Possessing Nothing Novel (쥐뿔도 없는 회귀)

Chapter 116 - Heoju (5)

"It's a mediation guild."

You ask such strange things, Rubia added while mumbling.

"Who doesn't know that?"

Lee Sungmin rebuked as he bit into the juicy meat. Rubia nibbled on the meat while sulking.

"I also know that Erebrisa is a mediation guild."

"... Well, They are a mysterious and odd group in many ways. It doesn't make any sense. The mercenary guilds have mercenary divisions within the guild, and the Wizard guilds are divided into a school and tower of magic. That's what most guilds involve themselves in. They don't become information guilds."

Lee Sungmin also knew about it. There are hundreds of dozens of information guilds, big and small. In particular, there are five or six guilds that handle information only in large cities. Moreover, information guilds are not the only ones dealing with 'information'. The bandit guilds in the city also handle information, and among the Murim factions, various branches, such as the Wandering sect and Haomun, also handle information.

(T/N: haomun sect would be xia wu men in Chinese. Murim factions are like this all-encompassing sect and haomun sect rank lowest among them. It's a little bit of a disgraceful sect since they mix with the likes of beggars and bandits usually)

"Erebrisa draws information from 'all' information guilds with different purposes and ideas. That's not all. They arrange transactions between various merchant guilds and private dealers as well. This is impossible even for high-ranking aristocrats and kings."

Lee Sungmin silently listened to Rubia. Erebrisa is not just some intermediary guild. It is impossible, even for a king, to control such groups of diverse personalities like that.

[It's their force.]

Heoju said flatly.

[Erebrisa's brokers have the ability to break through distance and space. They are humans, but they are not like humans. Power and status are meaningless in the face of phenomenal and overwhelming forces. No matter how hard something is guarded, the brokers of Erebrisa can still break through space and appear there.]

"... Why do people with such abilities run a mediation guild?"

[400 years ago.]

Heoju said.

[This elder at the time was quite notorious. Yokais are such beings. They are notorious by nature. Not all humans are guilty of eating pigs, but most humans do not feel guilty about eating them. It is the same for us. Yokais are inherently violent and selfish, and they cause a lot of accidents. I caused some trouble as well.]

So he was subdued. Lee Sungmin recalled the information he received from Neville. Heoju, who ruled in the southern region 400 years ago, was a revered monster. He wasn't subdued just because he was strong. He was punished because he committed an evil deed.

[I bet you, in all of Eria at that time, you would not be able to find a presence stronger than me. Even a dragon couldn't stand up to this elder!]

That sounded like a little too much, Lee Sungmin thought. But did not express it.

[By the way, The broker from Erebrisa who came to visit me... Even though I was that strong, I would not have been able to guarantee an easy victory against them. I was dumbfounded when they came to me saying they were intermediary guilds, and that they wanted to receive me as a member. So I asked them why they acted as a mere intermediary guild despite having such power and why they wanted me to be a member?]

"... and?"

[They said something interesting. He called me a 'variable'.]

"What is that?"