The roasted camel meat, coated in sharp spices, had been devoured without a trace on the wooden plate.
Zald set down his massive fork and closed his eyes for a moment. He let his senses dive into his own body, past the layers of thick muscle and the armor that weighed him down. Deep within his internal organs, the lethal poison of the Behemoth—the corrosive curse that had gnawed at his life for years—was still there. It hadn't vanished. However, for the first time since Zald swallowed the flesh of that World Calamity, the poison did not bother him.
The pain that usually tormented him every time he finished eating was now replaced by a normal sense of fullness.
Zald opened his eyes, staring straight at the figure sitting across the table.
The tavern in the City of Lioad that night was filled with the boisterous voices of desert merchants, the clinking of valis coins, and the coarse laughter of mercenaries. Yet, the table in the corner of the room where they sat seemed to have its own gravity. Venti was leaning back casually, his fingers tapping on the wooden table to the rhythm of the tavern's out-of-tune music. This God of Wind appeared so light, in stark contrast to the weight of the world they were discussing.
However, healing his body was one thing. Stopping the gears of destruction set in motion by Erebus was another matter entirely.
"So, what is your plan now?" Zald's heavy voice cut through the air between them, his tone low but demanding seriousness. "Erebus's plan revolves around a massive bait. Elf, Dwarf, and Pallum slaves abducted from various borders are now chained and held captive in this desert region. Erebus is using them as kindling to burn the sanity of his enemies."
Hearing the word 'chained', the tapping of Venti's fingers on the table stopped instantly.
The casual smile adorning the young man's face vanished completely. The air around their table suddenly felt hollow and oppressive. There was no explosive anger, but Zald could see the gleam in those teal eyes dim into something incredibly cold.
"It's simple," Venti replied, his voice calm but possessing a sharp edge. "We free them all."
Zald frowned, leaning his massive body forward until his shadow loomed over Venti.
"You speak as if it's merely a matter of picking a padlock, Venti," Zald countered, his tone filled with the warning of a former veteran adventurer. "You have to remember who Erebus is baiting with those slaves. The Loki and Freya Familias. News of the mass captivity of their races must have already been sent to Orario by Erebus's spies."
Zald stared into the eyes of the god before him, ensuring Venti understood the scale of this threat. "Finn will not allow Pallum dignity to be trampled upon. Riveria will view the enslavement of Elves as a sin that must be paid in blood, and Gareth will rampage for the sake of his Dwarven brethren. On the other hand, there is the Freya Familia. Ottar only needs one reason to descend upon the battlefield and obliterate anything standing in his way."
The former Zeus Familia executive crossed his massive arms on the table. "If you interfere and break open the slave pens now, you will be caught right at the convergence point of the two strongest forces in the world. Their rage will blind their logic, and you will be deemed an enemy that must be destroyed alongside that slave-trading syndicate."
Venti did not back down from Zald's sharp gaze. Instead of being intimidated, the God of Wind merely let out a short sigh and leaned back again, letting the tension in the air dissipate.
"In that case, we just need to make sure this slavery issue is resolved before they arrive," Venti stated with straightforward logic. "The distance from Orario to the Kaios Desert is not a journey that can be made overnight. Mobilizing high-level adventurers the size of the Loki and Freya Familias requires preparation and official permission from the Guild's bureaucracy. Most likely, we will clear this stage before they even get to see the desert sand."
Venti tilted his head slightly. "That is... assuming there are no unforeseen events that suddenly accelerate their pace."
Zald processed the calculation in silence. His years of experience dealing with the Orario Guild confirmed Venti's words. Royman and the Guild's higher-ups would definitely hold back those familias to prevent an impulsive war. There was a time delay, but it was enough for them to make their move.
"Let's assume you can win this race against time," Zald finally nodded.
Venti tapped his finger on the table, staring at the Gluttony with calculating eyes. "Then what about the mastermind? Where are Erebus and his alliance—Set, Sobek, Osiris, and Resheph—hiding themselves right now?"
"In Warusa," Zald answered quickly. He didn't need to open a map; his tactical memory of the Kaios Desert had been incredibly sharp ever since Erebus outlined his plan. "A country in the western part of the Kaios Desert. Their geographical location is the definition of a living hell. The land there is barren, dead, and its underground water sources are nearly dry. That merciless natural condition forced the country to legalize pillaging, slavery, and armed violence purely to survive."
Zald scoffed cynically. "Warusa is a dumping ground for scumbags and fugitives. That territory is a perfect receptacle for vengeful gods like Sobek and Set to amass an army without needing to build a proper civilization."
Venti propped his chin up, looking at the massive Gluttony with an inquiring gaze. "If they're all gathering there to prepare the stage... why are you here in the City of Lioad instead? Why didn't you follow Erebus to Warusa and join his new allies directly?"
Hearing the question, Zald's expression hardened. A deep disgust was clearly imprinted in his eyes.
"Set, Sobek, and Osiris... They are nothing but a bunch of loser gods," Zald growled, his voice heavy with past pride. "In the past, the Zeus and Hera Familias conquered, defeated, and banished their Familias from Orario. They are just stray dogs still barking out of spite."
Zald clenched his fists on the table. "Even though I briefly agreed with Erebus's ultimate goal to test the new generation of heroes, my pride as a former Zeus executive flatly refuses to share a table with the rabble we once destroyed. I refuse to ally and share a roof with them in Warusa. Therefore, I chose to wait alone on the outside."
Venti smiled faintly, understanding the invisible boundary that propped up the remnants of honor in the man before him. Zald might have been driven to despair, but he never let go of his identity as a member of the Zeus Familia.
"An adventurer's pride," Venti nodded slowly. "I respect that. But... if not in Warusa, where exactly does Erebus plan to execute his scheme? I bet it's impossible in this City of Lioad. This place is too crowded and stable."
"Of course not," answered Zald. "Erebus has chosen the Gazoob Desert."
"Gazoob is a highly lethal rocky desert region, situated precisely at the border intersection of three territories: Shalzard, Israfan, and Warusa. Its geographical contour is filled with maze-like steep cliffs and narrow canyons that trap the wind, creating artificial sandstorms. It is in that sense-confounding place that Seale's illusion curse, Har Resheph, will be unleashed to its maximum potential. It is located exactly northeast of this City of Lioad."
Venti's index finger tapped the table slowly, his gaze drifting far through the tavern's crowd, as if looking at a giant map from the sky above. A string of names that Zald had just spoken sparked a glint of strategy in his head.
"Zald," Venti called out. "Has Warusa, or that mob of Erebus's alliance, launched a direct military attack on Shalzard recently?"
Zald's eyebrows knitted tightly. Venti's question felt like it leaped far away from their tactical topic.
"Not yet," answered Zald honestly. "So far, they have only intercepted merchant caravans or attacked small border posts. They have never mobilized troops to assault the capital. But... why are you suddenly asking about Shalzard?"
Zald looked at Venti with a questioning gaze. "As far as I know, Shalzard is just a large-scale oasis country in western Kaios. Indeed, its capital, named Sorshana, has abundant sources of pure spring water and fertile land that make them the number one power in this region economically. They are highly prosperous because they monopolize the trade routes. However, their military is passive. If the Warusa mob hasn't touched them, why should we bother glancing at that idle merchant country?"
A smile slowly bloomed on Venti's lips. It wasn't the cheerful smile of a street musician he usually showed, but rather a calm and calculating curve of the lips—the smile of someone who had just found a way to reverse a checkmate.
"That is where the beauty of this game lies, Zald," Venti leaned forward, his voice lowering into a conspiratorial whisper that could only be heard by Zald. "Erebus has chosen Warusa—a country built purely on the foundation of starvation, suffering, and cruelty—as their main chess piece. They are using the darkness born from poverty to ignite chaos."
Venti's teal eyes flashed brightly under the tavern's dim lights. "Therefore, as his opponent... I choose Shalzard as my game board."
Zald sat frozen. His usually sharp tactical thinking needed a few seconds to process the scale of what Venti had just said.
"You... want to use Shalzard as a safe haven and water supplier for us?" Zald guessed, trying to find the most logical meaning.
"Not just a stopover," Venti shook his head slowly, his tone of voice radiating undeniable authority. "I plan to make Shalzard the sole ruler that dictates order throughout the entire Kaios Desert region."
"If Erebus wants to create a stage of chaos that demands sacrifices for the birth of heroes," Venti continued calmly, "then I will create a new order that makes that chaos itself no longer relevant. We will elevate Shalzard's prosperity, weaponizing their economy and influence until they become an absolute protective force in this desert. When Shalzard holds control over Kaios's order, Warusa will have no room to breathe, and Erebus's purgatory stage will crumble from its foundation before the show even begins."
Venti's words echoed inside Zald's head. The strategic philosophy of this god was completely alien and terrifying in a positive way.
In Orario, adventurers were used to solving threats by facing enemies head-on on the battlefield. If an evil faction caused trouble, they would take up arms to eradicate them right then and there. However, what Venti offered was a far more profound strategy. He didn't plan to merely march into the desert to defeat Erebus's Alliance in a physical battle; he planned to destroy the maneuvering space that allowed those evil gods to hold power. He would seal off the root of the problem by utilizing the influence of a prosperous nation.
As a veteran who had been through hundreds of battles and was accustomed to methods of absolute violence, Zald had to admit that this god's tactical perspective was incredibly intriguing. While Erebus chose the convoluted path of creating a stage of despair that sacrificed lives, Venti offered a much cleaner shortcut by suffocating the enemy's movements through territorial control.
Power founded on despair is indeed lethal. However, power systematically structured to protect civilization... that is true power.
"Then, when do we start tearing down the order of this desert, God Venti?"
Venti turned his head toward the tavern window. Outside, the Kaios sun had completely set, replaced by a sprinkling of cold, sharp stars in the desert night sky.
"We must be patient just a little longer. We will not move toward the capital of Shalzard tonight," Venti said casually, clasping his hands on the table. "Let us wait for my adventurers Hedin, Hogni, Dina, and Vena to return."
"They are currently on a guild mission infiltrating deep to investigate if there are any specific movements or anomalies in the Dedine Desert," Venti explained, breaking Zald's curiosity.
Venti stood up from his chair. He stretched both arms into the air, looking like an ordinary teenager exhausted after a long day of strolling through the market.
"Once the investigation mission there is finished and they return, we will head straight for Shalzard," Venti said while winking playfully at Zald.
Zald remained seated in his spot, watching the back of the God of Wind as he turned and strolled casually toward the tavern's exit. His large, calloused hand instinctively reached down, feeling the hilt of his greatsword resting coldly beside the chair leg.
The arid night wind began sweeping in through the window crevices, bringing with it the dust and the sharp, distinctive scent of Kaios sand. However, tonight, that gust of wind did not feel like a greeting of death or a bad omen at all. For Zald, that wind felt like the first drawn breath of a grand epic that had just begun.
The chess game had been laid out upon the sand, and Zald couldn't wait to see how Erebus would react when he realized his pieces were beginning to be swallowed by a fierce, invisible wind.
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