Chapter 575 The Guild’s Answer

Lord Percival Harcourt’s proposal had barely reached the desks of the Royal Administrative Council before copies began circulating among the senior officials responsible for regional security.

Its language appeared reasonable at first glance. Independent organizations accepting Crown-sponsored commissions would be required to cooperate with an appointed noble representative, provide regular reports, and remain accountable for their conduct.

However, the most important provisions were buried deeper within the document.

The appointed representative would possess authority to approve personnel assignments, alter operational instructions, and suspend missions at their discretion.

For the Adventurer Guild, accepting those conditions would effectively mean surrendering control of its Adventurers whenever the Crown commissioned an assignment.

Sage had no intention of allowing that.

"Absolutely not," Sage declared after finishing the proposal, placing the document upon his desk.

Boren, who had delivered the copy, nodded grimly. "I suspected you’d say that, Guildmaster. The reporting requirements themselves aren’t unreasonable, but the sections concerning personnel and operational authority are another matter."

Lucan stood beside the window, examining a second copy.

"Lord Harcourt has presented the proposal as a matter of administrative responsibility," Lucan observed. "He’s arguing that noble supervision is necessary because independent organizations don’t belong to the Kingdom’s established military command structure."

Sage leaned back in his chair.

"Then he’s confusing two entirely different responsibilities," Sage replied. "The Crown has every right to establish lawful conditions for commissions it finances. It can demand accurate reports, investigate misconduct, and hold contractors accountable. But that doesn’t mean a noble official should decide which Adventurers accept a mission or how they perform their work."

Boren adjusted his glasses. "If every commission required an appointed supervisor, the Guild would spend more time negotiating with officials than completing assignments."

"And imagine what happens when two nobles disagree," Lucan added. "One representative orders a party to remain in a dangerous area, while another demands that they withdraw. The Adventurers would be caught between conflicting instructions."

Sage nodded.

The Marrowford dispute had already demonstrated how territorial disagreements could interfere with ordinary security responsibilities. Giving those same authorities direct control over Adventurer missions would only create additional problems.

"Prepare our formal response," Sage instructed Boren. "We’ll accept reasonable reporting requirements, financial accountability, and compliance with the law. We’ll also cooperate with authorized investigations into misconduct. But operational decisions and personnel assignments remain the Guild’s responsibility."

Boren opened his notebook. "Understood, Guildmaster. I’ll have the response ready for your review this afternoon."

The matter returned to the Royal Administrative Council the following day.

Crown Prince Richard attended the proceedings alongside Minister Aldous Pembroke, Lord Thomas Ellery, and several representatives from the departments responsible for territorial administration and royal expenditure.

Lord Harcourt appeared confident as the council secretary distributed the Guild’s response.

"Guildmaster Sage has rejected the proposed supervisory arrangement," Harcourt announced after examining the document. "I must confess that I find this reluctance troubling. An organization willing to accept royal funding should surely be willing to accept royal oversight."

Richard glanced toward him.

"Lord Harcourt, the Guild hasn’t rejected oversight," Richard replied calmly. "It has rejected the transfer of its internal authority to an appointed noble. Those are not the same thing."

Harcourt inclined his head. "With respect, Your Royal Highness, how can the Crown guarantee proper conduct if its representative cannot direct the personnel carrying out the assignment?"

Minister Pembroke looked up from the response.

"Through the terms of the commission, established law, and documented accountability," Pembroke answered. "The Guild has agreed to provide operational reports, financial records relevant to the commission, and explanations of its actions. It has also acknowledged the authority of lawful investigations."

Lord Ellery nodded thoughtfully. "Those conditions are similar to arrangements used when the Crown purchases services from independent merchants or specialist contractors."

Harcourt frowned. "Adventurers carry weapons, Lord Ellery. They aren’t ordinary merchants."

"Neither are independent Knights or licensed mercenary companies," Richard observed. "Yet we don’t automatically appoint noble officers to command every individual employed under a lawful contract."

Several officials exchanged glances.

Richard continued, "The Crown’s responsibility is to establish the objective, ensure the commission serves a lawful purpose, and hold the contractor accountable for fulfilling its obligations. The contractor’s responsibility is to organize the work and deliver the agreed results."

Minister Pembroke turned another page.

"The Guild’s proposed reporting procedures are actually quite comprehensive," Pembroke remarked. "They include written mission objectives, designated reporting channels, expenditure documentation, incident reports, and procedures for addressing disputes."

Richard nodded. "Then I suggest we evaluate those provisions on their merits rather than insisting upon supervisory powers that may not be necessary."

The discussion continued for some time, but Harcourt failed to secure sufficient support for his proposal.

The council eventually agreed that the existing Marrowford commission could proceed under its original terms, subject to the reporting requirements already accepted by the Guild.

The broader question of future regulations remained open.

When confirmation reached Adventurer Guild Headquarters, Sage received the decision with satisfaction.

"Good," Sage remarked as Garran Holt presented the official notice. "Now we can concentrate on the actual problem."

Garran nodded. "The Ironwood Party has completed its reconnaissance obligations, Guildmaster. Their report recommends a coordinated suppression operation against the nesting ground and the surrounding packs."

"Then prepare a separate extermination commission," Sage instructed. "Use their findings to determine the classification, required qualifications, and appropriate reward. The Crown Prince’s office will need to approve the additional expenditure before we post it."

Garran smiled faintly. "We’ve already prepared a preliminary assessment. I anticipated that we’d need a follow-up mission once the investigation was accepted."

Sage chuckled. "Excellent. That’s why you’re in charge of Mission Administration."

The proposed operation was classified as an A-Rank extermination mission, reflecting the suspected strength of the larger creature and the number of monsters occupying the woodland.

The commission authorized the elimination of the identified nest and the immediate threat to the trade road. It did not grant the Guild responsibility for permanent patrols or territorial security.

Once the Crown approved the additional funding, Garran posted the assignment through the Guild’s normal Mission Administration procedures.

The Ironwood Party, already familiar with the terrain, accepted the new commission after reviewing its requirements. They were joined by another qualified Adventurer party, the Silver Pike Party, whose members possessed extensive experience fighting coordinated monster groups.

Together, the two parties traveled back toward Old Harrow Bridge.

Darius Fenner led the operation, using the reconnaissance maps to establish a safe approach toward the nesting ground.

"Remember, we’re not charging into the entrance," Darius instructed as the Adventurers assembled beside the old road. "We’ll secure the surrounding area, prevent the smaller creatures from escaping toward the settlements, and draw the main pack into terrain where we can fight properly."

The leader of the Silver Pike Party, a veteran swordswoman named Beatrice Vane, examined the map before nodding.

"My people will cover the eastern approach," Beatrice replied. "If anything attempts to break through toward the road, we’ll intercept it."

Helena Ward climbed onto a rocky rise overlooking the woodland.

"The tracks suggest several groups are still using the clearing," Helena reported after examining the ground. "We should expect more than a dozen creatures, possibly considerably more."

Darius nodded. "Then we’ll proceed carefully."

The operation began shortly afterward.

Felix Arden used detection magic to identify movement beneath the fallen tree, while the Adventurers established positions around the clearing.

Once everyone was ready, the mage released a controlled burst of fire near the underground entrance.

The response was immediate.

Several enormous wolf-like monsters emerged from the darkness, their bodies covered with hardened black growths and their yellow eyes fixed upon the intruders.

Conrad Beck stepped forward with his shield raised.

"Here they come!" Conrad shouted as the first creature charged toward him.

The monster struck his shield with tremendous force, but Conrad held his ground long enough for Helena to drive an arrow into its exposed neck.

Across the clearing, Beatrice and her companions intercepted another group attempting to escape through the eastern undergrowth.

Steel flashed between the trees as the Adventurers fought in coordinated formations, preventing the creatures from surrounding them.

More monsters emerged from the underground passage.

Then a deep, furious roar shook the clearing.

A massive creature forced its way through the entrance, towering above the others. Its shoulders were covered with thick bony plates, while two enormous fangs protruded from its jaws.

Darius immediately recognized the threat.

"That’s the larger creature from the reports!" Darius shouted, raising his sword. "Felix, restrict its movement! Everyone else, keep the smaller monsters away from us!"

Felix slammed his staff against the ground, causing thick earthen restraints to rise around the creature’s legs.

The monster shattered several of them almost immediately, but the interruption gave Darius enough time to close the distance.

His sword struck the creature’s shoulder, splitting one of the hardened plates.

The beast roared and lunged toward him.

Darius narrowly avoided its jaws before driving his blade into its exposed flank.

Nearby, Beatrice finished dispatching another monster and rushed to support him.

"Keep its attention on you!" Beatrice called as she approached from the opposite side. "I’ll strike when it turns!"

The battle continued for several tense minutes.

The larger creature possessed formidable strength, but the Adventurers had prepared specifically for this encounter. Felix repeatedly disrupted its movements, while Darius and Beatrice exploited openings created by their coordinated attacks.

Eventually, Darius drove his sword deep into the creature’s chest.

The monster staggered, released one final roar, and collapsed.

With their apparent leader dead, the remaining creatures became disorganized. Several attempted to flee, but the Adventurers intercepted them before they could reach the road.

By the time the fighting ended, the clearing was littered with monster corpses.

The Adventurers suffered several minor injuries, but no fatalities.

Darius examined the entrance before turning toward his companions.

"We still need to clear the underground chambers," Darius instructed. "Stay together and check every passage. I don’t want anything surviving down there and rebuilding the nest."

The remaining operation proceeded cautiously.

Inside the underground passages, the Adventurers discovered additional evidence of the attacks, including stolen supplies, damaged equipment, and the remains of unfortunate travelers.

They eliminated the remaining monsters, searched the connected chambers, and confirmed that the nesting ground had been cleared.

Three days later, the Ironwood and Silver Pike parties returned to Marrowford with proof of the completed extermination.

Magistrate Corbin Hale received the news with visible relief.

"Then the road is finally safe?" Corbin asked as Darius presented the operation report.

"The immediate monster threat has been eliminated," Darius answered. "However, we recommend restoring regular patrols and repairing the damaged sections of the road. Otherwise, another group of monsters could eventually occupy the area."

Corbin nodded earnestly. "We’ve already begun discussing those arrangements. The latest orders from Kingsford have made it considerably harder for either territory to ignore the maintenance problem."

Representatives from both administrations had begun reviewing patrol responsibilities, while local workers were preparing to clear vegetation and repair damaged observation posts.

Merchants who had avoided the eastern route started making inquiries about reopening their usual journeys.

The Guild’s operation hadn’t resolved every administrative disagreement, but it had removed the immediate danger and provided the authorities with the information necessary to restore the road.

When the completed report reached Kingsford, Richard reviewed it with considerable satisfaction.

The Adventurers had located the nesting ground, identified the monsters, eliminated the immediate threat, and submitted detailed recommendations concerning future security.

All of it had been accomplished through two properly authorized commissions.

Later that afternoon, several senior royal administrators gathered to examine the results.

Minister Pembroke placed the Guild’s reports beside the records of the earlier military expeditions.

"Seventeen caravans attacked, more than forty confirmed deaths, and repeated unsuccessful suppression attempts," Pembroke remarked as he examined the figures. "Yet the Adventurer Guild identified the nesting ground during its initial investigation and eliminated the threat through a subsequent operation."

Lord Ellery studied the comparison with growing interest.

"And they accomplished it without requiring a permanent military deployment or assuming authority over the surrounding territories," Ellery observed.

Another official leaned forward.

"Then perhaps we should examine their methods more closely," the official suggested. "If this organization can resolve problems that have troubled our regional administrations for months, the implications may extend well beyond Marrowford."

The discussion that followed was no longer concerned solely with whether the Adventurer Guild should be permitted to accept royal commissions.

For the first time, several influential administrators were beginning to ask how much the Kingdom might benefit from working with it.