After using the teleportation array to arrive at the main city of the Northern Adventurers' Guild, Winter City,
Edward and his companions wasted no time.
They immediately headed towards the location Eliza had in mind for the filming, managing to reach the designated place before dusk.
"This Dark Night Forest is where our new adventurers in the North often train their skills. Although the Adventurers' Guild regularly clears it, monsters still continuously emerge from within," Eliza explained.
Edward and the others focused their attention on the ominous Dark Night Forest ahead.
Unlike the peaceful and safe South, the North truly lived up to its reputation as the Empire's most dangerous region.
Along the way, they frequently spotted terrifying monsters lurking by the roadside.
These low-level creatures dared not approach, merely sensing the dreadful aura of the Headless Horseman.
However, compared to the roads in the South, where monsters were nearly nonexistent, this journey was already considered quite perilous.
Furthermore, unlike other regions where adventurers and monsters were rarely classified, the North had a strict system.
The reason for this was twofold: first, the vast differences in power among individuals and creatures in the North, and second, to ensure that adventurers would not recklessly engage with powerful monsters beyond their abilities.
The Adventurers' Guild's manual strictly regulated the types of missions that could be accepted and the level of monsters that adventurers of different ranks could face.
This system was designed to protect adventurers' safety.
In terms of adventurer rankings, the North used materials as rank names.
The highest rank was Platinum, followed by Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron, and Porcelain.
Adventurers' badges were also made of the material corresponding to their rank, symbolizing their status.
The distribution of adventurers' ranks was pyramid-shaped.
Platinum-ranked adventurers were rare, with only a few ever existing in the Guild's history, and they had to accomplish extraordinary feats like slaying a dragon.
Otherwise, even if someone reached a super-level in power, they wouldn't be granted Platinum rank.
The next level, Gold, was also scarce, though each era had a few Gold-ranked adventurers.
For example, before becoming the Guild Master, Eliza was one of the few Golden adventurers.
The Gold rank was more about strength, and any adventurer reaching the fifth tier would usually be granted Gold status.
Since most wizards in this world were reluctant to fight, the majority of Gold-ranked adventurers were fifth-tier Sword Saints.
In summary, the Northern Adventurers' Guild had a clear hierarchy, with strong adventurers gathering there, unlike the small-scale operations in the South.
However, the North was also extremely dangerous, with the highest death rate among the Empire's four regions.
Yet, in recent years, under the strict management of the Northern Adventurers' Guild, the death rate had stabilized at a relatively low level.
Although still higher than in other regions, the North was no longer considered an adventurers' graveyard.
However, due to the influx of reckless "overpowered" adventurer novels into the North, young adventurers began harboring foolish ideas, ignoring the Guild's warnings.
They acted independently without following experienced adventurers to train and gain experience, leading to a significant rise in the Guild's death rate.
Given this situation, it was no wonder Eliza had hurried to the South to seek Edward's help.
"Dark Night Forest, huh? Belldia, is there anything in there you can't handle?" Edward asked.
The Headless Horseman, who had been silently following the group, glanced at the forest of death before him and calmly replied, "Not sure, but judging by the life energy, the strongest creatures here would be trolls or similar beings. These monsters can be defeated by any experienced adventurer team. If there's something even I can't handle, it would have to be a Demon God-level creature, and those are usually found in unexplored regions beyond the North."
Satisfied with the response, Edward surveyed the surroundings and then strode confidently into the Dark Night Forest.
"This is the end of the forest. Beyond this point lies the Chaos Mountains, which are not part of the North's territory. Many cave-like structures here are nests created by more intelligent creatures, such as goblins. This area should meet your requirements, Director Edward," Eliza explained.
Edward slowly circled the area, then emerged from the mountain's edge and said, "It's getting late. I'll take someone to explore inside. The rest of you can set up camp. We'll need to prepare this place for filming."
"Uh, alright. Should I accompany you inside?" Eliza asked.
Although having a fifth-tier Sword Saint like Eliza would certainly ensure safety, Edward's goal wasn't merely to explore the caves.
So, to everyone's surprise, he pointed at the Duke's daughter, Daphne, who had remained silent since their arrival in the North, and said, "Daphne, you're coming with me. This is the first part of your interview."
"???"
Startled, the girl hesitated but instinctively stepped forward.
When her guard also attempted to follow, Edward quickly added, "Not you, just her."
"Why—?!"
Before the guard could finish speaking, Daphne stopped her, saying, "I understand. I'll go alone."
"But, my lady—"
Despite the guard's objections, Daphne's firm attitude left no room for argument, and the guard had no choice but to stay behind.
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