CHAPTER 267: HUNTING REGULATION

Vacuse sighed.

He wasn’t really surprised. "So let me get this straight. Back in the real world, the Cold Barren necromancers hate our guts and want this Great Dungeon, but because of the hate, they can’t have it. Yet we are currently in the same Dungeon."

Kagerou nodded. "Just right."

"Let me ask you one thing. Do you know what the Cold Barren people are looking for?"

"No. I doubt anyone does. But they’re always aggressive toward anything necromantic—Dungeons and such. They even tried to wipe out a kingdom once because of it. People believe what they’re looking for is related to what’s wrong with necromancers these days."

Vacuse smiled. "And somehow, we get sent into this Dungeon without knowing all of this. Although, at the time, we didn’t know we would find ourselves in Cold Barren.

"What are the odds that when we return, we’ll suddenly find ourselves in a dangerous situation?"

The others didn’t say anything. There was no need anyway; they all could just guess what would happen.

Vacuse sighed. "We’ll put that trouble aside for when we’re done. For now, let’s talk about another thing. One of the primary reasons we are in this Dungeon is to farm resources, and we’ve not been doing much of that lately.

"Kagerou."

When Vacuse called his name, he also brought out a book from his ring and gave it to Kagerou. "Here’s a list of what Moonblame said he needed to build me a War Artifact. There are also resources there that we need to gather to give to the family."

"Ignis Ore, Froststone, Stormglass Nodes. Shards of clear water springing? What in the Dark Wilderness is that? Specter Dust—remains of destroyed ghosts; essential in necromantic rituals or to summon familiars. This one should be easy. And this one too, Grimshards—crystallized fragments of curses left behind after powerful deaths..."

"Kagerou," Vacuse called as he cleared his throat. "You are to identify those and mark them out—how and when we can get them. Then you’ll submit the list to Amros, and we’ll go over it. Some might need to be bought, and if it’s to be hunted, then we’ll do that as well."

Everyone nodded, but Captain Amros hesitated before he asked, "My lord, what about you? What resources are you going to take for yourself? I thought you wanted to fund your independent forces and break free from the family."

Vacuse frowned. "That was the plan, but now I don’t know."

Captain Amros exchanged looks with Kagerou. "My lord, what do you mean?"

"I’ve thought about it, and I think it’s finally time to kill my father before he gets even more powerful. He’s been trying to kill me, after all. And he’s only going to try harder once we’re back."

A stunned silence suddenly enveloped the room. They all knew Vacuse was always up to no good. In fact, they all knew how cruel and selfish he could be.

But even then, even when they knew he was probably thinking those thoughts, they never expected him to speak them out loud. After all, they knew the lord they served wasn’t a trusting one.

Kagerou shifted, his face devoid of a smile. "Vacuse, with you out of the picture for who knows how long, Drenvar would have taken full reins of the Western Region. He’ll be the one pulling everything, as he would have worked hard to cut away any and all of your influence."

Vacuse nodded. "That is expected. And that’s probably one of the reasons he sent me here, apart from hoping I’d die in here in the first place."

"What do you plan to do, my lord?" Harkon asked.

"What else? I’ll do what I must do. In the end, I gave Drenvar the power he’s enjoying now, and I’ll take it. Once we are back, we will kill the Dragon Lord, and I will be the Dragon Lord. That is what I plan to do."

The three of them looked at him, then they bowed. "I will follow you."

"I will follow you."

"I will follow you!"

Vacuse smiled. "So be it! I want you all to get as strong as you can before we leave this place. Once we’re out, things are going to get chaotic."

☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆

After almost a full week of resting, everyone was ready to work again. But before they could, something happened!

Apparently, someone important had come to visit the dragon hunters.

Vacuse was meditating in his room when the news reached him, and he changed into a new robe before going downstairs to receive the visitor.

"Ah! You must be the Vacuse Vorrakyn that everyone speaks of! Wow, you’re just as young as they said!"

Vacuse resisted the urge to ask who the "they" were and just smiled and nodded along as he studied the man.

He was a man in his sixties, thin, with bushy white brows. He wore an expensive robe and jewelry. But the thing that surprised Vacuse most about him was that he was an ordinary man—not a Magus or anything else.

However, the two guards who stood silently behind him were Magus of the fourth circle.

’...I can’t remember the last time I interacted with a normal human, at his apparent status...’

"I am indeed Vacuse Vorrakyn. I lead the dragon hunters."

The man smiled and nodded as he found himself a chair to sit on in the dining area. "I am Drayth Tormor, one of the hunting regulation representatives of Stompire Overseer."

"Oh? What is such a person of your esteem doing here?" Vacuse asked with a smile. The hunting regulation bodies were in charge of overseeing the hunters.

They were responsible for issuing and invoking hunting rights, as well as overseeing taxes and all things concerning hunters in Stompire.

And the representatives were the highest authority there, apart from the Overseer themselves. So Vacuse found it really surprising that one was actually visiting him—especially since he had been looking for one to visit in the first place.