The Mage's Agreement

The hierarchy in the camp was led by Mage Dwight's group, followed by Lou Le, and then various craftsmen, such as blacksmiths.

Below the craftsmen are the guards, then the adventurers, and only then the prostitutes and the like.

In this era, artisans hold a very high status.

Because all the skills are passed down exclusively within one's own family, they would rather die than pass them on to others.

Because this is something that can truly be passed down to future generations.

People gathered firewood, made wheels, forged iron, herded cattle, carved stone, built structures, made wooden barrels, wove wooden shoes, and sculpted clothes...

Craftsmanship is passed down from generation to generation and kept secret from generation to generation.

As long as it doesn't get out, they'll live a life of luxury for generations to come.

This is the foundation of one's character; even if one makes a mistake or gets into a fight.

If it were a beggar, he would probably be beaten by the guards.

However, if you are a craftsman, you can be exempted from punishment directly. Even if it is a more serious crime, you can atone for it by paying money.

This is a privilege that other farmers and ordinary citizens do not enjoy.

The herbalists are a special case, as alchemists need a lot of herbs, and there is a huge shortage of them.

Therefore, many people enjoy going into the forest to collect herbs and sell them.

However, newcomers who are not herb gatherers are very likely to get lost after entering the forest. Even if they don't get lost, they don't understand the growing environments of various herbs.

It's purely a matter of luck. Even if you're lucky enough to find the medicine, you might still be killed by wild beasts or monsters.

There's a lot more to it than meets the eye.

Even some special messengers had to keep their escape methods a secret.

However, the herbalist profession has been greatly eroded by adventurers over the years. Adventurers are not afraid of monsters and beasts, and they also have a good understanding of herbs.

Therefore, herbalists harbor a secret resentment towards adventurers, and they always increase the price of herbs sold to adventurers by 20%.

This made the adventurers grit their teeth in anger.

When Lou Le came in, he sat on a fur mat spread on the ground.

Dwight chaired the meeting, while Lou Le listened half-heartedly.

The main issue is the division of profits. Craftsmen are not entitled to a share of the profits; they can only earn money from adventurers, as well as wages from mages and Baron Castor.

As for the adventurers, Dwight promised that once the dungeon was successfully conquered, all adventurers could come here to hunt the monsters to their heart's content.

However, there is one condition: the mage must have the right to prioritize the purchase of furs and various supplies.

All the furs harvested must be sold to the monks.

Of course, the monks will also offer prices slightly higher than the market price.

The adventurers found this acceptable; they simply wanted a means of livelihood to sustain themselves.

To be honest, it's not a glamorous profession.

Many poor adventurers are former beggars. Some beggars, no longer wanting to beg, would string together planks and ropes to make wooden armor and enter the forest to become adventurers.

Some illegitimate children of minor nobles have no right to inheritance. If they don't become adventurers, they basically work as subordinates in their brothers' territories.

If the older brother is enlightened, he can get a good position and become a manager.

If your elder brother is jealous, then life will be very, very difficult.

Becoming an adventurer is a good option for these illegitimate children. With their knowledge and literacy, they can usually rise to the top or second-in-command positions in adventurer groups.

If you can form a large adventure group, you can apply for the position of pioneer knight. As long as you open up a large area in the forest, you can become a baron.

That's how Baron Castor came to be.

Everyone knows that the bulk of today's profits are divided between Master Dwight and Master Loule.

Everyone here knows about this, and understands that they were simply called here to witness this scene.

"Venerable Loule, are you prepared to settle here for an extended period?"

Dwight asked this question, looking at Lou Le and waiting for her answer.

"Not necessarily," Lou Le said. "I want to continue refining my magic, so I might head to more prosperous areas."

"Is that so?" Dwight looked somewhat surprised, and said with a hint of distress, "According to the rules, once a dungeon is discovered, the mages share ownership. However, the dungeon is meant to be developed."

"If you leave here, it will be difficult for this profit to reach you."

Lou Le glanced at Dwight and immediately understood what Dwight was planning.

But instead of directly stating what she wanted, she handed the initiative to Dwight: "Mage Dwight, what ideas do you have?"

Dwight found it tricky; if Lou Le stated his conditions, no matter how many, he could negotiate.

However, if it were up to me, I wouldn't be able to bargain, and I would have to be generous to show my friendliness.

He frowned and thought for a moment, then said to Lou Le, "If you are willing to give me ownership, then after entering the dungeon, I am willing to give you 60% of the items in the dungeon, and you will be the first to choose."

Lou Le said, "Sure, but if your item contains a model of magic, I'd also like to take a look at it."

Dwight felt he could agree; knowledge was extremely valuable.

However, artifacts containing spell models generally have special functions. As long as the artifact itself is kept for oneself, it doesn't matter even if Lou Le learns those spell models.

"Of course," Dwight said with a smile; "After all, the pursuit of knowledge is a virtue of every mage, how could I stop you from making such a request?"

He took out two sheepskin scrolls, wrote down the contract, and signed his name.

Farin picked up both reels and placed them in front of Lou Le.

Lou Le signed his name and picked up a scroll.

Dwight then picked up the other reel, which meant the contract was now signed.

Next, we need to plan the battle strategy.

Adventurers are tasked with eliminating all the crystallized monsters on the outskirts; it is their duty. Mages will buy the pelts of those crystallized monsters.

The gold coins earned are the adventurers' reward.

The treants within a 200-meter radius of the dungeon were to be dealt with by the mages at the very end.

The adventurers all agreed.

Thus, the dungeon raid officially began.

The entire camp began to bustle with activity, and Lou Le returned to his alchemy hut.

Many of the adventurer groups' support staff also sent Life Leaves.

She needs to refine the healing potion into it as soon as possible.