Merchant and Bandit

"Rudeus, your mission is to scout and investigate the bandit hideout. Not only that, you should know that the bandit always raid the merchant so they must have a captive so you must free them. If the bandit is more powerful than the quest, you can report to the adventure guild and wait for back up. Do you have any question ?" (Karen)

"Miss Karen, I'm sorry to ask this but what do I need to do if they don't want to surrender ?" (Rudeus)

"You can kill them if needed Rudeus. This is why this kind of quest is dangerous. But I hope you spare the people who surrender and bring them to city guard." (Karen)

"Sure." (Rudeus)

"Alright. Because this is a personal quest you can make your own party or you can do it alone." (Karen)

"Ok. Thank you miss Karen" (Rudeus)

I left the adventure guild building and begin walk towards the north gate. I receive the information that the bandit is operate between the route of White River City to the Twinleaf Town. Twinleaf town is a place for merchant to rest their horse before continue their journey to the next City. That's why the bandit raid the merchant who come from White River City to Twinleaf Town. After all White River City is a big City where many of material and resource that can't be found in other Town or City exist.

Because I need to capture the bandit I become one of the guards protecting the merchant carriage. Beside me there is a few people who guards the carriage too but they are only level 3 or level 4 Warrior from the information.

The merchant owner come to me and said "are you the one that adventure guild sent to guard the carriage ?"

"Yes, my name is Rudeus Hardlett. Just call me Rudeus" I nod at him

"I see. My name is Myroles. I'm a merchant" (Myroles)

Both of us shake our hands

"Well you can come to my carriage. I already heard from adventure guild that your job is not only guard the carriage but capture those bandit." (Myroles)

"No need mr Myroles. It's better for me to join others guard. But can I ask you something ?" (Rudeus)

"Sure." (Myroles)

"Why the guards is only level 3 or level 4 Warrior ? You should know right, how dangerous the route can be. You should hire a high level Warrior." (Rudeus)

"Ah that. Sigh.. how about I explain it to you inside my carriage. Seems like we ready to go now." (Myroles)

"Ok then" (Rudeus)

There is 4 carriage that need to be guard in this travel. One carriage is a carriage where mr Myroles sit and the other three is a carriage full of material and resources.

There is 11 people who guards the carriage including me. Actually mr Myroles already give a horse so I can ride it. But because I need to know my question so I join mr Myroles in his carriage. Other guards look at me jealously.

"So can you tell me why mr Myroles ?" (Rudeus)

"Sure. The easy way to answer that is because I don't have enough money hire a high level Warrior." (Myroles)

"What ? What do you mean ? You are a merchant right" (Rudeus)

"Hahaha.. seems like you got a wrong idea about a merchant. Merchant is divide between tier mr Rudeus. From low tier to high tier merchant and I'm a low tier merchant. Do you know why bandit dare to raid a merchant ? It's because they only dare to raid a low tier merchant. They do not dare to raid a high tier merchant. After all high tier merchant already have their own exclusive contract and what's more their guards is a high level Warrior or even stronger that pay by them too." (Myroles)

"Why not hire adventure then ?" (Rudeus)

"Only a middle tier merchant do that mr Rudeus. If a low tier merchant pay adventure to guard their carriage, that merchant won't have any profit even if we sell all of our resource and material." (Myroles)

"Damn.. so that's why you hire this low level Warrior huh" (Rudeus)

"Yes. There is saying in low tier merchant 'profit and danger is the same coin but only have different side'. Do you know what is that mean mr Rudeus ?" (Myroles)

I just shake my head

"That means if we are lucky we will earn a profit but if we don't that means death is coming" (Myroles)

"What the.. you throw away your life just like that ?" (Rudeus)

"I know what I'm said is ridicules to you mr Rudeus but it is the only things we can do if we want to live. Maybe you don't know but everything that I sold I only get like 15% to 20% profit or even lower." (Myroles)

"What ? How can it be ?" (Rudeus)

"Well of course it is because I need to pay all those people whose need to be payed. A low tier merchant like me don't have right to sold our goods freely. That's why we need to pay other like a trading commerce to sold our goods. What more I need to pay those people in top so they still let me become a merchant" (Myroles)

"What the.. I'm sorry. I don't know its so bad" I can only bow my head when I heard what mr Myroles said. I feel sorry to him

So that's why he won't gain any profit if he hire a high level adventure or guards.

"Hahaha.. you don't need to feels sorry about it mr Rudeus. After all this is life. People in power have right and we can only try to do our best." said mr Myroles with a smile.

Even though he said like that I still feel bitter about it. Seems like everything is the same huh even in past world or this world.

Mr Myroles told me many things about being a merchant. His experience, the people and the goods.

I told him the life of adventure too. He is amazed by my story but every time he told me his experience in merchant most of them just make me sad. Well there is a few of them that left me amazed too.

I never thought that the life of merchant is more difficult than just being a Warrior. I thought that the life of Warrior is dangerous one but after I heard what mr Myroles told me I thought that being a Warrior is better.

After the talk with mr Myroles I ride my own horse. I never learn horse riding but because of my strong body I don't have any problem to ride it.

We will arrive in Twinleaf Town in 5 days if nothing happen. We rest in the night and continue our travel in the morning.

In our first day everything is fine. I talk to the guards but a few of them don't like me. Maybe because of what happen but I just let it go.

I look around and see the forest in our right and left side. I don't know if this forest is connected to Star Forest or deeper level area of Star Forest. But if the bandit made a hideout inside the forest this will be a problem.

"AI show me 'status'"

"Ding.."

Status

Name : Rudeus Hardlett

Title : Honorable Warrior

Class : Warrior (Level 8) (Exp : 12%)

Energy : 1600/1600 (1 energy/second)

Skill :

>Meditation Battle Skill :

- Revolving Energy Meditation [rare grade] (level 10 : 100%) {Passive}

- Myriad Cycle Pyramid [rare grade] (level 1 : 5%)

>Arts Battle Skill :

- Sound Explosion Fist Battle Skill [rare grade] (level 10 : 100%) {Passive}

- Tyrannical Burst Fist Battle Skill [unique grade] (level 1 : 5%)

- Soaring Tiger Fist [rare grade] (level 3 : 70%)

>Body Battle Skill :

- Diamond Jade Body Battle Skill [unique grade] (level 1 : 74%) {Passive}

>Movement Battle Skill :

- Thousand Mile Step Movement Battle Skill [rare grade] (level 10 : 100%) {Passive}

- Air Furry Step [rare grade] (level 3 : 45%)

Ability :

- poison resistance [common grade] (97%)

- recovery Ex[rare grade] (15%)

Equipment :

Gauntlet : Fist Lock Gauntlet [silver grade]

Headgear : Silver Iron Helmet [silver grade]

Boots : Iron Boots Force [silver grade]

There is nothing much change. After all I only become adventure in just a few days. But at least I'm ready if something happen.

I thought that everything is gonna be smooth but it happen in the third day of our travel.

The bandit attack us in the middle of night. I already prepare but seems like the bandit is much more cunning than I thought.