Chapter 905 Leader Or Friend

After their escape, Lyle and Anna disappeared from the dimension. Although they must be hiding somewhere, the two had no idea of finding them. Thus, they decided to return for the time being and meet with Layla.

"We looked all over the place for you," Layla frowned as she saw the two come ashore. "Where the hell have you two been? While you were gone, the voices disappeared."

"We followed those voices and found a different dimension," said Rain with a breathless voice and a sweaty face. It was the side effect of exhausting her spiritual energy in the other dimension. "It was filled with spirits that gave us fruits."

"Okay, grandma, it's time to put you in a nursing home," Layla sighed. Rain was still wobbly, so she could not fight the knight as she dragged her off. Thus, she turned toward Arthur for vindication.

"Tell them!"

"I have no idea what she is talking about," said Arthur with a shake of his head. "We just looked through the lake for clues but found nothing."

"You…!" Rain shouted as she almost spat blood at Arthur's betrayal. However, he laughed before she got angry and told the other two about what they had found. This time, no one doubted him, which made Rain pout and refused to talk to them.

"A spiritual dimension?" muttered Ai with complete shock. "Are they similar to astral beings?"

"No, spirits are different. They are ethereal creatures born out of nothing but spiritual energy. Thus, they cannot die or be destroyed if one supplies them with spiritual energy. This makes them invaluable if someone forms a contract with them."

"There is everything a person can imagine, huh?" muttered Layla with a frown. "And you met a younger version of my brother there?"

"And the girl he loves."

"This does not make sense unless this dimension is the afterlife. However, per your words, you said Lyle and Anna were the only ones there. Have the two turned into spirits?"

"I have no idea," said Arthur with a shrug. "I never encountered a spiritual dimension before, not to mention a human spirit. It might be two spirits taking the form of humans they encounter, and it might be something that we cannot even imagine. In any case, we lost them in the forest."

"I will go look for them and find out," said Layla as she rose, but Arthur raised his hand to block her path. "There is nothing to say that can stop me."

"I will use force if needed," said Arthur with a smile. Layla was silent as she knew she could not defeat him. "Your spiritual energy is too lacking for you to survive that dimension. I might be the only one who could explore it without issues."

"You cannot decide what I can or cannot do," said Layla with a frown as she took another step. This time, Ai was the one to hold her back. "I need to know, Ai."

"I know, I know," said Ai with a smile. "However, Arthur would not stop you if it did not harm you. His words are right; his spiritual energy is more than anyone the world has seen."

"Even if…"

"Even if it kills you?" asked Ai with a frown. Her smile was gone. "You cannot be careless with your life when people still need you. I would not let you risk your life even if no one did."

Layla was silent this time, and she sighed. Then, she sat back on the giant root that protruded from the cherry tree. Ai glanced at Arthur, hoping he would make her feel better. Thus, he had no choice but to promise her.

"I will look into it later, but there is no point in doing so now. Even if we went inside, we would not find them. Even if we did find them, they would not know anything useful. We need someone who is an expert in these matters."

"A summoner?"

"Even better, a witch," said Arthur with a smile. "I will ask Aurora about this, and if it does not work, then I know where to find a different witch that is a master of spirits. However, I will place a rune and a few shadows on this place to ensure no one enters. If you do, I will not shoulder the consequences. I am not responsible for keeping you alive."

Layla nodded, although seeming unconvinced. Arthur did not think about the matter before issuing his commands to the shadows and using a rune on the lake. After that, he returned to his guild.

Arthur was not affectionate or obligated toward Layla, but he respected her brother. Although dead, his love remained strong even now. It was a trait that made Arthur admire him and even miss him.

As soon as Arthur returned to the Runic Dome, he noticed the commotion.

The noise came from the training grounds, so Arthur arrived there. What he found was not that much of a surprise. Yuran and Rae were fighting while the rest watched. Jonah had brought some popcorn and was managing some sort of betting about who was going to win.

Although Rae was strong and Yuran was without an ability, the latter had the advantage of a higher rank and more experience.  Yuran controlled the battle with each short, making them like death traps that pushed her back and gave him more space.

"Coward!" shouted Rae, but Yuran simply chuckled as he fired another volley of mana bolts. The destruction was immense, making the members again remember that his disability meant nothing.

Each mana bolt left a deep hole in the ground, and Rae now realized he was not hitting her on purpose. This made her angry enough to use her trump card, the scarf turning into armor with wings.

The scarf protected her against the mana bolts as it covered her like a cocoon. The cocoon broke down, and a shadow leaped from inside. It was too fast for anyone to see it, and Rae appeared close to the magic gunman.

"Finally caught you, bastard!" said Rae as she reached out toward him. Yuran seemed shaken as he stepped back, and Rae brought her fist down toward his chest. However, the one who caught it was Arthur.

Boom!

The punch made a resounding impact, but Arthur did not budge. He appeared between the two fighters to stop them, making the audience stop cheering.

"Let go!" shouted Rae, pulling her fist away and jumping back. "Even if you are the guild master, you cannot interfere in a mock battle."

"A mock battle?" muttered Arthur as he glared at her. "Your attack had traces of killing intent in it. And I did not save him, but you," said Arthur as he raised his other hand. Yuran was holding the magic gun, which had now turned into a mana blade. "This could take away your arm with ease."

"I would have stopped as soon as she knew she lost," said Yuran with a smile as he let go of his blade, making it slice into the ground. Then, he bowed. "It was a mock battle, but we took it too far. Forgive us, Guild Master."

"You can battle all you want, but if anyone hurts a guild member of Ascent, even if another guild member, I will kill them," said Arthur with a frown. Then, he turned toward Rae. "Furthermore, never disrespect me again."

At that moment, Rae was about to rebuke him. However, a suffocating aura exploded from his body, making their bodies instinctively cower. All members knew that he was not bluffing.

"…I apologize," said Rae after gulping down. Arthur stared at her for a few seconds before turning around and leaving. Julia and Aurora were waiting for him on the edge of the training ground.

"You should have stopped it, knowing what she feels," said Arthur toward Aurora with a frown. Then, he turned toward Julia. "And?"

"I wanted them to suffer the consequences of angering you," said Julia with a smile. "I did warn them that if it goes too far, you would be angry. However, Rae was not listening."

"It might be hard for her to follow when she was always the one to lead," said Aurora as she bowed. "I hold no authority over Ascent. However, their current feelings are… fear."

"Does that fulfill your goal?" Arthur asked Julia, to which she smiled and interlocked her arm with his. Then, she guided him inside.

"I know you wanted to lead them as friends, but a Guild Master must be feared too. They all agreed to follow you for the rewards, dreams, or out of gratitude. Thus, they must adhere to the rules you ask of them."

Arthur knew as much but knew that a leader could not be a true friend. At the very least, he cannot treat them as his equals. It was the first time that he considered if inviting his friends to his guild was a bad idea.