Chapter 286
“Please! Just once, help me! This is a simple problem for the mages of Nirvana to solve!”
The druid shouted as he physically shoved through the golems blocking his path. However, his voice merely echoed hollowly through the lobby.
The mages of Nirvana never paid the slightest attention to anything outside their own interests.
Collapsing to his knees as if breaking down right then and there, the druid slammed his fist onto the lobby floor.
BOOM!
The entire lobby shook.
“How can you be so cold-hearted? Just a single favor is all I ask!” he wailed.
Indifferent to his outburst, the golems converged on the man and tried to drag him away, but he clung tightly to the floor, refusing to budge an inch.
Watching from behind, Sieg made a move to approach the man. Just then, someone unexpectedly placed a hand on his shoulder.
Turning around, Sieg found Xeros standing there.
“Lord Xeros?”
Xeros put a finger to his lips, signaling with a glance for Sieg to step outside.
Leading Sieg out of the lobby, Xeros let out a sigh with a troubled look on his face. “Whew. That was a close one.”
“What is going on? And why is that man acting like that?”
Xeros motioned for Sieg to lower his voice before speaking. “The truth is... that man is blacklisted by Nirvana as a malicious client.”
“Pardon? A malicious client?”
“Yes. At first, he submitted a simple commission to locate the entrance of a dungeon he was exploring. But even after we found it, he kept tacking on extra requests, asking for 'just one more thing' over and over. When we told him to submit a formal commission if he wanted more work done, he just kept throwing unreasonable tantrums.”
Sieg was momentarily taken aback by Xeros’s explanation, which completely contradicted his image of a druid.
'Aren't they supposed to be a mysterious race of the forest?'
Xeros shook his head and continued. “He threw such a fit that we granted a few extra requests out of goodwill, but his demands became endless. Now, no one will even deal with him.”
“What a headache. But what kind of dungeon is he trying to find that's making him act like this?”
“That's the absurd part. He claims the dungeon he's looking for isn't in the mountains, but right on the outskirts of Aten.”
Sieg was slightly startled by those words.
'A dungeon on the outskirts of Aten... Could it be the Great Sage's dungeon?'
In his past life, Sieg knew of a hidden dungeon discovered on the outskirts of Aten. It wasn't supposed to be excavated for quite some time, so hearing that a druid was searching for a similar dungeon raised questions.
'In my past life, I recall a regular adventurer party accidentally finding it, not a druid. Did this druid ultimately fail his excavation?'
Back then, the discovery of a hidden dungeon belonging to a 9th-Circle Archmage—located so close to Aten—had caused a massive sensation. In fact, one of Sieg's goals in coming to Aten was to claim that very dungeon in advance.
Feigning deliberation after listening to Xeros, Sieg spoke up. “A dungeon in Aten, you say? Now that sparks my interest.”
Xeros looked horrified at Sieg's reaction. “Sir Sieg, if you get tangled up with that nuisance... I mean, that man, you'll just waste your time and suffer for nothing.”
“I'll at least hear him out. If he gets too annoying, I can always teach him a harsh lesson.”
It suddenly dawned on Xeros that the man standing before him was the youngest knight in the continent's history to be promoted to Red Knight.
'Right. He's Sieg Draker... a mere druid couldn't possibly harm him.'
After pondering Sieg's words, Xeros spoke up. “In that case, I will accompany you. Leaving all the responsibility on you—a guest of our house—weighs heavily on my conscience.”
Sieg considered Xeros's sudden decision to join before nodding. “Your help would be greatly appreciated, Lord Xeros.”
For Sieg, drawing closer to Xeros—a prodigy mage of Nirvana—offered immense benefits. His Black Sword Knights were undeniably lacking in magical personnel.
'If I can recruit Xeros into the Order, it would be like giving wings to a dragon.'
With that thought, Sieg walked toward the druid, who was still throwing a tantrum in the lobby alongside Xeros.
Sieg called out to him. “I hear you're looking for a way to clear a dungeon.”
Thinking someone had finally come to help, the druid snapped his head up. But seeing Sieg dressed in knight's attire, his expression turned to disappointment.
Frowning, he waved his hand dismissively. “I don't need a knight. I need a mage.”
Despite coming to beg for help, the druid was still being picky.
Slinging a silent click of his tongue, Sieg sent a message via telepathy.
— Are you the druid who received aid from the Ishtar family in the borderlands?
At the sudden telepathic voice echoing in his head, the druid's massive frame flinched. He slowly turned his head to stare at Sieg.
Only then did the druid stand up. His stature was so enormous he looked almost like a barbarian.
Looking down at Sieg, he asked, “Who are you?”
“My name is Sieg Draker. I am known as the Knight of Curse-Breaking.”
Upon hearing Sieg's name, the druid recoiled in shock. “D-Draker? Wait, the real Knight of Curse-Breaking?”
From behind, Xeros spoke up in a sharp tone. “He is indeed Sir Sieg Draker, the true Knight of Curse-Breaking. You would do well to show proper respect.”
Caught under Xeros's sharp glare, the druid flinched again and took another step back. Then, he suddenly dropped to his knees before Sieg.
“Oh, Sir Knight! Please, help me just this once!”
He was a man who flipped his attitude in an instant depending on the situation. Sieg couldn't help but doubt whether this barbarian-like brute was actually a real druid.
'Judging by his behavior, he's no better than a back-alley thug.'
Sieg said to him, “Talking here isn't ideal. Let's take this outside.”
Sieg brought the druid and Xeros to a tavern in the city of Aten.
The moment the druid took a seat, he ordered beer and gulped down the largest mug as soon as it arrived.
“Phew! Ah, so refreshing!”
Watching the druid wipe foam from his mouth, Sieg asked, “What kind of dungeon are you trying to clear that gave you the nerve to throw a fit in front of the House of Nirvana?”
Ordering another beer, the druid grinned and replied, “Well, you see... it’s the dungeon of a 9th-Circle Mage.”
At those words, Xeros choked on the wine he was sipping and spat it out.
Coughing violently, Xeros turned to Sieg. “Sir Sieg, there's no need to listen any further. I thought he was just a nuisance, but he's a complete fraud!”
Sieg calmed Xeros down and motioned for the druid to continue.
Gulping down the newly arrived beer in one single go again, the druid opened his mouth. “I'm not lying, it's real! That 9th-Circle Mage once visited our village, and my great-great-great-grandfather heard him say he found an ancient ruin and was conducting research there.”
Xeros wore an utterly dumbfounded expression. “You've been causing all that commotion based on a story like that? Good grief, I'm speechless.”
Yet Sieg, sitting beside him, was listening quite seriously.
'If it's a 9th-Circle Mage, it makes sense he would seek out the druids of the north.'
Sieg asked, “Why did that 9th-Circle Mage visit your village?”
Scratching his head, the druid replied, “I don't know for sure. Probably to ask the Elders about something he was curious about. That kind of thing happens from time to time.”
Druids were a race known as the wise sages of the forest. They were said to command forest spirits, phantom beasts, and divine beasts, safeguarding mysterious realms untouched by magic.
However, since they were currently believed to be extinct, it was surprising to hear that people were still actively seeking them out.
Of course, looking at the massive brute of a druid sitting right in front of him, Sieg couldn't feel a shred of that mystical aura—though that was how the legends described them.
Sieg asked, “What are you looking to find inside that dungeon?”
The druid clamped his mouth shut and shook his head. “I can't say.”
Clutching his chest in frustration, Xeros sighed. “Sir Sieg, there's nothing more to hear. Let's just go.”
Sieg then looked at the druid. “If I help you explore this dungeon, what will you give me?”
Faced with Sieg's steady gaze, the druid flinched. He tried to avert his eyes, yet he could still feel a sharp gaze piercing right through him.
After a moment, the druid spoke in a slightly trembling voice. “T-The only thing I need from inside is one specific item. You can have everything else.”
Sieg nodded at his answer. “Fine. I'll help you explore the dungeon.”
The druid looked at Sieg dubiously. “But... can a knight really clear a dungeon? If it were the mage next to you, maybe, but...”
Xeros flared up at the druid's words instead. “Hey! How dare you underestimate Sir Sieg Draker, the Knight of Curse-Breaking! Do you have no idea that Sir Draker broke the curse on the famous Haunted Mansion?”
When Xeros snapped at him, the druid shrank back. Sieg held Xeros back and addressed the druid. “Leave the clearing to me, so don't worry about it. Tell me where it's located, and we'll head there tomorrow.”
Shifting his eyes back and forth nervously, the druid reached into his shirt, pulled out a map, and handed it to Sieg.
“T-The location is here.”
“Good. What's your name?”
“Y-You can call me Michelle.”
Thinking the name 'Michelle' didn't fit a bear of a man at all, Sieg nodded. “Very well, Michelle. Let's meet at this spot tomorrow at 7:00 AM.”
Waddling his massive body, the druid hurriedly rushed out of the tavern.
Xeros spoke to Sieg. “Sir Sieg, that man is definitely a scammer.”
“I don't know if he's a scammer, but he's certainly shameless.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“He left without paying for his beer.”
At Sieg's words, Xeros frowned and shook his head in disgust.
The next day, Sieg and Xeros arrived early at the location Michelle had specified and waited for him.
However, even past 7:00 AM, Michelle was nowhere to be seen.
Xeros gnashed his teeth. “That fraud must have run off out of fear of being exposed by you, Sir Sieg.”
Sieg climbed onto a rock to survey the surroundings. The location marked on Michelle's map was a small hill not far from the city of Aten. It was merely a juncture where a few travelers passed by on their way to other regions; there wasn't a single spot that looked like it harbored a dungeon.
Just as Sieg was climbing down from the rock—
“Whew... Whew...”
Carrying a massive load, Michelle emerged from the base of the hill. Wiping away his sweat, he waved to the two of them.
“S-Sorry I'm late.”
Xeros gasped at the sight of Michelle's enormous backpack. “What on earth is all this?”
Setting the backpack down, Michelle panted, “Whew... Food to eat down below.”
“F-Food? All of this?!”
Because the quantity was enough to feed regular people for over ten days, Xeros couldn't help but be flabbergasted.
Without a word, Sieg opened the backpack Michelle had brought and dumped it upside down. Inside, there was no exploration gear whatsoever—literally just food. To make matters worse, it was packed entirely with snacks and sweets.
“Chocolate, pies, and even honeycomb liquor?”
Scratching his cheek, Michelle muttered, “Exerting myself makes me crave sweet things...”
Sieg conjured a flame and burned everything Michelle had brought.
FLARE!
“Gasp! No!”
In a panic, Michelle tried to snatch the burning snacks out of the fire.
Grabbing Michelle by the scruff of his neck, Sieg pulled him back and said, “I brought dry rations, so stop fooling around and lead us to the dungeon entrance.”
Dejected, Michelle trudged forward gloomily.
He walked toward an old well behind the hill. Reaching for the wooden plank blocking the well's entrance, he slid it aside.
“Phew!”
Wiping sweat from his forehead, he pulled out a candy from his pocket and popped it into his mouth.
“Sigh, exerting myself makes me crave sweets so much.”
Ignoring Michelle's pointed mumbling, Sieg went straight down into the well.
SWOOSH!
The bottom of the well led to a fairly deep underground area.
Landing on the ground, Sieg looked around using Dragon's Eyes. It was an old structure built with sturdy bricks.
'A sewer system? No, it looks more like an underground bunker.'
Sieg walked deeper inside.
Before long, a massive door appeared before him.
Looking at the crest engraved on the door, Sieg’s eyes widened in surprise.