Chapter 571 - What He Feared
Arthur was not planning on meeting Mistletoe before he found a way to know what happened in the past. Oriole was not Sier who could see everything but a powerless student in this world. There was very little he could know about Arthur's secret dealings with one of the most notorious thieves in the world.
However, he came across them now, and he could not act as if he did not see them. These ruins were too vital for him, as they might be his clue to find Diana in this world or her reincarnation. Therefore, Arthur did not fear confrontation with his friends.
"I would never let anything happen to Ivy," said Arthur with a frown. "I won't bat an eye if Zas or William died, but Ivy is the first person to save me, and I was planning on rushing toward the Ilios Empire after this."
"That is a relief to hear," barked Zas from behind his crow mask.
"We are here for that reason," muttered Sier from behind the mask before taking it off, revealing his dark skin and violet eyes. "Mistletoe received intel that the ruins contain a weapon that can freeze souls."
"Tell me about it," sighed Arthur. "The ruins should not contain a weapon. And even if they do, there is a tiny possibility of sneaking in unnoticed. The Ghost Ruler is the one who guided me towards this place."
"The Ruler of Runera?" asked Sier with an uneasy frown before turning toward Zas. "I thought that the teleportation went unnoticed."
"If it were noticed, then the array would have apprehended all of us," said Zas before turning to Arthur. "There is no way that ghost found us and just sent an apprentice here."
"The teleportation disturbed the energy networks that supply the runes, making them go haywire. The Ghost Ruler picked up on that and pointed it out to me," said Arthur with a shake of his head. "Unless... it was caused by something else."
As he finished his words, the cave's interior began to shake as dust fell from the ceiling. Arthur waved his hand, and the cave stabilized, but it did not help his image with the others.
"An artifact," he lied, but it made more sense than him wielding different abilities. "This is not the issue here. It seems that Zas did not screw up like usual, on the one time that I hoped he did."
"This newbie is growing arrogant," growled Zas, but Li raised his sword to block him from moving toward Arthur. "Are you also on this traitor's side, Li?"
The masked man was still as mute as before, but Arthur could tell that he wanted to ask him something this time. Li stared at Arthur from behind his tree mask, which he must have picked because of what Arthur said in the Spirits Realm or the memory of him saying that.
This part of the merge allowed the original timeline to remain intact. The things and help Arthur gave to Li in the Spirits Realm should have stayed as memories because Arthur was never there.
It was still a wonder for Arthur to know how Li ended in the same position as last time, but the person behind this was none other than the all-seeing Sier. Arthur turned to stare at him, and the violet eyes stared back, as piercing as ever.
"What is the decision, boss?" asked Arthur to probe him. Sier glanced at Zas, who backed away before taking a few steps toward Arthur.
"There is one thing for Mistletoe to do," said Sier with a smile as he offered his hand. "We take back what is ours. Ivy is held within the Ilios Empire for a quest that the two of us initiated, and we need to take responsibility."
"I never planned on not taking responsibility," said Arthur as he shook Si's hand. Then, however, the smile disappeared from Sier's face, and it brought an ill-feeling in Arthur's stomach.
"...I had my suspicions, but this proves it. I was the one to send Ivy on this mission, and you opposed it. This brings me to ask this question, dear friend. Who are you?"
The surrounding atmosphere chilled down by a few degrees as if an ice wall was created among the group. Arthur did not break eye contact, but he could tell that the rest were reaching out toward their weapons.
"I am Arthur Silvera," muttered Arthur. "And you should know that better than anyone, Omniscient Vessel."
"There are many things that changed about you, but it seems you don't even realize that you are acting weird. Earlier, Zas called you a traitor, but you allowed it. I was prepared to prevent another fight to the death."
"I learned to let bygones be bygones," smiled Arthur, but he knew what he feared had arrived. He did not want to meet this person because of his insight. It was hard to act around Sier.
"That is what I always wanted," sighed Sier as he let go of him. "However, please understand my doubt. Can you tell me why Zas thinks of you as a traitor?"
Despite acting like the matter was resolved, Sier walked back toward his group while throwing a decisive question on Arthur. Whatever Arthur says other than the truth would blow his cover.
Arthur could always use his creator art, Submission, to make them believe him. However, there was something bothersome about using it on his friends or allies. Furthermore, he did not think he could use it on people stronger than him.
However, the situation was getting worse by the second, as the three behind Sier were preparing to attack him at any second. Furthermore, there was an unknown shift inside the ruins, but the rest were not about to let go of the matter.
"This silence says it all," said Sier coldly as he stopped walking. Then, he issued his command without turning back, "Leave him alive to interrogate."
The three of them rushed forward, and Arthur decided to retreat. However, he knew that not solving things could only lead to more doubt in the future. The others were not in the mood to chat, so he had to get serious.
Arthur took a single step forward and raised his arms to the side. The world began to shake as he was about to unleash his powers for the first time in this timeline. As the three arrived to attack, Arthur noticed that one of them was not aiming toward him.
Li waved his sword that must have weighed tens of tons at Zas and Hua, making the two rush to block his attack. When his wooden sword met their defenses, the two were sent flying by the attack.
As the cave's walls were destroyed by the two figures slamming into them, Li stood in front of Arthur, which forced the latter to refrain from using his powers. The masked man's actions were against the expectations of his friends, and they glared at him with confusion.
"What is the meaning of this, Li?" asked Sier with unusual rage. "Do you know what we do to traitors?" his aura shifted from calm to a storm that was about to befall them. Hua and Zas rose to their feet, their mana ready to counterattack.
"...I know," replied Li for the first time, and Sier and the rest stared at him with shock. "However, there is no need for infighting. I believe that this person is the same one we fought alongside, no matter how different."
"You are a chatterbox for someone who refused to speak for years," said Zas while raising his dagger with a blue hue. "Is there evidence to back up that claim?"
"A hunch."
The concise answer left the group disgruntled and confused, but Li was their strongest member. As soon as he raised his blade to protect Arthur, things did not look good. Sier was the most furious about his action, but his mind soon calmed down.
"Teleport us," said Sier toward Zas, who stared at his boss in shock. "Now," commanded Sier through gritted teeth. Arthur and Li stared as the group disappeared from their sight, leaving them alone inside the dim cave.
"You made an enemy out of Mistletoe for a hunch," muttered Arthur as he squinted his eyes toward the deeper parts of the ruins. "Are you sure I am worth it, Li?"
"I was asked to protect Arthur Silvera," replied Li as he let down of his guard. "No matter who wears that name, I must protect them."
"Asked by who?" frowned Arthur with confusion. In the previous timeline, Arthur was the one to arrange their meeting. However, he should be nothing but a vague memory in this timeline.
"A man in an epiphany asked me," said Li, his voice deep and ancient. "And by a wooden doll named Adrian."
The answer left Arthur more confused because Adrian was the protector of Stars Reaver, which Li inherited. If he was the one to help Li, then it made sense for Li to follow the same path as the original one. However, why did Adrian help Arthur?
"I will think about this later," said Arthur as he held his forehead.. "For now, we need to take care of these intruders," he said while looking at the figure rush from the deeper parts of the ruins.