Chapter 432: Chaos in the Underground City
After the banquet at the Golden Radiance Estate concluded, rumors like "Baron Belair the Clown" and "The Most Beautiful Attire, Proof of the World's Center" erupted instantly across York City.
Behind this was naturally the handiwork of the bards.
Even before the banquet began, Yorn had already passed the instructions to these bards. So by the time the banquet ended, without waiting for the attending gentlemen to return to York City, the bards had already begun spreading the news.
The commoners were mostly just enjoying the spectacle, but the upper and middle-class gentlemen perceived what lay behind these rumors.
Thus, by the time those who had attended the banquet returned to York City, they were inundated with invitations to one banquet after another, without any chance to rest.
These gatherings formed various social circles of different sizes. But upon closer inspection, one would realize that those who had left the Golden Radiance Estate had, in fact, covered all the major circles of York City.
"It seems this matter has succeeded," Agamemnon said, tossing aside the report after a single glance.
Whether the goal of a certain endeavor was achieved could be discerned once the intelligence came together.
And for Agamemnon, such matters were trivial—too small to matter.
In fact, this matter was less important to him than testing whether Baron Belair could be turned into a useful tool.
At present, Agamemnon's attention was focused more on the underground city in the Northwind Mountains.
That place was the largest supplier of dark creature materials in all of Greenwood—or rather, all regions where the Senate's intelligence network extended.
Every day, thousands of dark creatures were slain there. Blood, fur, viscera, claws, fingers, bones, eyes, marrow—every imaginable material from dark creatures.
Before the Magic Academy was established, the killings had not been this brutal.
Back then, only the Monastery had some demand, and Agamemnon kept a watchful eye over all of the Monastery's research, ensuring they never went too far.
But after the Magic Academy was founded and secured its position, demonstrating its value, demand for dark creature materials increased.
Currently, the daily number—well into the five-thousands—was limited only by the capacity of the small town constructed at the underground city's entrance, which couldn’t handle the volume.
After all, they were dealing with dark creatures. Even though everyone knew, and the Church knew, what was being done there, no one dared act too openly.
Occasionally, the Guardian Knights patrolling the area served as a form of warning from the Church.
Agamemnon remembered clearly how he had once quarreled with Oscar and the Guardian Knights over whether to retain the underground city for breeding dark creatures. The dispute even escalated to the point where Corleon, who had not yet emerged from the Clock Tower, revealed himself.
Corleon had shown them the vastness of the underground network.
Dense as a spider's web, the channels, though as thin as strands of hair, nearly filled the entire first level of the Clock Tower.
Faced with such a vast underground city, they fell silent.
Agamemnon frowned. Even just from those threads, he surmised that the total capacity of the underground city was no less than that of all Greenwood.
Oscar was overjoyed, for such a massive underground city meant an endless supply of dark creature materials.
The Guardian Knights, however, were angry and alarmed. How could such a massive city ever be purged?
In the end, they had no choice but to tacitly allow the nobles to raise dark creatures.
Given the narrow and complex layout of the passages, how could it ever be cleansed?
Even if they used the Church's then-most-effective sacred relic, the Slumbering Horn, a thousand people would have their cheeks burst from blowing it and still not finish the job.
Since it couldn’t be erased, they might as well extract the most value from it.
Aside from Puniel, those nobles who were later granted permission gradually discovered the underground city to be a semi-sanctioned source of wealth. Especially after Puniel sold off the Mercenary Tavern, some capable nobles formed their own mercenary teams to handle business down there.
Capturing dark creatures, seizing riches, even establishing hidden bases to conduct unspeakable acts.
By now, nearly a thousand people operated in the underground city year-round.
Even the Senate had limited grasp over the area due to the complexity of the underground routes.
To avoid wasting manpower or corrupting his subordinates with profit, Agamemnon only had his men monitor the first four layers of the underground city.
These four levels were thoroughly cleaned, practically forming a small surface-like settlement for rest.
But in truth, once intelligence reached the personnel on these four levels, it meant things had gotten serious.
Like now.
A dark creature outbreak—frenziedly surging toward the surface.
Initially, the report only mentioned they had reached the twelfth level. But the intel Agamemnon held now stated the creatures had reached the fifth level and were aggressively assaulting the reinforced junctions between levels four and five.
At this rate, by the time he received this intel, they likely had already broken through to the surface.
Agamemnon rubbed his temples in frustration.
The very scenario he had feared had now become reality.
Still, it was perhaps inevitable.
Agamemnon did not believe the dark creatures could break through so easily.
Below the fourth level were mainly hunting teams. Because of the vastness and disorder, they would retreat immediately at the first sign of trouble.
But from the fourth level upward, there were organized forces stationed. Their presence at least ensured that the creatures would not surge up like a tidal wave—they would have to break through these rocky defenses first.
These nobles did not trust the immoral mercenaries and stationed only resolute knights in the underground bases.
Even if many of their lords had already been slain, news did not travel fast in the underground city. The entrance was still under senatorial control.
With these knights and the complex structures of the underground city, the dark creatures wouldn’t break out so easily.
Still, it had to be resolved quickly.
Recalling the vastness of the underground city left Agamemnon breathless.
If there were other unknown entrances elsewhere—
He shook off such thoughts and ordered the deployment of the half-legion of the First Legion that had yet to see action, as well as the newly formed Black Dragon Knight Order, to suppress the dark creatures in the underground city.
Yet even after issuing the order, Agamemnon hesitated.
The legion members were warriors, and the Black Dragon Knight Order was composed of knights, but in the complex system of the underground city, they couldn’t carry out large-scale military maneuvers.
So Agamemnon needed a general.
But there were no current candidates trained for such large-scale command, and the underground city's complexity required a commander with both military and political acumen.
After deliberation, only one name came to mind: Puniel.
But Agamemnon was reluctant to use him.
Even before Agamemnon had taken full control, he had begun stripping the other senators (except Councilor Julian) of military authority, leaving them only minor policing and political tasks.
Sending Puniel to lead a military force in the underground city could disrupt future plans.
Still, Agamemnon quickly convinced himself.
The western front was locked in a bitter struggle with the Woodlands, the underground city was in turmoil, and judging by the matters discussed by the bishops at the start of the year, it was likely that both the eastern sea and the Altlinsmann Empire to the south would soon stir.
So he summoned Puniel to his estate.
Puniel did not keep Agamemnon waiting long; he was already in York City.
When he arrived, cold sweat was streaming down his face.
"It appears Councilor Puniel has already received the news," Agamemnon said calmly.
"I didn’t expect those dark creatures from before hadn’t been fully eradicated," Puniel replied hoarsely.
He had been the one in charge of clearing out the dark creatures back then. He had also been the first to start trading in dark creature materials.
He had assumed their numbers were already under control and couldn’t cause a stir. But he had not expected them to nearly breach the underground city.
In fact, before coming here, he had already dispatched some of his armed forces from York Territory to suppress the outbreak—or at least to slow them down.
He currently managed the Warriors’ Guild, and those warriors were far more reliable than mere mercenaries, allowing him to rally a decent force.
"I did not summon you here to rebuke you," Agamemnon said reassuringly. "This was something all of us tacitly permitted. And indeed, the kingdom has profited greatly from these dark creatures as raw materials."
"But now that the cost of that profit has surfaced, we beneficiaries must bear that cost."
Puniel exhaled slightly in relief and forced a smile. "Yes, you’re right. That’s why I already sent my followers into the underground city. Though there are fewer than a hundred of them, I still wish to do my part."
Although his motive was to contain the story, he had indeed sent people.
So Agamemnon did not reproach him further. "But that small number won’t be enough to stop the dark creatures."
"I’ve already dispatched fifteen hundred warriors from the First Legion remaining in the territory, as well as a hundred from the Black Dragon Knight Order. But they will still require a general to command the war in the underground city."
"I believe Councilor Puniel is well suited for the role."