Chapter 93, Disrupted Cycle

Translator: Barnnn

 

The usual Guild. The usual receptionist. The usual smile. The usual formalities…

 

“Fieda, your promotion to B-rank has been approved. Congratulations,” Kikuno said, her expression as unreadable as ever. “We’ll need to update your registration card, so please hand it over.”

 

Fieda handed it over with a grimace, as though he’d just bitten into something sour. Kikuno offered a polite bow and stepped away from the counter to process the update. As she left, Hal and Ize turned to Fieda, both beaming.

 

“You did it!” Hal grinned. “Now we can finally enter the B-rank floors!”

“Hal… If we do that, we’ll never leave Jasted,” Ize said. “Wait — what if this is all part of the Adventurers’ Guild’s grand conspiracy?”

“To keep strong adventurers tied down?” Hal gasped, slapping a hand over his mouth in exaggerated horror. “N-No way… They wouldn’t…! Hahaha…”

Ize smirked, leaning into the bit with gleeful mischief. “They’ll have us comb through every floor of both C and B-ranked floors, and then — then! They’ll try to recruit us too, since we’ve got Magic Bags! Diabolical!”

“Noooo, we’re targets too now!? Scary!” Hal shuddered dramatically.

“Hey,” Fieda interjected.

“Eep!”

“Ow!”

“Keep it down.”

“”Yes, sir…”” the two chorused in unison.

 

As always, a swift karate chop to the crown silenced their antics — if only for a moment. But Ize, rubbing her head, soon voiced a genuine question.

 

“So, how far does the B-ranked area go down, anyway?”

“To seventy,” Fieda replied without hesitation.

“Welp, we’re not doing that,” Hal groaned. “Otherwise we’re never leaving Jasted.”

“It’s clearly a trap,” Ize said solemnly. “We both are still D-rank — still not reliable enough. Let’s aim to tackle it once we hit C-rank.”

“Well, I’m not planning to go down to floor seventy anytime soon either,” Fieda added. “We’ll need to toughen up and try again in a few years.”

“Got it.”

“Thank you for waiting,” Kikuno said as she returned, placing Fieda’s registration card on a tray and holding it out.

 

The card itself hadn’t changed, but the rank lettering now shimmered with a subtle, metallic gleam.

 

“Huh, surprisingly lowkey,” Hal noted.

“I like it better that way. Not something to flaunt,” Fieda said.

“How modest of you,” Ize chuckled.

“Getting cocky doesn’t help anyone. That kind of attitude gets you hurt.”

“Fair enough,” Hal groaned.

“Oof, feels like I’m being lectured…” Ize said, clutching her chest.

 

Fieda ignored them both and turned back to Kikuno.

 

“We’ll be leaving town in about a week. Thanks for everything.”

“Not at all,” Kikuno said, bowing deeply. “Thank you for all the deliveries over the months. I wish you all continued success in your travels. And please — do come back to Jasted again someday.”

 

With a final bow from Kikuno, Hal and Ize dipped their heads in turn, then began making their way toward the Guild’s exit.

That was when they heard thunderous footsteps crashing against the wooden floor like a charging bull. In an instant, Fieda and Hal stepped in front of Ize, bracing themselves for the source of the quake.

 

“Hey! Thank the Goddess — I caught you!” came a familiar voice.

 

Tension melted away at once. The ‘charging bull’ was none other than Wardon, an A-rank adventurer.

He approached with heavy, booming steps, drawing glances from everyone in the Guild. Ize, Hal, and Fieda walked toward him quickly, trying not to attract more attention.

 

“I’m about to head out myself,” Wardon said once they met. “Figured I’d catch you before you left. Got a few things I wanted to talk about.”

“Sure. Should we find a room?” Fieda offered.

“Eh, better idea — come to my inn. I’m paying out the nose for it even though I never use it.”

“That’s what you get for staying in a place that huge,” Hal muttered.

“Yeah, well, A-rank’s got its image to uphold,” Wardon grumbled. “Not that I care about that crap.”

“Suffering from success,” Hal said with mock sympathy.

“It’s to keep the economy turning, clearly,” Ize deadpanned.

“Listen to you, sounding all clever,” Hal said, nudging her.

 

Naturally, none of them saw any reason to turn down a personal invitation from an A-rank adventurer, so they followed Wardon through the streets.

 

“…It’s ridiculously easy to walk through town with a moving wall in front of you,” Ize remarked.

“Everyone gets out of Wardon’s way. Clears a nice path,” Hal agreed.

“Right? Even Mystic Beasts steer clear of me!” Wardon said proudly.

“You’re basically not human anymore,” Ize said with a snort.

 

They chatted as they walked and soon reached the inn — one not far from the Guild. Normally, Wardon explained, he stayed at a place closer to the Dungeon, but this time he’d opted for convenience in dealing with Guild business.

They entered the same parlor they’d used last time and sat wherever they liked. Sato, who Wardon already knew about, was allowed to roam freely on the condition it stayed quiet.

 

“So, what’s this about?” Fieda asked once they were all settled in with cups of tea.

“Right. When we last talked, you mentioned heading east. I figured I’d ask a favor while you’re at it — nothing formal, just something I’d like you to keep in mind.”

“A favor…?” Fieda parroted.

 

An A-rank adventurer’s favor wasn’t something to take lightly. The three of them exchanged glances, wary but listening. Wardon leaned back into his chair, casual in his own domain.

 

“It’s a bit complicated, actually, so bear with me.” He took a long swig from a frosty mug of liquor, then set it down with a sigh. “Let’s start here. You’ve heard the rumors, right? That the Rank 1 Dungeon in the Lazulseed Kingdom is close to Deluging?”

“Yeah,” Fieda nodded. “Heroes are always unveiled not long before it happens.”

“Exactly. This time there are four Heroes, which means this Deluge is gonna be a big one.” Wardon paused before continuing, setting down his cup with a quiet thud. “There’s a rule to Rank 1 Dungeon Deluges: they never happen at the same time. Supposedly, that was a law set by the Gods themselves, long ago.”

 

Hal and Ize exchanged glances. They knew for certain that the divine beings existed — so in this world, divine intervention was hardly out of the question.

 

“It’s like the Gods wanted to avoid overlapping the lifespans of summoned Heroes and Sages. That’s why there’s always at least fifty years between big Deluges.”

“But…” Fieda frowned. “Wasn’t this kingdom’s Rank 1 Dungeon suppressed just a few years ago?”

“It was,” Wardon said simply.

 

That short reply made all three freeze. The math didn’t add up.

 

“So… something’s off with the cycle?” Hal tilted his head.

“Could it be,” Ize mused, “that the disruption comes from depleted resources?”

 

Wardon nodded.

 

“Sharp as ever — you’re right. Well, it might even go back two Deluges from now, actually — that time, the summoned Hero didn’t just stop the flood, but kept going. Traveled the kingdom, clearing Dungeons with power to spare.”

 

His face twisted into something between a grimace and resignation as he recalled how the kingdom’s leadership had reacted.

 

“The higher-ups were thrilled — because rare materials were gathered left and right. They gave the Hero full support, sent him wherever he wanted. Why waste that kind of power, right? But then… things got weird. First, the Dungeons that the Heroes cleared stopped yielding materials. Then, the low-level Dungeons cleared around the same time… they all Deluged at once. At first, people thought it was a coincidence, but…”

 

Hal leaned forward, piecing it together. “…But it wasn’t. The depleted resources regenerated at the same speed. Their cycles aligned. So once they were full again… they all exploded.”

“Damn right.”

 

Wardon raised both hands toward Hal, as if trying to force a dry lecture into something livelier, congratulating him on the correct answer.

 

“But by that point, every major Dungeon in the kingdom had already been conquered. Resource extraction was nearly complete. Within less than a decade, those Dungeons — once plundered and left barren — began to stir again. Slowly, inevitably, they regained their strength… and with that came the Deluges.”

 

Wardon leaned forward, placing his massive fists side by side on the table. With a sharp sound, he threw his arms wide in the air, mimicking a sudden eruption.

 

“I’d have loved to see the look on those bureaucrats’ faces when they realized the truth. Must’ve been pure terror. A catastrophe entirely of their own making, one they helped bring about. Maybe even one big enough to destroy the kingdom.” His lips twisted into a cold smile. There was weight in his gaze — so much so that it seemed enough to pin a man in place. “Heroes were never more than a desperate measure to reduce the damage from a Rank 1 Deluge. But the kingdom wanted more. More control, more power. And that one Hero… well, they couldn’t resist the urge to wield it. So who’s to blame? The ones who demanded too much — or the one who couldn’t say no to their own strength?” He gave a low chuckle. “Not that it matters anymore.”

 

With a heavy thud, Wardon leaned back into his chair, which groaned in protest beneath his weight.

 

“So why are you telling us all this?” Hal asked.

“Because I want your help,” Wardon said without hesitation.

 

Hal’s brow twitched upward.

 

“And if we refuse?”

“Then that’s that. I’m just an A-rank adventurer — not in a raid group. I can’t give orders. All I can do is ask.” As he spoke, he pulled a thick bundle of documents from a small bag at his hip and dropped it on the table with a dull slap. “This is everything the kingdom and the Guild currently know about the Dungeons in Tajellia, along with their projected Deluge cycles.”

“That’s classified information, isn’t it?” Ize asked.

“Maybe on paper — pun not intended. But anyone who wants to can figure it out. Ask the locals — most of them can tell you when the last Deluge hit. Now — these here,” he said, gesturing to another stack of papers, “are the Dungeons with irregular cycles. For the record, Jasted’s cycle stabilized after its last Deluge.”

“The cycle can stabilize?”

“That’s the point. That’s why I brought all this to you. I’m asking for just a little help to bring some of those cycles back into alignment.”

 

Wardon separated the papers — two-thirds went to one side, labeled “Stabilized.” The remaining third, he split again, laying his hand on the smaller pile.

 

“These are the trouble spots — Rank 2 and Rank 3 Dungeons with irregular cycles that, if they Deluge simultaneously, could be catastrophic. There aren’t many, but a few of them are geographically close. If multiple Deluges hit those areas in quick succession… we’re looking at widespread devastation.”

 

Ize felt that, if they were to ask any further questions, they wouldn’t be able to say no.

She glanced toward Hal and Fieda. Both wore uneasy expressions, but neither made any move to stop Wardon.

As if noticing, Wardon gave a dry chuckle and continued, his voice easing in tone.

 

“Relax. The current projections estimate we’ve got a few months — maybe even a few years. We’re not talking about Deluges hitting tomorrow. There’s time And this — this is where it all begins.” He pulled one sheet from the stack and laid it in front of them. “A Rank 2 Dungeon, northeast of here. Within two years, its Magicite will turn orange.”

 

A solid hue meant only one thing — the Deluge was near.

 

“After that one, probably within months, this Rank 3 will go next. It’s a bit southeast of the first. And then, if we’re unlucky, another Rank 2 near the eastern coast will follow, possibly within two years.”

 

He spread two more sheets across the table.

They were plain pieces of paper, yet Ize found herself unable to look away.

Two Rank 2 Deluges, both within two years. And one of them was near the coast. It wasn’t just a matter of securing enough manpower — if the timing aligned poorly, civilian evacuations could become impossible.

The eastern half of this country — gone. That was the two-year clock Wardon had set before them.

In the stillness of the early summer room, Ize wrapped her arms around her trembling body.