Chapter 1285: Dawnblade’s Shocking Announcement

The days that followed were unexpectedly peaceful.

Bon had originally believed that infiltrating the Dawnblades would be a simple matter.

An adventurer’s team, no matter how famous, should have been eager to accept another Gold-Rank adventurer into its ranks.

Instead, he quickly discovered that he had greatly underestimated the organization.

The Dawnblades were no longer a mere adventurer’s team.

They had become something much larger.

...

Every morning, Bon would head to the Adventurers Guild before sunrise. His routine never changed. He accepted a few ordinary commissions to avoid attracting attention, chatted with other adventurers over breakfast, and quietly listened to whatever news happened to circulate throughout Atrium City.

Almost every conversation eventually led back to the same topic.

"The Dawnblades."

"They accepted another thirty recruits yesterday."

"I heard they’re renovating another warehouse."

"Did you see the equipment they issued to the new members?"

Bon listened without saying much.

At first, he dismissed most of it as exaggerated rumors.

That opinion lasted only three days.

On the fourth day, curiosity led him to the district the Dawnblades had rented for themselves.

It was difficult to miss.

Several adjoining buildings had been converted into training grounds, storage facilities, workshops, and dormitories. Dozens of adventurers came and went throughout the day, carrying crates of supplies, bundles of lumber, sacks of grain, and newly forged weapons.

It looked less like an adventurer’s headquarters... and more like the beginnings of a private military company.

Bon squinted his eyes.

’They’re preparing for something.’

Yet despite the busy atmosphere, there was no sense of disorder.

Everything moved according to a schedule.

Groups rotated between patrol duties, combat drills, supply deliveries, and guild commissions.

No one wandered around idly or argued over assignments.

Even the newest recruits seemed to understand exactly what they were supposed to do.

Bon quietly observed for nearly an hour before approaching one of the younger members.

The young adventurer greeted him with a smile...

"Interested in joining?"

Bon nodded.

"I’ve heard good things."

"You’ve heard correctly." The young man laughed before extending a hand.

"I’m Marvin."

"Bon."

After a brief introduction, the two gradually became acquainted.

From here, Bon realized that he couldn’t just join the group, and he actually had to complete a series of tests. However, since the core members of the group weren’t present, he could only try and complete various missions for now to increase his chance of being accepted.

Over the following week, Bon intentionally accepted commissions that overlapped with Marvin’s group. They hunted beasts together, escorted merchants, and even spent evenings drinking cheap ale at one of the taverns near the guild.

Little by little, Marvin became less guarded.

Bon finally asked the question that had been bothering him.

"So... how many members does the Dawnblades actually have?"

Marvin scratched his head.

"I stopped counting after a while."

Bon waited.

"But I think we’re somewhere around two hundred and fifty members now."

Bon almost thought he had misheard.

"Two hundred and fifty?"

"Probably a little more now."

"..."

For a long moment, Bon simply stared at him.

He had expected perhaps a hundred of them...

Two hundred and fifty was no longer an adventurer’s team.

It was an organization.

"And all of you answer to Ruth?"

"Ruth, Jericho, Cecilia, Cielo, and Lady Darlene."

"What about the two Platinum-Rank adventurers?"

"Oh... Liang and Lady Ayaka?"

Marvin grinned.

"They’re instructors now."

Bon frowned.

"Instructors?"

"They teach whenever they’re free. Also... Sir Jericho handles Knight Arts. Lady Ruth teaches Rune basics. Lady Cecilia trains beast handlers. Lord Cielo gives lectures about mental resistance."

Bon remained silent... This wasn’t normal.

No adventurer group invested this much time training ordinary members.

Most organizations cared only about completing commissions and splitting the rewards.

The Dawnblades were different... They were cultivating people.

Over the next several days, Bon noticed even more peculiar details.

Nearly every member carried equipment of surprisingly high quality.

Some wielded enchanted swords.

Others possessed defensive talismans, enchanted cloaks, top-grade shields, or expensive recovery elixirs.

At first, Bon assumed they had purchased the equipment themselves.

He was wrong.

"They’re rented."

Bon looked toward Marvin

"Rented?"

Marvin nodded proudly.

"The Dawnblades own them."

Bon blinked.

"...Own them?"

"The organization buys the equipment first. Members borrow what they need for missions and return everything afterward. If something breaks during a mission, we simply report it."

Bon frowned.

"That must cost a fortune."

"It does."

"So why do it?"

Marvin looked genuinely confused.

"Because everyone becomes stronger."

"..."

Bon had no reply.

He had traveled throughout several kingdoms during his years as a knight and he had seen noble armies.

He had also seen mercenary companies and royal knight orders.

However, none of them operated quite like this.

The Dawnblades were investing enormous amounts of resources into ordinary adventurers.

It made little financial sense.

Yet...

The results were undeniable.

The average strength of their members continued rising...

Bon quietly began keeping notes each evening...

He tried to get all the information he needed, like weapons, training schedules, supply routes, membership growth, and leadership structure, but nothing seemed suspicious.

If anything... it appeared almost ideal.

One evening, while sharing dinner with Marvin and several other members, Bon casually asked another question.

"So... if I wanted to join the Dawnblades. Is there a core member around, so I can take the test now?"

"Actually, I think Lord Cielo just returned."

Bon’s eyes immediately sharpened.

"He did?"

Marvin nodded.

"Yeah. I heard that the core members are finally coming back. In fact, I think they’re planning another huge recruitment drive."

"Another one?"

"That’s right. It should happen in three days."

Sure enough, later that day, a large announcement appeared at the Adventurers Guild.

DAWNBLADE RECRUITMENT EXAMINATION

The notice explained that the organization would soon begin accepting new members. Applicants would have to undergo several tests to prove their combat ability, teamwork, and overall suitability.

Those who passed would gain access to the Dawnblades’ training facilities and could borrow weapons, armor, and other equipment owned by the organization. They would also receive opportunities to participate in specialized training with a 90% chance of obtaining Will!

"W-what?!"