Chương 40: The Shadows Beneath The Surface

"How are your injuries?" Kyle asked quietly, his voice tinged with a hint of concern.

"Heh, you see—cough! Cough! Cough!!" Doyle suddenly coughed violently mid-sentence, struggling to catch his breath.

"Please don't speak, Captain Doyle! Your internal injuries still haven't healed!" Tina scolded as she quickly ran towards Doyle, gently supporting and casting [Heal] on him.

"You don't need to ask him; I'll explain." Luke waved for Doyle to stop talking and lie down before turning to look at Kyle.

"Well, where do I even start?" Luke scratched his head and said, looking a bit absent-minded.

"The bishop has treated him using [Greater Heal] amped to the 3rd circle using over-level casting. This healed all surface injuries and relieved most of his internal injuries. But…" Luke paused slightly; his gaze couldn't help but drift toward the injured Doyle.

"His bones are only superficially healed. The most severe issues are his nerves, burst blood vessels, and spine. In his current condition, Captain Doyle can't even walk. At most, he can only move his upper body." Luke sighed as he leaned back, his face tinged with a trace of confusion.

"According to the bishop, injuries of such level require at least a 5th-circle [Grand Heal] or a top-grade healing potion to fully recover…" Luke closed his eyes and didn't continue. However, Kyle could basically guess. Only archbishops or above can cast divine spells of that level. As for top-grade healing potions, they're even harder to get. Only a rank 3 alchemist can possibly manufacture them. Even nobles would struggle to obtain potions of that level. They're practically priceless.

Definitely not something a rank 1 adventurer party can get. The room fell silent. Everyone's eyes unconsciously drifted toward Doyle, tinged with sadness and pity. Doyle's career as an adventurer was over. Unless a miracle happened and they somehow managed to get an archbishop to cast [Grand Heal], it would be nearly impossible for him to continue adventuring or even stand up again.

"Cough- Hahaha! No need for the grim faces! I'm grateful enough to have kept my life. I have adventured for long enough anyway. Looks like it's finally time for me to retire." Doyle laughed and said, trying to liven up the atmosphere. He looked out of the window next to him with a hint of nostalgia.

"I wonder how Lilia, Anna, and Dane are doing. I have been an incompetent husband and father for a long time, always wandering outside while leaving my family behind." His tone was tinged with guilt. The room fell silent once more. Kyle's expression was complex. Even Luke lowered his gaze slightly.

"Captain…" Aaron's voice was a bit hoarse.

"As I said, there's no need to look so grim. Every adventure has an end. It's just that mine came a bit earlier than expected." Doyle looked at them with a faint smile on his face, his eyes radiating a faint light. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He had accepted his ending. After a moment of silence, Luke turned to look at Kyle. He pulled out a piece of parchment and said,"We've decided to return to Velkaris.

We're in no shape to support Mirevale as we currently are." He paused for a moment before pointing at the piece of parchment.

"We took this large caravan escort quest. Although it's an E-rank quest, it's a large-scale quest undertaken by a large number of adventurers. The pay is low, but it's on our way back, and traveling with a large caravan is much safer." Luke calmly looked at Kyle. Tina and Aaron's gaze also fell on him. Kyle guessed their intentions. They were asking whether he wanted to tag along with them. The roads leading from Mirevale to other cities had been far more dangerous lately due to the goblin problem.

In fact, it wasn't just the goblins. The other monsters and magic beasts that were forced to migrate due to the severe increase in goblin numbers are also an issue. Kyle pondered for a moment, his gaze drifting to the quest's parchment.

'I've never taken an escort quest before, and I'm unfamiliar with Velkaris and the roads leading to it. However…' He analyzed the pros and cons.

'If I complete it, it'll count as my third E-rank quest, completing the requirements to become a copper-class adventurer. Moreover, I can broaden my horizons and see more of this world.' His gaze drifted to the injured Doyle.

'... I also owe Doyle more than I can repay.' His eyes shone with a look of determination. Kyle shifted his gaze from the parchment to Luke's face and replied firmly.

"I'll go with you. I also want to see what Velkaris looks like." The three of them looked at each other for a moment before Luke extended his palm.

"Welcome to the team. It would be a pleasure to work with you again." Kyle accepted the handshake and said, "The pleasure is mine." They continued speaking for a bit before Kyle left. The caravan would set off in two days. They needed to prepare for the journey. ………… The southern district of Mirevale. A mansion stood in contrast to the straw and dirt shacks that filled the southern slums. It was the headquarters of the Bloody Hand gang and the residence of its leader, Garrick Vane.

Inside a luxurious room on the second floor of the mansion, a middle-aged man with curly red hair was laughing boisterously, and two beautiful women leaned on each of his arms.

"Drink! Drink! You're the hero of the day, Nick! Those two half-elves you captured were sold for a fortune!" The red-haired man laughed loudly as he waved for the brown-haired, narrow-eyed man in front of him to drink. There were two large bags filled with gold coins in front of them. The money they got from selling the half-elves into slavery.

"This is all thanks to your careful instruction, leader. Our gang wouldn't have unified the underground world of Mirevale without your brilliant leadership." Nick said with a flattering smile on his face. He carefully filled the glass cup in front of Garrick before pouring some on his own and drinking it.

"Hmph! With me, Bloody Hand Garrick, taking action, how could these wretches remain standing? Of course, they would fall at the slightest touch!" Garrick arrogantly said while teasing the beautiful blonde on his left. Seemingly just remembering. Garrick picked some of the gold coins from one of the money bags before placing them in front of Nick.

"Here's your share of the bounty. Go have some fun." Garrick said, then waved for Nick to leave. His attention had been fully captured by the two busty beauties in his arms. Nick's eyebrows twitched slightly before going back to normal.

"Thank you for your grace, gang leader. I won't disturb your fun any longer." Nick bowed before picking up the gold coins and walking away. His face was filled with admiration and gratitude, but inwardly, he was cursing Garrick's entire bloodline.

'I was the one who captured and sold them! But that bastard took most of the bounty!' Nick roared internally as he respectfully closed the door behind. Garrick glanced at Nick's back with a faint sneer on his face before focusing on the beauties. Just as he leaned forward to kiss them, a magic crystal in his pocket started flashing. Garrick's expression changed drastically as he waved for the two beauties to immediately leave the room before hurriedly closing the door and pulling the window blinds shut.

In the now dark room, Garrick activated a small magic lamp before carefully placing the magic crystal on the table and injecting mana into it. In the next second, a hologram of a cloaked figure appeared above the magic crystal.

"Greetings, deacon!" Garrick respectfully saluted.