Becoming a Monster

Chapter 463: Chapter 462: What They Didn’t Say Gave It Away

The Guild Hall was louder than usual.

The corpse of a giant troll being processed just outside was being discussed by Parties of all ranks. It wasn’t the troll itself that sparked such heated talks, but the newly promoted adventurers that accomplished it, within a day no less.

It was one thing for others to question the authenticity of their promotion. Many still believed that they didn’t deserve it.

Killing an entire goblin tribe without tragedies? That wasn’t as grand as it sounded when the party had over twenty people participating.

Although there were very few D-Rank adventurers who could accomplish the same feat, that didn’t take away their argument.

But their strength couldn’t be denied anymore after defeating a troll. Again, without any dead or injured, the party was able to defeat a C-Rank creature that reached the height of what a true C-Rank should be capable of defeating.

And this time, not only did they defeat one, but they saved two adventurers from an entire pack of them.

None of them truly knew what had transpired.

Despite the two adventurers being direct witnesses, they were bound by a strict non-disclosure agreement. Not because the Guild feared panic, but because the truth carried consequences far beyond this hall.

The Guild maintained alliances with every major nation. Humans, elves, and dwarves. Officially, the Guild claimed neutrality. Unofficially, it survived by never letting rumors spiral into political leverage.

Beastkin were included in that balance.

And that was precisely the problem.

What Paul had done wasn’t something Beastkin could do. Werewolves also existed in this world... but they weren’t classified as Beastkin. They were classified as monsters. Creatures hunted on sight. Creatures that, more often than not, slaughtered Beastkin without hesitation.

If word spread that a human could not only transform into a monster-like being, but could even form a connection with one. The reaction wouldn’t stop at gossip. It would invite accusations and pressure from humans and Beastkin alike that had ever lost someone to a monster.

And worse, it would invite the church to investigate.

The Guild Master understood the risk immediately. So the witnesses were silenced, their statements edited down to something that could be widely accepted. Paul had still transformed, and the beast still appeared, but Paul’s strength made it back down. The details beyond that were irrelevant.

Because the moment the Guild allowed the idea that Paul might not be entirely human to exist.

At best, he would stop being an adventurer. Worse, he and any others who were affiliated with him will be put up for judgment.

An unfair Judgment.

Bailey stood just behind the others, her gaze fixed somewhere between the stone floor and nothing at all.

The conversation flowed around her, whether they should continue the current mission, if it was worth venturing back after learning that the trolls’ behaviour represented that they still could have a chieftain, a monster that the group didn’t feel confident defeating as they were now.

Whether they should avoid the forest altogether since they now confirmed that Noah was the new monster in the forest that all of the top parties were talking about.

Or whether it would be smarter to cash in and rejoin Jasmine and the others.

All the while, Bailey didn’t join in.

Her thoughts were chaotic, tunneling over the reason why what Paul did had to be kept a secret. She was so set on revealing Noah’s existence that she didn’t consider what that would mean for Paul.

Bailey’s jaw tightened. ’Now what should I do?’

Thalric already knew that there was some sort of connection between Paul and Fenrir. Despite not knowing the details of that connection, it was still a cause of worry.

Paul noticed her silence. It wasn’t hard to miss.

Bailey was never quiet during discussions like this. Even when she disagreed, she pushed back.

He didn’t consider, not even for a moment, that she might be thinking of revealing anything. That wasn’t how he saw Bailey. If anything, he assumed she was carrying the weight of "saving" him alone because she didn’t want to scare the rest of them.

—

Where Paul and the others had gathered, their discussion was being reflected through an artifact that resembled an ancient relic. Etched with runes dulled by age, yet the image it projected was clear.

Two figures were observing the group through it. Sound wasn’t admitted, but their expressions, their postures, everything else was being scrutinized. And that was more than enough.

Thalric, the Guild Master, watched in silence. His arms were folded behind his back, posture straight, eyes fixed on the projection. Beside him stood Elowen, the Vice Guild Master. Her gaze was even sharper than his.

The two were skeptical since the meeting. The party was too alert. Their recounting of the encounter had been too careful. Every explanation was polished, almost rehearsed. The words might have fit the report, but their bodies told a different story.

And Bailey stood out the most.

Especially now, they watched how she disassociated herself from the others. It wasn’t guilt. Elowen was certain of that. Because the shift came when they brought up the repercussions of what could happen to Paul.

"She’s definitely hiding something," Elowen said without a hint of emotion.

Thalric nodded, his eyes never leaving the image. "They all are."

He didn’t believe they were traitors. He didn’t believe they were conspiring with a monster, or that they posed any real threat to the Guild or to humanity.

But he did believe they knew more than they were saying.

Far more.

He wasn’t sure if it was the monster itself or if they saw something else in that forest. Something that they weren’t willing to include in the official report.

Elowen’s gaze narrowed. She noticed it again, Bailey sneaking another peek towards Paul’s back.

"Whatever it is, it has something to do with Paul. They’re protecting him."

Thalric didn’t respond.

For a long moment, he remained still. His hand drifted to his side out of habit, fingers curling slightly as if reaching for the hilt of a sword that wasn’t there.

Elowen saw it. But she didn’t comment.

For a warrior who had earned his position through constant life-and-death struggle, she knew the tell. Thalric thought best with a weapon in his hand.

Realizing the absence, Thalric lowered himself into his chair. His eyes closed briefly as he took in a deep breath.

Something was missing.

Everyone had secrets. Even he had secrets, or made decisions he justified but never shared. Secrets alone weren’t a crime. The danger lay in why they were hidden.

The question wasn’t whether the party was lying. It was whether their silence endangered others.

Threatening the truth out of them was an option, but it carried risk. He could easily misjudge their intent. Their secret could be trivial, something that was embarrassing, or even something personal, creating a division within their group.

Or it could be something else entirely. Something that would get adventurers killed.

Thalric opened his eyes, a sense of clarity reflected within them.

The beast they spoke of had never existed in that forest. Of that, he was certain. He knew the land. He knew its monsters. Besides the drake, whatever had driven an entire pack of trolls to flee had not been there before.

At least... not until Paul and the others arrived.

His fingers curled against the armrest. The connection wasn’t to the forest.

It was to the monster.

And the only time such a connection could have formed was before they ever set foot in this world. From the place they referred to as Earth

Thalric’s expression tightened. The pieces were there. He could feel it now. It was something he had overlooked, something that tied too many loose threads together.

Then it hit him. His eyes widened. "The demon energy..." he muttered.

Elowen frowned. "What?"

"The demon energy," Thalric said again, louder this time as he pushed himself to his feet. The sudden intensity in his voice made Elowen straighten. "The energy I sensed back at the castle. The day they appeared."

He began to pace.

"They spoke of a powerful demon that helped them. Even then, they refused to name it. They were just as defensive."

He stopped and turned to Elowen.

"And now a beast powerful enough to scatter trolls decides to help them, because one of them can transform?" He shook his head. "I don’t buy it."

He moved to the table, fingers sweeping aside stacks of parchment. There were enough reports to bury the desk, yet his eyes skimmed them with practiced speed.

Then he stopped.

Thalric seized one sheet and brought it down in front of Elowen, tapping a single line with force.

"Here," he said. "Mana readings from the forest. Traces of dark, unfamiliar energy. Almost like-"

"Demon energy..." Elowen finished in his stead.

Thalric lowered himself back into his chair, chest rising and falling as the conclusion settled in.

"It all fits," he said quietly. "They aren’t just hiding a connection to that beast."

His gaze lifted.

"They’re hiding the monster we’ve been trying to track since the beginning."

This time it was Elowen’s turn to turn quiet. She glanced back at the artifact, looking at the others with a different perspective. Slowly, she turned to Thalric.

"Should I bring them here?" Her question was more poised as an assertion. She was already prepared to drag them here with force if necessary.

But to her surprise, Thalric declined. He still recalled the savior’s words. How that demon is the reason they even had a prophecy. And then he thought about the civilians who took refuge here. Their story of a monster saving them corresponded with the same trait as the demon.

"First, we should gain information on this demon ourselves."

As he talked, he shifted a different stack of paperwork onto his desk. Each sheet was paperwork with details of other adventurers.

What each parchment had in common was that they were all nearly A-Rank.

"But this mission can no longer be the same. We need to update the mission board. This can no longer be accepted by just one A-Rank party."

His gaze drifted back up to Elowen, startling her. It’s been a long time since she saw that gaze. The gaze of the S-Rank warrior that allowed him to become a Guild Master.

"And if it comes down to... I’ll have to go myself."