Chapter 102 – Urgent Report
Chapter 102
Urgent Report
Date : Day 14 of Grimleaf 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.
Hyoren and Elise arrived at Adventurer's Guild HQ. The building loomed before them. The stone facade was weathered. The wooden sign swung gently above the entrance. Elise touched Hyoren's shoulder. The touch was gentle. Reminding him that they had already arrived.
Hyoren finally snapped from his deep thoughts. The haze cleared. The present returned.
"Oh... we arrived. I didn't realize..."
Elise chuckled. The sound was warm.
"Fufu. No worries, let's go, Hyoren."
He nodded. The motion was automatic. Then they entered the Guild. The heavy Ironwood door creaked open. The sound was deep. Resonant.
The guild was busy with adventurers. It was crowded hours in the morning. The noise was overwhelming. Adventurers looking for a quest flocked the quest board. Papers rustled. Voices overlapped. Parties discussed their quest near the wall. The murmurs were intense. Debates were heated. A line of queue at the counter snaked toward the entrance. The wait was long.
Hyoren scanned the surroundings. His eyes moved quickly. Looking for Ina. Then he spotted her.
She was not at the counter. She was standing near the stairs. She was already wearing her clerk uniform. Her cat ears twitched. Her tail swished. She waved at them. The motion was enthusiastic. They then crossed the hall. Weaving through the crowd.
She spoke with enthusiasm when they approached. Her voice carried over the noise.
"Hyoren! Elise. You two are already fine?"
Elise smiled. The expression was warm and reassuring.
"I can't do strenuous activities yet, but I can walk normally."
Ina then turned around. Her movements were energetic. Then started climbing the stairs.
"Let's go. Guildmas is waiting."
Hyoren nodded.
"Lead the way, Ina."
The three of them then climbed the stairs to the second floor. The wooden steps creaked under their feet. The noise from below faded. Ina then led them to the Audience Room. A room adjacent to the Reference Room he visited before. The hallway was quiet, unlike the busy main hall downstairs.
Ina opened the door, and went inside. The hinges creaked softly.
"I'm coming, Guildmas. I will bring those two I said before in my report."
They entered. The room was a small and sparsely furnished space with a sturdy wood table and several high-backed chairs. The worn furniture was practical.
In the middle of the room stood the Guild Master. The figure was imposing. But the figure made Hyoren's jaw nearly drop.
He had been expecting a grizzled, battle-scarred old man. A veteran of a hundred campaigns with a face like a worn leather map. The assumption was natural. The position demanded experience.
Instead, a stunningly beautiful woman stood in the room. She appeared to be in her early thirties. But age in this world could be deceiving, where every race lifespan was 150 to 200 years old. Her skin was supple and had a healthy, almost luminous glow. Her face was a masterpiece of sculpted beauty, dominated by piercing intelligent eyes. The gaze was sharp.
A cascade of vibrant red hair was styled with a wolf-cut hairstyle. The strands fell in wild, controlled chaos. Her figure was impossible to ignore. She possessed a well-endowed bosom and a powerful, athletic build that spoke of immense strength. Yet she carried it with an undeniable grace and femininity. The aura was undeniable.
Hyoren's eyes widened in shock. The surprise was profound. This was the Guild Master?
He glanced at Elise, who had noticed his dumbfounded expression. A small smile played on her lips. The amusement was evident. As if she had enjoyed his reaction.
The Guild Master finally turned around. The woman's gaze swept over them. The assessment was quick and thorough.
"I am Fiona Akela. Guild Master of this City. This annoying Vice Guild Master of mine is disturbing my peaceful morning. She tells me you have an urgent report regarding the Old Quarry. Now you better tell me a truly important story. Or I will punch you."
She pointed her finger at Ina. The gesture was sharp and accusatory.
"And you too, Ina. For disturbing my morning."
Ina pouted.
"Yeah yeah, Guildmas. This annoying one is the one who needs to take care of your mess every time!"
Then she smiled. The expression turned sly. Knowing. Her tail swished energetically
"Ooh. You will like their story. I swear you will."
But Guild Master and Ina's playful banter went over Hyoren's head. The humor was lost. He was too shocked.
Akela? The Guild Master's name was the same as the city's? Is she related to Baron Akela?
He looked from Fiona, to Ina, and back to Fiona. The revelation was staggering. The connection was unexpected.
Sensing Hyoren's utter bewilderment, Elise leaned in close. Her voice was a barely audible whisper meant only for him. The tone was conspiratorial.
"It's Lady Fiona, Baron Guts's wife. She was a Silver-ranked adventurer before retiring to become the Guild Master. She used to be in the same party as the Baron. She was the Brawn, where he was the Brain. The Baron is a magician, while Fiona is a warrior."
She tapped her chin. The gesture was thoughtful.
"I thought I already mentioned that the wife of Baron Akela was also an adventurer. And she was there when Baron Akela held the Gate during the war 8 years ago. I didn't mention she became a Guild Master?"
The information was absorbed by Hyoren. The pieces fell into place. The Guild Master wasn't just a noble. She was a legend in her own right. A front-line warrior who had fought alongside the city's ruler. This wasn't a bureaucrat they were reporting to. This was a general. A veteran. A hero.
Hyoren leaned to Elise. His voice was low. Whispered to her.
"No Elise. This is the first time I heard about this!"
Elise only smiled at him. The expression was knowing. She then nudged him. The touch was pointed. Signaling he needed to start talking. The report was waiting.
***
Hyoren straightened his posture. His spine aligned. His shoulders squared. Clearing his throat and composing himself. The nervousness was pushed aside. He met Lady Fiona's piercing gaze without flinching. The eye contact was steady and unwavering.
"Yes, Guild Master. I guess I need to introduce myself first. I'm Hyoren Enjo, a Copper-ranked leader of the Freedom Party, and this one is Elise of the Silentwood, Bronze-ranked."
Fiona snorted. The sound was derisive. She was unimpressed.
"I knew the elf already. But your new face screamed 'newbie', Copper brat."
Hyoren smiled wryly. The expression was calm. Not intimidated by her. The insult rolled off him.
"Yes. And we have an urgent report. But let me tell the whole story first."
He began, his voice calm and steady. Recounting their quest. The professional tone was measured.
"First, the goblin settlement in the quarry was larger than anticipated. The report said 50-100. But when we arrived, we estimated it was a force of nearly 400 goblins. A mix of normal, fighter, and warrior types. And we at first concluded the settlement was led by a Goblin Lord."
Lady Fiona listened intently. Her expression was unreadable. Her hands were clasped behind her back.
Hyoren continued. Detailing their war of attrition. The strategy was methodical. They dismantled a total of 396 goblins over 5 days. The systematic elimination. Their night raids. The shadows. The silence. Their ambushes. The calculated strikes. Their cutting off supply lines. The starvation tactics. And finally, the frontal assault when the settlement had already lost all morale.
Elise added details from time to time. Her voice supplemented his. Clarifying points. Adding perspective.
Fiona's eyebrow twitched slightly hearing all these. The motion was subtle. The only sign of her surprise. The professional mask held.
Seeing her still listening, Hyoren finally dropped the bomb. The weight was heavy.
"However, the true threat was not the goblin army. It was a distraction. Inside the quarry's main tunnel, we discovered the leader. It was not a Goblin Lord as we predicted before."
His voice dropped an octave. The tone was grave.
"It was a unique creature. A monster which was not in any monster encyclopedia Elise knew... a Goblin Knight named Hifoppe. It was intelligent, articulate, and armed with master-crafted gear. It said it was a Servant of the Demon God Gidol."
Fiona's eyes, which had been narrowed in professional scrutiny, widened in sheer disbelief. The skepticism shattered. A low, dangerous growl rumbled in her throat. The sound of a predator who had just been told an impossible lie. The disbelief was palpable.
"Don't joke with me, brat!"
She snarled. Her voice lost its disciplined edge and became something raw and aggressive. The mask of professionalism fell away.
"A four-hundred goblin settlement is already a story that reeks of bullshit. How could the two of you... a Bronze-rank elf and a Copper-ranked brat... defeat a settlement that large? And a Servant of Gidol? Here, on the frontier? You are full of shit."
Fiona spat the last word. Her powerful frame radiated a palpable aura of menace. The air in the small room grew thick and heavy. The pressure was suffocating.
Ina then stepped forward. Her movement was calm.
"Language, Guildmas."
She faced Fiona. Trying to made her believe Hyoren’s story. The stance was supportive.
"But Hyoren is telling the truth. I already checked their guild card and confirmed they killed around 400 goblins. With an unknown creature listed as Goblin Knight in their Guild Card Tally. They are not lying, Guildmas..."
Fiona's eyes locked at Ina’s large amber eyes. Her angry expression dissolved into stunned disbelief. She stared. Her mouth was slightly agape. The shock was evident.
Hyoren nodded. The motion was steady and confident.
"And if you need more proof. We have the proof about the Servant of Gidol."
He looked at Elise. The signal was clear.
"Elise, please."
Elise nodded.
She reached into her storage bag. The void rippled. From the dimensional space, she pulled out Hifoppe's black samurai-like armor. Laying the pieces out on the table nearby. The metal clanked heavily. The dark alloy gleamed. The craftsmanship was undeniable.
Then she took the black katana. The blade slid out, the unknown black metal seems absorbing every light. Fiona's gaze flickered to the gear. Her expert eyes immediately recognized the superior craftsmanship. The unique metal. The metal was unlike anything common. Her skepticism wavered. But she still wasn't convinced. The doubt remained.
Elise smiled. The expression was knowing.
"This is not everything, Lady Fiona."
Then she reached into the bag one last time. She pulled the last proof they had. She put Hifoppe's core on the table. The orb emerged from the void.
The moment the core was exposed, the air in the room turned frigid. The temperature dropped. The swirling, malevolent energy within the orb seemed to pulse. Its dark light cast flickering, ominous shadows on the walls. The presence was wrong. Unnatural.
Lady Fiona's eyes widened in pure, unadulterated shock. The color drained from her face. She took a half-step back. Her hand instinctively went to the hilt of the sword at her hip. The reflex was automatic. She recognized it. She knew exactly what that kind of stone represented. The horror was instant.
All the anger, all the skepticism, all the discipline drained from her face. Replaced by a look of soul-shaking horror. She stared at the sinister core. Then at the two adventurers. And finally, she said the one word that summed up the entire situation.
"Fucking... FUCK!"
Ina stepped forward. She wanted to chide Fiona again for the inappropriate language. But she was also shocked. The words died in her throat. She already knew the story from them last night. But when seeing the sinister orb—Hifoppe's core—herself, she felt her gut wrenching. The core just felt too wrong. The malevolence was palpable.
Fiona stared at the sinister orb for a long, silent moment. The seconds stretched. The weight settled. She took a deep, shuddering breath. Her warrior's discipline warring with the sheer horror of the revelation. She closed her eyes for a second. And when she opened them again, the shock was gone. Replaced by focus. The Guild Master emerged.
She composed herself. Her posture straightened.
"That sinister orb... I recognize it."
She stepped forward. The movement was deliberate. Drawn to the object.
"It's indeed a Demon Core. Every Demon, and every Servant of Gidol, has one instead of a normal magic stone. Fuck."
She ran a hand through her vibrant red hair. A gesture of uncharacteristic agitation. The stress was visible.
"So your story is true? Fuck."
Ina finally woke from her stupor. The shock fading slightly.
"Language again, Guildmas. But yeah... I heard your two stories before, Hyoren. But seeing this myself... it was too hard to believe. I read about Demon Cores before but never saw it myself. It's like gazing at evil itself..."
Fiona looked at Ina. Her gaze was piercing.
“Shut up Ina. I’m tired of being proper in the house so let me be myself in the guild at least!”
Hyoren almost chuckled. Understanding what Fiona was. She was an adventurer first, then married to nobility. She was rough and brawn before brain. But she definitely needed to act properly as the Baron's wife. The contrast was stark.
Fiona looked from Hyoren to Elise. Her gaze lingering on Hyoren. The so-called Copper-ranked brat who had supposedly helped slay a Servant of Gidol. The assessment was thorough.
"You and Elise..."
She pointed at them. Her posture was still straight. The commanding presence returned.
"Okay, you two. Please tell me the whole story. Don't skip anything. I want to know EVERYTHING about this Hifoppe the Goblin Knight. Tell me from the start."
She pulled out a chair and sat down. Her full, undivided attention on the two adventurers who had just confirmed her worst nightmare. The time for disbelief was over. The time for answers had begun.
***
Fiona's head turned to Ina. The motion was sharp and commanding.
"Ina, you record everything! This needs to be reported to the Central Guild. The King and Church also needs to know! Fuck, I hate compiling reports."
Ina nodded. The acknowledgment was instant. She went over to a nearby cabinet. Grabbing a thick bundle of paper and fountain pen. The wooden drawer creaked open. The supplies were retrieved.
She then pulled up a chair beside the table, and sat down.
"Of course you hate reports. You never want to learn and leave everything to me, Guildmas."
She shook her head. The motion was exasperated. Then she looked at Fiona again. The gaze was pointed.
"Also, language. Please learn to hold back both in your house AND in the guild."
Fiona rolled her eyes. The gesture was theatrical. Dismissive.
"Oh fuck you, Ina."
Ina was exasperated. The frustration was evident. Then she exhaled a long breath. Sighing. The tension released slightly. She gave up chiding the Guild Master. And she focused on the paper. Ready to note everything. The pen hovered above the parchment.
"Fine... Fine... Whatever you want, Guildmas. But don't blame me if the Central Guild is going to reprimand you again."
Hyoren and Elise held their laughter. The sound was suppressed. The interaction between the Guild Master and Vice Guild Master was clear. The banter was natural. The sinister feeling from the Demon Core was forgotten for a bit. The tension eased slightly.
Fiona just shrugged her shoulders. She was unconcerned. Her gaze then locked onto Hyoren and Elise. Who also sat down in front of her. The chairs creaked under their weight.
"Okay, you two. Tell me everything. Don't miss any details."
Elise looked at Hyoren. The signal was clear. She leaves the story to him. As he was the only one who knew what actually happened in the middle of the quarry.
Hyoren nodded. He straightened his posture on top of the chair. Ready to tell the continuation. The memories surfaced.
"After decimating the goblins' morale, we entered the quarry. And the details of transformation finally came to us. It was no longer an abandoned mine… it was a fortress. They had erected crude palisades, dug trenches, and posted sentries. It was a full-scale settlement, a military outpost."
He continued his story. The narrative unfolded.
"We entered the settlement and began systematically eliminating the remaining goblins. At that point, their morale was so broken that they weren't fighting back with any coordination. They were just cowering and trying to survive. We killed them all, leaving only the supposed Goblin Lord and his personal guard in the main tunnel."
Hyoren took a deep breath. His expression grew grim as he approached the climax of their story. The memories were painful. The weight settled on his shoulders.
"Now for the main part. At that point, we were still expecting a Goblin Lord. But when we entered the main tunnel, we were shocked by what we saw."
He paused. Letting the memory surface. The images were still clear and vivid.
"There was a majestic archway, unlike anything we'd ever seen. It was covered in glowing runic inscriptions, pulsing with sinister energy."
Fiona stood abruptly. The motion was sudden. Violent. The chair scraped against the wood. The sound was sharp.
"Fucking. Don't tell me. It was a fucking Dungeon?"
Ina raised her head from her report. The pen stopped moving.
"Language, Guildmas. Let him tell his story first."
She was chiding Fiona again. But her voice was already flat. It’s like she is just doing that just for the sake of it.
Fiona then fixed her chair. The legs scraped against the floor. Then sat down again. Her gaze locked into Hyoren. The attention was intense.
"Okay, sorry. Continue."
Hyoren nodded. The acknowledgment was steady.
"And standing in front of it was an armored goblin, the one we now know as Hifoppe. It saw us, and it didn't roar or charge. It simply... greeted us."
His eyes met Fiona's. The shock from that moment was still fresh. The disbelief lingered.
"It talked. We were completely stunned. A goblin, speaking the common tongue of Kresneger with perfect clarity."
Fiona nodded grimly. She knew Servant of Gidol.
"Yeah, unlike normal monsters, Demons and Servants of Gidol are intelligent. They possess the gift of speech and a cunning that rivals, or even surpasses, our own. It's one of the things that makes them so dangerous. Okay, continue."
Hyoren nodded, his expression hardening.
"It introduced himself as Hifoppe, a Servant of the Demon God Gidol. It told us that the goblin army we had just spent almost a week destroying was merely a distraction. Its true purpose, and the purpose of the archway behind him, was the creation of a new dungeon."
Fiona jumped from her chair again. The motion was explosive. The chair tumbled down with a loud sound. The wood crashed against the floor. The noise echoed in the small room.
"So it was really a Dungeon! FUCK!"
She ruffled her own fiery hair. Frustrated. The fingers tangled in the red strands.
"In the old quarry? Just few hours from here? FUCK!"
She roared. Her composure finally shattered completely. The Guild Master mask fell away.
"I thought the frontier would be safe from that! But those wretched Gidol servants... Fuck! This changes a lot of things. Security concerns, the scouting teams... We know Gidol actively spreads dungeons via his servants, but we never expected they were operating this deep in the frontier, right under our noses!"
Ina looked at Fiona. And sighed. The sound was long. Resigned. She decided she would ignore her profanity for now. Her warning didn't have any effect.
Fiona then took her chair. Lifted it from the floor. Then sat down again. Her posture was straight. The composure returned.
"Okay, Hyoren, continue."
Hyoren then told the battle. The narrative was detailed. Hifoppe was really skillful. It was only level 20, but its skill in Iaijutsu and its masterwork gear proved it was a force to be reckoned with. The threat was real.
He took a deep breath. The next part was traumatic for him. The memory was painful. Elise beside him touched his shoulder. The contact was gentle. Reassuring. Her fingers pressed against his skin.
Elise's touch strengthened his resolve. And he continued his story. The narrative resumed.
"Hifoppe was really strong... Elise here almost died because of that Goblin Knight."
He continued telling the battle in detail, without mentioning Berserker.
After witnessing Elise almost bisected by the Goblin Knight. He was drawn in anger.
He was skillfully using all his skills to defeat Hifoppe. He used Aethell Sense to predict its Iaijutsu. The flow of energy. The anticipation of movement. Using his new skill Strong Legs to catch up with the Goblin Knight's speed. The enhancement was crucial.
About the enhancement from Stamina Potion closing the gap of the level. The boost was necessary. He even praised Borin for the masterwork Mithril-alloy Yari. The weapon which saved him multiple times from Hifoppe's Iaijutsu.
It was a weave of lies and truth. The fabrication was subtle. But even for Ina and Elise, who knew the truth of his situation, believed his story. The narrative was convincing.
Then after the battle. About his madman dash towards Oria's place in Akela to save Elise. The desperation. The speed. The determination.
Fiona looked at Hyoren. And the last vestiges of her skepticism, her mockery, her authority, all dissolved. What was left was pure respect. The kind one warrior gives to another who has achieved the impossible.
"A Servant of Gidol is always a formidable threat..."
Her eyes had truly changed. They no longer saw a 'Copper brat'.
"Even if the base creature is weak, like a goblin, the empowerment they receive makes them cunning, intelligent, and incredibly dangerous. I know. Back when my husband and I were still active adventurers, it took our entire Silver-ranked party to defeat an Orc Assassin, another Servant of Gidol."
She took a step closer to Hyoren. Her gaze intense and searching. The assessment was thorough.
"Your strength, your tactics... they're far beyond your rank. With that combination of strength and strategy, you might even reach the realm of Silver, or even Gold. Your strength was beyond your actual level."
She leaned in slightly. Her voice dropped to a near whisper. Filled with suspicion. She believe his story. But she didn’t believe he was normal Copper-ranked Adventurer. There’s more to him.
"Who are you, Hyoren?"