Chapter 25: Mayor Cedric

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Mayor Cedric

His name was Mayor Cedric Valmont, the current mayor of Hetin Town.

Cedric had been listening to Kyle’s report for several minutes, but the moment he heard the words dungeon, his expression changed.

"A dungeon?"

The mayor leaned forward.

Kyle nodded.

"Yes, Mayor Cedric. My village discovered one deep within the forest."

For a moment, Cedric simply stared at him. Then the corners of his mouth slowly lifted.

"You are telling me that your village found a dungeon?"

His smile grew wider.

"Are you certain?"

Kyle nodded again.

"I am."

Cedric suddenly leaned back in his chair, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Excellent."

The mayor’s smile stretched from ear to ear.

"A dungeon..."

He repeated the word almost as though savoring it.

For a town like Hetin, the discovery of a dungeon could bring enormous benefits. Adventurers would come from surrounding towns and cities.

Merchants would follow them. Inns would become crowded, shops would see more customers, and the town’s tax revenue could increase dramatically.

More importantly, dungeons contained resources.

Magic stones.

Weapons.

Armor.

Rare materials.

Potions.

And, if the dungeon was deep enough, treasures that could completely change the fate of an entire region.

Cedric placed both hands on his desk.

"This is excellent news, Hunter Kyle."

Kyle remained silent.

The mayor’s expression suddenly became more serious.

"However..."

Cedric raised one finger.

"Before I reward you, there is something we need to determine."

Kyle looked at him.

"The dungeon’s tier."

Cedric stood from his chair and walked toward the large regional map hanging on the wall.

"Dungeons are not all the same, after all."

He pointed toward several markings on the map.

"Some are nothing more than small nests containing weak monsters. Others are dangerous enough to destroy entire towns."

Kyle listened carefully.

Cedric continued.

"Everyone classifies dungeons according to ten tiers."

He turned around.

"Tier 1 is the lowest."

"Tier 10 is the strongest."

Kyle’s expression became slightly tense.

Cedric noticed immediately.

"You look concerned."

Kyle lowered his gaze.

"Because I’m not sure which tier it is."

The mayor’s smile faded slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Kyle took a slow breath.

"I don’t know."

Cedric stared at him.

"You entered the dungeon, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then you should have some idea."

Kyle shook his head.

"I only explored the first section during my first visit. At the time, I thought it was a small dungeon occupied by goblins. I didn’t see anything that suggested it was particularly dangerous."

Cedric’s eyebrows rose.

"You thought it was a small dungeon?"

"Yes."

"And now?"

Kyle’s expression became grim.

"Now, I don’t know what to think."

Cedric returned to his desk and slowly sat down.

"Explain."

Kyle hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"When I first entered, there were goblins inside. I encountered at least eleven of them. They were organized, and they nearly killed me. I barely escaped."

Cedric nodded slowly.

"Eleven goblins aren’t particularly frightening. Even an average group of trained adventurers could deal with that number."

"I know."

Kyle clenched his fists.

"That’s why I thought we could handle it."

The mayor studied him carefully.

"So you returned?"

"Yes."

"With how many people?"

"Seven hunters, including myself."

Cedric’s expression changed.

"And?"

Kyle lowered his head.

"I’m the only one who came back."

The room became quiet.

Cedric’s fingers stopped tapping against the desk.

"Six dead?"

----

Cedric remained silent. After a moment, he asked,

"Did you see the deeper section?"

"No."

"How far did you get?"

Kyle’s expression became grim.

"Not far."

"Why?"

"Because we were forced to retreat."

Cedric slowly nodded.

"So you don’t know how large the dungeon is."

"No."

"You don’t know how many monsters are inside."

"No."

"You don’t know what kind of monsters are deeper within."

Kyle shook his head.

"No."

Cedric leaned back in his chair.

A dungeon whose depth, monster population, and internal structure were unknown was far more valuable than a simple goblin nest, but it was also far more dangerous.

The mayor folded his hands beneath his chin.

"Kyle."

"Yes, Mayor?"

"Did you find any treasure?"

Kyle paused.

"No."

Cedric frowned.

Cedric’s expression became complicated.

"So you risked seven lives and came back without a single treasure."

Kyle lowered his gaze.

"Yes."

For several seconds, neither man spoke.

Then Cedric sighed.

"I see."

Kyle expected the mayor to become angry.

Instead, Cedric stood and walked toward a large cabinet at the side of the room.

He opened it and pulled out a thick, leather-bound book.

"The dungeon classification records."

He placed the book on the desk and opened it.

"The tier of a dungeon determines everything."

Kyle looked at the pages.

Cedric continued.

"A Tier 1 dungeon might only require a small group of local adventurers. The monsters are generally weak, the dungeon is relatively shallow, and the rewards are limited."

He turned a page.

"Tier 2 and Tier 3 dungeons are more valuable. They can attract larger groups of adventurers and may contain rare materials."

Another page.

"Tier 4 and Tier 5 dungeons are where things become serious. Those can attract experienced adventurers, mercenary groups, nobles, and even other forces."

Kyle listened without interrupting. Cedric’s expression became solemn.

"Tier 6 and above are another matter entirely."

Kyle’s eyes narrowed.

"How dangerous?"

"Extremely."

Cedric closed the book halfway.

"A Tier 6 dungeon can become a disaster for an entire region if it isn’t properly managed. Tier 7 is more dangerous still. Tier 8, Tier 9, and Tier 10..."

He paused.

"Those aren’t dungeons that a town like Hetin or even this whole kingdom can deal with on its own."

Kyle swallowed.

"So what happens if this dungeon is one of those?"

Cedric looked directly at him.

"Then we report it to the kingdom."

Kyle’s expression changed.

"The kingdom?"

"Immediately."

Cedric’s tone was firm.

"If the dungeon truly possesses a high enough tier, I won’t allow local adventurers to enter blindly. Sending people into a dungeon without knowing its tier would be nothing more than sending them to their deaths."

Kyle remembered the six hunters. His hands tightened.

"Then... what do you intend to do?"

Cedric’s eyes gleamed.

"First, we determine the dungeon’s tier."

Kyle nodded.

"How?"

"We send an official assessment team."