Chapter 477: A Dungeon Worth Millions

For several seconds, nobody spoke. The administrators stared at Sage as though waiting for him to announce that he was joking, but the expression on his face made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t.

"A dungeon?" Irene finally repeated, her eyes widening slightly before narrowing with sudden interest. "Guildmaster, are you absolutely certain?"

"Quite certain," Sage replied calmly. "The underground mana currents, the disturbances surrounding the ruins, and the concentration of magical energy all point toward the same conclusion. Based on our final inspection, I estimate that the dungeon will manifest within approximately twenty to thirty days. Naturally, that isn’t an exact prediction, but it gives us a reasonable period in which to prepare."

Garran leaned forward, his expression becoming serious. "Do we know how dangerous it’ll be?"

"Not yet," Sage answered, shaking his head. "The dungeon hasn’t manifested, and its danger level remains undetermined. We’ll know its official rank when it appears. Until then, I don’t want anyone making assumptions based on the strength of the beasts outside. That would be an excellent way to get people killed."

His response immediately settled the matter. The System was responsible for determining a dungeon’s danger level, and until that assessment occurred, there was little point in speculating about its eventual classification.

However, even without knowing its rank, the implications of the discovery were enormous.

Sage returned to his chair and folded his hands upon the table, his smile gradually widening. "Now, I want everyone here to consider something. Greyfen is located within reach of the Royal Capital. Do you understand what that means?"

Tobias nodded thoughtfully. "It means Warriors from the capital could reach the dungeon without traveling across the kingdom. Depending on the roads and the facilities available, we could establish regular transport routes."

"Exactly!" Sage exclaimed, pointing toward him approvingly. "And that’s merely the beginning. Think about the number of Warriors currently residing in the capital. Think about the mercenary companies, independent adventurers, noble retainers, and wandering experts who spend their lives searching for opportunities to grow stronger. Now imagine what happens when they learn that a dungeon has appeared practically on their doorstep."

Garran crossed his arms, considering the implications. "Thousands could eventually travel to Greyfen, depending on the dungeon’s danger level and the opportunities it offers. That would also mean hundreds of new missions, requests for escorts, material collection contracts, and countless other jobs."

"Precisely," Sage replied. "And every single one of those people will need something. Equipment, potions, food, lodging, transportation, information, and missions. Some will require escorts, others will need companions, and plenty will need someone to purchase the materials they bring back. Every one of those needs represents an opportunity for our Guild."

Irene had already begun making calculations on a spare sheet of parchment. "If even a few hundred Warriors purchase Dungeon Passes regularly, the income could be substantial. However, that would depend on the price of admission, the dungeon’s danger level, and how frequently adventurers are willing to enter."

Sage smiled approvingly. "Now you’re beginning to understand, Irene. And remember, unlike noble-controlled dungeons, our adventurers retain one hundred percent of their loot. That alone gives us an enormous advantage."

Mina, who had been quietly eating another pastry, suddenly snorted. "Petty Uncle Sage, aren’t you planning to make money from those Warriors too?"

Sage turned toward her with an expression of profound disappointment. "Mina, I’m wounded. Deeply wounded. How could you possibly compare my generous and perfectly reasonable business practices to such shameless exploitation?"

Mina raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Because whenever you start smiling like that, someone usually ends up losing gold."

Several people around the table struggled to suppress their laughter, while Sage placed a hand against his chest as though her accusation had inflicted a grievous injury.

"Such disrespect," he lamented before recovering almost immediately. "Nevertheless, there’s an important distinction. Our adventurers purchase a Dungeon Pass, enter the dungeon, and keep one hundred percent of whatever they obtain. We receive a predictable income from access, while they retain the rewards of their efforts. Everyone benefits, and nobody needs to surrender most of their hard-earned treasure to some noble sitting comfortably in a mansion."

Irene tapped her quill against the parchment, her expression remaining serious. "Guildmaster, while the potential income is certainly attractive, I should remind you that establishing operations near Greyfen won’t be cheap. We’ll need guards, transport wagons, storage facilities, personnel, supplies, and possibly additional buildings. Depending on how extensive your plans are, the initial investment could be considerable."

"Naturally," Sage replied cheerfully. "Which is why I have you, Irene. Someone needs to make sure I don’t accidentally bankrupt the Guild while pursuing my brilliant ideas."

Irene gave him a flat look. "Then I would strongly recommend that you stop calling every expensive idea brilliant before I’ve examined the accounts."

Mina immediately burst into laughter, nearly choking on her pastry, while Sage shook his head in exaggerated disappointment.

"Truly, there’s no respect for visionary leadership in this organization."

Once the laughter subsided, Sage’s expression gradually became serious. "Jokes aside, Irene is correct. We cannot afford to rush into this blindly. Cassian, I want you to begin evaluating our available security personnel. Tobias, prepare a preliminary assessment of the transport routes and the supplies we’ll require. Garran, review our current mission capacity and determine how many additional adventurers we could reasonably accommodate if activity increases."

Cassian nodded firmly. "Understood, Guildmaster. However, if we’re preparing for anoperation of this scale, I’ll need to know how much manpower you’re willing to commit. We cannot weaken the Headquarters’ security simply to protect a location that hasn’t become operational yet."

"A reasonable concern," Sage acknowledged before turning toward Marcelline. "And Marcelline, I want you coordinating the preparations between the departments. Everything must remain discreet. No unnecessary purchases that might attract attention, no public announcements, and certainly no rumors about a dungeon."

Marcelline nodded immediately. "Understood, Guildmaster Sage. I’ll ensure that the necessary preparations are handled through our ordinary departmental operations wherever possible."

"Excellent," Sage replied before turning toward the expedition members. "Now, there’s one final matter I wish to discuss."

Rowan raised an eyebrow, while Lucan and Irisexchanged curious glances.

"You all risked your lives during this expedition, and the information you gathered could determine the Guild’s future," Sage continued. "Naturally, I have no intention of pretending otherwise. Once we’ve reviewed our finances, I’ll arrange proper compensation for everyone involved. Furthermore, when the dungeon becomes operational, those who participated in its discovery will receive special privileges, including priority consideration for future exploration and certain Dungeon Pass benefits."

Mina immediately narrowed her eyes. "Uncle Sage, when you say proper compensation, you mean actual gold, right? Not another one of those speeches about how serving the Guild is its own reward?"

Sage looked at her with genuine astonishment. "Mina! What sort of heartless monster do you take me for? Naturally, there will be gold involved."

Mina continued staring at him suspiciously, prompting Sage to add with a perfectly innocent smile, "Although I must admit, the satisfaction of contributing to our Guild’s glorious future is also quite valuable."

"Petty Uncle Sage!" Mina protested, earning another round of laughter from the expedition members.

Sage chuckled before raising a hand, gradually bringing the meeting back to order. His gaze swept across the table, resting briefly upon the map of Greyfen and the circled location of the buried ruins.

"Remember, everyone. We have approximately twenty to thirty days before that dungeon manifests. Perhaps a little more, perhaps a little less. Until then, our greatest advantage isn’t our wealth, our numbers, or even our strength."

He tapped the map once."It’s the fact that nobody else knows what we’ve found."

The chamber fell silent once more.

Outside, the Royal Capital continued its ordinary activities, completely unaware that beneath the distant wilderness of Greyfen, something extraordinary was slowly taking shape.

And while the kingdom remained ignorant of the opportunity approaching its doorstep, Sage Alistair was already preparing to seize it.

After all, opportunities worth millions of gold rarely waited patiently for anyone.

And he had absolutely no intention of letting someone else get there first.