Chapter 33: Departure

Chapter 33: Departure

Early the next morning, a regular carriage swayed away from the bustling crowds at the east gate of Canlight City, heading southeast.

This was Nichole's adventuring party, consisting of five members, with Jason renting a carriage to take them to their destination.

After spending some time yesterday examining and discussing, Nichole and her team finally decided on the commission they would accept.

[Advanced Extermination Commission: Baron Zet Tony's vineyard has been invaded by unidentified monsters (suspected to be Silver-tier monsters), resulting in the deaths of a dozen people (including a Silver-tier mercenary). The request is to eliminate the monsters, clear all threats from the vineyard. Reward: 1000 gold coins, Duration: One week]

As William had expected, new tasks had appeared in the system.

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[Silver-tier Mercenary Task: Monster Extermination]

[Task Requirements: Accompany Nichole's adventuring party to eliminate the monsters causing trouble in Baron Tony's territory.]

[Task Reward: 700,000 experience points, 100 gold coins]

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Indeed, it was a Silver-tier task, and the experience reward was generous enough to raise his level by three more.

Joining Nichole's adventuring party truly proved its worth.

Thinking about this, William leaned against the side of the carriage. Underneath him was a dry straw mat radiating a sunny warmth. In the fields surrounding the road, many farmers had already begun their day's work.

Though the carriage wasn't moving fast, the vineyard destination wasn't far from Canlight City. However, it would still take over a day on foot. To conserve energy and deal with unforeseen circumstances, Jason had decided to rent a carriage.

They could have afforded a more comfortable boxed carriage, but such carriages weren't suitable for rough country roads. The lightweight carriage they were currently using was far more convenient and swift.

Nichole and her team had grown accustomed to this mode of travel, especially William, who had relied on similar lightweight carriages for long-distance travel in his previous life's game's early stages. Advanced modes of transportation like teleportation circles only became available later in the game.

"We're receiving a hefty reward for this mission compared to regular Silver-tier commissions," William remarked to Jason, who was driving the carriage.

Nichole was currently lying by the carriage's side, her eyes observing the nearby farmers working the fields. She held a thumb-thick twig she had picked up from somewhere, deftly twirling it in the air.

Although she was the leader, she rarely dealt with matters concerning the adventuring party, leaving it all to Jason, who was a reliable worker.

"You're right," Jason nodded, controlling the reins to steer the horses forward. "Because this task is quite special. I asked the guild, and it's been taken by some mercenaries before, but none have completed it. Moreover, a Silver-tier mercenary was killed by the monster, so few are willing to take on this task now. The client increased the reward for this reason."

"There must be more to it than just that," William continued to inquire.

"Yeah, you should be aware of it too, as a noble," Jason paused before continuing. "As a noble lord, one of the most basic and important duties is to ensure the safety of the people within your territory. This is especially crucial for Baron Zet Tony."

"Zet Tony, as a noble lord, has experienced such a serious incident within his territory, but has been unable to handle it properly. Not only has it severely affected the normal operation of his vineyard, causing significant economic losses, but more importantly, it will also raise questions about his ability to rule his territory by the royal family."

"It wouldn't matter as much if his territory was on the kingdom's border. However, his territory is just a day's journey from the capital, Canlight City. This is quite dangerous. If he can't resolve the situation for a long time, he may lose his noble title and territory."

"Exactly!" William nodded in agreement, his thoughts aligning with his previous speculation.

Gaia's world was different from his previous life. In addition to human settlements, there were countless intelligent races, monsters, and beasts.

To better govern the country, territories beyond the royal family's control were granted to others, giving rise to the nobility.

Those living within a noble's domain owed allegiance to their lord and paid taxes in exchange for protection.

After all, the wilderness was too harsh for ordinary people to survive in.

The presence of magic allowed various extraordinary creatures to widely spread across the world. Even within human kingdoms, cities, and territories, various extraordinary creatures and monsters roamed. Despite the kingdom's efforts to eradicate them, they could only keep their numbers at a low level.

Even the weakest extraordinary creatures like goblins, kobolds, and slimes posed deadly threats to ordinary people.

Therefore, even though the inhabitants within the city walls and castles had to pay hefty taxes, ordinary people still flocked to them, unwilling to leave. Perhaps this was due to the sense of security brought by the city walls and the lord's army.

However, humans were indeed a miraculous race. The weak couldn't even defeat a slime, yet the strong stood atop the world, overlooking all beings.

Reflecting on this, William pondered that this might be the reason why humans currently occupied most of the prime land in Gaia's world. After all, human gods held the majority of seats in the council of the gods.

As the carriage gradually moved forward, the surroundings became increasingly desolate, devoid of human presence, with dense vegetation taking over.

Nichole and her companions became more alert. In the wilderness, the most crucial thing was not to be careless and let down one's guard. Even for a Gold-tier warrior, how could one be certain that an ancient red dragon wouldn't suddenly appear by the roadside and breathe fire, sending them to meet the Lord of Dawn? The probability might be low, but it was certainly not zero!

Veteran mercenaries who had survived numerous adventures in the wilderness always remembered this point.

As William multitasked, vigilantly scanning the surroundings while mentally simulating spell models, suddenly, from the bushes by the roadside—

"Yah!"

Two small creatures suddenly dashed out, rushing towards William and the others in the carriage.

Jason halted the carriage, unfazed. He had long recognized what was in front of them.

"William, is this your first time leaving the city for a mission? Do you recognize these?" Jason asked calmly.

Of course, William recognized them very well. In fact, he was quite familiar with them. At a glance, he could tell they weren't human.

Pah! These were actually one of the most common extraordinary creatures encountered in the wilderness—a kobold.

Kobolds were short in stature, with an average height of about two feet. Their scaly skin ranged in color from dark brown to black. They had two small horns, glowing eyes, and a straight tail like a rodent's.

Kobolds were timid and cunning, adept at hiding and ambushing. They tended to mistreat other creatures. They feared bright light and generally inhabited dark areas, such as underground or densely forested areas.

It was said that kobolds had a trace of dragon blood in them, which might explain why dragonblood sorcerers occasionally emerged among them.

Even though William had seen kobolds countless times, he couldn't help but find them ugly creatures from all angles. Dragons finding them attractive? Perhaps dragons truly had eyes for discovering beauty.

Watching the two kobolds bounding towards the carriage, Jason turned to William and said, "Since you've recognized them, how about you give these two a try?"