After dropping the twins back home, both already half asleep from their tunnel adventure. Ludger didn’t waste a minute. He adjusted his scarf, stepped out into the bright midday sun, and made his way straight toward the Lionsguard’s main hall.

  The clatter of armor and the low rumble of voices reached him before he even turned the corner. Out front, his father was standing with a small formation of armored recruits, five of them lined up neatly, gear polished, eyes alert.

  Arslan looked up as Ludger approached and gave that familiar half-smile, the kind that was half pride, half warning. “You’re right on time.”

  Ludger’s gaze swept over the group, taking in each face in turn.

  Derrin, spear in hand and posture stiff as ever, gave a quick nod. Mira stood beside him, her bow already slung and a calm smile on her lips. Taron adjusted the rune-lined straps on his travel bag, the faint smell of alchemical ink clinging to his gloves. Rhea cracked her knuckles, grinning in anticipation, while Callen stood quietly at the end of the line, his usual calm confidence clear on his face.

  Behind them stood two others: Aronia, the guild’s half-dryad healer, serene as ever in her green-trimmed robes, and beside her, a broad-shouldered man with a weathered face and a scar that looked older than most of the recruits, Harold.

  “First squad’s ready,” Arslan said. “You trained most of them, so they wanted to wait for your word before departure.”

  “Most,” Ludger repeated, looking at Harold.

  The older man chuckled, scratching his beard. “Aye, not me. I’m here to make sure your fancy shipment doesn’t fall into a ditch. Used to haul supplies for Torvares before you were even a thought.”

  Ludger gave a short nod. “Experience counts.”

  His gaze shifted to Aronia. “But you, on the other hand, I didn’t expect to see here.”

  Aronia’s soft smile didn’t waver. “I needed a change of air,” she said simply.

  Ludger blinked once, dry amusement flickering in his voice. “The air in the Velis League isn’t clean. It’s like breathing metal dust.”

  “I know,” she said, tone light but certain. “Still, bad air is better than stale air. I’ve spent too long in the same garden. There are things that I want to buy there as well.”

  Ludger studied her for a second longer, then gave a small shrug. “Your choice. Just don’t complain if your lungs start glowing.”

  That made Rhea laugh quietly, and even Aronia chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind, Vice Guildmaster.”

  Arslan crossed his arms. “Everything’s packed, rations, potions, reinforced wagons. They’re ready to move once you give the order. The shipment will head east through your tunnel routes as soon as you confirm stability on your end.”

  Ludger gave one approving nod. “Good.”

  He looked over the squad again, his recruits, his teacher’s results, his guild’s growing core. “You all know the mission,” he said evenly. “ We will deliver the shipment safely. The League will meet us on the far side. If anything looks wrong, don’t force it. Report immediately. I will go with you guys this time around, and probably the next, but after that, unless something major happens, I won’t.”

  A chorus of firm nods followed.

  Aronia stepped forward slightly, her usual calm eyes now carrying a spark of curiosity. “And you?”

  “I’ll be expanding the tunnels as we travel,” Ludger said. “We’ll need more routes soon.”

  Rhea exhaled sharply. “You really don’t rest, huh?”

  Ludger gave her a flat look. “Rest is inefficient.”

  Arslan smirked. “And there it is.”

  The recruits laughed softly, the tension breaking for a moment before Ludger turned toward the gates. “Form up,” he ordered. “We leave in an hour.”

  As they moved to prepare, Arslan caught his son’s arm briefly, his voice low. “Good work, Ludger. They’re learning fast. You’ve built something solid here.”

  Ludger’s gaze followed the squad, watching the disciplined rhythm of their movement. “Not solid yet,” he said quietly. “But close.”

  Then he turned, coat swaying with the motion, already planning the next step, because as far as Ludger was concerned, there was always another layer to carve, another tunnel to shape, and another wall to raise.

  An hour later, the sound of shifting earth filled the dim chamber as Ludger knelt near the tunnel wall, his hand pressed flat against the stone floor.

  A deep rumble followed, steady, controlled, and the ground began to shape itself into a smooth archway. Dust rolled down in waves as he carved the last stretch of passage, linking the guild’s underground warehouse directly into his expanding network of tunnels.

  The air carried the scent of fresh earth and mana residue, faintly metallic.

  “Connection complete,” Ludger said flatly, brushing dirt off his gloves. “Try the light, Taron.”

  The young runic mage nodded quickly and extended his hand. A moment later, a rune flared to life in the air, bathing the tunnel in pale blue light. The rough stone walls shimmered faintly under its glow, revealing the massive wagon parked behind them.

  It was easily twice the size of anything they had used before, metal-reinforced, built to haul a serious load.

  Ludger crouched beside one of the wheels, shaping the earth beneath it. The floor rippled and rose, forming a cradle of solid stone that hugged the axles. He reinforced the joints with thin layers of compacted mana-infused clay, strengthening every seam.

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  The process was methodical. Each breath of mana cost him more than before, but he didn’t flinch. “It’s heavier than expected,” he muttered, eyeing the wagon’s shadow. “Will burn through mana faster, but it’ll hold.”

  Behind him, the others stood watching, their expressions somewhere between awe and anxiety.

  Rhea leaned close to Callen, whispering, “We’re really… doing the whole trip underground, aren’t we?”

  Callen nodded hesitantly. “Seems like it.” His voice carried a mix of excitement and dread. “I mean… it’s safe from ambushes, but still. It’s underground.”

  Taron lowered his rune slightly, the flickering light making his nervous grin look even thinner. “Let’s hope he doesn’t collapse the ceiling on us if he sneezes.”

  Mira crossed her arms, scanning the endless tunnel ahead. “Feels weird. No sky, no wind. Just dirt.”

  Ludger didn’t turn around as he replied, tone dry. “If you prefer, you can walk topside with the bandits and beasts.”

  That shut them up. He stood, dusting off his hands, and eyed the wagon again. The air in the tunnel hummed faintly with mana, the walls solid and reinforced enough to carry their weight.

  It was functional, efficient, and claustrophobic. To most of them, it looked like a burial route more than a supply line. But to Ludger, it was just another tool.

  He gave the tunnel one last glance, his expression calm. “We move in ten minutes,” he said. “Stay close. Don’t wander. And if you hear the walls groan, pray it’s just me.”

  The recruits traded uneasy looks. Whatever this mission was, one thing was certain: they were about to spend most of it beneath the earth.

  Eventually, once everything were checked and the wagon secured, Ludger gave a short nod.

  “Everyone inside,” he said.

  The recruits exchanged uncertain glances before climbing up the reinforced wagon one by one. The interior was dim, lit only by Taron’s hovering illumination rune. The air smelled faintly of stone dust and oil, the faint vibration of mana already pulsing through the floor beneath their boots.

  When the last of them settled in, Ludger began to focus on the ground. The tunnel floor rumbled. Chunks of stone shifted and smoothed as an earthen platform formed beneath the wagon’s wheels. The ground lifted slightly, humming with his mana, then began to move forward in a steady glide.

  It wasn’t fast, not like when he used Stone Surfing alone, but it was smooth, controlled. The motion carried them through the tunnel like a massive sled gliding through sand.

  The wagon rolled on, the tunnel walls gliding past in rhythmic silence. After a few minutes, Ludger finally broke it, his voice calm and matter-of-fact.

  “You’re all wondering why we’re doing this the hard way,” he said. “So here’s the list.”

  The others leaned forward slightly as he continued.

  “First, security. Bandits, beasts, and opportunists can’t steal what they can’t find. Aboveground caravans are attacked often. Underground routes remove that variable entirely.”

  He raised a hand, letting a faint pulse of mana ripple along the ceiling. “Second, stability. Earth and stone dampen mana signatures underground. Even large shipments won’t be detectable by scouts or sensing spells. That means we can move froststeel, supplies, and mana cores without drawing unwanted attention.”

  Taron nodded, muttering, “So… like moving through blind spots.”

  “Exactly,” Ludger said. “Third, efficiency. The tunnels will eventually connect directly between our warehouse and allied zones. Once they’re finished, we’ll move goods from Lionfang to the northern camps in under half a day. No weather, no terrain problems, no monsters.”

  Mira tilted her head. “And the fourth reason?”

  Ludger’s lips twitched in a faint smirk. “Control. Anyone who wants to use these tunnels will need our permission. That gives the Lionsguard leverage, something more valuable than froststeel.”

  The recruits traded looks, part impressed, part uneasy.

  Rhea finally said, “You’ve thought of everything, huh?”

  Ludger’s tone was dry. “That’s my job.”

  The wagon continued its slow, steady glide deeper through the earth, the faint hum of moving stone echoing ahead like a heartbeat in the dark. For the others, it felt like an endless descent. For Ludger, it was progress.

  Hours passed beneath the earth before Ludger finally slowed the wagon’s movement. The humming rhythm of mana faded, and the solid echo of stone grinding to a halt filled the tunnel. Dust settled in the still air.

  “Out,” Ludger said quietly.

  The recruits blinked, groggy from the hypnotic glide. When they stepped outside, the air felt thick and heavy, but it was still better than being boxed inside the moving wagon for so long. A few of them stretched, cracking their backs and rolling their shoulders.

  “Didn’t think I’d miss standing still,” Rhea muttered, exhaling.

  “You’ll miss it again in the morning,” Ludger replied dryly.

  They had stopped in a small underground chamber that he’d carved open with geomancy. The space wasn’t large, just enough for the wagon and a dozen people, but the ceiling arched smoothly, reinforced with compacted stone and lined with faint runic stabilizers Taron had etched earlier.

  It was dark, but not suffocatingly so. Ludger pressed a hand to the ground, channeling a pulse of mana. The stone rippled outward and began shaping itself, a small archway forming against one of the walls. A moment later, the earth split open, forming a ramp upward that led to the surface. Cold night air seeped through, carrying the smell of grass and open sky.

  Mira was the first to breathe deeply. “Fresh air… never thought I’d appreciate dirt and wind so much.”

  “This’ll be our first checkpoint,” Ludger said. “We’ll set up a few of these on the way. Each one will connect to the main tunnel and lead to a surface exit. If something goes wrong, these’ll serve as fallback shelters or emergency exits.”

  Taron nodded, already sketching rough diagrams on his notepad. “Smart. So, mini stations underground?”

  “Exactly,” Ludger said. “But there’s a problem.”

  He stood, brushing dust off his gloves. “Most of these exits can only be opened or closed by me. I designed them that way to prevent tampering, but it limits how they can be used. If I wanted real gates here, ones with locks or triggers, I’d have to risk surface exposure. That means being found.”

  Rhea tilted her head. “So you’d have to choose between security and accessibility?”

  “Pretty much,” Ludger said. His tone was even, but his eyes were distant, already turning the problem over in his mind. “If we leave physical doors, someone might find them. If we don’t, then only I can use them. That works now, but not forever.”

  Aronia approached the newly opened archway, her soft green eyes reflecting the moonlight filtering down. “You’ll find a balance,” she said. “You always do.”

  Ludger gave a quiet hum in acknowledgment. He didn’t deny it, but his expression made it clear the thought would haunt him until he did.

  He raised a hand, and the stone beside the tunnel shifted again, forming small alcoves for storage and sleeping. The recruits quickly unpacked their supplies, rations, bedrolls, and Taron’s portable light runes.

  By the time the soft glow filled the chamber, the tension had lifted. Rhea and Callen started preparing food; Mira tuned her bow; Taron fiddled with rune crystals.

  Ludger sat near the wall, back straight, eyes half-closed as he meditated. The quiet hum of mana flowed beneath his skin, restoring what he’d burned during the trip. The others thought he was resting. But he wasn’t. He was planning.

  Checkpoints every fifty kilometers. Reinforce the central tunnel. Create alternative exits disguised as natural caves. Integrate a rune-based locking system that doesn’t require direct control.

  It was all possible, just time, mana, and patience. Still, as he opened his eyes and glanced at his team sitting under the soft rune light, he thought, at least they’ll have proper air and ground to sleep on.

  Tomorrow, they’d move again. Another stretch of tunnel. Another checkpoint. Another problem to solve. And Ludger wouldn’t have it any other way.