Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"The Forgotten Ancient Ruins"

Category: Main Quest

Unlock Condition: There must be more than ten territories, each with over 1,000 commoners.

Details: When the ancient race faced the brink of extinction, they left various legacies for their future successors. Justin and his people now possess the qualifications of successors. If they wish to claim the legacy of the ancient race, they must follow the pillar of light to the ruins.

Reward: This quest will evolve into the "Treasure of the Ruins" quest.

The pioneers, their eyes gleaming with anticipation, hurried up to the castle walls. They needed to get a rough idea of where the destination was located.

Once they reached the top of the wall and looked out, their mouths closed as silence fell over them.

"...."

"...."

All the pioneers stared at the towering pillar of light in the distance.

The quest itself wasn't anything new to them. They had been through countless quests that required them to travel here and there.

But the real issue wasn't the act of traveling—it was the overwhelming distance that lay ahead.

"Do they really want us to go all the way there? Seriously?"

One of the pioneers muttered in disbelief.

At a glance, it was obvious that the journey couldn't be completed in a day or two.

Even without exact measurements, it was clear that reaching the destination would take at least a week.

'Do we really have to spend over a week sleeping and eating outside the safe zone?'

'And the return trip will take just as long, too.'

'None of us have ever camped out in the wilderness before.'

These and a hundred other thoughts swirled through the minds of the pioneers.

Eventually, Zachary, with a hardened expression, spoke up.

"...We should report this to Justin first."

The others nodded in agreement, still too stunned to speak.

After all, the one who would best understand the odds of success was none other than their leader.

"Of course we're going. It's a main quest."

"I expected you to say that," Zachary responded with a sigh, clearly bracing himself for the hardships ahead.

"This quest won't be easy. Even if it's just a matter of traveling, we'll have to cross uncharted lands with no safe zones in sight."

"That's true, but we can't keep limiting ourselves to places we can travel to and from within a day. I've been expecting a situation like this for a while," Justin said calmly.

"You're right, but there's another issue we need to consider," Zachary continued, hesitating slightly as if the next topic was a sensitive one.

Justin could tell what was on his mind and smiled.

"You're talking about who we'll appoint as my proxy while I'm gone, aren't you?"

"...Exactly. This quest was designed so that not everyone can leave the territory at once."

With a sigh, Zachary nodded.

Rachel and a few others blinked in confusion.

"A quest that not everyone can participate in? What do you mean?"

"It means that some of our key people will need to stay behind," Zachary explained, his expression troubled.

"As you know, the territory has expanded significantly. With that, we've gained many new commoners and pioneers. Now, think about what might happen if the leader leaves for over a week. What do you think those who aren't close to Justin might start plotting?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Are you saying there's a chance of rebellion?"

"Only if we leave without appointing a trustworthy proxy and leave behind some forces to keep order. Otherwise, yes, that could very well happen."

"Wait, that seems far-fetched. By now, everyone should know how powerful Justin is. We're way past the point where a rebellion could realistically happen," Rachel said, sounding skeptical.

Even if someone temporarily took over the castle, with Justin's strength, reclaiming it would be no problem.

And if Justin returned stronger after completing the quest, it would be even easier.

So who would be foolish enough to start a rebellion, knowing it would lead to their annihilation?

In response, Zachary gave a bitter smile.

"They wouldn't dare try anything if they knew for sure that Justin was still in good health. The problem is that during his absence, no one will know for certain."

"What?"

"Think about it. Even if Justin and his group complete the quest as soon as they arrive and the system teleports them back instantly, the journey will still take at least a week. That's the minimum. In the worst-case scenario, it could take over a month to return."

The status of the leader could be easily confirmed through the NPC, Nox, who was in charge of selecting new leaders.

While Nox wouldn't provide information unless asked, he would always answer honestly.

Additionally, even without asking, Nox would automatically notify the territory three days before the safe zone's protection would expire due to the leader's absence.

So, if people wanted to, they could check whether Justin was alive.

The problem was, Nox could only confirm if Justin was alive, not his condition.

Even if Justin were gravely injured or incapacitated, Nox would only report, "Yes, he is alive."

"If the quest takes longer than expected, people will start to wonder if something has gone wrong. They'll question whether Justin barely escaped with his life or if he was injured so badly that returning is impossible." Enjoy new stories from empire

It wasn't an unreasonable fear.

So far, all of the pioneers' quests had been within a day's round-trip distance.

Now, they were being sent on a long expedition with no clear timeline.

It wouldn't be surprising if someone miscalculated the time and came to the wrong conclusions.

And when the temptation of taking over the castle and its commoners was added to the mix, the risk of treachery increased.

"If there's no force left to guard the castle, the outcome is obvious. Anyone who can reach Nox and speak to him could immediately claim control of the territory. Then, using the authority of the leader, they could act as if they were the rightful owner."

"And even if I come back, I won't be able to undo the damage. The record of a 'rebellion' would be permanently attached to them," Justin added, leaning back in his chair.

Anyone ambitious enough to rebel, whether from a lapse in judgment or a mistake, would be someone Justin would have to eliminate.

Those people would resist to the death, knowing the consequences, even while regretting their rebellion.

"Exactly. So the best solution is to prevent it from happening in the first place. While retaking the castle wouldn't be difficult, there's no point in weakening the territory by creating unnecessary conflict upon your return," Zachary explained.

"So, to prevent a rebellion…"

"We'll need to leave some of our strongest and most trustworthy people behind. They need to be powerful enough to deter any treacherous thoughts."

As Zachary finished, a heavy silence fell over the room.

Not only was the quest itself an unknown challenge, but now part of their main force would need to stay behind.

That meant the expedition would have to bear the burden of reduced manpower.

In the midst of the tension, Ethan sighed and spoke.

"So, we'll take all the second-job pioneers on the expedition, but leave most of the first-job pioneers here. Obviously, Zachary will have to stay behind as the administrator…."

"No."

Justin interrupted Ethan and addressed the officers.

"I'll leave ten first-job pioneers along with Derek, Ethan, and Emily to guard the territory. Rachel, Nathan, and Zachary will come with me on the expedition."

"...!?"

The officers looked at Justin in shock, surprised by his unexpected orders.