The Red Dragon's bounty had already risen to ten thousand Gold Coins. Let alone the nations of the North, even in the prosperous Flandre Empire to the south or wealthy Victoria Harbor by Moon Bay, that was an enormous sum—much less for these impoverished adventurers.
That money was enough for a fledgling mage to build a Mage Tower of his own, and enough for a Fighter to purchase a set of Magic Equipment that could be passed down through generations.
Perhaps because the Rackman Dynasty had deliberately spread the word, Ember Nest had also been portrayed as a dangerous yet prosperous realm.
Rumor had it that the treasure of the greedy Red Dragon lay hidden within Dragon Valley, with endless Gold Coins flowing down from the valley—though no one truly believed such exaggerated bardic tales, they had indeed left adventurers with the impression that Ember Nest was a "symbol of wealth."
This drew countless adventurers like moths to a flame. They set out from the many cities of the North, brimming with lofty ambitions as they traveled in groups to the Storm Highlands, but most never returned.
Of course, not all these adventurers were fools who overestimated themselves. Some were thoroughly prepared—such as the twenty-person adventuring party currently lying in wait behind a boulder.
Yet no ordinary person could see them now.
"Have you all finished the Invisibility Potions?"
"Mm."
"And get the Aura Isolation Potions ready.
"These dragons can use their forked tongues to taste the air. Their sense of smell is unimaginably sharp, so don't let your guard down."
The speaker was a mage in his twenties. He wore a purple robe and held a hollow wooden staff, his expression somewhat tense.
His name was Bennett, a minor noble from Victoria Harbor. He had hired an elite mercenary