Chapter – 13

“I see,” Mayor Simon simply commented once the adventurers had finished their debriefing.

Turning toward the rest of the room, he asked, “And what are everyone’s thoughts on the matter?”

“I think they did the right thing,” Master Aenul commented, taking a long drag from his pipe. At some point during Stella’s recounting of the events, his master had taken out his pipe and resumed indulging in his addiction.

He exhaled a cloud of smoke, waited for anyone to object, and then continued.

“From what I hear, this new dungeon is shaping up to be another Silver Mine. We should do our best to secure cooperation with it as soon as possible. What happened to Seibel was unfortunate, but angering the dungeon further by trying to save him—and potentially risking their own lives in the process—would not have been the smart move.”

“I agree,” Mayor Simon said.

Aman was surprised.

Mayor Simon was quite close with Seibel’s family, something the boy had frequently leveraged to get others to do his bidding. Aman had been expecting a very different reaction from the mayor after Seibel’s death.

“Don’t misunderstand,” the mayor continued. “I personally am not happy with what happened. Someone still died, no matter the circumstances leading to it. And since he was a member of your team, you still bore some responsibility for him.”

Mayor Simon looked toward Stella.

“However, I can understand the reasoning behind your actions. You did what you could, given the situation. Which is why I am not holding you accountable for his death.”

The mayor let out a tired sigh, tapping his fingers against the table.

“Soran has already filed an official complaint against you, claiming that you led his son astray and got him killed inside the dungeon. I will need to speak with him after this and see if I can smooth things over.”

“So, what are our next steps?” Uncle Malrick asked.

“We need to carefully manage our interactions with the dungeon going forward. We cannot risk another incident like this. Therefore, until the royal appraiser arrives, keep the southern gates closed. No one is to enter the Emerald Forest without my explicit permission.”

Uncle Malrick nodded.

“Even though the dungeon is situated relatively close to us, the deeper regions of the forest are teeming with dangerous magical beasts, so people generally avoid the area anyway. The only ones who regularly go there are adventurers. I don’t think temporarily closing the gates will cause any problems.”

Mayor Simon nodded before turning toward Guildmaster Bern.

“Remove all quests pertaining to the Emerald Forest for now. We don’t have any high-tier adventurers in town anyway, so redirect them toward the eastern forest or the nearby villages instead. If they aren’t satisfied with the arrangement, tell them to head north to Brislin for the time being.”

Guildmaster Bern inclined his head.

“Very well, Mayor. Most of the adventurers are locals anyway, so they should respect your wishes.”

Mayor Simon finally turned his attention toward Aman.

“Now, Apprentice Aman. Why don’t you tell us more about these Pokémon? They sound rather interesting.”

“Yes, sir.”

Aman quickly opened his Pokédex, silently thanking himself for bringing it along.

He awkwardly pointed it toward the gathered elders.

“This thing is a Pokédex. A powerful mage named—”

“Ahem. One moment.”

Master Aenul coughed, interrupting him.

When Aman turned toward him, he saw his master’s hand glow briefly. The next moment, an enlarged image of the Pokédex appeared in the center of the room, floating above the table for everyone to see.

“That’s better,” Master Aenul muttered. “Continue, please.”

Aman stared at the casual display of power for a moment before refocusing on his task.

“Right. So, this is a Pokédex. Professor Samuel Oak, a powerful mage we met near the dungeon, gifted it to me for helping him. He has been researching Pokémon for quite some time, and this enchanted grimoire contains all of his accumulated knowledge.”

Aman began flipping through the pages, the floating image mirroring every movement, as he explained everything Professor Oak had told him about Pokémon, along with his own experiences.

“And that’s about everything I currently know about them,” Aman finished. As he closed the Pokédex, the projected image vanished along with it.

“Well, they certainly sound very different from typical dungeon creations,” Mayor Simon observed before turning toward Master Aenul. “And what do you think, Master Aenul?”

His master released another cloud of smoke before speaking.

“They are a fascinating bunch. The more I hear about them, the more I feel the urge to visit the dungeon myself and see how they work.”

“I don’t think that would be wise. The new dungeon seems to value its creations far more than other dungeons,” Stella chimed in.

“I know. You’ve mentioned that several times already. I simply meant seeing these Pokémon with my own eyes. Perhaps even speaking with this Professor Oak my disciple seems so fond of.”

His master chuckled.

While Stella struggled to come up with a response, Master Aenul waved dismissively.

“Don’t worry. I understand what you mean. I know several people who would do exactly what you’re worried about, so your warning is appreciated. I’ll need to have a conversation with them myself once news of these Pokémon reaches the capital.”

“Speaking of the professor, we should formally invite him to our town once the appraiser arrives. Even if he isn’t technically a citizen of our kingdom, he has been residing here for quite some time and is directly involved with the new dungeon. We need to know more about him,” Uncle Malrick said.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Mayor Simon agreed. “When the appraiser visits the dungeon, they should invite the master mage back for a conversation as well. I believe that would be the best course of action.”

Everyone voiced their agreement.

“Returning to my earlier point,” Master Aenul continued, “even if we cannot treat the Pokémon as resources, their existence alone proves the dungeon’s potential. If it can already create such unique creatures, there is no telling what else it might accomplish if properly nurtured.”

“Exactly. Those berries alone are already a promising start. If the dungeon proves agreeable, we could even petition the Crown for additional resources to aid in its development. Perhaps provide it with rare minerals from the Silver Mines or some magical plants from the Fae Garden and see what it can create. If we could develop another resource dungeon, that would truly be a blessing.”

Mayor Simon looked positively delighted by the prospect.

“Do you think that would work?” Uncle Malrick asked. “From what I’ve heard, the Adventurer Guild tried something similar with the Dungeon of Aros, but what they received wasn’t worth the investment.”

He looked toward Guildmaster Bern for confirmation.

“It’s true,” the guildmaster replied. “After the disaster that was the Crypt of Sylia, the guild was ecstatic when another dungeon appeared near our headquarters in Darson. Guildmaster Ourus personally invested in its development, even providing it with a Wyvern Core, all in the hopes of recreating the success of the Silver Mines.”

Guildmaster Bern sighed.

“Unfortunately, the dungeon simply assimilated all of those resources into its own creations. It still remains valuable as a training ground for adventurers, but not as a source of resources.”

“That’s because, just like you and me, no two dungeons are alike. They have their own interests and proficiencies.”

Master Aenul put down his pipe and leaned forward.

“Just as you wouldn’t ask a blacksmith to bake the same quality cake as the royal chef, you shouldn’t expect an earth-attuned dungeon like the Silver Mines to recreate the Crystal Tears produced by the Underwater Dungeon of Alanis.”

Master Aenul shook his head.

“I told that fool repeatedly that the dungeon wasn’t suitable for producing unique resources. That his plan was idiotic. But that meathead wouldn’t listen. He was too busy chasing King Aereston’s glory.”

At this point, Master Aenul seemed to be speaking more to himself than anyone else.

“I say he got what he deserved. At least Queen Maria didn’t strip him of his title for wasting everyone’s time.”

While Master Aenul continued his tirade, the rest of them watched in open-mouthed silence as the old man repeatedly insulted one of the most powerful men in the kingdom—the current head of the entire Adventurer Guild of Mati.

Sometimes, Aman forgot exactly who his master had once been before his retirement.

“Um, Master Aenul,” Uncle Malrick finally interrupted, “does that mean you believe this new dungeon might be suitable for such a project?”

Master Aenul blinked, seemingly remembering where he was. He picked up his pipe, took a long inhale, and spoke in his usual calm tone.

“I am not the dungeon. I cannot say anything with absolute certainty. However, the fact that it is already capable of creating entirely new lifeforms tells me that it is an intelligent one. But before we dream too big, we first need to determine whether it is willing to cooperate with us at all.”

“Right. Right. We are getting ahead of ourselves,” Mayor Simon agreed. “Ultimately, we must wait for the royal appraiser’s verdict before making any long-term plans. For now, do as we discussed and wait for Her Majesty to send someone.”

He looked around the room.

“Anything else before we wrap up this meeting?”

“Yes, Mayor. We still haven’t discussed what to do with these children. They did break protocol, after all, and that ultimately led to someone’s death. They deserve some form of punishment.”

Aman noticed the quick glance Mayor Simon shot toward Master Aenul before focusing his attention on the guildmaster.

“And what punishment do you believe would be appropriate?”

Guildmaster Bern immediately looked panicked.

“I-I will defer to you, Mayor. Whatever you believe is best.”

Aman understood the man’s dilemma.

If Stella and her team were allowed to leave without consequences, it would reflect poorly on the man.

However, Seibel’s death ultimately wasn’t Stella’s fault. Her only real offense had been failing to obtain proper authorization. If Bern recommended an excessively harsh punishment, he would simply paint a target on his own back for mistreating a noble lady.

Guildmaster Bern clearly realized this, as did the mayor.

Which was why Mayor Simon addressed Stella directly.

“And what do you think, Lady Stella?”

Stella rose from her seat and bowed her head.

“I will take full responsibility for my actions, Mayor Simon. Even though Seibel joined us of his own accord, the decision to visit the dungeon before the appraiser arrived was entirely my own. For that, I will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate. All I ask is that you leave the rest of my team out of it.”

Wow.

That was smooth.

She had accepted responsibility only for the minor infraction while simultaneously demonstrating maturity, humility, and protecting the rest of her team.

Aman sincerely hoped the mayor would go easy on her.

“Good. Very good. Your parents have raised you well.”

Mayor Simon nodded.

“Then I shall simply follow standard procedure. Stella Crestel, your guild license is hereby suspended. Once the royal appraiser arrives, you will plead your case before them. Depending on their judgment, your license will either be reinstated or you will be further fined a sum of one hundred gold.”

That…

Was basically just handing the problem over to someone else.

Still, was that good or bad?

Stella gave no visible reaction. She simply removed her adventurer card and handed it over to Guildmaster Bern.

Aman looked toward the rest of her companions, but they maintained equally blank expressions.

As a last resort, Aman turned toward the only person who had contributed absolutely nothing throughout the entire meeting.

Sarai simply shrugged.

Yeah. Aman wasn’t sure either.

---

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Guildmaster Bern paced back and forth inside his room in the Adventurer Guild building.

That had been entirely stupid.

He could practically feel the few remaining hairs on his head falling out from stress.

What had he been thinking?

Apparently nothing.

He had been too busy worrying about his own future after the discovery of the new dungeon near their town.

Would he still remain here? Would he be put in charge of the new dungeon? Would he still be allowed to retire peacefully next year and finally escape dealing with rowdy adventurers?

So many questions had been swirling around in his mind at the time.

He had assumed that Mayor Simon had simply forgotten about Stella’s team, which was why he had so helpfully reminded him.

Of course, that hadn’t been the case.

Unlike Bern, that man held his position because of his competence rather than as a punishment.

Bern had only realized something was amiss after noticing the silent glance exchanged between the two most important men in town.

That was when he understood why they had arrived late to the meeting.

They had probably already decided how to handle the children before the meeting had even begun.

He should have realized that the moment Mayor Simon barely reacted to Seibel’s death.

Bern knew the mayor was quite close with Soran and his family. He had even stepped in to shield their son from the consequences of his actions on several occasions.

Seeing his passive response, Bern should have realized the mayor already had a plan.

Most likely, the children would have been disciplined by their own families behind closed doors while the mayor quietly swept the entire matter under the rug.

Including all discussion regarding the new dungeon.

After all, that was how nobles usually handled their affairs.

And it probably would have worked.

Everyone would have gone home satisfied.

But no.

Bern had just had to open his mouth and ruin everything.

Now that he had publicly raised the issue, the mayor could no longer simply ignore it.

At least Mayor Simon hadn’t been petty enough to place the responsibility on Bern’s shoulders.

Though what he had done instead was merely delay the inevitable.

At times like these, Bern dearly missed his old life.

Back then, he had enjoyed a comfortable position overseeing administration and paperwork for the Adventurer Guild in Orin. He had even enjoyed the Guildmaster’s personal support.

If only he hadn’t allowed greed to get the better of him.

Bern had devised what he believed to be a brilliant scheme.

He would post fake quests through intermediaries—simple things like package deliveries or gathering common herbs—and then use his authority to mark them as completed. Most of the payout would quietly find its way into his own pocket, while the remainder went to the people he hired for the task.

With Orin situated so close to the capital and filled with powerful adventurers, Bern had never expected anyone to discover his little embezzlement scheme.

Unfortunately, they did.

And when the Guildmaster discovered the truth, he didn’t simply dismiss Bern.

He did something far worse.

He sent him here. To this distant little town.

The Guildmaster had told Bern that he should experience firsthand the hardships faced by the common people whose money he had been stealing.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Bern knew it had mostly been done to preserve the Guildmaster’s own reputation, given that Bern had once been one of his trusted subordinates.

Still, the punishment had worked.

The first few months in Brendon had been among the worst periods of Bern’s life.

There was barely any staff, which meant he had to handle almost everything himself.

Most of the adventurers were merely local youngsters playing hero, yet they possessed the egos of seasoned Tier II veterans.

They didn’t respect Bern, and because he possessed the physique of a pampered scribe, many believed they could simply push him around.

With the Guildmaster in Orin closely monitoring him, Bern had been forced to adopt the persona he currently maintained.

And it had worked.

By being strict and following regulations to the letter, no one could find fault with him.

And if they did, he could simply direct them to his superiors in Brislin and let them deal with it.

He had even hired a few guards out of his own pocket to handle particularly unreasonable adventurers.

Bern had already spent two years in this miserable place and had only one year left before his sentence ended and he could hopefully retire and pursue another profession.

Then Stella Crestel arrived and instantly became the talk of the town.

At first, Bern had hoped she was merely visiting.

Then disturbing rumors began circulating.

There was a new dungeon near town.

Stella was investigating it.

Somehow, Soran’s son had become involved. As had Master Aenul’s disciple.

Bern had desperately hoped the rumors concerned something mundane. Perhaps a love affair between the noble lady and the two commoners.

Unfortunately, the paperwork waiting on his desk a few days ago shattered all such hopes.

It was an official request for the rights to conduct the initial scouting expedition into the new dungeon.

So the rumors had been true.

Bern had immediately smelled trouble approaching from a mile away.

He had spent the entire day staring at the request, debating what to do.

He hadn’t even managed to get a proper night’s sleep.

Should he approve it and allow the noble lady her way?

She clearly met all the necessary requirements. From what he had heard, she and her team were genuinely competent and possessed previous dungeon experience.

But what if it was all exaggerated?

What if people were inflating her accomplishments to curry favor with her family?

What if she was simply relying on her family name while others fought on her behalf?

It wasn’t entirely impossible.

And what if something happened to her?

What if—Goddess forbid—she died inside the dungeon?

Would he be held responsible?

Would Lord Crestel and his heir come demanding answers for sending their scion into danger?

In the end, Bern simply couldn’t bear such responsibility.

So he decided to seek Mayor Simon’s advice the following morning.

The mayor was a noble as well.

Surely he would know how to handle the matter.

Unfortunately, before Bern could even leave the guild building, he learned that Stella had already departed through the town gates.

Bern had simply stood there, the paperwork that had caused him so much anxiety neatly folded in his pockets, suddenly rendered completely useless.

He had only hoped everyone would return safely so that he could slap them on the wrist and put the matter behind him.

Then he heard that someone had died inside the dungeon.

Bern’s heart had nearly leapt out of his chest.

When he later saw Stella and her companions safely eating breakfast inside the guild, he had nearly wept tears of relief.

Unfortunately, the damage had already been done.

The one who had died was Soran’s son.

And Soran was not a man known for his restraint.

Rumors spread through town faster than wildfire.

Bern knew that if he ignored the matter and allowed the noble lady to walk away without consequences, his carefully cultivated reputation would suffer.

He had spent the entire walk to the town hall trying to formulate an appropriate response.

Perhaps he could even consult the mayor before rendering any judgment.

Then he learned about the dungeon. About Pokémon. About everything that had happened inside.

After that, Bern simply lacked the mental capacity to think about Stella’s predicament.

Which was why he had committed such a blunder.

Now, all they could do was wait for the royal appraiser to arrive and solve their problems.

It had been a clever move by Mayor Simon.

Unfortunately, one small problem remained.

Depending on who the Crown chose to send, this situation would either be resolved peacefully.