Chapter 233 The Outsider’s Silhouette, Ryan Stunned

《Campfire Traveler》 had an enormous circulation across the continent and consistently ranked among the top three publications under the Bards Association.

One of its sections was dedicated specifically to influential figures.

Every active individual featured there was assigned a dedicated Bard responsible for one-on-one tracking and reporting.

The reporting rights operated under an exclusive ownership system.

From beginning to end, the first compiler who discovered the individual and established their profile database retained complete responsibility for covering them.

For Bards, spreading stories and creating legends was one of the most important methods of obtaining direct experience and advancing their rank.

If... that youth named Lance truly rose to prominence in the future, and Bazel became the exclusive biographer responsible for documenting Lance's journey, then his status within the entire Bard organization would undoubtedly rise alongside Lance's ascent.

But such a decision required tremendous courage.

Because the cost of failure was equally severe.

There had already been living examples within the Bard organization itself.

Some experienced veterans had once spent two entire years pouring all their resources into tracking and reporting on newcomers they believed possessed immense potential.

Yet in the end, those individuals died unexpectedly within dungeons without ever accomplishing anything worthy of recognition.

The result was total ruin for those Bards.

Some even suffered a dramatic decline in organizational status and eventually fell to making a living by fabricating stories.

If this had been an ordinary Summer Crown, he would have gritted his teeth and made the gamble.

But this year's explosive stories were simply too numerous and too significant.

If he wasted an entire month following that youth and missed all the high-profile conflicts that could potentially advance his own rank...

That was the true source of his hesitation.

Suddenly, he recalled the image from the deck.

The image of the young man holding his daughter's hand.

“Lilia, tell Daddy honestly.”

Bazel stopped walking.

“What kind of person do you think that big brother really is?”

“He'll become a true hero.”

The little girl answered without the slightest hesitation, her tone more resolute than ever before.

Looking into his daughter's bright eyes,

Bazel took a deep breath and clenched his teeth.

“Fine. Then this time, Daddy will trust your instincts.”

“I'm betting on it!”

Bards and the adventurers who created legends had always shared a mutually beneficial relationship.

If this truly worked out, both he and that young man would gain enormous benefits throughout the continent.

What Bazel did not know, however, was that the reason Lilia had spoken the word “hero” with such certainty was because she had seen something else in addition to the crowned figure.

During her Spirit Sight earlier, she had looked beyond the crowned phantom.

And there, she had clearly seen the silhouette of a lone traveler carrying a simple pack.

Ahead of that traveler, the rugged road had suddenly become covered with thorny brambles, beautiful flowers, and countless praises.

It was as though that traveler's life was destined to become a magnificent stage play.

Lilia had never seen such a dual overlapping vision on anyone else before.

What fascinated her even more was this:

When she stared at the traveler's silhouette, the figure seemed to notice her observation.

It turned around and raised a finger to its lips, making a silent “shh” gesture toward her.

Ever since gaining Spirit Sight, this was the first time she had ever witnessed one of the images behind a person actually being alive.

Not only alive—it had even interacted with the observer.

It was precisely because of that scene that she had become so startled while running that she tripped and fell on the deck.

By the time she was helped back to her feet and looked again, the mysterious traveler's silhouette had completely vanished.

Most strangely of all, when she tried to tell Bazel about the experience, she discovered that her throat seemed sealed by some invisible force.

She simply could not form any words describing the traveler's silhouette.

That was why she had used the vague term “hero” to subtly convey the man's extraordinary nature to her father.

……

One day later, at dusk,

Lance finally returned to Graystone Town carrying a specially made heavy suitcase.

The moment he entered town, he immediately noticed that the level of activity was incomparable to before.

The main streets were packed with weapon-bearing adventurers from all over.

Even the inns lining both sides of the road had hung out signs declaring that they were fully booked.

Only now did Lance connect a strange policy from his predecessor's memories—Graystone Town's annual month-long tax exemption during summer—with the current Summer Crown.

Most likely, Summer Crown's mandatory activation caused a massive influx of outside adventurers, resulting in an explosive increase in local trade taxes.

To calm local residents angered by rising prices, the Town Hall implemented a temporary tax exemption policy for residents during this period as a form of compensation.

Passing through the bustling crowds, Lance returned to Ryan's house.

Carrying his suitcase, he climbed the stairs to the second floor.

The moment he pushed open the attic door, he saw Alya suspended upside down from a ceiling beam with her hands tied behind her back.

A rag had been stuffed into her mouth.

She was twisting and struggling miserably in midair, though Lance had no idea what crime she had committed.

Lance glanced at her.

Then decisively stepped back out and quietly closed the door behind him.

That was absolutely none of his business.

As soon as he arrived in the first-floor living room, he encountered Ryan, who had just returned from walking the dog outside.

The two sat down at the dining table.

Lance took a drink of water and then recounted his experiences during the Heroic Spirit Baptism in White River City in complete detail to this respected elder.

Naturally, he concealed all of his personal secrets.

He only discussed the publicly visible events that had occurred during the Astral Realm trial.

When Ryan heard that Lance had successfully drawn the Holy Sword during the trial, the veteran's expression began to change.

And when he continued listening and learned about the duel between Lance and Elvira in the canyon—especially when Lance personally described how both of them had activated 【Dragon Form】 at the final moment—

Lance watched as Uncle Ryan's eyes gradually lost focus.

The man completely entered a dazed state.

Because the instant he heard the words “Dragon Form,”

Ryan suddenly remembered something outrageous Alya had insisted upon when she had first been brought back.

At the time, she had sworn that Lance carried the scent of a true dragon.

Back then, Ryan had naturally dismissed it as nonsense.

Later, when Lance had voluntarily asked him various questions about the Dragon-blooded, Ryan had simply assumed Alya had filled the young man's head with strange stories and sparked his curiosity.

He had never taken it seriously.

But now...

Looking at the young man seated before him, Ryan felt as though his brain was about to stop functioning.

Dragon-blooded and True Dragon Species Source Essence were two completely different concepts.

Lance was actually one of the exceedingly rare Dragon-blooded...

What that little wolf pup had said back then...

It was all fucking true???

Able to draw the Holy Sword... Dragon-blooded... Red Dragon...