According to my Detailed Appraisal, this is called a Seal Box, and it is a nasty piece of work. While it could have been made by a person, I feel that it is more likely to have been made by an intelligent monster, demon, or dungeon. What I had thought was a barrier locking the box, is actually a seal that curses the person if they try to open it without knowing the proper method.

I very carefully inspected the box, not daring to inject my mana into it. I even used Detailed Appraisal on individual parts to see if there was a weakness I could exploit. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no weakness, and whatever the method is to open it, must only be visible from the inside. I can't even get a hint with Detailed Appraisal, which is only the second time that has happened, the first being with the necklace I am currently wearing before I purified the curse.

"This is a Seal Box, it will curse whoever tries to open it without knowing the proper method. Unfortunately, only the person who activated it, and potentially the intended recipient, would know that method. It doesn't matter how good your appraisal or magic skills are either unless you happen to be highly resistant to curses." I had no better way to tell her that.

"I see. That's unfortunate. There is no way Otto would be willing to tell us how to open it correctly. From what I was told, he still hasn't admitted to any of his crimes. We may never know what is in this box." She seemed unusually depressed about it.

"Is it truly that important to find out what is in this box? Is it not just something to or from one of the criminal organizations the duke mentioned?" I couldn't help but ask, my curiosity had gotten the better of me.

"While it's not impossible if this is truly a Seal Box, it is unlikely to just be from a criminal organization. While Otto is definitely intelligent, he is not intelligent enough to have been doing everything he has been doing without the Guildmaster here finding out, there must have been someone behind him," She told me with a bitter smile. Since Alisha is a Guildmaster, she probably knows more than she is telling me.

"Hmm~, then, what would I get if I opened this box?" Since it seemed to be extremely important, I felt compelled to ask.

"Don't be ridiculous, opening the box is no more than a death wish. I won't be responsible for your death." She's strict, but she really is a caring person.

"I wouldn't suggest something I wasn't sure I could pull off. I can open this without getting cursed, though it would still be dangerous for bystanders, so I would have to put up a barrier or two first. This isn't a simple request though, so what would I get in return?" I doubled down, intent on finding out what I could get.

"If you really could pull that off, you could get pretty much anything you want, just name it." I think she still didn't really believe that I could do it.

"Well, I have more money than I know what to do with and more coming in. I can afford the materials I can get my hands on so that only really leaves orichalcum, adamantite, or mithril. I prefer pure ore or ingot, of course. While some impurities wouldn't be an issue, I'm not looking for low-purity alloys that are common enough that I can get them through the merchant's guild." I responded, not wanting to ask for something simple.

"Why can't you ask for normal things, like money or peerage? It's strange that you always have or want extremely rare things. Well, it's not impossible, but it would depend on what was inside the box. None of this matters though, since there's no way for you can open it." She replied although I don't remember me being the one that asked for something extremely rare back in Reginston.

Since I had her word, I decided to move forward with my plan, casting two barriers around the whole room, another three around me and the box, followed by another two around me specifically. Alisha seemed to guess what I was about to do and moved to stop me, but it was already too late. I then pulled my orichalcum sword out of my item box, unsheathed it, and gathered mana in preparation for the next step.

I could hear Alisha trying to stop me, but I wasn't paying her any attention. Between the sound and physical barriers I set up around the room, I didn't have to worry about intruders causing me any problems. Once I had the mana gathered, I cast spells in quick succession on the box: Unlock, Unseal, Open, and Purification. They were neutral, dark, neutral, and light magic spells in that order.

Having cast the magic on the Seal Box, a dark mist, miasma, started pouring out of the box and heading toward me. The purification did disperse some of the miasma, but this curse was a powerful one and continued toward me. Seeing this, I swung my sword after filling it with a bunch of mana, causing the miasma to evaporate as soon as the sword came near it. The curse nullification is definitely more useful than purification in this instance.

It took over two minutes for the box to stop releasing miasma, most likely caused by running out of power. I was really worried for a minute there that I would run out of mana first. The sword's curse nullification is not exactly mana efficient. By the end of it, my MP was down to 37/511. If I wasn't wearing the necklace, I would have had to use a potion, hoping it worked faster than the sword could consume my mana.

Taking out a high-grade mana potion and downing it, I loaded the sword with a bit more mana and slid the tip between the top and bottom of the box. Then, I twisted the sword to force the box open a bit before using magic again to open it the rest of the way. The inside of the box was larger than the outside, meaning the space had been expanded, and therefore it was likely that this box came from a dungeon. Disregarding the space expansion, I used Detailed Appraisal on the box before removing the drained magic stone.

Only after doing that and casting Purification one more time on the entire area inside the barrier did I cancel the barriers around me and the box, leaving the two around the room active. I was somewhat surprised Alisha did not rush over or yell anything out as she seemed more focused on the now open box.

"It should be safe now, I didn't appraise the items inside the box, but the box itself is no longer dangerous. Currently, there is still a sound barrier and physical barrier around the room, so there will be no better time for you to inspect the contents." I said as I put my sword away and sat down, pulling out the pumpkin pie Miya had given me before I left Gale.

I took a slice of pie and began eating it while finishing off my cup of tea. Meanwhile, Alisha had seemingly forgotten my existence as she pulled the box to her and began looking through everything inside it. She must have heard what I said because she didn't pull out any items she didn't recognize while quickly going through everything inside the box before any other employee could come to the room.

Having finished my slice of pie and poured myself another cup of tea, I decided to offer a helping hand to Alisha.

"Would you like me to appraise all of the items inside the box that might be dangerous?" I asked calmly while drinking my tea.

"Why are you not more surprised? Space-time magic is a thing of legends, and yet you didn't even pay it any attention," She seemed a bit suspicious of my lack of response.

"Dungeons definitely utilize functions of space-time magic, and while somewhat rare, 'magic bags' are the most common space-time magic item found in dungeons. Besides, I was literally just using a pure orichalcum sword to nullify the curse, so did you really think that would surprise me? I also used almost my entire mana pool before taking that potion and then used more than what I had remaining before taking it. I was a bit worn out after using over 500MP so quickly to open that box." I responded, not hesitating, hoping to gloss over my odd behavior.

"There's a lot I want to ask about what you just said, but I suppose making sure these items are safe is more important," She said as she pulled out the items she didn't need me to check, "Just these five items will be fine."

I then looked in the box and used Detailed Appraisal on the five items remaining inside. One was a magic tool that has the same function as the stealth skill and concealment barrier combined, which is rather handy for normal people. The next item was a magic tool for writing invisible messages, followed by one for reading invisible messages. The fourth item was a consumable item called a summoning bead, which apparently has summoning magic sealed inside it.

The last item was obviously more dangerous though, as it was a consumable item that caused a large explosion. I told Alisha what each of the items was, and she pulled out a bag that prevents mana from passing through it and slid it over the dangerous item before tying the bag closed. I also had her test out the stealth magic tool and informed her it was probably around a level 5 stealth skill and barrier magic skill.

I must have been extremely focused on the box earlier because as I was getting ready to remind Alisha not to forget about my requested reward, I noticed that my Sonic Eagle was approaching from Gale. Not sure why it was coming in this soon, I dropped the physical barrier and opened a window, allowing the eagle to fly directly inside, landing on my shoulder. I then closed the window and moved back to the couch, removing the paper from the letter tube.

Inside was a copy of the map I had drawn and sent yesterday, with a mark showing the location of the dungeon. On the next piece of paper was a short letter, describing the conditions of the dungeon that was found, along with a request for aid.

I pulled out more paper and

a pencil, quickly making a few copies of the map with the newly added details while letting Alisha know what was going on.

"The investigation team has found the dungeon but was unable to make it through the first floor due to monster density. They are requesting as much B- and A-rank aid as can be sent. While none of them have experienced a dungeon stampede before, they are guessing that this dungeon is on the verge of that. If there are any trustworthy A-rank adventurers at this branch, I am willing to summon monsters that can get them to the dungeon before nightfall.

I am making multiple copies of the map. We can then give a map to each group heading there directly from here. I am also sending a map with a similar explanation to the duke so he is aware of the situation and can make his own arrangements. If you give me the name of your vice Guildmaster, I can send a similar message to him, along with a couple of copies of the map." I stated clearly and concisely.

"I will go find out if we have any trustworthy and reliable adventurers available. His name is Sylvester by the way." She responded and promptly walked out of the room.

I was making full use of my Mapping, Drawing, and Perfect Memory skills, along with my high dexterity to make copies of the map in under a minute. Finishing 14 maps total, I quickly wrote a letter to the duke and one to Sylvester, detailing all the information they would each need, including a map for the duke and 3 for Sylvester. I had to summon another Sonic Eagle and sent it through a Gate to a bit outside of Reginston.

Not long after I had sent the Sonic Eagle to Reginston, while I was feeding the eagle that had just recently arrived, Alisha came back.

"We're in luck. A party with 3 A-rank and 2 B-rank adventurers just got back from an escort request they claimed was boring. I gave them a brief explanation of the situation, and they are going to prepare to dive into a dungeon right now. They should be ready in under an hour." She replied with a little bit of relief in her voice.

"Good, that is helpful. I have already sent the message to Reginston, they should be able to send out people starting today. I just need to add this information to the letter for the duke and send it off. Next, I want to dismantle the Crazed Bear before heading toward the south gate, so I can summon the monsters for that party to ride on." I answered while finishing the letter to the duke.

"You're seriously going to dismantle that Crazed Bear at a time like this?" She seemed bewildered.

"I already said that I wanted to use its meat for dinner, and it's not like I have anything else I need to do at this moment. Don't forget about my reward for opening that box, and I would suggest not leaving the room again without putting everything away somewhere safe first. Just have that party meet me at the gate, I'll be there waiting." I said as I put away all my stuff, handed the maps to her, and made my way toward the door.

Before leaving the room, I remembered to remove the sound barrier and politely said goodbye. I then made my way to the dismantling room. I wanted to dismantle the other monsters as well but only had time for the Crazed Bear and Assassin Snake. The beastkin man in charge of the dismantling and monster material appraisal ended up helping me because it had been a long time since he worked on a Crazed Bear, or so he said.

After I finished dismantling the two monsters, I gave the older man some bear meat and left the guild heading toward the south gate. By the time I arrived at the south gate almost an hour had passed. The Sonic Eagle I sent to the duke had arrived, and I had sent a letter to Revna, informing her of what had been arranged so far.

The guard at the gate wanted to stop me, so I had to explain the situation to him and got him to relent a few minutes later after promising to not move far from the gate. Outside, I first summoned a Griffin, thinking it was a better option than a Wyvern, for various reasons. Like I had expected, with my current stats, the griffin was willing to submit without issues, so I went ahead and summoned two more.

Standing there with 3 Griffins in front of me, I casually pulled out some river fish and tossed them to the 3, thoroughly enjoying my first experience with the majestic creatures. While I was doing that, the guard that let me out was gawking at me with his mouth hanging open and eyes nearly popping out of his head. Similarly, the people near the gate were all staring, having apparently forgotten they were trying to enter the city.

After a few minutes, a party of 5 was led to me by Alisha, who was also staring at me, although she wasn't as bad as everyone else, including the party behind her.

"You didn't mention you would be summoning Griffins, I haven't seen one in quite a few years." She said with a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

"Well, I thought they would be the best option considering their size and speed, but I was planning to use Pegasi if something had gone wrong or I failed the summoning. Do they have a copy of the map?" I responded, causing her to pause for a moment when she heard my backup plan was Pegasi.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. This is the A-rank party 'Dragon's Roar', and they are ready to go. Are those Griffins going to listen to their commands?" She finally gave up reacting to everything abnormal I say.

"There should be no problem, but in the worst-case scenario, they will fly directly to where the dungeon was marked on the map, making sure their rider arrives there with them. I only summoned three though, so two of them will have to be shared unless that is too much of a problem, if so, I will summon 1 or 2 more as necessary." I responded while patting each one as a way of saying goodbye to them.

"So you're saying that you gave them orders to listen to us primarily but gave them orders to fly to a specific location just in case?" Asked one of the members of the 'Dragon's Roar' party.

"That's the gist of it. Technically, they are to guarantee the life of their rider as the priority and everything else coming in after that, unless it will cause their death of course. So, do be prepared should you be attacked by a strong monster on your way there, no matter how unlikely that is," I replied with a small smile.

"What if one of us were to attack one of the Griffins?" A different member of their party asked in response.

"As you may have guessed, they have the right to defend themselves above any order I have given them, which of course, means they will eliminate the threat. I don't suggest threatening or attacking my summons. Aside from how they respond, they are protected by Kingdom law and guild laws. I will not allow anyone who attacks me or mine to survive. Don't forget, a summon won't obey a master that isn't stronger than them." I replied with more than a little bit of killing intent to the obvious threat posed as a question.

"He's right, if you were to do anything of the sort, your entire party would be placed on the guild's wanted list, which would extend to every country the guild is established in. Of course, I would join the hunt as well, taking up my old S-rank title." Alisha added in a cold tone.

The guy that made that thinly veiled threat was sweating hard between my and Alisha's killing intent. I didn't know that Alisha was a former S-rank adventurer, though I guess that makes sense, she's a long-lived elf, and her presence is still the strongest I have ever felt, I was curious what her title was though. The other members of the party were all giving the idiot who spoke up, dirty looks.

"That's just his personality, he isn't actually stupid enough to do something like that. If he gets out of line, I will break his arms until we get to the dungeon." Replied a female dragonkin member of the party.

"I'm impressed he was able to make it to B-rank with that personality and mouth that doesn't know when to stay shut, but not surprised he is unable to progress from that rank. I've already sent a message to the Gale branch, they will be sending some wagons to transport your group and any materials you obtain from the dungeon. I will un-summon the Griffins after you have landed and dismounted.

The report from the investigation team only mentioned that there were monsters of various ranks swarming the first floor. From what we know, this dungeon has produced an orc king or lord, a Cockatrice, a Basilisk, and multiple 4-legged beast-type monsters of B- and A-rank. Gale has sent quite a few cure-type potions with the investigation squad, but no matter what, as long as you survive and return you can be healed with potions available in Gale. Good luck." I said as my departing words, making it clear that I was not alright with the one guy's attitude.

"You heard him. The potions available in Gale are the best in the kingdom, so try not to die out there. More adventurers will be heading there soon and should start arriving as early as tomorrow. This is being treated as an emergency request, so the payment will be high. The job is to cull the monster population in the dungeon to prevent a stampede. You have been given all the information we have at this time, but you can get more from the on-site investigation team." Alisha concluded.

"I'm not sure why the kid knows so much about the situation, nor how he is so strong, but I understand. We will head out now and do our best to prevent the worst-case scenario from playing out." Said the same dragonkin lady reliably.

The party then mounted the Griffins and took off while we headed back into the city. I decided to head towards the inn to ask them if they would cook something with the bear meat. To my fortune, they were willing to make a stew using the bear meat, so I figured I would share with Livia, Jay, and the adventurers that escorted us here if they wanted some. Speaking of Jay, I haven't seen him around much and have no idea what he has been up to.

I saw Livia walking in and let her know about the bear meat stew and, more quietly, let her know about the dungeon and the current status of that situation. She, in turn, informed me that she had given her support of my project to the Guildmaster of the local merchant's guild branch, as well as to the duke. It seems like Jay and I, would be called to meet with the duke again soon.

ShadowWolfGuild

Finally started a wattpad account, I have a lot of posting to do before it catches up to scribblehub though.

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A special thanks to Yeuromain and Gareth for the support