Chapter 184: More Clues

Amon walked along the second floor of the Adventurer Bureau.

’I should check the Adventurer Bureau of capital city as well.’ He thought.

If something strange was happening in the kingdom, this was one of the places where he was most likely to hear about it.

He eventually stopped in front of a familiar door.

Amon raised his hand and knocked twice.

"Come in." A male voice came from inside.

Amon opened the door and walked in.

Richard was sitting behind his desk, going through several documents.

The moment he looked up and saw Amon, a smile appeared on his face. "You came back early."

Amon closed the door behind himself. "I didn’t really have anything to do in the capital until classes start."

Richard chuckled and gestured toward the chair in front of his desk. "Sit down."

Amon walked over and took the seat.

Richard leaned back slightly. "So, what brings you here?"

"I need to go into a dungeon and I want an easy one."

Richard looked at him with a slightly confused expression. "Why do you want an easy dungeon?"

"My sister wants to awaken."

Richard immediately understood.

"Ah." He nodded before reaching toward a stack of papers on his desk. "I’ll find you a suitable one and send you the location later."

Amon nodded. "Thanks."

He remained silent for a moment before remembering something else. "What about Edmund and his family?"

Richard leaned back in his chair and let out a quiet sigh. "They’re doing fine."

Amon’s eyebrows twitched. "They’re just living their lives?"

"Pretty much." Richard shrugged. "They’ve been keeping a relatively low profile recently. Nothing unusual has happened around them."

Amon felt a faint irritation settle in his chest, but he kept his expression neutral.

After everything Edmund had said to him, the thought of that man simply continuing to live comfortably didn’t sit well with him.

Still, Amon wasn’t interested in acting recklessly.

He looked at Richard. "Are they up to anything shady?"

Richard remained silent for several seconds.

His fingers lightly tapped against the desk as he considered his answer. "Honestly, I haven’t heard anything particularly interesting about the Cordo family."

Amon waited.

Richard looked toward the window. "It’s the Royal Family that’s going nuts these days."

Amon’s attention immediately grew. "The Royal Family?"

Richard nodded. "There are a lot of rumors floating around."

Amon leaned slightly forward. "I want to know more."

Richard turned his eyes toward him. "Did something happen?"

Amon thought before he simply replied. "They offered to sponsor me."

Richard’s eyebrows rose. "And how much your life are they asking in return."

"Twenty years of service, along with assignments and restrictions."

Richard let out a short scoff. "That’s bullshit."

Amon couldn’t help chuckling. "I thought you’d say that."

"You don’t need them." Richard leaned forward and rested his arms on the desk.

"With the Adventurer Bureau backing you, you already have access to opportunities most people could never dream of."

Amon shrugged. "That’s why I haven’t accepted anything yet."

Richard nodded. "Good."

Amon leaned back into the chair. "Still, what exactly is happening with them?"

Richard’s expression became more serious. "There are rumors going around that the king has been meeting with vampires."

Amon blinked. "What?"

Richard watched his reaction. "Apparently, the king has contacted vampires because he’s looking for a way to improve his condition."

Amon’s expression became thoughtful. "You mean he wants to live longer?"

"That’s what the rumors say."

Amon frowned. "Does that mean he actually will?"

"That doesn’t mean anything." Richard shook his head. "The king will die sooner or later. Whether vampires can help him extend his life for a few years is another question entirely."

Amon remained silent.

Richard’s expression darkened. "What worries me isn’t whether the king lives another five years or another fifty."

"Then what is it?"

"The effect this could have on everyone else." Richard sighed. "Humans have never been particularly good at dealing with other races."

His fingers tapped against the desk again. "If the rumors are true and the king really is meeting with vampires, someone could use that."

Amon’s expression became serious.

"The Crown Prince or the Queen." He looked toward Amon.

"Imagine one of them finds a way to expose the king’s dealings with vampires. They could claim the vampires are manipulating the Royal Family, or that the king has betrayed humanity."

Amon’s eyes narrowed. "And then use that to start a civil war or a war on vampires."

Richard nodded slowly. "Exactly."

Amon thought about the two men he had seen in the city.

He had already suspected that vampires were operating within the capital.

Now Richard was telling him that there were rumors of the king meeting with them.

The pieces were beginning to fit together in an uncomfortable way.

Amon frowned. "Would they really be stupid enough to wage a war when the kingdom is barely stable?"

"You’re assuming they care about the kingdom." Richard gave him a tired smile.

"People like that don’t necessarily care about the lives lost or the damage done to the country. If creating a crisis gives them an opportunity to increase their power or profit."

Amon’s expression became darker. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.

The situation sounded disturbingly familiar to earth. The same willingness to sacrifice ordinary people for personal gain.

’....So even in this world, things aren’t that different.’

Amon slowly lowered his gaze. "Can I do anything about it?"

Richard chuckled. "Right now?"

Amon nodded.

Richard looked at him for a moment before answering. "Get stronger."

Amon let out a quiet sigh. "That’s what I want as well."

He looked down at his hands.

Amon knew he wasn’t strong enough to interfere with everything yet.

But he also knew that wouldn’t remain true forever.

As the two continued talking, Amon’s phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

He reached inside and pulled it out.

It was message was from Marielle.

He immediately opened it and there was only one sentence.

----

I found something extraordinary in the page.

----

Amon blinked his eyes in surprise. ’...What?’