Chapter 19.2: Floating Veil (1)

I looked at Asher on the other side.

It was because she, who had been sitting motionless as always, glanced out the window.

Just when I thought something was wrong, the carriage came to a slow stop with the sound of a horse clattering.

"Hahaha! How dare you pass through such a forest fearlessly without an escort!"

A gruff voice echoed from outside the carriage.

Is it a thief?

In this medieval fantasy world, thieves and monsters were common on the road.

It was only when I headed to Enrock from the Overlord Castle that the escort knights were full, so I never encountered a group of bandits, but that was not the case now.

It's not a situation I didn't expect.

"Get off the wagon! Give everything you have and… Whoa!"

And the screams continued.

The sound of something being torn to pieces and a terrible scream echoed continuously, and soon it was quiet outside.

I sneakily opened the window and poked my head out to see the scattered corpses and Baros wiping the blood from his glasses.

Around him, something like the wind took shape, swaying, then disappearing… Was that a spirit?

Baros, who met my eyes, lowered his head as if to apologize.

"My apologies. We stopped moving because of the garbage."

"…It's fine."

Baros climbed into the driver's seat, and the carriage started again.

There seemed to be no need for Asher to take care of the thieves.

***

After that, our travel continued, encountering thieves and monsters intermittently.

After a long time, we finally arrived at our destination, the territory of the 5th Lord, Sarogal.

The city of Kwarzhen, a large city in the northern frontier.

After spending a night at a luxury inn to wash off my fatigue, the next day I immediately went to the adventurer's guild in the city.

"That's why, at that desperate moment, I grabbed the monster's horn and left it…"

"Sally, how about a drink tonight, just the two of us? Huh? After earning a lot from the previous request, I can buy you expensive alcohol."

How could I describe the inside of the guild building? The atmosphere was exactly what I had imagined.

A person carefully looking through the request forms pasted on the wall, a person who was continuously bragging about his heroic deeds, and a person who was flirting with the staff at the counter…

After looking at the scene for a while, I approached the counter and was greeted by a woman from a beast tribe who was doing her job with a smile.

"Welcome, young master. Do you have a request you want to apply for?"

She asked that probably after judging based on my outfit that I came here to request something.

I nodded and asked.

"Which adventurer in this city is the most knowledgeable with the geography of Tyrell Mountains?"

She answered without a moment's thought.

"You are looking for an adventurer knowledgeable in the geography of the Tyrell Mountains. Do you want a guide?"

"Yes."

"Does it matter if it's an adventurer or just a normal individual?"

"Does not matter."

"Then, I recommend the Blue Fox Adventurer Team. The leader, Mr. Rodin, is a first-class adventurer, and a has a considerable reputation here in Kwarzhen. They are sitting right there right now. Would you like to meet them?"

At the place the woman pointed out, several men and women were sitting around and talking on the railing on the second floor.

As I followed her up the stairs and got closer, I met their questioning glances.

Five adventurers, men and women, each armed with various weapons such as swords, spears, and bows.

[Lv. 36]

Among them, the female receptionist talked to the man with the highest level, a huge sword standing next to the table.

"Mr. Rodin, there is a request for you. The young master said that he is looking for a guide who is knowledgeable about the geography of the Tyrell Mountains."

"…Huh? A request?"

He looked back and forth between me and the receptionist, scratching his beard, then spoke to her.

"Chelsea, we already agreed to take on an escort request to Polyp City. Didn't you know?"

"…Yes? Did you?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can take on that request, sir. Find another adventurer."

Unaware of the fact, the receptionist had a puzzled expression on her face.

I asked her.

"Are these guys the most knowledgeable when it came to the geography of Tyrell Mountains?"

"Yes, that's true, but… I'm sorry, young master. Since they already agreed to a prior request, I'll introduce you to another."

I shook my head.

Looking at the levels, the skills seemed clear, and I wanted to bring the best manpower.

"If it's like that, I'll pay more. So, can you cancel that request and take mine?"

At my words, a man named Rodin laughed a little and replied.

"I can't do that, sir. If I cancelled the commission I already received, I have to pay several times the advance payment as a penalty."

That was only natural since if the adventurer side arbitrarily cancelled the request, it would harm the client as well.

I asked again.

"How much is the cancellation fee?"

"Since the advance payment received is five gold, I will have to pay 10 gold, which is doubled."

"I'll hire you for 20 gold. How about it?"

Rodin's eyes widened, as if my condition sounded quite unconventional.

But in the end, he shook his head.

"A penalty is also a penalty, but there is trust with the client. If we break the first request to take on another request, what will people think of our group?"

"I'll double the commission to 40 gold."

Rodin's pupils twitched.

"I'm sorry, but I really can't, sir…"

"Three times, 60 gold."

"…There is a thing called credibility—"

"Five times, 100 gold. This is my last offer."

Rodin's words were cut off.

The other members also gulped and looked at Rodin.

He slowly got up from his seat, dragging his chair, and bent his back.

"Welcome, dear client."