Charles raised an eyebrow.
Starsong?
That surname was a prominent one among the Sun elves, and since elves were always few in number, any Sun elf or half-elven bearing that name was likely related.
What's more, the surname was associated with many talented individuals—such as Edmond Starsong, the current general manager of Golden Dragon Bank in Liberl Port, and Daevyl Starsong, the senior agent from the shadowy intelligence networks, just to name a few...
Hiss... If he could establish ties here, it would make dealing with Sun elves and even gold dragonborn much easier in the future.
He mused on this privately: after all, the gold dragonborn and Sun elves were sworn allies—most notably after the fall of the ancient elf empire, when the elves closest to the gold dragonborn crossed the ocean and, together, founded the present-day Golden Empire. These elves were then called Sun elves.
Of course, that wasn't their own name for themselves—in truth, since they inherited the greatest share of the ancient elven legacy, they considered themselves superior to all other elves, and thus referred to themselves as "High Elves."
Extraordinarily arrogant.
Incidentally, Golden Dragon Bank was the largest conglomerate from that empire, representing the interests of the entire Golden Empire behind the scenes.
Charles pondered all this, but didn't delay his reply. He introduced himself, "I am Nigel Charles, an unremarkable adventurer currently leading my party to purge fiends from these mountains."
At that moment, he heard footsteps behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Anno had entered as well.
Naturally, she took longer than Charles in the mornings—donning plate armor always took time.
He paid her little mind, turning back to ask the ranger, "May I ask what happened to you in the mountains? What injured you so severely? We're preparing to go deeper into the plateau ourselves, and would benefit from any warnings you can share."
Adelan was silent for a moment. Then he evaded the question: "It was nothing—just my own carelessness."
Charles narrowed his eyes, and behind him, Anno frowned as well. Even Anno could tell the half-elven was a poor liar; there was certainly something major going on deep within the mountains.
But it was already difficult to press him. Charles glanced backward, and Anno immediately stepped forward, producing a rectangular mithril-plated badge from her pocket. "Hello, Mr. Adelan. I am Anno Amcastra, an executive officer of Blackstaff Tower."
"We are on a mission to eliminate fiends and are also gathering detailed information to serve as a reference and guide for other adventurers. Please cooperate with us—it's for the safety of the entire city."
She urged him kindly, but at these words, Adelan's face grew visibly tense. Still, recalling something else, he shook his head. "Sorry, I can't say."
He quickly added, "I'm an employee of Golden Dragon Bank, and this matter concerns company top-secret information. I cannot disclose the truth to anyone."
Anno's brow furrowed even deeper. "Not even the smallest hint? Adventurers here are fighting demons and dying every day. If something new is happening deeper in the mountains, everyone should know as soon as possible so we can prepare."
Adelan flushed red, and finally—almost through clenched teeth—refused, "I'm sorry, this is company top-secret. It's not for outsiders."
He stood with head held high, defiant—he would not say another word.
Charles's own expression darkened, and Anno clenched her fists in anger, clearly resenting anyone who would prioritize their company's interests over the safety of the entire city.
In the end, she did not press further: "Fine, I understand. I'll respect your company's interests, but I sincerely hope this will not lead to disaster."
With that, she turned and left the tent at a brisk pace, clearly unwilling to look at him any longer.
She had no choice; pressing further would make her sound like a commercial spy only coveting company secrets.
When she was gone, Adelan's expression dimmed noticeably, shadowed by self-doubt and worry.
Charles sighed, then said gently, "We've spent days locked in battle with demons—casualties have been heavy. That explains her temperament; she's been rather anxious, and her words a bit sharp."
"I hope you won't take it to heart."
He offered this explanation for Anno while watching Adelan closely. As expected, the half-elven still possessed a conscience—his expression became more conflicted, as if struggling under the weight of a moral burden.
In the end, the half-elven exhaled and said, "All I can advise everyone is to leave the Roof Ridge Plateau as soon as possible. If you lack sufficient strength, do not get further involved."
"As for anything else… I'm truly sorry, but top-secret is top-secret. I cannot say more."
Charles's eyes narrowed, and inside he felt a surge of disgust for these company people. After all, their current enemies were demons—the public enemies of the entire material world—yet even now, some would put company interests above all else.
Whatever happened deep within the mountains—any new changes, dangers, or incidents—these people would reveal nothing, running back to report to their superiors before even considering sharing information.
As if any early warning to another faction might damage their own profits.
Yet, in the meantime, how many people might die for lack of knowledge? What further tragedies might occur—these concerns never entered the calculations of such companies.
Such thoughts filled Charles with loathing, though of course, in front of Adelan, he could not show it. He simply said, "Thank you for the warning. We'll be careful with the demons."
He didn't continue pressing for intel, but changed the subject, "We'll be returning to the Mountain Dwarf Mining Consortium headquarters soon, but you're a new face—I'm not sure how long they'll let you stay."
Adelan's eyes lit momentarily, as if hoping for something, but then dulled again as he thought of other obligations. "They… probably won't let me linger. I'll have to return to Liberl Port soon."
Charles's expression flickered, and finally he stood and headed for the exit, his attitude noticeably more aloof. "Well, then. Safe travels to you."
"Can you walk? We're about to leave—it'll take nearly a day of travel if we hope to reach the dwarves' headquarters before nightfall."
Adelan nodded. "I'm not very steady on my feet, but if I ride Zach, I should be fine for the journey."
He struggled upright, and Charles helped him out.
No sooner had they stepped outside than Adelan beheld his proud, noble, and supposedly aloof gold dragonborn drake, at that moment sprawled happily on the ground, belly-up, letting the nuns stroke and play with it.
It even wagged its tail contentedly and purred, seemingly oblivious to its master's presence.
For a moment, Adelan's expression was complicated—he could scarcely believe what he was seeing. Noticing this, Charles's own face grew somewhat awkward. "Er… I'm… not entirely sure it really is your drake."
"To be honest, it's been like this ever since it arrived—quite affectionate with my nuns, and, well, not exactly as you described…"
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