Chapter 651 – Failure Class?

“You’re such a good boy, Amun!”

“Woof?”

“Yes, you are. The greatest boy.”

“Woof!?”

Agni’s tail wagged like a propeller, turning into a deadly weapon for anyone who got too close as they made their way through the adventurer city. After the small conflict, Roland took the blacksmith and his daughter to the guild building to keep an eye on them. He was still worried the man might be targeted, but now there was another concern. His daughter seemed utterly enamored with his wolf.

“Please be careful. Some of those crystals are quite sharp.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Siegfried. I’ll be care… ack.”

Right on cue, Millie pricked her finger on Agni’s gems. They jutted out all over his body, and the more levels he gained, the harder they became.

“Millie, behave…”

“Don’t worry, Papa. I just need to figure out where I can pet Amun.”

Ermes shook his head as he saw his daughter stick the injured finger into her mouth while still petting the wolf with her other hand.

“I… I must apologize for my daughter, Mr. Siegfried. You’ve already done so much for me during this trip. I’m not sure how to repay you.”

Ermes said this while bowing his head several times, but Roland did not really mind. He wanted to ask the armorsmith about his daughter’s special class, but this was not the right time. Nor did he wish to explain that he was actually a runesmith in disguise. He was not even sure what he wanted to do with that knowledge, or whether this family wanted his input at all. It was their life, and they were likely hiding their circumstances for a reason, much like he was hiding his own true identity.

‘And that class… I am not sure if she will be able to become a runesmith or even work as one normally. Can a person even become a runesmith without having a mage class?’

As they continued walking and he pondered the name and true nature of her class, he became convinced that most people would consider it a failure. The main reason lay in its non-combat-oriented origins.

‘Her mana reserves as a pure crafting class might not be able to keep up with higher-grade enchantments.’

Roland, who was gifted with a vast mana pool, had never faced this problem. He knew, however, that ordinary runesmiths often struggled with mana deprivation. Creating higher-grade runes required a significant amount of MP, and after glancing at her current mana pool, Roland could roughly estimate how much she gained with each level. It was nowhere near enough.

He was also uncertain whether she would be able to attain the Enchantsmith or Runesmith classes. For now, she was closer to a mana scribe and could likely produce only basic scrolls. What her future classes might be remained a mystery, and he was not sure whether her limited mana capacity would become her eventual downfall. Still, there were ways to counteract such a defect through certain means, ones that he had.

‘I wonder, could they have come here in search of help after someone deemed her class a failure?’

As they arrived before the guild building, Roland pondered the thought further. It was possible that Millie’s parents had not given up on her when others had. Inside the dungeon, they could earn far more money than above ground. The main reason regular people came to a place like this was simple. Money. Here, they could earn ten times what they normally would in the upper parts of the kingdom.

“…”

His gaze shifted away from Agni and the one petting him and moved toward the large guild building. The Adventurer Guild dominated the street, standing like a fortress. Three stories high, it was built not only of wood but reinforced with stone. Runes were carved throughout its walls, forming a massive barrier meant to protect those inside.

It was clearly designed as a last bastion in the event that monsters somehow breached the dungeon walls, something that had become possible due to recent irregular movements within the dungeon. Yet, unlike a fortress or a noble’s estate, there were no guards posted outside, only an open door through which anyone could pass.

“Amun, wait over there. I’ll be back soon.”

“Woof!”

“I’ll keep him company then. Just don’t be long, Papa.”

Millie was content to wait outside as long as she could stay with Agni. For a brief moment, it seemed as though she would not part from her father, who had only just returned, but the moment the blue wolf appeared, her attention shifted completely.

“Defeated by a tamed creature…”

Ermes looked slightly baffled by how quickly his daughter’s affection shifted once Agni was involved. Still, holding back a tear, he entered the guild with the others so they could take a headcount and divide the reward money among the remaining adventurers and the porters.

The moment they crossed the threshold, his helmet display lit up with countless signatures. Wards, detection fields, suppression arrays, and emergency barriers were stacked atop one another as if someone had crammed them all together. Whoever designed this place was either a genius or a madman. However, considering there were hundreds of tier three combatants in the city and lesser dragons looming everywhere, this level of defensive magic was necessary.

“Everyone, this shouldn’t take long. Just take a break and I’ll be right back.”

Captain Varek said this as he headed toward the counter with a few others. Despite everything, this was still an adventurer guild, complete with the usual bureaucracy and waiting lines. Like any other, it had a pub section off to the side, with food and drinks ready to be served.

“Siegfried, I also have something to take care of. I’ll join you later.”

Harphon, the hidden guild inspector, spoke quietly to him. It was clear that he likely had contacts here that required his attention. Whether they could be trusted was another matter entirely. Someone had clearly talked about his journey here, otherwise no assassins would have appeared. There was a chance of another attack if the person Harphon contacted was the mole, though it was also possible the information had spread through other means.

As the gnome moved away and Varek disappeared into the crowd, Roland was left with Ermes and the rest of the party. Before he could press for answers about their situation or about Ermes’s daughter, a strange sound echoed from outside. It was like metal striking stone over and over at a steady rhythm. Moments later, someone burst through the doors of the adventurer guild.

“Where is ye!”

Roland turned toward the voice and instantly knew the man had to be connected to Ermes. After a closer look, recognition set in, and he realized exactly who the newcomer was.

The identity of the man was clear. It was Hasim, the Master Runesmith of the fortress. His level was quite high, and he was already on his second tier three crafting class. It was a path Roland had once considered for himself, before a better option presented itself.

‘Is that a peg leg?’

Roland thought to himself as the dwarf spotted him and Ermes. The moment Hasim noticed them, his one good eye flew wide open, and he charged forward.

“There ye be!”

The dwarf moved with a speed that defied his artificial limb. Each step of his metal capped peg leg rang out like a hammer striking an anvil. Hasim was a mountain of a man compressed into a frame barely one hundred forty-five centimeters tall, his beard braided with golden wire and stained with the soot of countless hours at the forge.

“Master Hasim!”

Ermes exclaimed, his voice filled with relief and surprise. Hasim did not slow down until he was mere centimeters from Ermes’s chest. He offered neither a hug nor a handshake. Instead, he swung a calloused, grease-stained hand and delivered a sharp smack to the armorsmith’s shoulder.

“Ye thick-skulled donkey!”

The dwarf’s shout drew the attention of several adventurers nearby. Ermes could not absorb the blow and was sent flying straight toward Roland. Roland stepped aside and, just before Ermes could crash into a column behind him, caught him by the collar of his shirt.

“I thought ye ‘ere dead!”