I was heading towards the Adventurer Guild that morning to meet with Darmod''s friend, Kaldrour Flintheart. I had yet to interact with any dwarven nobles, so I wondered how their demeanor would differ from the human ones. But if he was friends with Darmod, then he surely couldn''t be too bad.


    When I arrived, I asked one of the staff members to help me find the meeting room where I was supposed to wait.


    "Ah, Miss Syl, good morning. Sir Flintheart hasn''t arrived yet. However, another gentleman has requested your presence. Would you be willing to do so?"


    Are they already trying to bribe me so I do not take the quest? Word sure travels around fast... Well, I''ll accept the meeting so I can at least warn Darmod and Kaldrour who it was.


    "Sure, I don''t mind since I got some free time," I replied politely.


    The dwarf looked relieved at my acceptance. I was led to a rather ornate room filled with rather fanciful decorations and a surprising amount of pastries and wine.


    Oh? Are they trying to butter me up?


    "Greetings, it''s nice to finally meet you," a gentle and refined voice said. "I hope your time in Dhoggurum has been pleasant."


    Rising from his seat was a lithe elven male with long silvery hair, perfectly straight and prim. His outfit was an immaculate tunic brimmed with defensive enchantments, leaving him both fashionable and protected.


    It''s an elf! I thought with astonishment. I know I kept hearing they had some diplomats here, but I never suspected I would run into one soon. Does that mean the Flintheart''s enemies are the elves?


    <Tamnaeth [Nature''s Grace]; Elf LV 43; Glaive Dancer LV 20; Diplomat LV 52.>


    No tiers or elements... Did my [Identify] partially fail? Also, he has two classes!


    "You may call me Tamnaeth. I''m the currently assigned elven authority to this region," Tamnaeth introduced himself before I could say anything.


    "Syl, it''s nice to meet you," I responded.


    "Syl? You''re using an alias?" The elf spoke while he seemed to be examining me more closely. "You look..." He paused, his face looking like he was either weighing up options or running calculations.


    Has he seen through my disguise?


    Recovering from my initial shock, I remembered the request I had been given by Sylthaeryn.


    "I was told to give you this," I said. Reaching for the bag and removing it from my person. I held it out.


    The elf suddenly went pale. His composure almost instantly shattered. His eyes widened, and his pupils constrained.


    "I-I''m terribly sorry!" He spluttered out, his once dignified composure broken. "I had no idea. You''ll receive no interference in your duty from me!"


    The elf suddenly started moving toward the door as if his life depended on it.


    "No, wait, I need you to take this." I tried to protest as he continued his exit.


    "I understand. Message received. I''m truly sorry for risking your cover, my lady," Tamnaeth said as he practically fled the room.


    When the door swung closed behind him, I could only blink in utter confusion. I''d been left holding the bag.


    "What the hell just happened?" I asked myself.


    ***


    Tamnaeth took controlled breaths as he rapidly reapplied a mask of composure and regalness. He didn''t want any of the dwarves, be they common or noble, to see that crack in his social armor.


    Gods... I can''t believe they sent one of the vines. But that bag is proof enough. Is there something bigger at play here than just the Outeatus Kingdom? Which branch would willing to send their child outside of the Grove?


    He recalled what his [Identify] had told him.


    <Syl [Dungeoneer]; Elf LV 54; Elementalist LV 9.>


    I know I''ve been stagnant in progressing my racial levels ever since picking up this diplomat position, but still... That was humbling. Not to mention her class—might it be a rare or hidden one? It reeks of someone''s prodigious progeny, certainly above my pay grade. And with a racial level that high, I wonder what her other classes are? No way that singular advanced class is the entire story...


    Tamnaeth shook his head, attempting to dispel his curiosity.


    No, I must not interfere. I''ll send a message back to my elder and seek further instruction. I must not jeopardize her mission; her threat was clear enough.


    He shuddered, remembering her holding out her golden oak bag so nonchalantly, as if in a brazen display of force. If that wasn''t a blatant sign of her command.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "I was told to give you this." (Look, here is my authority.)


    "No, wait, I need you to take this." (Don''t approach without permission again.)


    Speaking in subtle code was challenging without breaking cover, especially if she was under a mental compulsion not to break the persona. But Tamnaeth felt he had interpreted the messages correctly.


    And to think I so brazenly called myself the authority in the region. He shuddered. I''ll report the mission as a success and, if needed, apologize to her branch.


    ***


    I sighed and began raiding the snacks and drinks, throwing everything into storage.


    If he''s going to leave me hanging with the bag, then I''m at least taking the food. Maybe I''ll have to seek him out later and drop off the bag. I intend to keep my promise to Sylthaeryn even if I have to coat it in adhesive slime and throw it at him!


    I left the room with my [Core Storage] full of newfound deliciousness. It didn''t take too long for me to run into another staff member.


    "Ah, you finished your meeting already?" He asked curiously.


    "You could say that..." I grumbled.


    The dwarf clearly didn''t understand my annoyance and merely gave a sympathetic smile.


    "Well, Sir Flintheart has arrived. Do you need a break to freshen up?"


    "No, I''m good. Let''s get this over with."


    I swear if he runs away, too, I will be furious.


    I was taken to a less ornate room this time. Sitting inside was a rather friendly-looking dwarf with a fiery orange hair and beard combo.


    "Ah! You must be Miss Syl!" He said merrily. "Darmod has been singing your praises, so I''ve been ecstatic to meet the adventuring elf myself."


    "That''s me," I replied. "Pleasure to meet you, Sir Flintheart."


    "Please! Any friend of Darmod is a friend of mine. Call me Kaldrour."


    "Sure, just call me Syl then," I nodded. "So what''s this orichalcum mine issue Darmod mentioned?"


    "Straight down to business, I can appreciate that," Kaldrour said with a nod, then frowned. "It''s been a rather frustrating predicament... A monster has taken up residence in my orichalcum mine, and anyone I''ve tried to recruit to deal with it is either underqualified or bribed by my competition to look the other way."


    "Why are they bribing adventurers? Sure, it must be hurting your income, but aren''t they just burning their own funds to do so?" I questioned.


    Kaldrour nodded. "My rivals are hoping that if I don''t meet my mineral quotas, they can bid for the ownership of the mine."


    "Really? That seems a little excessive, especially if it''s through no fault of your own." I replied, unable to hide my confusion. "You have a quota for something you personally own? Why does that matter? I can''t imagine the city being upset a farmer''s cow isn''t producing milk."


    "Mines and minerals are the lifeblood of the dwarven empire," Flint explained. "So much so that having adequate output is mandatory. Not meeting the minimum levels is seen as an affront to any self-respecting dwarf, and thus, it will be sold and taken over by someone else who promises to fix the mistakes."


    "That''s... Harsh." I responded. "I mean, it''s not like the monster living in the orichalcum mine is your fault."


    "I suppose it would seem that way for any non-dwarf." He chuckled. "But again, any self-respecting dwarf is expected to protect their own domain. It''s why the defense of Dhoggurum is seen in such a positive light. Me being unable to defend my property is seen as a weakness."


    "Even though it''s your rivals stopping you from defending it?"


    "Defending oneself from cutthroat business is-" Kaldrour began explaining.


    "I get it," I interrupted Kaldrour. "Any self-respecting dwarf should be able to do so."


    He let out a loud chortle. "Exactly!"


    "I don''t suppose your rivals have any elven connections, do they?" I asked curiously, my prior encounter still fresh in my mind.


    He scoffed at that. "Those scoundrels? No way, they are a bunch of lesser nobles like myself. I doubt the Grove would give them the time of day."


    "Huh... Well, I''m willing to help. So what''s moved into your mine?"


    "A spider monster known as ''The Terror'',"


    "''The Terror''?" I replied deadpan.


    "Some adventurers started calling it that, and it became a named monster," Kaldrour answered, shaking his head. "Quite a lot is unknown about the bugger, but it used to be a Trapweaver Spider and was notoriously tricky as it would lay devious traps that befuddled even some veteran adventurers."


    "Used to be?"


    "It''s likely since evolved... But the result is unknown," Kaldrour answered.


    "Interesting..."


    "I''m glad you think so. It''s terrified any lower-rank adventurers, and the high ones I''ve tried to hire to take care of it get bribed to look the other way," He shook his head. "I don''t want to send a bunch of mustached younglings to their deaths."


    "That''s honestly very respectable. Still, I''m surprised that the other adventurers are so easily bribed..."


    "I think that''s why they''ve been drumming up the name ''The Terror'' so much." He answered. "Anyone I''ve hired hears it, then when is offered free money to just not complete the quest, well... You can understand why they''d accept money with zero risk."


    "Well, I can''t see them bribing me," I answered honestly. "Killing a rare monster and getting who knows what parts from its harvest sounds far more enriching."


    "Ha! You really are a true adventurer; Darmod wasn''t kidding."


    "So kill the monster, and the quest is done? Anything else?"


    "Honestly, if you can even just get it out of the mine, I''d consider it a success. Even though it''s got the nickname ''The Terror, '' it''s rather unsuiting. Many of the initial adventurers that went against it were allowed to escape, and only the ones that truly threatened its life were killed."


    "That''s rather unusual behavior..." I replied.


    "Indeed. I care more about my mine than its death, so if it''s safer to just make it flee, then please take that objective. Don''t go dying on my account."


    "Anything I should know about my potential bribers?"


    "I presume they will try to contact you while you''re on the way to the city gate. If you reject their offer, I''m unsure what they will attempt, so please be careful."


    "Oh? Would they send some hired goons my way?"


    He grunted angrily. "I honestly wish I could say no. But it''s feasible. The one is rumored to have some extremely seedy connections, but I keep hitting dead ends whenever I''ve tried to dig deeper."


    Please send me some scumbag thugs my way! I thought eagerly. If I get to kill some scoundrels, that''s a free dwarf profile for me!


    "Can I ask a... Sensitive question?"


    "Of course. My lips are sealed," Kaldrour replied with a firm nod.


    "If they do send some thugs my way... Do I have to resort to non-lethal methods?"


    "Ha! Part of me wants to say yes because even scumbags deserve a second chance, but the rules of self-defense are extremely clear here," Kaldrour spoke. "If they threaten your life, then their own is forfeit. I''m pretty sure the Adventurer''s Guild has a similar policy about defending its own, no?"


    I nodded. "It does... Just wanted to make sure there wasn''t some dwarven law or something I''d be breaking."


    Kaldrour chuckled. "It''s always good to check. So, if I haven''t scared you off, are you sure you want the quest?"


    "Glady. Plus, helping you out is how I get myself some more silver slime cores."


    Kaldrour burst out laughing. "So Darmod really wasn''t kidding about that... Well, I''ll gladly put in all my effort with that regard, even if you can''t clear out the mine." He leaned over and spoke in a hushed whisper. "That obsidianite is going to make all of us very rich."


    With no further questions, I happily accepted the quest. Thankfully, it came with a convenient [Mapping] tracker, so I was unlikely to get lost this time.


    A chance at a dwarf profile and some new spider monster. Sounds like I''m in for a fun time.