Chapter 136
A month has passed since we defeated the wind dragon on a whim and momentum.
The scorching heat of the season has faded, and the air of autumn has begun to flow.
As for what I’ve been doing in the meantime—
First, I went with Lotus to apologize to His Grace the Duke for taking down the wind dragon without permission, which naturally surprised him.
The Duke’s original request was to craft a dragon-slaying greatbow—slaying the wind dragon wasn’t part of the job, and I’d only managed to make one bow.
Upon hearing Lotus’ report, the Duke was first shocked to learn that the Dullahan’s dungeon had been completely eradicated. I then apologized for failing the original request and handed over the wind dragon’s materials along with the dragon-slaying greatbow.
*"Why are you apologizing?"*
This was purely a matter of personal principle for me.
I always strive to fulfill quests properly.
It’s nothing more than my own stubborn policy—something that might seem almost selfish.
Some might argue that since we took down the wind dragon *and* cleared the dungeon, it’s fine. But to me, that’s a separate matter.
*"Well, from the Duke’s perspective, we essentially stole prey that was meant to be handled under royal decree. There might be some issues regarding honor."*
Moreover, the Edelgard Ducal House had already been preparing to deal with the wind dragon, mobilizing soldiers and adventurers.
Honor, in essence, is about achievements.
It affects the Duke’s future influence—proving that House Edelgard has the strength to slay a wind dragon.
I’m merely an associate with ties to the Ducal House, not a subordinate.
So, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for disrupting their plans.
*"...You were worried about that?"*
Despite my concerns, the Duke simply sighed in exasperation and assured me it wasn’t an issue.
*"For nobles, that’s important, right?"*
*"Certainly, it is important. But this time, the priority was eliminating the dangerous dungeon and ensuring the people’s safety above all else."*
The Duke, untainted by corruption, firmly declared that protecting the people is a noble’s duty.
*"Besides, this outcome isn’t entirely bad. In fact, one could argue it’s favorable overall."*
*"How so?"*
*"It feels odd to say this in front of you, who took the risk, but we suffered far fewer casualties among soldiers and adventurers than expected. Plus, we saved a considerable amount of funds."*
While showing his concern for the people, he also revealed his political acumen—explaining how my actions had minimized both human and financial losses.
*"So, you’re saying the cost of me acting alone versus mobilizing an army is vastly different?"*
*"Exactly. That fact alone is enough to overlook the loss of honor for our house."*
With the caveat that this was an exceptional case, the Duke agreed that having an individual resolve the situation was far more efficient than deploying an army.
*"Our house may seem wealthy and well-staffed to other nobles, but neither money nor manpower is infinite. Funds must be earned, and lost personnel take time to replace."*
Thanks to my actions, House Edelgard’s losses were drastically reduced.
*"Not only did we avoid those losses, but technically, you were acting under my request when you entered that dungeon. With a bit of creative phrasing—and slight exaggeration—I could even claim credit for it."*
Satisfied with the outcome, the Duke concluded that, with a little maneuvering, this incident could be framed as the best possible result.
*"The only real issue is the dissatisfaction among the soldiers who hoped to earn merit and the adventurers who sought rewards by challenging the dungeon."*
*"Ah—will that be a problem?"*
Even so, there were still downsides.
The Duke’s biggest concern was the soldiers and knights who had hoped to distinguish themselves, as well as the adventurers who dreamed of striking it rich by clearing the dungeon.
If someone suddenly swooped in and cleared it before they could, they’d naturally be furious.
*"That shouldn’t be an issue. For the adventurers, we can sweeten the deal by increasing their pay. From their perspective, they’ll be freed up earlier than expected while still receiving full compensation—or even more. We can allocate the leftover budget for that. As for the soldiers, we can give them bonuses under the guise of vacation and hardship allowances."*
The fact that this could even be resolved with money was only possible because I had cleared the dungeon so quickly.
*"Then that’s a relief."*
*"Indeed. You’ve worked hard. I’ll add a little extra to your reward as well. The soldiers also benefited from Priestess Claudiah’s training—it was a good opportunity for us."*
All’s well that ends well.
That phrase perfectly described this haphazard outcome.
*"I’d prefer not to do this again, though. I really thought I was going to die this time."*
*"As a noble, I’d rather not take on such jobs either. Lately, even my wine has tasted bland. But thanks to you, Libertà, I can finally enjoy a good drink tonight."*
Still, as long as the quest was officially recognized, I had no complaints.
The Duke was smiling, and I was getting a reward—everyone was happy.
With that, I thought this incident was finally resolved.
…Or so I’d believed.
*"The King has summoned you. We’re heading to the royal castle tomorrow."*
*"Huh?!"*
Trouble always arrives when you least expect it.
This development came a full month after reporting the dungeon’s clearance to the Duke and having the request officially recognized.
For the first three days, I rested. After that, I threw myself into grinding motif dungeons to obtain the Class 3 promotion orb, hunted swamp dragons for a change of pace, and kept my promise by making sweets—gradually returning to my normal life.
But that peaceful routine shattered the moment the Duke summoned me.
*"What’s this about?"*
Rushed to the Duke’s side for an urgent matter, I arrived with Claudiah as usual, only to be met with those words the moment I stepped in.
A summons from the country’s ruler. Given that I’d been spending time with Nell, Amina, Ingrid, and Claudiah—and hadn’t committed any crimes—it was safe to assume this wasn’t about anything bad.
*"The King has heard about you."*
*"……"*
In that case, the only thing that came to mind was the wind dragon.
I briefly considered the possibility of the swamp dragon being exposed, but if that were the case, the summons would’ve come directly to me.
The fact that it was relayed through the Duke meant it had to be related to the wind dragon.
*"It seems His Majesty is broadly aware that you slew the wind dragon."*
*"……"*
My assumption was correct. As Claudiah and I listened in silence, the Duke sighed before continuing.
I’d assumed that since a gag order had been issued, there was no risk of my involvement leaking. But apparently, the King’s ears were sharper than expected.
*"Why summon Libertà now? He’s been behaving himself lately."*
*"Most likely because the rumors only recently reached His Majesty’s ears."*
*"Recently?"*
According to the Duke, the information had trickled in through an unexpected chain of gossip.
*"Yes. An adventurer bragged about it to a courtesan. He was part of the dungeon raid."*
*"So, he’s the one who leaked my involvement?"*
*"No, even he didn’t know the full details. Most of his boasting was about his own exploits. The only things the courtesan remembered were that a dwarven warrior had slain the wind dragon and that this warrior had ties to House Edelgard."*
The source wasn’t one of the Duke’s soldiers, but an adventurer who’d spotted me when I was exhausted and off guard.
Adventurers tend to have strong egos—they exaggerate their deeds to attract better jobs, boasting as much as they can without crossing into recklessness.
And if the listener was a charming woman? Even more understandable.
*"But why would the King hear about a courtesan’s gossip?"*
Still, that was just commonfolk talk.
An adventurer letting something slip under the assumption it wouldn’t matter? That, I could understand.
What puzzled me was how that gossip had reached the King himself.
*"Don’t tell me—"*
Claudia’s tone turned exasperated as she voiced the obvious suspicion.
*"It’s absolutely *not* what you’re thinking,"* the Duke cut in before she could finish. *"This was just… an absurdly unlucky chain of coincidences. The courtesan was hired by another man—a soldier serving in the castle—who then repeated the story to his superior, and so on until it reached the King."*
*"That’s how it got to His Majesty?"*
*"Exactly."*
For a moment, I wondered if the King himself had visited the courtesan in question, but the Duke dismissed that before Claudiah could even voice the thought.
Instead, he explained that the King had initially been skeptical—until recent events made him desperate enough to grasp at straws.
*"At first, he doubted it. But due to *that* situation, he’s grown willing to believe even rumors."*
*"That situation?"*
*"Yes. *That* one."*
Just how dire were things for the kingdom to take gossip this seriously?
*"Jakarán."*
The name alone was like a thorn in our sides.
The Duke and I avoided even saying it aloud.
*"Is it really that bad?"*
*"‘Bad’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. He’s been especially volatile since being denied the chance to rampage in that dungeon."*
The boy hailed as the "Hero of the Oracle" by the Boltlande Ducal House—though the King himself didn’t believe in him—had only grown worse lately.
*"He’s been barging into military training grounds and beating soldiers to a pulp."*
*"...Isn’t that a problem?"*
*"Not officially. It’s happening in the Boltlande Ducal House’s private training grounds. If they handle it internally, no one can intervene. But the rumors are widespread enough to reach even my ears. The soldiers are furious."*
Instead of treating his fellow soldiers as allies, he used them as punching bags to vent his frustrations.
*"When taken on hunts, he exhausts himself by rampaging indiscriminately, picking fights with adventurers—nearly killing a few."*
Outside, he caused just as much trouble.
The boy had no restraint, living solely by his impulses.
*"If he sees a beautiful woman, he’ll try to take her—regardless of whether she’s already involved with someone."*
*"...And he’s a *hero candidate*?"*
*"A fair question, Priestess. At this point, he’s just a powerful criminal in the making. The only reason he hasn’t crossed the line yet is that someone keeps stopping him. However… he *has* accomplished a few notable deeds recently. Just the other day, he single-handedly annihilated the Grund Thief Syndicate."*
His behavior showed no regard for coexistence with others.
Every example the Duke listed was less of a nuisance and more of a crime in the making.
*"The Grund Thief Syndicate? They’re infamous across the continent. The bounty on them was massive—commensurate with their scale."*
Whether it was to salvage his reputation or simply an excuse to wreak havoc, he *had* done something beneficial for once.
The Grund Thief Syndicate.
Even I’d heard of them.
They were named enemies in the game, reappearing no matter how many times they were wiped out—like phoenixes.
Their leader, Grund, seemed like an affable man at first glance.
In truth, he was a charismatic figure who specialized in manipulating villains.
His ability to gather thieves and rebuild the syndicate to full strength in no time was almost impressive.
But "good-natured"? Far from it.
He was a master at exploiting others, with sharp survival instincts and a knack for turning subordinates into loyal pawns.
Plunder was second nature to him—a mid-tier boss with zero redeeming qualities.
The world would be better off without him.
Yet, he was no pushover.
*"He took them down *alone*?"*
*"Yes. By brute force, apparently. They had the hideout surrounded before sending him in alone to clean house."*
If he could accomplish that much, his "Disaster" title wasn’t just for show.
The Boltlande Ducal House knew how to use Jakarán.
Coordinating with him was impossible—he was only good for solo annihilation missions.
Thus, they’d encircled the thieves’ base to prevent escape before deploying him.
The scene was easy to imagine:
A boy laughing maniacally as he slaughtered the thieves, turning their hideout into a sea of blood where no one died cleanly.
*"The death of their leader, Grund, was confirmed. Officially, the syndicate has been eradicated."*
*"Huh? The *leader* is dead?"*
But in my mind, Grund was the type to always survive.
The man had cockroach-like tenacity and absurd luck—especially when it came to escaping.
In *FBO*, he was unmatched as a fugitive.
So the idea that he’d actually been killed made me tilt my head in disbelief.