Chapter 56

Roland gathered his troops when he arrived at the dungeon.

This was the last chance to show his face to the troops before the next dungeon expedition.

"Alright, everyone is here."

Roland looked around at his troops and said.

He quickly checked their statuses.

(Yes, everything is fine.)

Satisfied with the state of his troops, Roland began to speak.

"As you know, the second team of the 'Golden Eagle' is scheduled to be dispatched to the 'Mine Dungeon.' Even without Sebastien, they are a group of experienced veterans. They have not neglected their training, and their preparations for the dungeon expedition are complete (though that's a lie). You must not let your guard down, or you might be outdone. Each of you should prepare thoroughly for the dungeon exploration."

"Okay, okay. Question."

Yufine raised her hand.

"What is it?"

"Whose side are you on, Roland? The 'Golden Eagle' or us?"

A tense atmosphere spread among the troops.

"Good question. To put it simply, I'm on both sides and neither side."

"What do you mean?"

"As you know, I am now the guild leader of the 'Golden Eagle.' However, I have not lost my position as the captain of the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree.' Therefore, I must fulfill my duties as the captain of the Roland team while also supporting the second team as the guild leader of the 'Golden Eagle.' It's a delicate position, and I cannot favor either side excessively."

"I see. So, for you, it doesn't matter which side wins?"

"Hmm, the situation is a bit more complicated, but let's put it that way. In any case, I will not participate in the next dungeon exploration and intend to watch the competition between the two teams fairly. One thing I can say is that the outcome of the competition is always a matter of luck. It can be decided by a slight difference. I want you to fight without regret and never let your guard down. That's all for the explanation. Are there any other questions? No? Then, everyone, start your final preparations."

At the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree,' Lilianna was receiving the police.

They were there to consult about the investigation of Lucius.

"So, Lucius hasn't been caught yet?"

"Yes, we are doing our best to investigate, but..."

The police officer said apologetically.

Lilianna crossed her arms and looked troubled.

(To still not give up even when cornered like this. He is quite a stubborn person. He should realize that there is no chance of a comeback.)

"The crime scene is still cordoned off, so he should still be in this town. Has the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' found any clues?"

The police officer asked hesitantly.

"No, if we had any, we would have reported it immediately."

"Ah... I see."

The police officer looked dejected and bowed his head.

Lilianna began to feel sorry for the man in front of her.

In the past few months, adventurers had caused several incidents, making the authorities quite nervous.

He probably needed to bring back some clues to avoid being reprimanded by his superiors.

"Cheer up."

Lilianna spoke in a bright voice.

"Don't worry. If we read the criminal's mind and persist in the investigation, we will surely catch him."

"Ah..."

"We will not hesitate to cooperate, so please try a little harder."

"...Yes. I will re-examine the leads from the beginning."

Lilianna watched the police officer, who had regained a bit of his spirit, leave the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' building.

"The criminal's mind..."

(If returning to the 'Golden Eagle' is impossible, Lucius's target is... Could he be after Roland?)

The worst-case scenario flashed through Lilianna's mind.

She had suggested to Roland before that he should have a bodyguard, but Roland had laughed it off.

He didn't need a bodyguard.

He wasn't that important, he said.

(Roland said he didn't need a bodyguard, but I'm worried. Anything could happen, so it might be better for me to take some precautions.)

Roland was attending the 'Golden Eagle' team formation meeting.

Familiar faces like Arik and Isto were present.

(The budget allocation is already decided, and the team members are fixed, so there's nothing to tweak (or I might face resistance if I interfere too much). The only thing that could cause more conflict is...)

"Guild Leader, I have a proposal!"

Isto, the captain of the second team, leaned forward.

"What is it?"

"I would like to add Jill Arwin to our second team."

(As expected, that's what he's going for.)

Their confidence in the dungeon expedition was largely due to their plan to rely on Jill's strength at this critical moment.

However, Roland did not want to use Jill in a losing battle.

Roland appraised Isto's status.

【Isto's Status】

Strength: 40-80

Endurance: 40-80

Agility: 20-60

Health: 60-100

(How could he even think of going to the 'Mine Dungeon' with this status?)

Indeed, he was a typical adventurer who had neglected training and spent his time in political struggles.

At their current level, they wouldn't even make it to the fifth floor of the dungeon before running out of breath, let alone defeat Roland's team.

"Guild Leader, the 'Mine Dungeon' expedition is the top priority for our guild. Please provide us with the maximum support."

"Alright. First, I want to hear what Jill thinks. Isto says this, but Jill, what do you think?"

"Yes. I will go wherever the Guild Leader orders. However, my personal preference is to serve by the Guild Leader's side."

Jill said exactly what Roland had instructed her to say.

"Right. I agree. Jill is S-class and has the power to change the tide of battle. I think it's best to deploy her in the dungeon where she can make the most impact, after carefully assessing the situation and the strengths and weaknesses of each team."

When Roland said this, Isto's face twisted in dissatisfaction, and he was about to say something.

However, Roland stopped him with a hand.

"Isto, I understand your frustration. But I have to consider the overall situation."

"But, Guild Leader..."

"Don't worry. The second team is more than capable of taking on the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree.' I believe you will achieve a decisive victory."

Hearing this, Isto swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

"I believe that a few members of the second team have potential that rivals S-class. It's possible that multiple S-class adventurers will emerge from this dungeon expedition. What I fear is that deploying Jill might hinder your growth and rob you of the opportunity to realize your potential."

Arik looked at Roland with a stunned expression.

(Roland, that's a bit much... Who would be happy to hear such transparent flattery?)

However, Isto and the others were easily swayed by Roland's words.

(What! The Guild Leader has such a high opinion of us. I thought he was a disagreeable young man, but he has some merit after all.)

"Guild Leader, we will ensure the success of the next dungeon expedition!"

"Good. I'm counting on you."

Arik couldn't help but gape.

The members of the second team had so embellished their skills and statuses that they had forgotten their own true capabilities.