Chapter 85: Raid Dungeon (2)

“I’d like to take on a request,” Ketal said.

“A-are you a mercenary?” Tiana asked, frightened.

“Yes, I am.” Ketal handed over his mercenary badge.

With trembling hands, Tiana accepted it.

Huh?

Her eyes widened as she checked the badge. The rank inscribed on the badge was C-Rank, which meant that the barbarian before her was a C-Rank mercenary.

There’s no way this is real, right?

Suspicious, she examined the badge closely, turning it over several times. However, it wasn’t a fake. The barbarian was, in fact, a legitimate mercenary.

Alright...

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her shaking body.

The barbarian before her was terrifying, but in the end, he was still a mercenary—bound by the laws and rules of society. There was no reason for her to be afraid.

“Is there a specific request you’re interested in...?” she asked. Despite her efforts, her voice came out as a feeble whisper, barely audible. Rather than a proper question, it sounded more like a mutter.

Yet, Ketal seemed to hear her just fine.

“I heard there’s a request related to a Raid Dungeon,” he said.

“Ah, yes. There is.” Fumbling under the desk, Tiana pulled out a request form and handed it over.

Request Details

Client: Denian Kingdom

Dungeon Rank: A-Rank

Type: Raid Dungeon

Requirements: C-Rank or higher, must be able to cooperate with others.

Reward: Distributed based on individual contributions

A smile appeared on Ketal’s face as he read the request form.

“Can you explain the details?” he asked.

“Y-yes, of course.” Tiana stammered as she began explaining. “It’s an A-Rank Raid Dungeon. There are a total of four entrances leading into the Dungeon.”

Four entrances meant that there were four pathways leading to the Dungeon’s core. Mercenary parties would enter separately through each entrance, clearing their respective paths. Once they reached the center, they would regroup with the other parties.

“After meeting up with the other teams, you will need to solve the Dungeon’s mechanisms and defeat the boss monster. Once that’s done, the raid will be complete,” Tiana continued.

“I see. So that’s how it works,” Ketal muttered.

There were different types of Raid Dungeons. Some required a full-force assault—charging in as a single unit to overwhelm the boss monster with sheer numbers. Others, like this one, required teams to split up and navigate Dungeon mechanisms before facing the final challenge together.

Ketal nodded in satisfaction. “There are still open spots, right?”

“Yes, there are... but...,” Tiana murmured.

“I’d like to take on this Raid Dungeon request.”

“E-eh?”

“I meet the requirements, don’t I?”

“Well, technically, yes, but....” Tiana hesitated. Ketal was indeed a C-Rank mercenary, meaning he met the minimum qualifications. However, there was one more condition. “Have you ever formed a party before?”

Raid Dungeons weren’t like regular Dungeons. They required large-scale cooperation, often involving dozens of people working together to clear them. With so many participants, teamwork was essential. Everyone had to be able to follow orders—even from people they didn’t know.

However, from her experiences, barbarians weren’t exactly known for their social skills. They were more famous for breaking skulls in duels, even among their own kind.

She glanced at him with growing concern. However, Ketal responded confidently, “Do not worry. I’ve formed and led parties before. I’ve also completed an escort mission, so I know how to work as a team. I give you my word.”

“Your word, huh...” Of course, Tiana didn’t believe him. A barbarian’s promise was one of the least reliable things in the world. Normally, she would’ve flat out rejected him on the spot.

Barbarians weren’t exactly the ideal candidates for Raid Dungeons. However, she was scared. If she rejected him, it felt like Ketal would suddenly go berserk and bury his axe in her skull.

She had read plenty of stories about barbarians behaving like that when she was younger. Back then, she admired how fearless and reckless they were.

However, now, she was on the receiving end of that fearlessness, and her body shook uncontrollably.

That was when she realized—barbarian stories were best enjoyed as fiction, not reality.

“We have a review process. The guild master will need to evaluate your application first. You will receive a response within a week, so please check back later,” Tiana explained.

In the end, she shifted the responsibility to the guild master.

“Understood. I will check back.” Ketal nodded and walked away.

As soon as he was gone, Tiana collapsed on the desk, burying her face in her arms.

I need to get rid of them...

She thought about all the books about barbarians and mercenaries she had collected since childhood. She decided to throw them all away.

***

That night, the guild master sat at his desk, sorting through documents. He reviewed the ranks and specialties of the mercenaries who had applied for the Raid Dungeon.

“Not bad,” he murmured to himself. Raid Dungeons were not particularly popular. Even if the reward were substantial, most mercenaries—who valued their independence—had little interest in working alongside others.

However, this time, the applicants were of higher quality than usual. With this lineup, the Dungeon would likely be cleared without major complications.

Just as he was about to turn the page, his hand froze. “A barbarian...?”

Among the mercenaries who had accepted the Raid Dungeon request, there was a barbarian.

Why is a barbarian here?

he thought.

Ketal was currently staying at Milayna’s residence, but most people in the capital knew nothing about him. It was because he would leave the capital when others were asleep and returned at dawn when they were still passed out.

Only the guards were aware of his presence, but they had been ordered to keep silent.

He’s a C-Rank mercenary. He must have gone through an evaluation to get approved. It must have been a hassle, so he must have been determined to join,

the guild master thought. He naturally assumed this was the case.

Even so, his decision was clear. He had no intention of allowing a barbarian into a Raid Dungeon.

Barbarians were uncontrollable, and there was no reason to take such a risk. Normally, the receptionist should have rejected him immediately, but it seemed she had been too frightened and escalated the request directly to him.

As he prepared to set Ketal’s document aside, a voice suddenly interrupted him.

“Hey.”

The guild master instinctively dove to the side at the sudden voice near the window. His chair tipped over, hitting the floor with a loud bang.

“Who’s there?!” the guild master shouted. He grabbed the axe mounted on the wall. His forehead was already covered in sweat.

Although he had retired due to age, he was once a renowned mercenary. The years had dulled his body, but his instincts remained sharp. And right now, those instincts were telling him that the opponent near the window was a powerful individual.

The guild master had failed to sense the intruder entering the room at all. The air was thick with tension.

The intruder let out a slow breath. “Calm down. I am not your enemy.”

The stranger stepped forward as the flickering candlelight illuminated his face.

The guild master’s eyes widened in shock. “L-Lord Maximus?”

It was Maximus, the Swordmaster. The man standing before him was the Great Blade of the Denian Kingdom.

The guild master hurriedly lowered his axe.

“I came because I have business with you. So, you can relax,” Maximus said.

“Understood. But... why come so late at night? And through the window, no less?” the guild master asked. His confusion was evident in his expression.

Maximus’s face twisted into a scowl. “You don’t need to know.”

“Understood.” The guild master nodded immediately, not daring to question him further.

“I heard a barbarian came to the guildhall today, is that correct?” Maximus asked.

Caught off guard, the guild master stammered before finally responding, “Y-yes. He applied for the Raid Dungeon request.”

“A Raid Dungeon?” Maximus’s expression darkened. “He really is doing whatever he wants...”

“I was just about to reject him, but—”

“No, accept him.”

“Excuse me...?”

“Whatever he wants to do, let him do it. Do not place any restrictions on his actions,” Maximus ordered.

The guild master couldn’t hide his shock. This was Maximus, one of the strongest individuals in the Denian Kingdom. He could not believe Maximus came all this way in secret to tell him such trivial information.

Maximus’s face twisted in irritation as the guild master’s reaction was too obvious.

“I didn’t come here willingly. This is His Majesty’s order,” Maximus said.

“His Majesty...?” the guild master stammered.

“The less you know, the better. I’ve delivered the message.” As if he wanted to leave as soon as possible, Maximus vanished without another word.

The guild master remained frozen in place. After a long silence, he finally muttered to himself, “Did he really come all this way just to say that?”

His gaze shifted back to the scattered documents. Among them was Ketal’s information.

Just who is this barbarian?

the guild master thought.

***

A vast plain stretched under the open sky. Mercenaries had gathered there, their weapons and shields gleaming under the sunlight. Among them, a broad-shouldered man clad in armor sat on a rock, casually chewing on a piece of cheese. A blue armband was wrapped around his wrist.

“Hey.” Someone tapped the man’s shoulder from behind.

“Oh! Barak!” The man sitting down turned his head, his face lit up.

“Good to see you, Geinalt.”

“What, you’re in my party?”

“Looks like it.” The man, now identified as Barak, adjusted his bow and patted his shoulder, where the same blue armband was fastened.

A voice chimed in from behind them. “I’m here too, you know?”

“Oh, Marcy!”

A woman approached them with a cheerful smile, her pointed hat and staff marking her as a mage. A blue armband was wrapped around her arm as well.

Geinalt let out a whistle. “Our party is looking solid.”

For Dungeon expeditions, parties typically consisted of four members. However, not all mercenaries formed parties beforehand. For those without party members, the guild would randomly assign them based on compatibility.

Until the assignments were finalized, no one knew who their party members would be, and sometimes, the random draws were disastrous.

However, this time, they had lucked out. Not only did they know each other, but they had worked together multiple times. This party wouldn’t have any major issues.

Marcy chuckled. “Well, it’s a Raid Dungeon. Most of the parties are probably well-balanced.”

“I guess so,” Geinalt agreed.

“By the way, Barak, weren’t you already in a party?”

“Our party leader got stabbed over a love triangle...,” Barak said.

“Oh...”

The three of them exchanged glances, then shrugged. It wasn’t exactly uncommon in the mercenary world. They shifted their attention to the gathered mercenaries.

Geinalt nodded approvingly. “Yeah, this is a strong group. This one is going to be a piece of cake. Who’s the raid leader?”

“Over there.” Marcy pointed toward the far side of the field. A man with dark brown hair stood among the mercenaries.

Geinalt’s eyes widened. “Cartman? You’re kidding. He’s an Advanced mercenary!”

Reaching the realm of Advanced as a mercenary was exceedingly rare. Most mercenaries who reached that level were recruited by noble families and knighted before they could make a name for themselves as mercenaries.

The ones who chose to stay mercenaries despite their skills became legends among their peers. Cartman was one of them.

“This expedition is going to be easy,” Geinalt said.

“They haven’t fully scouted the Dungeon yet, but it doesn’t seem to have any major complications. We should be done in a few hours,” Marcy explained.

They weren’t the only ones thinking this way as every mercenary present was at least C-Rank or higher—seasoned and experienced. The general atmosphere suggested that most were here to finish the job quickly and collect their rewards.

As they casually passed time, Marcy suddenly whispered, “Speaking of Cartman... have you heard the rumor?”

“What rumor?” Geinalt asked.

“That he escorted the Akasha family through the White Snowfield.”

“Oh, that one?”

It was no secret that Milayna had crossed the White Snowfield to sell weapons. However, it was a dangerous story to discuss openly.

If word got out that she had traded with the Empire’s enemies, the consequences would be severe. However, mercenaries loved gossip and boasting about their exploits. One of the hired mercenaries from the White Snowfield expedition had gotten drunk and started bragging about the job.

Considering how much wealth Milayna had suddenly acquired, it wasn’t a far-fetched story. Still, not many people believed it.

“I doubt that rumor is true. How can someone cross the White Snowfield?” Geinalt remarked.

The White Snowfield was the largest Demon Realm in the center of the continent. No one had ever crossed it. The only person who had seen its monsters and lived was the emperor from the distant past.

Cartman was undoubtedly strong, but even an Advanced mercenary couldn’t survive the White Snowfield.

However, Marcy leaned in, lowering her voice even further. “There’s a part of that rumor most people ignore.”

“You mean the part about the Ashen-haired Barbarian from the White Snowfield?” Geinalt asked.

“Yes.” Marcy nodded. “They say the only reason they survived was because the Ashen-haired Barbarian helped them. If that’s true, it makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“It does sound plausible,” Geinalt admitted.

If the Ashen-haired Barbarian had truly aided them, crossing the White Snowfield could have been possible. However, that, too, was nothing more than a rumor.

“Why would the Ashen-haired Barbarian help outsiders? If anything, he’d kill them on sight,” Geinalt said.

“Well... yeah, that’s true.” Marcy didn’t argue. She knew it was just a wild tale. She was only bringing it up because it was interesting. “It’s still a fun story, though.”

“Maybe, but for now, we need to focus on clearing this Dungeon,” Geinalt said. He turned his gaze to Barak. “Hey, do you know who our fourth party member is?”

Raid parties consisted of four members and one slot was still unassigned.

“I have no idea. Based on our current lineup, it’s probably a warrior or a thief,” Barak replied.

“Then, maybe it’s Barian. He’s always complaining about how he needs to make more money.”

“No, it’s not him. His family took him away a few days ago. Turns out he was actually a noble from a small kingdom,” Marcy explained.

“Oh, that explains why he was always so uptight. Just another runaway noble trying to play mercenary, I guess,” Geinalt replied.

As they chatted, more and more mercenaries gathered. By now, most of the participants had arrived. It was about time for their last party member to show up as well.

Marcy, who had been casually scanning the area, suddenly stiffened. “Wait a second.”

“What’s wrong?” Geinalt asked.

“Look over there.” She hesitantly pointed across the field. Geinalt and Barak turned their heads in the direction she indicated. Their expressions froze as they stared in disbelief.

“A... barbarian?” they said in unison.

Walking toward them was a lone barbarian.