Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 328: Chapter 327: A Troublesome Mission from a Troublesome Place

Chapter 328: Chapter 327: A Troublesome Mission from a Troublesome Place

“Ah, that’s right.”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s reminder, Hailien hurriedly took out the parchment scroll she had received from the Inspector and then spread it out on the table to read. The others around her also curiously leaned in to look at the content.

The content was quite simple; in a place called the Peak of Ice and Snow, lately, every evening, a dazzling and strange radiance would appear, causing some trouble for the nearby residents. Hence, their task this time was to head to the Peak of Ice and Snow to investigate the matter and resolve it. freёNovelFire.com

The entire task appeared very simple to Fang Zheng, but after reading the content on the parchment scroll, Fina revealed a somewhat troubled expression.

“This could be a bit troublesome…”

“What’s troublesome, Lady Fina?”

Hearing Fina’s muttering, Hailien couldn’t help but ask curiously.

“The Peak of Ice and Snow should be in the central region of the continent, right? Would there be any danger there?”

Hailien’s doubt was quite reasonable because, according to common knowledge of this world, apart from a few well-known “forbidden zones,” other areas are only considered dangerous the closer they are to the Chaos Border. The Peak of Ice and Snow, situated at the center of the continent, is one of the places furthest from the Chaos Border, and it’s not known as a restricted area where outsiders are unwelcome. Logically speaking, there shouldn’t be any danger, right?

“I don’t know about danger, but I do know there are some troubles there.”

“Troubles?”

Fang Zheng, too, raised his eyebrows in curiosity at this point. It wasn’t easy to hear Fina mention the word ‘troubles.’ It had only come up previously because of the Gates of Hell in the Dark Marsh, and now… Sure enough, this place couldn’t be more dangerous than the Dark Marsh, right? If that were the case, what would be the point of calling it a graduation exam? That would just be sending them to their deaths.

“Is there a problem?”

“Yes, Mr. Fang Zheng.”

Fina nodded, then sighed as if recalling something.

“Although to many people it may indeed not be dangerous, the place is rife with complications. I once passed through that region on a pilgrimage, and perhaps you are unaware, but right beside the Peak of Ice and Snow lies the Forest of Life… that is Elf Clan territory. And the Peak itself is a gathering place for the Dwarven Clan… Moreover, there are Frost Giants there, and if you’re unlucky enough to encounter the hunting season of the Dark Elves, they too will emerge from the caves beneath the Peak of Ice and Snow… In short…”

“It may not be dangerous, but certainly not short on troubles…”

Fang Zheng now understood Fina’s point; indeed, the Peak of Ice and Snow, being far from the Chaos Frontier, didn’t have to worry about being invaded by Chaos Monsters. However, just because they’re all from the Order Race doesn’t mean they can get along peacefully – Elves and Dark Elves are sworn enemies, and Dwarves and Frost Giants have a relationship where they’d attack each other upon sight.

And in such a situation, if a bunch of humans were to recklessly charge in…

Fang Zheng too felt a headache coming on.

“But we can’t just not go,”

Hailien grimaced, looking down at the scroll in her hand.

“It’s written here that we must resolve the anomaly within two months… Ah, the client is the Heifarith Guild…”

At this, Fina buried her head in her hands and collapsed onto the table.

“……Is it really that troublesome?”

To see the Cleric Maiden, who could remain composed in the face of a Six-Armed Snake Demon and a swarm of Cultists during a ritual, now showing such an expression was indeed a rare sight.

“……The Heifarith Guild is the largest human power in that region, and they have always wished to expand their influence on the Peak of Ice and Snow…”

Alright, they were entangled in yet another conflict between humans and other races.

Even Fang Zheng couldn’t help but rub his forehead in resignation. While territories weren’t officially defined, for thousands of years, that area had been the domain of Elves and Dwarves. Now humans wanted to act as the masters of that place, to investigate the anomaly happening at the Peak of Ice and Snow… To think that wouldn’t offend the native races there would be ludicrous.

“But…”

At this moment, the Astrologer spoke up, her voice trembling slightly.

“But… we still have to go, right?”

“Yes… unless we don’t want to pass the assessment…”

Hailien, too, let out a long sigh. She wasn’t a fool and had simply been unaware of the situation there. Now, having heard Fina’s run-down of the circumstances, anyone in their right mind would realize just how muddled these waters were. But as the Astrologer mentioned, unless they wished to forfeit their “graduation,” no matter how troublesome the task was, they had no choice but to dive in, didn’t they?

However, in the end, it was Fang Zheng who resolved the topic.

“In any case, lamenting here is pointless. What we need to do is investigate the Radiance that appeared at the Peak of Ice and Snow. Since those glows have caused trouble for the nearby residents, they surely aren’t limited to just the Human Race. We could start by asking around. If it turns out that the Elves or the Dwarven Clan are behind this, then once we have clarity, we can leave the matter in the hands of the local authorities to negotiate and deal with them. And if these races are not involved, we will continue to follow up.”

“That makes sense.”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s analysis, the group, which had been somewhat disheartened, suddenly perked up again. Fina, who had been a little anxious, also heaved a sigh of relief.

“Indeed, with Mr. Fang Zheng here, we don’t need to be so nervous. Mr. Fang Zheng is someone who has subdued numerous powerful and wicked Demon Creatures. This small matter will definitely not be a problem.”

“In that case, Mr. Fang Zheng, why don’t you take on the role of our team leader?”

Just then, Hailien also looked seriously at Fang Zheng, and then spoke up. Hearing Hailien’s suggestion, Fang Zheng was taken aback.

“Is that alright?”

“Of course, Mr. Fang Zheng!”

The Astrologer girl nodded vigorously in response.

“The rules state that any member of a team can become the Captain!”

“I also think… that if Mr. Fang Zheng were the Captain… everyone would feel more at ease…”

At this moment, Katie, who had somehow vanished from sight, also spoke up in agreement.

It’s no wonder they reacted this way. The Astrologer girl and Fina needn’t be mentioned, as they had both adventured with Fang Zheng before and recognized his abilities and competence. Although Katie and Hailien had never adventured with Fang Zheng, tales of his feats had long circulated among the upper echelons of various nations—after all, it’s essential for Nobility to be aware of who should not be provoked.

Especially someone like Fang Zheng, young yet with formidable strength, profound background, and ruthless demeanor, he was someone all higher-ups paid strict attention to. They would not presume to have the might of the Castina Family—speaking of which, even if they did have such might, they would not provoke someone who was clearly under the Goddess of Order’s Favor and a Holy Spirit Knight, unless they were blind.

After all, the fate of the Castina Family served as a warning.

Of course, apart from Fang Zheng’s own reputation, his “charm” was also one of the very important reasons. It should be noted that Fang Zheng’s charm was now “B++”, and although it had not reached the “A” grade that could automatically enchant humans, it was sufficient to make ordinary people perceive his reliable and steady charm and be easily convinced by him. Not to mention… that good looks are a universal appeal to all creatures.

Being handsome always comes with privileges.

Since everyone had said so, Fang Zheng naturally wouldn’t decline either.

“If that’s the case, then I’ll accept the duty of team leader without further ado.”

After Fang Zheng became the Captain, the four girls seemed much more relaxed. This was normal, as they were all teenagers, except for Fina, who had never ventured far from their homes, yet now they were about to embark on an adventure in a strange place. Even Hailien, who seemed the most domineering, felt a little uneasy. Having someone reliable whom they knew and who was a friend of their teammate, was the best thing they could ask for.

Out of curiosity, Fang Zheng then inquired about the four girls. What truly baffled him was how four members from four different national forces managed to come together at all. Didn’t they care about the unspoken rule? After all, that “unspoken rule” existed precisely because of the intricate and dangerous relationships between the four countries.

Even with the situation as it was, forming a team like this—even if they completed the mission—wouldn’t they leave a negative remark of “communicating with foreign countries” in their “political archives”?

What surprised Fang Zheng, though, was that these four girls truly didn’t seem to care.

“The Order Alliance follows the instructions of the Goddess of Order. I believe that under the guidance of the Goddess, everything will be fine.”

This was Fina’s, the Cleric’s, response.

“Grandpa said that after I graduate, I will become an official Royal Astrologer, and I will have to deal with people from other countries, so this is a sort of trial for me.”

That was the Astrologer girl’s view.

“It doesn’t matter whether I graduate or not, they won’t take me seriously anyway, so I couldn’t care less about what they think!”

This was the response from Hailien, the red-haired girl.

“Once I graduate, I can leave the Guild, so I don’t care about those trivial matters!”

This was the answer given by Katie, who was hiding and completely out of sight.

And so, Fang Zheng could be sure that he had really encountered a team more bizarre than ever.

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