Heaven's Greatest Professor

There was more than one entrance to the Second Layer, and from what Warden observed, the forsaken had taken control of them all. He embarked on a scouting trip of his own when most people were asleep or resting. Utilising his anti-gravity scripts, the journey barely took a couple of hours, although he found signs of goblins and orcs within half an hour.

They were organised in small teams, on the lookout to hunt for any humans they could find. Warden himself encountered five such teams, despite not seeking them out. The security at the entrance they had established was on another level. Hundreds of them, goblins, orcs, and trolls alike, lined up around the small warp gate.

Other than over a hundred goblins and orcs in similar numbers, what made Warden's skin crawl were the dozens of trolls. More could be hiding somewhere else. And in the second layer.

Clearly, they were taking this very seriously.

What could be so enticing that they spared no resources to eliminate competition? The essence vein? It could well be, but the Essence Vein was of greater importance to lower rankers, mostly those below the silver ranks. There was likely something far more valuable they were aiming for.

An answer immediately came to his mind: the thing Agnes aimed for. A soul relic.

After taking a good observation of the security and their numbers, Warden turned back and flew to the camp.

He was uncertain how much Young Lord Tayl was aware of the situation, or where his confidence stemmed from. If they charged the warp gate with the few men under his command, slaughter was the only thing awaiting them. Apparently, that wasn't enough to stop the Lord Tayl.

Thankfully, they had not set off or prepared to by the time he returned. It appeared another group had joined them, managing to quench some of Young Lord Tayl's eagerness.

And it was a group Warden recognised.

He landed a couple of hundred metres away from any prying eyes of the people on the lookout and returned surreptitiously. A couple of soldiers intercepted him before he could enter the proximity of the camp.

"Halt! Where do you come from?"

Warden scratched his forehead. "Just taking a piss..."

However, the soldiers did not welcome him in. They failed to recognise him, it seemed. One disadvantage of wearing a forgettable mask.

Warden sighed. "Look, I was part of the camp. You guys remember the guy in the janitor suit, don't you?" he said, presenting himself clearly. "Look at me... I'm that guy."

The two soldiers exchanged looks, still barring his entry. Eventually, one of them went inside and brought another person with them. It was the half-elf, mirroring his own annoyed expression. Her exhaustion had reached new heights as more people began to join the camp, and May was the only capable healer. On top of that, she would have to deal with the annoying young lord.

"Yes, he's in our crew," she informed the soldiers, and finally, Warden was granted permission to enter.

The number of people had almost doubled overnight, though this did not raise any more confidence. Warden immediately found the new group, as his gaze fell onto the leader.

The woman was conversing with Tayl Alebson, but her senses perked up and she turned to look at him. Recognition flashed in her eyes instantly as she scrutinised him.

"Ahh, Mister Wa—,' Lady Cassandra faltered, 'Mister Janitor."

Warden arched an eyebrow. For the record, he hadn't asked her to keep his identity secret, though she didn't know the full story. The woman was intelligent, and an unspoken agreement had been reached between them.

However, even with just her acknowledgement, multiple eyes darted in his direction. Young Lord Tayl examined him for the second time, an irritable look on his face. He wasn't pleased about not receiving Cassandra's undivided attention, it seemed.

"Oh, if it isn't Lady Cassandra," Warden attempted to downplay the situation. "It is my great fortune that someone of your station and pedigree recognises this humble janitor."

Lady Cassandra understood his game, so she didn't give him more attention than necessary. In turn, everyone else soon forgot about him too, except for the half-elf. She tugged at his uniform and led him to their section of the camp.

"Where have you been?" she inquired. It had taken Warden at least four hours for this whole trip, which was more than enough for her to see he wasn't in his designated place. "You missed what the wounded had to say. Well, you haven't missed much, to be honest. It's as bad as you described."

"Thankfully, I put my time to good use," he replied and sat down. "I went on a scouting mission to see what we're up against."

"You scouted the forsaken…" May lowered her voice, realising she was almost shouting. "Alone? What if they had found you?"

"Good thing they didn't," Warden smiled and raised his broom. "Besides, should they find me, I have my trusty broom with me."

May gave the broom a look. She had to admit, the broom was quite a tool. It allowed the user to fly, which alone was enough to pique the interest of most rankers. Even the half-elf herself wouldn't mind a ride, if only they weren't in such a grim place.

"So what did you find?" May asked, her skin paling noticeably from overexerting her healing abilities. "Is it as bad as I've heard?"

"Worse," Warden replied. "Wait a few minutes. I'll explain more."

"Why wait?"

"Another person will be joining us; I'd rather not repeat myself."

"Who?"

Warden didn't answer and started replenishing the anti-gravity runes on his boots. Technically, he could have inscribed them on his body, but he hadn't yet found the ideal way to utilise them in that manner. Even for a Master Runesmith like him, it was nearly impossible.

He didn't have to wait long, as within a quarter of an hour, the person he was waiting for arrived.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Lady Cassandra said, not disappointing in her poise.

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5 chapters mass release tomorrow... Yay!