's expression shifted.
His eyes took on that dark, burning intensity that Sterben and Noir "liked." The two conspirators shared a quick look before Noir spoke up.
"Something wrong? See someone you hate?"
"Ah... haha. Was it that obvious?" Spiegel asked, his voice tight.
"A bit. So, who is it?"
"XeXeeD."
"Oh? I see, I see. XeXeeD, huh?" Noir mused.
"Do you want to kill him?" Sterben asked, his tone flat, making it sound like he was only talking about the game.
Spiegel turned to Sterben, his eyes smoldering with resentment. "...Someday."
Inside, Sterben and Noir were ecstatic. That look was exactly what they were waiting for.
"I see," Sterben said simply. He was already mentally calculating how to put XeXeeD on the "kill list."
"Should we move somewhere else for now?" Noir asked, reading the room. Spiegel nodded, and the three of them left the tavern.
"Oh, if it isn't Spiegel!"
A voice called out to them. It was Usujio Tarako. Sterben and Noir quickly adjusted their positions, keeping their faces obscured while offering a polite, distant bow. Fortunately, Tarako didn't pry and simply nodded back. Since he was one of their potential targets, they had no intention of getting friendly.
"Tarako-san, it's been a while."
"Yeah! Shana and the others haven't been around much lately, so we haven't had a chance to get the group together. You been doing okay?"
"Yes!"
"Good, good. Oh, speaking of the devil, I've got a message from Shana. Hold on a sec."
"Wait, Shana-san is coming?" Spiegel asked.
At that name, Sterben and Noir tensed. They exchanged a lightning-fast whisper.
"No matter what happens, do not let your killing intent show."
"I know."
Tarako finished his message and looked at Spiegel with a bright grin. "Great news, Spiegel! It looks like the next Base Defense event is about to trigger at the World Tree Fortress."
"Really? That's a huge chance for rare items!"
Sterben and Noir recalled their conversation from earlier: If only we had a way to fight back properly. They listened intently, their interest fully piqued.
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it! Dyne will probably reach out to you with the details. Let's both do our best!"
"Definitely! I'll start preparing right away."
"See you around, Spiegel!"
As Tarako walked away, the trio headed to a different tavern. Noir immediately questioned Spiegel about the event.
"Hey, what was that event he was talking about?"
"Oh, that? Well..."
Spiegel explained the details, and the two men didn't hesitate.
"Can we participate in that event too?"
"I'll have to ask Dyne-san, but it should be fine. It's rare to hear you two interested in an event, though."
"Well, we'd like to actually enjoy the game for a change," Noir lied smoothly.
"I see! Leave it to me, then. Oh, Dyne-san is calling for a meeting already. I'll go check it out."
"Right. We're counting on you."
"You got it!"
Once Spiegel was gone, the whispers resumed.
"On the day of the event, we have to make sure we blend in with the other players."
"Absolutely no bloodlust," Sterben warned. "Even thinking about it is dangerous."
"But it's a perfect chance for intel."
"There's risk, but we'll manage."
Noir nodded. "Still, I can't believe a chance to get our hands on a counter-measure fell right into our laps like this."
"It might be a bust," Sterben cautioned.
"Maybe, but there's a world of difference between a slim chance and zero. I'll take it."
"True."
Noir looked toward the distance. "A whole fortress to himself... what the hell is that guy anyway?"
"A monster," Sterben spat.
"I really want to kill him someday."
"Indeed."
After receiving confirmation from Spiegel that they could join, the two headed to a shop to prepare. They were told that hitting as many enemies as possible was the priority, so they picked up specialized rifles and high-capacity ammunition for the occasion.
Meanwhile, Spiegel was at the tavern used by Dyne's group, feeling a fresh wave of indignation.
"Is it true? XeXeeD and his group are joining too?"
"Yeah," Dyne replied. "He's sending a few people from the Heike Army. Shana set it up. Now that the war is over, he wants to make sure there's no lingering bad blood."
"I get that... but why XeXeeD, of all people?"
"I'm not happy about it either, and Shana looked like he hated the idea too," Dyne admitted. "But apparently, Nyangoro-san told him it wouldn't mean anything if the leaders didn't participate."
"Nyangoro-san... I see. Then I guess there's no helping it."
Since they both respected Nyangoro as Shana's primary strategist, they accepted the logic. Their emotions were a different story, but the reasoning was sound.
(Fine. I'll play nice on the surface. But one day... definitely...)
Spiegel sent a message to Sterben and Noir and began his own preparations. The Fortress Defense event was approaching—an event already heavy with the scent of trouble.
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