Chapter 25 [Dungeon 6. Baron's Territory Adventurer Guild]

Ever since the news arrived that both the party of heroes and adventurers, who had set out for dungeon exploration, had not returned even after five days, the Adventurer Guild was in turmoil.

"The young heroes may be all about strength, but Neil and the others have been making a living in this profession for over twenty years. I can't imagine they made a careless move."

"But in reality, there's no word from either party. It seems something must have happened."

"What do you mean by 'something'?"

"That's the problem – we don't know!"

"Then what's the plan?"

"Quiet! First, we need to find out what happened before we can make any plans. We'll issue additional requests. The request will be to investigate the parties that have lost contact. Since we don't know the dungeon's danger level, we can't specify the request, so we'll offer a reward instead."

As if there was no time to waste on unnecessary noise, the Guild Master, seemingly a former adventurer, cut off the discussion, which was more like a quarrel in name only.

"But Guild Master, what about the details of the investigation?"

"Entering the dungeon is prohibited. First, confirm whether the missing parties entered the dungeon. Second, check for any traces of them coming out of the dungeon. Third, confirm if there are any other entrances. Finally, investigate the status of monsters around. We can't ignore the possibility of them being killed outside the dungeon."

"Could it be the work of the Stampede...?"

"If it's just a groundless fear, fine, but it wouldn't hurt to consider it." 

The report brought back by the party dispatched for a second investigation was not favorable for the Adventurer Guild, leaving them even more perplexed.

"Both parties definitely entered the dungeon, but there are no traces of them coming out. We couldn't confirm any other entrances, and..."

"The situation of monster habitats doesn't seem to have changed significantly."

"So, both parties should be considered killed inside the dungeon. Yet, we have no idea what kind of dungeon it is."

"At the very least, we should raise the danger level. If we assume that both the young heroes and the B-class party have been wiped out, it might be at least A-class, possibly even S-class."

"For now, entering the dungeon without permission is prohibited. Both search and investigation are suspended."

"Especially if the young heroes and Neil's party were wiped out, that damn church might start making a fuss."

"We haven't confirmed their complete annihilation. We're actively searching."

"What if they demand a search inside the dungeon? The lousy Baron is no different. He might try to pressure us."

"First, mention that the great hero, blessed by the grace of the gods, couldn't have fallen behind in such a dungeon. Presume there's a reason for leaving the dungeon and taking independent action. Currently, we're expanding the search around the dungeon."

"As Guild Master, your mind and tongue work well. But what if they insist on a thorough search inside the dungeon? After all, dungeons are like geese laying golden eggs. The impoverished lord might fuss about internal investigations."

"Request the brave knightly order of our faithful lord to come forth, as humble adventurers like us are insufficient for a dungeon where the great hero fell behind."

"Hahaha, understood."

With the current policy in place, a man in the guild who seemed like a young clerk interjected, "Guild Master, what about the dungeon's name? At least for A-class, we need a designation, but there are two of them – 'Morow's Dungeon.' It might be confusing."

"Hmm? 'Morow's Dungeon'? Wasn't that taken down by the young ones before? Are they in the same location?"

"No, it seems they're east and west, separated by the previous dungeon. The connection to the old 'Morow's Dungeon' is unclear, but since the old one was a typical dungeon, there's no direct connection, it seems."

"I see... Well then, let's call the one the heroes entered 'The Unreturnable Maze' and the one Neil's party entered 'The Quicksand Labyrinth.'"