Chapter 573 The Price of Neglect

Darius Fenner remained motionless beside the enormous fallen tree, watching the dark opening beneath its tangled roots.

Something had moved inside.

The sound had been faint, barely distinguishable from the rustling leaves overhead, but the entire Ironwood Party had heard it.

Whatever occupied the underground passage was considerably larger than the creatures whose tracks covered the surrounding clearing.

Helena slowly lowered herself behind a cluster of bushes, keeping her bow ready.

"Darius, those tracks are fresh," Helena whispered as she examined the disturbed earth. "Some of them couldn’t be more than a few hours old. Whatever lives down there has been using this entrance regularly."

Darius nodded without taking his eyes off the opening. "Then we have enough reason to treat this location as a possible nesting ground. Nobody approaches the entrance."

Conrad shifted his grip upon his sword. "You think the larger creature mentioned in the reports is inside?"

"Possibly," Darius answered quietly. "But we’re not going to find out by sticking our heads into a hole full of monsters."

Felix raised his staff slightly and concentrated upon the mana lingering around the entrance. After several moments, his expression tightened.

"There’s more than one presence underground," Felix reported. "I can’t determine their exact numbers, but the concentration extends farther beneath the roots than I expected."

Tomas crouched beside a collection of tracks and examined their direction. "These creatures aren’t wandering randomly. Several groups have been returning to this clearing from different parts of the woodland."

Darius considered the information carefully.

The evidence suggested that the creatures responsible for the attacks were using the underground passage as a shelter or breeding ground. However, the party still lacked enough information to determine the monsters’ precise numbers or identify the larger creature mentioned by survivors.

"Helena, sketch the tracks and the entrance," Darius instructed. "Felix, record your mana readings. Tomas, identify a safe route back to the road. We’re withdrawing once the documentation is complete."

Conrad glanced toward the opening with obvious reluctance. "We’re really leaving without killing anything?"

Darius gave him a stern look. "We accepted a reconnaissance mission, Conrad. If we discover a nest containing fifty monsters, charging inside won’t make us heroes. It’ll make us five missing Adventurers."

Conrad scratched his cheek before nodding. "Fair enough. I’d rather collect the eight hundred gold than become part of somebody else’s investigation."

The others continued documenting the clearing while Darius maintained watch.

Several minutes later, a low growl emerged from the underground passage.

The sound was followed by the scraping of claws against stone.

Darius immediately raised his hand.

"Everyone, withdraw slowly," he ordered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Keep your weapons ready, but don’t provoke anything."

The party retreated through the undergrowth, carefully following the route Tomas had identified earlier.

Only after they had placed considerable distance between themselves and the clearing did Darius allow everyone to relax.

Helena glanced back toward the forest. "That wasn’t an ordinary wolf’s growl. Whatever made that sound was enormous."

Felix nodded grimly. "And its mana presence was considerably stronger than the others. We should recommend that the Guild treat the larger creature as a separate threat until its strength can be confirmed."

Darius agreed.

Their investigation had already produced more useful information than the previous reports, but he wanted to examine the surrounding roads before returning to Marrowford.

The party spent the remaining daylight surveying abandoned patrol routes, damaged bridges, and several locations where merchant caravans had been attacked.

What they discovered was deeply troubling.

A wooden watchtower near the eastern woodland boundary had collapsed, leaving its surrounding clearing completely overgrown. Several old patrol markers had disappeared beneath vegetation, while sections of the roadside drainage channels were blocked with mud and fallen branches.

Tomas examined the remains of a small guard station beside the road.

"This place hasn’t been maintained in years," Tomas observed as he pushed aside a rotten wooden door. "Look at the roof. Nobody could have been stationed here recently."

Helena inspected an old notice board hanging inside. "The last patrol schedule is dated almost three years ago. Either they stopped using this station entirely, or nobody bothered replacing the records."

Darius examined the faded writing before making another entry in his notebook.

The abandoned stations explained why monsters had been able to approach the trade route without encountering regular patrols. Thick vegetation provided cover, while damaged roads forced wagons to slow down at predictable locations.

The creatures hadn’t needed extraordinary intelligence to exploit those weaknesses.

By the time the Ironwood Party returned to Marrowford, evening had begun settling over the settlement.

Darius immediately requested access to the local administrative records.

Magistrate Corbin Hale received them in his office, appearing relieved that the Adventurers had returned safely.

"Thank goodness you’re back," Corbin remarked as he invited them inside. "We received another report of livestock disappearing near the northern farms. Did you discover anything useful?"

Darius placed his notebook upon the desk. "Quite a lot, Magistrate. We found what appears to be a monster nesting ground inside the woodland. There are numerous tracks, evidence of stolen caravan materials, and a substantial concentration of mana beneath an underground entrance."

Corbin’s expression changed immediately. "A nesting ground? Then the soldiers were searching in the wrong places?"

"Possibly," Darius answered. "But that’s not the only problem. Several patrol stations have been abandoned, the road is deteriorating, and vegetation has spread dangerously close to the carriage route."

Corbin sighed heavily. "I’m aware of the maintenance problems. We’ve requested funding repeatedly, but the disagreements between the two territories have delayed everything."

Helena opened her notebook and placed several sketches before the magistrate.

"These locations would have provided useful observation points," Helena explained. "Instead, the monsters can approach the road through dense vegetation without being noticed until they’re almost upon the caravans."

Corbin examined the sketches with growing embarrassment.

Darius then requested copies of the road maintenance budgets and patrol schedules from the previous five years.

The magistrate hesitated briefly before instructing a clerk to retrieve the records.

An hour later, the Adventurers were examining documents that revealed a disturbing pattern.

Both territorial administrations had repeatedly reduced their contributions toward maintaining the disputed road. Patrol schedules had been shortened, damaged facilities left unrepaired, and requests for additional guards postponed.

Whenever complaints were submitted, officials referred them to the neighboring territory.

The result was a stretch of road that neither authority had adequately protected.

Conrad shook his head as he examined one particularly old report. "So they’ve been arguing about who should pay for repairs while merchants were getting attacked?"

Corbin looked uncomfortable. "The situation wasn’t always this dangerous. Monster sightings were relatively uncommon until recently."

Darius regarded him seriously. "That’s exactly why regular patrols matter, Magistrate. Small problems are easier to handle before they become large ones."

Corbin lowered his gaze toward the documents.

The following morning, the Ironwood Party completed its preliminary assessment and prepared a formal report for Guild Headquarters.

Darius organized their findings into several sections, beginning with the identified monster threat.

The creatures appeared to be a pack of mana-influenced wolf-like monsters possessing hardened growths along their bodies. Their exact species remained unconfirmed, although the evidence suggested that they operated in coordinated groups.

The larger creature reported by survivors might be directing the others, but the party recommended further confirmation before assigning it a definitive classification.

Their report also identified the suspected nesting ground, several dangerous approach routes, and the deteriorating condition of the surrounding infrastructure.

Most importantly, Darius concluded that the monsters could likely be eliminated through a properly organized suppression operation involving appropriately ranked Adventurers.

However, he warned that extermination alone wouldn’t guarantee the road’s long-term safety.

Without restored patrols, repaired observation posts, and regular maintenance, the woodland could eventually become dangerous again.

"That should cover everything," Darius remarked as he signed the completed report. "We’ll send the preliminary findings immediately and remain available if Headquarters requires clarification."

Felix nodded. "The Guild can decide whether another investigation is necessary before authorizing an extermination mission."

The documents were dispatched through the Guild’s established communication arrangements, with copies of the relevant findings prepared for the commissioning authority.

Two days later, the report reached Kingsford.

Inside Adventurer Guild Headquarters, Garran Holt reviewed the Ironwood Party’s findings before forwarding them to Sage and the appropriate administrators.

Sage examined the documents with Boren and Lucan, paying particular attention to the neglected patrol stations and maintenance records.

"So the monsters aren’t the only problem," Sage observed, turning another page. "The road has been neglected for years, and the territorial dispute prevented anyone from addressing the situation properly."

Boren nodded grimly. "The Adventurers can eliminate the immediate threat, Guildmaster, but somebody still needs to maintain the road afterward."

Lucan studied the records with a troubled expression. "And that responsibility belongs to the territorial authorities. The Guild shouldn’t become responsible for repairing infrastructure simply because it discovered the problem."

Sage agreed.

He instructed Garran to submit the completed preliminary report to Crown Prince Richard’s office, including the recommendations concerning monster suppression and long-term road security.

Later that afternoon, Richard received the documents at his residence.

The Crown Prince spent considerable time examining the findings alongside two senior administrative advisers.

His expression darkened as he reviewed the history of neglected patrols and repeatedly postponed repairs.

"So both territories reduced their contributions while insisting the other should assume responsibility?" Richard asked, looking toward one of his advisers.

The elderly official nodded reluctantly. "That appears to be the case, Your Royal Highness. The maintenance agreement was never properly revised, and the dispute continued without an effective resolution."

Richard closed the folder with a dissatisfied expression. "Forty people have died, trade has been disrupted, and several settlements are now threatened. Yet much of this could have been prevented through ordinary maintenance and coordinated patrols."

His advisers remained silent.

Richard reopened the report and examined the Adventurers’ recommendations.

The Guild hadn’t simply identified monsters. It had provided evidence explaining why the threat had grown and what measures would be necessary to prevent its return.

Before Richard could continue, a household secretary entered carrying an urgent letter.

"Your Royal Highness, a formal objection has arrived from Baron Fenwick’s administration," the secretary announced with a respectful bow. "His representative disputes the Adventurer Guild’s findings."

Richard frowned as he accepted the document.

He read the letter once, then again, his expression becoming increasingly displeased.

The representative claimed that the Guild’s investigation had exceeded its authorized purpose by examining territorial maintenance records and assigning responsibility for the deteriorating road.

Furthermore, the letter accused the Adventurers of producing conclusions that unfairly damaged the reputation of Baron Fenwick’s administration.

Richard lowered the document slowly.

His secretary hesitated before adding, "Your Royal Highness, the representative is demanding that the Adventurer Guild’s commission be suspended immediately, pending a formal review of its conduct."

Richard stared at the letter for several moments before placing it beside the Guild’s report.

The monsters were still threatening Marrowford, and the officials responsible for protecting the road had begun fighting over the investigation instead of addressing its findings.