บท 346: -342- The irony of intelligence
In the forest, Rozen faced off against the three murderers, one with a cheerful smile on his face, and the others exuding an invisible aura of killing intent in silence.
"Chu!"
Perhaps sensing the unimaginable killing intent and pressure compared to usual, Pina let out a fearful squeak and burrowed into Silica's embrace.
While Silica instinctively held onto Pina, she herself was also overwhelmed by the consecutive appearances of extraordinary circumstances and struggled to react.
Even Rosalia and the orange-named players from her guild, the "Titan's Hand," stood there, stunned.
In this situation, Rozen engaged in conversation with the three most ruthless criminals within SAO.
Or more accurately, it was a conversation with PoH.
"Who would've thought, the esteemed leader of 'Laughing Coffin,' the guild of murderers, would come to a place like this? What wind blew you here?" Rozen taunted with a smirk.
But this statement elicited an intense reaction from the other players present.
"'Laughing Coffin'...!? The most powerful murder guild that even the clearing group finds troublesome...!?"
Rosalia's voice was filled with disbelief.
"He... He's the leader of 'Laughing Coffin'...!?" Silica's eyes widened, her face turning pale with fear.
Clearly, the reputation of the most formidable, largest, and most brutal criminal guild across the entire server was so terrifying that middle-tier players like them couldn't help but be overwhelmed when confronted with its leader in person.
However, what surprised everyone even more was yet to come.
"I think that's my line, isn't it?"
PoH responded with a lively and carefree tone.
"As the leader of the strongest guild 'Crimson Wing,' who also leads the clearing group, it's truly hard to believe my eyes that the big shot Rozen would venture into such an inconspicuous floor's labyrinth."
PoH's words left everyone present dumbfounded.
"He... He's the leader of the 'Crimson Wing'...!?" Rosalia's face displayed the most profound shock she had ever experienced.
As for Silica, the girl had been struck speechless.
Unfortunately, Rozen couldn't afford to concern himself with the girl's feelings at this point.
"I'm just here to do my job."
Rozen replied with a shrug to PoH's question.
"Coincidentally, I'm here to do my job as well."
PoH responded in a similarly casual manner.
Their tones sounded as if long-lost friends were catching up, yet the underlying tension and friction had generated an air of tension so thick it could scare away the surrounding birds and animals.
And clearly, the two had very different tasks in mind.
"This should be my line, don't you think? Leading your guild, Laughing Coffin's strongest members to attack me because you received word that I, alone, appeared in this place. Were you planning to seize the opportunity to finish me off?" Rozen smirked, unveiling PoH's intentions.
PoH didn't back down either.
"It goes both ways, Rozen. Haven't you heard that 'Laughing Coffin' is preparing to absorb players from various orange-named guilds to replenish its ranks? You orchestrated the entire clearing group to collaborate in eliminating those orange-named guilds, with the aim of hindering 'Laughing Coffin's' resurgence. Isn't that right?"
PoH similarly laid bare Rozen's intentions.
Both were astute individuals, and their reasons and objectives were transparent to each other.
Yet, precisely because they were well aware of each other's actions, they could take their considerations further.
For instance, PoH saw this as an excellent opportunity to eliminate Rozen.
"I haven't forgotten, Guild leader Rozen. Thanks to you, my amusement has decreased significantly, and the survivors within my guild have become pariahs, crushed by the clearing group you lead. If I don't take you out, don't you think it would be quite unjustifiable?" PoH spoke as if it were only natural, and the killing intent that seeped from his words sent shivers down everyone's spines.
But that was the truth.
For "Laughing Coffin," Rozen was indeed a thorn in their side.
Without Rozen's intervention, "Laughing Coffin" wouldn't have been so severely crippled, nor would they have become pariahs, pressured and suppressed by the clearing group. They could have spread death and terror throughout SAO, turning the game into a true death game.
This was, after all, "Laughing Coffin's" ultimate goal.
They had no intention of clearing the game; they simply wanted to revel in it.
However, the game they reveled in was one of slaughter, not a game of monster-hunting and leveling up.
Due to this, when Rozen ordered the entire clearing group to take down "Laughing Coffin" and caused them substantial losses, PoH and his surviving members' resentment toward Rozen was beyond comprehension.
Given this, knowing that Rozen had personally taken action and was ready to deal with orange-named guilds, and that he was doing it all on his own, how could PoH not be tempted?
Certainly, while feeling tempted by this, PoH had also considered the possibilities.
"Don't you ever think that this could very well be my scheme as well?" Rozen kindly reminded PoH of this.
This was perfectly normal.
As the commander of the clearing group, Rozen had the ability to go over a year and a half without suffering any losses. He couldn't possibly overlook the possibility of being targeted when acting alone.
But Rozen still went ahead with it, proving he was fearless. It was highly likely he was setting up a scheme to draw out PoH and his cohorts, who were led by him.
In other words, the operation to subdue the orange-named guild "Titan's Hand" was merely a smokescreen or a side affair.
Rozen's true objective was to use himself as bait and draw out the guild executives, led by PoH, and then eliminate them all at once.
Rozen was just conveying this intention.
Naturally, PoH had also considered this possibility.
"But couldn't you have chosen a better location instead of getting lost in the Forest of Wandering?"
PoH calmly voiced this.
"This place is also a labyrinth. There's no way to send messages, and players who have you on their friends list can't track your position within a labyrinth. Add to that, teleport crystals are ineffective here. Before we set off, we confirmed that the rest of the clearing group members were dispatched to various floors to subdue the orange-named guilds. Even your 'Crimson Wing' has left; they're nowhere near the town."
In other words, no matter how Rozen strategized, he wouldn't be able to achieve anything while acting alone.
"Moreover, being as intelligent as you are, you must know that I would definitely consider this as a possible ploy to lure us out, right?" PoH said.
The implication was that Rozen indeed had the idea to lure out PoH, but he knew PoH would see through it.
"In a situation where it could be a ruse to provoke a battle, I definitely wouldn't personally intervene. The more likely scenario would be sending someone here. Even if it's just you alone, you'd still be able to handle it. Even if the ultimate outcome is only dealing with a few inconsequential members but cutting off the possibility of our growth and further weakening our strength, by then, even if you haven't taken down my 'Laughing Coffin,' it's likely we won't be able to pose a threat anymore. This is how you calculated, which is why you came here alone," PoH mocked, looking at Rozen.
"Surely, you didn't anticipate this: in the end, I still personally intervened and brought along the two strongest guild executives. This is the irony of intelligence, Guild leader Rozen."
PoH's sarcastic words infused the air with a hint of bloodshed.
This time, even a girl like Silica could sense it.
The situation was grim.
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