CHAPTER 170: 170. HUGE BOUNTY

The Valenwood Kingdom’s Royal Palace contained elaborate hallways that led to a small office.

The room was filled with quiet concentration, with shelves of neat papers lining the walls and desks filled with quills, ink, and wax seals illuminated by warm light from glowing lamps.

The clerks’ gentle murmurs blended with the scratch of pens as they meticulously wrote and reviewed the letters and documents.

The door opened, and a man with neat short dark blue hair and powerful yellow eyes entered wearing a spotless Royal Knight’s robe.

The room went quiet as the staff stood, recognizing Chief Knight Noel Lechner. He raised a hand, his voice calm but strong. "At ease. Continue your work."

The clerks bowed and returned to their work as Noel approached a desk, a glass-eyed clerk stopped, his quill hovering over paper. Noel’s direct and steady gaze was fixed on him. "Are you in charge of sending out invitations for the royal hunting event?"

The clerk nodded and stood quickly. "Yes, Sir Lechner."

"Have all formal invitations been sent out?"

The clerk fixed his glasses and said, "Yes, sir.They’ve been delivered to their respective houses."

Noel’s yellow eyes were thoughtful, but his face remained expressionless. "We’ve gotten additional requests to add additional guests. Include these names on the list."

Ready to write, the clerk sat with his quill dipped in ink. "Houses and names, sir?"

Noel’s tone was firm and straightforward. "Lady Velmera of Saravelle House." The clerk swiftly moved his quill as he repeated the name. "House Valarune’s Lady Rin." With a steady hand, the clerk wrote it. "Make sure invitations for both are sent out as soon as possible," Noel added. "Has it been delivered to House Caulem?"

The clerk gave a nod. "Sir, it was delivered yesterday."

Noel nodded briefly and turned to go, his robe rustling. "See it through to completion." Behind him, the door softly closed.

*********************

Meanwhile, in the Dark Guild’s headquarters, a big meeting room is lit by flickering torches casting light on rough stone walls. A crowd of tough mercenaries filled the space, Called by the guild’s leader, they stood restless, their low whispers echoing like a stormy sea.

Even Levan, who once put an 800-crown bounty on Leonhardt Caulem, was there, his dark eyes burning with revenge. At the front of the room’s, a small stage held a table with a heavy pouch, rolled papers, and a big box.

Then Zorath, the Dark Guild’s founder, entered, his presence quieting the room.

Only his bright eyes were visible through a rough metal mask covering his lower face, while his hooded cloak blended into the darkness. As he made his way to the stage, the mercenaries stepped aside, his boots clinking in the quiet.

Zorath’s voice was strong, icy, and loud as he took the stage. "We appreciate you coming together for this important mission. We have every advantage—we don’t have to worry about being chased or the results of investigations.

Inquisitive but rough, a large mercenary near the front held up a hand. "Sir, what is the job?"

Zorath held up the first portrait to reveal Lucian Caulem’s face after unrolling it. "Lucian Caulem is the first target. 700 crowns is the bounty." The room erupted in gasps; this amount was enormous for one person.

Erin Dranemount was the second portrait he opened. "Get rid of her to earn 1,500 crowns." With wide eyes and growing mutterings of surprise, the mercenaries stirred. A luxurious lifestyle could be purchased with the reward.

After pausing, his masked face expressionless, Zorath revealed the final portrait of Leonhardt Caulem. His voice was a lethal whisper as he declared, "This is your main target."

"Use all of your skills to hunt him down. Take his head, kill him, and..." He snatched the pouch from the table and tipped it over, revealing plenty of gold coins that gleamed in the torchlight as they spilled across the stage. "You have five thousand crowns."

The mercenaries cheered as the room erupted in roars, their hunger and greed stoked by the wealth.

With his bright eyes fixed on Levan at the front, Zorath raised a hand to silence them. He said, "I’ve heard that Leonhardt killed your brother."

Levan’s jaw clenched as he nodded. "Yes, sir."

Zorath’s icy laugh reverberated throughout the space. "Levan, you’ll be in charge of this hunt. Get your revenge by bringing his head."

Levan’s eyes burned with determination, fists clenching as he nodded, the weight of revenge and 5,000 crowns driving him.

Zorath’s gaze moved to the box on the table. "These pills," he said, his voice dropping to a secretive whisper, "will grant you strength beyond mortal limits for the hunt. Use them wisely."

*********************

In Avermoor town, the private room of the Silver Hearth Inn, Elgar Valarune sat, his pink eyes locked on Leo and Erin. The air smelled of fresh coffee and rustling papers, a stack of documents spread out between them.

Leo leaned forward, his quill moving smoothly across a contract tying him and Elgar to the Cragsunder coal mines and a share in Valarune Traders. Erin watched with a sly smirk. Liana moved quietly behind them, refilling coffee cups.

Leo signed the last page with a quick flourish, sliding the papers to Elgar with a nod. "My thanks, Viscount Valarune. With this, the mine’s ours, and our partnership is sealed."

Elgar shook his head, his voice warm but brushing off praise. "I merely bought it with your coin, Young Lord Caulem."

"And I’m grateful for your discretion."

Elgar opened his mouth, pausing as his eyes flicked to Erin, a question clear but unsaid. Leo noticed the hesitation, his tone calm but firm. "Speak freely, Viscount. Think she doesn’t exist."

"Lord Caulem, why invest so heavily in a mine everyone believes is depleted?"

Leo’s smile grew, a spark of cleverness in his eyes. He nodded to Liana, who handed him a small, detailed black box. Leo passed it to Elgar, who opened it carefully, his breath catching as he looked inside. His voice shook, barely heard. "It’s... mana crystal?"

Erin leaned forward. "Grade three, to be precise."

Elgar’s eyes widened, his gaze darting between them, shock clear on his refined face. "In the Cragsunder mines?"

Leo nodded. "Vast deposits, hidden deep. No one’s caught on yet."

Elgar’s face lit up, his voice rising with excitement as he held the box tight. "Lord Caulem, if this is true, we could dominate the mana crystal trade! The mine could be worth hundreds of thousands of crowns!"

Leo’s smirk deepened, his tone sure. "That’s the plan."

A hint of doubt crossed Elgar’s face, his brow furrowing as he set the box down. "But why use me as the buyer?"

Leo leaned back, fingers tapping lightly on the table, his voice steady. "If House Caulem bought a ’worthless’ coal mine and later found mana crystals, it’d raise too many questions. People would wonder how we knew, who told us. Plus, I’d rather my father not know for now."

Elgar nodded slowly, his doubt fading, but another question stayed in his eyes. "Fair enough, but why bid 10,000 crowns? That’s far above its perceived value."

Erin’s chuckle was soft, her violet eyes bright with amusement. "To make a splash, of course."

Elgar blinked, confusion on his face, but Leo leaned forward, his voice low and smart. "A high bid gets attention—makes people talk. They’ll think Valarune Traders has a big plan, maybe a new mining trick or a secret coal vein. It hides the real secret: the crystals. Let them gossip about your ’mistake’ while we take the prize."

Elgar’s lips parted, a slow smile spreading as he understood. "Clever," he murmured, his voice full of respect. "You’ve thought this through."

Leo’s smirk softened. "I don’t play games I can’t win, Viscount."