Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1271: Injured

Enkrid’s heart stirred at Ruth’s words.

To be invited by Iron Rank adventurers was no small honor, and for a moment, he imagined himself traveling with them, learning their arts, fighting alongside them. But the vision faded quickly. His dream was not to be an adventurer.

He wanted to become a knight, sworn to duty, and become strengthened by Will.

"I’m grateful," he said quietly, "but my path is different. I must earn my knighthood."

Ruth studied him for a moment, then nodded.

"I understand. Hold to your dream, Enkrid. But you have to know that the world is larger than you think... Being tied to a noble might not be a good thing in some cases."

Enkrid acknowledged this, and he bowed once more before leaving...

When he was gone, the five adventurers gathered near the fountain. Ruth’s eyes lingered on the figure who was already far away...

"I already placed my Marker Rune on him," she said.

Jericho nodded at this and muttered, "He’s got potential."

Apparently, Enkrid was not the first.

They had marked many young knights, adventurers, and warriors across Farinas. Their mission was simple... to search for those who might one day practice Arcane Arts.

For now, they kept their true nature hidden. To reveal themselves too early would be dangerous if word spread. They were only scouting, preparing the groundwork.

Once the path stabilized and higher‑class Arcanists could enter Valor, the conquest would be far easier.

Three days later, the group arrived at Atrium City, the bustling hub of the Adventurer’s Guild.

Along the way, they had collected herbs and plants to fulfill gathering requests.

The guild hall was filled with noise. Adventurers of all ages filled the long tables, boasting of hunts, trading stories, and clashing mugs of ale.

Older adventurers greeted the five with nods, some with curiosity, others with faint respect as they knew how hardworking they were...

Apparently, despite their youth, the Dawnblades, their adventurer group, had already earned a reputation.

At the counter, the receptionist Cynthia looked up as Ruth placed a bundle of horns before her.

"Twelve horns," Cynthia said, eyes widening. "That confirms twelve corrupted beasts. Remarkable work for Iron Rank adventurers your age."

Each horn from a one‑horned boar was worth three silver coins.

Twelve horns meant thirty‑six silver coins.

Ruth also handed over the sealed paper from the village elder.

Cynthia checked the seal carefully, then nodded. "Confirmed. The village’s request reward is five silver coins and thirty copper coins."

The group collected their earnings and just like that, their purses were heavier than before.

Next, they presented the bags of herbs and plants they had gathered.

Cynthia examined each carefully, ticking off the requests. "Six gathering missions completed. That’s another four silver and sixty copper."

Satisfied, the group stepped aside to count their coins. For young adventurers, this was more than enough to live comfortably for weeks.

However, this was nothing for the group. Well, they were only doing this for the sake of their reputation.

After all, if they wanted to build an influence, they needed to slowly do that.

If they decided to just immediately showcase their terrifying mystical abilities, it would simply backfire. They would be questioned, recruited, hunted, and the attention put on them would be their shackles.

Because of that, they decided to just start as young Adventurers and, hopefully, in the next few years, they would reach a status that wouldn’t attract too much trouble.

Just as they were preparing to leave, Cynthia recalled something.

"Oh, before you go... there’s a new bounty posted just a few hours ago. It was sent through the messenger falcons..."

The five turned back as they heard this.

Bounty requests normally give a huge reward.

"A young squire killed a noble’s maid," Cynthia explained. "He’s being hunted now. Capturing him dead is worth two gold coins. Alive... ten gold coins."

The group froze. The hall itself seemed to be quiet as the words sank in.

Jericho frowned. "Ten gold coins? For a maid? What’s the deal with that squire? Is this really just because of a servant?"

Cynthia shrugged. "Not sure. I only read the request on the board. But the reward is official."

The Dawnblades exchanged uneasy glances. Gold coins were rare, life‑changing sums for adventurers.

It could also be their chance to show their potential in a good way since they would be capturing a criminal.

However, they also knew that chasing such a bounty could drag them into the tangled web of noble politics... something far more dangerous than corrupted beasts.

There was also a chance that the young squire may not even be the one at fault in this matter.

Ruth tapped her fingers against the counter and nodded.

"We’ll think on it. For now, we’ve earned enough to rest."

As they left the guild hall, the matter of the bounty lingered in their thoughts.

***

The Dawnblades rested that night in Atrium City, but by morning, curiosity pulled them back to the bounty board.

The parchment was fresh, and the sketch pinned to it made them pause.

"Wait a minute..."

"..."

"Whoa..."

The face was familiar.

For a moment, the five simply stared, then exchanged amused glances. Ruth wryly smiled as she was curious what had happened.

"Is he still alive?" Cielo asked...

Ruth closed her eyes briefly, sensing the faint tug of her Marker Rune. "Yup. He’s alive."

Jericho smirked. "So the nobles want him dead, but we already marked him. What now?"

Ruth chuckled softly. "Should we convert him into ten gold coins? Haha."

But seeing their faces, she waved her hand dismissively. "I’m just kidding. He’s not coin to be traded. We’ll talk to him."

***

Two days later, their search led them deep into the forest.

The trail was faint, but Ruth’s rune guided them.

At last, they came upon a cave hidden in the undergrowth, and its entrance was also blocked by a massive boulder.

Moss clung to the stone, and faint scratches marked where someone had tried to move it.

The five stood silently as they used their Arcane Arts to sense the man’s presence...

Soon, they all looked at each other.

Indeed, inside, Enkrid was hiding, and he seemed injured.