Chapter 474: Return To The Capital [ 1 ]

The towering walls of the Royal Capital finally appeared on the horizon as the afternoon sun began its gradual descent, casting a golden glow over the enormous city that served as the beating heart of the kingdom.

Hundreds of carriages, merchants, travelers, and armed escorts crowded the broad road leading toward the main gates, creating a seemingly endless procession of people eager to enter before nightfall.

Among them was a rather ordinary-looking carriage accompanied by several horses, its exterior bearing none of the extravagant decorations commonly associated with wealthy merchants or noble families.

However, anyone who bothered to examine its passengers closely would have noticed that they were anything but ordinary.

Inside the carriage, Sage sat comfortably against the cushioned seat, his eyes lowered toward a thick leather-bound notebook resting on his lap.

Several pages were filled with observations recorded during their expedition into Greyfen, including descriptions of the terrain, the unusual behavior of the surrounding beasts, and the various abnormalities they had encountered.

Beside the notebook rested a small wooden chest containing carefully preserved materials gathered from the expedition, each of which could fetch a considerable sum of gold in the right market.

Yet despite their value, Sage appeared far more interested in the information written before him than the treasures sitting within arm’s reach.

Across from him, Lucan leaned against the carriage wall with his arms folded, his complexion noticeably paler than usual.

Although the injuries he had sustained during their confrontation had already received treatment, the exhaustion lingering in his body was not something that could be erased with a few healing potions.

Iris was in a similar condition, her eyes closed as she rested against the opposite corner, occasionally adjusting her posture whenever the carriage passed over an uneven section of road.

The excessive expenditure of mana during the expedition had left her with a persistent headache, and even maintaining a simple conversation had become an unpleasant task.

Mina, meanwhile, was sitting beside the carriage window with her arms crossed and an expression that suggested she was perfectly fine.

Unfortunately, the occasional drooping of her eyelids and the way her head kept tilting forward betrayed her considerably.

Sage watched her struggle against sleep for several moments before finally closing his notebook.

"Mina, you know there’s no punishment for falling asleep inside a carriage, right?" he remarked with an amused smile, earning an immediate glare from the crimson-haired girl.

"I’m not sleepy, petty uncle Sage," Mina declared stubbornly, straightening her back as though she had just been accused of committing some terrible offense. "I’m simply keeping watch. Someone has to remain alert in case anything happens."

Lucan opened one eye at her declaration, glanced toward the window where dozens of Royal Guards could already be seen patrolling the road, and then looked back at her. "We’ve passed three military checkpoints, and we’re less than half an hour from the capital gates. If something dangerous happens here, I suspect the kingdom has considerably bigger problems than our carriage."

Mina turned toward him with an offended expression. "Nobody asked you, Lucan. Besides, you’re injured. You should be resting instead of wasting your strength talking."

"An excellent suggestion," Lucan replied dryly, closing his eye again. "Perhaps you should follow it."

Sage chuckled at their exchange before turning his attention toward Iris, who had remained unusually quiet throughout the journey. "How are you feeling, Iris? Is your mana recovering?"

Iris slowly opened her eyes and considered the question before answering. "A little better than yesterday, Guild Master. However, I still feel rather dizzy whenever I attempt to circulate my mana. I believe I’ll need at least two days of proper rest before I can return to my usual condition."

She paused briefly, then added with a faint smile, "Although I would appreciate it if our next expedition involved fewer monsters trying to kill us."

"That’s a rather unreasonable request for an adventurer," Sage replied solemnly, shaking his head as though deeply disappointed by her lack of professional dedication. "Next you’ll be asking for comfortable beds, warm meals, and reasonable working hours. Where does such shameless greed end?"

Iris stared at him for a moment before sighing helplessly. Even Lucan couldn’t suppress the faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, while Mina rolled her eyes with the weary familiarity of someone who had long since accepted that her Guild Master possessed a rather questionable understanding of employee welfare.

Nevertheless, Sage’s playful expression gradually faded as he glanced toward the wooden chest beside him.

Their expedition into Greyfen had been far more dangerous than initially anticipated, and the discovery of a 5th Order Commander Beast had explained much of the strange activity occurring throughout the region.

A creature of that level was no ordinary threat. Its presence alone could disrupt the surrounding territory, driving weaker beasts from their habitats and creating disturbances that might eventually threaten nearby settlements.

More importantly, they had returned with evidence.

Apart from the valuable materials they had collected, Sage had carefully preserved several samples directly connected to the Commander Beast, along with detailed records of the traces it had left behind.

The information would be useful for understanding the situation in Greyfen and determining how the Guild should proceed. However, there was another discovery from the expedition that interested him considerably more than the beast itself.

The dungeon.

Sage’s fingers tapped lightly against the notebook as he considered the implications. An S-Rank Dungeon was not something that could be treated casually, especially one possessing hundreds of floors.

The potential value of such a place was almost impossible to calculate, whether in terms of rare materials, powerful monsters, treasures, or the opportunities it could provide for the Guild’s future development.

And naturally, where there were opportunities, there was gold.

A great deal of gold.

However, Sage understood that announcing the dungeon’s existence prematurely would be an exceptionally foolish decision.

The Royal Capital was filled with powerful nobles, influential merchant families, military commanders, and countless individuals who would happily tear one another apart for the opportunity to control such a valuable resource.

If word spread before he had made the necessary preparations, the situation could quickly become troublesome.

Fortunately, keeping one’s mouth shut was considerably cheaper than dealing with troublesome nobles.

"Before we enter the capital, there’s something I want to make clear," Sage suddenly announced, drawing the attention of his companions.

His expression remained relaxed, but the seriousness in his voice immediately caught their attention. "Everything concerning the dungeon stays between us for now. The Commander Beast is one matter, but the dungeon is an entirely different issue. Until I decide otherwise, none of you are to mention its existence to anyone."

Lucan nodded without hesitation. "Understood, Guild Master. Considering what we discovered, I agree that revealing it now would only invite unnecessary trouble."

Iris also nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Especially with so many noble families gathered in the capital. If they learned about an S-Rank Dungeon in Greyfen, I doubt they’d remain quiet about it."

Mina frowned slightly before looking toward Sage. "Then what are we going to do with it, Uncle Sage? We can’t exactly leave something that valuable sitting there forever."

Sage smiled mysteriously at her question. "Of course not, Mina. That would be a terrible waste of perfectly good business opportunities. However, before opening a shop, one must first make sure nobody can steal the building."

Mina blinked several times, clearly uncertain whether he was speaking literally or metaphorically.

Eventually, she decided that trying to understand the workings of her Guild Master’s mind was probably more exhausting than fighting monsters.