Defiance of the Fall

Muted whispers spread through the street as Ventus led Zac toward the Serpico Guild’s headquarters. A direct descendant of a Founding Family appearing in the Dipper Mountains was quite the event, and Zac had given the locals just enough time for the rumors to spread. His arrival should already be known among Dipper Seven's elites.

Arriving at the last minute while creating such a spectacle was intentional and meant to act as insurance. The Serpico Guild’s main squad was about to leave for the Muddy Patch Vein, and there wasn’t enough time to investigate Zac’s presence and whether he’d brought powerful backing. That lingering doubt would act as a deterrent long enough to snatch the treasure and get away.

After confirming he couldn’t get to the Void Treasure himself, Zac had promptly secluded himself. It was just barely enough to upgrade two of his skills. Ventus and Ogras continued gathering information while Zac worked on improving his odds of survival. That included collecting the latest updates on the Wendimar Clan.

Zac’s experience in the previous memory domain had proven that the Wendimar name wasn’t a golden ticket that would magically open any door. The more he knew, the better he could leverage his identity. Dipper Seven’s memory came from a later epoch than the beast tide’s memory domain, yet it was still some time away from the Imperial Road’s completion.

While on the decline, the Ironblooded Wendimar hadn’t fallen from grace just yet. Years of attritive warfare had weakened the Wendimars to the point where they’d finally given up on the Limitless Expanse in the empire’s heartland, recently moving their whole clan to the Left Imperial Expanse.

The local Ironblooded Legions had been bolstered by the family’s hardened veterans. Multiple ancestors had emerged to take over the reins, hoping that committing to the Left Imperial Expanse was the key to the clan’s resurrection. Zac had already seen the result of their gamble. Frankly, the writing was on the wall without Terea’s memories spoiling the ending.

The Wendimar Clan had the guts to take great risks, but their method was lacking. They'd doubled down on the crude approach that had led their faction to its current state. The Ironblooded Legions eagerly accepted the deadliest tasks surrounding the Left Imperial Expanse, constantly losing elites in hopes that the suffering would trigger a renewal.

The situation worked in Zac’s favor. The Wendimar Clan might be severely weakened as a whole, but their presence on the Left Imperial Expanse was as strong as ever. With the Dipper Mountains being controlled by the army, which held the Ironblooded in great esteem, anyone would have to think twice before acting against him. At the same time, the clan wasn’t active in the region, making such complications highly unlikely.

A presence entered Zac’s shadows, and Ogras’s voice appeared in his head. ‘Still no sign of outsiders or Monarchs. A few guilds have approached Ivar Serpico, but he’s rejected all offers of cooperation.’

The Ventus flashing his identity was enough to avoid any trouble, and a clerk reluctantly led them to the Guild Master’s office. Ivar Serpico stood over a table with three foremen, going over the Muddy Patch Vein’s latest energy readings. The Guild Master was a Peak Hegemon and the strongest member of the guild, with the foremen all being Late Hegemons.

A few assistants stood by the side, making notes and drafting orders while an elderly butler waited in the corner. Zac was surprised to sense a vague threat from Ivar Serpico despite him not being a pure combatant. It went to show that someone who’d survived over 25,000 years in the chaotic depths of the Dipper Mines had some tricks up their sleeve.

“Sir Kalavan of the Celestial Court, is it?” Ivar Serpico said with a slight bow before looking at Zac with suspicion. “We’ve already received the final go-ahead from Sir Andres. If there’s an issue—”

“Not at all. I’m here in a private capacity,” Ventus said.

“Is that so?” Ivar slowly said, dismissing all except his butler before continuing. “I assume it’s related to the young master standing by your side?”

“Let me introduce you to Zachary Wendimar, nephew of General Pervata Wendimar of the Second Ironblooded Legion,” Ventus said.

The genuine shock on the Guild Master’s face as he gave Zac a second look meant the rumors hadn’t reached the sealed chambers of the Serpico Guild yet. Ivar glanced at his butler, who appeared to be sending out messages to learn more.

“Welcome, Lord,” Ivar Serpico said with a stiff bow.

Zac returned the greeting with a nod, letting Ventus talk in his stead. “Young Master Wendimar learned of your imminent expansion and wishes to broaden his horizons.”

"Absolutely not!” Ivar rejected with surprising vehemence. “It's… It’s a matter of protocol. As I said, the documentation has already been finalized and submitted. The team is set.”

“The addition of an observer does not break any clause,” Ventus smiled.

“Ah, perhaps,” Ivar said, his expression growing more overcast. “Even so, I can’t let the Lord join us. It’s too dangerous.”

“Young Master Wendimar is a Pure Lord and a direct descendant of the Wendimar Clan. He is perfectly capable of protecting himself.”

“Not even Void Heralds can guarantee safety during an expansion, especially not when the depths are stirring.”

“One cannot seize the Dao while fearing death,” Zac calmly said.

“Young Master might not fear death, but we do,” Ivar shook his head. “I simply cannot take the risk when the lives of my men are at stake. Someone like the Lord will make the crew nervous. They’ll feel pressured and make mistakes. Please understand."

Ventus gained a sharpness to his voice. "The Young Master’s mere presence will cause mistakes? Nonsense. If you were that incompetent, you wouldn’t have been awarded the contract. Are you planning on doing something that must be hidden from the gazes of the empire's champions?"

"Don’t put words in my mouth!" the Guild Master’s face was growing red with anger. "We’re already facing enough pressure without you adding to it. What would happen to the Serpico Guild if a nobleman died under our care? Forget about us; even our families will get implicated."

"Is that what you think of our judicial system? What you think of the Ironblooded Wendimars who have faithfully served since the empire's founding?" Ventus said with shock, while Zac stared at the old man with great displeasure.

The old miner seemed to lose the last of his patience as he slammed his hand on his table with enough force to make the whole building shake. "Bah, who knows how many treasures have found their way into the pockets of you silver spoons when no one was looking? Isn’t that why you’re forcing yourself onto my team? Who'd take the complaints of some miners seriously?"

Dense killing intent suddenly permeated the whole guild as [Verun’s Bite] appeared in Zac’s hand, causing alarmed shouts to echo through the walls. Ivar’s outburst was both a slight to Clan Wendimar's honor and an accusation of corruption. Zac obviously wouldn't take such insults to heart, but he had a role to play.

Zac was more concerned about why Ivar Serpico was going so far to keep him away. His gruff exterior was mostly a façade—no fool could hold onto such a lucrative position for so long. It was as if Ivar was intentionally trying to get in trouble. Was he hoping to distract Zac from the vein expansion by turning himself into a target? That would only make sense if he knew the expansion was more than another gamble.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Enough, you fool.”

It was the butler who snapped at his boss as he emerged from the office’s corner. His middle-aged face morphed into that of a young man while his aura rose to a Middle Hegemon at the cusp of a breakthrough. His foundations were extremely solid, almost a match for Ogras’s. They weren’t dealing with a butler, or someone from Dipper Seven, for that matter.

“I—” Ivar stuttered.

“I can see what you’re doing. I won’t hold it against you—this time. Now, leave us,” the young man scoffed before turning to Zac. “I apologize, senior. I asked Ivar to stall while I confirmed a few matters, and he made a mess of things.”

"Senior? Who are you?" Zac asked as the Guild Master was sent out of his own offices. Not just anyone could address a direct descendant in such a way.

“Sir Kalavan, if you’d please?” the young man said.

Ventus looked like he wanted to say something but wisely held back, also leaving after receiving a curt nod from Zac. As he exited, he transmitted a parting message with a bow. ‘He also died. I’ll follow the original plan.’

The butler only spoke after erecting an extra layer of isolation. “I’m Kalir Whitecrest, a humble purveyor of the Whitecrest Consortia.”

“The Whitecrest Clan?” Zac said, inwardly cursing.

Things had gotten complicated. Whitecrest could only refer to one thing in the Limitless Empire—the Whitecrest Clan, another Founding Family. Worse, Kalir was an actual descendant of their family and not just an employee. Zac was suddenly facing a peer.

A timely message from Ogras added further context. 'They're bigshots! The merchant from my lantern knows them. The Whitecrest Consortia is one of the top fifty businesses on the continent. What the hell is he doing here? There’s nothing about them being active in the Dipper Mountains.'

Zac was equally confused. Powerful clans and sects, whether Founding Families or newcomers, were generally part of a greater faction. The Wendimars were staunch supporters of the Military Branch, while the Whitecrest seemingly was a mercantile family. There were also the ascetics, the templars, and the civic branch, to name a few.

Such a huge empire had countless issues that didn't affect it at large. In such cases, the factions often worked together to protect their interests. While doing business in a region claimed by the military wasn’t illegal, it would be a breach of etiquette for high-ranked entities like the Whitecrest Consortia to get involved.

“What’s with the subterfuge?” Zac asked.

“I’m afraid the situation isn’t quite as harmonious in the Whitecrest Clan as it is with the Wendimars. We’re facing both external pressures and internal unrest. Certain undertakings are best carried out anonymously and without drawing unwanted attention. I fear the latter might prove difficult now that things have reached this point,” Kalir said, looking toward the window.

Seconds later, two hooded cultivators marked by the flames of war descended before the group of miners. Their restrained auras weren’t enough to hide their strength.

"You brought two Void Heralds to a common excavation?" Zac said with a raised brow, hiding the alarm within.

Their carefully arranged plan was unraveling before it could begin, and Zac wasn’t sure what to do. The reason he’d felt confident was the Serpico Guild’s lack of Monarchs. Some local Hegemons couldn’t stop him if he were adamant about escaping. The situation was very different now that two Monarchs were involved.

Stealing the treasure and escaping through the memory domain’s border like last time wouldn’t work in the depths of the mine. At the same time, Zac felt the situation might turn south very quickly if he backed out at this stage. The Monarchs had put the whole Guild Hall under surveillance the moment they appeared.

“Perhaps it’s Lord Wendimar who has brought two Dao Guardians?” Kalir said with a smile. “Provided Senior is still interested in broadening his horizons?”

‘This man isn’t simple. He’s turned an unexpected variable to his advantage, using you to sneak two Monarchs into the mine without raising suspicion. They’re even pretending to be veterans of the Ironblooded Legion. The Whitecrest Clan definitely isn’t here to gamble on a random vein expansion.’

Zac decided to fight fire with fire, taking out his Wendimar Seal. “No more games. Explain yourself, or this will become an issue involving our families.”

Kalir drew a sharp breath upon seeing the token. It was completely different from a normal identity medallion, radiating ancient Imperial Fate. It was something only the Clan Master should possess, and possibly his heir. There could be millions of direct descendants, but only one heir at any given time.

The merchant bowed. “I greet the Young Clan Head. I swear on the Grand Fate that I’m not plotting against the Empire or Clan Wendimar. On the contrary, you only stand to benefit. Knowing your status, my plan has much greater odds of succeeding. Only… Can I ask what brings Lord Wendimar here?”

“I wasn’t lying before. I'm simply passing through the area and thought it would be interesting to experience a vein expansion. It looks like I’ve accidentally inserted myself into a bigger plot,” Zac said with genuine exasperation. Why couldn’t things ever go like they were supposed to? “You’re obviously not here for a random vein expansion.”

“Has Lord Wendimar heard of Margrave Wartorius, the Scales of Earth?”

Zac had never heard of that man in his life, but he couldn’t say that outright.

‘Wartorius… Why’s that so familiar? Something from my identity’s memories,’ Ogras muttered.

Seeing Kalir growing suspicious from the pause, Zac went with his gut. Mentioning a scale and the connection to Ogras’ memory lantern was enough to make an educated guess. “Just the normal stuff. Hollow Court, right?”

“As expected, you’ve heard of the Margrave taking over command of the Hollow Court. He’s slated to arrive in a few decades, and today’s expedition is related to his arrival.”

“Don’t tell me the Whitecrest is working for the Scales of Earth?”

“No, as much as we’d like to,” Kalir said with a wry smile. “As it happens, his taking office presents that very opportunity. Do you know why he’s called the Scale of Earth?”

“Don’t tell me it’s related to the Earthly Dao? I never heard he followed this path.”

“I’m not sure either, but our family spent a fortune on a piece of information. The Hollow Court is related to the Lower Planes, and the Margrave will give out a set of missions upon his arrival. He’s investigating something related to the Earthly Kingdom, and unique resources can be exchanged for incredible amounts of merit. If lucky, we might gain an audience with the Margrave himself.”

“That’s why you’re here and why you’re acting so suspicious,” Zac said with realization. “There are others who know?”

“Unfortunately, yes. General Percival has seized command over the Dipper Mountains for that very purpose,” Kalir said. “I feared your arrival meant the addition of another competitor.”

Zac had absolutely no idea who General Percival was. Instead of exposing his ignorance with a response, he settled on a brooding frown. It seemed to work as Kalir continued with increased vigor.

“The upstart families are getting restless. Our families have bled for the empire for countless generations, and these hyenas are nipping at our heels while we’re weakened. That bastard embezzles half the treasures unearthed in these mountains. He’s planning on making a grand showing of his generosity upon the Margrave’s arrival.”

“So what scheme have you cooked up with those two outside?” Zac asked.

“I’m certain Muddy Patch Vein holds a great treasure, and I seized the Serpico Guild to extract it without causing any waves. My scheming siblings aside, the biggest concern is General Percival. He might throw all caution to the wind and seize the treasure. If there was another force that could give the general second thoughts about playing dirty…”

“You’re hoping I’ll act as a witness and guarantor, protecting you from the military branch,” Zac surmised.

There was undoubtedly more to the story, but it was a better outcome than Zac initially expected. Kalir dying in the depths could even be seen as good news. The explosion wasn’t part of his ploy, making it easier to prevent. Kalir was even kind enough to provide valuable intelligence on the Hollow Court.

“The elders know the clan must adapt to survive and become more flexible. This could be a chance for that—so long as our bottom line isn’t crossed,” Zac said. “You cannot do anything that tarnishes the Wendimar’s honor, and we present the gift to the Margrave together. Also, I get a share of any materials that are deemed useless for the Hollow Court.”

“Not an issue, provided we set out immediately. The news of you entering the Serpico Guild is already creating troublesome rumors outside my ability to suppress,” Kalir sighed.

Zac only hesitated a moment before agreeing. While the situation had grown thorny, it wasn’t enough to make him back down. And with the history of the domains being connected, Zac might actually be able to help his future self inside the Hollow Court by performing meritoriously here. “Then let’s go.”

Kalir veritably ushered Zac out of the room after changing his appearance to that of the butler. Only Ivar knew about the guild’s true owner, and he’d been given a fake name. The two Monarchs bowed toward Zac before lining up behind him as the expedition poured into the Dipper Mines. Soon enough, they appeared in a set of familiar corridors of the Muddy Patch Vein.

Dozens of unaffiliated miners lingered in the square, looking for business opportunities. The Serpico Guild would swallow most of the benefits in the case of a successful expansion, but even the scraps could be worth quite a bit. A few had set up tents outside of harm’s way, hoping the Serpico Guild would stumble upon such a fortune that they quickly needed to hire helping hands.

‘I think I might be stuck. I can’t sneak away unnoticed with those two breathing down your neck.’

Zac had expected as much. Just avoiding detection at such close proximity was a feat. ‘It’s fine. I’ll say you’re an attendant of mine.’

‘We’re past that point. The Whitecrest kid has let you in on his plans, and the mine expansion obviously involves a huge secret. Me veering off at this time will brand you an enemy.’

He was right. ‘I’m sorry I got you dragged into this mess.’

‘What are you talking about? Don’t you think I knew I’d jumped onto a tiger’s back when I first decided to follow you? At least we managed to leave the elf on the surface like we planned,’ Ogras laughed. ‘Don’t worry about me. Just turn on your trouble-attracting beacon and do your thing. There’s no safer place than in your shadows.’