Chapter 73: Treasure Hunt (1)

Now that they had arrived at the investigation site, there was no longer any need for Damian Hassen to remain.

Damian expressed his intention to return to his family to Agnes.

"Are you already leaving?"

Agnes said with a disappointed look on her face.

"A banquet is being prepared to celebrate our victory. Could you stay until then...?"

"I didn't get my father's permission to leave. I need to return as soon as possible."

At Damian's words, Agnes let out a short sigh.

"Then please contact us when you visit the Order. I want to personally guide Sir Damian."

Thanks to his recent achievements, Damian had earned the opportunity to enter the Order's archives.

Agnes seemed to want to personally guide Damian.

"Understood."

"You must do so."

Agnes firmly held Damian's hand, and under the immense pressure, Damian had no choice but to repeatedly agree.

"Sir Damian! It was a short time, but I am truly grateful!"

Next, Damian met Dionisio. Dionisio's eyes shone brightly.

"How great Sir Damian was. I will never forget it!"

"You said you would never forget your grudge."

"That, that was... because I didn't know anything..."

Dionisio scratched the back of his head. Damian chuckled.

"Work hard. You have potential."

Damian patted Dionisio's shoulder. Dionisio's eyes widened in surprise.

"Really?"

"Really. I have a good eye for people."

It wasn't just empty words; he was speaking from the heart.

Dionisio's talent was quite exceptional, enough to reach the rank of a 1st-class Holy Knight.

Not just Dionisio, but Margarita and Jamal were also rare talents.

It wasn't for nothing that the Order had faltered in the previous life, mainly due to the annihilation of the extermination team.

"I will work hard!"

Encouraged by Damian, Dionisio loudly responded.

"Hey, how long are you going to talk? Come out now."

At that moment, Margarita pushed Dionisio back. Dionisio let out a cry as he was pushed away.

"Damian, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I would have died."

"It would have been worse. If it weren't for Sir Damian, we would all have been modified by the necromancer."

Margarita's words were echoed by Jamal. Margarita quietly glared at him.

"Still, it's true. The necromancer would have definitely done that."

Margarita agreed with a bitter smile.

"We almost became flesh golems and killed the Order's brothers with our own hands. Thank you for stopping that."

Margarita firmly held Damian's hand.

"I'll send you an invitation, so please come."

"An invitation?"

Damian asked, puzzled. Margarita leaned her head on Jamal's shoulder and said,

"Jamal proposed to me. I might send you an invitation soon."

Damian was taken aback.

"Jamal, you proposed?"

"Senior, is it true?"

Agnes and Dionisio, who had never heard this before, looked at the two in shock.

"Ah, you two didn't know? We were already dating. We didn't plan to get married, but this guy suddenly proposed."

"Marg, Margarita, don't be so detailed."

Jamal tried to stop Margarita, his face turning red. But Margarita wasn't about to stop.

"I almost died this time, right? That made me realize. Life is unpredictable. I want to do my best. Hahaha!"

Margarita burst into laughter. Jamal's face turned beet red.

"Anyway, I hope you can come."

Margarita wiped away a tear.

* * *

Damian left the extermination team and returned to his estate.

At first, he was eager to see his family. But as he got closer to the estate, his anxiety grew.

"Father is probably still angry."

Considering his father's stubbornness, it was likely that he was still furious.

Damian decided not to enter the mansion boldly. Instead, he quietly moved to the backyard.

"Yah! Hah!"

Victor was practicing in the backyard. Damian suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Hey, how have you been?"

"Wha, what! An intruder... no, Master Damian?"

Victor looked at Damian in surprise, checking him over.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Did the necromancer curse you? No, that's not it! How could you leave me behind that day!"

Victor immediately got angry at the sight of Damian.

"Do you know how angry Lord Hassen was with me!"

"Was he that angry?"

"He wanted to fire me for not stopping you!"

As Damian had expected, his father was definitely still angry.

"Has he calmed down now?"

"Of course not! He's determined to punish you when you return!"

"Hmm."

Damian stroked his chin. It seemed he couldn't resolve this situation alone.

He needed help from a third party, like his mother or sister.

"By the way, Lady and Louise were also very angry. They said you went to a dangerous place without consulting them."

Damian had planned to rely on his mother and sister if things got tough. But that option was now closed.

"I can't do this. I'll have to return when he calms down."

"Where are you going now?"

Victor grabbed Damian, shocked.

"If I lose you again, I might really be fired! You can't leave until I'm in the grave!"

When one's livelihood is at stake, they become strong.

Victor said firmly, showing his determination not to let go.

"But what can I do? I have something to do."

"Something to do?"

Damian waved a map he had obtained from the necromancer's laboratory.

"Treasure hunt."

Victor frowned at this.

"Don't try to brush it off with strange words! You absolutely can't leave!"

"Alright, alright. Here, take this."

Damian opened a subspace and took out a bag. Victor took it, confused.

"What is this?"

"Check it yourself."

When Victor opened the bag, bright gold coins greeted him.

"Wha, what! Master Damian! What is this..."

"Seal money."

"What?"

"Please speak well to Father."

Damian quickly pulled his hand away from Victor's grip and quickly left.

"Master Damian! Master Damian!"

Victor called out desperately, but Damian was already gone.

* * *

When Damian was far from the mansion,

-Damian! You damn brat! Can't you come back right now!

His father's roar echoed from the mansion.

"Even at his age, he's still energetic."

He had been considering whether to prepare some tonics for his father. But seeing this, it seemed unnecessary.

"I shouldn't even approach for a while."

By the time Damian returned from raiding Yuran's hideout, the news of the extermination team would have spread widely.

Of course, the truth wouldn't be revealed. That would damage the Order's reputation.

But everyone would know that Damian Hassen was a strong middle-class warrior and had made significant contributions to dealing with the necromancer.

When his father heard this, he would realize that Damian's actions weren't reckless and would calm down.

"Will he calm down?"

Shaking off a lingering sense of unease, Damian headed for the city of Landwalk.

Yuran's hideout was in the Longquist Mountains, a very distant place that required some preparation.

Damian equipped a sturdy horse, a blanket, flint, and food for the journey.

"Why does it have to be in the Longquist Mountains?"

On the horse, Damian grumbled.

The Longquist Mountains were known for their dangerous terrain, though they didn't have dangerous creatures.

This made it a haven for criminals and bandits.

"I need to find a guide first when I arrive."

The Longquist Mountains were so complex that without a guide, one could easily get lost.

A guide was essential to reach Yuran's hideout.

"Already, the road ahead looks tough."

Thinking about the complex terrain, his head throbbed.

But Yuran's hideout was worth a visit.

Yuran was a well-known group of necromancers, not large in size but highly skilled, always in demand.

Their hideout would likely contain a lot of wealth and treasures.

Moreover, Yuran was directly commanded by Dorgo.

Damian might find a clue to track Dorgo.

Thus, Damian arrived at the Longquist Mountains.

He first headed to the village of Alden at the base of the mountains.

Travelers crossing the Longquist Mountains gathered in Alden to find companions.

'I need to hide my identity.'

Damian was now very famous. Once the rumors from the dungeon spread, he would become even more so.

If it became known that a famous person like Damian was searching the Longquist Mountains, annoying people would surely follow.

Even without that, it was better to hide his identity while looking for a necromancer's hideout.

Damian covered his face with a black cloth.

He put his holy sword and千里剑 into the subspace and took out a regular iron sword.

After disguising himself, he headed to the mercenary hiring office in Alden.

The mercenary hiring office, converted from a tavern, was quite large. Inside, the noise of mercenaries enjoying drinks and food was loud.

As soon as Damian entered, the mercenaries' attention focused on him, a mix of curiosity and suspicion in their eyes.

"I'm looking for a guide who knows the Longquist Mountains well."

Damian said to a man polishing a glass at the front bar.

The man, possibly a retired mercenary, had one ear missing and his face was scarred.

He glanced at Damian and said gruffly,

"If you want to cross the mountains, it's wiser to find merchants, not mercenaries."

"I'm not crossing the mountains; I need to find something inside."

"Search that dangerous place? You must be crazy."

The Longquist Mountains were a lawless area teeming with criminals and bandits.

The mountain paths merchants used to cross were relatively safe. Everywhere else was dangerous.

"Sorry, but there won't be any guides willing to take such a job. Unless they're insane..."

Damian took out a bag of gold coins from his pocket and flipped it, spilling the coins on the table.

"I have plenty of money. I just need a skilled guide."

Despite seeing the gold, no mercenaries stepped forward.

The Longquist Mountains were dangerous, and skilled guides were rare.

"Is there no one?"

Just as Damian was about to put the gold back,

"Are you looking for a guide to navigate the Longquist Mountains?"

Someone approached Damian.

Damian, who had been looking at the mercenary absentmindedly, was so surprised that his mind went blank.

A man in his late twenties to early thirties.

Slightly below average height.

A plump build for a mercenary.

Juan David.

The mercenary captain who had hired Damian in his previous life was standing right in front of him.