After sending a reply to Professor Bonnie White, Sean decided to put the matter out of his mind entirely. He didn't dwell on what consequences this might bring to him.
In fact, this mindset was another manifestation of his "wisdom," showing that once he made a decision, he wouldn't fret over it.
Cecilia had witnessed the whole thing. She knew of the Helsen Research Institute, but her knowledge of this special branch of the Wisdom Temple was limited. She had only heard about it in passing from her family.
However, Cecilia couldn't help but notice that she had never seen Sean handle something with such seriousness and caution, even though he had agreed to do seemingly impossible things like crossing the Starfall Forest with a simple word.
"Is this a big problem?" This was the first thing Cecilia said after Sean sent his reply, and her worried expression was evident.
"It's not a big problem, just a bit tricky," Sean replied, smiling. He had completely relaxed after sending the letter. "But for now, I've put it behind me. I can't control how things will develop from here."
At least, I can't control it with my current abilities, Sean thought but didn't say it out loud.
The unexpected invitation from the Helsen Research Institute had completely departed from anything Sean could have anticipated. When he was on his way to the Scholar's Hall for the Scholar Assessment, he had considered various scenarios but had never thought of this.
In Sean's subconscious, there was no anticipation of the existence of the Helsen Research Institute, a specialized institution that was currently impossible for him to access. In Sean's memory, small territories like Tindesling should not have Helsen Research Institutes.
These factors were the key reasons Sean had overlooked the existence of the Helsen Research Institute.
But after analyzing the situation afterward, Sean quickly figured it out. Tindesling was indeed a small territory, and Lord Pelleo had little actual power, but the territory had a unique geographical factor—it was adjacent to the Starfall Forest.
Even though the Wisdom Temple didn't possess formidable worldly military power, sometimes knowledge was far scarier than conventional force. That was why they dared to acquire a seventh-tier magical beast for research.
Through this incident, Sean's internal alarm bell rang loudly: the development and changes in many things in this world were starting to gradually move beyond his understanding. He needed to be more cautious in his future actions.
Fortunately, the Helsen Research Institute was a special academic institution. If it had been the Inquisition at his door, then they would have only talked through fists.
With his current second-tier strength, it was likely that no one would take him seriously.
In the end, it was crucial to quickly improve his own strength.
Fortunately, now that he had acquired the Scholar profession, the increased experience penalty due to his profession wasn't much of an issue for Sean. He was confident that the Black Cat members, despite their foolishness, would come looking for him soon.
However, even if the Dogheads Camp's dungeon didn't satisfy his advancement requirements, Sean knew the location of another important dungeon in Tindesling, which was his other primary goal for coming here.
After reassuring Cecilia and making sure she wouldn't be distracted by this unexpected event, Sean began to focus on his own affairs.
First and foremost, he needed to deal with the upcoming Dogheads Camp situation.
Dogheads were humanoid creatures standing about a meter tall. Although their name contained the word "dog," they were not actual dogs. They resembled upright lizards, and from an Earthling's perspective, they could be considered miniature humanoid velociraptors. Despite being a sentient race, they weren't recognized by humans. Nevertheless, Dogheads had their own culture and a history of traditions.
Due to their size, Dogheads were much smaller than humans in terms of strength and endurance. Also, because their evolutionary history was relatively short, their intelligence and willpower were somewhat inferior to humans.
However, the principle that any sentient group contained both the intelligent and the ignorant applied to Dogheads as well. In their complete cultural heritage, Dogheads also had the profession of mages.
Any humanoid race, or any sentient group, had a relatively comprehensive professional system and related divisions.
Therefore, in the Dogheads Camp located on the outskirts of the Starfall Forest, there were two Dogheads mages. This was a genuine third-tier profession, and regardless of whether they were human or not, there were strict regulations governing the inheritance of magic: any official mage was a third-tier profession.
In addition to this, there were a considerable number of other Dogheads professions, such as Dogheads infantry, Dogheads scouts, and Dogheads guards, mostly second-tier professions. However, once there were enough of them, this would naturally lead to a qualitative change.
Based on Sean's knowledge of Dogheads history, the Dogheads in this camp could have already formed a new Dogheads tribe.
However, in reality, this group of Dogheads did not do so. Instead, they strictly maintained the "camp" model for survival.
Although humans were unwilling to acknowledge the Dogheads' tribal history, the correct approach when encountering a Dogheads tribe was to begin with "war."
However, if you encountered only a Dogheads camp, a seasoned adventurer team would be more than sufficient to handle and resolve the situation—of course, assuming it was indeed a camp.
Sean now just hoped that the Black Cat Consortium would actually attack this camp.
However, the truth often turned out to be quite cruel.
Behind this harsh reality, Sean concealed a smirk.
Sitting in the lobby of the inn, Roen found himself surprisingly resistant to entering this particular establishment, especially since his previous two experiences here had been far from pleasant.
During his second departure, Roen's mindset had been to get as far away from Sean as possible. He had even sworn that he never wanted to see Sean again.
However, he hadn't anticipated that, within just five days, he would find himself back at this inn. Before coming here, he had even prayed that Sean hadn't already left Arthur's City.
Of course, compared to Roen's inner struggle and conflict, Sean had developed a newfound appreciation for him.
By Sean's original estimation, Roen would come looking for him within two days at most. However, it had taken Roen five days to arrive. Judging by Roen's haggard appearance, Sean deduced that the Black Cat Consortium had indeed launched an attack on the Dogheads Camp. The actual outcome clearly hadn't gone the way Roen had anticipated, as this assault likely ended with heavy losses.
Otherwise, Roen wouldn't have needed to seek him out. If they continued the attack, they would eventually capture the camp.
Given the current results, it seemed the Dogheads Camp hadn't fared well.
"I followed your previous advice and conducted some investigations. I did find the location where the Medusa Consortium was hiding the spires," Roen said, glancing at Sean. He couldn't help but wonder if Sean had known about the Dogheads Camp all along but chose not to inform him. However, Roen needed Sean's assistance, so he couldn't afford to let such sinister thoughts cloud his judgment. "It's a Dogheads tribe."
Roen emphasized the word "tribe," adding, "Although it looks more like a camp. I suspect the Medusa Consortium has been taming these Dogheads."
Sean nodded, signaling for Roen to continue. Internally, he commended Roen, thinking, "He truly is the future heir of the Black Cat Consortium. His powers of observation are impressive."
In the game, even with the official backgrounds and behavioral information provided, players had often only understood the situation after they encountered the final boss in the camp.
Roen wouldn't have the opportunity to meet the final boss. If he had, he wouldn't need to seek Sean's assistance, so Roen's deduction was undoubtedly well-founded.
"You launched a strong attack on a Dogheads tribe?" Sean expressed surprise.
"Yes," Roen replied, noticing no particular reaction on Sean's face. He forced a bitter smile and continued, "This time, the Black Cat Consortium suffered significant losses. Additionally, because we initiated a direct assault, it seems to have triggered some people's nerves. Both the Medusa Consortium and the Tindesling branch of the Arctic Silver have started pressuring and harassing us. Now, in order to maintain the situation, the attack teams have all been redeployed."
At this point, a hint of anger flashed across Roen's face. "Damn it! It was so close, just give me three more days... no, two more days, and I could have taken down that tribe completely!"
"I understand," Sean comforted Roen, though internally, he felt a sense of relief. It was fortunate that it had come down to this, or he would have wasted these days for nothing.
"Please, help me once more."
Roen remained silent for a while, but eventually, he spoke, "The Dogheads have set up their camp within a thick fog filled with traps and mechanisms. Much of the losses during these days of battle were due to the interference caused by this fog. I know you crossed the Starfall Forest, so I believe you might have a solution to these fog issues."
"So, you're asking me to retrieve the spires?" Sean raised an eyebrow. The crux of the matter was now on the table.
"Yes," Roen nodded, "I think only you have the capability to do this. I have very few people left to mobilize at the moment. Of course, as long as you're willing to help, we can negotiate compensation."
Without hesitation, Roen put forth a significant incentive. After all, the Black Cat Consortium had already suffered considerable losses in this venture, and they were eager to recover those losses quickly. Meanwhile, the Arctic Silver and the Medusa Consortium, who had also incurred significant costs, wouldn't be able to recover as swiftly, giving the Black Cat Consortium an advantage.
A shrewd businessman, Roen had calculated all the details of this proposition.
"If I do help, I want full command of the team. Absolute obedience to my orders. Otherwise, I won't assist you," Sean pretended to ponder for a moment before nodding. "And I mean unwavering obedience."
"Emmm..." Before Roen could respond, another middle-aged man who had come with Roen and Folkes this time suddenly interjected. "You think you can have command of the team with your qualifications? You're just a second-tier Warrior. What right do you have to lead a team? Stick to your role as a guide... for all we know, your crossing of the Starfall Forest might have been a hoax! Young master, be cautious with individuals like him. He might just be here to swindle money! A second-tier Warrior thinking he can cross the Starfall Forest... Hah."