novelraw Chapter 148 : Impromptu Request
Chapter 148 : Impromptu Request
Chapter 148: Impromptu Request
The entrance to the Dangerous Area was barren land.
That said, it was not a wide-open Open Field.
Steep hills were scattered about, making it impossible to change direction freely.
Whenever possible, it was better to move along places where a path had already formed, and following that path was the orthodox route.
It was terrain optimized for Monsters or bandits to lie in ambush and launch surprise attacks.
The Rest Stop Serena had mentioned was located in a region where the hills became gentler.
“Looks like it’s already over.”
Sigbard passed through ground splattered with blood.
A battle had broken out between two opposing teams, and as could be seen, the result had been decided.
The bandits were masters of hit-and-run tactics.
Just as Robin’s group had noticed their presence, they too had sensed several teams approaching.
Those lying on the ground, their names unknown, had been stripped of both their main weapons and their belongings.
“There’s… no one alive.”
Aelin muttered bitterly as she looked at the sprawled corpses.
They had expected such a result as they closed the distance, but seeing it in person made it pitiful.
Robin wondered why the bandits had vacated the area.
From the standpoint of those who preyed on Adventurers, the more targets there were, the better.
‘Did they think they had no chance of winning.’
As he looked around to deduce the direction in which they had disappeared,
he noticed Serena.
“They might have recognized Serena and run away.”
“That could be.”
Seeing that she did not deny it, that possibility seemed more likely.
In Narvik and the Uncharted Area, Serena was a fairly well-known figure.
‘It’s convenient traveling together.’
In any case, not encountering the bandits was a good thing.
After laying the dead neatly by the roadside, they moved on.
Making graves for them was a luxury.
‘If we leave them like that, Monsters will eat them.’
How many people must have died on this very path they were walking now?
There must have been countless.
Many had died even in the Rest Stop defense battle Serena had spoken of.
Though they offered shallow condolences, this was reality.
An Adventurer could earn high profits depending on skill, but they always carried danger with them.
“We’re here. Over there.”
Serena announced their arrival at the Rest Stop.
Clearing his thoughts, Robin looked at it. The Rest Stop resembled an ordinary inn.
‘No, perhaps ordinary isn’t quite right.’
Though it seemed recently built, wounds were visible all over the building.
One corner was half-destroyed, and paint had peeled from the walls.
Even the Rest Stop in the Safe Area had not been particularly clean, but seeing the building before them made him think that one had at least been better.
‘We should be grateful there’s a Rest Stop in the Dangerous Area at all.’
Whether the building was old or worn hardly mattered.
Everyone knew that providing sanctuary in the middle of a lawless land was remarkable in itself.
“Let’s go in.”
Serena opened the door at the front.
The rusty hinges screeched, announcing the arrival of Robin’s group.
One, two, three, four…
There were more than ten visible at a glance.
Everyone here was Silver Rank or higher.
Naturally, they openly stared at the four newcomers.
Then, almost in unison, they showed similar reactions.
“A, a Beast Tamer!”
“The Monster-Rending Witch……!”
Everyone in the Rest Stop recognized Serena.
‘It sounds like she’s known in a rather bad way…….’
Some had called her a Spirit Mage, but most used fearsome epithets.
Used to such reactions, Serena paid them no mind and strode further inside.
“Eric! I’m here.”
As soon as Serena spoke, the brief commotion subsided.
Someone descended from the second floor and approached her.
He greeted her with a mixture of delight and surprise.
“What brings you here?”
“What do you mean what brings me here. I told you, didn’t I? I was looking for a special swordsman.”
When she pointed at Robin, Eric looked him up and down.
“Did you have an older brother?”
“Why would you think that?”
“You both have black hair.”
“You’re judging by hair color alone? That’s narrow-minded.”
Robin stepped behind Serena.
As Eric had said, the two did share certain similarities.
“And older brother? Robin and I are the same age.”
“My apologies. Let me introduce myself. I am Eric, the manager who oversees the Rest Stop in the Dangerous Area.”
At the word manager, Sigbard looked at him with mild surprise.
Aelin remained indifferent, having only heard of it in words, while Robin instinctively gauged Eric’s presence.
He did not give the impression of being particularly strong.
In such cases, it was one of two possibilities.
Either he was truly an ordinary person with nothing special about him.
Or he was skilled enough to conceal even the aura that unconsciously leaked out.
Eric was the latter.
“I’m Robin.”
“Sigbard.”
“Aelineira.”
Their introductions finished in an instant, Serena got to the point.
“These three. Promote them to Silver Rank.”
“Were all three Copper-Ranked Adventurers?”
“I’ve been teaching them quite a bit.”
“Please wait a moment.”
Eric retrieved an Engraving Artifact from beneath the bar table and brought it over.
When Robin handed over his Copper Rank Token, it was immediately placed inside the Artifact.
“This is proof that you have made it this far.”
When he received it back, an engraving had been inscribed on the Copper Rank Token.
It recorded that he had reached the Dangerous Area and that Eric guaranteed it.
Sigbard and Aelineira received their engravings in turn.
“That was easier than I expected.”
“It is not over yet. The promotion process continues until you safely return to the Guild.”
Saying that, Eric brought out food.
Unlike the preserved rations they had eaten on the way, this was proper cooking.
“You must be hungry. Please eat.”
“Thanks. Let’s eat.”
Naturally, the four of them began their meal.
It felt so natural that they only realized they had not paid after putting the food in their mouths.
“I cannot take money from Lady Serena and her companions. Please don’t feel burdened and eat comfortably.”
With Eric’s continued goodwill, Robin could not help but ask Serena.
“What exactly did you do for the manager to treat us like this?”
“I just went around killing Monsters and helped out a few times.”
The epithet Beast Tamer had not come about for nothing.
It was a title given by Adventurers who had seen the spirit she had manifested, and it seemed her achievements had been considerable.
“We’ll rest for today and head back tomorrow, right?”
“Right. Let’s take it easy on the way back.”
Though he wanted to go deeper from here, he intended to return as planned.
The current priority was to assess individual capabilities and focus on improving teamwork.
“When we head back, let’s avoid the Clearing overrun with tree roots.”
“You’re cautious. Don’t you want to try taking it down?”
“Unless we have no choice. We have many areas that need improvement.”
Aelineira, pushing food beneath her helmet, nodded.
As a guide, she had now gained a certain level of proficiency.
Originally, she was an Elf with exceptional detection abilities, so once she adapted to the Uncharted Area, there would be no problem.
Her spatial awareness far surpassed others, and she had memorized every path Serena had taught her.
If one had to point out a shortcoming, it was martial strength.
Now that Elicia’s memories had dissipated, Aelin’s arrows no longer carried Fighting Spirit.
‘It’s not something that can be resolved immediately.’
A guide could be said to have fulfilled her role simply by showing a safe path.
However, Robin could not be satisfied with that.
The road they had to walk ahead was not a flower path, but a blood-soaked thorny one.
Each and every person had to become a valuable force.
And that was what Aelin wanted as well.
“Let’s hunt Monsters on the way back.”
“It won’t be boring.”
“There’s plenty of space left in our packs, so let’s earn some income too.”
Sigbard liked that suggestion more than anyone.
Just as they were about to suggest sparring outside after finishing their meal,
the Rest Stop door opened.
“Huff… huff…….”
Six Adventurers.
They were drenched in sweat as if chased by something.
Though fear trembled faintly beneath the surface, the one who seemed the calmest called out to the manager.
“We’d like treatment. Can you help us?”
“Please, come in.”
‘Were they really chased by Monsters.’
One who had twisted his ankle and another bleeding from the head lay down on a table.
Eric brought first-aid tools and examined their wounds.
“Are there bandits outside?”
“Yes. We’re Copper-Ranked Adventurers visiting the Dangerous Area for the first time.”
“How many died?”
“Six…….”
‘Six people?’
Six was the usual number that made up one team.
Had an entire team been wiped out besides those who had just entered?
Robin realized that was not the case.
‘Three from each of two teams.’
The Adventurers who had lost their comrades had joined forces on the spot.
Those who survived must have had decent skill, since they managed to reach the Rest Stop.
Each time a wound was treated, groans of pain slipped out.
No one wavered.
Everyone here was an Adventurer living with their life on the line.
“I’ll head up first.”
Robin picked up his belongings and found a guest room.
From the second-floor window, the outside looked tranquil.
A barren land where one could not know who might be lurking somewhere beyond sight.
With the dry wind as background noise, he unpacked his things.
A day at the Rest Stop passed quickly.
After finishing their meal and having nothing else to do, Robin spent time sparring with Sigbard.
Aelin struggled to somehow infuse Fighting Spirit into her arrows.
At times, Serena watched the three of them; at others, she listened to Eric speak about recent happenings in the Uncharted Area.
Though the four with such strong personalities had not stayed long, the Adventurers were certain of one thing.
They were strong.
Even in the eyes of Silver-Ranked Adventurers, Robin and Sigbard did not fall behind in the slightest.
Judging purely by martial strength, there was none among the Silver Rank who could rival them.
On top of that, there were Adventurers who had personally witnessed Serena’s fearsome prowess, and the perception spread that they were a team not to be reckoned with.
“Please. Take us to Narvik.”
Early in the morning, just as they were about to leave the Rest Stop after breakfast,
the Adventurers who had arrived yesterday bowed their heads to Robin.
Others had also watched the spar between Robin and Sigbard.
It had been nothing more than light sparring, but to those watching, it was anything but.
The level had been so high one might wonder where such powerhouses had come from.
“It’s not much, but we gathered some money among ourselves.”
The man who seemed to be the leader opened his pouch.
Inside were 10 Silver Coins.
“What will you do, Robin.”
Sigbard asked calmly.
In the past, he would have insisted on helping without hesitation.
Perhaps Robin’s previous words had had an effect, as he did not immediately decide.
‘A 10 Silver escort request.’
A transaction guaranteeing safety in exchange for payment.
It was unmistakably an escort request.
However, compared to the fee, the difficulty was high.
“You do realize that amount isn’t nearly enough, right?”
“B, but…….”
When a companion tried to protest, the man stopped him.
“We know. It makes no sense to hire someone of your caliber for this amount.”
“And you’re not exactly in perfect condition either.”
“How much do you want?”
Serena looked at Robin.
She had handed him the decision.
In truth, money was not the issue.
To escort them meant carrying a burden.
The more money, the better—but they had recently earned a large sum.
As he pondered what to do, the man hurriedly added,
“We’ll serve as porters.”
“What are you talking about.”
“Pardon me, but we overheard your conversation yesterday. When you hunt Monsters, it would be better for us to carry them rather than you doing it yourselves.”
‘Quick-witted.’
Robin liked the man’s conduct.
“What’s your name?”
“Hank.”
“Alright, Hank. We’ll take you to Narvik.”
He took the pouch from Hank’s hand.
Seeing the relieved expression on his face, Robin spoke firmly.
“Hand over your equipment.”
“E, excuse me?”
“All of it.”
After a brief stunned look, Hank soon persuaded his companions to hand over their gear.
Robin passed everything to Eric.
“How much would this be worth?”
“Hmm. This would be about 1 Gold.”
Hank’s group grew gloomy.
Some even wondered if they truly had to entrust themselves while giving up equipment that was like their lifeline.
‘We can’t know if they’re trustworthy otherwise.’
Regardless of Hank’s dark expression, Robin was resolute.
“Sell it.”
“Here is 1 Gold.”
In an instant, they earned 1 Gold and 10 Silver.
Even without hunting Monsters on the way, they had made a significant profit.
“From now on, you are strictly our porters.”
“…Understood.”
“What’s with that voice? Dissatisfied? Then say it now.”
“Understood!”
Seeing even the injured shout in response, Robin smiled in satisfaction.
The Adventurers who had been watching him were impressed.
“Can’t underestimate him just because he’s young.”
“That one will make it big as an Adventurer.”
No one said things like, Might as well squeeze a flea dry.
Adventurers prioritized profit.
They applauded Robin’s attitude as commendable.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Robin’s party of four, with six newly added porters.
Ten Adventurers set out on the road back to Narvik.