Chapter 222

Chapter 222

***

The strongest desire of a living being was the desire to live. They don't want to die. Dying was too terrifying.

However dying was something already decided from birth, so what should one did about this.

Since everyone dies anyway, something like security guarantee might be an illusion. Therefore those who were grateful to security guarantees seem to be drenched in foolish illusions.

Did I live just because I am alive, or did I live because I can't die. Stubbornly living a life dotted with pain and sorrow, what meaning was there exactly in dying in the end.

Nihilism brushed past Rickart's mind along with the spring breeze. However on the other hand, at the end of nihilism there was hope.

Because life was futile, it was a feeling like everything else becomes forgiven. He even felt envy towards people who did foolish actions out of greed wanting to be stronger.

In the past he used to look very pathetically at people swayed by desires though.

Rickart visited his father for about three days, dropped by the Caldebern County, and then returned to Stormhearts City again.

On the way coming there were no attacks aiming for the Codex, but it was true that he had a shred of worry about the young adventurers.

Seeing how much affection he gained after seeing them for how long, gaining affection seemed to be a truly scary thing from another perspective.

Rickart somewhat hurried his steps and headed to the inn. However the city's atmosphere looked somewhat disorderly somewhere.

He wondered if they were preparing for some festival, but for that a subtle tension seemed to flow in the air.

Anyway arriving at the inn the owner had changed. That's obvious since the original owner here aimed for the Codex and attacked Rickart then died.

So he asked the innkeeper he was seeing for the first time about the whereabouts of the three people.

"Which room are the red-haired female swordswoman and her two friends staying in? They are my party."

"Red-haired female swordswoman? Ah, the talent receiving the most attention these days. They went out earlier saying they were going to register a clan."

"Register a clan? I thought they would gather more personnel. Anyway can a clan be registered with three people?"

"At least four people. It probably includes you doesn't it."

"Me?"

"Weren't you a party?"

Rickart thought inside that he was dumbfounded. However there was a reason Lena's party urgently registered a clan.

"The Clan Grand Assembly opens in two days. Didn't you come to attend that?"

"What is that?"

As the former Chairman of the Council of Six, it was the first time Rickart was hearing that such an event existed.

"It's a gathering where qualified clans gather and discuss agenda items. The Federation is too big to follow only the Council of Six's directives right? You seem not to know well, but the Federation isn't operated by loyalty. It's operated by power. Ordinary adventurers say that those from Beringen or Viola do everything themselves, but we were always open. Why do they blame us when they are the weak ones."

Without Rickart knowing, the Federation was equipping itself with self-sustainability. Though he couldn't know whether that was in a good meaning or a bad meaning.

"I didn't know such a thing existed. But rumors were going around that there will be a big fight with the Viola Clan sooner or later."

"Correct. I guess they will see the end of it during this Grand Assembly. If opinions clash the rule is to follow the winner's opinion through a duel. Having a large-scale clash of opinions this time means that. I wonder if the winning side this time will take control of the Federation."

Something like a faction was bound to exist in any organization. It was even more so especially if it was a huge organization.

In the Master's Federation, the two major axes called Viola Clan and Beringen Academy were the largest factions, and countless clans existed under them again.

So they officially called it the Clan Grand Assembly, and it was a structure of gathering and dispersing according to their respective backgrounds, growing their forces, and competing within the organization.

Something like competition could become a driving force for the organization's development if it works well, but if they became buried in the competition itself they sometimes forgot the essence.

In Rickart's view the Master's Federation seemed to have reached a state of forgetting its essence. This was precisely a struggle coveting power itself.

"Uh? Mister."

A familiar voice was heard from behind. Looking back Lena's party was just entering the inn.

"Have you come now?"

"Yeah. Was there anything?"

"Anything, ah, there is one thing though. We registered a clan and came right? The name is 'Leragri'. We took the first letters of our respective names. It's fine right?"

"......"

Rickart's face frowned instantly. The fact that he unknowingly became a member of a newly created clan without realizing it himself wasn't a good feeling either, but because the clan's name was like whatever. He wasn't even listed in the Viola Clan because it was before the Federation was created.

Therefore officially it was Rickart's first clan. But that name was Leragri? With what thought did they name it like that?

However what's the use of nitpicking now. Rickart was the type to quickly accept things that couldn't be helped. So he relaxed his frown and asked.

"Why the sudden urgent clan registration?"

"Because they said there is a Grand Assembly. Because if we attend that we can suggest an agenda item, also vote for or against it, and it's also possible to see and hear how the organization ruling the adventurers of the whole Empire runs."

It was a very common-sense reason. Although the clan name wasn't common sense.

"I am curious too. Since I didn't even know such a thing existed. It sounds exactly like grandly plotting a conspiracy. However recent rumors aren't good. Do you know that?"

"The one saying there will be a big fight between Beringen and Viola right? I know. It will be good studying. Because seeing truly prominent swordsmen duel is not a common opportunity."

"It's not an organization created to have factional fights. It's an organization created for the security guarantee of civilians but sword fighting among themselves, how ridiculous a thing is this?"

"That is true but what can we do?"

"No. I have made a resolution. To turn it upside down once."

"Yes?"

Rickart returned the Codex to Lena and left the inn. Bewildered, Lena received the Codex and naturally followed Rickart along with Ravenna and Graf.

"Where are you going again? Do you have business left?"

Rickart spoke his own words without answering the asked question.

"Anyway did they obediently let you join that Clan Grand Assembly thing?"

"There is what I showed right. I was acknowledged."

Lena answered energetically. The Clan Grand Assembly was open to all clans in principle. It's just that because the clans strong enough to attend were mostly from Beringen and Viola, it merely looked like those two monopolized it.

Even if carrying out a purge they couldn't just catch and kill anyone recklessly. There had to be a standard.

The standard Rickart thought of was none other than breaking the monopoly structure and downsizing the organization.

The people who opposed that opinion, the discipline against those people was the standard of purge Rickart thought of.

Rickart headed to the Federation Headquarters he built with his own money over 10 years ago. Getting extension after extension for 10 years, it was completely different from the time Marie stayed doing postnatal care.

A high wall and a large wide open gate, ordinary employees or clients were actively actively coming in and out from there.

Just collecting information about villains from all over the Empire, verifying the information and issuing wanted notices alone kept the Federation busy. Additionally there were duties like monitoring and controlling ordinary adventurers, delivering directives, fund management, and major client management too.

Looking at it this way it seems they were working very diligently and well, but the reality was that selecting wanted persons or overlooking things differed according to the faction's interests, which was the problem.

Rickart entered the Federation Headquarters without receiving an inspection or being stopped separately. Although one might wonder if the security was lax, because many people here were experts of a considerable level they didn't separately put bodyguards or security personnel.

In short it's a den swarming with tigers and wolves, would a jackal-like bastard dare come and act up.

Rickart entered the building and looked around. He saw lower-level employees coming and going busily with quick steps.

"We registered the clan over there. They said request reception is over there."

Graf said. He seemed to think Rickart came to make a request or something. But it wasn't that.

Rickart carefully examined the employees walking around, then grabbed one person and asked.

"Where is Regina? I mean the woman with the gold tooth implanted."

Regina was formerly the daughter of the Ehrenberg merchant, a woman whose tooth broke after being slapped by Marie. She entered Beringen Academy, and he knew she worked at the Federation now.

"Yes?"

"I heard she works here."

"If it's a gold tooth...... Don't tell me you are speaking of the Director of Intelligence?"

"I don't know what her position is."

"You cannot carelessly see the Director. Have you made an appointment? And what is your identity?"

"We know each other personally so just let me know where she is."

"She is on the highest floor but......"

As soon as Rickart heard those words he spun his body around and walked straight to the place where the stairs were. But from the 2nd floor there was security.

No, rather than security an armed monk belonging to the execution squad was sitting in a chair. He was chatting with his colleague, then opened his eyes roundly upon seeing Rickart.

He seemed to be one of the very few people who knew Rickart's face.

"Uh!? U-uh, what brings you here?"

"Have business with Regina."

"The ones behind you are?"

"......Clan colleagues."

Rickart barely opened his mouth that didn't want to fall off. He didn't want to say the clan's name even if he died. He should change it later or something.

"A clan? Whose colleagues are you talking about."

He seemed not to dream that Rickart joined a newly created clan.

"There is such a thing. I will take care of business and come back so you guys wait here briefly."

"......"

Rickart climbed two or three stairs at a time with busy steps. He disappeared in an instant, and Lena, Ravenna, and Graf felt something was strange from this point. It was because Rickart knew high-ranking personnel within the Federation.

In a way he even introduced them to a Duchess, so they wondered if his connections were quite amazing in their own way. Nevertheless the thought that something was a bit strange kept coming up.

The armed monk also scanned Lena's party up and down with a frown, almost seemingly glaring. Because no matter how he looked at them they looked like greenhorns to be accompanying the King. His gaze was exactly as if asking what were these kids? What were they to be accompanying the King?

As they looked at each other strangely, an awkward silence flowed. Then suddenly the sound of a shout was heard from the floor above.

The heads of the people trapped in the awkward silence turned sharply towards the floor above.

The source where the shout was heard was the office where Regina, the Director of Intelligence, was.

"Why won't you approve it!?"

A man who looked to be in his 30s spoke looking at the woman beyond the desk with a heavily frowned face.

He was a Federation Investigation Bureau investigator named Crech, the person who said he would take revenge on Rickart a few days ago.

The woman sitting at the desk was also in a heavily frowned state. The tooth slightly revealed every time she spoke was golden-colored. It was none other than Regina.

For reference the two had different backgrounds. Crech was Viola Clan, and Regina was Beringen Academy.

"No, I told you it's information blocked by the Circle, well. How many times must I say I cannot let you know."

"If the Investigation Bureau requests it, shouldn't the Intelligence Bureau just let us know the information? Not even answering even after three days have passed, I consider it an unnecessary check."

"Oh my, I said it's not like that. I said the Circle blocked it so what am I supposed to do?"

"It sounds like an excuse to me."

"No, look here. I am director-level and you are a mere investigator right. Isn't just meeting you already considerate? But do I have to hear your sarcasm too? Huh?"

"So do you, Director of Intelligence, know about that person named Ricky with the red cloak, or do you not know. You know right?"

"Ah really, this is frustrating. I'm doing this to save you! You don't know the Circle!? The Inner Circle!? Want to die!? If you want to die, die alone! If I tell you my neck flies off too!"

Regina's temper wasn't on the gentle side either. It's just she was refined a lot going through the academy, her temperament was aggressive.

"Then let's just ask this one thing. Does he belong to the Council of Six, or is he a figure related to the Council of Six?"

"......Haa......"

Regina placed her hand on her forehead and let out a deep sigh. The reason this damn factional fight was fucking shitty was that it distorts even pure intentions.

And that factional fight was getting more and more severe as days passed. To the point it was hard to endure. At first working was truly rewarding though. How did it end up like this. Even the heads used to get along well.

Regina felt her sword at her waist itching after a long time. Did her skills rust? She couldn't draw her sword here. She even had the thought of stepping up as a duelist during the Grand Assembly.

"Are you ignoring me right now? Can I take it as you ignoring our clan?"

As if not knowing Regina's feelings, Crech kept pushing her. But at that time, there was Regina's unexpected savior. The office door opened and a man wearing a red cloak entered.

Although it was surprising why that person was here, Regina on the other hand also felt completely glad and her tension released entirely, ending up chuckling snicker.

"That person you were curious about, in my view is the grim reaper who came to take you. I don't know anymore now."