Chapter 334: On the Brink of Eruption

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3:00 PM—

Portsinota Town. The clatter of a speeding carriage shattered the afternoon tranquility.

“We’re here—Dustbone Corridor is just ahead!”

Eir poked her head out of the magnificent, undoubtedly royal carriage. As it hurtled down the road, her ears fluttered in the wind.

“We really made it.”

Leah, on tiptoe, squeezed in next to Eir, her witch’s hat clutched in her hand, frantically searching for the dungeon entrance.

“Empress—since you’re here, we can just barge into Dustbone Corridor without any formalities, right?” she asked Treya inside.

“Normally, no. I’ve given the Adventurer’s Guild more jurisdiction over dungeons, but…”

Treya ducked, joining the other two.

“Driver, straight to the entrance. If there are any issues, I will handle them. I’ll speak to Carver directly.”

“Y-Yes…”

The carriage accelerated towards Dustbone Corridor.

But…

They were forced to stop from a distance.

The entrance to Dustbone Corridor was completely blocked off, barricaded with various signs. Even a royal carriage couldn’t fly over. To get through, they would have to walk.

“Something… isn’t right here, is it?”

Eir was the first to disembark, using her shield to carve a path through the crowd.

“Not right at all. There are way too many Adventurer’s Guild officials around.”

Leah followed closely behind Eir’s shield, observing the scene.

“And… that must be the Radiant Knights’ mage. Even without their captain, I recognize him—the one wrapped in robes is their mage…”

Treya, being taller, could see further.

A dense crowd at the Dustbone Corridor entrance.
Adventurer’s Guild guards standing watch.
An S-rank rescue team, fully equipped and ready.

These words, when combined, became a synonym for “trouble.”

“Everyone, please calm down. A death like this… it caught us off guard too.”

Andor, the S-rank mage of the Radiant Knights, stood on a makeshift platform, shouting to maintain order. Below him were not just adventurers, but also merchants who had flocked to the town for the dungeon’s prosperity—especially those who had invested heavily in Dustbone Corridor’s unique resources.

“D-Death…”

Eir heard the word, her eyes widening. She froze.

“D-Don’t just stop like that. Achoo!”

Leah bumped into her fluffy tail and sneezed.

“It might not be what we… what we think. Don’t panic. Let’s hear him out.”

Treya remained calm, watching the mage on the platform from afar. He didn’t look “sad”; in fact, she detected a hint of schadenfreude on his face.

“We were planning to clear this dungeon this afternoon, given its history of accidents! It’s such a shame that an incident occurred before we even stepped inside.”

“Give us merchants an explanation first! Is this place closing down today? Will the Adventurer’s Guild compensate us? They said this dungeon would be around for a month! We’ve already rented houses!”

“Yeah, yeah!”

“A dungeon this dangerous cannot be allowed to exist. As for compensation, merchants can apply to the Guild later.”

…

“Our party needs important materials from this dungeon. It’s hard to find desert-type dungeons in the middle of winter. Can’t you make an exception and let us in?”

“What kind of person are you? Someone died, and you’re still thinking about your materials.”

“My apologies. But for everyone’s safety, we cannot make any exceptions.”

…

“Since someone died, it’s your responsibility! Why won’t you release the deceased’s information? Why won’t you disclose the cause of death! Can’t the Adventurer’s Guild be transparent about this?”

“Well said! If you don’t disclose it, how can you prove this dungeon is dangerous?”

“We’ve been here for days, exploring for so long, and we haven’t encountered any problems. It must be the adventurer who died that was the problem!”

“Well… out of respect for the dead. The Adventurer’s Guild has always respected the privacy of the deceased. I cannot disclose the information.”

…

The three of them stood outside the crowd, craning their necks. Leah even used a bit of levitation magic to hear any information about the incident and the deceased over the chattering crowd.

But unfortunately, they heard nothing. The Adventurer’s Guild did have a tradition of not disclosing the information of those who died in dungeons. Even if the deceased had family, they would be informed privately. The handling of the body was usually very discreet. Of course, whether this was out of respect for the adventurer or for other reasons was another matter.

The crowd, unable to get the information they wanted, gradually dispersed. First the local onlookers, then the anxious adventurers and merchants, and finally the reporters hoping for today’s big story.

In the end, only the three of them were left, standing in the cold.

“The person who died… could… could it be Young Master?” Eir asked cautiously.

“Don’t—don’t believe it yourself! Don’t say such unlucky things!” Leah immediately refuted her.

“Impossible. ‘Fate’… ‘fate’ can be broken…”

—It could be someone related to the deceased.

“They’ve… blocked it off. Are we still going in?” Eir asked.

“It’s fine. With me here, no one should dare to stop me,” Treya said confidently.

“Then let’s go!” Leah took a step forward.

But…

All three of them knew the possibility that linked “Dustbone Corridor” and “death” was…

At that moment, from their perspective, a figure slowly walked down the street adjacent to the Dustbone Corridor entrance.

Her long black hair fluttered in the wind. In this cold season, she wore only a vest on her upper body, draped with a thick coat, walking down the chilly path.

She was holding a box.

Whether they had met her before or only seen her in the newspaper, anyone would recognize this uniquely dressed woman—

“““Shuna?!”””

The three of them called out the name of the person they had always considered their enemy, in unison.

Eir, with her keen senses, was the first to raise her shield and charge.

Leah didn’t move, but spun her staff, aiming it at Shuna.

Treya drew her sword from her waist and dashed forward half a meter.

No matter what, she was definitely—the last person to have contact with Will!

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