Meeting new people.

The tall masts swayed from side to side every time another wave beat against the hull of the huge ship. The bright orange rays of the sun setting over the horizon were reflected in the water, inducing some inexplicable feeling of peace. Another sudden gust of wind filled the sails with energy, which caused the ship to move forward sharply, depriving all the sailors of balance. If it was already a familiar thing for them, then for the rest of the crew such an unexpected acceleration is a novelty. Unable to hold on to the side, a group of guys in light leather armor all fell on top of each other at once and burst into laughter. Watching them from the side, Klim tightened his hands, which were holding onto a wooden pole with a lantern, even more so as not to get into a similar situation.

"Doesn't that guy who's lying under everyone hurt? "

As soon as the wind died down, he was finally able to step back from his support to continue walking on the deck. After a short conversation with the captain, he escorted him to the ship, and then disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a lot of questions. Trying to find an answer to them, the guy did not notice how he already found himself in the open sea without money and further plans. The only thing that motivated him was the desire to return home to Colleen, being a rich adventurer. Examining the faces of the other passengers, Klim noticed that he was the only person who did not have any equipment.

"I hope some armor and weapons will be issued on the mainland. If this does not happen, then I will have a hard time until I earn them myself."

Plunged into even greater thoughts, he turned towards the stairs leading to the hold, but abruptly stopped right in front of her. There was a loud crash from the captain's cabin, after which all the sailors froze, as if waiting for some kind of performance to begin. The door slowly opened, accompanied by a nasty creak, and a bearded man came out. The captain looked at his guys with a menacing look, then silently headed in the direction of Klim. Reaching out with his hands, he grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shouted in a hoarse voice.

- Who are you?! Who let you on my ship?!

From his unexpected actions, all the people nearby silently watched the situation, their eyes wide open. The guy was in a strong shock because of what he could not even pronounce his name. Trying to escape from the man's grip, he unknowingly kicked him with his foot, but there was no reaction. Like a stone wall, the captain continued to hold him tightly, looking at him with fierce eyes. Suddenly, the voice of one of the sailors came from somewhere from the side.

"You brought him here yourself before we sailed, Captain. – He said, holding a small wooden box in his hands, which contained several green bottles. Putting it on the floor, the man in a white T-shirt took one and handed it to his captain.

- That's how. Then I'm sorry, kid. I don't remember that anymore. – Releasing Klim, the man grabbed the neck of the proffered bottle and got rid of the intrusive cork with his teeth. After taking a big sip, he gasped loudly and hugged the guy he was ready to kill just a couple of moments ago, "Hey, what's your name?

- Klim. We ran into each other a couple of hours ago at the pier, where you invited me on the ship. – If there was another person in his place, he would probably still be in a little shock, but this is not new for Klim. Working in a tavern, he often had to deal with drunk people, so he is no longer surprised by such drastic changes in relationships.

- Haha, nice to meet you, Klim. I am the captain of this vessel – the "Black Retribution" Make-up. Tell me this, why did a man like you go to Lacrote? Do you really think that you are able to cope there, even despite your flimsy physique?

- Well, they take novice adventurers there, right? I hope that I will gain enough experience there to be useful! – The guy said, raising both hands and clenching his fists in front of him, however, as soon as he looked at the man, he instantly froze from the fear that engulfed him. The captain stared with an absolutely empty, half-asleep gaze into the distance, while terrible words came from his lips.

- The maximum that you can serve there is to become cannon fodder in order to advance at least a kilometer into the forest. You will either be torn to shreds by some monster, or you will die from overwork, because you will be exploited as a slave, because you are not fit for another role. This place never forgives someone's mistakes, even if you were initially overwhelmed with determination. I have been taking people there for two months and every time I hear from the management house that their bodies have not been found. Lacrosse is a place completely unlike anything else.

With each of his new words, Klim felt danger, because of which his whole body was covered with goosebumps, and his hair stood on end. Grim continued talking until his lungs ran out of oxygen and he unconsciously coughed into his hand with the bottle. Coming to his senses again, a wry smile appeared on his face, after which he laughed loudly again and took his hand off the guy's shoulders. No one paid attention to this strange situation, but for him it was a real shock, from which he will be moving away for a long time.

"W-What do you mean?"

"Haha, don't pay attention. By the way, Klim, have you found a sleeping place yet? If not, you can stay in a room with those guys. The captain said, pointing towards a group of armored adventurers. Whether he deliberately tried to distract the guy's attention from his words faster or not, but he did it very successfully. Their equipment was quite impressive, but they looked very young on their faces, which calmed Klim a little. It will be much easier to get along with them than with harsh uncles - They boarded a ship in the port city of the Empire of De-Nath and, like you, are heading to Lacrote as adventurous explorers. If you make friends with them, they will surely help you.

The guy looked into the eyes of the Makeup again, but that devastated look was no longer there, which cannot be said about the terrible sediment that will now dream of him in nightmares. Swallowing, he looked again at the guys talking cheerfully at the sides of the ship and took an uncertain step towards them. Noticing the approaching man, the boy with a red bandage on his head detached himself from the small wooden boxes placed on top of each other, thereby interrupting the conversation with his comrades. Standing between them, he put his hands behind his head and smiled at Klim.

- hello. I overheard your conversation with the captain, so there's no need to explain. My name is Red, and these are my friends – the sorceress Shelly and the swordsman Sven. We've already been told that someone will get hooked, but I'm glad it turned out to be you.

"Why not?"

- You're the only one who looked friendly out of all these adventurers. – The girl said, before nodding to the guy in greeting. She was holding a wooden stick in her hands, and from her clothes she was wearing a battered dark green raincoat, under which shorts and a blouse were visible.

- Yeah, that's right. If some big guy had been hooked up with us, then we would hardly have become friends with him. Moreover, I don't want to give anyone my place as a swordsman in our squad. – There was a short red-haired guy standing next to her. Of the three of them, he was the best equipped, but still not as reliable as it might seem to Klim from afar. The light leather breastplate and helmet hanging on a rope behind his back looked quite old, and the iron sword and shield with a steel lining did not inspire confidence.

- Come on, no one will replace you, Sven. Red said cheerfully, leaning on the shoulder of his short friend, but he quickly reacted and stepped aside. Awkwardly scratching the back of his head and apologizing to him, the guy turns back to Klim, "What's your name?" Clom? Clem?

- Klim! My name is Klim!

- That's how, I'll try to remember. All right, let's go and show our new comrade the cabin where he will sleep!

Accompanied by the ringing laughter of Red, who again hugged Sven, who was violently scolding him, by the shoulders, a group of adventurers descended into the hold. After passing through the narrow corridor of the ship, they quickly got to the right room, where they were immediately met at the entrance by the mess they had recently arranged. Completely forgetting about him, Shelly blushed and began to fussily run around the small cabin to quickly hide her scattered underwear. Her friends, watching her, quietly grinned, but they could not hide their reddened faces. When the room was finally cleaned, the four of them sat down on the bed opposite each other in order to continue the acquaintance that they had started on deck.

- So, we have already taken the bunks, so you have a place above you. Red said, crossing his arms over his chest. With all his appearance, he tried to show that he was the main one in their group, but Sven, who was sitting next to him, denied this in various ways. From the outside, the two of them looked quite friendly, like siblings or close friends.

- If it's hard for you to constantly climb to the second tier, then I can switch places with you. My bed is right under your…

Watching Klim get to his feet and throw his head back to inspect his bunk, Shelly suddenly froze in surprise. The guy standing in front of her suddenly approached, and then, pushing off from the lower bed, quickly jumped up, which caused a strong shaking of the entire structure. After waiting for the nasty creaking to stop, the guys raised stunned glances at him, which were caused by his unexpected actions. Outwardly, Klim looks like a harmless weakling, but this image was completely shattered as soon as they saw his quick and dexterous movements. Jumping up abruptly, Red pointed at him with his finger and shouted loudly.