Chapter 68: The Captain and the Metal Plaque

The goatee mage was named Tony Ulea, about 60 years old, and nicknamed "Old Tony."

His hair was streaked with gray, and he had a peculiar burn scar on his left cheek—shaped oddly like a twisted centipede sprawled across his face. It was clearly a mark left by magic.

He wore a light blue mage's robe with no magical insignia on the chest but had an orichalcum-level metal plaque instead. Barrett had adventured with him several times and had even saved his life.

Although time and magic had left their marks on Old Tony, he always wore a cheerful smile, his optimistic demeanor making him quite likable. Barrett grinned back, opening his arms to give his old companion a hug, followed by a handshake and some friendly words.

"Who is this lady?" Old Tony asked, turning his head toward EeDeChi, who was standing beside Barrett. His gaze lingered on the orichalcum-level metal plaque on her chest.

"Hello, I'm EeDeChi, Barrett's captain," EeDeChi introduced herself, extending her hand before Barrett could speak.

Old Tony shook her hand and said with a grin, "You've become an orichalcum-level adventurer at such a young age! Your future is boundless. It looks like Barrett's found a great partner." He winked at Barrett as he spoke.

EeDeChi, dressed in simple black attire, replied coldly, "Young? No, I'm much more mature than you all."

"You definitely have an air of maturity about you," Old Tony agreed. But Barrett knew that Old Tony was likely thinking, "Mature? More like rigid and quirky. She seems like she's come straight from a convent."

Old Tony turned to Barrett and said, "Barrett, I heard you had some bad luck near Mistwood in the Baharuth Empire. They say you lost your… well, your manhood to a crocodile?"

He glanced down at Barrett's lower half with a mix of mockery and sympathy.

"NO… that's not true! Where did you hear such a rumor?" Barrett shook his head vigorously.

Of course, it wasn't a rumor. While trekking beside the River Fra near Mistwood, Barrett had been ambushed by a green-scaled alligator. Though he managed to save his life with his excellent martial arts skills, the part of him that concerned his cock was injured.

It was an embarrassing accident. Barrett was ridiculed by other adventurers as the "Empire's Chief Eunuch." Fortunately, during a later adventure, EeDeChi's indiscriminate healing spell accidentally cured the wound, and his cock grew back thanks to the powerful magic.

If Barrett had only been injured on his hands, feet, or even head, he could brag about his survival skills against the green-scaled alligator. But since it was this particular part of his body, Barrett wanted to forget it entirely, as it was deeply humiliating for a man.

"I'm sure it's not a rumor. It was the traveling merchant Klenf who told me. You know, he's an honest man; he never lies except about business." Old Tony chuckled, his wrinkles crinkling up.

"Klenf, that ingrate! I even saved him from a forest troll's mouth, twice!" Barrett groaned, finally understanding how Old Tony, all the way in the capital of the kingdom, knew about this embarrassing incident.

Barrett grabbed Old Tony by the mage's robe and dragged him to a corner. "Come on, let me show you something big!"

His injury had long since healed, and now he needed to clear up the "rumor."

Old Tony and Barrett moved to a corner of the tavern, facing the wall. Barrett pulled down his pants a bit to show him. Old Tony gasped and then nodded.

"Your 'little bro' is indeed still there, much better than this old guy's, but calling it 'big' might be stretching it. Maybe 'medium-sized'? You should drink more water and hold it before showing me again," Old Tony joked with a lecherous grin. It seemed that despite his age, he hadn't lost his old adventurer habits.

"Ha, if that's the case, then only a donkey's cock would be considered 'big'," Barrett scoffed, unwilling to dwell on the topic.

Old Tony's gaze shifted to the shiny silver metal plaque on Barrett's chest. "With your accomplishments, you should have been able to apply for Orichalcum rank long ago. Why are you still at 'Mithril'?"

"It's fine as it is. The higher the rank, the more trouble there is. For instance, if only 'Orichalcum-level' or higher adventurers are invited to the High-tier Adventurer meetings, I wouldn't have to attend," Barrett answered casually.

What he didn't say was that as long as EeDeChi, with her fierce combat power, was still at Orichalcum level, he felt embarrassed to be promoted to Orichalcum.

"With greater power comes greater responsibility and more gold. You need to understand that, or you'll end up just a regular adventurer all your life. When you're old and can't swing a sword anymore, you'll regret it. Who can be an adventurer for their whole life?" Old Tony assumed a rare elder's tone and gave him a solemn lecture.

He seemed to sense the seriousness in his tone and changed the subject. "What's the deal with your nun captain? Where did you pick her up from? With your credentials and experience, you should be the captain. Don't let her push you around. You should rank up to Orichalcum soon. From my thirty years of marriage, I can tell you, a strong woman and a weak man are never comfortable."

Old Tony poked Barrett's side with his elbow, looking serious.

"Shh~ don't say that," Barrett glanced nervously toward EeDeChi's direction, who was curiously surveying the tavern and eyeing the various adventurers in odd outfits, not noticing them.

Barrett sighed in relief. "If she hears you, watch out—she might yank off your goatee!"

"Ha, is she really that bad-tempered?" Old Tony's goatee wobbled as he shook his head and laughed. "Ah, those adventurous days of youth were something to remember. But enough about that—let's drink more later. Tonight, it's on me. We're not leaving until we're drunk."

"You're buying?" Barrett sneered. "Tonight, the guildmaster is hosting a meeting, and drinks are free. I could say I'm buying too."

"Hmm, just wait and see. I'll have you dropping your jaw!"

At the entrance of the tavern, a girl who looked like a waitress seemed to be calling for Old Tony. Old Tony bade farewell to Barrett, squeezing through the crowd of adventurers and heading toward the waitress.

Barrett returned to EeDeChi's side. The serious-faced girl was moving around other adventurers, rudely staring at their metal plaques on their chests as if searching for something.

A few adventurers, each holding an oak cup, were gathered together drinking and sharing jokes. Suddenly, a black-haired head squeezed in, followed by the rest of the body.

EeDeChi pushed her way into the group of adventurers engrossed in their conversation, gave each of their metal plaques a quick look, shook her head, and then expressionlessly squeezed her way out.