We departed from the cyclops village shortly after sunrise. The sky was still partially covered by clouds as we descended the hill road toward the capital. The cold wind swept across the newly restored fields while the carriage moved slowly along the main road.
I looked at the crops one last time before sitting down again.
In just a few days, that place already seemed different.
The land was more alive.
The villagers seemed more at ease.
And for the first time since I had received those responsibilities, I felt that maybe I was truly managing everything the right way.
Scarlet noticed my gaze.
"You liked that place."
"More than I expected."
She smiled slightly.
"The villagers liked you too."
Elara crossed her arms from the seat ahead.
"Especially after you dealt with those dishonest merchants."
Vespera let out a small laugh.
"The look on that man's face when Elara showed the reports was incredible."
Elara maintained her serious expression.
"He was stealing money from the village."
"Even so, it was funny," Rai'kanna replied.
Liriel watched the scenery through the carriage window while Lyannis sat with an open book resting on her lap.
She raised her eyes for a few seconds.
"You're using less mana to control the flames."
I looked at her.
"You noticed?"
"Your magical flow is more stable."
I slowly closed my hand.
Maybe she was right.
Over the last few days, the Dragon King's power felt less aggressive within my body. It was still difficult to control completely, but it no longer felt entirely beyond my reach.
The journey continued for most of the morning. As we moved farther away from the cyclops mountains, the roads gradually became busier.
Merchants.
Adventurers.
Military carriages.
It was impossible not to notice how active Vailor remained even after so many recent events.
When we finally passed through the city's great gates, I immediately felt the difference in the atmosphere.
The human capital was exactly as I remembered.
Noisy.
Busy.
Full of life.
The streets were crowded with people moving in every direction while merchants advertised their goods at the markets near the central square.
Scarlet took a deep breath.
"Even the smell here is different."
"Because there isn't condensed mana in the air here," Lyannis said.
Rai'kanna looked around.
"I still prefer bigger cities."
Vespera walked silently behind the group, observing everything around her as she always did.
We got out of the carriage near our mansion and quickly dropped off our belongings before heading to the guild.
The moment we stepped onto the main avenue, I noticed several gazes immediately turning toward us.
Some people began whispering.
"It's him."
"The hero..."
"I heard he defeated the Dragon King."
"That group has become even stronger."
I ignored the comments and continued walking normally.
It still felt strange to receive that kind of attention.
Before, I had just been another adventurer trying to survive.
Now it seemed that my name had truly begun spreading across the kingdoms.
When we arrived in front of the guild, I saw that it was even busier than usual.
The massive building remained filled with adventurers constantly coming and going. The sounds of conversations, armor, and mugs clashing echoed throughout the entire hall.
As soon as we walked through the doors, several adventurers immediately stepped aside to clear a path.
Scarlet let out a small sigh.
"I think you really have become famous."
"I don't like it."
Elara smiled slightly.
"But it's useful."
I walked toward the quest board while the girls followed me. Dozens of requests were posted across the main wall.
Monsters.
Escorts.
Rare gathering missions.
Village protection.
But one mission immediately caught my attention.
S-Rank.
"Demon-Infested Dungeon Cleanup."
Lyannis stepped closer.
"This looks recent."
I picked up the mission sheet.
"The dungeon appeared a few days ago north of Vailor."
Vespera looked over the rest of the report.
"Several adventurers have disappeared."
Scarlet crossed her arms.
"Then it's probably more dangerous than it looks."
I continued reading the details.
Monsters had been leaving the dungeon at night and attacking small caravans nearby.
Some survivors reported an extremely dense concentration of demonic mana.
Liriel frowned slightly.
"Demonic mana again..."
I looked at her.
"You noticed it too?"
She nodded.
"Since the war, places like this seem to be appearing more frequently."
That bothered me.
Maybe the demons were still moving behind the scenes more than we realized.
I put away the mission sheet.
"We'll take this one."
Scarlet smiled slightly.
"Finally, a real mission."
We headed to the main reception desk. The receptionist looked up as soon as she saw me approaching.
It was Mila.
Her eyes widened immediately.
"Takumi?"
"It's been a while."
She let out a small, tired smile.
"You disappeared again."
"I was dealing with problems in other lands."
She noticed the mission sheet in my hand.
"You're taking the S-Rank dungeon mission?"
"Yes."
Mila quickly became serious.
"This mission isn't ordinary."
She pulled several reports from beneath the counter.
"Two groups have already failed."
Scarlet rested her arm on the counter.
"How many monsters?"
"No one managed to count them."
Mila took a deep breath.
"But the survivors said the demons were much more aggressive than normal."
Lyannis picked up one of the reports.
"There's outside influence here."
"That's what we think too."
I looked at the mission again.
The more this happened, the more certain I became that something was still happening behind the scenes.
Mila registered the mission and handed over the official seal.
"Be careful."
Scarlet smiled sideways.
"You say that every time."
"Because you always come back injured."
Vespera finally spoke.
"But we always come back."
We left the guild shortly afterward and headed directly to the city stables. The dungeon was far enough away that traveling there would take until evening.
While we prepared the horses, Elara approached me.
"You're worried."
"I'm thinking."
"About the demons?"
I nodded.
"These dungeons have been appearing far too often."
She slowly brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Maybe it's just a consequence of the war."
"Maybe."
But deep down, I didn't completely believe that.
The First General still hadn't appeared.
And that alone was strange.
We departed before noon.
The road north of Vailor was surrounded by large forested areas and small mountains. As we advanced, the traffic along the roads gradually decreased.
The atmosphere changed as well.
The air felt heavier.
Liriel was the first to notice.
"The mana has changed."
Lyannis slowly closed her book.
"We're getting close."
We continued forward until the sun began to descend toward the horizon.
That was when we finally saw it.
The dungeon entrance.
It was located in the middle of a massive rocky formation near a cliff. The dark energy surrounding it was visible even from a distance.
Scarlet placed her hand on her sword.
"So this is the place."
I slowly dismounted while observing the entrance.
The demonic mana was strong.
Very strong.
Vespera looked around, analyzing the surroundings.
"There are recent footprints."
Rai'kanna frowned slightly.
"Too large to belong to humans."
Lyannis began casting a small analysis spell.
"The internal structure seems deep."
Elara slowly exhaled.
"I hate places like this."
Scarlet smiled.
"But you always go in anyway."
"Because you always go in first."
Liriel stepped closer to me.
"There's something strange here."
I looked into the darkness of the entrance again.
I felt it too.
This didn't seem like an ordinary dungeon.
There was something different about that mana.
Something more aggressive.
More unstable.
I slowly clenched my hand while feeling the draconic power react within my body.
Small flames quickly appeared around my fingers before disappearing again.
Scarlet noticed.
"Your power reacted on its own."
"Yes."
I looked at everyone in the group.
"We go in carefully."
Everyone nodded immediately.
Then we took our first steps toward the dungeon as the cold wind swept through the surrounding forest.
And as the darkness of the entrance slowly began to swallow us, I had the feeling that this mission would be far more dangerous than it seemed at first glance.