Chapter 48: From Conflict To Challenge - Part 1

"Just what exactly is happening inside?" At the entrance—before the still-closed, large double doors of the Adventurers' Guild—Arezu stood, confused, alongside other adventurers. Wearing casual clothes beneath his black leather armor, he now donned his trademark brownish-gray coat, matching the shade of his hair and gray eyes. However, his large, intimidating halberd-axe, which should have been strapped to his back, was still missing, leaving only his dagger as a weapon in reserve. Despite being unprepared, he hadn't come to the guild this early—before even the first bell, which rang at six in the morning—to take on a new quest. Arezu was here because of a message he'd received yesterday from Lynn, left at the receptionist's counter. '...We have an important event, so hear my call, my dear apostle, and meet at the guild tomorrow before the first bell... Don't forget to bring your offering...' That was all Lynn had written. In any case, Arezu could only hope that whatever commotion was happening inside the Adventurers' Guild didn't involve her—or worse, him. What prevented Arezu from opening the large double doors and walking inside was simple: the angry shouting that he and the other adventurers could clearly hear even from outside. "...What the heck does this mean?!" "...How did the guild come to that kind of decision?!" "...Give us the credit we deserve!" This isn't going to end well, Arezu thought, judging by the fury and frustration in the voices of the crowd. Whatever mess this was, Arezu had no desire to be involved. In fact, he seriously considered returning to the inn and crawling back into bed—despite the dreadful image of Lynn's wrath if he skipped their scheduled meeting. But before he could make up his mind to leave—or steel himself to face Lynn later—someone spoke to him. "Man, don't make that laid-back face like this doesn't involve you." The words weren't especially harsh in tone, but their meaning alone made Arezu freeze. It came from a fellow adventurer—a bit taller and broader than him, with stone-gray hair and darker skin that matched his rugged features, giving him a look almost like that of a rare gargoyle monster. "Please don't elaborate further, Mr. George," Arezu muttered in defeat, whining at the implication he was already trying to deny. What the heck is that girl up to now? While that thought ran through Arezu's mind, George at least honored his plea for no further details. "Come on, man... We've been through a lot already. Just call me George." To be fair, Arezu's involvement with George was limited to their conversation about Lynn and their encounter in the uncharted dungeon during the orc-hunting quest, where George had been corrupted by a cursed weapon and Arezu fought and saved him. Still, it wasn't as if Arezu disliked being polite or showing proper respect. "Then please fill me in later, George," he replied, about to turn away—only for George to place a hand on his shoulder and stop him. "What are you saying, Arezu? Get in there and deal with your Lady Impaler." "...Huh? That's him?" "...You've seen him before, idiot." "...Right, the rumored BL—" "—Shhh!—" Despite the surrounding whispers, Arezu had no intention of going along with George's suggestion. Until he heard another voice from inside the guild. "...You're just using dirty tricks again, aren't you?!" —BOOMMM!— The entire building shook—and even the area outside trembled—forcing Arezu and the other adventurers to rush inside, anxious about what was going on. In the center of the guild hall, several adventurers were kneeling on the floor. At the heart of it all, on a makeshift stage, stood Lynn—proud, confident... and clearly pissed off. She was still casting her Tremor spell, shaking the very foundations of the guild as if trying to bring the building down and bury everyone inside. Until—SMACK!—Sylvia, standing beside her, smacked her squarely on the head without holding back. "Learn to follow the fucking rules!" Whatever those rules were, Arezu wasn't yet literate enough to read them—or to remember everything explained to him when he first registered as an adventurer—but Sylvia's blow at least ended Lynn's rampage and the quake rocking the guild. As Lynn crouched, clutching her head in pain, calm finally returned to the guild hall—enough for Arezu to start piecing things together, thanks to George's elaboration. According to George, today was the official announcement of the conquerors of the newly discovered—and still unnamed—dungeon found during their last orc-hunting quest. Arezu was aware of the dungeon, of course. What he didn't know were the rumors that had already begun to spread—rumors that were now confirmed by the guild's announcement. The newly titled Dungeon Conquerors were: the infamous Lady Impaler Lynn, the rising star Lady Gwen, and a rookie copper-rank warrior—Arezu himself. With Sylvia representing the guild and Lynn standing as the Dungeon Conquerors' representative, the official announcement had stirred discontent. Especially from the veteran iron-rank adventurers who had also taken part in the orc-hunting quest—those who had first discovered the dungeon, only to go missing after being corrupted by the cursed weapons they mistook for dungeon artifacts. "...We were the ones who found that dungeon first!" "...It's not fair they're the only ones getting credit!" "...Give us the title we deserve!" The brief calm quickly shattered as angry voices rose once more. But this time, they weren't left unanswered. Lynn, recovered from Sylvia's smack and seething with fury, stepped forward again—standing tall in the center of the stage. Then came her explosive response. "You want a freaking title?...Then how about the title Dungeon Murderers?!"