Chapter 441: Conquering the Dragon's Nest |
The meeting passed quickly.
Almost everyone present understood the situation they would soon face, and the guild also reminded them to try not to spread the information.
Of course, it was probably difficult to keep it completely under wraps.
After all, objectively speaking, the number of people present was not small, and someone was bound to talk.
The Adventurers Guild didn't expect to completely seal the news. Preparing for a large-scale war inevitably required many advance arrangements, and operations on that scale were hard to complete without a sound.
Whether it was deploying city defense forces or transferring supplies and heavy equipment, many people would be involved.
And there would always be clever individuals who could guess the truth in advance by observing changes around them.
The reason for the reminder was to try to slow down the spread of the news as much as possible.
Knowing in advance that the shadow of war loomed held no benefit for ordinary civilians; it only added unnecessary worry.
And how many places within the province could be found that were safer than the Forest Capital, Barry? Could they really drag their entire families into the deep mountains and old forests? That would only be more dangerous, entrusting their lives and property entirely to the whims of fate.
At least Barry itself could rely on sturdy city walls and magical formations, and it boasted its own army and a large number of adventurers and adventuring guilds, making it a place of formidable strength.
After the meeting, some merchant representatives, high-ranking church officials, and military leaders seemed to be called by the town hall leadership to a private meeting room for the next session.
Among the adventurers, some hurriedly left to make other arrangements, while others remained, discussing and exchanging information with each other.
Gauss originally prepared to leave the guild building, but soon the receptionist named Bella, who had brought them in, respectfully called out to him.
"Lord Gauss, please wait a moment. The Guild Master requests your presence."
The receptionist said quietly.
"Hmm?" Gauss raised an eyebrow, hesitated for a moment, then parted his lips slightly. "The Guild Master? Guild Master Matthias Monroe?"
Although the question sounded a bit foolish, Gauss was genuinely puzzled at this moment.
Today was his first time meeting this Forest Capital's Guild Master. Before this, the two had no direct or indirect contact.
Why was he looking for him?
Although his combat power was quite impressive, due to level restrictions, there should still be some people in this assembly hall stronger than him.
Could it be concern for a promising junior in the Adventurers Guild? Gauss mused inwardly.
"Yes," the receptionist nodded without changing her expression.
"Please lead the way."
Gauss didn't overthink it either; he would check out the situation first.
"Aria, you guys wait here for me."
"Alright."
Since the Guild Master had only invited him, he didn't rashly bring Aria and the others along.
After informing them, he followed the receptionist leading the way, passing through the assembly hall, exiting through the main door, then traversing a long corridor hung with paintings, and entered an office.
Matthias Monroe, who had just finished the meeting, was now sitting casually on a sofa.
He wasn't very tall, but not as stocky as a Dwarf either, less than 160 centimeters.
This height was somewhat short for an adult male, but not abnormally so. After all, in this era, not everyone had adequate nutrition or enough to eat.
But for a paladin powerhouse focused on physical prowess with a professional level as high as 15, it did seem slightly unusual.
"Guild Master."
"I've brought him."
"Thank you for your trouble."
"Then I won't disturb you any further."
After Bella left, the room soon contained only the two of them.
"Hello, Gauss. Please, have a seat."
"Thank you, Guild Master."
Monroe gestured vaguely. Gauss didn't stand on ceremony too much and sat opposite him.
"That guy Praelius really has a sharp eye for people."
"Are you referring to Mr. Praelius from Longdi Fort, Guild Master?"
"Mhm, that Tiefling lad." Monroe nodded. "Professionals of the same class from surrounding areas like us also get together from time to time to exchange insights, so we keep in touch. He mentioned you to me in a letter some time ago."
"He also asked me to look after you more once you arrived in Barry."
"And even without him, I've heard your name mentioned quite often."
A flicker of understanding crossed Gauss's face.
In any world, the upper circles are actually quite small. Even two people who don't know each other at all can easily find a mutual acquaintance.
Praelius, also a Transcendent-level paladin, although his strength and status were far inferior to the Guild Master Monroe before him, still belonged roughly to the same social circle.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart.
His time with Praelius wasn't actually that long, but he hadn't expected him to specifically ask Monroe to look out for him. Regardless of whether it was ultimately useful, it was always a gesture of goodwill.
"I also received considerable help from Mr. Praelius in Longdi Fort."
"Don't cover for him. That kid already told me. His private commission dragged you into the sights of the Dragon Worshipers. If not for your own solid strength, the consequences would have been unthinkable."
Monroe waved his hand.
This matter hadn't actually been that long ago, so his impression of Praelius's letter content was still quite fresh.
He just hadn't expected that the genius who had just leveled up to 6th level in Praelius's account was now already promoted to 8th level, and according to intelligence, even possessed combat power equivalent to a 12th-level Transcendent.
If he hadn't verified it repeatedly, he almost thought there was an error in the information database when he saw the related intelligence.
8th level and 12th level were two levels that should not normally be compared.
Now, having personally sensed the faint aura emanating from Gauss, he trusted the intelligence about the other's combat power far exceeding his level a bit more.
It just goes to show, there are too many monsters in this world.
Even someone like him, considered a genius in the eyes of ordinary people, felt like an average person when faced with such extremely rare monsters.
"However, the reason I called you here today isn't actually because of Praelius."
"Rather, I have a confidential commission I'd like to entrust to you."
"Of course, while I say that, it's not mandatory. You can look at the specific situation before deciding whether to accept it."
Monroe took out a formal mission scroll.
Gauss was already somewhat accustomed to this.
He felt like an insider, frequently receiving relatively confidential commissions from the Adventurers Guild.
It was just that the identity of the person entrusting him with the commission was different each time.
"Investigate the Goblin nest."
"Probe the secrets of the Dark Forest."
"The Tiefling disappearance incident."
"Investigate the cause of the Tarna River pollution, which later involved the Lake God Mete and the Mountain Spirit Aisvier."
Each commission had brought him considerable gains at the time, so out of psychological habit, he instinctively didn't feel much resistance to the confidential commission mentioned by Guild Master Monroe.
Besides, as Monroe said, he could decide whether to accept it based on the situation.
If he determined the difficulty exceeded his capabilities, he would choose to refuse without hesitation. He wouldn't agonize over it too much.
Although he hadn't officially reached the Transcendent level, his combat power was already enough to rival a Transcendent in advance. Even facing a behemoth like the Adventurers Guild, he now had considerable autonomy.
Taking the mission scroll, Gauss began to quickly skim through it.
"Subjugate the Dragon Lair."
Just the name of this commission made Gauss, who had opened the scroll, instinctively frown.
The dragon lair nearby should only be that of the 16th-level, or even 17th-level, Green Dragon Queen.
Sending him to investigate would be like sending him to his death, wouldn't it?
But out of patience, he continued reading.
Only then did he realize he had misunderstood.
It was indeed a dragon lair, but not the Green Dragon Queen's lair. It was the lair of a batch of Juvenile Dragons she was fostering.
As a Lord among Chromatic Dragons, many adult dragons had the habit of picking up or even snatching dragon eggs to raise.
Of course, this wasn't because these evil dragons suddenly grew a conscience. If not for the existence of Tiamat, they might even abandon their own offspring, let alone actively raise the offspring of other dragons. They weren't the benevolent Metallic Dragons.
The reason was simply that they could sign more favorable, one-sided contracts with the young dragons in advance, making them serve for a certain number of years after they grew up. In return, they needed to provide the necessary growth resources and protection for the young dragons.
And once they grew to the Juvenile Dragon stage, they could already provide some assistance, not to mention developing to adulthood. Even if they could only serve for ten or twenty years, it would be enough to recoup the initial investment.
Evil dragons were always egoists.
The Green Dragon Queen of the Emerald Forest, Aetherass, had fostered a batch of various Juvenile Dragons, placing them in another dragon lair located deep within the Emerald Forest.
This commission hoped the assignee would reach that dragon lair and kill as many Juvenile Dragons and Young Dragons as possible.
Because if left alone, not to mention the greater threat they would pose to the border once they grew up, even now, the unscrupulous Green Dragon Queen could completely use them as blood bags to transform a batch of Dragonborn creatures.
After reading the commission intelligence, Gauss's face flickered with hesitation.
Objectively speaking, the rewards for this commission were quite substantial.
Of course, it wasn't that he could capture more Juvenile Dragons to serve as mounts like Hephaestus.
He was very self-aware. His strength was only one factor in making Hephaestus submit, and it might not even be a large part.
More importantly, Hephaestus at the time was "foolish" enough to possibly submit to a human like him with a bloodline close to a True Dragon.
Even though Hephaestus had gained intelligence later, the mental dependency formed earlier had long been deeply ingrained under the reinforcement of [Rider] and [Proof of Leadership].
It could be said that his father-son relationship with Hephaestus was the result of perfect timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony. None could be missing.
As for making those proud and aloof True Dragon descendants, who had long formed their own independent thinking, bow their heads in submission, Gauss didn't think he had that kind of face.
On the surface, their relationship with the Green Dragon Queen was even just a contractual relationship of exchange, not a master-servant relationship.
They were merely trading future service time for early development time and resources.
And memories of similar transactions were engraved in their True Dragon bloodline, so they accepted it relatively easily.
However, even if he didn't capture them as mounts, every inch of them was equivalent to a precious treasure: dragon blood, dragon sinews, dragon meat, dragon scales, dragon heart...
Everything about dragons was precious.
So this commission itself was intelligence worth a fortune.
He also had an indistinct feeling that killing dragons would bring him immense benefits, not just in terms of wealth, but also deeper advantages.
However, this commission was indeed extremely dangerous.
Although the other Juvenile Dragons' lair was some distance from the Green Dragon Queen's lair, it was still deep within the heart of the Emerald Forest. During this special period, security there would likely be even tighter.
Once deeply trapped, it would inevitably attract terrible enemies.
To be honest, this was a commission with both high rewards and high risks.
Gauss originally wanted to refuse, but when he opened his mouth, he hesitated for a moment. The rewards for this commission were indeed too rich. Who could resist the temptation of dragon slaying?
It was likely a reward worth a fortune.
His conflicted mood made his expression turn somewhat bitter.
At this moment, how he wished his level were a few ranks higher. Then he could probably make a decision with more confidence.
"Guild Master Monroe, you really think highly of me. A commission of this level..."
Gauss sighed.
"The Guild Master should be able to find adventurers stronger than me, right? Why not ask them first?"
Monroe, sitting opposite him, just smiled. Some inside information wasn't convenient to share with Gauss. When it came to commissions proactively offered to super geniuses, even someone of his status as a city guild master needed to seek instructions from above.
As the Adventurers Guild Master of Barry, he actually hadn't initially planned to give this commission to Gauss.
In his view, Gauss's talent was so outstanding that there was no need to place him in danger.
However, currently, there really were no better executors within the entire Coldjade Province.
During the process of seeking instructions from his superiors, to his great surprise, his old superior recommended Gauss, whom he thought should be protected, and instructed him to inquire about Gauss's interest.
This led to today's private meeting.
"There are indeed adventurers stronger than you, but they aren't suitable for this mission."
"Transcendent-level professionals entering the heart of the Emerald Forest carry a much greater risk of exposure than ordinary professionals."
"Is it because of Domains?" Gauss's mind was very clear, immediately grasping the key point.
The distinction he could imagine between Transcendent and below Transcendent lay in Domains.
"Yes, precisely Domains."
"Domains make professionals stronger, but they also greatly increase the risk of being locked onto and exposed."
"Even someone like me, who seems to have my aura perfectly concealed, just like an ordinary middle-aged man, would stand out like a torch lit in the darkness if I entered monster territory."
Hearing this, Gauss understood why Monroe had sought him out.
He was indeed the most suitable candidate for the task.
He possessed Transcendent-level combat power, giving him the possibility of killing those Juvenile Dragons once deep in the dragon lair. But he just didn't possess a Domain, so his risk of exposure deep within the Emerald Forest was much smaller compared to other Transcendents.
Ordinary Master-level professionals who managed to reach the vicinity of the dragon lair would most likely perish there. And if Transcendents went, they might be located and surrounded by numerous monsters before even reaching their destination.
"Of course, while this commission carries some risk, it's not yet a life-or-death situation."
"Those Juvenile Dragons most likely won't personally participate in the war. We need you to circle around to the rear when the Green Dragon Army approaches the border and ambush them while their rear forces are relatively weak."
"And the Green Dragon Queen absolutely cannot return to defend in a short time."
"We will also provide a special wondrous item. After use, it can raise a temporary barrier, seal the area, and cut off all information leakage from within the barrier."