That's right, that's what adventure is like!

"I don't have the key..."

Roland quickly searched the kobold chieftain's body, his fingertips touching only sticky skin and rough leather. The expected clues did not appear, and he couldn't help but frown.

Could he have guessed wrong? Did the association really not give the key to the kobold chieftain? Or had the elven ranger already taken the key?

"Eat this, quickly!"

An anxious voice interrupted his thoughts. Turning around, he saw Torger feeding the remaining half of an orange fruit to Gore's mouth, only letting out a sigh of relief after Gore swallowed it.

Roland was somewhat surprised that Torg, who had longed for the taste of the fruit, did not swallow it directly but left it for his younger brother.

But upon closer reflection, it makes sense. After all, orcs are a race that highly values ​​blood ties, and the three of them are the last descendants of the tribe.

The fruit's effects were astonishing; the horrific arrow wounds and burns on Gore's body healed at a visible speed, and the madness in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by a gradually clearing pain and confusion.

After listening to Torg's brief explanation, he stood up unsteadily, walked up to Roland, and lowered his head awkwardly.

"By the Beast God, I am grateful for your help. If it weren't for..."

Roland nodded casually, the thought of the key still lingering in his mind. Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, "What about the other orc?"

Torg was taken aback at first, then suddenly looked around: "Yogurt? Yeah, damn it... where did that kid go?"

Gore shook his head blankly as well.

Just then.

pat-

A slight sound drew their attention.

In the dark corner, the orc carrying a double-edged axe slowly revealed himself. His face showed no trace of the frenzy common among orcs, only an almost icy silence.

His gaze swept over the crowd, and he tossed a black cube the size of a thumb in front of Roland.

"Is this what you're looking for?" Yogurt's voice was calm and devoid of any emotion.

Roland looked down at the cube. Its material was neither gold nor stone, but rather some kind of wood. Yet, it didn't tumble when it landed. More importantly...

He could sense that the astrolabe in his bag was faintly calling out to him.

It's the last fragment of the key!

"you……"

Roland looked sharply at Yog, his eyes flashing with vigilance and suspicion, and even began to wonder if he had already been controlled by Daphne.

But soon, reality proved this idea to be wrong.

despair--

Another soft sound, like the tip of a hard boot touching a damp rock, so clear it seemed to be right next to my ear.

The shadows at the edge of the mine pit seemed to be brushed aside by an invisible force, and a tall, elegant figure quietly appeared.

It was that elven ranger.

His dark green leather armor was spotless, his light golden hair was still neatly styled, his left hand hung casually at his sides, while his right hand easily lifted a person.

Daphne was unconscious, her breath extremely weak, and her body was covered in blood and dust. Clearly, her last struggle had exhausted all her means, but she still could not escape.

The ranger's emerald green eyes swept across everything on the field: the kobold chieftain's corpse, the explosion marks, Torg, Roland, and... Yog standing quietly at the edge of the shadows.

A faint smile curved his lips, as if approving of the orc's talent, before turning to Roland, or more precisely, to the location of the astrolabe in his satchel.

"Ah..." He sighed softly, his voice gentle yet carrying an unyielding indifference, "It seems I missed a good game."

Daphne was casually tossed to the ground. The Ranger slowly took a step forward, the movement so light that it seemed to freeze the air in the mine.

"Well then, allow me to introduce myself."

He nodded slightly, his manners impeccable, yet he exuded an air of superiority.

"Erwin Windseeker, belonging to the Rocky Town branch of the Adventurers' Guild, is the fourth Resonator and is currently a Silver-ranked Adventurer."

Resonators...

Roland pondered the title repeatedly, vaguely realizing that it was probably a secret position set up by some association to handle special matters.

However, before he could speak, Torg stepped forward and roared, "You elf brat, what have you done to Yog?!"

Even with his intelligence, he could see that the appearances of Yog and Erwin one after the other must be connected in some way, and were by no means a coincidence.

Despite the insults, Erwin was not angry; he simply tilted his head slightly, signaling Yog to answer the question.

"My two elder brothers," Yog took a deep breath and stepped forward to meet their gaze, "this Lord Erwin is now my teacher."

!! ?

The two orcs stared wide-eyed, as Yog continued to explain, "Actually, before entering the dungeon, Lord Elwin contacted me. He believed I had the talent to become a ranger and was willing to take me on as an apprentice, so..."

"You've fucking forgotten the glory of the Beast God..."

Before Torg could finish his swearing, Roland stopped him in time.

He had no interest in these family disputes; he was only concerned with the rewards he could currently obtain.

"Lord Elwin," Roland bowed slightly before continuing, "I have carefully studied the Association's articles of association, and I have some questions that need to be answered."

"Please speak," Erwin said in a calm voice, as if discussing the weather conditions in the dungeon.

This reaction reassured Roland; indeed, this powerful elven was not unreasonable, but rather quite friendly.

"I'd like to ask, in this operation to capture Daphne, was I also considered part of the bait?"

This question made Erwin narrow his eyes slightly. After thinking for a moment, he said calmly, "You could say that."

Is it?

Roland was taken aback by the answer, but then realized that it was probably a coincidence at first, but the association then took advantage of the situation and included him in the plan.

"Then... what kind of compensation can I expect?"

"I won't decide on the specific compensation," Erwin said calmly, his gaze sweeping over the black cube in his hand. "However, the association is willing to buy back the two keys you have at a fair price."

really.

Roland felt pleased, knowing that he had gained another bargaining chip in the subsequent negotiations with the association, and then turned to look at Torg.

It must be admitted that Torg was largely responsible for obtaining the key; if Yog hadn't been concerned about their blood ties, he would never have handed it over.

But Torgod was clearly unaware of this, still glaring angrily at the elves, while looking at Yog with heartache and incomprehension.

With that in mind, Roland proceeded to ask the next question: "Daphne... what will the Association do with her?"

Having been involved in the Shadow Assembly twice, he didn't want to be haunted by this persistent organization in the future.

Erwin's reply was precise and swift: "The Association has been paying attention to them for some time now. In half a month, you will no longer hear the name Shadow Assembly."

"As for this woman..." After a pause, a flash of silver light appeared in Erwin's emerald green eyes, and his voice was cold, "she will serve her final purpose."

—"Article 356 of the Association's regulations states that anyone who betrays or sells out the Association's fundamental interests, regardless of whether there are any hidden reasons, will be reduced to ashes."

The rule inexplicably popped into Roland's mind. When he looked up again, the elven ranger had already quietly left with Daphne.

Inside the arena, only faint black embers floated.

It felt like an end, yet also like a beginning.