Abyss System The Rise of the Lord-Chapter 122 unanswered questions

The city welcomed the dawn in golden hues.

From the palace minarets, the walled city looked like a beast slowly awakening—silent, yet every corner pulsed with movement. Toward the market, cart wheels groaned and squeaked. The scents of spices drifted upward into the air. The chime of coins rang out, even though the hour was still early.

Zaber leaned against the balcony railing, gazing downward.

Today he was not watching knights. He was watching the roads.

Along the main trade artery leading into the palace, black-and-green banners rippled in the breeze.

The Merchants’ Guild.

Zaber’s lips barely moved.

"The board is expanding..."

Guild headquarters

The place smelled distinctly of money.

In the closed chamber on the third floor, seven people sat.

Among them was one who held absolute silence.

His name was plain.

The Observer.

No one ever spoke his real name.

His task was not commerce.

He collected information.

He moved between branches and observed.

Though he appeared ordinary, his arm was long, and no one in any branch dared stand against him.

And he never forgot a face.

A familiar face

The Observer held a thin folder in his hand.

Inside lay an old sketch, traces of seals, and several descriptive notes.

In a low voice he said:

"There is a new guest in the city."

The merchant at the head of the table furrowed his brow.

"What concern is that of ours?"

The Observer opened the folder and withdrew a small sheet of paper.

On it was a drawing—the state seal.

Beside it, a written note:

Ildal branch. Secretary murdered. Seal missing.

"Some time ago," the Observer continued. "In Ildal our branch secretary was killed. Officially it was labeled a robbery. But the seal was taken."

"And?" the merchant asked in an icy tone.

The Observer lifted his gaze.

"I have seen the killer."

He slid a small sketch across the table.

The line of the face.

The shape of the eyes.

A calm expression.

"He is in this very city."

"I saw him inside Lady Aurora’s residence during my meeting with her," the Observer said with certainty.

"Are you sure?"

"I do not forget faces."

They stared at the table in heavy silence, lost in thought.

The Merchants’ Guild was no mere trade association.

It was the pulsing vein of the city’s economy.

Perhaps even the beating heart of commerce between nations.

And they had grown confident enough to forge the royal state seal—and Zaber had stolen it.

The Observer had always believed a far larger hand was behind it.

He had never anticipated crossing paths with him here, in this city.

The head merchant spoke slowly:

"So he is capable of working with state documents."

"Yes."

"And now he stands at Aurora’s side."

The air in the room seemed to chill.

Though the words sounded ordinary, everyone knew Zaber had once served an elite knight—an elite knight who served the crown—and lately the crown appeared to have grown distinctly displeased with the Merchants’ Guild.

The merchant laid his palm flat on the table.

"In recent days the elite knights have halted our caravans twice."

"Yes," another said. "Under the pretext of ’security inspections.’"

"Those are not inspections," said a third. "They are shrinking our share."

The Observer added quietly:

"If a new player has emerged within the city, perhaps this pressure is part of his design."

"Or Aurora’s design."

The merchant narrowed his eyes.

"It makes no difference. The outcome is the same."

"Whether it’s Aurora, the city lord, or someone else—no one can truly control this city anymore. The factions are multiplying."

He rose to his feet.

"No one will diminish our share."

"Observer."

"I’m listening."

"Watch him."

"I already am."

"No. Now test him."

The chamber fell utterly still.

"Test?"

"Yes. If he can wield the seal, then should he become our enemy, he can also alter trade documents."

"Shall we lay a trap for him?"

The merchant smiled.

"No. We make him an offer."

That was far more perilous.

At that same moment—in Aurora’s residence

Zaber sat in the garden in the afternoon.

A book rested in his hand.

But his eyes were not reading.

He was lost in thought.

The scent of commerce.

The subtle vibration of coins.

"The Guild..."

He calculated inwardly.

If the merchants move in, then:

Will Aurora fall under economic pressure—or will she exert it?

On the lower walkway below he spotted two figures dressed in black and green.

Ordinary merchants do not enter the palace.

Therefore they had permission.

Aurora was receiving a great many visitors today.

This was internal maneuvering.

From above

Aurora looked down from the window.

"They have arrived," she said softly.

The knight beside her inclined his head.

"The Guild leader has requested an audience."

"And in your opinion, what do they want?"

"Tax concessions."

Aurora gave a faint, knowing smile.

"No. They never ask for mere tax concessions."

She narrowed her eyes.

"They have sensed something."

Inside the Guild

The Observer unfolded a map of the palace.

"He is making no moves."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Bad. A silent man is more dangerous than an active one."

"What if he is already plotting against us?"

The Observer gave no reply.

Because he had already considered it.

If Zaber could wield the state seal, he could reroute trade caravans.

Shift tax rates.

Redirect cargoes.

And do it all without ever being detected.

That would spell ruin for the Guild.

First move

As evening fell and Zaber returned to his room, a man in black-and-green attire stood waiting at the door.

A smile played across his face.

"Master Zaber?"

Zaber halted.

"I’m listening."

"A modest proposal from the Merchants’ Guild."

Though inwardly surprised, Zaber’s expression remained unchanged.

"What manner of proposal?"

The man extended a small box. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Inside lay a silver coin.

Not an ordinary one.

It bore the Guild’s special mark.

"We wish to enter into partnership with you."

Zaber narrowed his eyes.

"On what grounds?"

"On the basis of your past experience."

The air grew thick for an instant.

So they know.

But how much?

Zaber took the coin into his palm.

"And if I refuse?"

The man’s smile remained.

"Then we shall assess you by other means."

This was not a threat.

It was a warning.

From a distance, from the minaret, Aurora watched the encounter.

"So swiftly," she murmured.

The knight asked:

"Shall we intervene?"

Aurora shook her head.

"No."

Her eyes locked onto Zaber.

"Now we shall see. Which way will you tilt?"

Zaber closed the door behind him.

He set the coin on the table.

Quietly he said:

"Even if I were to cause them trouble, they are so blinded by the prospect of profit that they still wish to work with me."

He closed his eyes.

Aurora.

The Guild.

And the factions.

This was no longer a mere palace intrigue.

It was economics, power, and blood woven together on the board.

And the most dangerous truth—

Merchants never play with emotion.

They play with profit.

Zaber whispered:

"Very well."

If the board is expanding... then I shall expand with it.

Zaber watched the black-and-green-clad man depart, feeling the weight of the box and the silver coin in his hand. His inner voice remained calm, yet his mind wove intricate, tightly knotted webs.

"If I accept the coin, it brings them benefit. But... it may make me Aurora’s enemy. Moreover, if other factions in the city witness this meeting and begin watching me... they too may turn against me. Immediately?"

He lowered his head and stared at the coin in the box. His face showed nothing, yet within him every possibility carried its own consequence:

Accepting the coin:

Advantage: The opportunity to work with the Merchants opens—access to weapons, hidden resources, and deeper channels increases.

Risk: Those around Aurora may grow suspicious and monitor his every move. The Observer will watch him even more closely, placing him under double pressure.

Rejecting the coin:

Advantage: His connection with Aurora remains intact; no suspicion arises.

Risk: The Guild will mark him as an "unobtainable asset" and turn him into an enemy within the city. The Observer may very well begin testing him through this very refusal.

"If I do not refuse them outright... what might they do to me? Yet if I refuse... the doors to weapons and the shadow world close. Within these next two months... I lose opportunities. But... by refusing, I preserve Aurora’s trust. Still, I cannot leave them entirely vengeful. What kind of opening does this create?"

He took a step. He shook the box lightly in his hand; the silver light encircling the coin gleamed.

His inner voice seemed to speak of opposing paths:

"If I reject them... they become my enemies at once. They will turn the city against me. But... that would also reveal the true extent of their resources. If they desire to work with me so badly... I become a sellable asset. Yet—"

His eyes opened. He turned the coin once more in his fingers. It had become interesting. This was no ordinary silver piece. This was the first move. Another decision. To others it was merely an offer. To him it was strategy.

"Shall I accept the coin—or refuse it? I might gain strength against Aurora... but in a single moment I could also die."

Zaber lifted his head and paced the room several times. His thoughts—profit and peril, acceptance and rejection—had tangled into a knot inside his mind. Yet at one point he stopped.

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