The thing about being detained in a tent, handcuffed, and kept under constant guard during the prime of the day’s heat is that it is rather grating on one’s nerves.
So when the tent flap was pulled aside, and none other than the guild master of all people walked in, it took everything I had to not growl like a feral animal at the man.
“Hello, Rook. I must say, would it have been so hard to have not killed Iris? You realize how busy of a man I am, and having to come all the way out here for this is rather…. Inconvenient.”
“Screw off.” I snarled; I like to think rather politely.
“Oh, is that really how you should treat the person who will free you?” The man tutted as he sat down across from me.
“Screw off.” I snapped once again.
“Right.” The man sighed, looking over his shoulder before looking back at me. “So, I take it you found out?”
“That you were throwing us to the wolves? No shit.” I answered.
The man sighed again as if I were nothing more than a troubled child.
“Zero, please, you must understand-”
“Must understand what?” I snapped, cutting him off. “That you always knew this was a dungeon? That you knew what we would find? That other had already been in here, others who weren’t with the guild?”
“Yes.” He said plainly, laying his palms out on the table.
“Why?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “Why, any of this??
“You want the story?” The guild master rubbed at his neck before leaning back. “You damn adventurers don’t understand a thing.”
“Excuse me?”
“Yes, I sent you to the wolves.” The man snapped, a sudden fire in his eyes. “Because, unlike you bumbling lot, I must consider the larger world at scale. The nobles have been yapping at my heels with every relic found; all of them are on edge after crown prince Ezekiel’s birth. Then there is the issue of Nochesuki growing bolder and bolder recently.”
“Nochesuki?” For some reason, I felt like I’d heard the name, perhaps in passing.
“A faction that exists outside of the established system, officially they are magical freedom enthusiasts who are against the curtailing of magic within the kingdom. That’s only officially, though. They are nearly as old as the established kingdom, and rumors are they seek to overturn our system.”
“Alright, what does that have anything to do with this?” I questioned.
“Everything! It has everything to do with it!” The man snapped before calming himself, his flash of anger wiped away in an instant as the mask of pleasant composure returned, reminding me uncannily of Iris. “Excuse my outburst. How we found this dungeon was because of Nochesuki. We caught wind that they were the ones who found it and attempted to delve into the dungeon. When they failed, it became apparent we needed to act quickly before Nochesuki returned and managed to claim the dungeon out from under our noses.”
“What do you mean ‘our’ noses?”
“Did I not mention how the nobles have been breathing down my neck? Once Nochesuki showed interest in the dungeon, it became clear in no uncertain terms they expected the dungeon to be claimed in the name of the kingdom. The only way to do such, while protecting the stability of the country-”
“Was to have the guild claim it so that it was under the kingdom’s banner, but not any specific faction?” I offered, beginning to understand some of where the man was coming from.
“Correct.” He sighed, leaning back in his chair and pulling out his pipe, taking a puff as it lit itself. “You can see the corner I was put in.”
“Still.” I shook my head, trying to hold onto my anger. “Why tell us nothing?”
“Because it was all on a need-to-know basis only. If the dungeon could be cleared without sharing extraneous information, that was the direction we were instructed to take. Too many questions are raised from some of that information, information that the nobles prefer to keep a tight lid on. The information which I would go out on a limb to assume that at this point you begin to understand, if not from prior interactions with ex-adventurer Veronika-” He waved his pipe for a moment, clearing his throat before exhaling a cloud of orange smoke. “-than from the Dungeon’s Will.”
“You know about that?” I stared at the man in surprise.
“Of course, but it’s highly classified information. Have you heard of the dungeon Old Pine?”
“Once.” I nodded, remembering old man Ronin mentioning it. “Why?”
“Old Pine was cleared by a team of nizeium adventurers, their findings never revealed to the public. What I reveal to you now, I do in good faith.”
I said nothing, acknowledging it with only a quick nod.
“Old Pine was a dungeon found within the northern forests, sitting at the base of the Paluntine coasts.”
I was familiar with the area, perhaps the only part of the country further north than the region Junaper was situated within. The northern coast was dominated by a high range of mountains, covered in ice storms year-round. If it weren’t for those mountains, the north region of Haerasong would have been under constant bombardment by arctic storms.
“Now, Old Pine itself wasn’t exactly well hidden; it’s just the entrance to that Dungeon was so unassuming none ever thought anything of it. When it was uncovered as a dungeon and eventually cleared, the information of the inner dwellings was locked away, the party in question who cleared it swearing upon their magic to never reveal its secrets. That was shortly before I took over as Guild master, so when I did take over, they took the time to inform me. It wasn’t an ancient weapon or some magical artifact found in the depths of Old Pine. Oh no. They found an entity from long ago, surviving within the dungeon as nothing more than a ‘vestige’ of its former glory. That was when we learned of Dungeon Wills. They are a sort of bonded existence to the magical existence known as a dungeon, conjoined like a symbiotic entity. Fast forward to here, and several close confidants and I realized there were striking similarities between Old Pine and here. As a result, we also presumed there was a possibility of a Dungeon Will within the Citadel of the Moon. The fact that you know what you do confirms it.”
“You still haven’t told me why you’re telling me any of this. Why?”
“Because I’m offering you an ultimatum.” The guild master dropped his tone, fixing me with a stare that felt like a tiger was watching me. “I want you to renounce being an adventurer.”
“What?” I all but jumped to my feet, only stopped when anti-mana manacles binding my wrists together reached the extent of their length, yanking me back into my seat.
“Rook, I appreciate the enthusiasm.” He smiled at me once more as if he were nothing more than a congenial elder. “But you know things, have seen things, and been involved in too many things that will raise questions. The further away you can get from this life, the less likely you will be to draw the ire of those you shouldn’t.”
“I can fend for myself,” I added obstinately.
“Ahh, and there is where you are mistaken.” He tutted once more, his fingers drumming the table.
“Did you not hear?” I wanted to fold my arms, but the manacles around my wrists prevented it. “I beat Iris, an Iris who broke through her limits.”
“Yes.” In a flash, the demeanor of fondness was gone, the air chilling around us so dramatically I knew it couldn’t have just been me. “I did hear how you killed my daughter.”
Oh.
The pit of my stomach dropped out from me.
Oh shit.
Many things began to click into place all at once. Why the Guild master had put so much trust in Iris, and why Iris could use such an unusual form of Kin magic as well as wild magic. An uncanny similarity in how they hid their emotions behind a mask of feigned feelings.
“She wasn’t my blood daughter, of course.” His look of pleasantness returned his version of the stone mask I’d seen Iris don so often. “I adopted her. She lost her parents at a young age; they were adventurers as well, you see. Knowing a young girl was left parentless, I did the only thing I could do as a young guild master, and I adopted the girl. Her parents were only steel-level adventurers, and Iris herself likely would have never risen past that. Still, being I was always intrigued by the mystique of magic and its forms, I took the liberty of testing a theory for integrating artificial Kin magic into her body.”
“You experimented on a kid!?” I stared in horror at the man, my mouth agape.
“Please.” He waved my reaction off. “You make it sound like I was cutting her open. It was a non-intrusive process, and in the end, it worked. The issue was that her potential was capped off. Unless I wanted to spend a fortune I didn’t have or ask for favors that would only sink us into an unfavorable position, it was determined she would never rise higher than she did. I’ll be frank with you, Zero. I hate you for killing my daughter, but you did her mercy. From the events and information gathered, the dungeon broke her, either through the horrors she saw, the burden of responsibility, the mental strain because of having her mana core forcibly expanded after years of stagnation, or perhaps an amalgamation of all three. My point is, while I hate you and despise you, I recognize what you did as mercy.”
There was something bone-chilling about being told you were despised straight to your face by the man whose daughter you had just killed only the day prior.
“Now, back to our original topic.” He folded his hands one over another, demeanor returning to that of a casual business conversation. “You will renounce your status as an adventurer. In doing so, I will cover everything that happened here. At the end of the day, regardless of what happened or my personal feelings, I must uphold the stability of Haerasong, and these events, if they circulate to the wrong ears, could shatter the already fragile state of things.”
“What am I supposed to do then?” I questioned, raising my bound hands. “And why not just, I don’t know, off me?”
The man snorted, laughing as he puffed out another orange cloud of smoke. Seconds passed before he composed, shaking his head at me.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” He rubbed his thumb against his chin, watching me with curious eyes. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Why else would I ask?”
“Again, you adventurers show you lack grander understanding. Of course, I can’t say I blame you; it is, after all, by design. Those who are perhaps too inquisitive are chased out, one way or another.”
“Meaning?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, come now. I know you aren’t that muscle brained.” He spun a finger through a cloud of smoke, shaping itself into two people, one handing the other a bag of something. “Sometimes it is through means as simple as coincidental opportunities that appear before them, and in other cases….”
The smoke changed, showing a band of adventurers chased by a giant lizard.
“And in other cases, they receive a quest which either chases them out of the line of duty-”
“Or kills them,” I said flatly.
“Ahh, so negative.” The guild master shrugged. “But it is what it is. Now, why I don’t have you offed? The reason is simple, you are strong enough now that it would be inconvenient, a hassle requiring more effort than is likely beneficial. You, at this point, are quite firmly within the realm of nizeium adventures, for which you have my congratulations.”
“I don’t think I want that from you.”
“Bah.” He shook his hand through the smoke, causing it to disperse. “Well, be that as it may, in no uncertain terms, to remove you would require considerable muscle, and the issue with muscle like that is it attracts notice. If things can be resolved peacefully that I will take such actions. And before you ask more errant questions, yes, I could, in theory, remove you now, but there is an entire camp that would be curious how you, an adventurer of your caliber, managed to die in our custody.”
Stolen novel; please report.
“What if I say no then?” I met his gaze with my own steely look.
“Do you believe we have no way of reaching you?” He smiled at me, a sharkish grin.
“You said it yourself.” I inclined my head as I repeated back his words. “I’m not easy to handle anymore.”
“Ahh, and you believe yourself the target.” He leaned forward, puffing a ring of smoke into my face as he whispered.
“What do you believe would happen to the dragon heart girl?”
I’m not proud to say that at that moment, I lost all sensible thought, attempting to lunge across the table and attack him, forgetting entirely about my binding chains that whipped me down, my face crashing into the steel table I was seated at.
“See?” The guild master was still smiling, a disgustingly friendly expression. “There is more to the world than how hard you can hit someone, be it with magic or not, and you, young Rook Baster, begin to understand it. So, do we have a deal?”
“Swear to me you won’t touch her.” I snarled, the taste of blood filling my mouth from where I’d bit myself after cracking my head against the table in my failed lunge at the man.
“My, you think yourself-”
“I swear by the gods above and below.” I was snarling, rage engulfing me. “If you touch her, I will hunt you down, every last fucking one of you involved, to the very ends of the earth and rip out your gods’ damned throats with my teeth if that’s what it takes.”
“My, my.” The guild master let out a slow breath, examining me as if in a new light. “Didn’t take you for one with such a temper. I swear I will leave the girl alone; she will remain under safe supervision and protection. In return, you renounce your status as an adventurer, and I want you to leave Dunehold far behind and start a new life somewhere else. Do we have a deal?”
For a moment, I froze, memories of my time as an adventurer flashing past my eyes. It hadn’t been a long time, not even four years, but they had been eventful, and I’d met plenty of interesting people, seen amazing things, and learned more about myself than I ever expected.
But, as with all good things, they eventually end.
“You have a deal.” I finally relaxed, easing back into my uncomfortable metal chair.
“Wonderful.” The guild master reached into his robe before handing me something.
“What is this?” I stared at him, not sure what I was looking at.
“You, by killing my Iris, laid claim to the dungeon as yours.”
“As mine?” I stared down at the object in my hand. “And what does this have to do with it?”
“You are, what is known colloquially, at least to those who are versed in the history of dungeons, as a ‘Dungeon Conqueror’ or a person who has cleared a dungeon.”
“I could piece that together.”
“You may have heard the dungeons close in on themselves after clearing them. That is not technically true.”
“It’s not?”
“No. The will of the dungeon conqueror decides whether a dungeon will close permanently or not.”
“So, what is this for?” I held the tiny crystal in my hand just short of my eye, chained down as my hands were.
“You’ve heard of data crystals, yes?”
“Yeah.” I nodded.
“Good, that makes this easy. It is not just past knowledge one can share through a data crystal, but authority as well.”
“I’m not sure I follow. What’s ‘authority’?”
“I would prefer not to give you a whole magical lecture if I can avoid it.” The guild master shook his head. “In short, it is a mystical key that allows one to have sole control of certain things. Simple enough, right?”
“Yeah, sure.” I nodded along.
“I want you to share partial authority over the dungeon with the guild.”
“And why should I do that?”
“It is in your best interest unless you enjoy the thought of assassins being sent after you for the rest of your life.”
“Huh?” I stared at him, trying to process what he had just said.
“A dungeon only ‘fully’ closes after thirty years of being sealed. In that time, they can be reopened by whoever controls the authority over the dungeon, generally the original dungeon conqueror.”
“And this is where you tell me I can be killed for it, don’t you?”
“Bingo.”
“Damnit,” I grumbled. “So if I close it, those who knew it was a dungeon come for me to reopen it, and if I keep it to myself, they come for me anyway.”
“Your best option is to share it with us. You don’t need to give us access to the inner depths if you are pleased.”
“Why does it matter to you?”
“Thirty years ago, the state of the nation was a much more unified existence. The monarch at the time was still youthful enough that the question of their passing wasn’t yet given much time, and those with an objection to the system laid low within the shadows. As such, the intrigue of a dungeon was much less prevalent.”
“But now it provides a potential resource,” I answered.
“Indeed. Even without the initial lootings of a dungeon, the latent mana of a dungeon provides a wonderful place for mages to train, to attempt to unlock their potential.”
“Is that why you wanted Iris on this quest?” I asked the guild master, whose face scrunched up as if he were stung.
“In… part, yes, I did consider it.”
“So let me get this straight.” I laid my hands out, or as much as I could, on the table. “I give partial access of the dungeon to the guild, who maintain equal loyalty to the nation but no individual faction, and as a result, the current status quo is kept as well as it can be. Did the dumb adventurer get it right?”
“That about sums it up.” The man nodded.
“Fine.” I closed my eyes, focusing on the crystal. “Now, what exactly do I need to do?”
“Simple. For a mage of your caliber, unlike transferring knowledge into a data crystal, giving authority access is as easy and willing it.”
I was silent, doing precisely as he instructed. Focusing on the dungeon, I imagined it opening for anyone with the guild’s permission, making special care to ensure that the Rift and other vital areas I knew of were strictly impossible to reach for anyone other than myself.
“There.” I handed the crystal back. “Anything else?”
“Yes, there is the matter of the Throne-”
“No.” My answer was instant. “I’m not handing it over.”
“That was actually going to be my request.” The guild master smiled pleasantly. “That you ensure none can reach the Throne.”
“Why?”
“Because, as with most things, it presents itself as a difficulty that is rather troublesome to deal with. Better to ensure it is sealed away safely; the only ones who know it at this point would be those who spotted it briefly and those in Nochesuki who first discovered the dungeon.”
“And by chasing me away from being an adventurer, you cut that little thread as well,” I added.
“Now you’re thinking.” The man winked at me. “I would say it was a pleasure working with you, Zero, but from the bottom of my heart, I wish you misfortunate and pain. So, farewell.”
And then, just like that, the man got up and left the tent behind, walking out from the front flap.
“Wait.” I muttered to myself, now alone, “Wasn't he supposed to let me go?”
-------------------------------------------------
It wasn’t until three hours later when the guild representative, the same who had been ‘witness’ to the duel between myself and Iris, finally retrieved me, freeing me from my cuffs. She had given me a dirty look before informing me in no uncertain terms I was expected to retrieve any belongings and leave immediately, where I would exit the encampment and make for anywhere else besides Dunehold; I effectively had a restraining order in place against the entirety of the city.
“Well, that’s not fair,” I muttered as I crept through the dark encampment, night having settled an hour prior. There was only the occasional adventurer still out, who, upon seeing me, shied away from my sight, hurrying anywhere else.
I had no belongings in the camp, but there was still one place I needed to go.
There, looking over the encampment, was what was once a barren hill, now housing the arena that had formed to match the fated duel between myself and Iris.
It was… strangely peaceful as I made my way toward it. Looking around to ensure there was no one else around, I walked to the direct center of the ghostly stadium, ignoring the spiraling staircase into the earth that had appeared within it.
“Wisdom,” I whispered, waiting for a response.
Nothing.
“Wisdom.” I hissed, louder this time.
“Relax yourself, Flows.” The familiar voice of the vestige whispered from nearby.
“Where are you?” I looked around, searching for his familiar crown of silver hair.
“I cannot appear outside the dungeon in a physical form as you are used to.”
“Oh.” I couldn’t deny the feeling of disappointment.
“It matters not. For the purposes you require me, you do not need a physical avatar with which to converse.”
I pointed at the stairs, not remembering them. “What are those about?”
“Ahh, yes. I have sealed the former entrance into the dungeon according to your will and have thusly created a new entrance that has been considerably toned down.”
“You needed to create a new entrance for that?”
“No, but it helps fit the illusion.” The vestige’s disembodied voice said smugly.
“So, now what?”
“As for the state of the dungeon? It will continue to exist, albeit in a slightly different form. Normally a dungeon would require the death of mages within to continuously fuel its existence, but as the Citadel was formed upon a leyline, there is no need for such archaic methods.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I said, tone level.
“Ahh, yes, then you mean the Mana matrix.”
“Do I get to have it now, or….?”
“Young sage, you’ve had it for some time now.”
“Excuse me?”
“I always knew you would achieve victory, so as you were contained within the void space of the dungeon, I bonded it to your soul.”
“That… doesn’t sound safe?”
“What part of being a Sage do you believe was safe?”
“Fair.” I nodded to nothing in particular. “So, then, will you…?”
“I shall continue to persist, yes. You may return to the dungeon’s depths for further instruction if you wish.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure how ‘easy’ that will be.” I sighed.
“You refer to your deal with the authoritative one?”
“You know about that?”
“You speak as if you are not presently residing above the greatest dungeon the world may ever see.”
“Fair,” I repeated.
“I understand the situation you find yourself in, so I will offer you this. Climb to the level where it does not matter if you should earn their ire, then return to me, and I believe I can guide you down your path further.”
“Thanks.” I frowned for a moment, looking down at the ground. “I mean, thanks as much as I can be thankful, considering it was in your dungeon that a bunch of people died.”
“Young sage, do not blame the lion for eating the sickly deer that stumbles into its den. In the same fashion, do not find fault with the dungeon that claims lives but with those who would willingly send the unfit into her depths.”
“I… you’re right.” I sighed and kicked a small pebble.
“I am glad you see reason. Then, until the times comes again, I bid you farewell young sage.”
The whispering voice of the vestige vanished, and I was left alone within the coliseum, nothing but the stars overhead for company.
Already inside me, is that right?
I gently placed the palm of my hand against my abdomen, imagining the mana matrix nestled inside me. The thought made me strangely queasy, and I shook it away after only a few seconds. Perhaps it was just a me thing; not having a mana core, I couldn’t understand what it was like to have something inside me, but now that I had the mana matrix implanted within me, it was like waking up and being told that while you were asleep, a doctor had surgically added a third kidney or lung.
How do people have full-on mana cores and not get the creeps from the thought?
I kicked a pebble one final time before turning away from the coliseum and, by extension, away from the Dungeon.
It was time to depart.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ring Gate was quiet, now kept within a large tent to obscure the comings and goings of those leaving or entering the Gate.
Which was all said and good, except standing right outside the entrance to the tent, the size of a circus tent, stood Tez, hands on her hips, sighing as she saw me.
“Took you long enough.”
“Tez?” I raised an eyebrow as I reached her.
“Figured after I couldn’t find you, the next best place to wait would probably be the Ring Gate. You aren’t exactly the type to sit around a place like this all day if you had the choice to leave.”
“Well, you’re right there.” I agreed.
“So, heading back to Dunehold? The fact that you aren’t in chains means you got that entire ‘murder’ thing cleared up, which is good. You know what, we can go and find a new commission, or maybe we can relax for a few-”
“Tez,” I said sternly but gently. “I’m not going back to Dunehold.”
“You’re not?” Her lips turned down slightly. “Then are you-”
“I’m done being an adventurer.” I didn’t let her finish, like ripping a bandage off in one fell swoop.
“What?”
“I’m done.” I nodded toward where the dungeon was. “That… it was all too much.”
In more ways than she will ever realize.
“Well, what about… maybe we could-”
“Tez.” I cut her off for the third time in a row. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
I lowered my voice, speaking as gently as possible, not wishing to offend her.
“You don’t like me that way.”
“What do you mean?” she questioned me with narrow eyes.
“C’mon, Tez. I’m not a kid, and neither are you. It’s clear as day.” I sighed, my shoulders sagging. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re pretty as hell, and honestly, I’ll probably be kicking myself for this, but… the things you are feeling toward me aren’t real. To be completely honest, we barely even know each other. You see me in some glorified light, putting me on a pedestal I don’t deserve. I’m just a person, Tez. And not even the person you think at that.”
“So then…?”
I smiled weakly at her, shaking my head as she looked away for a moment.
Definitely wasn’t looking forward to this.
“But.” I finally spoke again, breaking the awkward silence. “There is someone else who I think might work.”
“And who is that?” She returned to her familiar gesture, hands on her hips as she pouted slightly.
“I saw some of how you and Elsmere were looking at each other.” I forced a smile, pushing through how awkward it felt. “If anything, you should ask her if she would like to spend some time together.”
“You… are you sure?”
“No, not at all.” I chuckled before looking at her thoughtfully. “But I still mean what I said. You’re pretty, and most importantly, you’re a good person, at least it seems that way to me. It can’t hurt to give it a shot, can it?”
It was silent again for several seconds until a low, throaty laugh escaped the girl.
“I guess you’re right.” She placed a hand on my arm, giving me a tight squeeze. “You’re a good-” She stopped, unsure if she wanted to voice it.
“A good friend,” I answered in her stead.
“Yeah.” She chuckled one last time. “And I guess you’re right. Not like either of us has a party anymore, might as well at the very least see about teaming up with her.”
“I can understand that feeling.” I signed in sympathy.
“Well then, this is farewell, isn’t it?”
“It is.” I nodded.
“You take care of yourself, okay? Otherwise, I’ll have to save your ass for once.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Tez nodded, swallowing for a second before turning away, walking away into the darkness of the sleeping encampment.
“Oh, and Tez?”
She looked back for a moment, curious about why I called out to her.
“Tell ‘Ronika I said hi, okay?”
This time her laugh sounded genuine as she gave me a tired smile.
“I will.”
With nothing else to say, I watched her disappear into the darkness in search of the last remaining member of the Sunju, or so I hoped.
Alright, no more putting this off.
Determined, I turned back toward the tent, flipping open the flap as I was greeted by the sight of the active Ring Gate. Next to it stood a man I didn’t recognize, looking bored.
“Adventure- I mean, citizen.” The man corrected himself, apparently aware that I was no longer an adventurer.
“That’s me.”
“Where would you like to go?” He asked me as I quickly stepped up several wooden stairs, making my way across the wooden platform raised to stand even with the Ring Gate.
Where would you like to go?
It was a heavy question.
Where did I want to go?
I’d once wondered a similar question, wondering what it was I wanted. I had thought I would find the answer as an adventurer, but in the end, I was just as empty of conviction as in my youth.
No. That’s not right.
There was one thing I wanted.
To see my mother.
But with no leads, there was only one place to go.
“To the capital.” I nodded, a smile dancing upon my lips. “It’s time I head to Songhold.”