Through my ears, I hear the sound of someone sitting on the floor while letting out a sigh.

"I couldn't make it in time..." That voice... Zoe? "If I had Skylar's confirmation earlier, I could have avoided all of this." It seems like she blames herself a little for the whole situation.

"Well, now it's all happened." That voice is Rodic's! "We should focus on what we can do tomorrow and how we're going to deal with this whole mess." His voice is noticeably clearer. Is he not wearing a mask?!

Damn, I wish I could see his face, but I don't want to interrupt their conversation...

"This is the Union of Kingdoms' fault," Zoe said. "Kings always think they have the power of the Supreme Adventurers in the palm of their hands." I didn't know there was a bureaucracy behind the adventurers.

I always thought that the Supreme Adventurers were freer than anyone else. Apparently, they still have to obey orders from above.

“We did what was necessary, even if it wasn’t the best scenario.” Rodic responds.

"It would be easier if I took charge of all this. What's the point of me being the strongest, then?" She says. "If only those old men with crowns weren't so scared..." Why didn't the Union send her here sooner?

"The more experienced ones tend to be more apprehensive. They don't want to seem reckless."

"They are wary of everything I do. They are afraid that I will get involved in this war because I am new to the job." Zoe looks irritated. "Who do they think I am?"

"Really, they only think about politics."

"That boy earlier, William... he has every right to think I'm irresponsible." Zoe's voice takes on a more melancholy tone. "In the end, I obeyed orders without thinking of the consequences."

"Being stronger than others also means that you will be more distant from the 'normal'. It wouldn't surprise me if you lost your sensitivity in the future."

"I hope my sanity doesn't go away," she retorts.

"I believe that this is part of the job, for better or worse," Rodic concludes.

For a moment, silence lingers between the two; only the ambient sound makes its own sound.

"You know what..." When I was about to turn over to go to sleep, Zoe continued talking. "I've been thinking during these times, and I think it's about time the adventurers created their own organization, don't you think?" Does she want to separate from the Union of Kingdoms? Or rather, does she want to separate all the adventurers?

This is no small thing; this is the greatest voice in the magic world speaking this!

"..." Rodic seemed to be thinking. "It's a possibility to think about." I wouldn't have thought he would agree with that idea. "But how could adventurers support themselves without relying on the kingdoms?" Many adventurers are paid to do missions for the kingdoms; a large part of their income comes from that.

"That's where the Adventurers' Coalition for Mutual Protection, or ACMP, would be created." Had she thought of that?

It seems like Zoe is really committed to doing this; I just wonder what kind of organization that would be.

"That's a bad name."

"I know, ha." She chuckles lightly.

"Not that the name matters much," Rodic says. "What would be the function of such a coalition?"

"It's much simpler than it sounds." I'm a little uncertain about this. "We won't force all adventurers to take up our cause. Those who wish to remain under the kings' control may remain."

"Right... and?"

"We'll build and buy properties for our clients to offer their services. Instead of acting on demand from contracts, we'll be a sort of adventurer-for-hire." This sounds very similar to an Adventurer's Guild!

I had noticed before, but this world doesn’t have any adventurer’s guilds. Maybe I can give Zoe a better name when I get the chance. Adventurer’s Coalition for Mutual Protection is a long name…

"To implement an organization like this, we would have to have a large logistics system, with employees, hierarchy, and everything else." Rodic is right. Who would take care of all this? In fact, who would invest in this idea?

"You're right, but have you forgotten who you're talking to?" She seems more cheerful. "You're talking to the mage who has the most contacts in Eldor. I know a lot of people." She says proudly.

"Finding the people to do it wouldn't be a problem. What I'm worried about is whether we'll have enough support from the nobles to accept this idea." He said. "Currently, an adventurer can make contracts with a noble for a limited time. As long as he serves a noble, he serves the kingdom as well. That means that if the kingdom is the priority, the contract with the noble is worthless. Maybe that..." It seemed he had come to a conclusion.

If the nobles can only get a partial service from an adventurer, then the adventurer's guild could grant the entire service.

"I have inside information on that, my dear friend." Zoe interrupts him. "I heard that nobles have to pay an extra fee to the kingdom if they want to hire an adventurer." That being the case, the nobility would side with the guild. "It's a favorable scenario for us, I think." She concludes.

"There are other important issues, like how it operates and manages. Who would lead the guild? I imagine it would be the Supreme Adventurers, but who would handle the finances and investments?" This conversation is making me sleepy. Politics isn't my strong point.

"That's something we'll see if our bet pays off." Zoe says.

"Anyway, I'm sure the Union of Kingdoms wouldn't like this one bit; they might even consider it an act of treason depending on how you act." He's right.

"Kalos and Azpas said the same thing." So, she's already told other people she trusts. By the way, who is Azpas? "Right or wrong, you have a great point, but I'm taking the necessary precautions. All I need to do is plant this idea in the nobility's heads. After that, everything will be easier. In the future, I plan to meet with the Emerald Insignia adventurers to discuss it further. If you want, I can invite you too." Zoe is very smart; she's advancing little by little without exposing herself. In addition to being the strongest mage, she also seems to be a strategist.

"I'll pass. I don't want to take any chances." Rodic cuts in right away.

I don't know how I feel about this.

On the one hand, I don't want to have to obey orders from kings who don't let me act when I need to, especially in situations like this.

But on the other hand, I fear that if Zoe fails, the adventurers will be put on an even tighter leash. Or worse, an adventurer rebellion against the Union of Kingdoms. I can't think of how many catastrophic results would result from that.

I think it's a gamble worth taking, but with caution. I should probably tell Zoe something tomorrow, but I don't want her to find out that I've been snooping on such a confidential matter.