Chapter 396 The Epitome Of Freedom
Three hundred years ago, things were very different.
Human civilization was fragmented into various nations, and so there were various opposing factions with their individual self-interests at play.
The only exception to this… was the Adventurer's Guild.
Adventurers were neutral parties amongst the scuffle among nations. They weren't involved in politics, and their simple lives were unaffected by the embers of conflict spreading amongst the other nations.
They were strong enough to make their own city—a haven free from the rigors of nationalism—and became the very embodiment of freedom.
"An Adventurer serves no one but himself."
This embodied the spirit of everyone who chose the path.
As long as you obeyed the basic rules of conduct necessary for living in a civilization, there was no restriction to what you could or couldn't do.
As far as their economy went, individual Adventurers sold Monster Cores and special ores gotten from their land to the highest bidder. The Guild received their cut and maintained the City in return.
Jobs gotten through the Guild made them entitled to more profit, but the payment and security of the job would also be guaranteed.
There was more to the trade, but that was essentially it.
While the ideal of freedom had a lot of benefits to the Adventurers, there were some consequences to their hubris.
When chaos struck, or calamity arose… the Adventurers would find themselves alone.
Without any affiliation to a nation, they could not opt for support or seek out aid. As a result, the Adventurers were doomed to fall on their own.
This was especially true when the Grand Calamity Class Dungeon emerged.
Of the five thousand and ninety-nine Adventurers who charged in for the Raid—no, the Dungeon Conquest—only two-thousand and nine hundred made it out alive. A few hundred were unable to recover from their injuries and died not long after they escaped the Dungeon.
It was the greatest loss the Adventurer City ever faced in history, even till date.
They suffered a heavy blow that day, and when they requested the aid of the neighboring nations—the same nations that often used the strength of the Adventurers to get rid of Monsters of assist in all kinds of tasks in their respective territories—they completely ignored the Adventurer's City.
Perhaps they thought if the Adventurers became desperate enough, they would finally succumb and sign an Affiliation Treaty.
When that didn't happen, out of frustration, the Nations decided to take what they wanted by force. The Adventurers were a major threat, since they were too strong for any sole Nation to handle.
However, in their weakened state, they were easy prey.
… Or so the Nations thought.
The Nations found out that day—at the time of their invasion—that they were dead wrong.
The main reason why the Adventurers could form a faction of their own, without any external interference, was not simply because of their collective strength.
No… it was due to the power of one man.
The man known as the first Heroic Rank Adventurer… the strongest Adventurer in all of history.
—Jet Zephyr, the Sword Saint.
He singlehandedly warded off the armies that charged at his beloved city.
It was only thanks to Jet Zephyr that the Adventurer City was spared that day. He saved them all… the dream of freedom that the brave men and women had.
He was a true Adventurer; an ideal that all aspired to be.
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"Forgive my long rant, but you get the point, right?" Conrad sighed, feeling a bit drained after going on and on about the complicated history of the Adventurer City.
The Otherworlders didn't know of it, so he thought he could explain it in a few words.
Well, it ended up being a little more than that.
"So… what you're basically saying is that the Adventurers hate your guts despite being an Alliance, and they often act as a separate entity from you even though you're on the same side against the Dragons." Eric spoke up, flexing his glasses as he did so.
"Yes. Precisely tha—"
"Let's not forget that the reason for that is because of what the Nations did to them all those years ago." Clark added, interrupting Conrad.
"Dick move, man. Dick move." Justin nodded.
"Y-yes. We know it was a… dick move, you called it? But, a lot has changed since that time." Conrad said, finally sighing as he appeared deflated.
Dealing with Otherworlders was not his forte, so he shifted his gaze to the expert and pleaded for some support.
"Guys, it's a messy history for sure, but times have changed." Adonis stepped forward and addressed the students.
"I'm sure we can all think of atrocities that some nations have committed against one another back on Earth. That didn't stop the UN from forming, and for alliances to be made later in the future."
In the end, letting go of the past and embracing the future was the most optimal path for progress.
"It seems like the higher-ups in the Adventurer City can see that now." Adonis added with a smile.
The contents of the discussion between the Royal Council and the Adventurer City's highest authority were then spilled.
"The Adventurers want to begin a Dungeon Conquest on the new Grand Calamity Dungeon."
"WHAT?! Even after what happened before?!"
The shock from the students was expected, so Adonis wasn't fazed. Instead, he took his time to further explain his position.
"There are currently three Heroic Rank Adventurers and more high-ranked Adventurers in the City. Their numbers are a lot more than what they had three hundred years ago. They believe they have both the quality and quantity advantage—
enough to ensure the success of this Conquest."
Of course, this was no guarantee that they would win. However, they had the biggest chance to succeed now, more than ever before.
"The Dungeon is assumed to close in nine days. They want to begin the Conquest as soon as possible in order to guarantee maximum results and success." Adonis paused upon seeing a hand raised.
"Is it really necessary to risk their lives like this? Can't they just wait for it to go away?"
The concerned face that Belle gave made everyone's heart melt. It was obvious how worried she was about the fine Adventurers of the city.
"If only it was that simple…" Adonis sighed.
"I think preserving your life is pretty simple, though." Justin added, but Adonis shook his head slightly.
"You should all understand by now… the rewards that a Dungeon can offer to those who challenge it."
No one spoke after that. They completely understood Adonis' words.
"Adventurers seek fortune and glory. A Dungeon with the highest difficulty rank also means it has the highest reward available. Many will risk their lives just for a chance to get that."
Many of the students could not relate, since they were sheltered by the Royal Council from day one, but such was the nature of this world.
To survive and thrive… one had to risk it all.
"Besides, the Adventurer City is not a monolith. The Guild is the central hub, sure, but there are various factions in the form of Parties. There is no rule stopping an Adventurer from exploring a Dungeon, as long as they have the qualifications necessary for such."
A Grand Calamity Class Dungeon was not even regulated by any kind of rule, since it was an outlier.
That meant anyone could venture in.
"There are bound to be Parties who challenge the Dungeon regardless of warnings. As we speak, there will already be casualties." Adonis spoke sternly. "In order to reduce the amount of fatalities that will ensue as a result of this Dungeon's appearance, it's better to organize a Conquest where Adventurers attack the Dungeon en masse."
And it was in this plan that the Otherworlders came in to play.
"Simply put, the higher-ups of the Adventurer Guild want us to send some of our best to help them out in this Conquest in order to make it a success." Adonis continued, casting his gaze on each and every one of his comrades.
"They require our assistance, so after some deliberation… we decided to pitch the entire thing to you all."
The Otherworlders had mixed expressions on their faces, but Adonis wasn't done with his address.
"Like I said earlier, this is entirely optional. If you don't want to participate, then that's fine." He added. "But, I would advise you to consider it, as it would not only help out the Adventurers, but also each and every one of us once we reach the front lines."
"What do you mean by that?" Alicia asked.
Adonis smiled upon hearing this. "We won't be in the same unit in the battlefield, just as we won't be in the same party if we accept the request of the Adventurer City."
In essence, this could be regarded as their final training before the real thing ten days from now.
"So… what do you say, everyone?"
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
This chapter was longer than usual, and it had a lot of info dumps, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless.