Realm Lord
Chapter 165: Do you Want to Leave

Chapter 165: Do you Want to Leave

The silence in the room was suffocating. Arthur could feel his chest tightening with each passing second, as if the very air had become thick and oppressive. His heart hammered against his ribcage like a caged bird desperate for escape, and he found himself struggling to draw in steady breaths. The weight of the stare-down pressed down on him like a physical force, making his shoulders tense and his muscles coil with nervous energy.

Across from him, the two women stood like immovable pillars—Cara with her commanding presence that seemed to fill every corner of the small room, and Myah with her arms crossed, deliberately avoiding eye contact as she pouted like a child denied her favorite toy. The contrast between them was striking: Cara’s unwavering gaze that seemed to pierce straight through to Arthur’s soul, and Myah’s stubborn petulance that radiated disappointment and barely contained frustration.

Minutes crawled by with agonizing slowness. Arthur could hear the sound of his own breathing, unnaturally loud in the heavy silence. He was acutely aware of every small detail—the way dust motes danced in the pale light filtering through the grimy window, the faint creak of the floorboards beneath their feet, the subtle shift in Aziel’s posture beside him as his friend grew increasingly uncomfortable with the prolonged tension.

The room itself seemed to shrink around them, the walls closing in with each tick of an invisible clock. Arthur’s palms grew clammy, and he had to resist the urge to wipe them on his pants. His throat felt dry, and he found himself swallowing repeatedly, trying to work up enough saliva to speak if the opportunity arose. But no words came—none from any of them.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity stretched thin, Cara broke the oppressive silence. Her voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp and clear, carrying an authority that made Arthur’s spine straighten involuntarily.

"First off," she began, her tone measured and controlled, "it’s good to see you two survived your first descents into the realms."

Her gaze moved deliberately between Arthur and Aziel, studying them with the intensity of a predator assessing potential prey. There was something almost clinical in the way she examined them, as if cataloging their strengths and weaknesses with a single glance. Arthur felt exposed under that scrutiny, as though all his fears and insecurities were laid bare for her inspection.

Meanwhile, Myah’s pout deepened, and she turned her head away with an almost childish defiance. The gesture spoke volumes about her displeasure with the current situation, though Arthur couldn’t quite decipher what exactly had her so upset.

"Uh... t-thank you," Arthur managed to stammer out, his voice coming out smaller and less confident than he’d intended. The words felt clumsy on his tongue, inadequate for the gravity of the moment. Beside him, Aziel remained conspicuously silent, his jaw set in a hard line that spoke of lingering resentment and hurt feelings that hadn’t yet found their voice.

Cara nodded once, a crisp, businesslike gesture that suggested she was ready to move past pleasantries and dive into the meat of the matter. Her posture shifted slightly, becoming even more formal and authoritative, if such a thing were possible.

"Now, let’s get to the point," she continued, her voice expecting complete attention. "I am the leader of the Golden Heart Guild. We were the guild chosen to house you two for the duration of your time here in District Three."

Arthur felt a flutter of something—nervousness? Anticipation? It was hard to tell. The mention of being "housed" made him feel somewhat like cargo being transferred from one handler to another, but he pushed down the uncomfortable feeling and focused on Cara’s words.

"As of right now, our guild is responsible for small team insurgent missions," Cara went on, "Search and rescue operations, reconnaissance missions, taking out certain... peculiar void creatures that require specialized attention."

She paused. Arthur noticed how her expression had grown increasingly stern with each word, her features hardening like stone. The air in the room seemed to grow even thicker, charged with an ominous energy that made the hair on the back of Arthur’s neck stand up.

"To be perfectly honest," she said, her voice dropping to a lower register that somehow made her words even more impactful, "we get sent on suicide missions."

The words hit the room with a thud. Arthur felt as though someone had just punched him in the stomach, driving all the air from his lungs in a single, devastating moment. The casual way she’d delivered such a bombshell left him reeling, his mind struggling to process the implications of what she’d just revealed.

Beside him, Aziel had gone completely rigid, his earlier sullenness replaced by sharp, focused attention. Both boys stared at Cara in stunned silence, their eyes wide with shock and growing fear. Arthur could feel sweat beginning to bead on his forehead, trickling down his temples as the full weight of their situation began to sink in.

’I think I know what that guy meant by ’shit luck’ now,’ Arthur thought desperately, remembering the man from before.

Cara seemed oblivious to their shock, or perhaps simply accustomed to delivering such news. She continued without missing a beat, her voice maintaining that same matter-of-fact tone that made her words all the more chilling.

"While they are dangerous, it’s also fair to say that the missions we embark on are some of the most important in the entire District Three war effort," she added, as if this somehow made the prospect of certain death more palatable.

Silence fell over the room once again, but this time it was different—heavier, more loaded with the weight of terrible understanding. Arthur and Aziel exchanged glances, seeing their own fear and uncertainty reflected in each other’s eyes.

Myah, Arthur noticed, was watching them with what could only be described as a devious grin spreading across her features. There was something almost predatory in her expression, as if she were enjoying their obvious distress. It made Arthur’s skin crawl, adding another layer of unease to an already overwhelming situation.

Arthur felt his resolve wavering, threatening to crumble entirely under the weight of this new reality. But then something inside him—some stubborn core of determination began to stir. He straightened his shoulders, squared his jaw, and looked directly at Cara with as much courage as he could muster.

"If that’s the case," he said, proud that his voice came out steady and clear, "why are we here? It seems like a guild in charge of such important missions should get the pick of the crop. We have no known accolades, we’re not part of any established guild or anything, so why us?"

He paused, gathering momentum as his confidence grew. "And moreover, where’s the rest of your guild? Do you guys even need us?"

The questions hung in the air between them, and Arthur felt a surge of pride at having found his voice in such a crucial moment. These were important questions—ones that deserved honest answers if they were going to be expected to risk their lives for this organization.

Cara’s face remained impassive, showing no reaction to his challenge. For a long moment, she simply studied him, as if reevaluating her initial assessment. When she finally spoke, her words were measured and deliberate.

"If I had to guess," she began slowly, "it’s because there weren’t many volunteers without a guild to call home, and for whatever reason, the higher-ups decided that out of the small crop available, you two needed to be here."

She paused, and Arthur caught a flicker of something—emotion? regret?—cross her features before it was quickly suppressed.

"As for the rest of our guild..." she continued, her voice taking on a slightly bitter edge, "you’re looking at it. Golden Heart consists of exactly two members."

The revelation hit Arthur and Aziel. Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads as they looked at each other in disbelief, then back at Cara, struggling to process this latest shock. Arthur felt his mouth fall open slightly, his mind reeling with the implications.

"You’re kidding?" Arthur blurted out, his composure finally cracking. "You guys have been working alone this whole time? But you’re a new guild, and Cara, you’re loved by the whole world! Why don’t you have more members?"

It didn’t make sense. From everything Arthur had heard, Cara was actively turning into practically a legend—respected, admired, someone who should have guilds lining up to recruit her, and people lining up to join her,not struggling to maintain a two-person operation.

Cara’s expression tightened almost imperceptibly, and she let out a small sigh that spoke of old frustrations and disappointments.

"Let’s just say... my criteria is strict," she replied, her tone suggesting that this was not a topic she wished to explore further.

She straightened, reasserting her authoritative demeanor. "Now, I’ve told you why you’re here and answered what you wanted to know. It’s my turn to ask some questions."

Arthur and Aziel looked at each other again, a wordless communication passing between them. The weight of everything they’d learned sat heavy on Arthur’s shoulders, but he knew they were past the point of backing down. Whatever came next, they would face it together.

Arthur turned back to Cara, his throat suddenly dry again. He could feel his pulse quickening, but he managed to nod his head in acknowledgment.

"Go ahead," he said, audibly gulping as the words left his mouth.

Cara shifted her posture slightly, straightening to her full height. She cleared her throat with deliberate precision, and suddenly the toxic look that had been in her eyes throughout their conversation vanished completely. What replaced it was something far more terrifying—pure, concentrated intimidation that seemed to radiate from her like heat from a forge.

The change was so dramatic, so complete, that Arthur felt his very core shake under the force of it. His knees threatened to buckle, and he had to lock them in place to keep himself upright. The pressure emanating from her was insane—suffocating, overwhelming, absolutely crushing in its intensity.

’Holy crap,’ Arthur thought frantically, his mind struggling to cope with the sheer force of her presence. ’So much pressure... i-is she really just a Chosen like me? She’s so powerful...’

When Cara finally spoke, her voice carried all the weight of that crushing intimidation, each word delivered with steel-cold sternness that seemed to pierce straight through Arthur’s defenses.

"Do you want to leave?"