I scavenged anything of value from the wrecked royal carriage, brushing my hand against the splintered wood with least expectations.
To my good fortune, I found a heavy pouch in the wreckage. Money. The coins glittered across my face after I finished counting it. I was able to uncover a small fortune of over fifty gold coins.
Godfrey certainly spared no expense for his precious daughter. Her allowance money was a fortune while I got nothing.
To put it in a clear perspective, a single gold coin was worth around $1000. In this world, that amount was more than enough to feed a family of four for a month.
If I did the maths, I was holding the equivalent of $50,000.
That'd be enough to sort all my expenses in Luminis city. I decided, while Camilia is recovering back home, I was going to put her allowance money into good use.
It's only right that I do so. I saved her life after all.
With a pocketful of money and a warband of orcs at my command, I set off towards Luminis city.
Before he left, Krell had given me directions. We avoided the main roads, instead we followed the mountain paths.
This made the journey longer, adding two extra more days, but I had to do it.
I was only ten years old and leading a warband of orcs. Of course people would freak out. I couldn't have that.
The ten orcs that tagged along with me were strong enough to take out some monsters. Like the time an anaconda attacked me from the underbrush.
My orcs sprang into action and defended me, killing the giant snake with their cleavers and axes.
That wasn't all. They hunted wild beasts so that I could have enough meat to eat. They were also incredibly loyal, obeying my words without question.
But I knew sooner or later once we reached Luminis city, I'll have to part ways with them.
I can't be seen with orcs among the human folks. I'd be branded an agent of the demon king.
On the second night, while I was brainstorming before our campfire on how to tackle this problem, I heard a soft faint whisper.
I stiffened. The voice was soft but strangely powerful.
I slowly rose to my feet, my eyebrows furrowing into a frown. "That's strange. Who is calling out my name?"
The whisper came again, "Archer, come here."
I picked up a torch and fed it fire. My orcs were fast asleep. I couldn't wake them up to accompany me. They worked so hard for my sake. Their rest was well earned.
Someone out there was calling out to me, and I'm going to find out who it was.
I wandered around the darkness of the blackened woods, following the whispering sound as it came to me again.
I frowned as I found myself standing before a small spring waterfall.
It looks like any regular spring fall but I could sense a powerful magic presence behind that waterfall. The air was thick with mana and something ancient.
My body levitated off the ground. I floated over the stream to the fall and passed through the cascading water like a ghost.
It felt as if I walked through a curtain because right before my eyes was the entrance to a dungeon.
"Whoa," I gasped in awe, suspending my fly magic as I landed on the ground. "This is amazing. A real dungeon. I've only read about them in books."
Suddenly, all the torches by the sides of the hallway lit up in blue flames. The floor was a long red carpet that stretched into the darkness.
"Where does this lead me to?" I pondered to myself.
At the end of the hall, a white portal appeared and the whisper came again from deep within.
"Archer, come to the other side."
At this point, I was getting wary of this entire situation.
Who is this person, how do they know my name and what's my purpose here?
I could've turned around and left this dungeon. I could've pretended this wasn't worth it. Only heaven knows what's hiding behind that portal.
But still. I was curious.
Magic portals were level 10 magic. Only a handful of mages could open one.
I haven't attained that level of magic yet. Whoever was behind that Portal was a much more powerful mage than I am.
Can I take them on by myself?
I stood there for a while, contemplating whether to go in the portal or not. Before I knew it, I began to walk towards the portal.
Then, having made up my mind, I took a step forward and entered the portal.
When I got to the other side, I emerged into the largest chamber I've ever seen. It's great pillars held the arched ceiling like a Cathedral.
Then I saw it. What I saw made my jaws drop and petrified me into stone.
Standing atop a huge black rock was a colossal Red Dragon.
Thousands of thick heavy chains imprisoned the dragon in place, making it unable to move.
"Welcome, Archer," the Dragon growled, lowering its head in a bow. "I've been expecting you, my liege."