The guild hall was too damn quiet.

  As predicted, the bulk of the visiting adventurers made their exit the moment the pass was clear. In just a few days, forty-some bodies departed, and Hans could feel their absence. A full guild hall brought with it a special kind of infectious energy. Being around your people lifted you up and motivated you to train and work harder.

  A guild hall so empty that you can hear your own footsteps? Hans hated it.

  He took comfort in knowing that fresh faces would arrive eventually, if not organically, then from his larger efforts to attract new members. When the Whiters took their leave, Hans sent a stack of letters with them. Sending that mail out of Osare would save a month or more of delivery time, and he was relieved to have people trustworthy enough to make that possible.

  That mail included letters to all of their active chapters. He updated them on the current roster of chapters, shared the changes to the dungeon training process with an emphasis on the community service component, announced the date of the second annual Gomi Games, and informed them that they all could expect a new book in the mail, hopefully before summer started.

  The manuscript for his book on debriefs and training drills was going out with the mail. Once it went to print, copies would be distributed to every chapter in the kingdom, whether or not they belonged to the Borderless Association of Adventurers.

  Quest Complete: Prepare the first collection of job debriefs for publication.

  Hans sent a letter to Theneesa to check in on her and to thank her for sharing the Cursed memory research, and he sent a letter to Bertram to let him know to expect visitors. Kane, Quentin, and Gunther hadn’t left yet, but they likely would within the next week or so.

  At least, Hans believed that to be the case. Gunther hadn’t approached him to revisit their conversation about traveling the world as a tusk, and Hans knew that a friendly question about making a decision could feel like stifling pressure for the person answering.

  So he trusted Gunther to come to him if he needed to.

  That much paperwork was more exhausting than a dungeon, but now that the pre-spring rush to get it all done was over, he wasn’t sure where to invest his time.

  Quest Complete: Prepare the Association for spring.

  Thankfully, Olza asked for an escort to the dungeon core. She needed to do her biweekly data collection, not that there had been much to measure, but Hans could appreciate her disciplined consistency. He was definitely grateful for the diversion.

  “The roots are a little thicker,” Olza reported, wrapping her measuring string back around its spool. “That’s the only change I see.”

  All four bundles of roots in the dungeon core room were alive and extended into the walls. From the first day they found the dungeon, they saw roots sinking into dungeon brick like they were fresh mud. The bundle Hans associated with the original pieces of the dungeon had nearly disappeared into the floor, which seemed to be a sign of the dungeon maturing or settling.

  The second bundle, Hans believed, drove the growth of the Tainted Caves, the surprise dungeon expansion that added torcs, tainted treants, gazers, demons, and demi-gods to the reset schedule. The Tainted Caves hadn’t changed since the Standing Stones were added, but Hans still expected to get word of a surprise development each time he started a new day. Even now, the lack of growth worried him, as if the core was building to something monumentally terrible.

  And nothing had come of the third and fourth root bundles, which was also unsettling. The dungeon was regularly checked for changes, and though the roots turned green and grew thick, they didn’t seem to add anything new.

  Hans put his hand on the black cube that acted as a shell for the dungeon core. He could feel its mana pumping, gently vibrating the block, but he couldn’t see the core itself.

  “Is it weird that I kind of miss it?” Hans asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Olza replied. “That core played a pretty big role in your life. Even I think it’s strange that we’re just done making suggestions, and I was never the one actually making them.”

  “I don’t know. These are a lot of feelings for someone to have for a plant.”

  Olza laughed. “Don’t let Becky hear you say that.”

  “I’m not that stupid.”

  “But really, though, this isn’t a normal plant.”

  “True.”

  “It’s frustrating too,” Olza added. “We spent all this time watching and using the core, and we didn’t learn all that much. Hardly anything. How does it actually work? Where did it come from? Why is it here? How does it generate such an immense amount of mana? I thought finding it was hitting the research jackpot, but I feel like I am still where we started.”

  “Yeah. That’s frustrating.”

  “Then there’s all the potential ingredients we could have grown,” Olza continued. “I’ve always wanted to work with vampire blood.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I would have always said no to vampires. What else is on your dream list? Maybe we can just order it?”

  Olza thought. “Bog onions, feather ferns, void blossom pollen, goblin mushrooms, lich lichen, living limestone, flying daisies, thunderbug thoraxes, furious fungus… Oh, and igloo snail hearts.”

  Hans laughed. “I should have remembered who I was talking to. You’ve got expensive tastes.”

  “Do you even recognize most of them?”

  “Hey.”

  “I’m just saying. Some of my wishlist reagents are a bit obscure.”

  Clearing his throat, Hans said, “Bog onions only grow where hags have been buried and are used in poison resistance and magic resistance potions. Feather ferns can grow on any mountain summit, but they’re rare and won’t grow if there’s snow. They’re used in an Agility potion that makes you weigh less.

  “Goblin mushrooms are found in deep, wet cave systems. We don’t really know what specifically makes them grow, so finding them is still just luck. I don’t think anything useful has ever been made from them. Lich lichen only grows around phylacteries, so a lot of people don’t believe it even exists. Supposedly it can be used to extend your life. Uhh…”

  “Uh oh. The Guild Master is losing momentum!”

  “I’m thinking!” Hans replied. “Furious fungus only grows in the hells and is used in fire resistance salves. I know that igloo snails are only found inside glaciers. Their shells are made of ice, and their hearts always generate heat, even after they die. Obviously rare. I can’t remember what they were used for. And… Okay, I’m out.”

  “Not bad,” Olza praised. “Living limestone is a kind of cactus, but it’s only found in cold deserts. It increases the duration of an effect if it's mixed in. Thunderbugs are from the elemental plane of air and only end up in our world if an air elemental accidentally brings one along. They are used in Beacon potions, which is underwhelming, but I think there might be more potential there. Flying daisies grow in the frontier, in one of the plains. No known use for them yet.”

  “I’m sorry that none of that got added to the dungeon.”

  “It’s okay. I know I’m being selfish. We had to make the choices we did. That’s the end of my hissy fit about not getting my way.”

  “Just observing the dungeon core process is notable, right?”

  “That's true,” Olza admitted. “I forget how excited I was when we first found it.”

  “We should get going and save Thomas from petting griffons for the next three hours.”

  Hans helped Olza out of the fissure, and they crossed the New Gomi drawbridge together. Thomas and Shandi were just a little ways over the hill. The seamstress had climbed the fence to join Devon next to one of the beasts in the field.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “I'm worried we're going to end up adopting one,” Thomas said as Hans and Olza joined him in leaning against the fence.

  Hans shrugged. “There are worse things.”

  “The living room isn't big enough.”

  “You ride one yet?” Olza asked.

  “Oh no no no,” Thomas replied, chuckling. “I'm good down here with my feet on the ground.”

  Honronk came out of a small storage shed Luther built with a set of griffon tack over his shoulder.

  Shandi bounced on her toes and ran toward Thomas with a grin.

  “Devon offered to take me for a ride. I know we need to go, but fifteen minutes. That's it.”

  “I'll be fine,” Thomas said and shooed her away. “You don't need my permission.”

  Devon double-checked the straps on his saddle and helped Shandi into a harness. Moments later, they rose above Leebel’s Rest one flap at a time. Shandi squealed and kept squealing.

  “I’ve heard we should expect a busy spring,” Thomas said without taking his eyes off the griffon.

  “That's the prediction,” Hans confirmed.

  “Does Shandi have anything to worry about?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We had lower-ranked Guild guys here, right? Should we expect upper-ranked people too?”

  “Ah,” Hans said, realizing the source of Thomas' concern. “I wish we could just not let them in, but they're kingdom citizens.”

  “I know you can't stop them from coming here. But would they still want to bother her?”

  “I don't know that I can give you a good answer. This isn't Hoseki, though. They won't have any of our guards helping them. I don't think they'd be so bold as to force their way into anyone’s home.”

  “Alright.”

  Hans put a hand on Thomas’ shoulder. When the tall man turned to look down on him, Hans said, “You're pretty worried about this.”

  “Very.”

  “I'll talk to Terry about posting guards nearby your home. Close enough to help but not so close you feel watched all day. If you wanted no chance of encountering someone from the Guild, we could relocate you for however long they're here. The Tribelands are an easy option. You could even camp in the Lich Crypt if you wanted.”

  “No liches please.”

  “Duly noted. But the rest was serious. You're not on your own down here.”

  Thomas nodded. “Thank you for that.”

  “I couldn't imagine coming back to Gomi if I were them. After that first visit and then the Games? It would take some stones for a Guild bigwig to show up here and throw their weight around.”

  Shandi’s startled squeak interrupted the conversation for a brief moment. Devon had made a sharp, unexpected turn. When laughter followed it, everyone knew she was fine.

  Hans visited the Gomi gate on the surface to offer his adventurers a proper farewell. Kane and Quentin had left Gomi for a run once before, but seeing them climb into the back of a wagon with three other adventurers gave Hans a bittersweet feeling he had felt several times in his life. Gomi’s gate wasn’t fancy, but being there now to say goodbye to adventurers felt the same as it did in Hoseki.

  Train them up, and then send them out into the world. That was the job.

  Hans still disliked the idea of the trio not being around all the time, though. Quentin had asked multiple times if it was really okay if he left for a bit, and even now, Hans worried Quentin might change his mind. He loved the boy’s company, but Quentin was too smart to hide in Gomi his whole life.

  Gunther went to jump on the wagon behind Kane but paused and walked over to Hans. For as quickly as the boy grew, he looked a lot more like a kid in that moment than a young man.

  “Everything alright?” Hans asked.

  “Yeah.” Gunther's shifting eyes told a different story, but he stepped forward to hug Hans.

  “It's okay to be nervous,” Hans whispered as he held the hug. “I know you got this.”

  “Thanks,” Gunther said. “Thanks for everything, Mr. Hans.”

  When the wagon entered the treeline, the heaviness in Hans’ chest increased. He hoped he'd see them again. Theneesa had likely given Bel and Lee a similar send-off, and that was the last time she got to speak to them. The world wasn’t safe enough for Hans to be certain his adventurers would come home.

  “Care for some tea?” Charlie called with his head out his front door.

  “I would, thank you.”

  Spring had beaten back most of the cold, but Gomi still had its chilly days. This was one such day. Hans regretted not bringing a sweater and then wondered if the comfort of the dungeon was making him soft.

  By the time Hans got to Charlie’s door, the Mayor had reemerged with two cups of tea.

  “Sit, sit,” Charlie said, gently setting both cups on his small outdoor table. “Tough day for all of us, I'd say.”

  “It's getting harder every time I do it.”

  “Sending the young ones on their way?”

  “Yes.”

  Charlie took a sip and savored the flavor before speaking again. “I did a lot of thinkin’ about that very thing over the winter.”

  “Suppose you had the time.”

  “Had a minute or two, sure.” Charlie chuckled. “I'm the mortal version of the Merchant, and you might be too.”

  “I don't follow.”

  “We're fixtures. We're one of the few things that doesn't change when everything else does.”

  “I've not lived here that long, Charlie.”

  “Oh, come off it,” Charlie said. “The metaphor works, you bein’ a teacher and all. You know what I'm saying.”

  “I do.”

  “One lifetime is plenty for me,” Charlie continued. “Can you imagine watching all that change as long as the Merchant has? I'd stop talking to folks too if I spent thousands of years watchin’ them all die.”

  “I can't tell if you're happy about your own comparison or not.”

  “I'm proud of my life and wouldn't take back any of the effort. Doing that forever? Not strong enough for that. As soon as my Galinda passes, that's it for me.”

  “Is there something you want to talk about?” Hans asked.

  “We've been talking for a bit now, and I assumed you were aware.”

  “You're being morbid. Uncharacteristically morbid.”

  Charlie set his cup down, leaned back, and crossed his arms. “You ever think about how many summers you get? I mean the actual number. When I was thirty it hit me that we don't get that many. Seventy, maybe eighty of them if you're human and have a little luck.”

  “I don't know that I've thought of summer that way, no.”

  “Doesn't that number seem too small? Seventy summers. That's it?”

  “I mean, I'll think about it now because of this conversation,” Hans said.

  “I got more.”

  “Of the morbid?”

  “Yes.”

  Hans gestured for Charlie to continue.

  “If you think countin’ your own summers is hard on you, try countin’ the summer for kids like Quentin or Kane. Seventy summers seems even smaller, and you can't give them any of yours even if you wanted to.”

  Charlie seemed to search for more to say, so Hans let the Mayor think in quiet.

  “You know what else is like that? Where you feel like the kids don't get enough time even if it's the same as yours?”

  “I don't,” Hans said.

  “It doesn't feel like enough summers because you know that you might not get all seventy, so it always feels like the next one is the last one. And after you see enough summers, you’ve also seen a lot of good folks who didn’t get as many summers as you.”

  This was not the jovial banter Hans was hoping would ease his own heart, and he certainly didn't want to think about this being anyone's last summer. Not anymore than he already was, anyway.

  “Hey.” Hans leaned forward to look Charlie in the eye. “I'm serious. What's wrong?”

  “Philosophizing is all. Things like havin’ titan bones for a neighbor make us mere mortals aware of where we peck in the big ol’ order.”

  Hans sighed. “I offered to move them, remember?”

  “And then you stopped fighting for it! They're not just unsightly.” Charlie huffed. “Let me put it this way. You see the latest Devon costume?”

  He had indeed. Someone knit Devon's statue a very risque bikini. The best part for Hans was that the top soaked up a bunch of rain and turned perky-Devon into saggy-Devon.

  “I'm not bein’ funny. Devon’s a good kid and a good sport. When folks start messing with that skull? I don't like how many divine chains we're yanking these days, and I don't want to get caught drawing dicks on the remains of some titan’s little brother.”

  “You're right.”

  And Hans genuinely believed that.

  Regular dungeon patrols meant the frequent killing of potentially problematic beings. The living centaurs weren't likely to be an issue, but the adventurers did kill fae, several varieties of orc Wargod, and gazers multiple times a week. Hans wasn't sure how sensitive gods were, but Devon's god inserted himself into the dungeon solely to tell him to cut it out the one time it happened to him.

  “I'll ask Devon to move the bones the next time I see him.”

  “Thank you.”

  New Quest: Relocate the titan bones to the dungeon entrance.

  Open Quests (Ordered from Old to New):

  Monitor for independently grown sections of dungeon.

  Complete the next volume (Bronze to Silver) for “The Next Generation: A Teaching Methodology for Training Adventurers.”

  Establish a Hoseki-grade library in Gomi.

  Learn to help your advanced students as much as you help beginners.

  Decide how to manage breeding requests for monsters like mimics and shadow scorpions.

  Relocate the titan bones to the dungeon entrance.