Chapter 150: Terrifying woman

Tall Tui was a berserker of a woman who wanted his children to the bitter end of them, knowing each other. It was a strange time, at a strange turn of events that was long gone from Zigmund's mind.

Still, she was the owner of the Guild of Questions and not only that. She was actually the creator, owner, and builder of its fundamental structure. The Guild of Questions of the past was anything but a small company of some merchants, and some individuals of famous adventure standing. They were there for the sake of gathering information, that would otherwise, be quite impossible to do.

Now, this was also the same, but the Guild went through many phases to get powerful and influential in the underground markets. Even regular knowledge, including the trading hubs, stores, and markets was included. This included the Tricloud Alliance which had no say in the Guild since it was an independent force, like most of the things in this region.

Of course, Tall Tui was in the end, disappointed that things wouldn't come her way. She was a strong-willed woman who clearly knew what she wanted, but that didn't mean others weren't like her. Forcing someone else to make children was easier than forcing Zigmund at that time.

Ziola was the cause of that past and it went right to the present where Zigmund couldn't help but curse his luck. She was the aftermath of his obvious rejection.

“That is all great and all, but I am here for the official business regarding the Guild, and not some meaningless and long lost past, woman.” He stated in the most forceful way possible, while clutching his fist, and forcing his words out.

“I may know what you mean. Of course, if sir knows when to look for. What can I be helpful with?” Ziola asked, still sitting on the table.

“W-will you sit up properly before that?”

“That's very easy, sir.” She said as she clumsily got her ass up from the table, but she unwillingly fell to Zigmund by a sheer ploy of her fake clumsiness. Placing her both hands around his shoulders, and pushing her hefty chest against his, she was closer to his face than ever before.

“S-stop with t-this. You are like your mother.” He showed her face aside, yet she gracefully grabbed the table, gently taking a seat on top of it. With a bewitching smile, she crossed her legs once again in a try to appear unfazed, which she was.

“I am very glad to the heavens for this day, sir Troutman. May I be of some help with something else?”

“Else? Huh…” Zigmund make his best to calm down and not forget the whole cause of this journey here.

“Well… Here I am not unwilling to talk about the past, but I came here because of some other past, and issues of the present. I know very well what Guild is doing, yet providing my information to the Tricloud Alliance was the last thing that I would expect.” He went straight to the facts.

“Past? Tricloud Alliance? I don't think I am following the reason, f the present.” Ziola said, not following the topic since she was still smiling, and imagining all sorts of things while glancing at Zigmund's robust body.

“Stop with the schemes… I think you are already well aware of many things since you are the one in charge of this damned place. Everyone would know who the deal with this Guild is, regardless of me, not knowing it all that much in recent years.”

“This place is the same as ever, sir. Nothing changes for the sake of my mother's gifts, wisdom, and care of her business.” Ziola stated calmly.

“Then how come the situation of yesterday came to be if you speak of care? Was my past deal forgotten? Tricloud Alliance went right to my home, knocking on my door and stirring the past that was supposed to be over.”

“They did? That is not very nice of them indeed.” Ziola said, furrowing her brows.

“Rengiward of the Maine company was leading them, so it's obvious something was up with that. I hid well, so I am pretty sure that is, in some way, included in your jurisdictions or straight up the cause of selling my information to the Alliance.”

“Ohhh… That? I think I briefly remember something going on before the start of the war against the Timeless kingdom, but I am guessing it's not something related to me. Unfortunately, that is.” Ziola said with a smile, directly stating her truth to Zigmund's face.

“What a small little lie. Do the past promises hold no meanings?”

“I am not following every little piece or exchange of the deals. That is a simple fact of our business. I may ask others who would know something, but…” Ziola still explained, yet, before she knew it, a firm hand was clutching her neck.

It was Zigmund who was shoving her up into the air, staring at her with a look ready to kill.

“I am warning you, woman. If even a speck of information about my family was leaked, I am sure it would have some relation to the Guild. Take it, or leave the Guild to rot, for all I care.”

Ziola moaned as she stroked Zigmund's hand. “W-what a strength! Yes! Of course! I understand! Sir Trouuutman…”

Zigmund, not one bit released his grip, yet the face of that woman still caused him to fear for his life. Not in a way, to cause his death, but something… else.

Releasing her begrudgingly, he pushed her against the strong table.

“Take the warning, or I can cease the Guild from the mind of people in a matter of weeks,” Zigmund said his last word as he couldn't stop her wriggling hands around his body, while Ziola herself had a strangely excited expression on her face.

Taking a few steps back, Zigmund was no longer hesitant to waste more time with this woman, so he turned to leave.

Before leaving, Ziola stopped him by her voice. “Wait! I can… Explain this to you! I am sure you don't have to leave.”

Turning his head around, Zigmund was uncomfortable with the acts of this woman. It was in line with certain memories that he had no idea he still had. It wasn't… They weren't the good kind.

“You… If I will hear of some issue again, I will come back, and it won't be calm like today. Got it?” He said and revealed a sword beside his hip.

“N-nice sword… I wonder if the real… one is bigger.” She mumbled inaudibly, yet expected nothing more than his unpleasant snort.

“You are really her daughter… Fucking hell. I give up.” Zigmund cursed and no longer waited for any of her ploys. So, he rather left by jumping out the window.

Ziola reluctantly glanced at his back, still laying on top of the table with a twisted, strangely bare body, by her efforts to loosen her dress. With a wide smile and blushed face, she stroked her face and neck with each hand.

“I w-want his children! Oh, mother, have you watched this man in the prime of his life? No! NOO! How fortunate within such tragedy!” She moaned, not concerning his threat to her business at all.

It took her almost 10 minutes before her bashful face regained some color of sanity. Although, it was just a pinch of it since she wasn't in the right state of mind at all.

Getting up to a sitting position, she looked around in expectation of finding Zigmund, but the room was already empty for some time.

Without telling more, and stroking her neck, she sighed and readjusted her more than revealing dress. “Well… I hoped for something more, but there goes his business… Maybe it was a mistake of the past or a thing that mother did? I wonder which is it?” She said as she took the bell by the side of the table to ring it a few times.

The sound echoed quite loudly, for such a small, few centimeters big bell.

In a few minutes, a row of 4 men and 1 woman dressed in robes with Guild's Emblem in the middle entered the room. They appeared from one of the side doors which were in the hidden parts of exterior walls. They were hidden or came up from some other rooms or floors of this building.

Zigmund wasn't expecting many problems for him, charging into this place. Of course, he may know, or not, about the hidden masters hiding in the shadows, but would they matter? Ziola was in the room, after all. Zigmund clutched his sword for a long time on this journey, but seeing this woman, he didn't want to change his mind about talking.

“We greed the Master.” All 5 of them said in unison, bowing and then standing like good soldiers in this hall.

“Hello there. 5 of you are already long members of my Guild. I am glad the causes and the business are booming, yet I am in no way happy that deals with the Tricloud Alliance were happening behind my back. Is one of you responsible for the clause of Zigmund Troutman?” She asked with an unnatural firm tone, befitting the leader and unlike her previous appearance.

All 5 figures dropped their heads, as one man, with an older face and a firm face, dropped to his knee.

“I was the one who was in the charge of the deal by the firm voice of a ministry of military efforts, June Zuo.” The man explained, sounding somewhat restrained and fearful.

“Oh, a mister Zuo? Then I am asking, Dandai. You were shown extreme pleasure by my mother, yet it was shoved down the drain as the promises by her were, and always will be regarded as the utmost rule. Was it perhaps that good of a deal to disclose such a piece of prohibited information? I am especially asking about it because we are talking about the Alliance and Triclud of all things, with Troutman's involvement?” Ziola asked, and with each sentence, walked towards the man.

A man called Dandai shuddered in a mixture of fear and disappointment at his mistake. Falling to both knees, he explained himself in hopes of bettering his own standing.

“M-master… The deal consisted only of the things that were within our rights. They were a couple of things under our spies, including the locations, and businesses, and provided a general consensus of what is known. Such as things that went around his place, but not one bit of his location or things that went there were leaked! I swear!”

“Is that true?

“YES!” Dandai said, putting his head deep into the ground.

“It still counts, because the one in the talk just made a quick meeting with me about it. You were either plotted, or things that Zuo had were much better than ours… Hmmm… That could be it.” She said, humming and thinking out loud about it.

“While I am not entirely mad at you, Dandai. Hmm… not at all! In fact, I am very grateful for this chance. Yes. Yes… Grateful, dear Dandai.” Ziola changed her tone to a much more pleasant, almost sweet voice.

She approached his kneeling self and lifted his head up with her palm. “You are still halfway to the Underworld if any speck will be leaked, so I fear for your life choices. That, and you will give me a detailed report of what Zuo wanted. Am I heard?”

“Yes. I am grateful, Master,” Dandai muttered in a single breath of his uneasiness.

“That is GOOD. The rest of you should be highly careful to not continue with such mistakes. Wars are fine pieces to get excellent deals done, but only within our boundaries. That is the basis of everything so don't try your chances, since we have rules to follow, unlike the Underground. Now, for you…” Ziola added at the last and shoved Dandai's face to the ground.

Blood dripped from the impact as his face was pushed against the firm floor. She broke his nose, caused a minor concussion, and struck his sore spot in the Guild's standing.

After all, these 5 people were Major officers, which are right underneath Ziola.

“With this done, you 5 can leave.” She dismissed them while cleaning her hand with Dandai's robe.

While everyone left, she returned to her own state of effort. That wasn't anything hard.

She was leaning on the chair by her table and caressing her neck and face with her both palms. A smile on her face, she was giggling from time to time in a nice mood, wondering about the deal, thinking about her mother and all kinds of things.

Putting her hands before her face, she looked at them, bewitched by a sudden idea, and stir in her heart. She decided on something right at this moment. Her eyes beamed in a world of radiance, and her whole appearance changed. Her body started to echo the wild thuds of energy. They were appearing like tiny waves of matter, while the pressure was rising around her body, filling her body with unnatural strength.

“I am ready…” She said, clutching her both hands that were long undergoing the course of cultivation for a long time. She was a gifted one, and her Spark wasn't weak at all.

Even though her worries and thoughts were hers alone, this little episode could still have some strange repercussions. They were unknown to Zigmund, who was still speechless from the impacts of his decision to put his foot within the main headquarters of the Guild of Questions once again. Maybe it was a huge mistake on his part, as he didn't do so in a very long time.

It was so long that he no longer remembered the little girl named Ziola. It was also his knowledge that not many people were even aware of the whole business of this Guild. It wasn't a small Guild by any means, with its main headquarters in the unassuming Griontesse city. A city that was neither too large nor too big. It was right at the general aptitude to reach all kinds of regions, and further to the south, towards other kingdoms and nations.

By this point, Zigmund was no longer caring about his business with Ziola, even though he wished he would get to know more information.

“I swear to the world! What a mistake this day is… It's already happening since the morning, and everything is going wrong. I at least hope nothing wrong will go within the spars, or I will curse my fate to the bitter end of the day like yesterday.” Zigmund lamented his decision as he walked through the streets. Unwillingly, he walked right across his restaurant, where he glanced at the rows of people enjoying their meals. Laughing, eating, and enjoying the atmosphere, Zigmund wasn't the one in the mood for either, but this was his place, so he decided to go there.

“Heh… Since I am here, I may as well get something nicer than the stuff I have at home.”

Walking inside, the glamor and hustle of the restaurant did not surprise him at all. In fact, it was much stronger than he remembered. He walked straight to the backdoor but then he noticed Pedro dealing with some unsavory situation.

“I swear this meat is not done! Do you want to poison me, you shithead? You and your little restaurant will have to pay for the damages if that's the case!” One particularly angry customer shouted straight at Pedro, who had not that amused face. This was almost his everyday life at this point since he knew who this was, or who was behind this man.

Pedro tried to counter, but then, he noted a familiar approaching figure. Zigmund walked to the open windows of the buffet where Pedro underway the gaze and shouts of this madman.

“I swear Pedro, every day is the worst. Am I right?” Zigmund said, patting his shoulder as he leaned around his other shoulder to take some drinks from the shelf.

“Are you fucking listening to me? You shithead! Who is this guy? I am talking to the owner here, so piss off!” The man changed his anger to Zigmund, who was completely unbothered by this man at this moment.

He didn't even glance at him, since he was already shoving the content of some bottle of liquor down his throat.

Pedro could not help but chuckle since this was the boss he loved the most.

“You talk as if you would make the best steak from the Tallow Mountain Boar of the entire world! You think this steak is wrong! I bet if I would shove my meat down your throat you would be more than glad in this case. Piss off from my restaurant, before I will kick you myself. Hell, you would vomit this food, which would be at least appreciated by worms, dogs, or insects. Those are much better they you in this regard.” Zigmund said upon finishing his dozen or so gulps. He stared at the man with murderous intent while he recited the profanities which worked the best in such situations.

The man who faced his words was surprised by his sudden words, which went even further than he would ever go. He took some hesitant steps back before leaving the restaurant without paying for anything.

“Who in the bloody world was that guy?” Zigmund asked Pedro as he still leaned around his shoulder.

“Some person from the opposite restaurants. That is my guess.”

“Those guys again? You don't have it that easy, don't you, Pedro?” Zigmund stated before gulping another few mouthfuls.

“Calm down with this drink, mister Zigmund. It's almost half gone from these few sips.”

“Silence! That's how a man should drink!” Zigmund drunkenly said with a straight face. It appeared he wasn't taking this that well at all.

“Alright. That is fair.” Pedro agreed but forced his shoulder away to get back to his work. “What happened to you, Zigmund? You don't usually come here to drink at this time, nor do you even visit that often?”

“Damn straight something happened. In fact, a horrible day occurred today. It almost felt like I relived the past life. It was complete…” Zigmund hiccuped, feeling lighthearted already. “…eternal despair! I am telling you?! Are you even listening?” Zigmund mumbled on, finding Pedro and his shoulder to weep for his worries.

These moments, were somewhat rarer and rarer in Pedro's eyes so he didn't protest. It was a long time since he had seen him like this so maybe something bad happened.

“Alright. Come to the kitchen, we have some brand new salons I build there. I won't let you bother customers right across their food.” Pedro said, and began to force himself to move back with Zigmund on his shoulder.

“Fine by me! Lead the way!” Zigmund shouted, shoving the bottle into the air in the light of this day.