Chương 101: 1-100 Epilogue

Vester Lysanna Malethon felt heavy with worry ever since the dungeon began acting up. Not once since the founding of Highsend had such an event been recorded. The dungeon was supposed to offer stable revenue, a steady procurement of magic crystals, and an allure for adventuring folk. It was the very reason for the city's construction in the first place! If something were to disrupt it for an extended period, the financial losses would be disastrous.

Without it, they might as well just pack up and leave, because these parts offered hardly anything else worthwhile. Restoring it to working order was paramount. Such was the official decision, and he had meticulously ensured that the head of the adventurers' guild was aware of how much was at stake. He didn't like that woman at the best of times, but at least she was reliable when it counted. She wouldn't risk the entire city's continued existence over her grudges.

Unlike Sanctum, those buffoons strong-arming their way into his politics, showing as much grace as a drunk treant. Leveraging their necessary contributions in the upcoming beasttide, they had taken command of the expedition at the last second. And what did they have to show for it now? Nothing but an uneasy silence on top of the dungeon entrance going inactive halfway through admittance.

"Maybe the lucky ones are those left behind." Vester sighed, rubbing his temples. If his last few decades of experience told him anything, then that something had gone terribly wrong. They were just waiting for the disaster to make itself known. As if summoned by his very thoughts, trouble came knocking at his office door.

"Enter." A guardsman wearing the insignia of the town, a blue tower on a brown background, entered. He really had to petition the capital for a redesign of that emblem, because it was a dreadful look, even if it somewhat fit the locale. Barely two steps into the room, the elf dropped into a bow, its angle barely sufficient for their difference in standing.

"Magistrate Malethon, I come bearing important news of the expedition." Of course this news was important, or his secretary would not have let someone in without an appointment. Also, he didn't like the nervous undertone of these words. Had they truly failed? Maybe it was not too late to depart and seek asylum elsewhere. Perhaps one of the harbors further south would offer a more pleasant climate during these dreadful months.

"Speak," Vester commanded.

"The expedition has returned, Magistrate. However, there appear to have been severe casualties among their forces." The guard nervously reported. Vester motioned with his hand for him to keep going. Talking to these people could be rather trying when they failed to get to the point in a timely fashion.

"T-The situation is chaotic, but according to witness records by the first wave of returnees, it appears that Sanctum and the guild's forces have entered a state of open hostility," the guard stuttered. Unable to quell the sudden feeling of agitation, Vester rose from his chair.

"How certain are we about the veracity of that?" This was just about the worst possible outcome of the joint operation. Highsend needed both force's support to solve the beasttide tidily. Without those overeager younglings in the guild throwing themselves from the walls for coin, and Sanctum's healers picking up the pieces, his own knights would be overwhelmed quickly. If those forces were irreconcilable, then who should he support?

He stilled his racing heart, knowing intimately that there could only be one correct answer. Even if they made it through this tide alive, a single word of complaint from Sanctum's bishop could end his whole career. The entire city might be sacked just to appease them! As magistrate, he could not afford to upset them, who had the ears of every single ruler from here down to the outer glades. If the beasts won't lay waste to his city, those groveling bastards would.

Even if they spared the town itself, the outermost border town had intrinsic value, after all, then they would at the very least ask for his head. Balling his fists in the face of the tough times ahead, he gave his command.

"Send word to the knight-captain. The guild shall hereby be shut-""Magistrate! It is horrible!" some buffoon marched straight into his room. The first one may have left the door wide open, but that was no reason to enter without knocking. He would note them down for a demotion.

"Speak quickly," he barely kept his tone composed.

"We have just received confirmation that the conflict between the guild and Sanctum has already ended!" Vester would have laughed if he hadn't been in unpleasant company. The problem had simply resolved itself? Marvelous! Calming himself, he nodded inwardly. Of course, the quick end made sense, since fighting Sanctum was simply an untenable position. Surely the guild master must have seen reason and yielded immediately. Perhaps it was that idiot son of hers that set things off?

Yes, a clearer picture was beginning to form in his mind. Worst case, he would just silently funnel some money towards the guild so they could pay reparations and save face. He might just be able to deduct that from the taxes as an investment in the city's safety.

"M-Magistrate, that is to say t-that…" Vester gave the man a piercing glare. With the good news out, that was supposed to be the end of the report! The guard painstakingly continued, "Healer Boreas was handed to us with a written list of assorted crimes." He handed over a wrinkled paper that looked like it had gone through a war of its own. The writing was barely legible, though that didn't concern Vester much. What was there to do but wag a finger and send him back to his people?

It was clearly some pointless gesture by the guild to look relevant after their surrender. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"As per regulations, all Healers accused of crimes are to be handed over to Sanctum for disciplinary measures, why would you even bother bringing me this? You better not have wasted everyone's time by bringing him here, have you?" The guard was quaking in his boots, likely already feeling the incoming dishonourable discharge he was planning for him.

"B-but, magistrate, the esteemed Boreas is no longer a Healer! H-he has been rendered classless!" The words hit him in the face like the strike of a hammer. There was no recovery from this, was there? Even the heads of every single guild member might not be able to pay him any goodwill after such a loss. Highsend's entire income throughout the last decade would not be enough to pay for a single Healer class stone. Drained of his will to live, Vester sank back into his chair. This was truly the worst outcome.

His feelings clearly challenged fate, because that guard just had to open his mouth again.

"F-furthermore, Bishop Thaladur has been declared killed in action." An icy grip took hold of his heart.

"T-though we don't yet have evidence of that claim!" Was this why so many of his fellow magistrates fornicated with abandon? To have an heir they could dump their issues on, while running away into retirement? Ah, he should have lived life to its fullest before. Now, it was all over. Didn't the slavers occasionally brave the seas during the tide? Maybe if he could sell himself…

"There's also an unlicensed healer-" Vester didn't even hear the end of the report, as his head impacted his desk hard enough to splinter the wood, as Highsend's ruler lost his consciousness to the sudden onset of existential dread. Once he awoke, he would find a third guard ready to make his report.

"Amily, the sun is barely up and you are already drinking again?" The little rodent buzzed after entering her room.

"No need to be so upset, it's only my second bottle!" Honestly, she could finish five with ease if only they let her. Damn jerks hiding her alcohol. Why was she even paying these people in the first place? Besides, the current news had irritated even her unquenchable thirst.

"You're impossible! We've got trouble, so stop drinking, you hag!" It was always the same spiel, so as usual, this was her cue to throw the empty bottle, only for it to be sidestepped, smashing harmlessly into the wall. Not that she actually wanted to hit the little mouse. Without her, all that paperwork would be sent straight into her room!

"So, what brings you to my lounge, Minnie?" she chuckled. The snow-white mouse squeaked, "Stop calling me that! It's Minfrieda, not Minnie!" Her whiskers trembled at that. Always so easy to tease, that one.

"Also, your office is not a lounge. You're supposed to do your work here!"

"Well, if you're up here, then work regrettably must have found me." Amily wiped an imaginary tear from her face.

"Master, we need your serious face here. It's bad this time. Really, really bad." Those trembling whiskers hadn't been solely about her behaviour, apparently. With a flick of her wrist, rivers of sand emerged from Amily's sleeves, carrying away empty bottles, leftovers and other unmentionables. They also cleared away any wet stains from the table and carpet, before pulling in a chair for the vice-leader of the guild.

"Alright, darling, give it to me straight. Are we fighting those sanctimonious fuckers to the death?" Most would have thought her words a poor joke from a crass mouth, but Minnie knew her better than that.

"We already did." Amily couldn't believe her ears.

"What do you mean?"

"Your son has come back out, and the other members are trickling in as well. They're painting quite the picture." That dirty mouse teased her without spilling the beans! She was just about to give the little tease a sand bath when she held her little paws up in surrender.

"Well, to keep things short, Boreas is now classless-""Yes! Fuck that slimy bastard!" Not like he ever did the guild any favors. And if he didn't offer his services, anyway, then they could just as well last without him!

"Also, Thaladur has been killed, allegedly."

"What? Who? Why didn't they invite me? I called dibs on him years ago!" A sharp glare from Minnie set her straight. Right, this was supposed to be serious time.

"Well, that's gonna make quite the waves, won't it? Which team did it?" There was no way that had been a solo job. Even she wasn't confident against that old crook.

"That's where things get complicated. Apparently, there's a healer running around who isn't working with Sanctum," the mouse began leadingly. Out of patience, Amily slammed her palms on her knees, "Just say it! Give me a name!"

"He's supposedly called Adam, and made it a point to heal anyone he encountered on his way through the dungeon. And spoke against Sanctum on any such occasion. After it came to an all out fight between Sanctum's knights under Boreas's leadership and our teams, he took some adventurers to confront the bishop. Only they came back up." That was a lot to unpack. Like, who would give Boreas authority over anything? That boy couldn't be bothered to work a full hour a day.

"How did it even come to that fight? Has Sanctum issued a statement? Do we know who that Adam guy is?" She had so many questions.

"They were taking people for some abstruse ritual, endangering everyone in the dungeon. I'm not sure the news has even reached them yet, cause they were pretty much wiped out. Officially? Not a clue!" Minnie diligently answered everything in order, smiling like she didn't just open another box of questions! Feeling the onset of a headache, she silently pulled another bottle of hard liquor out from under her desk.

"Hey, don't you start-" Amily made sure to bring out a glass, sharing some of her secret medicine before drinking straight from the bottle.

"This is going to be a long winter, huh?" She asked, not her little friend, but fate itself. It never answered.

"So, what do we have on this Adam unofficially?" Minnie smiled brightly, making a show of slowly tasting her drink before answering.

"Well, it just so happens that he has been seen traveling with a certain Scalefolk duo. And it would appear that they just happen to have registered a temporary member to their team." A certain duo?

"You mean Corta's grandkids?" That guy was a legend. Losing him had been a real shame.

"I know I promised the old scrooge to keep an eye on them, but they're really making things hard for me," she lamented, finishing her bottle.

"So what's his real name?"

"No idea. All the information on his sign-up sheet was probably fake. The address was uninhabited, and I have already gotten the responsible receptionist to admit to taking a bribe. Smells of that old crook's work, if you ask me."

"So they're involved with the black market? Annoying, though predictable." She really wanted to grab another bottle, but those piercing, beady eyes made her hesitate. Maybe she would wait until the mouse left the room, just in case.

"The last time they were spotted, a big fella carried them away after emerging from the dungeon. Onyx." Sensing the incoming question, she thankfully continued.

"No, not towards Sanctum's temple, but the harbor district." Did he quit working for them? Now she really had to get her hands on this lot for some answers. She'd even share the booze if they dropped by.

"I'll leave you to your drinking problem, Master. I've got a lot of work to do." Minnie finally exclaimed, rising to leave. But Amily knew there was more to come, because she saw that tense little curl on the mouse's tail. Minnie stopped in the door, looking back with an innocent smile.

"By the way, there's a whole load of apparently incurable adventurers we now have to take care of in our basement. Thus, your alcohol allowance will be cut down to a quarter. Bye!" The door slammed shut just in time to contain the brewing sandstorm.