Lynn didn't reveal what his plan was, and Finn didn't press for details. He could reasonably guess that Lynn's thoughts were either related to the trade routes to the north or the gnome city. He felt it was enough to have a general idea; the specifics could be discussed later, without any rush.
With plenty of time ahead, they decided to locate Losanda's artifact first, then return together to Dagger Valley.
Thanks to the drow's memories, Finn learned that the dwarven treasury was situated not far from the Desert Mouth Mountains. The treasury was entirely constructed underground, concealed by a complex network of terrain and tunnels. The priests seeking it were unaware of the paths and would struggle to find it. Even the dwarves themselves had faced heavy losses during their retreat, and years later, they would find it challenging to rely on fragmented memories to rediscover their treasure.
However, the drow were accustomed to living underground. Since the smuggling industry had taken root in Dagger Valley, the drow from Old Bone Mountain frequently came to procure supplies. They needed a place to stay, and compared to the cities, the abandoned tunnels proved to be a better refuge. Thus, the dwarven tunnels had been discovered and repurposed by them.
Not long ago, the drow had been preparing to withdraw from Dagger Valley. While clearing the tunnels, they inadvertently stumbled upon the dwarven treasury. They had intended to take the items back home after wrapping up their business but never got the chance.
Now, those treasures belonged to Lynn and his party.
The information from the drow had come through the Speak with Dead spell and was not particularly precise. It took them a full day to find the tunnel they had mentioned, and after another day of wandering, they finally discovered the legendary hidden chamber.
Inside the chamber, they found not only over a hundred dwarven weapons but also the remains of dwarves and human adventurers who had sought refuge there. All were long dead, and the condition of the bones suggested they hadn't all succumbed solely to injuries. The blackened bones indicated they may have fallen victim to poison or a severe illness, unable to find sustenance and perishing in isolation.
On one corpse, which appeared to belong to a priest, they found the Radiant Ring lying there. It seemed to have been unearthed by the drow, who had left it behind.
"The Radiant Ring," Finn examined it and chuckled, "a headband that grants a continuous light spell, rendering darkness ineffective. The wearer can use a couple of color spray or starshine spells… It's no wonder the drow didn't take it. What would a group of drow need with a glowing item? That would be quite conspicuous. Although it doesn't have any alignment restrictions, clearly, no one in this party found it appealing."
Handing it over to the Banes' church for some tangible benefits was clearly the best course of action.
After securing the artifact, they sealed the treasury and decided to return to Dagger Valley. This took another day's journey, and by the time they approached the outskirts of Dagger Valley, it was nearly evening. From afar, they could already see thick smoke and flames rising from the direction of the valley.
Something felt wrong. Sensing the anomaly, the group immediately sent Imory to scout ahead, and she soon returned with news.
The word of the vampires' demise had spread through the town. Simultaneously, rumors circulated that both Losanda and the Banes' priests had been devoured by the red dragon, and that the smugglers' supplies had all been incinerated by it.
Furthermore, with this news, people began to speculate that a massive war might erupt between Losanda's church and the Banes' church, with Dagger Valley as the epicenter. Whether regarding the dragon's threat or the possibility of war, panic and chaos overwhelmed the residents of Dagger Valley.
The rumors clearly originated from the adventurers, but once spread, no one had come forward to debunk them. The traders in Dagger Valley appeared to relish the gossip, as it drove prices up. With the price hike, they could make a handsome profit.
They didn't care whether the information was true or false; they actually hoped it was real so they could cash in. Indeed, the inflation in prices following the rumors was largely due to their own hoarding.
While the traders were raking in profits, word of the red dragon's destruction of supplies reached the surrounding bandits. Seeing that the prices had soared, they realized they could no longer afford anything. Faced with this predicament, the bandits opted for the simplest, most violent solution: they gathered hundreds and charged toward Dagger Valley, believing that taking the town would solve their supply issues.
During the days that Lynn and the others had been hunting for the artifact, the bandits had organized themselves and were now marching fiercely toward Dagger Valley. The valley had little defense against such a sudden attack; the adventurers present had to rally together to resist the onslaught.
Lynn and his party hadn't even taken action yet, and Dagger Valley was already in chaos. Watching this unfold, Lynn could only reflect on how the turmoil of adventurers and the greed of merchants were deeply ingrained; it was inescapable and impossible to change.
"This situation actually works to our advantage. We could play both sides, courting some of the bandits while extorting a chunk of change from the merchants. We should act quickly; once the bandits breach the town, controlling the situation will become that much more difficult, and we might encounter a multitude of complications."
Lynn had initially intended to take advantage of the shortage of supplies in Dagger Valley, using Miss Vera's funds to buy a stockpile from Sentinel Fortress. He planned to lure the bandits northward, but now he realized the money could be entirely saved.
"How do you intend to control them?" Finn picked up on Lynn's thoughts immediately and began to brainstorm with him. "I can present myself as a priest, claiming we weren't devoured by the dragon. The Dark Lord still holds sway here, and we can leverage my status."
"That's a solid idea, but we need to refine it a bit," Lynn nodded. "We're recruiting a group of bandits, not virtuous souls. We must find ways to subtly manipulate them so they cannot extricate themselves from our control. The first step should ideally involve intimidating them, showing them who deserves their respect."
"How do we intimidate them…" Finn started to say but fell silent.
He watched as Lynn pulled out the red dragon onyx. Lynn hesitated for a moment before asking another question.
"Is riding a dragon difficult?"