Harvey and the three adventurers arrived at the dungeon in a hurry. Their main objective was clear: rescue the three adventurers who had unknowingly accompanied the criminals, Blake and Lowel.
As soon as they reached the entrance of the Dungeon of Nightfall. Harvey, Allan, and Elice rushed inside without hesitation. Leo, however, remained outside, his sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings for any sign of danger.
Inside the dungeon, they quickly discovered the missing party. Will, Vox, and Lia lay unconscious near the entrance, while Blake and Lowel were tied up and clearly out cold.
Elice quickly examining the three and checking their pulse.
"They've been drugged with a powerful sleeping spell,"
Elice reported.
"Thanks god," Harvey relieved and already moving to assist Allan in securing the unconscious criminals. Together, they clamped magical restraints on Blake and Lowel, ensuring they wouldn't escape once they awoke.
Outside, Leo suddenly narrowed his eyes, sensing something.
"Oy! Come out. No use hiding," he barked, staring straight at a nearby bush.
The leaves rustled nervously before a figure slowly emerged, it was Lux.
Leo instinctively stepped back, eyes sharp. "Who are you?"
"Ah… sorry," Lux said awkwardly, scratching his head. "My name is Lux."
"LUX?!" Harvey's voice rang out in surprise as he stepped out of the dungeon, dragging Blake and Lowel by their collars.
"Where were you?!"
"Ah… I was on my way back," Lux said, trying to keep his voice calm.
"But then I realized I forgot something important, so I came back. What… what happened here?"
"I see. We're not sure what exactly happened, but someone helped these three,"
Harvey said, scratching his head thoughtfully.
"To beat an A-rank adventurers like Blake and B-rank adventurer like Lowel… that someone must be at least on their level,"
Allan added, folding his arms.
"Guys! I found something interesting!" Elice called out. She was holding a small glass vial she had pulled from Lowel's satchel.
"It's marked with the seal of the Diabolos organization!"
Harvey's eyes widened. "The Diabolos...? So those two were associated with them?"
The Diabolos Organization, a powerful and elusive group that worked from the shadows. Tied to demons and dark arts, their influence had spread across the continent ever since the Gate of the Oracle had been unsealed.
"My party is currently investigating their movements," Allan said grimly.
"Same here," Elice added. "They've been active near the capital. The head church is on edge."
Harvey exhaled deeply.
"Then we'll need to report this to the central guild right away. Still… it's strange. We don't know who saved these three."
"They'll wake up soon,"
Elice said reassuringly, placing her hand over Will's forehead with a healing glow. "We'll get answers."
Soon enough, Will and Vox stirred and opened their eyes.
"Ah—what?! Vox, what's going on? Where's our gear?!"
Will panicked, looking down at his stripped armour.
Vox looked around, dazed. "W-What happened? Where are we?"
The two froze as they noticed the unfamiliar people standing around them.
The two boys cried out in confusion as they looked around, realizing they were surrounded by unfamiliar faces.
"Uh… who are you people?!" Will asked, blinking rapidly.
"I'm glad you're okay," said Harvey, stepping forward with a warm but serious expression.
"I'm Harvey, Guild Master of Egrish. Do either of you remember who saved you?"
"Saved us?" Vox echoed, still dazed. "I'm not sure… the last thing I remember was Ms. Lia yelling at us to cover our noses. Then… everything went dark."
The two slowly turned toward Lia, who had just sat up and was now wrapping herself in a cloak. Her eyes widened in confusion.
"Wait—what happened to my clothes?!"
At that moment, Leo entered the clearing with Lux trailing behind him.
"…Falin. What are you doing here?" Leo said, staring directly at Lia.
"F-Falin?!" Lux repeated, blinking in surprise.
Harvey furrowed his brows. "Who are you referring to, Mr. Leo?"
"Wait, really? That was her?" Harvey asked, eyes widening.
"I've heard of her," Allan added with a nod. "They call her the Lightning Fist. She was recently promoted to A-rank. So, it was her all along?"
"Ahh… that explains everything," Elice said calmly as she rose to her feet. "Falin must've taken Blake and Lowel down before succumbing to the drug."
"Wow! You're amazing, Ms. Lia, I mean, Ms. Falin!" Will said, eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Thank you for saving us!" Vox added, nearly bouncing with excitement.
But Lia, now revealed as Falin, looked more confused than proud.
"Wait, what?! I'm not the one who saved you! And how do you know who I am?!" she asked, turning to Leo.
"I'm a friend of your master, Lucas," Leo said with a small smile.
"You know my master?!" Falin gasped, surprised.
While everyone was caught up in the revelation, Lux quietly exhaled in relief. Somehow no one know the truth that it was Lux who did all of that.
"If that's the case, then it would be easy to write up the report," Harvey said with a satisfied smile. "Let's return to the village."
"Wait, really, it wasn't me!" Falin insisted again.
"Now, now… no need to be modest," Allan replied with a smirk.
"Yes, yes! Let's go. And maybe… put on something more proper," Elice added with a wink.