Chapter 107

Chapter 107: Chapter 107

The first crash echoed through the Hunter’s Guild corridor, followed by the sharp sound of wood and stone breaking apart.

Freya stood in the middle of the damaged corridor, her enormous mace gripped tightly in both hands. Dust floated around her boots, and pieces of the wall lay scattered across the floor where she had struck it. The four bells attached to her weapon jingled with every movement, their cheerful sound strangely out of place in the middle of the destruction. Her scarred lips were pulled into a furious grin, but tears were already streaming down her cheeks.

"BERTHANON! GET OUT HERE!"

She raised her mace and swung it against the wall again. This time, the impact cracked the surface from top to bottom, sending a shower of debris across the corridor. Several Hunters who had been walking nearby immediately stopped and turned towards her. Some looked shocked, while others hurried over, clearly displeased by the commotion she was causing.

"Freya! What the hell are you doing?" one of them shouted. "Put that weapon down immediately! This is the Hunter’s Guild, not some battlefield. Have you completely lost your mind?"

Another Hunter stepped forward, his hand resting on the weapon at his waist. "You need to calm down and stop causing trouble. You can’t just destroy Guild property and scream at a senior official whenever you feel like it. Show some respect!"

Freya turned towards them, her eyes red and her face wet with tears. For a moment, she simply stared at them, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Then she laughed, although the sound came out painfully broken.

"Respect? You want me to show respect to that bastard? Do you even know what kind of person Berthanon is? Have any of you ever bothered to find out what he’s been doing behind your backs? That man is evil! He only cares about himself, and he doesn’t give a damn about the lives of the people around him. He’ll use anyone he can get his hands on, then throw them away the moment they’re no longer useful!"

The Hunters exchanged uncomfortable glances. One of them frowned and stepped closer.

"Freya, watch your mouth. You’re making accusations against a senior official without providing any proof. If you have a problem with him, you can report it through the proper channels. There’s no need to behave like this."

"Report it?" Freya repeated, her voice rising. "To whom? To the same people who have been protecting him all this time? You think anyone here would listen to me? Hunter G trusted this Guild with his life, and look at what happened to him!"

Her fingers tightened around the handle of her mace. The bells rattled as she lifted the weapon slightly, pointing it towards the end of the corridor.

"Berthanon poisoned him! He poisoned Hunter G, and now he’s dead! Do you understand? He’s dead! The man who spent months protecting this Guild, the man who put his life on the line to save countless Hunters, was killed by the very people he served! If Berthanon thinks he can get away with it, then he should come out here and explain himself. Let him look me in the eyes and tell me why he killed Hunter G!"

Everyone in the corridor fell silent. Even the Hunters who had been arguing with her seemed unsure of what to say. Hunter G was not an ordinary member of the Guild. His position and strength had earned him respect, and many people knew how much he had contributed over the years. Hearing that he had died was already shocking enough, but hearing that Berthanon had supposedly been responsible made the accusation even harder to accept.

Before anyone could respond, another voice cut through the corridor. "Freya, shut up!"

Jowe emerged from the other end, his expression dark. His eyes immediately landed on the broken wall, then moved to the mace in Freya’s hands. He looked furious, but there was something else beneath his anger, something close to disbelief.

"Have you lost your mind?" he demanded. "How dare you stand here and accuse my grandfather of something like that? You know nothing about what happened, yet you’re running your mouth as if you witnessed everything yourself. My grandfather would never do such a thing!"

Freya slowly turned towards him. For a moment, she said nothing. Then she laughed again, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Your grandfather?" she repeated. "Then why don’t you call him out? Since you’re so certain he’s innocent, bring him here and let him explain everything himself. I’m standing right here, waiting for him. Or is he too afraid to face the person who knows what he did?"

"Freya!"

"Tell that old snake to stop hiding behind his grandnephew and come out!" she shouted, taking a step forward. "He has spent all this time pretending to be some respectable senior official while doing whatever he wants behind closed doors. If he’s so righteous, why is he hiding? Come out, Berthanon! Let everyone hear your explanation!"

Jowe’s face darkened further. "That’s enough. You can insult me if you want, but I won’t stand here and listen to you slander my grandfather. He’s the reason this Guild has survived for so long, and he’s done more for its members than you could ever understand."

"Then you’re even more foolish than I thought."

Freya turned away from him and started walking towards the office at the end of the corridor. Her mace dragged slightly against the floor, producing an unpleasant scraping sound as she moved. The Hunters standing nearby quickly stepped aside, unsure whether they should stop her or allow her to continue. Jowe watched her for a second before moving after her.

"Freya, stop!"

She ignored him.

"Freya! I’m talking to you!"

She continued walking, her steps growing faster. Her eyes were fixed on the door ahead, and her grip around the mace tightened until her knuckles turned pale. She had no intention of stopping. If Berthanon refused to come out, she would make enough noise to bring him out herself.

Jowe raised his voice again. "Freya, don’t take another step!"

She still didn’t answer. Just as she lifted her mace, preparing to smash the door, a sharp whooshing sound came from behind her.

Her instincts reacted before her thoughts could catch up. Freya immediately twisted her body to the side. A bullet tore through the space where her head had been a moment earlier and struck the wall ahead, leaving a small hole in its surface. The sound of the gunshot rang through the corridor, causing several Hunters to jump backwards.