"…The Odd Keystone. According to the data, Spiritomb's existence depends on the Keystone."
"But now that its body has been drawn into a Poké Ball, separated from the Keystone… what will happen then?"
At this moment, Aven was holding the Keystone and the Poké Ball in his hands, lost in deep thought.
Inside this Poké Ball was the very Pokémon he had just captured—Spiritomb.
He closed his eyes slightly, and within his mind he recalled the final scene—Spiritomb's body endlessly seething with a surge of resentful souls. The memory weighed heavily upon his heart, making his mood inevitably sink into a grim solemnity.
It was not hard to imagine. Without a doubt, this Spiritomb must have grown stronger by absorbing countless wrathful spirits.
And when he thought again of the taming grounds owned by the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild, the truth became painfully clear. Those countless resentful souls were none other than the remnants of Pokémon that had died after failing the cruel taming process. All of those lost lives, condensed into a mass of anguished resentment, had forcefully given birth to a Spiritomb whose strength had already reached the quasi-king level.
"The Gilded Fang Merchant Guild… it must be destroyed!"
"And Spiritomb—along with the countless spirits bound within it—must also be granted eternal rest."
Taking in a deep breath, Aven carefully placed both the Odd Keystone and the Poké Ball together inside a wooden box.
Somehow, he had the faint feeling that the reason Spiritomb could be subdued so easily was precisely because of those spirits.
No matter the truth, he was now certain—he had to bring Spiritomb with him to the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild. Only there could those countless wrathful spirits find their conclusion, settling their unfinished fate directly against the very organization responsible for their torment!
…
Pokémon Orchard, Stonefall Village.
By now, this place had already been entirely transformed into a prison.
Normally, the magical beast hunters who were captured, along with their Pokémon, would be imprisoned here.
But ever since the decree was issued throughout the Eastern Domain of Aspiration City forbidding beast hunters from entering, new prisoners had become scarce.
However, today was different. Today the prison received an overwhelming number of new captives—knights, merchants, and even ordinary civilians.
"What do you intend to do to us? We are honest, legitimate merchants!" From within the jail, the merchants shouted endlessly.
They simply could not understand. They had been conducting perfectly normal trade, so why were they suddenly arrested by the people of Fruitvale Village?
By comparison, the expressions of the knights and the commoners were far calmer. They clearly knew the true reason for their capture.
All of them were spies planted by the Ironblood Fortress inside Fruitvale Village. Their task had always been to secretly transmit information about the village back to the fortress.
For nobles, this was an utterly commonplace situation. Every territory invariably contained spies sent by other nobles and lords.
"So… these are nothing more than ordinary spies?"
In the council hall outside the prison, Aven leaned his chin on his hands, glancing toward Sutter and asking.
Seeing this, Sutter could only shake his head helplessly and answer, "For now, it seems that these spies truly know nothing about the assassins."
"Furthermore, the assassins we captured were merely peripheral members. They themselves had no idea that they were serving the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild."
"Ralts~ Ralts~"
Ralts, standing at Aven's side, nodded lightly as well.
Its ability could clearly sense whether or not people were lying.
And once the spies realized that Fruitvale Village already possessed a vast amount of irrefutable evidence, they confessed their identities one after another.
It was also worth noting that these spies came from many different territories. Their allegiance was not only to Ironblood Fortress.
Some were even professional information brokers, selling intelligence to whichever noble or lord was willing to pay.
As for the merchants, they were indeed completely innocent—merely used as cover and tools by the spies.
"It seems the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild had already prepared for the possibility of failure."
"Unfortunately, we failed to capture even a single core member. The assassin captain was ruthless enough that he immediately killed himself and his subordinates without hesitation!"
Matthew gave a cold snort from the side. Although he was already used to the cold-blooded methods of the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild, he still couldn't help feeling bitter frustration at missing such a golden opportunity.
"Yes… it is a bit of a pity."
"But no matter. The Court of Public Order is still going to be involved regardless."
"Whether they admit to it or not has nothing to do with us. All we need to do is hand over the spies of Ironblood Fortress and the assassins we captured."
"I am, after all, the Earl of the southeastern corner of Aspiration City. On this matter, I must be given an explanation! As for the investigation itself, that is the responsibility of the Court of Public Order."
"Besides… even if we failed to seize direct evidence against Ironblood Fortress and the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild, do you think the nobles won't already be suspicious?"
"Most lords are already aware of the existence of the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild's secret strike force. Everyone knows the truth, even if it is never spoken aloud. That alone is enough."
Aven pondered in silence for a moment before continuing. No matter what, this was an opportunity for Fruitvale Village to display its power to the other lords of Aspiration City.
This was nothing less than a victory in the clash between Fruitvale Village and Ironblood Fortress. Once news spread that the secret strike force had been annihilated to the last member, the entire city would be shaken!
As long as everyone realized that Fruitvale Village now possessed the strength to oppose both Ironblood Fortress and the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild, their loyalties would begin to waver.
This was a heavy blow against both factions, and it would also pave the way for the decisive strike Aven was preparing next.
…
Three days later, news from the Court of Public Order shook all of Aspiration City.
The Border Earl of the southeastern corner of Aspiration City had been the target of an assassination attempt within his very own domain!
Yet under the strong defense of Fruitvale Village, the assassins were utterly annihilated within the village walls.
Not only that—Fruitvale Village had also captured numerous spies from the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild, and fully disclosed the details of the assassination attempt, directing the accusations squarely at the Guild!
In an instant, the entire Aspiration City erupted. The disclosed details shocked every noble and lord who read them.
"This… this was the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild's assassination force?"
"A single quasi-king-level magical beast and five advanced-level magical beast? That kind of strength is absolutely terrifying!"
The nobles stared wide-eyed at the reports in their hands. Such power was enough to completely destroy their territories in a direct confrontation.
Yet even with such terrifying strength, the assassination had failed. What kind of overwhelming power did Fruitvale Village now wield to resist this?
"No matter what, this time Fruitvale Village is the clear victor!"
"And that secret assassination force of the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild was completely wiped out. That is definitely good news for us!"
"With Fruitvale Village's strength expanding so rapidly, perhaps it is time to reconsider. Compared to the Ironblood Alliance, the Eastern Domain Alliance may prove to be the wiser choice."
Nobles who had been hesitant and wavering began to make their decisions one by one.
Not long ago, their finances had already been dealt a crushing blow by the berry and potion disputes, leaving surplus berries rotting in their storage cellars.
The Gilded Fang Merchant Guild and Ironblood Fortress had handled the matter unfairly, refusing to offer help to their own allies in the Ironblood Alliance, and even stabbing them in the back.
At first, they endured it because of the importance of the magical beast trade. But soon after, they suffered another devastating blow in that very same trade.
For the Merchant Guild, which was vast and powerful, these losses were survivable. But for smaller lords whose entire economies depended on beast trading, it was nothing less than catastrophic.
They had already been wavering. Now that the Guild's assassination unit had been wiped out, they felt as though they were witnessing the great organization teetering on the brink of collapse.
At last, they could no longer endure. They began secretly defecting to the Eastern Domain Alliance—just as they had heard others had already done before them.
…
Earl Ruize of the Northeastern Territory of Aspiration City also received the news.
"It seems Fruitvale Village now wields far greater power than we originally imagined," he muttered with emotion.
Earlier, he had disclosed information to Aven about the assassination unit the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild was cultivating—originally only to warn him to beware of possible assassination attempts.
Never could he have expected that Aven would instead set a trap, luring the entire unit to their deaths within Fruitvale Village!
A trap—yes, it had to be. Ruize was certain. Under ordinary circumstances, those assassins should have had no difficulty retreating if the mission went awry. For every single one of them to be wiped out—this was the result of a deliberate plan.
And with the capture of so many spies, it was further proof that Earl Aven already had everything firmly under his control. Even the battle-hardened Ruize could not help but feel a chill creeping up from deep inside his heart.
He calculated inwardly. If he himself were attacked by that assassination force, it would be nearly impossible to escape unscathed—let alone to prevent even one assassin from fleeing.
"…Fortunately, we are allies." After a long silence, Earl Ruize finally exhaled slowly.
Now that the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild had suffered such a severe blow, he could already foresee chaos erupting in the Northern Domain. And in that chaos lay his own chance to seize control of the north.
However, he would have to be cautious. The Ironblood Fortress was certain to retaliate, and Marquis Hormay was not the sort of man to swallow humiliation quietly.
The struggle between the Ironblood Alliance and the Eastern Domain Alliance had only just entered its most heated phase, and the Eastern Alliance would undoubtedly become the frontline against Ironblood Alliance.
…
Gilded Fang Merchant Guild Headquarters.
Nelson stood at the window.
It had already been three full days since the assassination attempt.
Yet no word had come back. None at all. A faint unease gnawed at his heart.
Whether the assassination succeeded or failed, there should have been news. At the very least, some signal, some report. Yet even the spies had all fallen silent.
"What is happening?"
"Could something have gone wrong?"
His hand tightened slowly on the iron railing until it groaned and creaked under the strain.
"No… impossible. They even brought Spiritomb with them."
"A quasi-king-level beast and five advanced-level magical beasts—enough power to conquer a territory head-on. How could they possibly fail?"
He muttered to himself, trying to rebuild his confidence. Perhaps they had simply not yet found the right opportunity to strike?
Knock, knock, knock, knock!
Suddenly, an urgent knocking resounded at the door.
So hurried, so pressing—it stirred a deep sense of dread within his chest.
This scene was too familiar. The last two times had been exactly like this… and both times had brought devastating news.
The memory was still fresh, carved into his mind. The Gilded Fang Merchant Guild had already suffered two crippling blows.
And this time, he had dispatched the organization's full strength. If they failed again, it would no longer be just a heavy blow—it would be total ruin.
Knock, knock, knock, knock! Knock, knock, knock, knock!
The knocking grew even more urgent. Nelson glanced out the window.
In that instant, he saw Marquis Hormay riding swiftly at the head of a knight order, galloping straight toward him.
The knights charged through the streets, moving so recklessly that the townsfolk were forced to scatter in panic.
At this sight, Nelson instantly understood. Something had happened. Something catastrophic. His legs trembled uncontrollably, nearly causing him to collapse.
It was over. It was definitely over. And this disaster concerned the entire Ironblood Fortress. His lips moved in a broken whisper.
Bang, bang, bang!
The knocking at the door continued.
Perhaps because his lack of response had gone on too long, a deafening crash followed—the door was kicked open.
A steward rushed inside in a panic, his eyes immediately landing on Nelson standing rigid by the window.
"President…" The steward exhaled in relief at finding him alive. Then his lips moved, voice trembling: "President, something has happened."
Nelson shut his eyes in pain. "Say it. What news?"
"Our assassination unit… has been annihilated!"
"Fruitvale Village has already filed for trial at the Court of Public Order!"
Though he had feared it, hearing the words 'annihilated' with his own ears struck him like thunder. His vision swam, the world spun around him.
"Annihilated… impossible! How could they all be annihilated?!" His voice erupted in a hysterical roar, refusing to accept what he had heard.
That force had been painstakingly raised, the elite of the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild—one of the most important assets not only to the Guild, but to Ironblood Fortress itself.
A quasi-king-level beast and five advanced-level magical beasts, and many others close to advanced-level… The loss was catastrophic, far beyond anything the Guild could possibly endure.
"President Nelson, Marquis Hormay has arrived." Another steward hurried in with this report.
Nelson's whole body went limp. He collapsed heavily onto the floor. Even as he fell, he murmured endlessly: "Impossible… this is impossible…"
"President Nelson! President Nelson, what's wrong?!"
With his sudden collapse, the study was thrown into chaos. Stewards cried out in panic:
"Quick! Call for the apothecary, summon the apothecary immediately!"
(End of Chapter)