Chapter 506: The Information Is Worth Gold

Three days after the first Adventurer companies entered Greyfen, Sage discovered that his newest dungeon had developed a rather troublesome habit.

It was producing more information than his employees could organize.

The temporary reporting station outside the entrance had become crowded with returning Warriors, merchants seeking information about valuable materials, and expedition leaders arguing over the accuracy of their maps.

Several wooden cabinets were already overflowing with parchment, while a large table had disappeared beneath an impressive collection of contradictory reports.

Sage examined two documents describing the same underground cavern.

According to the first, the cavern contained three passages.

According to the second, it contained five.

The third report insisted that there were only two.

"Wonderful," Sage muttered, setting down the documents. "At this rate, someone will discover a sixth passage simply to make everyone equally wrong."

Standing opposite him was Garran Holt, the Head of Mission Administration at the Royal Capital Headquarters. Garran was responsible for ensuring that missions were properly assessed, their dangers accurately recorded, and their rewards matched the risks involved.

He examined the reports with a familiar expression of irritation.

"The problem isn’t necessarily that anyone is lying, Guildmaster," Garran explained. "Some expeditions entered from different directions. Others didn’t explore the entire cavern. A few apparently consider guessing an acceptable substitute for observation."

Sage glanced toward another document. "This one claims the cavern contains a lake."

Garran nodded grimly. "The author later admitted he never approached the water. He saw something reflecting light and assumed it was a lake."

"Perhaps we should establish a separate classification for imaginative exploration," Sage suggested.

"I’d prefer we stopped paying attention to it," Garran replied.

Sage chuckled before returning to the matter at hand. The Guild had begun collecting information about Greyfen, but collecting reports and transforming them into reliable knowledge were entirely different responsibilities.

And without a proper system, the growing archive would eventually become useless.

"We need a dedicated dungeon intelligence operation," Sage declared. "Not merely a collection of reports, but a proper process for verifying information, producing maps, and identifying dangers."

Garran considered the proposal.

"Mission Administration can handle exploration requests and reward assessments," he explained. "But the actual research should involve the Grand Library. Lucien has already been organizing the monster records transferred from Evergreen."

Sage nodded. "Then we’ll involve him. And I believe I know two Adventurers who can help establish the practical standards."

---

Later that morning, Rowan and Iris arrived at the temporary administration pavilion after receiving Sage’s invitation.

Neither was a Guild employee. Rowan remained an independent Adventurer specializing in tracking and wilderness exploration, while Iris pursued magical research alongside her own Adventurer activities.

Sage had therefore requested their assistance rather than assigning them administrative responsibilities.

"I’d like to hire both of you for a short-term consulting arrangement," Sage explained, gesturing toward the documents covering the table. "The Guild needs experienced specialists to help train the Adventurers who’ll eventually handle reconnaissance and magical investigation."

Rowan examined the maps. "These are supposed to describe the same region?"

"Apparently," Sage answered.

Rowan studied the markings before shaking his head. "Half these measurements are useless. Nobody recorded distances consistently, and several landmarks are described so vaguely they could refer to almost anything."

Iris picked up another report.

"This one describes a magical formation as ’a glowing circle that felt unpleasant,’" she observed, her expression becoming increasingly unimpressed.

Sage sighed. "An extraordinarily detailed scientific account, wouldn’t you agree?"

Iris gave him a flat look. "Guildmaster, that description could apply to dozens of completely different magical phenomena."

"Which is precisely why I’m offering to pay you," Sage replied pleasantly.

The arrangement attracted their interest.

Rowan agreed to help establish practical scouting procedures, while Iris would develop standards for recording magical phenomena and identifying dangerous formations.

Both would receive compensation for their time, and their involvement would remain limited to the agreed training sessions and assessments.

Sage had no intention of turning his Adventurer companions into unpaid administrative workers.

---

By midday, twelve selected Adventurers had assembled beneath a large canvas shelter beside Greyfen’s entrance.

They had volunteered for the Guild’s first specialized reconnaissance training session, hoping to qualify for future exploration and information-gathering missions.

Among them was a lean young scout named Tavian Grell, whose experience included tracking magical beasts through the northern forests.

Beside him stood Odette Wycliffe, a reserved Mage who had spent several years studying ancient ruins and magical inscriptions.

The remaining participants possessed varying degrees of experience in scouting, navigation, magical investigation, and dungeon exploration.

Rowan stood before a wooden board displaying several rough maps.

"Before we begin," he announced, "I want everyone to understand something. A good scout doesn’t simply discover where a passage leads. A good scout records enough information for someone else to follow that route without getting lost."

Tavian raised his hand. "Wouldn’t marking the walls be sufficient?"

Rowan shook his head. "Not always. Monsters can damage markings, environmental conditions can change, and some dungeons contain passages that look almost identical. You need reliable landmarks, estimated distances, directional references, and records of dangerous locations."

He pointed toward a rough map. "This report says there’s a narrow tunnel beyond a large rock. How many large rocks do you suppose exist inside Greyfen?"

Several Adventurers laughed.

Tavian scratched his cheek. "Quite a few, I imagine."

"Exactly," Rowan replied. "Which makes that description practically worthless."

He spent the next hour demonstrating how to record routes using consistent measurements, recognizable landmarks, and clearly marked uncertainties.

Rather than sending the trainees into Greyfen immediately, he had them examine existing reports and identify errors.

The exercise proved surprisingly difficult.

Several participants discovered that their own previous notes lacked information they had assumed was obvious.

Rowan regarded their embarrassed expressions with satisfaction.

"Better to discover your mistakes here than while trying to escape something with enormous teeth."

---

At the opposite end of the shelter, Iris was conducting her own training session.

A collection of harmless practice formations had been arranged across several wooden tables.

Odette Wycliffe stood beside one, carefully examining its inscriptions.

"What do you observe?" Iris asked.

Odette studied the formation before answering.

"Three interconnected mana channels, probably designed to maintain a protective barrier."

"Probably?" Iris repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Odette hesitated. "I haven’t confirmed the function."

"Good," Iris replied. "Then record it as an unconfirmed interpretation. Never present an assumption as an established fact simply because it sounds convincing."

She turned toward the other trainees. "Magical formations can be dangerous even when they appear inactive. Some respond to movement, others react to mana, and certain structures remain dormant until someone interferes with their inscriptions."

A young Mage frowned. "Then how are we supposed to investigate them safely?"

"By observing before interacting," Iris answered. "Record the visible inscriptions, identify the direction of mana flow when possible, and note any environmental effects. If you cannot determine whether a formation is safe, you don’t touch it."

Sage, who had been observing from nearby, smiled faintly. "An excellent principle. One I sincerely wish more people applied to mysterious objects in general."

Iris glanced toward him. "Especially Adventurers who assume every glowing object contains treasure."

"Unfortunately," Sage replied, "that describes a distressingly large percentage of our customers."

Several trainees laughed.

However, the lesson itself was taken seriously.

By the end of the session, the participants had begun producing considerably more useful reports.

They weren’t suddenly expert researchers, but they understood the difference between recording observations and inventing conclusions.

---

That afternoon, Lucien Marrow arrived from the Grand Library at the Royal Capital Headquarters.

Lucien was responsible for organizing the Guild’s growing collection of research materials, including monster records, dungeon reports, maps, and historical documents transferred from Evergreen.

He examined the revised reporting procedures with considerable approval.

"This is much better," Lucien observed. "But we’ll need a clear distinction between confirmed information, credible reports, and unverified claims."

Sage nodded. "Agreed. I don’t want someone reading an uncertain report and assuming it’s an established fact."

Lucien opened a fresh ledger. "Then I suggest three categories. Confirmed findings supported by reliable evidence, provisional findings awaiting verification, and unverified accounts requiring further investigation."

Garran considered the proposal. "Mission Administration can use those classifications when assigning exploration requests. Dangerous locations with insufficient information could become reconnaissance missions rather than ordinary collection assignments."

"Precisely," Sage replied. "And successful Adventurers can receive appropriate rewards for providing useful information."

Rowan folded his arms. "That should encourage people to record their discoveries properly."

Iris nodded. "Provided the Guild verifies the information before distributing it."

Sage smiled. "Naturally. We’re paying for knowledge, not creative storytelling."

The discussion continued until they established the foundations of Greyfen’s official intelligence operation.

Exploration reports would be submitted through designated Guild personnel.

Specialized findings would undergo review by qualified Adventurers or researchers.

Verified information would be organized through the Grand Library, while Mission Administration would use the findings to develop suitable exploration assignments.

And the Guild would begin producing standardized maps and danger assessments for regions that had been sufficiently investigated.

---

As evening approached, Sage reviewed the first properly organized reports.

Several passages near Greyfen’s entrance had already been mapped with reasonable accuracy.

Known monster encounters were recorded alongside their locations, while uncertain information remained clearly marked.

It was still a modest beginning.

But compared to the chaotic collection of contradictory documents he’d examined that morning, the improvement was remarkable.

"Guildmaster," Garran said, examining the new mission proposals, "we could begin offering rewards for confirming dangerous passages and identifying previously unknown monsters."

Sage nodded. "Prepare the proposals. But make sure the rewards reflect the actual risks involved."

Lucien closed his ledger. "And I’ll arrange for the verified records to be transferred to the Grand Library. We should eventually establish a dedicated Greyfen collection."

"Do that," Sage replied.

Rowan and Iris departed shortly afterward, having completed their agreed consulting work for the day.

Neither had been required to abandon their own Adventurer activities, and Sage intended to continue using qualified specialists only when their expertise was genuinely necessary.

Standing beneath the pavilion, he examined the growing collection of maps.

Greyfen’s treasures had already attracted Warriors and merchants from across the Royal Capital.

But its information would become valuable in an entirely different way.

A reliable map could prevent an expedition from becoming lost.

An accurate monster report could determine whether a company survived an encounter.

And a properly documented magical hazard could save dozens of lives.

Sage smiled thoughtfully.

Gold could purchase equipment, supplies, and Dungeon Passes.

But inside an S-Rank Dungeon, reliable knowledge might be worth considerably more.

And the Adventurer Guild intended to become the organization that possessed it.