The Runesmith

Chapter 638: Isgard Adventurer District.

“What did you say?”

A loud voice echoed, and several people turned their heads.

“You heard me. Are you hard of hearing? Got piss in your ears?”

“Fucker!”

The insult rang out as two large men squared off while a small crowd gathered around them.

“Fight, fight!”

The onlookers chanted as the pair drew their weapons. One was a stocky dwarf holding a halberd. The other was a human gripping a longsword. They stood in the middle of the street near what appeared to be the entrance to the local adventurers' guild. The nearby guards looked away. They clearly had no interest in the confrontation or the possibility that one of the fighters might die.

Steel scraped against stone when the dwarf lunged. His boots skidded across the worn street, and his halberd dipped into a practiced thrust meant to tear open his opponent.

“Come on, long legs!”

He shouted as he charged. The human roared in response and swept his longsword in a broad arc.

“I will cleave that beard off your rotten face and wipe my ass with it later!”

Adventurers quickly formed a loose ring around them. Some grinned with anticipation. Others exchanged coin purses and placed bets. They knew no one would stop them and that this seemingly peaceful city had its own laws. The district they were in lay far from the nobles, divided and largely neglected.

Unless a noble was killed or the guild building began to burn, the nobility would not intervene. As long as trouble stayed away from the noble district, it was ignored. Out of view and out of mind might as well have been their motto, and the adventurers enjoyed every moment of it. At least, that was how it looked to those on the outside.

The dwarf’s halberd met the longsword with a ringing crash, sparks skittering across the stone. The human pressed forward, relying on strength rather than finesse, forcing the shorter fighter back step by step. The crowd roared as steel struck steel again and again.

Then someone else decided to get involved. A mug shattered against the dwarf’s shoulder, ale spraying across his armor. The fight stopped, and both rowdy adventurers turned to the side.

“Oi! Who threw that? I’m going to ki—”

The dwarf cut himself off when he saw who stood there. A man in light armor bore the insignia of the Adventurers Guild on his shoulder. Beside him stood another man dressed almost identically.

“You were going to do what?”

“Ah… nothing. We were just messing around.”

The dwarf looked away, and towards the human he was battling. The taller man looked pale as well and quickly caught on to what was happening. The two newcomers were the local enforcers. Not the city guard, and not regular guild clerks either. Their armor was lighter, practical, and marked with discreet runic enchantments meant to be hidden beneath cloth. The insignia on their shoulders was subtle, but every adventurer worth their salt recognized it instantly.

The chanting died almost immediately. Coins vanished back into pockets. A few people took awkward steps backward, suddenly fascinated by the texture of the street stones or the weather. The human adventurer swallowed hard and sheathed his sword in a single stiff motion.

“Sorry, just got a little heated, that’s all…”

The dwarf followed suit, lowering his halberd and bowing his head just enough to be respectful without looking submissive.

“Didn’t mean nothing by it…”

‘So, those are the Guild Cleaners.’

From nearby, a lone man watched the scene play out. His entire body was covered by a hooded robe, making him appear quite large. He had been standing there from the start, choosing to wait until everything played out. Although this was not his first time in the city, he had never fully passed through this district, which was ruled by various guilds.

What he observed was a kind of militia operating within the district. They were responsible for handling disputes between adventurers and commoners alike. These people had a contract with the Valerian estate, granting them limited law enforcement authority.

Because of the proximity of the super dungeon, the area was swarming with tier three adventurers, and on occasion, even tier four ones appeared. It was a complicated situation that, if managed directly by the nobles, would require constant military oversight and the stationing of highly trained knight commanders who already had other duties. ᚱἁ𐌽O͍ΒÊꞨ

As a result, a decision was made for the guilds to govern themselves. As long as they kept the peace and matters did not turn too bloody, the noble armies would stay out of it. This arrangement created a district with its own power structure and a delicate balance.

There were three distinct forces at work here. First was the Adventurers Guild, which oversaw the superdungeon. Then there was the Merchant Guild, which controlled the flow of supplies, lodging, and transport to and from the dungeon. The third force was less visible, yet everyone felt its presence. The Thieves Guild, or as they were known here, the syndicates.

They had no banners, no official contracts, and no public headquarters, yet they were woven into the district like rot in old wood. Smugglers, information brokers, loan sharks, and hired blades. Some worked independently, while others were quietly sponsored by influential patrons who preferred to keep their hands clean. Where the Adventurers Guild enforced order openly, and the Merchant Guild dictated prices through ledgers and contracts, the syndicates operated through whispers, favors, and blood spilled in alleys no one bothered to clean.

The hooded man took note of the Cleaner’s posture as they dismissed the crowd. Their hands rested casually near their weapons, but they were clearly not expecting any opposition. One of them began to look around, his eyes scanning the area as the crowd dispersed. For a moment, his gaze lingered on the hooded man standing near the entrance to the dark alleyway. Then, as if he saw nothing at all, he turned away and shouted at the adventurers to move along.

“Awoo!”

“It’s fine, Agni. They can’t see us.”

From within the alley, a loud howl escaped, yet no one outside heard even a whisper. An invisible force surrounded the area, blocking all sound and movement. Within it stood a massive wolf, his fur studded with gems that glimmered blue, a color unfamiliar to him.

“Don’t like the new look? You chose it. I told you to choose wisely, didn’t I?”

“Grrr!”

Agni answered with a low growl. He had been given a choice between green and blue, the two colors his kind could also manifest within the world. Ruby wolves were rare creatures with two additional variants, one emerald green and the other sapphire blue. Agni had decided to chomp down on the blue gem, which transformed all of his rubies into blue stones instead. His appearance was otherwise unchanged, save for the shift in color.

“Don’t worry. You’ll regain your old color eventually, but only after a month.”

From an Alpha Mystical Dire Ruby Wolf, he had changed to imitate an Alpha Mystical Dire Sapphire Wolf. The creatures were nearly identical to their ruby counterparts, the main difference being that their flames burned blue. With this form, Roland hoped to prevent Agni’s true identity from being discovered and traced back to him.

“Worf.”

“Just calm down for now. Once we meet up with the agent, we’ll leave.”

Roland patted Agni on the head with a hand clad in a pitch black gauntlet. They had arrived in Isgard only an hour earlier through the main portal. From there, they made their way to this district, heading toward a meeting place prepared by one of his people. He had hoped to avoid such a farce, but the behavior of a certain blacksmith had forced his hand.

“Worf.”

Just as planned, someone appeared in the alleyway, emerging from a hidden underground entrance. Agni noticed movement along the ground, and a small opening soon revealed itself as a figure quickly climbed out.

“It’s okay. They are one of ours.”

Roland raised his hand as Agni was about to pounce on the stranger.

“Sir.”

The person wore a dark robe similar to Roland’s and a mask that concealed their face. Their gender was impossible to discern, and that anonymity would be preserved. Upon reaching him, they bowed deeply, clearly aware of who he was, and handed over an envelope before slipping back into the hole from which they had come.

Roland accepted it with a nod and said nothing. The agent had been tasked with trailing Ermes, the blacksmith who seemed determined to get himself killed. Inside the envelope was detailed information about the man, along with notes on potential individuals targeting him. It also contained the mission scroll Roland needed to submit to the guild in order to gain access to the super dungeon. Everything had been arranged so that he could simply walk in and begin his journey without wasting time.

“They will be leaving in half a day, and the trip could take up to three. We best get moving, Agni.”

Agni lowered his head and gave a quiet snort. The blue gems along his fur shone brighter as the dimming barrier around them dissolved. The alley returned to its usual state, and the two finally stepped out onto the open street before the main adventurer guild.

‘Not getting as many looks as I expected. Good.’

Roland moved forward with Agni staying right beside him. Agni wore his harness to show that he was not just a random monster wandering the streets. While his appearance would normally stun people, the citizens of this district had already seen far stranger things. Agni was not even the only unusual creature around, as a strange yellow bird walked past them with a person perched on its back in a saddle.

“Woof?”

“No, you cannot eat it. Now let us go.”

First off, he needed to take care of Agni, so he headed toward a large pen-like area next to the adventurer guild. There, he spotted various other creatures that were too big to enter the building. Agni wasn’t too happy to be guided into a pen, but for tier three beasts like him, this was law.

“24C, here you go.”

“Thank you.”

Roland answered the stablehand, who handed him a large key with 24C engraved on it. The place reminded him of a mall parking lot, as it was numbered and spacious. Agni’s pen was one of the larger ones and required a substantial payment. Still, the price gave him confidence in the quality of the service.

“Just wait here for now. I’ll pick you up later.”

His companion was not pleased about being left alone, but he did not protest much. Once inside the pen, his paws sank into a thick layer of straw that seemed to be replaced after each use, giving the wolf a comfortable place to rest. Agni circled once, sniffed the corners of the pen, and finally lay down, eyes half closed but still alert.

Roland stepped away from the pen and glanced back toward the guild. The streets were calmer than before, the earlier chaos of fights and shouting gone as if it had never existed. He knew better. The calm only went so far, and it existed for one main reason. The true battles were fought elsewhere, deep within the superdungeon, where no noble or guild enforcer cared to interfere.

He tucked the envelope securely into his satchel and made his way toward the main entrance of the Adventurers Guild, blending in with the steady stream of adventurers coming and going.

Inside, the guild was bustling with people. It was far larger than the one in Albrook, or any he had seen before in his life. First of all, the most striking difference was its layout. The building had four floors, each divided by adventurer rank. The lowest floor was reserved for beginners, who in Isgard were tier two class holders, since tier ones were not even allowed to enter the dungeon on their own.

The bottom floor was the largest but also the most barebones of them all. It had all the usual facilities: a long counter lined with clerks, rows of notice boards plastered with parchment quests, appraisal stations guarded by bored-looking attendants, and a waiting area filled with battered tables and scarred benches. The air smelled of sweat, cheap ale, and metal polish.

Roland moved through without stopping. Tier two adventurers barely spared him a glance. Although he gave off the aura of a tier three class holder, there were many others like him. Tier three adventurers were on the second floor, where he was headed, but to get there, he first needed to present his adventurer card, as access to the upper levels was monitored by the same enforcers he had seen breaking up the fight earlier.

“Adventurer card.”

Two people stood there, similar to the ones he had seen before. Their armor was the same, and they carried longswords as their primary weapons. Roland did not hesitate and produced his new adventurer card, the one the guild master from Albrook had issued to him.

They used something akin to a scanner, which in this case looked like a cube covered in various runic symbols. Once the card was inserted into a slit on the side, the runes lit up brightly. While he could tamper with the device, there was no reason to, as the glow it gave off was green.

“Looks fine, Siegfried, is it? Just go on in and keep out of trouble.”

The two men quickly lost interest in him. Even though the card marked him as a Platinum rank adventurer, no one in this guild cared unless someone had reached Mithril rank or above. Orichalcum was a rarity here, but the third floor was reserved for those ranks, along with Adamantium. The fourth floor, on the other hand, was not meant for adventurers at all and was reserved for the guild master and his personal guests.

‘That’s a lot of tier threes…’

Once inside, he started feeling less special. The crowd was smaller than on the lower floor, but there were still many, far too many, tier three class holders. It made it seem as though what he had reached was no longer a rarity, more the norm than an achievement. Yet this was mostly due to the super dungeon that all of them frequented. It was a hotspot that attracted adventurers not only from across the entire kingdom, but from other lands as well.

It made one thing clear. He could no longer rely on his power alone. Even though he was capable of defeating multiple foes above his level, there was always a limit. The realization stayed with him as he moved deeper into the second floor and joined the line with the others. Power was common here, and while in Albrook and other places he would have received favorable treatment, here he was just one among many.

He glanced at one of the mission boards as he waited. The paper he held in his hand matched what was written there, confirming that the agent he had sent in had done good work. Eventually, he stood before the guild clerk, a woman who reminded him of his wife. She wore glasses and carried herself with a professional air, yet she wasn’t half as charming as Elodia.

“Escort to the third ring. Please sign here.”

She said little, only briefly checking his card and the mission document. Once his credentials were confirmed, he was accepted. Not many people traveled into the deeper regions, and the more people there were, the safer it became. As a result, no tier three class holder was turned away.

The paper he held was stamped with the guild seal, and he was given directions to the group he would be traveling with. It only confirmed what he already knew, as all the information had been included in the documents the agent had provided.

Roland folded the stamped parchment and slid it back into his satchel. With the formalities complete, there was nothing left to do but wait for departure and retrieve his companion. He turned and made his way back through the guild, descending the stairs and exiting into the daylight once more.

The noise of the district washed over him again, with raised voices, clanking armor, and merchants peddling their wares. After picking up Agni, he headed back through the streets, which were lined with armor and weapon shops. Everything here was built around the dungeon, and adventurers were the primary clientele.

The gathering point was located near the eastern gate of the district, close to a large restaurant and inn. It reminded him of the dorm he had built for the children, though much larger. Inside, many adventurers waited for their missions, some having spent half their lives in Isgard, where everything they needed was provided.

‘Now then, I hope everything goes smoothly...’

He thought this to himself as he was about to walk around a corner when, out of nowhere, he heard someone yelling.

“What did I tell you?”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Hah, so you are calling me a liar?”

His gaze shifted toward the disturbance. This time, it was not between two adventurers, but someone he recognized instead. It was the very man he had set out to protect…