Unlike the four Noble Guilds, the five Major Guilds were formed independently and existed outside the direct supervision of the Aurora Association. The Aurora Association's role was to act as a counterbalance, monitoring and controlling the power of the guilds and official organizations to ensure they did not exceed their limits.
Nevertheless, the nine guilds—both major and noble—played a crucial role in the Sentinels' battle against the Demonic Beasts and the Daemon race. Without them, humanity's defense line would have collapsed long ago.
However, not everything was so clear-cut.
There were several cases in which criminal organizations, known as dark organizations, collaborated with the Daemon race for their own benefit.
"It's possible that the emergence of Demon Emperor Hades is related to such cooperation," Nolan murmured, stating his initial conclusion.
The thought seemed plausible, but lacked evidence.
Nolan fell silent.
For the first time since he woke up in this world, his mind was stuck. All the information felt like it was hanging in limbo, unable to form a coherent picture.
Finally, he made a different decision.
Nolan reactivated the Hexagonal Chain. The space around him distorted, and his body disappeared into the Domain of Darkness. Once again, he stood before the Mirror of Memories.
This time, he rewound the memory even further, before the Daemonic attack hit Kaffal.
The scenery changed.
He looked back to a time when they were still on the outskirts of the city, within Kaffal's borders. The atmosphere seemed normal. There were no signs of danger. There was no strange aura.
But then his gaze fell on a figure.
Captain Thomas was talking to a strange man. The man was dressed in a neat suit with a bow tie. Faint dark circles appeared under his eyes, suggesting not just fatigue, but something more.
At the time, Caelthorn didn't suspect anything.
But Nolan sensed it.
Through the lens of Caelthorn's memories, he slowly realized the strangeness—that Caelthorn himself had been secretly following Captain Thomas and the man in the bow tie without realizing it.
Nolan's awareness sharpened.
"Where is the man in the bow tie?" he muttered under his breath.
All Nolan knew was that Captain Thomas had met the man at a coffee shop. After that meeting, however, the man simply vanished without a trace or explanation.
For the first time, Nolan felt something clear.
A thin thread of truth began to emerge.
Exiting the Mirror of Memories, Nolan pressed the silver bracelet on his wrist. A transparent hologram appeared in the air. He searched the data immediately, basing his search on the characteristics of the man in the bow tie—a figure Caelthorn had investigated before his death.
Finally, a profile appeared.
[Name: Lucius Farley]
[Title: Sentinel Saint]
[Squence: 6]
[Path: Fighter]
However, there was something even more suspicious: Lucius wasn't registered as a Sentinel with the Aurora Association, nor was he a member of any major guilds or official organizations.
However, his workplace address was clearly listed.
Nolan realized that the sky outside the window had darkened and night had fallen. He couldn't go out in the open. If Catherine caught him, that terrifying woman would surely find a new excuse to punish him mercilessly.
Nolan donned a dark cloak and pulled his hood over his head. He slowly moved out of the room, making sure no one noticed. When he arrived outside, he saw that a black, wheel-less car had been prepared for him.
Lucas, his personal guard who was about the same age as him, stood beside the car with a worried expression.
"Prince Nolan, is this really you? I didn't expect you to sneak out of the palace," Lucas blurted out in panic.
"You can stay here. I'll go," Nolan replied coldly.
Lucas swallowed, and a faint amazement was evident on his face.
"I just didn't expect a coma to change someone's personality this much. Prince, I prefer you now. You're full of courage."
Nolan simply shook his head, uninterested in responding. He was already seated in the passenger seat while Lucas quickly took the wheel. The black car glided low as it passed through the automatically opening palace gates and sped through the deserted night streets.
"Lucius... I've heard of him," Lucas said, concentrating on driving. "He works as a mercenary for an organization unaffiliated with the Aurora Association. You know, it's not easy for a Sentinel to join a large guild, let alone establish one of their own. Without funds, connections, and permission from the Aurora Association, it's impossible. I've seen him in the Underground Fighting Club on the outskirts of town."
Nolan remained silent, simply listening. The journey took them into the suburbs—the Ironworkers' District, the divide between the lower-middle and upper classes. Towering buildings were lined up close together. Low-maintenance flying vehicles milled about. Construction workers disembarked from capsule buses and returned to their homes.
The car finally stopped at the edge of a dilapidated multistory building. Nolan was in no hurry to get out. He waited silently. Fifteen minutes passed before the figure he was waiting for appeared: a man with messy curls and a bow tie.
Lucius Farley entered the building.
Nolan's target had arrived.
Nolan and Lucius stepped into the building. After only a few steps, Nolan realized the building didn't have a door. The entrance was simply an open gap guarded by two men with hulking builds. They looked like Sentinels, too—only much larger than any he had ever seen.
Nolan's hood covered most of his face. Thanks to the magical artifact embedded in the cloak, his identity was completely obscured. Lucas, on the other hand, didn't need a special cloak—he could conceal his identity on his own.
One of the guards, a bald man with a deep voice, extended his hand toward them.
"Identity?"
Lucas tapped the beaded bracelet on his wrist. A glowing silver token emerged from the bracelet and landed in the guard's hand. The bald man studied it for a moment.
"Mr. Victor from the Silver Moon District Construction Company..." he murmured. There was a hint of pleasantry in his voice.
"I heard the company has now been handed over to his only son. You're him, right?"
Nolan remained silent, staring out from behind his hood. He had prepared the false information himself. Lucas's new identity, Victor, reminded Nolan of someone—the real Victor, one of the few nobles who had befriended Caelthorn. Ironically, Nolan had been forced to use that young man's identity to infiltrate the Fighter Club. But the real Victor didn't seem to mind being used as a cover.
Lucas smiled faintly, playing the role perfectly.
"I have one of the Sentinels with me. He's participating in the Fighter Club event."
The bald guard nodded once.
"Then show me his ID."
Nolan took a step forward and held his breath for a moment before extending his hand. His beaded bracelet glowed softly, revealing his status:
"Sentinel Master, Sequence 2—Knight Path."
The guard's reaction changed instantly. His expression shifted from wariness to respect.
"Yes, please enter, Master Victor."
The two were ushered through the gap in the building.
Once inside, Nolan surveyed the building. The interior was far from luxurious. Rusty walls, dim lighting, and rows of fragile-looking steel structures emphasized that they had entered the Black Class District, where Sentinels from all walks of life gathered.
However, this place was never empty. Nobles, wealthy businessmen, official organizations, dark organizations, and the four noble Guilds frequented the Fighter's Club. It wasn't just for entertainment. Secret transactions took place behind the brutal fights—information, networks, and even rare magical artifacts changed hands.
Lucas leaned slightly toward Nolan, his voice low so only Nolan could hear.
"Prince Nolan, the Fighter's Club is open. This time, rare magical artifacts are for sale, but they can only be obtained by participating in battles," Lucas explained.
Nolan didn't answer. He simply walked down the long hallway until he stopped in front of door number twelve. Once inside, he saw that the room was small, containing only a table, two chairs, and a balcony overlooking the large arena below. The atmosphere on the third floor was lively, with cheers and shouts echoing from the audience rooms.
In the center of the arena, a man with a scarred face and wearing a blue suit stood as the referee. Two Sentinels entered the arena without any announcement. The Fighting Club had no rules, no preliminaries, and no explanations—just fighting until one fell.
Nolan stared at the blue token with the number 3 on it that he held in his hand. Its color meant that his opponent also had a blue token.
Lucas leaned back in his chair, his voice low but serious.
"The battle system is random. Participants range from Sequence 1 Sentinel Masters to Sequence 6 Sentinel Saints. There aren't any high-level Sentinels participating, but it's still dangerous. I've already confirmed the artifact at stake: the Calamity Rune. However, I don't know what kind of artifact it is."
Nolan didn't take his eyes off the battle below, which had just begun.
"I've heard from Catherine, who 'trained' me in her version of hell, that the Calamity Rune is an ancient relic of a noble family connected to the history of Period III, the age of the ancient kingdoms. The Dark Organization and the Daemon race are after that artifact."