Chapter 57

Diana walked through the streets as night fell, sulking.

Today, as usual, she had completed all the odd jobs at the "Golden Eagle" and felt the emptiness by the window before heading home.

"Really. Roland is so obviously neglecting me. What have I done?"

Diana muttered to herself.

(Every day, a storm of odd jobs. If this keeps up, maybe I should just quit.)

However, there weren't many places that paid better than this.

To continue her luxurious lifestyle, she had no choice but to endure the loneliness of being a window employee at the "Golden Eagle."

As Diana walked with a heavy heart, a man who looked like a vagrant suddenly appeared in front of her.

His hair was matted, his clothes were tattered and worn, his cheeks were sunken, and his eyes were sunken.

He looked young and sturdy, but the aforementioned features made him look like an old man.

A fallen adventurer, perhaps.

Diana ignored the man and walked past him.

No matter what, she wasn't the kind of person a vagrant could casually talk to.

However, the man overtook Diana and stood in front of her again.

Diana began to feel irritated.

(Really. Can't you see this emblem? I'm from the "Golden Eagle." You're not someone I should be talking to.)

"Hey, what's going on? You're in my way!"

Diana said in a harsh tone.

"I don't have time for this. If you're begging, try somewhere else!"

Her tone was authoritative and cold.

Not many people would stand their ground after being spoken to like that by her.

However, the man in front of her didn't flinch at all.

Diana began to feel uneasy.

(What's with this guy?)

"Have you forgotten me?"

The man suddenly spoke.

Diana was startled by his voice.

"That voice... Could it be..."

"So, you really did... to Roland..."

The man said, his shoulders trembling, and then he lunged at Diana, covering her mouth and dragging her into the shadows.

---

By the time the night had deepened, the darkness had enveloped the city, and the bustling tavern had quieted down, Roland had finally reached his home.

(Sigh. In the end, I couldn't find her. Chial.)

The incident started with a minor argument.

While discussing the silverware exhibition at the "Spirit Factory," there was a disagreement between Ranje and Chial about quality and cost.

Roland sided with Ranje, and the sulking Chial left the workshop and disappeared.

Roland searched for Chial using every means available.

He visited her parents and asked them to help with the search, and he even filed a missing person report with the police.

He used as many people from the "Golden Eagle" and the "Guardians of the Magic Tree" as he could to search for the elf girl.

However, he couldn't find her.

(Really. Where did Chial go?)

As Roland thought about this and reached his room, he noticed an envelope in the mailbox.

(What's this?)

When Roland opened the envelope, a bundle of silver hair and a bloodstained letter fell out.

Feeling a chill, Roland quickly read the letter.

"I have the elf girl. If you want her back, come alone to the cave on the 7th floor of the 'Forest Dungeon.'

Lucius"

(Lucius!? Could this blood be Chial's...)

"Chial is in danger!"

Roland grabbed the sword in his room and rushed out to the dungeon.

(Damn. Of all people, to be captured by Lucius.)

Roland ran through the dark city.

After Roland rushed out of his room and disappeared down the street, a shadow began to move from the shadows.

The person approached Roland's room, picked up the letter from Lucius that Roland had dropped, and followed him.

---

When Roland reached the entrance of the cave on the 7th floor of the "Forest Dungeon," he hid in the shadows and observed the surroundings.

(There should only be one cave on the 7th floor...)

A hole opened in a raised rock formation.

Roland tried to see inside the cave, but in the darkness of the dungeon, he couldn't see into the pitch-black cave.

(Lucius, who I thought would be hard to catch, is hiding in such a place in the dungeon. What should I do? Should I go in?)

Roland gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

Failure was not an option.

If he failed, Chial's life would be...

(I have to save her. She prayed and cried for me. I won't let her die!)

Images of her crying face and her radiant smile flashed through Roland's mind.

Roland glared at the cave again.

(There might be traps inside. Lucius is a former A-class adventurer. Going in head-on might be disadvantageous.)

Roland hesitated but decided to enter the cave.

(I don't have time to hesitate. Chial might be in danger right now.)

Roland remembered the bloodstained letter.

Lucius, as he was now, could do anything if left unchecked.

Roland rushed into the cave.

---

As soon as Roland entered the cave, he stumbled on something.

"Whoa!"

He managed to maintain his balance and stop himself from falling.

(What is it? A trap?)

He quickly shone a light on his feet and saw Diana lying there, covered in blood.

Roland gasped.

(Diana! Could Lucius have...?)

Her condition was terrible.

Her face was unharmed, but blood was oozing from various parts of her body, and it was clear she had been stabbed multiple times.

Roland shuddered.

Lucius was clearly not in his right mind.

There was no telling what he might do to Chial.

Roland hurried deeper into the cave.

---

After walking down a straight path for a while, Roland reached an exit leading to a large open space inside the cave.

Light was leaking out, and he could sense people.

Roland pressed his back against the wall and observed the exit.

He heard a faint moan.

It was a weak, feminine voice.

"Chial! Are you there?"

As Roland rushed into the room, a dagger flew at his feet.

"Stop right there!"

Roland froze, mid-stride.

He turned his head and eyes to the direction the voice came from.

There, Lucius was holding Chial.

"Lucius..."

"Good to see you, Roland."

"Ugh, um..."

Chial, with a gag in her mouth, tried to call out to Roland.

She writhed in his arms, trying to free herself.

"Chial!"

"Mmm..."

"Don't move! If you do, I'll slit her throat with this sword!"

Lucius pressed the sword to Chial's throat.

Chial, feeling the cold edge at her neck, stopped moving.

Roland quickly scanned her body.

She was gagged and her hands were tied behind her back, but she didn't seem to have any external injuries.

Her eyes still sparkled.

Lucius hadn't harmed her yet.

However, he couldn't let his guard down.

Depending on what happened next, Chial could still be in danger.

"Lucius, your target is me, right? Release Chial, that girl!"

"Hehehe. I can't release her just yet."

Lucius said, his gaunt cheeks twisting into a smile.

"Roland, I have a job for you."

"What?"

"For the past few weeks, I've been unable to get proper food, wandering in the dark cave during the day, lying on the hard ground at night, and always fearing the eyes of the police. All while you were enjoying your position as the guild leader of the 'Golden Eagle'!"

"..."

"Do you think I can be satisfied just by taking your life now?"

"Then what do you want? To leave the city? Or money? If so..."

"I have no interest in such petty money now. What I want is the position of guild leader of the 'Golden Eagle.'"

Roland was taken aback.

(The position of guild leader? That's ridiculous. He's being pursued by the police and wants to be a guild leader? What is he talking about?)

Most importantly, he had crossed the line.

He had killed Diana.

There was no going back.

Roland thought this but hesitated to say it out loud.

It was dangerous to provoke Lucius in his current state.

"Lucius, just calm down. You're being pursued by the police..."

"Shut up! You took everything from me. Now it's my turn to take everything from you!"

"But even if you say that..."

Roland felt a sense of despair.

Lucius's demands were unrealistic.

He might already be insane.

"Stop whining and get ready. Hand over the guild leader's chair of the 'Golden Eagle' to me right now. Hurry up! Or I'll cut off this elf's long ears!"

Lucius pressed the blade to Chial's ear.

The blade made a thin cut on Chial's ear, and the pain seemed to make her more sensitive.

Chial started to struggle.

"Mmm! Mmm!"

"Damn it, be still!"

Lucius pinned Chial to the ground and held her head down, pressing the sword near her face.

"Stop it. Don't hurt her! Don't hurt her!"

"Roland, you're not going to hand over your position, are you? Then fine. I'll show you what I'm capable of."

Lucius stepped on Chial's head and raised his sword.

"Stop! What are you going to do!?"

"A hostage doesn't have to be in perfect condition."

"Stop it!"

Lucius's sword swung down toward Chial's thin arm.

Roland rushed to her side, but he was too far away to reach her in time.

At that moment, an arrow pierced Lucius's arm.

"Ugh!"

Lucius stumbled backward and fell.

Chial took the opportunity to stand up and run to Roland.

"Mmm, mmm!"

"Chial!"

Roland caught Chial as she ran to him and untied the gag and the ropes binding her hands.

Chial clung to Roland's legs.

"Waaan. Roland!"

"Chial, are you okay?"

"Sniff, sniff. I'm sorry. I ran away without permission."

"It's okay. I'm glad you're safe."

As Roland said this, he looked around.

He was searching for the person who had fired the arrow.

"Ugh, who did this? My arm!"

Lucius groaned, holding his arm.

He couldn't stand up properly, and the damage he had received was significant.

The arrow, both in accuracy and power, was extraordinary.

It was the work of a master.

In this city, the only one who could shoot like that was...

"Are you okay, Roland?"

Monica emerged from behind a rock.

"Monica!? Why are you here..."

"That's because..."

"I asked her to guard Roland. To keep an eye on his surroundings."

A witch on a broomstick appeared from a gap in the rocks above.

"Lily!?"

"Lucius's escape had been bothering me. So, a few days ago, I ordered Monica to use her 'Hawk Eye' to guard your surroundings."

(That's why...)

Roland finally understood why Monica had been monitoring his movements.

Then, a female knight in armor ran in.

"Roland, are you okay?"

"Jill, you too..."

"I instructed Monica to contact her immediately if anything happened. She's one of the most agile people in this city. Now..."

Lilianne added, then turned to Lucius.

"Lucius, your fate has come to an end. Surrender to the police quietly. Or else..."

"Ugh..."

Lucius, despite the arrow wound, managed to stand up, but he was now completely surrounded by three of the city's most famous adventurers.

Monica was aiming an arrow from a distance, Lilianne was pointing her staff from above, and Jill was standing between Roland and Lucius, forming an impenetrable defense to protect Roland and Chial.

Jill glared at Lucius.

Her eyes, which once looked at him with respect as a guild leader, now held only contempt.

Her beauty, unmatched in the city, made her gaze even more cruel.

Lucius, weakened by his life on the run, couldn't withstand it.

"Ah..."

"Lucius, you not only committed numerous frauds and embezzlements but also kidnapped this young girl and tried to take Roland's life. You're a scoundrel! Get down on your knees. You don't even deserve to be handed over to the justice system. I'll cut you down right here and now!"

Jill drew her sword and approached Lucius.

"Ugh, ah, ah..."

His pale face turned even paler, and his already gaunt face became even thinner, contorting into an ugly expression.

Jill sneered.

"Pitiful. Your true form is this ugly monster. The mask has fallen. This is the price for stealing Roland's achievements and wearing a false crown and throne."

Jill raised her sword.

Lucius backed away desperately.

"Stop, stop. I'm not the bad guy."

"What?"

"The bad guy is him. Roland."

"You, even now, are making excuses that make no sense..."

"I'm not the bad guy. I did what he said, what Roland said..."

"True, I did support you in various ways to become the guild leader. I helped you shine while I stayed in the background, putting my own advancement on hold."

"Roland?"

"I pushed you to become the guild leader because I thought you had the qualities to be one. But..."

Roland appraised Lucius.

Now, Roland could see Lucius's skills and stats clearly, and they were far from what he had envisioned.

"It seems... you were a failure."

Roland said this with a tone of deep disappointment.

"Roland, you bastard!"

Lucius, as if springing to life, stood up and lunged at Roland.

Jill raised her sword, but Roland held her back by grabbing her shoulder.

"Roland?"

"Half of this is my fault. So, I'll do it with my own hands..."

Roland, with the sword he had brought, struck Lucius down with a single blow.