Romon was woken up from his sleep.
He couldn't remember when he had returned to his bedroom. He opened his eyes and gently pushed away Lornis's white arm.
She usually slept in, always washing up and preparing breakfast before waking him. It seemed that this time, she must have been exhausted.
"My lord, come quick, something's happened!" Talia's voice came from outside the window, with the sound originating from the castle gate.
Romon squinted his eyes. Seeing that the sun had only just risen in the east, it must be the second morning since their return. He had spent the entire night dreaming, the dream filled with the bumpy motion of a carriage ride.
Outside the Castle Gate.
Talia and several villagers were carrying a statue. The craftsmanship was so lifelike that it was almost eerie. However, beside them, a woman and her young daughter were crying uncontrollably.
At this sight, Romon furrowed his brows and looked closely at the statue. He then realized that it resembled Hato, the village's strongest hunter.
"Hato?"
"My lord, Hato went into the great forest to hunt last night. Unfortunately, he was bitten by some kind of monster. After returning, he couldn't walk, and by this morning, he had turned into this statue! Please, save him!" Hato's wife knelt on the ground, crying with her daughter as they begged.
Romon didn't respond immediately, instead turning his gaze to Talia.
"My lord, this is a petrification curse. The wound on his leg was clearly from a snakebite. There must be a Medusa serpent in the forest. Such serpents only exist in labyrinths or dungeons," Talia explained.
"Can you purify it?"
"Sorry, my lord, this curse can only be lifted by a priest."
"Take Hato to Stone Town to find a priest to purify him. I will cover the costs."
Hato's wife and daughter had come seeking money for a cure. Without a healer, Romon would be powerless to help.
Accompanying them were members of the trading caravan, who would go along to provide support.
"This level of petrification curse won't be fatal in the short term, but on the way, make sure his body doesn't break apart. If that happens, there's no saving him. Do you understand?" Talia reminded them. As an adventurer, she was small but experienced.
"Thank you, my lord! Thank you, Lady Talia!"
Lifting Hato was no easy task. Normally, the man weighed around 90kg, and after turning into a statue, he would only be heavier.
If the makeshift stretcher made of burlap got torn by the sharp edges of the stone, and he fell to the ground in two pieces, Hato's wife and daughter wouldn't be able to bear it.
Watching them leave, Romon's gaze turned to the distant great forest.
"Talia, you mentioned that Medusa serpents only appear in labyrinths or dungeons?"
"Yes, my lord. But with Hato's strength, he would never have survived entering a labyrinth or dungeon. So, I suspect that the serpent escaped from one of those places. Perhaps, the main nest is hidden somewhere in that forest."
Labyrinths and dungeons were topics that adventurers couldn't avoid. These places were filled with monsters and treasures alike. Killing monsters, progressing through levels, and claiming treasures was the adventurer's favorite pastime.
But to Romon, what he saw wasn't the thrilling excitement of adventure; it was a new type of business opportunity.
That's right! It was the idea of tolling for access!
It wasn't just him doing this, but many other lords as well. Any labyrinth entrance that appeared within their territory would be guarded by knights. Whenever adventurers wanted to enter and explore, they would have to pay a certain fee.
The fee would vary depending on the level of the entrance.
The higher-level entrances meant that the monsters inside were stronger on average, and the adventurers who came to challenge them would be more elite, meaning they would likely have more money.
Naturally, the fee for such entrances could be higher.
On the other hand, low-level entrances, which were cleared in just a few days, wouldn't bring in much profit.
Once these entrances were cleared, their value would plummet, and at most, only beginners would be willing to use them as a trial. No seasoned adventurer would waste their money.
Romon opened the simulator and began to observe the territorial blueprint.
At this moment, a dot was moving quickly through the great forest. It was Nini, the cat-eared maid. Wherever she ran, she left behind a marker at regular intervals.
The most frequent marker was a bald head with pointy ears.
Romon recognized the symbol—it was a goblin.
It was said that goblins didn't have females, relying on females of other species to reproduce. The Thune family hadn't suffered from goblin invasions in years, and Matthews' territory was concentrated in the northwest, with few humans living near the edge of the great forest. Yet, these goblins had multiplied to the point where they were nearly everywhere.
Perhaps, there was another race hidden within the forest as well.
Romon zoomed in on the map.
Suddenly.
Amidst the dense cluster of goblin markers, he saw a house-shaped marker. If it were a hut built by goblins, Nini wouldn't have marked it as a house; she would have used the goblin symbol.
For over a decade, no one from the Thune family had stepped into this forest. Perhaps it was Matthews' work, or maybe it was the labyrinth or dungeon entrance that Romon and Talia had speculated about.
He focused on the house marker, gradually referencing it and comparing the scale, locking in the location.
Then, he spoke.
"Talia, would you be interested in exploring the source of the Medusa serpent?"
"Of course, my lord."
"Then let's go. I hope you can truly live up to the duty of a guard."
"Leave it to me."
The house marker wasn't far from the old territory, but they would need to take a detour.
If they were spotted by goblins, Romon could take on one alone, two would be manageable, but three would be a bit too much for him to handle.
Talia's rapid-fire magic wouldn't be much of a problem. She still had a large stash of magic crystals that she had refined herself.
They didn't even bother to eat breakfast, instead setting off on foot into the great forest.
In the great forest nearing October, a cold, damp chill hit Romon head-on, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. Thankfully, Talia was highly skilled in small magic and conjured three little flames that circled around Romon to keep him warm.
"My lord, look."
Talia pointed with her left index finger toward some fallen leaves not far ahead.
The leaves, long piled up and still mostly unrotted, hid a brown-red magic serpent that was stirring beneath them, ready to strike.
"This is the Medusa serpent?" Romon asked.
"Yes, that's right. It's the lowest-tier Medusa serpent. Higher-tier serpents don't need to bite; just their gaze can release a petrification curse."
With that, Talia launched a small lightning ball. The Medusa serpent was instantly turned into a dry, lifeless husk.
"My lord, let's continue."
Romon nodded, glancing at the map on his simulator. They were already close to the house marker, and the area was surrounded by goblin markers, which made it easy for them to be spotted by goblins.
"Are there goblins around here?" Romon asked, caution in his voice.
"Yes, and many of them. But don't worry, my lord, I will ensure your safety." Talia patted her backpack. She had no trouble fighting off enemies around the magic crystal mine, and here, with pure magic crystal in her possession, she was more than ready to continue dispatching foes.
She had spent much time practicing rapid-fire magic for situations like this.
A traditional wizard who had to chant spells for a long time usually required a strong tank to protect them. Though their spells were powerful, considering the casting time and the cost of a tank, Talia believed that, for the same cost-effectiveness, she was the stronger option.
Soon enough.
The two of them saw something intriguing.
It was a collapsed stone door. Most of it had been swallowed up by dirt and leaves, leaving only the upper half of a pointed triangular doorframe visible.
Behind the door, there was nothing.
Talia immediately deduced, "It looks like a labyrinth, my lord. This should be the entrance to the labyrinth. The magical energy here flows like a stream pouring from a spring."
"Can you tell what level of labyrinth this is?" Romon asked.
"Unfortunately, no. It has collapsed. If it were a fully intact labyrinth, we would be able to clearly sense the magical energy level. But in this condition… it's hard to judge."
"What if I wanted to open this labyrinth?" Romon inquired.
"That would be very difficult, my lord. The entrance and portal have already been like this for some time. I don't know if it can even be activated… but let me try."
With that, Talia bent down and cautiously extended her magic-infused left hand, touching the center of the labyrinth's doorframe.
Though she didn't expect much, as soon as her magic made contact with the doorframe, she widened her eyes in disbelief.
Ancient runes immediately lit up across the doorframe, and the ground beneath them started to tremble.