Chapter 125 - Leonard's Request

After a long boring and day collecting herbs alone, I return back to guild wondering to myself.

"even though it is easy money, I don't think I'll be doing another herb collecting quest."

I approach Yui to hand over the herbs I collected and as she counts them, I ask.

"does the guild make healing potions with theses herbs?"

she nods.

"yes, we make them and sell them to many traveling merchants, shop owners and adventurers."

as she continues counting the herbs, she asks.

"so where are you new friends?"

I answer.

"they declined my invitation, and after doing this quest, I can see why they didn't want to join me."

she giggles.

"well you did make easy money right?"

I nod.

"yeah, but it seems like these kind of quests are not meant for me."

she hand over one gold coin.

"here you go."

I reply as I grab it.

"thank you."

as I turn around to leave, You says.

"oh before you leave, there is someone in Gale's office who wants to see you."

I ask curiously.

"any idea who it could be?"

she shakes her head.

"nope, Gale just told me to tell you."

I head up to the third floor where Gale's office is at, and as I walk into his office, I spot Leonard sitting across Gale drinking water out of his glass cup, I then ask.

"was it you that wanted to see me Leonard?"

he turns his attention to me.

"yes, I've come here to ask you a favor."

I ask.

"okay, what do you want from me?"

he responds while adjusting his glasses with his index finger.

"you know how I've dedicated my time, researching everything that has to do with the pre cursors?"

I answer.

"yeah, I remember, so what of it?"

he replies.

"well it seems that in one of their books I was reading, a location was revealed about a possible dungeon filled with many of their artifacts."

I then ask.

"so why don't you post it up, as a quest so that adventures can check it out for you?"

he answers.

"I don't trust adventures."

Gale grunts at Leonard's sentence, Leonard laughs nervously.

"of course I wasn't talking about you Gale."

he nervously clears his throat.

"and since you brought me the last artifact, I figured, you are the perfect man for the job."

I ask.

"how much would you pay?

he responds with a sly smile.

"how about twenty gold coins?"

I quickly reply.

"yeah I'll go check it out for you."

Gale interjects.

"well if you were offering that much, I would have done it for you Leo."

Leonard squints at Gale suspiciously.

"you don't care about uncovering knowledge that the pre cursors left behind."

Gale sighs exasperated.

"here you going on about those damned pre cursors, like you always do."

Leonard adjusts his glasses and rebuttals.

"well you have read their writings too, so their is no reason for you to doubt their knowledge."

he replies.

"well since they are dead and gone, there is nothing we learn from them."

Leonard grits his teeth.

"that's not true."

Gale shakes his head with disapproval.

"look at you Leonard you've spent the last nine hundred years studying them and have come up with nothing useful."

Leonard stares at Gale's desk silently, not knowing how to respond to him, but I interject.

"you're wrong about that Gale."

Gale turns his attention to me and asks with curiosity.

"oh and how is that?"

I respond.

"we defeated the vampire lords because Leonard was able to decipher and activate the device that blocked out the sun."

I stop and look at Leonard.

"if it wasn't for him, me, Ying and the others who fought the vampire lords, would not be alive right now."

Gale sighs.

"I suppose your right about that."

Gale looks at Leonard and says with sincerity.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to belittle your life's work."

Leonard replies.

"it's fine, you should already know that I'm already used to that."

after a few moments of silence, Gale clears his throat.

"well if you guys want to use my office for this little business arrangement, I can wait outside."

Leonard replies.

"thank you."

As Gale's leaves his office to us, I ask Leonard.

"if you don't trust adventurers, how did you manage to obtain so many books to your collection?"

he answers with a somber tone.

"five hundred years ago, I had a guy named Xavier who would bring back pre cursor books during his many explorations of numerous dungeons."

I ask.

"did you not look for another person to do it for you?"

he shakes his head.

"no, after finding out that Mauri brutally killed him, I didn't bother looking for another."

I ask.

"you were around, during Mauri's cannibalistic rampage?"

he clears his throat.

"sorry, but I don't feel like talking about that."

not wanting to press him, I change the subject by asking him.

"so do you have an idea where this dungeon could be located at?"

he nods.

"yes it's on the coast of Rusllyyn in the elf continent."

I ask.

"any where specific?"

he then tells me with a straight face.

"it's underwater."

I sigh.

"underwater, and how do you expect me to find this dungeon if it is underwater?"

he answers.

"the entrance of this dungeon is blocked by a steel door."

I then ask.

"do the elves know about it?"

he shakes his head.

"I doubt it, because dungeons are usually found above ground, or buried underneath, but are never found underwater."

I then ask.

"so you just want me to randomly search for the entrance?"

Leonard sighs.

"I know, I'm asking for a lot."

he then says with excitement.

"but think about all of the knowledge just waiting for us to uncover."

I respond.

"alright I get it."

he then asks.

"so will you do it?"

I respond with a smile.

"yeah, of course I'll do it."

he stands up and says.

"good then, I hope that I hear from you soon."

I shake his hand.

"if I do find anything, I'll let Gale know."

as I leave Gale's office, I tell Gale.

"we're done now."

Gale replies.

"good luck out there."

I reply while heading towards the stairs.

"I'll see you, when I get back."

as I head back home, I ask myself.

"what if I asked Ellena?"

I arrive with Hope clinging onto my leg.

"daddy, welcome home."

I reply.

"thank you, sweetheart."

Ellena greets me warmly.

"how did the herb collecting go for you?"

I reply with a groan.

"it was boring."

she kisses me.

"boring is better for me, I'd rather not have you doing dangerous things like before."

I reply.

"then you won't like what I'm going to do next."

she asks.

"why?"

I answer.

"well I'm supposed to check out an underwater dungeon, at the coast of your kingdom."

she laughs.

"dungeons don't exist underwater."

I reply.

"not according to Leonard."

she asks.

"how does he know this?"

I answer.

"he found out about it, while reading one of the pre cursor books he owns."

she replies.

"if that is the case then I'll come along with you."

I ask.

"why?"

"since I'm going there anyway, because of my dad, I might as well tag along, with one of your adventures."

Hope asks.

"can I come too?"

Ellena replies.

"yeah, but you will be with grandpa."

Ellena turns her attention to me and says.

"we leave first thing in the morning."