Ghost Knight King's Dungeon Project

Chapter 9 [The Guardian and Rondar]

As a medium-sized stronghold of the Adventurers' Alliance, Fallenthorn City is located on the edge of the Kana Plain, built against gentle hills. A river, purified and filtered to a barely drinkable state, is introduced to the city to provide water for its residents.

The city has a permanent population of over three thousand, including alliance guards responsible for maintaining order, clerical staff responsible for paperwork, twelve high-ranking mages who take turns operating and maintaining the monster-repelling array, professional blacksmiths responsible for equipment maintenance and manufacturing, potion makers and other magical material processors, resident merchants who sell daily necessities and food to adventurers and their families, various traveling merchants responsible for selling loot, and adventurers who make up the largest proportion of the total population.

Huge bricks cut from white stones from the Kanas Plain were used to build a towering white city wall, which was supported by simple yet durable sentry posts and crossbow-wielding watchtowers. The surface of the bricks was covered with rough marks from the dust and wind erosion of the wasteland.

It was daytime, and the scorched wooden gates of Fallenthorn City were open. Adventurers returning to hand over their quests and setting off on their journeys, along with caravans, came and went, forming a loosely packed crowd, as busy and orderly as the entrance to an anthill.

Two Alliance guards stood at the entrance, each wielding a sharp spear. They wore light armor on their chests and shoulders, and light leather armor with copper-plated joints on their limbs and joints. They wore steel helmets, short swords at their waists, and carried crossbows and quivers. Their blue robes bore the distinctive Alliance crest.

Those are cast iron hands and huge eyes in an X-shape, symbolizing indestructible hands that dare to explore and create, and eyes that are always looking ahead to the unknown and are proactive.

“Those bandits… should be quiet for a few months.” Guard One gazed at the distant wasteland. “The corpses were damn heavy. It took all morning to hang them up in the trees. I didn’t feel tired when I was swinging the spear, but hanging the corpses was exhausting.”

"They're really stupid and wicked. It's one thing for a bunch of criminals to hide in the wilderness like stray dogs, but to dare to rob a supply convoy from an Adventurers' Alliance outpost." Guard Number Two snorted. "A bounty has already been issued, around 5000 Erdrick gold coins. Just wait for the adventurers and bounty hunters to raze the camp to the ground... I was too lazy to deal with them before because I found them troublesome. They really think they're some kind of tough guys."

"Good morning, Uncle Robin, Uncle Carlisle." A young adventurer carrying a longsword returned from the wasteland and greeted the crowd as he passed the gate.

"Oh, good morning, kid." Guard Number One looked up.

"Good morning, Rondar...out on a mission?" Guard Number Two greeted.

"No, I went to scout the location." The young adventurer smiled, pushed through the crowd, and ran to the door to talk to the guard, clearly quite excited.

“Our team just landed a big job clearing out bandits. I went to the wasteland this morning to check the bandits’ activity traces, and we have a pretty good idea of ​​what’s going on.” He lowered his voice. “Judging from the direction of the footprints and the traces, their camp is probably south of Bone Hill.”

"What... why did your team take it? I thought it would be the more experienced adventurers and fierce bounty hunters who would handle it." Guardian Number One hesitated.

"Hey, how did you manage to snag such a high-level mission? Is the receptionist at the Alliance Mission Hall secretly in love with you?" Guard Number Two frowned. "These kinds of bandit suppression missions are usually given priority to adventurers of level five or above and mercenary groups."

"No, it's the recent [Kanas Dungeon Raid] multiplayer quest. The rewards are huge, and there are amazing loot. There's no limit to the number of participants, but you need to be an adventurer of level 5 or higher. All the high-level adventurers have gone deep into the dungeon to conquer the inner ring. The battle report says the outer ring labyrinth has been conquered, and the inner ring is full of treasures. All kinds of biological materials are worth seven or eight times more than outside." The young adventurer, Rondar, shrugged. "Ah, if only I were high enough, I'd love to go too... Uncle, haven't you noticed that there are far fewer people in the city? Almost all the high-level adventurers have moved directly to the temporary camp deep in the dungeon. It's only at times like this that we can snag high-paying jobs."

“But you’re only level three right now, and bandit suppression missions are…” Guardian Number One hesitated, “I’m asking you, can your team handle this kind of job?”

"Don't worry, don't worry! We'll be fine!" The young adventurer Rondar chuckled. "We've been around for a while now, so you can't treat us like greenhorns anymore."

“That’s not what Robin meant. He meant that although you are among the best of the new recruits and have a lot of experience in exploration, hunting, survival, and gathering demonized resources, you have never faced bandits head-on,” Guardian Number Two warned. “Bandits may be more dangerous than demonized creatures, so be careful.”

“Okay,” Rondar replied briskly.

"Is your team still the same five people?" Guard Number One suddenly asked. "You, the simple-minded swordsman, that level four old thief, the rookie potion master, and the mage apprentice?"

"Correct."

“We need a frontline unit. Go find a fierce warrior who excels in melee combat, preferably heavily armored,” Guardian Number Two said. “If you’re determined to do it, we won’t stop you, but you also need to be aware of your own capabilities. Your team’s composition is specialized for exploration, hunting, and gathering materials. To fight groups of bandits, you need strong, heavily armored warriors who can engage in direct combat.”

"Isn't Gerard good at close combat?" Rondar gestured. "His two-handed greatsword is as long as a man..."

"That's a load of crap in melee combat!" "What good is it?!" The two guards cursed simultaneously.

"That young, clueless swordsman in your team has no strength whatsoever for a greatsword. He almost flies off his feet swinging it, and after a couple of swings, he's out of energy and gasping for breath for ages." Guard Number Two snorted. "Two-handed greatswords are semi-blunt weapons; they're only effective if they have enough impact. In the Imperial army, two-handed greatswords, like lances, are mounted weapons. They only have power when used with the speed of a charging horse. If you're not strong enough for foot combat, switch to a different weapon as soon as possible. If that clueless guy really wants to use a greatsword, tell him to start with a lighter sword, or even a spear—the grip of a spear is closer to the center, making it easier to control the force than a greatsword—tell him to save up for potions and body-strengthening materials to improve his stamina and endurance before switching back to a normal greatsword."

"What kind of nonsense is this, using a greatsword against bandits? You've gotten cocky just from beating those Rotten Roots and Skeleton Soldiers?" Guard One cursed. "Rotten Roots have short legs and can't run fast, Skeleton Soldiers are stiff and brainless and don't know how to dodge, are bandits the same? They're living people, with all their limbs intact and normal intelligence! It takes you three or four seconds to swing your sword, and then you're panting for ten seconds afterward, enough time for a short sword to slit your throat a hundred times over!"

Randall wasn't angry at being scolded. Instead, he pulled out a small notebook full of writing and drawings from his pocket, took out a charcoal pencil, and carefully wrote down what the two guards had said.

He stood at attention, notebook in hand, charcoal pencil dangling from his mouth, and cheerfully gave the two guards a clumsy, informal Imperial salute.

"Thank you, sir!" he said cheerfully and sincerely. "I'll go to the hall right now to find a heavily armored warrior skilled in melee combat to join my party! I'll also tell Glad to change his weapon—though, whether he'll listen or not is another matter… Sir, is there anything else you can teach me? Please give me more guidance!"

"You brat! You came here specifically to ask for advice, didn't you?" Guardian Number One chuckled. "You won't need any more advice or knowledge for now—and don't be envious of our Imperial soldiers' combat skills, you're not good enough for them. Wait until you've mastered your swordsmanship and archery first. Once you're skilled enough, maybe... I can teach you a move or two."

“It’s a good thing you remembered to tell us before you left, otherwise…” Guard Number Two stopped talking, “We are former soldiers of the Erdrik Empire, so we’re not much help to your usual exploration of the wasteland, except for our experience in fighting humanoid enemies. You’re an excellent young man—we hope to see you return unharmed at the gate every day.”

“Go,” said Guard Number One. “Don’t waste time.”

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir! When I finish this order and come back, I'll treat you guys to drinks at the usual place!" Rondar stuffed the notebook back into his pocket, waved, and jogged toward the Alliance Hall in the city.

"This kid is really..." Guard Number One snorted.

"A very good young man." Guard Number Two smiled. "He greets everyone politely, admits his mistakes and corrects them, is very eager to learn, and is very reliable in handling matters. Putting aside everything else, just the fact that he knows to consult experienced people before doing anything already makes him much better than his peers."

"Half of the greenhorns who registered as adventurers at the same time as him are already dead, and the others who are still alive are only level one or two. He has already reached level three so quickly. Before, he could be said to have benefited from being led by older level six adventurers, but now he is working on his own, becoming a team leader, and is still doing very well. He can even recruit a level four old guy to take orders from him."

"Back then, he was with Norman, a level 6 [Windsword], doing odd jobs and running errands. When there was a mission, they wouldn't take him because his level wasn't high enough," Guard One laughed. "That mage in Norman's team was a real jerk. He promised to take him at first, but when it came time to leave, he complained that taking him was too much trouble and that having another person to share the loot was too much of a dangerous mission. The brat prepared diligently for half a month, only to be left standing at the city gate, without any reward or loot. When he sat down on the steps at the city gate and secretly cried in the pouring rain, I thought he was just a sissy." "We were taking turns back then, and I pulled him into the sentry tower to take shelter from the rain—actually, I thought he would give up, but he said his dream was to be an adventurer, and he had broken up with his family over it, run away from home, and come all this way to do this hard work... I couldn't do anything about him," Guard Two shrugged.

“Dreams… to still have dreams, that’s youthful.” Guard Number One nodded. “Youth is good. Unlike us two, who are already old and willing to be gatekeepers in the middle of nowhere.”

“Hey, I was no less capable than this kid when I was young. His personality is a lot like mine when I was young. I almost became a cavalry commander back then.” Guard Number Two boasted. “If the Erdrik Empire and the Supar Empire had fought for a few more years back then, I would be a military lord by now! Who knew that just two years after I joined the army, there would be a sudden ceasefire, troop reduction, and development of adventurers.”

"You've said that to yourself eight hundred times already. What's with all the 'what ifs' and 'what ifs'?" Guard Number One laughed. "Well, it just didn't work out. We're all in our forties or fifties now. At this age, we should know that not everything you do will pay off. It's all about luck."

“Being an Alliance guard isn’t bad. Although the work location is remote and the environment is a bit poor, the Alliance is the largest trader of magical resources, they’re rolling in money and they’re really generous with their pay…” Guard number two suddenly stopped talking and stared blankly at a certain spot in the crowd, “Oh, oh.”

"What's wrong..." Guard Number One followed Guard Number Two's gaze and was also stunned. "Oh."

The two had been guards in Fallenthorn City for over three years, and were familiar with most of the adventurers in the city. Although they had seen all sorts of new and unfamiliar adventurers, they had never seen a newcomer like this before.

Among the sparse crowd of adventurers, two tall, heavily armored figures strode through the yellowish, decaying dust of the wasteland, standing out like cranes among chickens, drawing sidelong glances from those around them.

One was a tall, thin knight in black armor, his menacing black armor covered in dust and his blood-red cloak billowing in the dust, making him resemble a black snake with sharp, scaly scales. His limbs were long and slender, as delicate and deadly as a spider or a mantis. Despite his stature, he carried a heavy hammer-spear that resembled a scepter. Although tall and thin, he was estimated to be at least two meters tall, striding with the air of a monarch.

The other was a knight in rusty bronze armor, a grey cloak covering his armor. Strips of cloth were wrapped around his rusty, anciently patterned gauntlets and leg armor. He held the brim of his tattered hood with one hand, obscuring his helmet completely. He was nearly as tall as the black-armored knight, perhaps even taller, with broader shoulders and a more imposing build. His physique was robust and powerful, yet he was slightly hunched over to lower his profile. He carried a rusty bronze knight's longsword at his waist and a simple, rusty bronze kite-shaped shield on his back, silent and unassuming, like a knight in exile from a foreign land.

Clang, clang. The heavy metallic clanging sound was like the unstoppable footsteps of an iron chariot.

"The one in black armor is carrying a group-battle armor-piercing weapon, and the one in bronze armor is carrying a sword and shield... Interesting, they're foot combat sword and shield warriors. They're probably war knights, fully armored." Guard One whispered, "Damn, it's rare to see war knights in full heavy armor these days—and these two are even foot combat warriors. After the War of the Kings, large-scale charges have become less and less common, and half of the war knights have switched to half-armor or light armor."

“They’re on foot… Are they adventurers? Adventurers need to trek long distances in harsh environments.” Guardian Number Two frowned. “What kind of terrifying stamina and endurance can sustain a long-distance, long-duration march in full armor? Even drinking strength potions every day wouldn’t be enough.”

……

Samael and Talia mingled in the crowd, trying to enter the city gate as discreetly as possible.

“I think we’re a bit too tall, my lord,” Samael whispered. “I… I’m new here and haven’t had any reference points, so I thought our height was normal… Now that I’m seeing living people in this world for the first time, I realize something’s not right. Are we both actually two meters tall?”

“My father is normally 2.9 meters tall and 1.5 meters wide at the shoulders,” Talia said softly. “I am considered small and slender, and my current height and build are already offset by my mother’s.”

“Our abilities might still be a bit too strong for ordinary adventurers,” Samael said in a low voice. “We should hold back and conceal our abilities when something happens.”

"Are those two Alliance guards watching us?" Talia whispered. "Oh no, could it be that strangers are being checked when they enter the city? I don't recall the Alliance having such a rule!"

"Don't be nervous, we'll... we'll deal with whatever comes our way," Samael said in a low voice. "If we're discovered, we'll just run away."

The two forced themselves to remain calm and proceeded step by step. Just as they were about to enter Fallenthorn City, the guards at the gate suddenly reached out and stopped them.

"Excuse me, are you two... new adventurers?" Guard Number One asked. "I haven't seen you two in Fallenthorn City before."

“We are not adventurers yet, but we do hope to become them… Gods bless us.” Samael clasped his hands together. “We are wandering knights from a distant monastery, traveling and meditating, having journeyed for a long time. We are thinking that perhaps we can become adventurers, and of course, it would be best if we could hitch a ride to the Erdrik Empire…”

"So, you two haven't even registered as adventurers yet?" Guard Number Two asked.

“Yes…yes,” Talia replied. “We were originally supposed to stay in the monastery for life, having dedicated ourselves entirely to the gods. However, our mentor told us that the gods are always watching over the world, and that only through trials and tribulations in the human world can we move the gods. That’s why we left the monastery and traveled here, without even having the chance to register as adventurers.”

"May I ask what your professions are? With such specialized equipment, you must already have professions, right?" Guard One asked.

The other person has a sharp eye and is very experienced, Samael thought.

“He is a War Knight,” Samael replied.

The two guards exchanged a glance.

"Although you two seem experienced, if you want to become adventurers, you must start as level one newbies... This is the Alliance's rule, because the environment of the Wasteland is quite dangerous, and without experience, taking on adventure quests alone can be quite difficult—the Alliance doesn't want too many hotheads who hear about making money and suddenly decide to become adventurers to needlessly die in the Wasteland. Please understand," Guardian Number Two said gently. "Although you two seem like veterans, according to the rules, you are still level one newbies after registration and need to join a senior's team and learn from them for a period of time before you are allowed to go solo. If you two want to become adventurers, would you like to join a good team first?"

“We can assure you that this team has a responsible young captain—and they happen to have a good mission that suits you two.” Guard Number One rubbed his hands together. “If you two monks are interested, we can make the introductions. That young man can also help you with the necessary registration procedures for adventurers.”

Samael and Talia exchanged a glance.

“Uh… of course,” Talia said.

“Of course, thank you so much!” Samael said cheerfully. “Thank you so much, Uncle!”

“Two monks, please wait here for a moment.” Guard number two nodded and turned to Guard number one, saying, “I’m on duty here. Go and call Randall over quickly, before he goes far.”

"Why am I the one running errands?" Guard Number One grumbled as he strode toward the Adventurers' Hall in the city.

(End of this chapter)