Chapter 221: Weakest Faction
With wind blowing against his black hair, Adam jogged down a sidewalk that was blocked with railings from both sides of the sidewalk.
The streetlamps brightened his surroundings with their golden glow of light.
The sidewalk was still slightly damp as it just finished raining, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of wet pavement.
With his powerful running steps, he quickly made his way down the long sidewalks that went through some empty streets, through a narrow alleyway, and then through the gates of a nearby park.
The park was vast and filled with vibrant greenery. It had some small forests, nice ponds, and tiled roads that wound through the lush landscape.
Since it was nighttime, the park was eerily quiet and peaceful, with only the sound of birds chirping in the distance.
The winding tiled road path led to a beautiful clearing where a small fountain stood in the moonlight.
When he finally arrived there, Adam came to a slow stop and tried to catch his breath before taking in the serene beauty of the scene before him.
At that moment, he also heard some running steps, and when he turned around, he saw an ordinary couple jog alongside the pond.
"Hmm..." Adam sat down on the edge of the fountain and watched as they passed by before returning back to his thoughts.
However, before he could finish a single thought of his, two people sat left and right of him on the fountain.
With a side glance, he saw that they were monstrously big, standing near three meters tall, and looked like they were as thick as a mountain.
"We are on behalf of..."
Before they could say who, Adam said:
"Bartholomew Ravenscroft."
A flash of surprise went through the two men's eyes.
That's exactly who was their boss, but they couldn't understand how this young man knew this unless he already knew that they were in Navy Town and that he had kept an eye on them.
"Then you must know why we are here." Klaus said. "While Big Boss couldn't meet you in the New World, he sent us here to talk with you."
"Answer is no," Adam said.
"You didn't allow us to tell you his offer." Johannes said.
"Sorry, but I have grown a little bit of an ego." Adam said and cracked his knuckles. "I don't care what his henchman has to say. I want to hear his offer from his own tongue."
"That isn't possible." Klaus said. "Big Boss is a busy man."
"I am not important enough for him to take a two hour plane trip?" Adam asked. "He doesn't live that far from me, now does he?"
"It is what it is. Greed is in a human's blood." Bartholomew stood up, then, from his hunched back position, slowly straightened his back. "It's exciting though. My battleaxe is sharp and
ready."
'It feels like the timeline has shifted drastically.' Adam thought. 'It feels like the war will start earlier than before, as Bartholomew himself came to me. It sounds like he is in a hurry.' "Either way, see you at the war; perhaps we'll get to clash weapons." Bartholomew said and then started to walk away.
"Why didn't you want me as S-ranker?" Adam asked. "Honest question."
"Because you're a balance breaker," Bartholomew said. "I've been preparing for this war for three years now. I know every guild's weaknesses and strengths, but then you came-wild
card."
"..." Adam frowned.
"You're the only wildcard in this entire war." Bartholomew said. "While I personally don't think you can influence this upcoming war too much, it's still something to worry about."
'Hmm, strange feeling.' Adam thought to himself. 'In the Great Guild War, I was nothing but a footsoldier that, in the end, didn't make any difference at all, but now, I am the wildcard?' With a tip of his hat, Bartholomew then left with his two strong-bodied bodyguards.
Adam slipped his hands inside his pocket and also left, headed back to his home.
...
With the hour growing late, Adam walked down the sidewalk of his neighborhood, about to arrive at his front door.
However, at that moment, he saw a person standing by the front gate, inches away from
touching the front lawn.
"Who are you?" Adam asked with a deep frown. "And what're you doing in front of my
house?"
"How did the talk with Bartholomew go?" The man turned to him. "Adam."
With his wild, curly black hair and silver earrings, he looked like a troublemaker, but his calm
demeanor and kind eyes told a different story.
"You are..." Adam frowned.
It was someone he didn't have the greatest memory of but knew about his position among the
mercenaries in the New World.
He was the guild master of Zestruction, one of the Seven Ancient Guilds, Zephyr!
"My name's Zephyr." Zephyr smiled warmly. "I'd like to have a word with you."