Hidden Fortress

They continued questioning the dwarves after the meal, but it was clear they didn't intend to share any more. Mike thought pride may account for some of their reticence, but it seemed like there was something else they were holding back on. Finally, he decided to let the matter rest. After all, he didn't really want to get involved in yet another problem this quickly after extricating himself from the last one. What they knew was enough to file a report and leave it to other more experienced minds to work out the implications.

Hunger sated, the two of them resumed their original task. The guildhall in Wathmit was located in the inner city, well protected from casual invaders. Mike guessed that the Guild's role in long distance communication probably warranted the placement despite the obvious problems of having adventurers wandering in and out of the wealthiest part of the city.

After passing through no less than three security checkpoints where he had to flash his adventurer badge to proceed, they eventually arrived in front of the guildhall.

It was an unassuming place, with a simple and unadorned appearance that left casual viewers guessing as to the nature of its interior. In fact, the few visible windows were all well off the ground and guarded by iron grating. Also, there were no markings to indicate its nature, so it would have been very difficult to recognize the hall unless one was specifically directed to it.

Besides that, the building was far larger than most others he'd seen and lacked the ramshackle charm he'd come to expect from other, similar institutions he'd visited in the past.

"The Wathmitans really took every effort to secure this place." Morris muttered after a few seconds of observation.

Mike glanced at the building again. While it did look pretty hard to infiltrate, it wasn't like there were extensive fortifications or patrols of armed guards, so saying they 'took every effort' was a bit of a stretch in his opinion.

His confusion must have shown on his face, since the bard took the opportunity to explain. "While it is true they could have done more to directly protect this place, it looks like they've weighed the benefits of additional security against the downside of drawing attention to the site and decided that the best protection is anonymity. When combined with the confusing layout of the city and the inherent challenge of even finding this building, let alone recognizing it as a guild hall, any invader would have a hard time interfering with communications without extensive insider knowledge."

"You don't think it's possible for spies to gather that amount of intelligence?" Mike asked, a little curious despite the danger of potentially encouraging Morris to go off another tangent.

"Oh, I'm sure they are aware of it, but being able to direct a military force here in the midst of a raid or even an invasion would basically require a guide who is familiar with the layout of both the outer and inner cities. My guess is that the guards probably keep an eye on anyone who has that kind of knowledge. Not to mention the fact that there are probably a fair number of defensive measures already in place that aren't visible to the naked eye."

Mike tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose this oversized guild could probably hold a large number of guards operating on standby in times of emergencies. Hell, the city could even be keeping some adventurers on some kind of retainer for just such an occasion."

He let his Aerosense drift across the surface of the structure. "It also seems like the walls of the building are reinforced, both physically and magically. The roof has been configured to allow archers or mages to provide suppressing fire to the area…And…I think they have some sort of escape tunnel…no wait...multiple escape tunnels, leading to other parts of the city."

The bard nodded. "Veteran fighters like the Wathmitans understand the value of unimpeded communication, and that's not even counting the fact that the city depends on reinforcements from other areas of the Riverlands to break sieges. Passing calls for aid through the Guild would be the first thing they would try to do once the scope of an attack is recognized. It would also be the one thing any invader would want to prevent."

Mike suddenly felt a sense of foreboding about entering the building. He couldn't shake the feeling that continuing as things were would lead him to getting involved in something troublesome.

[Well, if this was a story, I would probably be asked to investigate something seemingly harmless, like the sudden disappearance of a river boat crew or unusual sightings of ghosts in a nearby logging camp. While clearing up that mystery I would inevitably find out that it's part of some larger conspiracy to weaken the defense of the city in order to pave the way for a successful invasion.]

Morris was looking askance at him, silently asking what the matter was.

[We do still need to file a report. It sounds like this whole Gate of Oparthi thing could end badly if we don't, but I suppose there's no reason we have to file it here.]

Now the bard was waving a hand in front of his face.

[That being said, this does feel like the kind of scenario where time is of the essence, and any kind of delay could spell doom. So the question is, do I want to risk getting involved in another war simply to ensure a more timely resolution of a possible apocalyptic situation? Or should I roll the dice and hope that the problem can wait until I can reach another guildhall?]

"Hello? Mike? Are you there?"

"Yes, yes. Stop waving. I was thinking."

"That's all well and good," Morris replied quietly while glancing over his shoulder, "but if we keep standing here and staring, we are going to attract the wrong kind of attention."

"You're the one that started a full on lecture once we got here." Mike shot back. 

Sighing, he started walking towards the guildhall. At the end of the day, he was probably going to get involved in the matter, whether he liked it or not. Better to just get the whole thing over with as fast as possible.

The entrance to the Guild opened into a small, narrow room that ran for about five meters before ending in another door. Balconies on either side gave a waiting team of armed guards an excellent vantage point on people entering the building.

Mike and Morris quietly passed under their stern gazes to reach the next door which opened into a more usual looking room. 

The first thing that struck the pair was the calm and orderly nature of the area, a condition that was quickly explained by a lack of the usual built-in bar full of raucous adventurers celebrating their recent exploits. Instead, the few guild members visibly present seemed to be focused on completing their tasks as quickly as possible and leaving.

It was lit with magically created balls of light affixed to the ceiling, which gave the place a slightly unnatural color reminiscent of fluorescent bulbs, something that Mike had not encountered since coming to this world.

Feeling slightly queasy from the reminder of his dreaded days working in retail, he stepped up to an unoccupied counter and addressed the man working there. "Hello."

The thin, bespectacled receptionist glanced up from the documents he was pouring over and gave them a dismissive once over before coldly answering, "Yes?"

"We have some business here." Mike explained while flashing his adventurer's badge. "I was hoping that you could help us take care of it."

The man's eyebrow shot up at the sight of the gold plate, and his demeanor immediately changed. "Why yes, of course. How can I be of assistance?"

"First, my comrade and I would like to transfer to this branch for the time being. Second, we would like to know about the dungeons in the area and any access restrictions they might have. Finally, we have an important matter that I need to report to the guild, but I am unfamiliar with the process."

"Of course, sir. The first two are easily accomplished, and we can work on the third afterwards. If you would be so kind as to pass me your badges, I will start the transfer and explain about the local dungeons while it is working."

He took their badges into a back office before returning with a small pamphlet. "There are technically five dungeons under the administration of the Wathmitan guild, however, only three are available at this time. The Crystal Cavern is the closest, lying almost directly below the city, near the river. It is a Rank 2 dungeon with five total levels, and features a mix of earth-attributed and subterranean monsters."

Mike noted that the information he provided was pretty much the same as what was contained in the pamphlet, but he supposed it didn't hurt to be thorough when working with Adventurer's

The man continued after indicating an image of a battlefield strewn with bodies and broken weapons. "The next closest would be the Eternal Wargrounds, located approximately 10 km south east of the city. It is a unique, single-layered dungeon mainly featuring Rank 3 humanoid monsters. However, the dungeon itself has been rated as a Rank 5 due to the sheer number of enemies one can expect to face when delving."

He next indicated a drawing of a tower. "Finally, we have the Forgotten Spire, a ten level, tower-based, Rank 4 dungeon that mainly features undead and construct monsters. It is important to note, however, that there are extensive traps, both magical and mundane, so it is widely viewed as the most dangerous of the three. It can be found due west of Wathmit, approximately 25km away."

"What about the other two?" Mike asked.

"I'm afraid they are unavailable. The Emerald Glade dungeon is located to the north, and is technically the second closest, however, it can only be accessed by special permission from the city's leaders, since its proximity to the border makes it a sensitive area. Finally, there is the Phantom Castle, which appears randomly in the region, but never more than a week at a time."

"I've heard of that one." Morris broke in. "It's one of the few Rank 7 dungeons known to exist."

"That's right, and although it's known to be particularly deadly, we still regularly have teams of high-ranking adventurers who stay in Wathmit for months at a time in order to get a chance to challenge it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am sure they are done with the transfer process."

The guild employee gave a slight bow before stepping into the back room again.

"So, what are you thinking?" Morris asked as soon as the man was out of earshot.

"Well, I still haven't had a chance to train Lily and Tal in a dungeon environment. Considering Tal's magic options, the Crystal Cavern might be a good place to start. That being said, I have a sneaking suspicion Lily would be right at home in the Eternal Wargrounds."

The bard snorted. "You've got that right. I'd like to check out the Spire, personally. Places like that tend to have interesting dungeon drops."

The backroom door swung open and the guild employee returned, looking even more pale than when he left. "H-h-here you go, sir. Y-your badges."

"Thanks. Now about my third item of business?"

The man swallowed before replying quickly. "The item you have to r-report? I-I have taken the liberty of informing the guildmaster. She should be here shortly."

"Well, I don't think that much is necessary…" He started to protest, however a voice behind him interrupted.

"Anything you feel is important enough to report, Sir Dragonknight, is surely worth my time."

With another sense of foreboding settling into his heart, Mike turned around to look at the speaker.

A tall and stoutly-built woman who looked to be in the latter half of her fifties was standing there, flanked by two plate-armored bodyguards. She held herself with the stiff rigidity of a former military member as she said. "I am Layla Gridoust, the guildmaster for this branch. If you would be so kind as to follow me, I would be glad to hear what it is you have to say."

[Well, at least they should take my claim seriously now.]  Mike thought as he followed the woman into an office.