Inside the Class Holders Guild, the discussions grew louder.
“Two hundred gold coins...”
“Has the Guild gone mad?”
“What on earth is down there?”
“The one that went in yesterday was the Rock Crushing Squad.”
“Their captain is a high Silver Rank.”
“And they just vanished like that?”
Various voices intertwined, and the entire hall became noisy. Matthew, however, stood where he was without moving. He simply listened quietly. At a time like this, what others said was often more valuable than the official announcement.
...
“I know someone from Rock Crushing,” a mercenary said in a low voice. “They aren't rookies. They even cleared the underground mine tunnels last year. They’re very experienced.”
Another person nearby frowned. “Could they have taken a wrong turn?”
“Impossible.” The first mercenary immediately shook his head. “They were carrying an underground map and an alchemical compass. Logically speaking, the chance of them getting lost is tiny.”
Someone else chimed in. “Is it possible they encountered a high-tier magical beast?”
The group fell silent for a moment. Finally, they gently shook their heads. If it were just a magical beast, the Guild wouldn't have issued a search and rescue mission; they would have issued a direct extermination order. Since it was a search and rescue, it meant the situation hadn't been fully characterized yet.
...
Just then, Ryan walked over and glanced at Matthew. “Didn't sign up?”
Matthew shook his head. “No.”
Ryan nodded. “Good. At least you haven't been blinded by two hundred gold coins.”
He turned toward the mission announcement wall and said slowly, “Do you know why many veteran Class holders would rather earn a little less than take a commission like this?”
Matthew didn't answer. Ryan continued to himself, “Because the unknown is the most dangerous thing of all. Against a known magical beast, you can prepare weapons, potions, and traps. But against the unknown...” He gently tapped the announcement board. “You can prepare nothing.”
Matthew nodded. This sentence coincided perfectly with Herbert’s teachings. The truly dangerous thing was never a powerful enemy, but not knowing what the enemy was.
...
While everyone was discussing, an old man suddenly walked down from the second-floor stairs. He wore a deep blue robe with the silver badge of the Class Holders Guild pinned to his chest. The noise in the hall instantly diminished. Many Class holders actively moved aside to clear a path. Ryan also lowered his head slightly.
“Vice President.”
Matthew followed his gaze. The man was around sixty years old with white hair, but his complexion was very ruddy. His pace was steady, and the distance of every step was almost exactly the same. Clearly, this was someone with extreme control over his body.
The old man walked to the mission wall, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before he spoke slowly.
“Regarding Mission 317, the Guild is adding three supplementary instructions.”
The hall fell silent instantly. The old man held up his first finger. “First, there is currently no evidence to prove that the Rock Crushing Squad is dead.”
Many people secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least there was still a possibility they were alive.
The old man continued, “Second, this task is primarily search and rescue. Any discoveries must be reported immediately. No one is allowed to infiltrate deeper without authorization.”
Hearing this, Matthew’s eyes flickered slightly. No one is allowed to infiltrate deeper. This sentence indicated the Guild knew there was something else in the depths of the underground.
The old man slowly extended a third finger, and the hall grew even quieter. “Third, for this search and rescue, those below mid Silver Rank are prohibited from participating. High Silver Rank must form a team. Gold Rank may act alone.”
As his voice fell, the entire hall was deathly silent. This was a mandatory restriction rarely issued by the Class Holders Guild. It meant one thing—the danger level underground had already exceeded the range that ordinary Class holders could handle.
The old man didn't explain further. He simply posted the new announcement and turned to leave. Matthew stared at that parchment, realizing for the first time that Mission 317 was no longer an ordinary commission. It was slowly turning into an event that the entire Royal Capital’s Class holders were watching.
Discussion resumed in the hall, but unlike before, almost no one was rushing to sign up this time. Two hundred gold coins were indeed tempting, but the prerequisite was... being alive to spend them.
...
Matthew turned to leave the mission wall, and Ryan followed. The two walked all the way outside the Guild. Ryan suddenly spoke. “Are you interested in accompanying me somewhere?”
Matthew looked at him. “Where?”
“The cemetery.”
Aidan was stunned. “The cemetery?”
Ryan nodded, his expression becoming serious for the first time. “To see a few old friends.”
...
Half an hour later, in the northern outskirts of the Royal Capital, the wind blew across the entire cemetery. Rows of grayish-white tombstones were neatly arranged. It was very quiet here, with only the occasional sound of birds chirping.
Ryan walked toward a specific area with practiced ease. There stood seven tombstones, varying in age and condition. But on every single one, the same emblem was carved: a soaring falcon with spread wings. This was the graveyard for the successive members of the Eagle Wing Squad.
Ryan didn't speak. He simply wiped the fallen leaves off the tombstones and placed a small bottle of ale down. Aidan also grew quiet, not daring to make a sound.
...
Ryan stood before the central tombstone for a long time without moving. After a while, he spoke slowly. “This was my captain.”
Matthew looked at the tombstone. A name was carved on it: Abel Kahn. Below it was a very short sentence: May glory be with you.
Ryan chuckled softly. “He didn't like glory; he preferred gold coins. This sentence was something the people from the Church insisted on carving.”
Matthew didn't speak, just listened quietly. Ryan continued walking forward and stopped at the second tombstone. “This was the vice captain. An archer. His archery was much better than mine.”
“The third one. The Shield Warrior. Had the foulest temper.”
“The fourth one. The cook. He said every day that he’d open a tavern after retiring. In the end...” Ryan didn't continue. He just gently patted the tombstone, a trace of complexity flashing in his eyes.
...
Finally, he stopped before a tombstone without a name. It only had a number: Seventh Seat.
Aidan couldn't help but ask, “Why is there no name?”
Ryan was silent for a few seconds. “Because the body was never found. And no one knows if he actually died or not.”
The wind blew gently, and the cemetery returned to silence.
...
When they left the cemetery, the sun had already begun to sink toward the west. Ryan suddenly said, “Do you know why I brought you here?”
Matthew shook his head. Ryan gazed at the distant Royal Capital and said slowly, “Because many young people start thinking they’re very strong after earning their first few dozen gold coins. But they don't know that the people lying in this cemetery were just like them back then.”
He turned to look at Matthew. “You are different from them. You are calmer and smarter. So, I don't want there to be a new tombstone the next time I come here.”
Matthew was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. “I understand.” This wasn't an attempt to discourage him, but the most sincere warning an old mercenary could give to a junior.
...
After returning to the Royal Capital, Matthew didn't go back to the Class Holders Guild. Instead, he went straight back to the inn. At night, he sat at his desk and wrote down everything that had happened in the last few days in a new notebook.
On the first page, he wrote several names: Hall, Violet, Ryan, Hudson. Below them, he wrote several locations: West District, underground drainage system, White Tower, library.
Finally, at the very bottom, he drew a horizontal line and wrote a sentence: All current clues point to the Royal Capital's underground.
After writing it, Matthew shook his head slightly. Then, he picked up his pen and added another line next to that sentence: But now is not the time to go in.
He slowly closed the notebook and blew out the oil lamp. Outside the window, the Royal Capital was still brightly lit. But deep within the city, in an unknown underground space, a dim oil lamp slowly flickered to life at that moment.
An old man, completely shrouded in a grey robe, stood quietly before a massive stone wall. The wall was densely carved with names. Suddenly, one of the names glowed faintly.
The old man slowly raised his head and whispered, “Matthew...”
His voice echoed in the empty underground hall, but no one responded. Only from the depths of the stone wall, there seemed to come an extremely faint... bell toll.
Over the next three days, the Royal Capital regained a rare sense of peace. The search and rescue mission for Mission 317 remained in the most prominent position on the announcement wall. People stopped to look every day, but no new team set out. The Class Holders Guild also seemed to be waiting—waiting for a more suitable candidate.
...
As for Matthew, he returned to his original rhythm of life. In the early morning, he practiced the Knight Breathing Technique. In the morning, he practiced his swordsmanship. In the afternoon, he read the texts he had borrowed from the library. In the evening, he meditated. Occasionally, he sparred with Aidan or went to the Class Holders Guild to listen for news.
Life was so regular it was almost monotonous. But Matthew was very satisfied. Herbert had once said that true strength never came from a single fortuitous encounter, but was accumulated through countless ordinary days.
...
On the morning of the fourth day, in the backyard of the inn, the sounds of wooden swords clashing rang out continuously.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Aidan was already sweating profusely, his sword hand trembling slightly. Matthew still stood tall, his breathing steady. “Again.”
Aidan gritted his teeth and rushed forward once more. He used a diagonal slash—this was a basic sword form Matthew had taught him a few days ago. His movements had become much more standardized. But just as the blade was about to fall, Matthew simply took half a step to the side and easily avoided it. Then, the scabbard of his sword gently tapped Aidan’s wrist.
Smack.
The wooden sword fell to the ground again. Aidan sat on the ground, panting heavily. “I'm done. I can't beat you at all.”
Matthew handed the wooden sword back to him. “Just now, your eyes moved first.”
Aidan was stunned. “What do you mean?”
“Before you struck, you looked at the spot where I was going to dodge. In a real battle, your gaze will also expose your thoughts.”
Aidan nodded thoughtfully. These were things that weren't written in books; they could only be understood through constant combat.
...
Just then, the inn owner hurried into the backyard. “Matthew! Someone is looking for you!”
Matthew was somewhat surprised. He didn't know many people in the Royal Capital. Who would come so early? When he arrived in the lobby, he saw a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth standing at the door. He was wearing the uniform of the Class Holders Guild.
Upon seeing Matthew, the youth immediately stepped forward. “Mr. Matthew? This is a letter for you.”
With that, he handed over a kraft paper envelope with both hands. Matthew took the letter and saw that the seal was covered with the wax seal of the Class Holders Guild. After confirming it hadn't been opened, he opened the envelope. Inside was only a single sheet of paper with simple content:
Please proceed to Meeting Room No. 2 on the second floor of the Class Holders Guild before 9:00 AM today. An explanation regarding recent commissions needs to be provided to some Class holders.
The signature was the Royal Capital Class Holders Guild. There was no specific name.
...
Aidan leaned over to take a look. “A meeting? Is it about 317?”
Matthew didn't answer immediately. Instead, he refolded the letter and put it back in the envelope. From the content, this looked more like an internal briefing. The ones invited were likely those who had executed special commissions recently, such as the warehouse escort, the Green Rock Merchant Group transport, or other squads that had encountered anomalies.
If that was the case, the value of this meeting would probably be higher than any commission. Because for the first time, the Class Holders Guild was preparing to actively explain some things.
In the morning, at the Class Holders Guild, the second floor was significantly quieter than the noisy hall below. Two Guild guards stood at the top of the stairs. Everyone going up had to show an invitation letter.
Matthew handed over the envelope. After the guards checked it carefully, they nodded. “Meeting Room No. 2. It has already begun inside.”
...
He pushed the door open. There were already over twenty people sitting inside. The number wasn't large, but not a single one was an ordinary Class holder. Matthew swept his gaze over them; many were people he had seen in the last few days. Barton, Ryan, and several captains of escort teams. Even the captain of the squad that hunted the Iron-Backed Demon Wolf was there.
Clearly, those invited shared a common point: they had all executed special commissions recently. Matthew found a seat toward the back and sat down. Not long after, the door closed.
An old man in a deep blue uniform slowly walked onto the podium. It was the same Vice President who had posted the supplementary announcement for 317. He didn't waste time on pleasantries and went straight to the point.
“Everyone, I have invited you here today for only one thing.” He waved his hand, and a staff member nearby unfolded a map. It was a map of the Royal Capital and its surrounding areas.
The old man picked up a wooden staff and gently pointed at the map. In just a few days, seven red dots had been added to the map, distributed around the Royal Capital.
“In the past month, seven similar attacks have occurred. Four were against merchant caravans, two against exploration teams, and one against material transport.”
The meeting room fell silent. Seven incidents. It was far more than anyone had known. The old man continued, “It can currently be confirmed that all the attackers were well-equipped, highly coordinated, and had clear objectives. They do not resemble ordinary bandits.”
Speaking of which...
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