Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

"And yet now… their silence is almost deafening. They spoke as though the winds of change are merely a passing breeze, not a storm."

The two have lived through countless ages. They must sense what he sensed... So why? What are they waiting for?

Are they testing the people of this era? Or perhaps... they know something that others don't?

"Whatever their reasons, it seems they are reluctant to act until something more concrete happens. For now, it falls to us to stay vigilant"

Verdia exhaled, a hint of frustration threading her voice.

A heavy silence hovered in the room for a moment before it was broken by Itherion "At the least his Emminence, the Seraphim of Honor is busy".

The end of his words was lacced with a sardonic edge indicating that he was being sarcastic. Additionally, there was also an unmistakable flicker of annoyance in his eyes.

Verdia gave him a small, helpless smile, already accustomed to Itherion's frustrations over her colleague's antics.

"Please excuse his actions, Although he is a Seraphim, he's overly concerned with worldly affairs. Sometimes… far too much. He has difficulty seeing the big picture—or the ripples that his actions create. I imagine it causes trouble for more people than just you."

She shook her head softly, her expression somewhere between fond exasperation and reluctant acceptance.

Itherion exhaled slowly, running a hand through his silver-streaked hair. "Trouble is an understatement. That man has been giving me headaches for centuries now."

"His recent movements certainly have been... ambitious, to say the least," Verdia chuckled.

There was no one in the Central Continent who didn't know about the Emyrean Empire and the Seraphim of Honor that was leading it. The rate at which it was growing with each passing day, subjugating every neighbouring kingdom with frightening efficiency was astonishing to say no less.

At a rough count, there are tens of thousands of empires and kingdoms on the mainland, and out of that, the number of nations that the Empyrean Empire has subjugated till now would cross a thousand, if not hundreds.

It's only a matter of time before the empire consolidates its power and sets its sights on the Solarion Empire.

"Oh, I know," Itherion spoke clocking his tongue. This was the first time he showed such rough behaviour.

"His banners are flying uncomfortably close to my borders. It's clear that he's eyeing the Solarion Empire, though he's taking his time for now. The way he's moving rankers and angels into position, it's only a matter of time before he starts poking around here too. Whether I like it or not, the man's ambition doesn't seem to have any limits."

"The Empyrean Empire..." Verdia murmured thoughtfully.

"It has become a formidable force—housing countless rankers, blessed warriors, and even angels willing to align themselves with him"

"His expansion might have been swift, but his focus on conquest leaves much to be desired in other areas. A leader must guide his people, not merely subdue others. He plays politics like a tyrant rather than a guardian. It's hard to believe someone with the rank of a Seraphim could be so—"

He cut himself off, but Verdia knew the word lingering on the tip of his tongue: immature. She gave him a knowing glance.

"I suppose that's a fault of his ego," she said softly. "And even one as powerful as he is not immune to it."

Itherion gave a wry smile "Ego. Yes, the man's pride is the root of most of our problems. He once even..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "Never mind. Let's just say he's crossed several lines before—lines even I thought sacred."

Verdia's expression darkened "I just wish he acted more maturely. He has such potential—if only he could step out of his own shadow and truly embody the virtue he represents."

"Agreed, But I will admit… For all his excesses and shortsightedness, his recent actions have been unexpectedly helpful."

"Oh?" She arched a brow.

Itherion explained with a rare smile "The Seraphim of Honor's aggressive campaigns may have caused plenty of headaches, but they've also flushed out a few unwanted pests. The Cerberus Association, for instance—those wretched worms that have plagued us for generations—were rooted out of several strongholds across the mainland thanks to his movements"

"Their laboratories, hidden networks, and deep-rooted influence were finally unearthed. Thanks to him, we were able to save tens of thousands of lives and finally get a clue to their headquarters".

"The Cerberus huh… It's hard to believe they could stay hidden for so long. The fact that even you have a hard time locating them, must mean that they have…"

"Yeah, some powerful being or group is supporting them" Itherion completed the sentence for Verdia.

"Cerberus is an inhumane organization whose existence cannot—must not—be tolerated. They need to be completely destroyed before they can spread their influence any further. I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks to the possessor of the Fragment of Honor, we were able to effectively sweep them off the continent"

"A parasite that burrows into the heart of society… For years we tried subtlety to remove them, hoping we could tear them out at the roots. But it was brute force—reckless and unforgiving—that finally gave us the edge we needed."

The Adventurer's Association has faced its fair share of enemies over the millennia—criminal syndicates, drug cartels, and rival factions, to name a few.

Most of those groups caused nothing more than a nuisance. Each time they tried to rise, the association crushed them underfoot before they became a real threat. And yet... despite their vigilance, Cerberus was different.

Their rise was unlike anything the association encountered. Other organizations crumbled under pressure—either from lack of resources, infighting, or a misstep in the open. But Cerberus? No matter what they threw at them, they only grew stronger.

What's more unsettling is that they've only been around for a few hundred years. Barely a couple hundred years, and yet their influence runs deeper than many ancient kingdoms and powers.

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