novelzi Chapter 85 – Quest In The Burning Dungeon, Part 3
Chapter 85 – Quest In The Burning Dungeon, Part 3
The other gave her a reassuring tap on the shoulder. "It's fine. He's just some F-Rank spoiled brat. No way he'd pick an A-Rank mission... though, honestly, that one should be classified as S+ by now." Despite her words, both receptionists couldn't help but glance nervously at Van, exchanging worried looks with the other adventurers nearby.
Van studied the board intently.
'I don't want to take anything too conspicuous. There are several S-Rank missions and beyond posted here. But as an F-Rank, picking one would draw too much attention...'
His hand hovered over a C-Rank mission, and a collective sigh of relief spread among the receptionists and adventurers.
Then his gaze shifted, catching sight of the A-Rank parchment.
[Quest Title: Burning Dungeon!]
Description:
Reward: 1,000 copper coins.
Van's gaze lingered on the parchment.
'That can't be a dragon. Dragons prefer high places—mountains, peaks. Even dragonkin stick to colder, elevated areas. I learned that the hard way during my 'wife-hunting crusade.' Thought I could charm the Dragon King's daughter... until the guards roasted me off their mountain. Guess I wasn't cut out for scalies.'
'Heh, could've been Donkey from Shrek or something.'
He smirked faintly at the thought, then shook it off.
'Then, a rogue mage, maybe?'
Van pulled the parchment from the board and studied it closer, holding it up to the visor of his helmet.
"Hey..!! He's looking at it..!" One of the adventurers said with a murmur; Van not paying them any mind.
'And the reward... 1,000 copper coins. That's just 1 silver. If I had to guess, that's everything the villagers could scrape together—probably their entire savings. A-Rank quests usually pay out in hundreds of gold coins. This parchment's worn, too. It's been here a while. Nobody wants to take it. They're too focused on the payment to care, then.'
He clenched the parchment tightly, lowering his head for a moment.
Van stood in silence, his grip tightening further on the parchment.
'I don't want to die of boredom; and this seems fun enough. Money's not going to be an issue once I collect the payment Nickelson probably delivered to Marcilla's guild. Screw it, I'm taking it. If anyone asks, I'll just flaunt my noble status—tell them mommy and daddy decked me out with gear fit for an A-Rank mission. That'll shut them up.'
With that thought, Van turned to face the receptionist, parchment in hand. His voice carried an edge of indifference.
"I heard you walking up behind me. Whatever you want from me—I couldn't care less."
"So, move out of the way. I don't have the time to deal with you." His tone was flat, his casualness hidden beneath the helmet. As he spoke, his gaze swept over the group standing in his way—ten adventurers, including the weeping paladin, Sylva, and the grumbling dwarf—all of them blocking the path to the receptionist. Their faces bore serious, determined expressions.
"Noble bastard. Don't take that quest," the dwarf barked, glaring at Van.
"Or what? I'll die?" Van retorted.
'Haah... I wish they didn't stand so close. It hurts to look at them. Each one has a different color around them—and they all sting my eyes. This has to be related to the arcane stat. Seed of Darkness. That new passive I got... I'll have to read about it later.' Van thought, squinting beneath his helmet.
"Worse. Much, much worse. Please." The paladin stepped forward, placing a hand firmly on Van's shoulder. A somber, urgent expression on his eyes.
Van paused, his reflexes tensing, almost ready to deflect what he expected to be a threat. But as he looked into the paladin's weary eyes, noticeable even through the blinding colors that surrounded him, he faltered. There was no malice—only earnestness...
He doesn't want me to die...? Van thought. Was he really such a good person?
Van's gaze shifted to the paladin's relaxed hand on his shoulder, then back to his face. He let out a long sigh.
"I've made my choice. I'm going on this quest," Van said, brushing Unicus's hand off his shoulder with a firm yet measured gesture.
'That fool... Just what does he hope to gain by going there? Is he as maniacal as his father was?' Sylva wondered, her narrowed eyes fixed on Van before drifting to Unicus.
'Even when Unicus is begging him not to go... He's such a good person.' Her gaze softened, a faint blush rising to her cheeks as admiration and awe overtook her thoughts.
Vaelthir silently glanced at Sylva; taking in her awestruck expression as she looked at Unicus.
'My lady is at that age, I suppose... I can understand the necessity of working with humans, but... really, my Lady? To fall for a human? Inconceivable. In a mere forty years, he'll look older than your grandfather.' He sighed, his thoughts a quiet lament.
'While you and I will still appear the same, even after a century passes.' Vaelthir closed his eyes, looking away in a mix of exasperation and slight envy. 'Oh well. I suppose such is a lesson you will have to experience the hard way.'
'I am patient, after all. And unlike a human, I have nothing but time on my hands,' Vaelthir concluded silently, his thoughts as steady as his composure.
Van noted, his sharp eyes catching the slight parting of the paladin's lips—a crack in his resolve, filled with despair and somber resignation; as Van removed his hand.
"Leave him, UNICUS. That noble wants to die, LET HIM DIE!" A deep, guttural growl erupted from behind. The voice belonged to a towering dragonkin, his imposing figure commanding attention as he stepped forward.
"H-Hey!" hissed a human woman in a hooded cloak, her voice sharp with warning. "Don't provoke him... he's a noble!"
"Psche, who are you to tell me what to do? I don't even remember you walking in here!" the dragonkin snarled, his voice rising in challenge, drawing everyone's attention to the thief.
"I... I knew someone from the expedition," she stammered, her tone faltering. "The receptionist let me in b-because of that, so—"
"PSCHE," the dragonkin clicked his tongue, cutting her off. His gaze darted toward the receptionist, who gave a subtle nod confirming her words. With a dismissive snort, his scaly lips curled back as his eyes returned to Van. "If I feared the likes of him, I wouldn't have become an adventurer."
"Hmph." The dwarf interjected with a grunt, his tone gruff. "The scaly has a point, runt." He jabbed a stubby finger toward Van. "Leave the quest and scram; you'll die a horrible death. Not that anyone here cares."
He ended his remark with one eye squeezed shut in derision, his words oozing disdain. Around the room, the adventurers nodded in unison. Not a single face bore a shred of concern. Instead, their expressions were taut with caution,
But only one of them wore despair etched deeply on his features.
It was Unicus—the blonde-haired paladin with his short, spiky hair. His composure faltered as he stepped closer, desperation leaking into his voice.
"Don't do this! That quest... it's a death sentence! I've seen what happens to those who try. Please, listen to reason—don't throw your life away!" he nearly begged, both hands gripping Van's sides once more in a futile attempt to stop him.
"...Unicus, right?" Van muttered, his voice low as his gaze met the paladin's.
'Did he happen to be there, or something? A villager from the area?' Van wondered momentarily.
"...?" Unicus swallowed hard, his grip tightening slightly as he
'...So why does it feel like my shoulders are lighter now?' The thought lingered as Van's eyes softened, briefly flickering downward, while the weight he'd been carrying felt, inexplicably, less oppressive.
Unicus let out a faint, weary smile, his fingers closing gently around the parchment. Van lowered his hand to his side, silent but resigned.
"Thank you," Unicus said softly. His voice carried a quiet sincerity as he looked directly at Van, then to the rest of the party. "I'll keep you safe. No matter what."
With that, the group began to march, their footsteps steady with purpose. Van followed a few paces behind, his armored figure blending into the movement of the party.
The thought lingered in the human thief's mind, a flicker of suspicion burning in her chest as she walked behind the group.
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"Hey, Ilfri. When did you let that hooded girl in? I don't remember seeing her walk in," one of the guild receptionists asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.
"Oh... her..." Ilfri muttered, her expression clouding as she blinked rapidly. "I... don't remember letting her in..." She faltered, clutching the reception table for balance. Her voice dropped to a faint whisper, barely audible. "But... I had to... didn't I? Someone told me to..."
"Ilfri!!" her coworker exclaimed, rushing to her side to catch her before she collapsed.
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'I'm going to find out... just how you recognized me,' she thought, a low growl rumbling in her throat as her sharp, cat-like eyes narrowed, locking on Van's back. She fell in line with the others, her movements tense, deliberate. 'And if necessary... I'll kill you. If you know who I am... then you must be connected to those who killed my mother.'
Her claws twitched involuntarily as her mind hissed the name that burned in her heart:
'The Queen of the Feline-Halfling Tribe...!'