Fiona prevented herself from fumbling with the sword she was gripping with both her hands when she heard the number of weapons he wanted to pump into the market. She looked at him and said in a grim voice.
"Adept Eren, have you thought about the consequences of injecting so many five-star weapons into the market?"
Eren walked towards Fiona and looked her in the eyes. For some reason, Fiona was reminded of the unreal ecstasy she was subjected to under the influence of Eren's soul sense when he got so close to her.
"Chaos! Especially now, when Edinburgh and Layos are eager to wage war against each other.
Peace means having a bigger stick than your opponent. So individuals who are not directly involved in any conflict would also start buying weapons for themselves.
This war will serve me well. My guild and I will prosper from this unrest. So yes, Fiona. I fully understand the consequences of my actions. The question is: are you aware of yours? And are you aware of the consequences that you'd unleash upon yourself by not taking the action? Inaction has its own price to pay.
Does your site want to profit from my guild or does it want to stay on the sidelines and get washed over by the waves of the war? Remember to ask these questions to your seniors when you meet them."
Fiona could only nod when she was exposed to Eren's stare and his up-and-close presence. His words echoed in her mind. And their meaning became apparent to her.
"Al.. alright!"
Fiona nodded slowly and uttered a verbal affirmation. Eren smiled before raising his hand to caress her cheeks. Fiona froze in her stance when she thought Eren's hand was about to touch her face. There was some part of her that started craving that touch. However, Eren stopped himself from proceeding any further and used the same hand to summon a teleportation circle.
"Let's go, miss Fiona. I'll accompany you as you leave. I wouldn't want to give any excuse for noncooperation to my potential allies by being a terrible host. Hehe."
Fiona was snapped out of her reverie when Eren finished. She had to admit that the butcher's emerald green eyes were too mesmerizing for her to look elsewhere when they looked into hers.
***
Evening 5 PM.
The sky was beginning to turn mellow as the orange hues started spreading over the canvas. However, the winds still reeked with blood and gore that had been spilled in the morning.
A high-ranking entity's body parts would always make their presence known.
Soon, Alephee Eren and Fiona found themselves outside the city of White Raven. At the same place, Kirin had caught Fiona.
The place was reeking of residual mana signatures that belonged to the C-Rank. However, they were so indistinguishable that even historians would have a hard time making heads or tails of them.
However, Fiona wasn't surprised by this. By this point, the Potion of Innocence was very famous among forces operating in the shadows. Especially among half-blood rankers who always wanted to cover their tracks. But there was something else that had taken her by surprise.
The half-blood saw that a 20 feet earth-element pillar had been raised right in the middle of the battle that took place between Kirin and Janos. It wasn't there when she was spying on them.
There was a head placed on the peak of the spike. The pillar was also embedded with various body parts along its length. The entire epidermis, fingers, toes, hands, liver, lungs, and kidneys. Everything was in place for a clear display over the pillar's surface.
The small and large intestines had been used as connecting lines between these body parts. The juxtaposition of these body parts gave a macabre look to the pillar.
There was a protective array placed at the bottom of the pillar to create a barrier around it. It was there to prevent mana beasts from having a feast on this open buffet.
The pillar gave off strong residual C-Rank mana fluctuations. The elemental attainments Janos had that had been integrated into his very flesh and bones were now creating periodic micro mana storms around the pillar.
The pillar invoked a strong sense of fear and resentment in the hearts of its viewers. And since it was not too far away from the city of White Raven, it was bound to serve as a landmark.
In the future, the region around the pillar would develop into a small, bustling town known as Grim Pillar Town. Rankers seeking entry to White Raven would be welcomed in this town.
The macabre pillar would serve as the town's tourist attraction. The town would become popular in the future among the lower ranks as a result of some rankers gaining higher elemental attainment after viewing it for a long time.
Fiona had already asked who the two people Eren was trying to get rid of were. And he had answered truthfully because it was bound to be an open conspiracy anyway.
The half-blood had a chill run down her spine when she saw the pillar and understood the reason for its existence. She couldn't keep looking at the pillar. She averted her eyes by turning her head to the side.
"This… this is a warning!"
Fiona mumbled to herself as she realized whose body parts had adorned the pillar. It was the same person Kirin fought against- Janos.
"Indeed, miss Fiona. I'm sure the concerned party would understand what I am trying to convey with this... let's call it... a unique kaleidoscope of body parts.
After all, art is not what you see but what you make others see."
Fiona saw Eren smiling at his own work. She had a feeling the maniac walking beside her really thought that the thing he had done was an artistic expression.
She also understood the reason why she was brought here to see this kaleidoscope. This was Eren's way of subtly showing her what he does with his enemies who try to take advantage of him.
