They had lunch together and then returned to their respective workspaces inside the LionArk headquarters.

The afternoon atmosphere felt calmer compared to the chaos of the previous day’s event. The hallways were no longer crowded with members rushing back and forth.

Most of them had resumed their regular duties, handling logistics, training schedules, territory patrols, and administrative matters that never seemed to end.

Right when Ethan stepped into his office, a notification window flickered in front of him. A direct message from Gordon had arrived through a private channel.

Ethan closed the door behind him before focusing on the floating interface. The message was concise but carried weight.

In the message Gordon sent, he informed Ethan that the majority of Trident Sea members had surrendered.

A few officers resisted and attempted to incite rebellion, but LionArk forces managed to suppress them without significant casualties.

A total of 301 Trident Sea members surrendered, 12 of them were guild officers.

Ethan exhaled slowly as he read the numbers again. Three hundred and one. That was not a small number. Integrating or dealing with that many former enemies would not be simple.

He raised his hand and summoned the holographic keyboard. The translucent keys lit up as his fingers moved across them.

He instructed Gordon to find a solution for the surrendered members without executing them. He made his stance clear. No death penalty.

After sending the message, Ethan remained standing for a moment, staring at the faint reflection of himself in the glass wall beside his desk.

Power came with responsibility. And responsibility demanded decisions that were rarely clean.

A soft knock echoed from the door.

"Come in," Ethan said.

Sherly stepped inside after finishing her lunch. She paused the moment she saw Ethan already seated at his desk, holographic interface still active in front of him.

"Sir Ethan?"

Ethan turned his chair slightly toward her. "You’re back."

Sherly closed the door gently behind her. "I didn’t expect you to return this quickly. Are you already handling something urgent?"

Ethan nodded. "LionArk’s team in Seacrest. Gordon just reported."

Sherly’s expression shifted into focus. She walked closer to the desk. "They succeeded in capturing them? What are we going to do with them?"

Ethan leaned back slightly in his chair. "Most of them surrendered. Three hundred and one members. Twelve officers among them."

Sherly’s eyes widened slightly. "That many..."

"They weren’t the ones who made the decision yesterday," Ethan said calmly. "Noah made the choice to betray us during the event. Most of those members just followed orders."

Sherly folded her arms. "But they are the Trident Sea."

"Yes," Ethan replied. "And that’s the problem."

He explained that even though many of them were not directly responsible for the betrayal, their continued existence as Trident Sea members would create instability.

Many guild members in LionArk despised Trident Sea’s actions. Allowing them to simply walk free without consequences would damage morale.

"But killing them would only deepen the cycle," Ethan added.

Sherly nodded slowly. "So Sir Gordon will decide?"

"He has to," Ethan answered. "But I already told him I oppose capital punishment."

Sherly let out a small breath of relief. "That’s good. If I were in his position, I wouldn’t know what kind of punishment would be appropriate either."

Ethan stood and walked toward the large window that overlooked the guild’s inner courtyard. Members were training below, weapons clashing rhythmically.

"Whatever he decides," Ethan said quietly, "it must protect LionArk first."

He returned to his desk and gestured toward the stack of physical documents waiting for his signature.

"Let’s leave the Trident Sea to Gordon for now. We focus on what’s in front of us."

Sherly gave a firm nod. "Understood, Sir Ethan."

They began working.

Hours passed as Ethan reviewed reports, territorial tax summaries, alliance communications, and infrastructure maintenance requests.

Sherly efficiently organized the completed documents and delivered them to the administrative staff.

No further messages came from Gordon that afternoon.

Ethan assumed that meant Gordon was deep in discussion or already implementing a plan.

Time moved steadily.

By five in the evening, the stack of paperwork had significantly diminished. The once cluttered desk now looked manageable.

Ethan leaned back and stretched his arms overhead. A series of cracking sounds echoed from his joints.

"Finally," he muttered.

Sherly smiled faintly. "You’ve been signing nonstop for three hours."

"There will be fewer tomorrow," Ethan replied. "Hopefully."

He opened his inventory interface and retrieved a bottle of wine. The dark glass shimmered as it materialized in his hand.

Sherly blinked. "Wine?"

"After a long day, we deserve something," Ethan said.

He poured the wine into two glasses, the deep red liquid catching the evening light.

Before Sherly could respond further, the door opened again.

Ashley entered, followed by Jill.

Ashley raised an eyebrow when she saw the glasses. "Celebrating already?"

"Just decompressing," Ethan replied.

Jill closed the door behind them, and the four of them moved to the sofa area in Ethan’s office.

Sherly spoke first. "After the event and LionArk being crowned champion, many players have applied to join."

Ashley nodded. "Of course they have. We’ve won two major events back to back. Everyone wants to be on the winning side."

Ethan took a slow sip of his wine. "We can’t accept them carelessly."

Ashley crossed her legs. "Agreed. We need stricter qualifications."

"That will create competition among new applicants," Ethan added.

"And pressure among existing members," Jill pointed out quietly.

Ethan nodded. "Which is necessary."

Ashley looked at him. "What about current members who fall below the new standards?"

Ethan swirled the wine in his glass before answering. "Give them one month to prove themselves. If they fail, they’re out."

Sherly nodded. "I’ll draft the announcement."

Their conversation shifted toward recruitment systems, training programs, and territorial defense improvements.

Then a knock interrupted them.

A guild member entered and bowed slightly. "Sir Ethan. The LionArk team from Seacrest has returned."

Ethan placed his glass down. "Tell Gordon to come here."

"Yes, sir."

A few minutes later, Gordon entered alone.

He stopped briefly when he noticed Ashley and the others. "Am I interrupting?"

"Not at all," Ethan replied, standing up and pouring another glass of wine. He handed it to Gordon.

Gordon accepted it and took a measured sip before speaking.

"Trident Sea has been officially dissolved. They are now guildless players."

Ashley’s eyes sharpened.

"I have two proposals," Gordon continued.

"Go on," Ethan said.

"First. We distribute the former Trident Sea members among our allied guilds. Place them according to ability and criteria."

Ethan considered it.

Ashley folded her arms. "That spreads risk."

Gordon nodded. "Exactly."

"And the second?" Ethan asked.

"We recruit them. Form a puppet guild in Seacrest."

"Puppet guild?" Ashley repeated.

Gordon explained that the guild would operate secretly under LionArk’s direction. It would handle operations LionArk could not publicly conduct due to its righteous image.

"Infiltration. Silent strikes. Sabotage," Gordon said calmly. "Everything aligned with LionArk’s goals."

"That’s ruthless," Ashley remarked.

Gordon looked at her directly. "They betrayed us. They are alive only because Ethan showed mercy. If not, thousands of LionArk members would have killed them on the spot."

Silence lingered.

Ethan stepped between their tension.

"Both proposals have weaknesses," he said.

He listed them carefully.

"For the first. We gain nothing strategically. And we risk destabilizing allied guilds."

"For the second. If the puppet guild’s identity leaks, LionArk’s reputation collapses."

Gordon smiled faintly. "Regarding secrecy, you don’t need to worry."

He explained how Redemption Sword, Scavenger, and Silver Star had previously formed similar hidden guilds.

One example was Shadow Guild under Scavenger.

"It’s common practice among top guilds," Gordon added.

Ethan listened closely.

He understood something fundamental. Power structures in this world were rarely pure.

"Alright," Ethan said finally. "Create the new guild. Choose its name and leader. Once decided, bring the leader to me."

Gordon nodded. "Understood."

He returned the empty glass and left.

Ashley looked unconvinced.

"You’re trusting them?" she asked.

"I’m using them," Ethan corrected calmly.

Ashley’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"They will protect our credibility," Ethan continued. "And create controlled chaos that reinforces our image as stabilizers."

"You sound manipulative," Ashley said.

Ethan walked back to his desk and refilled his glass.

"To build a strong guild, we must appear strong," he replied.

"That’s perception politics," Jill murmured.

"Exactly," Ethan said.

He explained that perception shaped reality. If LionArk was perceived as strong, that belief would spread until it solidified into truth.

When LionArk suppressed rebellion, perception strengthened.

When LionArk stabilized territory, perception deepened.

But alliances alone were insufficient. They needed unseen hands.

"It’s natural for you to oppose this," Ethan said to Ashley. "But in a few months, you’ll understand why it’s necessary."

He turned toward the three women, his gaze steady and unwavering.

"I will do whatever it takes to ensure LionArk stands above the Redemption Sword."

His voice carried conviction, ambition, and something colder beneath it.

Not cruelty, but resolve.

Ashley and the others listened. Ethan’s attitude had changed a lot after the event ended. Now, it felt like they were seeing Ethan in a dictator-style leadership mode.

Everything had to run according to his will. If anyone violated it, consequences would follow. Ashley had no choice but to agree with Ethan’s proposal.