Chapter 475: Return To The Capital [ 2 ]

By the time their carriage reached the capital gates, the afternoon crowds had grown even thicker.

Royal Guards moved between the waiting travelers, inspecting cargo and checking identification documents while several mounted knights maintained order along the road.

The sight of the enormous walls and familiar banners brought a noticeable sense of relief to the exhausted adventurers, particularly Iris, who appeared almost ready to fall asleep where she sat.

Fortunately, their passage through the gates proved relatively uneventful.

Once the necessary formalities were completed, the carriage rolled into the bustling streets of the Royal Capital, where the familiar sounds of merchants shouting their wares, horses pulling loaded wagons, and pedestrians arguing over prices immediately surrounded them.

Sage glanced outside with considerable satisfaction. Compared to the dangerous wilderness of Greyfen, the capital possessed a certain charm that he had come to appreciate. T

here were comfortable inns, excellent food, wealthy customers, and, most importantly, countless people with enough gold to make his future plans worthwhile.

"Ah, civilization," Sage murmured appreciatively as their carriage passed a bakery, the smell of freshly baked bread drifting through the window. "Beautiful buildings, delicious food, and merchants desperately trying to separate people from their money. Truly, humanity’s greatest achievement."

Lucan slowly turned toward him. "Guild Master, I find it rather concerning that you sound more impressed by the merchants than the buildings."

"Of course I am," Sage answered without the slightest embarrassment. "Buildings don’t voluntarily hand over gold, Lucan. People do."

Iris shook her head with a tired smile, while Mina finally surrendered to exhaustion and leaned against the carriage wall, closing her eyes despite her earlier insistence that she wasn’t sleepy.

Their first destination was the Adventurer Guild Headquarters.

When the carriage eventually stopped before the familiar building, Sage stepped down and stretched his arms, enjoying the sensation of standing on solid ground after the long journey.

Several Guild members stationed near the entrance immediately recognized him, their expressions brightening with surprise as they hurried forward to greet their returning Guild Master.

"Welcome back, Guild Master!" one of the attendants exclaimed, bowing respectfully before glancing toward the exhausted figures emerging from the carriage. "We weren’t expecting you to return so soon. Was the expedition successful?"

"Quite successful," Sage replied pleasantly, adjusting his clothes as he surveyed the entrance. "We found several interesting things, encountered a few unpleasant surprises, and somehow managed to return with everyone still breathing. I’d call that a splendid result."

The attendant looked momentarily confused by his explanation, but Sage gave him little opportunity to ask further questions.

"Have someone arrange for the materials inside the carriage to be transferred into secure storage," Sage instructed, gesturing toward the wooden chest and the other carefully packed containers. "Nothing is to be opened, sold, or examined without my permission. Also, prepare comfortable rooms for Lucan and Iris. They need proper rest, and I don’t want anyone disturbing them with unnecessary matters."

"At once, Guild Master!" the attendant replied, immediately turning to carry out his instructions.

Sage then looked toward Mina, who had climbed down from the carriage and was attempting to conceal a rather impressive yawn behind her hand. "And you, young lady, are going straight to bed."

Mina’s eyes widened in protest. "But Uncle Sage, I’m perfectly capable of helping with the materials! Besides, there’s probably a lot of work waiting for us, and I can still..."

"Mina," Sage interrupted gently, placing a hand on her shoulder while maintaining an expression of absolute seriousness. "An adventurer who collapses from exhaustion becomes a burden to everyone around them. You’ve done more than enough during this expedition. Go rest. That’s an order from your Guild Master."

For a moment, Mina looked as though she wanted to argue. However, after glancing at Lucan and Iris, both of whom were already being escorted inside by the attendants, she reluctantly lowered her head.

"Fine, Guild Master," Mina muttered, although the faint smile appearing on her face suggested she wasn’t entirely displeased by his concern. "But if something important happens, you have to tell me."

"Naturally," Sage assured her with a reassuring smile. "I would never dream of depriving you of an opportunity to perform additional unpaid labor."

Mina immediately glared at him before marching into the building, leaving Sage chuckling quietly to himself.

Once his companions had departed, the amusement gradually disappeared from his expression.

He turned toward another nearby Guild attendant and lowered his voice.

"I need you to deliver a message to our trusted senior staff," Sage instructed. "Tell them I want a private meeting arranged as soon as possible. Attendance is restricted to those directly responsible for our Guild’s operations, and the matter is confidential."

The attendant straightened immediately upon hearing the seriousness of his instructions. "Understood, Guild Master. Shall I inform them of the purpose of the meeting?"

"Not yet," Sage replied, shaking his head. "Simply tell them that I’ve returned from Greyfen with information concerning the Guild’s next major undertaking. They’ll learn the details when we’re all gathered."

After the attendant hurried away, Sage entered the Headquarters and made his way toward his private office.

The familiar surroundings brought a sense of satisfaction, but his thoughts were already occupied by the enormous opportunity waiting beyond the capital’s walls.

The materials gathered from Greyfen would provide useful evidence of the Commander Beast’s presence, and the observations recorded during the expedition would help explain the disturbances that had plagued the region.

Those matters could be handled through the appropriate channels once everyone had recovered.

The dungeon, however, required a different approach.

Sage entered his office, closed the door behind him, and placed the leather-bound notebook upon his desk.

For several moments, he stood silently before the window, watching the bustling streets below as merchants and adventurers went about their ordinary business, completely unaware of the treasure hidden within Greyfen.

A Dungeon with hundreds of floors. Countless monsters, rare materials, and treasures waiting to be discovered.

And if everything went according to his plans, countless adventurers would eventually pay good gold for the privilege of entering it.

A slow, satisfied smile spread across Sage’s face as he settled into his chair.

"Well then," he murmured, tapping his fingers against the desk as his eyes gleamed with anticipation. "It seems our little Guild is about to become considerably more interesting."

But before any of that could happen, there were preparations to make, trusted people to consult, and several rather troublesome obstacles standing between him and his ambitions.

Fortunately, Sage had never been the sort of man to shy away from trouble.

Especially when there was money waiting on the other side.