'The Duke? I seriously need a break.'

  Ryan's group had barely been in the capital for a single day and they had already been threatened with paying the crone compensation.

  Even so, for now they had avoided it by accepting the tedious task of collecting materials on the borders of the Demon King's domain.

  But what was unsettling now was the fact that they had been summoned by the Duke.

  Someone none of them had ever spoken to before.

  So knowing what the Duke might want from them was something they couldn't even begin to imagine.

  "Sophia, explain this to me, what's going on." Ryan asked with irritation.

  "The thing is, the news that your group is S-Rank has already spread throughout the entire capital."

  "Now I understand. That makes some sense, but for the rumor to spread that fast..." Ryan murmured.

  Then Helen turned her back to them and crossed her arms.

  "...What a pain, why do we have to visit that old Duke."

  "Tsk." The guard clicked his tongue.

  "Hey Helen! Be quiet, stop being disrespectful. Please excuse her." Mirian bowed slightly.

  The guard walked toward the door and then looked back at them with the expression of someone who clearly didn't want to be there.

  "Anyway, we should get going."

  "Yeah, yeah..."

  Ryan's group followed the guards, but outside the entrance there was a carriage pulled by two enormous black horses.

  The guard who had spoken with them earlier climbed to the front to drive the carriage with two more guards. The rest remained at the guild entrance.

  Ryan and his group entered the carriage.

  It was just the three of them inside.

  The guard urged the horses forward and the carriage began to move.

  "I always wanted to ride in one of these carriages."

  "You're so childish, Helen."

  "Don't call me childish!"

  "Alright, don't start fighting here, you two. Speaking of fighting, that dungeon... I'd like to go back and clear it properly." Ryan said while looking out the carriage window.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "I'd like to as well, but that will be difficult..."

  "Why do you say that, Helen?" Ryan asked, confused.

  "Isn't it obvious? We'd need to fly."

  "And not only that..." Mirian added.

  "We could go on wyverns, but only the King's royal fleet uses and controls them. It's the same in every nation. It's not something we could access."

  "Wyverns? And what about dragons? Like the one from before, for example..."

  "Tsk, that could be an option but dragons only exist in the Demon King's domains. I think we encountered that one because it had been sleeping for a few decades..."

  'What a pain. If I had known that earlier, I would have stayed longer in the dungeon. And I still have those unused points... I need to be more careful when I spend them this time.'

  "However," Mirian added.

  "Some mages can use flight magic. If we had one in the group. But Helen uses swords, I use a bow, and you Ryan are support..."

  "Actually, I'm a priest now. I changed class inside the dungeon. Didn't I mention that?"

  "No, you didn't say anything!" Helen grumbled.

  Mirian leaned closer to him with curiosity.

  "What! Seriously? Then why not become a Healer?"

  "..."

  "Forget about that. The group is doing fine, don't complain."

  "Well, you do have a point. Somehow I feel like your new strength will help us, and your support buffs are even better now. So there's no problem, I think." Mirian commented while closing her eyes and making gestures as if trying to imagine it.

  Then Helen crossed her legs.

  "Anyway, thinking about that is complicated. The problem now is where we're going to find a new member for the group."

  "Yeah, we need a mage if we want to go back..."

  The carriage stopped.

  The carriage doors opened.

  "We've arrived. You may get out now."

  Helen stepped down first, then Ryan got out.

  "What's wrong, don't stay there Mirian." Ryan extended his hand. She grabbed it and stepped down.

  "Thank you."

  "Open the gates." the guard shouted.

  Two guards came out from inside the mansion and opened the gates, welcoming their captain.

  "Are those the infamous S-Rank adventurers?"

  "Hey!" Helen protested.

  The captain stepped forward, intervening.

  "Yes, I'll take them to the Duke right away."

  "I understand. The Duke is waiting. You may proceed."

  "Follow me, and don't separate."

  The guard began walking toward the interior of the mansion.

  He led them through the hallways to the third floor of the mansion, where they entered an empty room with a desk and papers scattered across it.

  "Wait here, the Duke will come shortly. Sit down."

  Ryan sat on a couch in front of the wooden desk, and Helen sat on the armrest of the couch where Ryan was sitting.

  'Her manners are terrible.'

  Mirian sat on another couch.

  The guard left. A few minutes later the door opened and the Duke entered.

  "Apologies for the delay. I am Duke August. And the right hand of the King."

  Mirian stood up.

  "A pleasure. I am Mirian, and these are my companions, Helen and Ryan."

  "A pleasure." Helen and Ryan replied in unison.

  "Good, let's skip the formalities." The Duke leaned against the desk, standing in front of them.

  "First of all, allow me to congratulate you for reaching S-Rank. In this nation we have very few adventurers with that rank."

  "Thank you very much." Mirian replied.

  Ryan was observing the Duke.

  'Is he really that important just because he's the King's right hand?'

  "The only S-Rank hero in the capital besides you is William."

  Mirian placed a finger on her chin and thought for a moment before responding.

  "I've heard of him. They say he never travels in a group."

  "Ah, he must be very arrogant..." Helen added.

  "He is somewhat arrogant, but that's not the reason he travels alone." the Duke said.

  "But I doubt you called us here just to congratulate us." Ryan said as he stood up from the chair.

  'He's definitely plotting something.'

  The Duke stood up completely and walked toward the window, turning his back to them.

  Then, without looking back.

  He spoke.

  "...You're right about that, and I'll be direct. I want you to dissolve this group."