The election had arrived.
The Shionel Merchant Guild grew extremely busy, even more so than it was due to the Shionel Dungeon. The various branches and offices across the entire nation went through a multitude of logistical preparations for the event.
All manners of campaigns decorated the entire country as the two most popular candidates by far fought for support from the various members of the Shionel Merchant Guild.
The Shionel Merchant Guild included the most successful and wealthiest merchants in the nation to the humblest of service providers. Any person who supplied goods or services to an open market was considered a merchant, within the nation, and they were all entitled to vote for a candidate for guildmaster.
Thus, although the voter pool did not include non-merchant citizens of the nation, because of the sheer proportion of the country's population that technically and officially counted as a merchant, it still meant that many many millions of votes would be cast across the entire nation.
Many people excitedly witnessed as the two greatest titans of the nation clashed with each other. Guildmaster Bradt had previously domineeringly won every election despite Chairman Deacon's best efforts. However, this time, things truly could go either way.
The many electoral debates that the two of them had were intense, as the two of them challenged each other in an intricate battle for rhetorical and optical victories in the eyes of the voters.
All was going just fine for both sides until it wasn't.
News of the massacre of the one thousand Martial Squires associated with Deacon Industries spread like wildfire across the entire nation. It was an absolute shock, perhaps more shocking than any other news regarding the Shionel Dungeon that had come out prior.
One thousand Martial Squires had all died on one single floor!
It was shocking because it meant that there was a threat level in the Shionel Dungeon so profound that it could kill one thousand powerful Martial Squires.
Many of the citizens naturally got scared by this, since Martial Artists of higher Realms could not enter the Shionel Dungeon, it meant that whatever was inside the dungeon needed to be resolved by Martial Squires, but it was powerful enough to wipe out one thousand Martial Squires!
How many Martial Squires would be needed to take down such a threat?
"I bet the Voider could do it,"
"Don't be stupid, a single Martial Squire cannot rival one thousand Martial Squires. The Voider is impressive, but they cannot handle this threat by themselves."
"Maybe if the Voider and Deacon Industries combine forces, they could take it down together."
Despite the tragedy, it only served as a great source of gossip and entertainment to millions of people.
Chairman Deacon, however, had not been entertained.
"All dead…" He murmured, putting both hands on a table for support. "… All dead?"
Before him had stood an ashamed Squire Yuna, lowering her head as she nodded slowly. "All of them are dead."
"And my son…" He murmured lightly as his expression quivered. "You said he…?"
"He fought a valiant battle, sir," She spoke up with a forlorn expression. "Out of all the Martial Squires, your son fought to the very end. Even after all the other grade-ten Martial Squires perished, your son still stood strong, to the very end, he never gave up."
She felt enormously guilty for being the only one to survive, that too through such cowardly means. She decided to embellish Captain Deacon to be greater than he was. She erased the part of him running away in the end.
"I see…" Chairman Deacon's mask fell as he looked down, hiding his sorrow. "And his death… You said…"
"He was attacked by an unknown figure," She confirmed. "He decapitated the captain from the back in a cowardly fashion, while the Captain was fighting the roots."
The air in the room grew dark as Squire Yuna felt increasingly uncomfortable at Chairman Deacon's tumultuous emotions.
"And you said that… he was the Voider? That he fought all the roots by himself and even radiated a Senior level aura?" Chairman Deacon asked with a shaking voice.
Yet it was different from before.
He wasn't quivering with sorrow.
He was shuddering with fury.
Squire Yuna gulped as she experienced a tremendous amount of pressure from the center of his attention. "Yes, sir."
"And he defeated the main roots by himself?" Chairman Deacon asked with sharp eyes.
"…I cannot be sure, my sensory range is nowhere near wide enough to cover the entire floor," She replied with uncertainty. "But the roots flew back towards the center, and I sensed a large impact, the roots became weaker and weaker until they fell limp and everything calmed down after that, and that was when I left. I don't know what happened, and I didn't dare to try and investigate out of fear for my life."
The sharpness in Chairman Deacon's eyes had not disappeared.
No.
It only grew sharper.
"Thank you for your detailed report, Squire Yuna," He spoke with an exceedingly calm tone that only sent shivers down her spine. "Your cooperation and sincerity are appreciated."
"I'm once again sorry for my cowardice, sir," She bowed her head. "But I had no other choice."
"I understand," He simply said. "You may take your leave."
Contrary to her fears, Chairman Deacon was actually glad that she was alive, she was a valuable asset.
His eyes flashed with rage as he clenched his fist, gritting his teeth. He knew in his heart that the Voider killed his son.
Still, things had grown complicated now, there was a lot at stake and he didn't even have time to mourn. The impacts that the loss of one thousand Martial Squires had on his alliance were severe. He did not have time to do anything but salvage the sinking ship and hope that it wouldn't sabotage his chances of becoming guildmaster.
Once he became guildmaster, he would use his power to use the new information that he had for looking into the matter.
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