Chapter 67: The Captain and the Adventurer Meeting

Around noon, EeDeChi, who had been invited by Princess Renner to the palace for a discussion, finally returned. As soon as she walked in, Barrett eagerly asked, "What did Princess Renner want to talk about?"

"She's leaving the capital in two days to help the poor, and some nobles might try to undermine her secretly. She wants me to go with her. Get ready; in two days, our 'The Last Defender of the Way' team will head out." EeDeChi replied absently, as if it were just another casual outing.

"Go make some soup; I haven't had lunch yet." EeDeChi ordered. "Make a pot of parsnip soup, like last time. Dice the onions, slice the meat thinner, and add half a bottle of goat milk."

Barrett shook his head helplessly and headed to the kitchen. Ever since EeDeChi tasted his soup, she couldn't get enough of it, so he ended up taking care of most of the cooking on their adventures.

Barrett pointed to a wooden gift box on the table and suggested, "You might want to try a few of the chocolates on the table. They're from Brain."

EeDeChi went to the table, tore off the blue satin ribbon tied into a bow, opened the wooden box, grabbed a few chocolates, and started munching on them. She tossed a chocolate ball to Barrett, saying, "They're pretty good; you should try one too."

Barrett caught the incoming "missile" with skill. Although he managed to catch the chocolate ball without letting it hit his face, his palm still stung from the impact. He examined the black chocolate ball in his hand and popped it into his mouth.

Soon, Sean and Stella returned as well. Stella, wearing a cute heart-shaped agate hairpin, noticed the pure white tulip large bouquet on the table as soon as she walked in.

"Who sent these tulips?" the young cleric asked curiously. "I remember that in Baharuth, white tulips represent…"

"Brain sent these. You take them," EeDeChi said as she tossed the large bouquet of tulips to Stella, who was caught off guard and ended up with flowers all over her face. Sean quickly pulled the large bouquet off her head, leaving the young cleric with a few white petals still stuck to her confused expression.

"It's not really right for me to get these," Stella said, holding the disheveled tulips awkwardly.

"What's wrong with it? Don't girls like flowers?" EeDeChi responded generously.

She then grabbed a box of chocolates from the table and called out to them, "Come on, try the chocolates Brain sent. These are black chocolates with a unique Re-Estize flavor, filled with hazelnuts and toffee."

Sean and Stella sat down as instructed and began tasting the gift carefully selected by a famous swordsman for EeDeChi.

After swallowing a chocolate, Sean spoke up, "Captain, we passed by the Adventurer's Guild and saw a new notice posted on the guild door. It says that tomorrow night, the Adventurer's Guildmaster will hold a high-tier adventurer meeting at the 'Golden Harbor' tavern. There's something very important to discuss, and all adventurers of Mithril-level and above in the capital are invited to attend. You and the uncle can go."

The uncle, wearing a fabric apron, emerged from the kitchen with thick cotton gloves on his hands, carrying a pot of steaming, creamy soup. The warm aroma filled the room.

"High-tier adventurer meeting?" Barrett looked puzzled. "That's a big deal."

...

In various countries, adventurer levels are categorized from lowest to highest as follows: Copper, Iron, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Mithril, Orichalcum, Adamantite.

Mithril-level is where most of the highly skilled and experienced senior adventurers are found. Orichalcum-level usually consists of elite adventurer teams that have achieved a high level of coordination over many years and are rare as hen's teeth.

The highest tier, adamantite-level, is even rarer than gold in the slums. In the entire Re-Estize Kingdom, there are only three adamantite-level adventurer teams, and in the vast Baharuth Empire, there are just two adamantite-level adventurer squads.

From Barrett's memory, he had attended three high-tier adventurer meetings.

The first was because an adult red dragon attacked a knight's fortress. The second was to deal with an illithid tribe, and the third was when the local Adventurer's Guild guildmaster got drunk and wanted to test his own authority...

The Adventurer's Guild is essentially a loose organization, or rather a loose system that acts as a bridge between employers and adventurers, taking a small fee for the service.

Every large town has an Adventurer's Guild, and each guild has a guildmaster, so a guildmaster doesn't actually hold much power. As long as there are free-roaming dangerous monsters, no one can fully control the inherently free-spirited adventurers.

Of course, Adventurer's Guilds in major cities have more responsibilities. For example, the Adventurer's Guild in the capital city of the Re-Estize Kingdom serves as a central hub, coordinating with other guilds across the kingdom and handling more complex affairs. Consequently, the guildmaster's authority is somewhat greater.

The setting sun, like a shy maiden, had already dipped below the horizon. The sky had darkened, and the night crept in like flowing ink. EeDeChi and Barrett traveled in a four-wheeled carriage along the street, approaching the "Golden Harbor" tavern. The three-story tavern was brightly lit, with colorful magical lights reflecting on the windows.

From its charming name, "Golden Harbor," it was clear that this tavern was not run by the Adventurer's Guild but was a high-end establishment in the capital of the kingdom.

Most taverns catering to adventurers have names that lack any poetic flair. After all, poetic names don't appeal to adventurers as much as blunt, catchy names like "Get Rich" or "Luck Be Yours" do. 

If an adventurer tavern were named something elegant like "Marina" or "Maggie Ivy," you'd find out that it's likely a nickname for a local beauty who sells her body.

Most adventurers wouldn't frequent the "Golden Harbor" tavern. On one hand, they lack the gold, and on the other, the tavern's refined atmosphere doesn't suit their rough demeanor. It's a place favored by nobles and wealthy merchants.

However, tonight the "Golden Harbor" had been booked by the guildmaster exclusively for the high-tier adventurer meeting, which showed the guildmaster's sincerity.

The carriage came to a slow stop, and EeDeChi and Barrett disembarked. A polite white-clad steward stood in front of the tavern, flanked by two burly men with long swords and fierce expressions.

EeDeChi and Barrett presented their Orichalcum and Mithril adventurer badges to the steward, who inspected them carefully. After confirming their authenticity, the steward bowed slightly and led them into the tavern.

Once an elegant tavern for the upper class, it is now a scene of chaos. Adventurers in various outfits moved about, drinking, chatting loudly, sparring, and even brawling, creating a din louder than a busy marketplace.

As Barrett walked a few steps ahead, a figure wielding a magic staff suddenly popped out from a corner.

"Hey! Barrett, my old buddy! What are you doing here? Long time no see!" The wizard with a goatee greeted, his staff poking Barrett's chest, a grin spread across his face.