'Alright! Let's see what we have here...'

With the monster gone and everyone else dead, I could finally partake in some sweet looting time.

I still had to come up with some sort of explanation for the massive explosion, as I'm sure Malaric must have heard it even from the other side of the mountain, but that could wait for later.

Looking ahead, the small valley, now without the cover of fog, opened itself before me in all its glory. Yet the sight that welcomed me couldn't be more different from when I first entered it earlier in the morning.

Luckily, the site of the swampy lake, which was now a single gigantic crater, was a solid distance from the site of the previous massacre, so although the hunter's bodies were scattered all over by the force of the explosion, they didn't instantly evaporate, allowing me to reimburse myself for all the trouble I had to go through.

Thus, treading cautiously, I went over there while meticulously manipulating the surrounding air to protect myself from the scorching heat and the remaining poisonous gases.

Although I had plenty of money on me, after seeing the map in the Guild's lobby and grasping the sheer distance, I would have to cover in the following weeks, I realized that I might have underestimated the expected costs of such a venture.

This was also one of the reasons I initially agreed to go on this hunt, hoping to get some quick coin before it all went to shit.

'Whatever, it's all in the past now, and overall, things didn't turn out so bad in the end...' I smiled as I snatched a thick golden chain with a religious motif that hung around the neck of an elderly priest's corpse.

'This must have been some big shot in the Temple,' I thought, given the amount of gold he wore. In addition to the aforementioned chain, I was also able to get several expensive-looking rings and a pouch full of silver coins.

While doing so, I was attracted by the sun's reflection on the perfectly polished, silvery armor of the young Blessed warrior whose corpse lay nearby.

I looked greedily at the exquisite craftsmanship, imagining that this must have cost a literal fortune. Moreover, I even felt a faint trace of essence emanating from it, which could only mean it had an enchantment of sorts.

I briefly wondered if I should take it, but then I shook my head and turned away. It was simply too eye-catching and most likely a one-off original, which would make any attempt to sell it later extremely tricky.

So I turned away rather, deciding to search the rest of the priests as during our previous trip from Neufeld, I noticed they were quite fond of their gold accessories.

'I guess that in this world, they must have no vows of poverty...' I reasoned, pocketing another sizeable golden ring.

Unlike the enchanted armor, I could later smelt all the gold into an ingot, and nobody would be able to tell where it came from.

'Another ring? This is getting ridiculous. I can't believe how rich these priests are. Still, it's good to know. If I ever find myself short of coins, all I have to do is raid some temple, and I'll be set for life,' I snickered.

But as I was rummaging through the robes of the third clergyman I managed to find, I suddenly froze, feeling a slight tremor underneath my feet.

I jumped up, fully alert, while scouting my surroundings for any signs of danger. 'What was that?'

For a moment, I was worried that there were more Tainted monsters around, but after scanning the entire valley and not finding anything suspicious, I relaxed. 'I must have imagined things...'

Yet right at that moment, another tremor ran through the ground. I furrowed my brows as I looked around, trying to figure out what was going on.

It was then that I noticed whiffs of white smoke lazily rising from the depths of the newly made crater that I was pretty sure weren't there a few moments ago.

'Don't tell me...' I did a double take over the entire valley that was nestled nicely between the towering peaks of the surrounding hills once more before I widened my eyes and made a few tentative steps back.

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It was then that I realized that the valley was no valley at all, but a caldera of a previously dormant volcano, and my recent actions might have just awakened it.

As if to confirm my suspicion, yet another tremor shook the ground, this one much stronger, and the smoke rising from the crater became much more potent.

'Well, it's time to take my leave, I guess, but this also couldn't be a more perfect solution to my little problem. Now, all the evidence of what transpired here will simply turn to ash, and nobody will be wiser.' I smiled as I ran away as fast as I could.

***

"What do you mean it's gone?" Malaric exclaimed with an incredulous expression after I returned to tell him the happy news.

"It's like I'm saying… I went on to scout the road ahead, and there was this huge explosion. As I went to check what happened, I found the whole valley gone and no signs of the monster, as if it had disappeared into thin air." I replied matter-of-factly, trying to maintain a facade of nonchalance against his scrutinizing gaze.

"Let me see it for myself..." Malaric said, furrowing his thick brows.

I sighed, realizing that convincing the stalwart branch leader wouldn't be as easy as I had originally thought it would be.

"I don't think it's safe to go back there. Besides, you shouldn't be moving just yet, given your injuries..."

"Show me!" He exclaimed, clearly not taking no for an answer.

"Alright, alright. Just take it easy, okay?" I wawed my hands defensively, resigned to accommodate the branch leader's unreasonable wishes.

I then reluctantly led him back toward the same rocky outcrop from which I previously observed the Tainted abomination and from which we had an unrestricted view over the entire valley.

"You were right..." Malaric murmured in awe, looking at the scene of the utter destruction below.

"What happened here?" The branch leader asked, staring absentmindedly at the mind-boggling scene.

"I'm not exactly sure, but if I had to guess, the recent battle must have disturbed the mountain, which then subsequently exploded and taken down the monster as well as the entire valley," I said while carefully observing Malaric's face, ready to end his life if he showed any signs of suspecting me.

But given his expression, it was obvious that, in his wildest dreams, he couldn't have imagined me causing such widespread devastation.

Although he also had extreme difficulties believing the cover story I hastily came up with, it was seemingly the only plausible explanation for what happened.

Malaric didn't say anything for a long time, only staring at the scene, presumably having trouble coping with what he was seeing.

In the end, he sighed, turning to me. "That seems like the most likely answer to what had happened. Still, something about this doesn't feel right, but I can't put my finger on exactly what... My memory of the battle is all fuzzy."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out eventually, but for now, we need to get out of here now!" I said with a clear urgency in my voice.

While we were having our little discussion, the situation within the caldera itself was quickly deteriorating. The plume of smoke rising from the crater was getting thicker by the minute, spewing poisonous gases and ash all over, and visible cracks began appearing all over the former valley.

Malaric's eyes widened in realization as he took in the sight of the white smoke billowing out from the depths of the crater.

As the earth beneath us continued to quake, sending shockwaves through our bones, Malaric and I scrambled to make a hasty retreat.

We quickly turned away from the unnerving scene and began descending the rocky slope, trying to get as far away from the awakening volcano as possible, as it could explode at any moment.

Luckily, we made it back to Neufeld safely without any further incidents the next day, mostly because I was continuously projecting my aura outward the whole time so that the monsters kept their distance.

We quietly snuck inside the sturdy gates just as the sun began to descend behind the horizon, careful not to alert any civilians of our return before first giving our report to the council.

To my surprise, the streets were quiet and peaceful, and the Neufeld residents were going about their business as usual with no signs of growing panic beyond the usual somber mood stemming from the monsters threatening the local roads.

'I guess since the newly awakened volcano is quite a distance from the town and hidden behind the towering hills surrounding Neufeld, nobody here has put two and two together just yet...'

Despite being deadly tired after the long run, Malaric forced himself to continue, barging into the darkened Guild's building and grabbing the shoulder of the first Recruit he came across.

"Hey, you! Run to the Baron's residence as if your life depended on it and request an audience. It's urgent!"

The frightened Recruit blinked a few times, but seeing Malaric's crazed look, he gulped and bolted out onto the street as fast as he could.

The branch leader then collapsed on a nearby bench, panting heavily.

"It's just a shame we couldn't bring back any personal items of the deceased as proof of their sacrifice and a memento for their families." He said, sadness evident in his amber eyes.

I simply nodded, saying nothing. I went to find myself a seat, too, as we awaited the Recruit's return.

I was more than eager to just collect my due reward and be on my way, as there was nothing else for me to do in this backwater town, soon to be swallowed by the volcano's eruption. Still, I couldn't openly show such a sentiment, so I kept smiling amicably, pretending to be a willing helper.

It didn't take long before the young Recruit returned, and we soon found ourselves standing before the Baron and his council, their heavy stares piercing our very souls.