Chapter 268 – Lessons Learned

Chapter 268 – Lessons Learned

“What do you think?” Flynn hinted at the remaining candidates with a tilt of his head. “I’d cut the guy with the weasel face. He had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned the inn in Limgrell. I don’t think he has visited the town in years. Do you have any preference?”

There were a dozen seekers gathered, and only six under real consideration.

“They all lied to make themselves look better, but nothing particularly significant.” Rain stared at a lone man with a streaked beard and a curved bow. “I’d exclude the hunter. He’s going to bleed us for more gold if he gets the chance. What about you, Mat? The skill you got is quite impressive.”

“Uhm…” Kai cleared his mind from the creepy couple to focus on the current task. “None of them triggered Hallowed Intuition. They don’t have sinister intentions, at least not for this journey.” He scratched his brow with a finger to glance at the last duo of swordsmen. “I’d cut them. Even if we run into trouble, they aren’t strong enough to justify the hassle of dealing with two people.”

One stranger is plenty.

That left two options: a middle-aged ranger who spoke in monosyllabic answers, and the scarred adventurer with the menacing air. “Let’s just toss a coin.” Kai patted his pockets looking for a mesar.

“I’ve got it!” The siren took out a coin—blessedly, it was only silver. “Is it a common human custom? How does this work?”

Guess you can’t exactly toss a coin underwater.

“If it lands on the hawk we get the scarred man. The number for the ranger.”

“Neat.” Rain threw the coin a couple meters in the air. The metal glimmered in the daylight and perfectly landed in his palm. “Uh, it’s the hawk.”

Mr. Scary Mug it is.

“Okay, follow my lead.” Eager to get moving, Kai met the gaze of the scarred adventurer with a faint nod. The man smirked, his scarred lip giving him a vicious twist. “We’ve decided to pick Daniel,” he said out loud, hoping that was his name.

“What do you mean! Him?” Skar the Redaxe shouted, pointing at the other man with his hatchet. But it was the old couple’s silent gazes that sent shivers down his back.

“That’s our choice. Thank you all for coming.” Kai slipped inside the Hall of Seekers, trusting the adventurers wouldn’t make a scene inside. They needed a way to lose potential stalkers before getting out of town.

This has already taken too long.

His friends trailed after him, not yet understanding exactly what was going on. The bustle of the hall washed over them, mixed with laughter and clinks of beer despite the early hour.

Kai headed toward the counter to finalize the contract, avoiding Melisa’s line.

How did such a simple task turn into a deadly affair? Reishi had warned him revealing his wealth might attract the wrong crowd on the mainland, but he had gotten cocky with his rapid advancement.

This wasn’t the archipelago anymore, here he was just another fish in the ocean. All his spells would do him little good if someone stabbed him in his sleep or ambushed him in numbers. Luckily, the blunder only cost him entertaining a crowd of rowdy adventurers—a cheap price for the wake-up call.

“What do you need?” the clerk curtly asked, doodling on a piece of paper.

“To register this.” Kai placed the contract on the desk, glad to see Daniel standing beside him. They quickly added their signature on three duplicates: a copy for each party and one for the Hall to enforce it if it were necessary.

“The sum has already been paid,” the bored clerk muttered, focused on his blotchy artwork. “You can cash in your reward in the Hall in Limgrell.”

And that’s done as well.

“Is it that bad?” Flynn stood in front of him, noticing his nervous glances.

Rain echoed his sentiments. “If they try anything, I’ll deal with them.”

“I’ll explain later.” Kai dried his sweaty palms on his coat. Only a couple adventurers from the crowd had followed them inside, looking for other contracts on the quest board. There was no trace of Mr. and Mrs. Celisia—though that was hardly reassuring.

Where did they go?

Daniel leaned behind him to follow his gaze. “I know a way out the back if you want to lose someone.”

“Huh… that’d be great,” Kai said, already liking the guy more.

“Just doing my job. I’m your guide till Limgrell.” Daniel strode towards a door at the opposite end of the Hall. He pulled an old iron key from his spatial bag and opened the lock with two quick clicks. “Newbies aren’t technically allowed in here. Keep your faces down if we meet anyone.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

They walked in beside a flight of stairs and two more doors. A woman sat on the steps, honing a longsword with a whetstone. She gave one glance at Daniel before returning to her blade.

Is it here where the cool kids meet?

Kai curbed his curiosity to inspect the place with his senses and followed the man through three more sets of doors. They walked out into an unassuming alley behind the building. There was no one else around, or any sign to point out the entrance to the Hall.

“Higher-ranked seekers come through here to avoid the main lobby,” Daniel explained, holding the exit for them. “I didn’t exactly get the key through the usual way, so I’d appreciate your discretion.”

Flynn furrowed his brow. “What’re you talking about? The door was already open.”

The adventurer barked a laugh, the scar giving his grin a movie villain look. “I think we’ll get along just fine.”

In the light of day, Daniel couldn’t be any older than thirty, with only his profession advanced to Yellow. “Who are we trying to avoid? Don’t let Skar Blabbermouth intimidate you. He’s all bark and no bite, literally. I’ve seen him back out of a brawl with a kid half his age.”

“It’s the elderly couple.”

“The Celisias? Those frail bags of bones?” He chuckled. “Are you sure?”

“I’m certain.” Kai nervously paced. “Can we move? The last time I perceived a similar level of danger was from a green beast. I’d rather not stay here to find out.”

Their incredulous looks shattered against his seriousness. The threat had hinged on choosing to go with the old couple, but a little extra motivation never hurt.

“Hmm, this way.” Daniel jogged down the alley. “Those two do lose a couple clients every year. I always thought they were just incompetent cowards… Thank the Moons, I’ve never taken any contract with them.”