Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 8

Meanwhile…

After leaving Riofendarl, I had arrived in the neighboring town.

I needed to check my status with the Adventurer’s Guild.

This town was smaller than Riofendarl, but it still had a functioning guild.

Luckily, I still had my guild card with me.

If I submitted it here, I could confirm how the guild officially recognized me now.

“Lax? It’s been a while. Are you alright?”

“Guildmaster Klein. It’s been a year. Sorry for the sudden visit.”

The guildmaster of this town was an old acquaintance.

The town was ruled by Baron Ruoresium, who had close ties with Viscount Riofendarl.

Since I had been involved in guild operations under Riofendarl’s rule, I had crossed paths with Klein a few times.

He was a decent man—straightforward, fair, and knowledgeable.

He had given me plenty of valuable advice in the past.

I had come here because I knew he wouldn’t treat me unfairly.

If Jekyll’s lies had spread even here, I would have expected a much colder reception.

But seeing that Klein greeted me without hostility, I felt relieved.

Even after barging into the guild and demanding to see him.

“I went through some rough times.”

“I heard. They say you got caught in a dungeon trap.”

“So even you know about that?”

“Of course. The whole thing reeks of deception, though. It’s clear someone tried to smear your name.”

“…So you saw through it?”

“Relax. In this town, you won’t be treated unfairly. The fact that no one even mentioned the fund you created proves that something shady is going on. Someone wanted to erase your legacy.”

“…Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. You’ve already left that city, haven’t you? Forget about those idiots. They’re not worth your time.”

“…Yeah.”

“Honestly, I’d love to recruit you here. There’s no dungeon, but there’s plenty of work for an adventurer.”

“Would that really be okay?”

“What’s the problem? You’re not a criminal. But forget all that for now. Today, we drink. We’ll talk business tomorrow.”

Ah, right.

Klein was a heavy drinker.

Not the kind who got aggressive, but the kind who became annoyingly chatty before passing out from intoxication.

Which, honestly, was preferable.

Made things easy.

“Guildmaster, at least finish your work first.”

A sharp voice cut in.

“Lax, I apologize, but please wait a moment.”

“…Melia… You just had to ruin the mood.”

“Melia, sorry about this.”

It was obvious that Klein wouldn’t be allowed to drink during working hours.

Since I wasn’t in any rush, I had no problem waiting.

Melia was Klein’s daughter, as well as his secretary.

She was a capable mage, with short, sleek black hair and a no-nonsense attitude.

Efficient, professional, and someone who kept her father in check.

I took a seat in the guild’s lounge and picked up a book about the region’s monster population while waiting.

Then, suddenly, the entire guild erupted into chaos.

A guild staff member rushed in, breathless.

“A Stampede has broken out in the Riofendarl Dungeon!”

Another one?!

It had only been three years since the last Stampede.

Was this for real?

When I was still in Riofendarl, I had regularly culled the lower-level monsters to prevent this kind of disaster.

But of course…

They must have slacked off the moment I was gone.

If the lower levels had gone untouched for six months, then yeah, a Stampede was possible.

Still, the last Stampede had been led by an Orc King.

Before that, there hadn’t been a single Stampede in over twenty years.

This meant something had gone very wrong in the lower levels.

Maybe a powerful new monster had appeared.

Maybe something had escaped and evolved into a new boss.

Either way, the damage was already done.

“What’s the situation?!”

Klein’s voice was tense.

Since this was the nearest town, if Riofendarl failed to contain the Stampede, this place could be next.

The details of the situation were quickly compiled and relayed.

“Jekyll, now leader of ‘Flash,’ led a group of 100 adventurers to stop the Stampede in the upper levels. However, they failed to eradicate the monsters and have been forced to retreat. The situation is critical.”

Jekyll…

Of course he failed.

Eranda had handed over my weapons and items to him, but gear alone didn’t make a warrior.

Jekyll was a thief.

And out of everyone in Flash, he had been the weakest.

Claire had been there too, but she specialized in support and healing magic, not direct combat.

The firepower of Flash had always been me.

The only person who might have been able to hold the line was Michelle, but…

She still hadn’t woken up.

They were doomed from the start.

“Give me details. Before they retreated, they at least cleared out the middle-level monsters, right?”

“That… is unclear.”

“So they didn’t. Are you serious? What’s the current situation?”

“Reports indicate that monsters have already begun to spread outside the dungeon. While civilians have been evacuated, there is property damage. Riofendarl is requesting assistance in housing the displaced residents.”

“What about the lord and his officials?”

“The Viscount is on-site, personally leading the defense!”

It was exactly as bad as it sounded.

Viscount Riofendarl was a righteous man.

Was he planning to die with his city?

What about Shifa?

Surely, he would at least ensure his daughter’s safety.

“Is that all the reports? Then we need to—”

“One more thing. Jekyll and Claire have fled the battlefield. Lady Eranda has also gone missing.”

“WHAT?!”

Unbelievable.

They abandoned everyone.

I stood up.

“Lax? Are you going?”

“Yeah… I’m going to save Shifa. And Michelle. And the civilians.”

“Be careful! We’ll send reinforcements!”

“I appreciate it.”

The fact that they were willing to send troops so quickly was reassuring.

Even though this town would be affected if Riofendarl fell, their immediate response was still impressive.

“I’m going too. We should ride ahead on horseback.”

“Hold on! This isn’t the kind of situation where the guildmaster’s daughter should be running in!”

“Oh, come on. Lax will protect me, won’t he? Honestly, it’s probably the safest place to be.”

“That’s not the point!”

The father-daughter argument escalated, but I had already made up my mind.

“Lax! Hurry up! Father’s just being slow!”

“Fine! Go wipe them out!”

That settled that.

Melia was a skilled mage, so I had no complaints about bringing her along.

Riofendarl, I’m coming back.