Hitman with a Badass System
chapter-903

(Five days later)

Alicia stood in a grand hall, the walls adorned with intricate tapestries and golden chandeliers illuminating the space. In the center of the room, a round table sat, surrounded by a menagerie of individuals. A towering figure with fur and a lion-like head sat at the head of the table, his piercing eyes surveying the room. An elven woman with cascading blonde hair sat across from him, her features sharp and ethereal.

In the center of the table, a delicately carved glass bottle stood, its glistening red contents catching the light and casting an otherworldly glow over the faces of those gathered. The atmosphere in the room was charged with anticipation, and Alicia could feel the weight of the room's purpose settling on her shoulders. Her words finally broke the tense silence in the room.

"Gentlemen," Alicia began, her tone serious and commanding, "I bring to your attention the new, highly addictive brew that has been flooding the markets in Elon and Ozer. It was first introduced to patrons in various taverns for free, but now it's being sold for a minimum of four thousand coins, which is four times the price of dwarven ale. This brew is no ordinary drink, and we need to take action before it spreads like a plague throughout the realm,"

"As much as I am shocked by the horrendous price," the lion-headed man snickered, "I can't help but think, why do we bother ourselves with what the nobles drink? If they want to drink this, they can. It's their choice. We, guardians, certainly have better things to worry about than some drink,"

Alicia couldn't help but feel a tinge of annoyance at his dismissive attitude towards the addictive brew that was causing chaos in Elon and Ozer. But her focus quickly shifted to the new Alpha Guardian of the Hunter Guardians, Elara Valren, as she listened intently to the discussion. The Valren family was no stranger to the position of Alpha Guardian, as Elara's predecessor, Tanulia Valren, had held the title before her untimely demise at the hands of the Dark Lord.

After the brutal massacre of the hunter guardians and the devastating crash of Tanulia's warship into the guild headquarters, no one was willing to take up the mantle of Alpha Guardian. But to everyone's surprise, Elara stepped forward, ready to lead the charge against the Dark Lord and his minions.

Unlike her predecessor, Elara was cunning, patient, and breathtakingly beautiful. Her lethal combination of brains and beauty made her a formidable opponent, and though she did not openly vow vengeance against the Dark Lord, everyone knew that when the time came, she would be the first to strike him down.

As for Elara, she remained silent and observed the discussion with a keen eye. Her elegant features betrayed no emotion, but everyone in the room knew that beneath her calm demeanor lay a fierce determination. Elara was a Valren, after all, and the blood of the great warrior family ran strong in her veins.

When Elara finally spoke, her voice was cool and measured. "We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this issue. The addiction caused by this brew is not just harming individuals but also affecting their families and communities. We must take action to prevent further harm."

As the discussion continued, it became clear that Elara's words held weight. Her leadership and strategic thinking had already earned her the respect of many, and it was no surprise that she had risen to the position of Alpha Guardian.

Alicia nodded in agreement with Elara's words, and it seemed that many others in the room shared her sentiment. Even the lion-headed man seemed to be reconsidering his dismissive attitude toward the issue.

"My team has informed me that some nobles are willing to pay up to ten thousand for a single bottle of this so-called red bliss," Alicia said, her voice ringing out clearly in the hall. "And within just a week of its appearance, many young nobles have become addicted to it. They're neglecting their studies and cultivation, instead frantically scouring the kingdoms for a bottle and drinking it all day long."

A murmur of concern rippled through the room as the gravity of the situation became clear.

"This is a threat not just to individuals but to entire communities," Elara spoke up, her voice firm and resolute. "If we do not take action to prevent the spread of this addiction, it will only continue to grow and cause more harm."

Alicia nodded in agreement, her eyes scanning the room once more. "Many sects have been discussing putting a ban on the bottle, but we must act quickly and decisively if we hope to curb the addiction before it's too late,"

The guardians exchanged worried glances, the weight of the situation heavy on their shoulders. But as always, they remained steadfast in their duty to protect and serve.

Alicia stood tall in the center of the brightly lit hall, her eyes piercing through the crowd of council members gathered around the round table. She took a deep breath before speaking, her voice commanding attention.

"As I investigated the source of this new brew, I discovered that the official distributor of the highly addictive red bliss is none other than the Phoenix Manor," she said, her words ringing out with a sharp edge.

The council members exchanged worried glances and murmurs began to spread throughout the room. Alicia's information was not to be taken lightly.

"But there's more," Alicia continued, a hint of satisfaction creeping into her tone. "The Phoenix Manor began distributing these bottles only after the disappearance of Lord Julius."

The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to Alicia in anticipation of what she would reveal next. She savored the moment before continuing, her words calculated for maximum impact.

"One of my informants inside the Phoenix Manor informed me that Lord Julius was approached by the Dark Lord's minion. It's rumored that Julius ordered the man to be hanged, and three days later, he disappeared without a trace,"

The room fell silent as everyone processed Alicia's words. It was clear that she was leading them toward an uncomfortable truth. "Now, why would they do that," Alicia continued, "if Lord Julius had no problems with the Dark Lord?"

The lion-headed man scowled, his voice laced with anger. "Are you saying that the Dark Lord is behind Lord Julius's disappearance?"

Alicia's eyes narrowed as she leaned forward. "I may not have concrete evidence, but it's highly likely that the Dark Lord had a hand in Lord Julius's disappearance. Consider the facts: Lord Julius refused to accept the Dark Lord's offer, and within three days, he vanished without a trace. And then, a cunning fox by the name of Zod took his place as the distributor of red bliss."

"It seems far too coincidental to me. The Dark Lord always has his fingers in every pie, and I wouldn't be surprised if he orchestrated this whole thing to start the distribution of the red bliss," She crossed her arms and said.

Elara's voice rang out clear and steady. " think you may be onto something, Alicia. It's no secret that the Dark Lord values his coins above all else. And after the Supreme Guardian shut down the Majestic and Hades, his two biggest sources of revenue, it's likely that he would look for new ways to fill his coffers,"

Alicia nodded in agreement. "Exactly. And what better way to do so than by addicting the nobles to a highly profitable substance?"

Elara paused for a moment, her piercing gaze sweeping across the room. "As for Lord Julius's disappearance, I believe it is no coincidence that it occurred just as the distribution of the red bliss began. The Dark Lord is known for his ruthless tactics, and he would not hesitate to eliminate anyone who stood in his way,"

A murmur of agreement rippled through the room, and Elara continued. "Furthermore, we must not forget that the Dark Lord has always been drawn to coins and wealth. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that he saw an opportunity to profit from addiction,"

The weight of Elara's words hung heavy in the air, and the room fell into contemplative silence as the gravity of the situation settled in.

The room fell into a momentary silence before the lion-headed Alpha Guardian spoke up again. "If this is true, then the Dark Lord has truly sunk to new depths," he growled, his tone filled with anger and disgust.

Elara nodded in agreement. "Indeed. But we cannot act without concrete proof," she said, her voice calm and measured.

All eyes turned to Alicia, who seemed to be the most knowledgeable about the situation. She cleared her throat and spoke up. "The merchants involved in the distribution are unlikely to admit working for the Dark Lord, but we do know that the red bliss is produced somewhere in the Southern continent and brought to Elon and Ozer through cargo ships."

The lion-headed man rolled his eyes. "Isn't that convenient? It's no secret who controls most of the Southern continent. The Dark Lord is likely working on subduing the rest somehow, taking advantage of our weakened presence there,"

Elara furrowed her brow in thought. "Gathering real proof about the red bliss in the southern continent won't be easy," she said, "but we must try. Until then, perhaps banning the red bliss throughout Elon and Ozer like we did with the Majestic and Hades is the best course of action,"

"We cannot," Alicia said firmly, shaking her head.

"As much as I would like to put a stop to everything the Dark Lord does, we have no concrete proof. The rules and laws prevent us from meddling in the affairs of the merchant guilds. If we want to put an end to this red bliss, we need real evidence. Until then, we might have to push for unofficial bans among the sects. But even to do that, we need to have casualties," Alicia sighed deeply, her expression troubled.

Elara's brow furrowed in concern. "Casualties?"

Alicia nodded grimly. "Yes. We need to show the severity of the situation to the people. The addiction caused by this brew is not just harming individuals but also affecting their families and communities. We need to gather evidence of the harm it's causing, even if it means some must suffer."

The lion-headed Alpha Guardian snarled in anger. "This is unacceptable. We can't wait around for casualties to happen before we can act. There must be another way."

Elara placed a calming hand on the Alpha Guardian's shoulder. "I understand your anger, but we must act within the confines of the law. We need to gather more information and find a way to stop this distribution without causing unnecessary harm,"

The room fell into a tense silence as they all contemplated the gravity of the situation. The Dark Lord's insidious plans were spreading like a disease, and they needed to find a way to cut it off at the source before it consumed them all.

"What about the Sunrise sect?" The lion-headed Alpha Guardian of the Beast Guardians asked, his voice seething with anger. "That fucker has a special connection with them. Are the disciples in the Sunrise sect getting addicted to the red bliss? I'm sure they wouldn't even sell this thing in Bradford,"

Alicia took a deep breath and spoke, "Believe it or not, some taverns are selling the red bliss. But fortunately, the Sunrise sect has a law in place preventing their disciples from drinking any type of booze. This rule was enforced after seeing their once-star disciple, Ghost, who abstained from drinking. The law has been in place long before the red bliss came into existence."

Elara nodded her head in agreement, "That makes sense. The Sunrise sect has always been strict with their rules and discipline,"

The lion-headed man's eyes narrowed with anger. "So, what you're saying is that the Dark Lord's plan is to use the red bliss to create addiction among disciples of other sects, ultimately leading to their downfall, while the Sunrise sect remains unaffected?"

Alicia nodded grimly. "That seems to be one of the outcomes,"

Elara spoke up, her voice calm and measured. "We cannot allow this to happen. We must find a way to stop the distribution of the red bliss before it causes irreparable damage to the other sects."

The lion-headed man let out a low growl. "Agreed. We need to take action and fast. We cannot let the Dark Lord win this battle."

Alicia nodded in agreement. "Like I said, we need to gather concrete evidence against the Phoenix Manor and their involvement with the Dark Lord. We cannot act without proof, or we risk starting a war,"

Elara spoke up again. "We need to be careful and strategic in our approach. Let us gather information and evidence, and only then can we move forward with a plan to stop the distribution of the red bliss,"