Chapter 58: Bowed Low

Keledon arrived at the gates of the City Lord’s Mansion. Before entering, memories of yesterday evening flashed through his mind.

Keledon had spent the whole day waiting in the guild, and at last, the exploration team returned. However, they bore quite a few wounds.

After questioning them, Keledon learned that they had been attacked by Abyssal creatures.

“After all, there’s an Abyssal Nest nearby. The chance of running into Abyssal creatures is pretty high.”

Fortunately, there were no casualties—just some minor injuries.

But what the team members said next left him momentarily stunned.

“President, it’s hard to believe, but we only encountered a few lingering Abyssal creatures. As for that Abyssal Nest, it’s already been destroyed.”

Destroyed?

For a moment, Keledon truly wondered if he’d misheard.

“What did you say? The Abyssal Nest was destroyed?”

“It’s the truth.”

As he spoke, the man took out a Recording Crystal and projected the recorded image.

What appeared was a patch of scorched earth, still showing signs of Abyssal erosion. But where the Abyssal Nest should have stood, there was nothing—just blackened ground.

“There are still lots of signs of fierce battle nearby. But what’s even stranger is this.”

The projected image shifted, showing various traces left by battle. The last scene froze on a sunken pit, as if something had once been forced down into the ground.

“As far as we know, there shouldn’t be any creature in that forest capable of making such a mark.”

Keledon frowned as he gazed at the pit. It looked like something had been pushed in to make it. Since there was no creature in the forest of that size, it could only have been made by an Abyssal creature spawned from the Nest.

If someone could force it underground, perhaps the one who did all this was the same person who destroyed the Abyssal Nest.

Between the time the Abyssal Nest was confirmed to exist and the time it was destroyed, only one person had entered that forest.

That was the Silver-ranked adventurer named Yuli.

Realizing this, the gloom between Keledon’s brows deepened.

The fact that a Silver-ranked adventurer could wipe out the Abyss-infected Silvermoon Wolves was already hard to believe. Even if, as she claimed, it was all luck, then how did she destroy the Abyssal Nest?

That was an Abyssal Nest—could it be destroyed by luck alone?

That was simply absurd.

Yet the adventurer named Yuli not only returned safely, but after her return, the exploration team confirmed that the Nest had been destroyed.

Even if it was hard to believe that a Silver-ranked adventurer could achieve this, the facts forced him to connect Yuli, who had gone to Withered Leaf Forest on commission, with the destruction of the Abyssal Nest.

Even if she wasn’t the one who destroyed it, she must know something about it.

He had to find that adventurer named Yuli. If she really had destroyed the Nest, then for Iron Anvil City, so plagued by the Abyss, she would be an extremely valuable asset.

The recollection ended there. Keledon strode into the City Lord’s Mansion. Next, he would share everything he knew with Lord Bartol.

*****

Disastrous.

Just when she was about to leave, the City Lord suddenly ordered the gates sealed.

It was hard to imagine what reason could have prompted such a decision.

For Yuli, who knew how complicated things were inside Iron Anvil City, this was anything but good news.

Leaving as soon as possible was the right choice—she had no intention of getting caught up in these tangled affairs.

Had she known, she would have left last night.

Afterward, Yuli tried asking a few people about the situation. After several inquiries, she came up empty-handed.

Even the guards blocking the city gates, armed to the teeth, didn’t seem to know the reason for the lockdown. They were just following orders.

Neither the reason for sealing the city nor the duration was known.

If she wanted answers, she’d probably have to go to the City Lord’s Mansion and ask Lord Bartol directly.

Not a chance.

If she got too close to the City Lord, she’d likely be captured by the Mansion’s elite guards before she even met him.

She turned and left. Yuli had no intention of waiting around for the day the gates reopened on their own.

She had to get out of Iron Anvil City as soon as possible. Who knew what might happen if she stayed any longer.

Now that the city’s barrier was malfunctioning and Abyssal energy had already seeped in, staying any longer would just mean eventually witnessing an Abyssal outbreak.

If that happened, the entire city would be doomed.

Aside from leaving through the gates, Yuli also knew of a few secret smuggling routes. The lockdown had just begun this morning, so those spots might not have been noticed yet. She could try escaping that way.

But the level of martial law inside the city far exceeded her expectations. All the secret passages used for smuggling had already been sealed, and there were patrols nearby.

Not only that, but squads of fully armored knights could be seen patrolling the streets everywhere. The moment she noticed this, Yuli dismissed the idea of forcing her way through a secret passage.

It had only been one night, but the city’s state of martial law had risen by several levels.

What in the world had happened to make Lord Bartol suddenly decide to seal Iron Anvil City?

Thus, Yuli spent the whole morning searching for a way out, but still couldn’t find a single suitable option.

If nothing else worked, she’d have to try forcing her way out.

But since she hadn’t gotten anywhere yet, Yuli decided to fill her stomach first—a full belly would give her strength to keep searching for a way out.

Besides, she could use the chance to gather some information in the city.

As for places with reliable information in town, aside from the black market, there was the Adventurers’ Guild and places like taverns.

The guild didn’t serve food. Yuli found a lively tavern, pushed the door open, and chose a seat near the corner.

From there, she could hear the conversations of others without drawing attention to herself. After ordering a simple serving of grilled meat and a glass of fruit juice, Yuli focused on the other patrons, hoping to pick up some useful information.

At the same time, outside the tavern’s door, a striking golden figure appeared, wearing a silver mask that covered only the upper half of her face.

The blonde woman pushed open the tavern door, passed through the bustling hall, and headed straight for Yuli’s seat in the corner.

Noticing the newcomer, Yuli withdrew her attention from the others. Was this woman looking for a seat and hoping to share a table?

“Good afternoon, Miss Yuli.”

Hm?

Who was she? How did she know her name?

Yuli instinctively gripped the dagger at her lower back, her eyes warily fixed on the blonde woman before her.

The next moment, the woman bowed low—not toward Yuli, but toward the nearby Iris.

“Eh?”

Not only was Yuli stunned, but Iris also looked confused.

The name the woman uttered next was like a boulder cast into a calm lake, sending shockwaves through the hearts of both Yuli and Iris.

“And, Lady Iris Mortifis of the [Black Tide].”