Chapter 129: The Power of Guilds

By the afternoon of the ninth day, Jet Saint-Clair had developed a growing dislike for corporate ownership records.

The investigation had produced dozens of documents, several suspicious financial transactions, and enough registered company names to fill an entire wall.

Yet none had brought them significantly closer to identifying the people responsible for the assassination attempts.

Inside the concealed base’s operations room, Jet sat beside Marcus, examining another report concerning the transportation companies associated with the abandoned industrial compound.

One particular detail had caught his attention.

The company responsible for several shipments maintained contracts with three major Guilds operating across different Regions.

That wasn’t unusual by itself. Powerful Guilds required enormous quantities of supplies, equipment, and specialized materials to support their activities. Many maintained commercial partnerships with transportation companies capable of delivering goods across considerable distances.

However, the discovery raised an uncomfortable possibility.

If the assassins were receiving support from a powerful Guild, their resources might be far greater than anyone had initially assumed.

Jet placed the tablet on the table.

"Marcus, have we established whether any of these Guilds actually received shipments connected to the compound?" he asked.

Marcus shook his head.

"Not yet," he replied. "The transportation company handles contracts for numerous clients. A shared carrier doesn’t establish a relationship between those clients."

Jet nodded, already understanding the distinction.

He had encountered enough powerful Guilds during his previous life to know that their influence extended far beyond Dungeon raids and monster hunting.

Some possessed enormous commercial networks. Others maintained private training facilities, medical centers, equipment manufacturers, and security divisions. The largest employed thousands of people, including Awakeners, researchers, administrators, and ordinary workers.

A major Guild could influence the economy of an entire Region without possessing any formal governmental authority.

And when its strongest members were powerful Awakeners, that influence became considerably more difficult to challenge.

"Still, it’s worth investigating," Jet remarked.

"Certainly," Marcus agreed. "But we need to distinguish between a Guild having the resources to support these attacks and actually being involved."

Before Jet could respond, the operations room door opened.

Adesewa entered carrying a folder, her expression suggesting that the morning’s investigation had produced more questions than answers.

"Any progress?" she asked.

Marcus gestured toward the displayed records.

"We’re examining possible Guild connections, Captain," he explained. "Nothing conclusive so far."

Adesewa placed the folder on the table.

"Then we’re approaching the matter correctly," she replied. "The last thing we need is to accuse a major Guild based on circumstantial evidence."

Jet leaned forward.

"Captain, how difficult would it actually be for a powerful Guild to conceal something like this?" he asked. "Not necessarily by conducting the attacks themselves, but by allowing someone to use their resources."

Adesewa considered the question.

"That depends on the Guild, the people involved, and the resources being used," she answered. "A Guildmaster might know nothing about activities conducted by a subordinate. Alternatively, someone with sufficient authority could arrange transportation, hire personnel, or authorize expenses without attracting immediate attention."

She opened the folder and removed several documents.

"Guilds are organizations, Jet. Their strength isn’t determined solely by the Star Rank of their strongest member. Money, personnel, territory, reputation, and political relationships all contribute to their influence."

Jet glanced at the documents.

Adesewa continued, "A wealthy merchant can purchase equipment and hire guards, but wealth doesn’t automatically grant the ability to command powerful Awakeners. A 5-Star Awakener might possess extraordinary personal strength, but that doesn’t mean they control transportation networks, businesses, or regional officials."

Marcus nodded.

"And institutional authority is different again," he added. "An O.R.D.O. branch chairman can authorize investigations and deploy personnel within the limits of that office. A Guildmaster doesn’t possess those same legal powers, regardless of how strong their Guild becomes."

"Yet a powerful Guildmaster might have relationships with people who do," Jet observed.

"Exactly," Adesewa confirmed. "And those relationships can be more useful than personal strength in certain situations."

She selected a major Guild headquarters on the holographic map.

"Consider an established Guild that employs several thousand people and contributes significantly to a Region’s economy. Its operations support businesses, transportation services, and Dungeon-related industries. Regional officials have legitimate reasons to maintain good relations with its leadership."

Jet studied the headquarters.

"Which means investigating that Guild could become politically complicated," he concluded.

"It could," Adesewa agreed. "But political influence doesn’t automatically make an organization criminal. Many Guilds cooperate extensively with O.R.D.O. and civilian authorities. Some have saved entire cities during Monster outbreaks."

Jet understood her point.

During his previous life, he had witnessed Guilds risking enormous resources to defend ordinary civilians. He had also encountered organizations whose leaders cared more about profit and influence than the people depending on them.

Powerful Guilds weren’t inherently good or evil.

Their actions depended on the individuals controlling them.

---

Later that afternoon, Jet visited the facility’s medical wing.

Frey was seated beside a treatment bed, carefully rotating his right shoulder while Safiya examined the condition of his injured left arm.

The swelling had diminished considerably, and the bruising around his chest was beginning to fade. Nevertheless, his broken arm remained supported, and the damage to his ribs and lung still required careful monitoring.

"How’s the patient?" Jet asked, approaching them.

Frey looked up with a grin.

"Apparently, I’m making excellent progress," he announced. "Unfortunately, Safiya refuses to acknowledge that excellent progress should qualify me for immediate release."

Safiya didn’t look amused.

"Your lung has recovered enough that ordinary breathing no longer causes significant discomfort," she explained. "That doesn’t mean your ribs can withstand another powerful impact."

Frey sighed.

"Everyone keeps mentioning that," he complained. "I’m beginning to suspect you don’t want me fighting."

"An extraordinary deduction," Safiya replied dryly.

Jet chuckled before taking a seat.

"Don’t rush it," he advised Frey. "I’d rather have you complaining for another week than coughing up blood because you decided to prove something."

Frey’s expression softened slightly.

"Yeah, I know," he admitted. "It’s just frustrating sitting here while everyone else is doing something useful."

Jet understood that frustration.

He had spent much of the previous week recovering from his own injuries, and even now, he couldn’t train at full intensity without risking another setback.

"We’re doing something useful," Jet assured him. "Someone has to stay here and protect the others."

Frey glanced toward the corridor leading to the residential wing.

"How’s Inez?" he asked.

"Better," Jet replied. "She spent most of the morning with Nadia and Amélie. Mikhail apparently convinced them to help him choose desserts from the kitchen."

Frey laughed, then immediately winced and pressed his uninjured hand against his ribs.

Safiya gave him a pointed look.

"That’s exactly why I told you to avoid unnecessary strain," she reminded him.

Frey raised his right hand in surrender.

"Understood, Doctor," he replied.

Jet remained with him for several minutes before their conversation turned toward the investigation.

When Jet mentioned the possibility of powerful Guild connections, Frey’s expression became thoughtful.

"My father knows people involved in Guild financing," he remarked. "If we need information about legitimate business arrangements, he might be able to help."

"Maybe," Jet answered. "But we need to be careful about involving more people."

Frey nodded.

"I’ll speak to him privately," he promised. "No unnecessary details."

---

Meanwhile, Adesewa had returned to the operations room with Cassian, who had recently arrived from the eastern industrial district.

The abandoned compound remained under observation, but the occupants had shown no obvious indication that they knew they were being watched.

Cassian placed several photographs on the table.

"These were taken earlier today," he reported. "The same vehicles are still arriving, although their schedules have changed."

Adesewa examined the images.

"Any indication of who owns the cargo?" she asked.

"Not yet," Cassian answered. "But I’ve confirmed that at least two guards are Awakeners. Neither has displayed enough power for me to estimate their Star Rank."

Marcus enlarged one photograph.

"Have you identified the security company?" he asked.

"That’s the interesting part," Cassian replied. "The guards aren’t wearing recognizable insignia, and their employment records don’t appear under the property’s registered owner."

Adesewa frowned. "Private contractors?"

"Possibly," Cassian answered. "Or employees assigned through another company."

The Captain considered the implications.

The layered ownership records, unexplained security arrangements, and questionable inspection report suggested that someone had taken considerable precautions to conceal the compound’s activities.

However, they still lacked evidence connecting those activities to the assassinations.

"Keep watching," Adesewa instructed. "I want confirmation before we make any accusations."

Cassian nodded. "Understood, Captain."

Marcus glanced toward the holographic display.

"There’s another complication," he observed. "If someone with substantial Guild influence is involved, they might have access to legitimate transportation networks and private security arrangements across several Regions."

Adesewa folded her arms.

"Which would explain how the assassins coordinated their attacks without relying on a single visible headquarters," she replied. "But that’s still only one possibility."

She looked toward the photographs again. "Whoever organized these murders understood the capabilities of their targets. They selected locations, coordinated their forces, and attempted to eliminate multiple expedition participants before we could respond."

Cassian’s expression hardened.

"That requires intelligence," he agreed. "And considerable resources."

"Precisely," Adesewa replied. "Our task is to determine where those resources came from."

---

That evening, Jet returned to the operations room and found Adesewa reviewing a list of prominent Guilds operating within Zenith.

He recognized several names immediately.

Some were organizations he remembered from his previous life, while others had already established considerable influence long before the Second Red Moon appeared.

"Looking for possible suspects?" Jet asked.

"Looking for connections," Adesewa corrected. "There’s an important difference."

Jet approached the table. "Do you think our enemies have someone influential protecting them?"

Adesewa remained silent for a moment.

"I think they’ve demonstrated enough resources to justify investigating that possibility," she answered. "But influence can take many forms. A wealthy sponsor, a powerful Awakener, a Guild executive, or someone with access to official information could each provide different advantages."

Jet studied the list.

"And someone possessing several of those advantages would be particularly dangerous," he observed.

"Very," Adesewa agreed.

She closed the document. "That’s why we’re proceeding carefully. We don’t know who we’re dealing with, and I won’t risk the remaining survivors by confronting powerful organizations without sufficient evidence."

Jet nodded.

The investigation had begun with masked assassins, but every new discovery suggested that the people directing them might possess influence extending far beyond the battlefield.

Adesewa gathered the documents and rose from her chair.

"Get some rest, Jet," she instructed. "Tomorrow, I have a meeting with someone who may be able to help us understand Zenith’s Guild network."

Jet looked toward her.

"Another one of your contacts?" he asked.

Adesewa gave a small smile.

"Something like that," she replied. "He’s a Guildmaster I’ve known for years, and unlike most people in his position, he has never been particularly interested in playing political games."

Jet considered her words.

A powerful Guildmaster willing to assist them could prove invaluable.

What Jet didn’t know was that this meeting would introduce him to someone whose influence on his future would extend far beyond their investigation.