"Captain, I am afraid that the heroes' party is not here yet."
"As tardy as ever, huh? But this day is important to all of us, so they better not make things late."
Amidst the intense heat of the bright summer sun, a crowd of people, around several dozen, gathers in the courtyard of a palace. The venue was not somewhere anyone else could step foot on, but they are there for a certain reason.
The courtyard is vast and has the dimensions of hundreds of meters. It is located at the rear portion of the palace and is surrounded by tall, magnificent royal structures. Since it is inside a royal property, guards are stationed to watch the crown for peace and order.
The crowd consists of both genders; the majority are men, and there is something about them that differs them from common people: they are equipped in battle gear, and each of them is seemingly strong.
Additionally, the majority of the crowd are clad in metal armor. They are called the knights. There are dozens of them, and each of them falls strictly in uniform rows. Their disciplined behavior in the courtyard shows how strict the country is.
Among the knights are the pair of men covered in full plate armor, who are talking with each other regarding a group of people on a raised wooden platform in front of the crowd. The captain and the vice captain of the knights order guide the leader of this expedition.
Aside from the knights, there is another association that is mixed in the crowd. Unlike the knights' uniform armor and weapons, those people are wielding varieties of weapons in their hands or on their backs. Those people are the hired adventurers to venture out with the knights and a certain group of people.
"By the way, Captain, isn't a group this big too much for the operation? We even have the heroes' party in the company."
Folding his arms, the vice captain looks at the crowd of warriors as he asks a question that baffles his mind. The captain then makes a perplexed look before he gives his response.
"What are you talking about, Alex? The Great Sorceress went missing for a few days along with her companions after venturing into that newly discovered dungeon. Do you think the kingdom would let a valuable person lose?"
Around a week ago, a dungeon suddenly appeared inside a dense forest not far from the capital. Apparently, that dungeon turned out to be a massive one.
Dungeons are places where an indefinite number of monsters spawn. Dungeons vary in sizes and structures. Some dungeons are cave types, and some are confusing labyrinths and mazes.
Larger dungeons come with more powerful residents. But for adventurers, dungeons are their treasure trove. Monsters cost value in the market regardless if they were powerful or weak. In that sense, many risk their lives to venture into dungeons and rake fortune.
The news of its discovery spread like wildfire in the country and to its neighboring nations. When the Great Sorceress heard about it, she immediately made a request to the adventurer's guild and the royal palace for an exploration into that dungeon before anyone else.
The Great Sorceress is one of the kingdom's greatest assets. She is a genius in the field of magic and is very proficient with it. She is even consideredthe most powerful magician on the continent for her unrivaled talent. She is well-known in many nations, and some even feared hearing her name alone.
Due to that, the kingdom utterly rejected her request, as sending her to an unknown place is certainly dangerous. Losing a valuable asset could potentially cripple the kingdom, which would cause troubles to the country's interest.
But the Great Sorceress was persistent, saying she wanted to quench her curiosity and escape the boredom of basically not doing anything. The kingdom and the guild ultimately granted her request, but they set conditions upon her.
Before going to the dungeon, they have her accompanied by a group of powerful individuals thoroughly handpicked by the kingdom. Letting the Great Sorceress venture into the dungeon alone is a huge risk. Assigning some capable people to accompany her is needed to ensure her safety.
In the beginning of their journey, they were escorted by the kingdom knights for the purpose of guarding the temporary party from unrelated threats such as wild animals, monsters, and outlaws. Instead of dealing with the threats themselves, the knights helped the party conserve their energy and resources.
"According to the report," the captain spoke. "The travel took only a day, and the Great Sorceress's party had entered the newly discovered dungeon on the next day after departing from the city walls. The Great Sorceress insisted that the knights did not have to go with them inside, which other members of the party agreed with."
The captain pauses for a while as he scans the warriors before him with a complicated face. He then glances back at Alex.
"However, that was the biggest mistake the knights have made. Ever since the Great Sorceress and the party entered that unknown world on their own, no one has ever seen their shadows again."
The captain utters those words with some weight in them. Alex has never seen him express that seriously and gravely. He eventually realizes how shallow and naive he is in the current situation.
"Captain, I didn't know that the Great Sorceress has that value to the kingdom. I am not saying that I am doubling her credibility. There are not any significant feats she has done other than her soloing a dungeon."
"I don't blame you if that was what you think about the Great Sorceress. After all, she rarely made public appearances after earning her title. That is why we have to bring her back to the kingdom no matter what it takes."
"Speaking of..."
Finally, after waiting for quite some time, the courtyard gate eventually receives the most anticipated group of people of the operation. The crowd quickly turn their attention to the newcomers. The heroes' party has arrived.