Chapter 409 – Shocking Intervention.

‘This place is a bit crowded. I guess this is as far as second-hand connections can get me.’

Roland pondered as he leaned back against the uncomfortable bench in the large room reserved for hired adventurers and guards on the middle deck of the airship. Despite being allowed to keep their weapons, the bodyguards couldn’t leave the area. After arriving at the ship, the main guards instructed him to wait there, considering him nothing more than backup and not presentable on the upper decks.

The airship, quite large, even boasted a ballroom where music played, attracting nobles who mingled with influential merchants. It was a place for the rich and powerful. Roland couldn’t complain, though, as he was getting a free ride to the Institute. Others in the room appeared to be resting, seemingly unconcerned as the airship of this caliber was considered relatively safe.

‘Something is blocking my signal. I won’t be able to call Elodia until we arrive at the destination.’

As Roland’s mind drifted back to the home he already missed, he couldn’t deny that he had changed since arriving in Albrook. Initially, survival and peace were his sole concerns, but now he found himself worrying about others. During his absence, he hoped that nothing unexpected would happen. Elodia had taken on the role of the new leader in his absence, but there was still the unpredictable Alchemist to contend with. Despite having a conversation with him, Roland could only hope that the Gnome wouldn’t cause any disasters in his absence.

‘I’ve been through a lot in these eleven years or so… or has it been twelve now?’

With not much to do, Roland found himself trapped in his own thoughts, a rare occurrence for him. Usually preoccupied with various tasks, he seldom dwelled on the past or pondered the nature of the world he found himself in. Even to this day, he had no idea how he ended up here or why. Yet, amidst the uncertainty, he was beginning to feel a sense of belonging. As events unfolded in Albrook, Roland realized that he was not alone and that life in this world was not as undesirable as he once thought.

Roland had a challenging start, marked by his ostracization from his family. In those difficult years, books and the dream of becoming a wizard were his solace. However, that dream was shattered during his first ascension trial when he discovered his lack of elemental affinities. To this day, he remained uncertain about the reasons behind this anomaly. Various theories crossed his mind, such as his body being special or his mind replacing the original Roland’s. He even questioned if he was the same person from Earth, contemplating whether his memories were merely copied over or if he existed within a vast dream while lying in a hospital bed.

‘I should probably stop thinking about theories like that, this world is too real to be an illusion or a dying man’s dream. What I need to focus on, is the right research papers, if I’m not careful, it could take a lot longer that it should.’

Though Roland had never attended a formal magical academy, he delved into research papers produced by magicians. It was a challenging experience, as magicians often approached their work with chaos and lacked standardized note-taking. Each individual had their own cryptic methods, making it difficult to decipher their papers. Decoding the essence of the research consumed more than half of the task, and Roland found himself in danger of losing months in the pursuit of knowledge within the labyrinthine libraries of magical academia.

“Hey watch it, do you know how much this robe cost?”

“I… I’m sorry…”

“You’re sorry? I don’t think that’s good enough, you even got it dirty.”

As he was thinking about a quick way to get all his research done, he overheard a commotion. A group of three adventurers were smirking and cackling while looking at a somewhat ordinary-looking girl. Her ears gave her away for someone from the rabbit race and her clothes were certainly common. At a glance, she looked like one of the porters that was coming on the trip with them. Just like some of the adventurers they were forced into a different section of this airship.

“I didn’t…”

“You didn’t what? Look here girly, these things are expensive, look at this hole, you tore right through it, and now the enchantment won’t work! But I’m a generous man. I’ll let you off, if you pay for the damages you caused?”

“B-but you’re the one that bumped into me…”

“Hah? Are you talking back? My friend has been nothing but nice, but you’re trying to run after tarnishing his one and only magical robe?”

Roland attempted to disregard the disturbance and concentrate on his research, but the loud shouts of the adventurers made it challenging to ignore. It appeared that the group had set their sights on the girl. Roland had observed them earlier, recognizing specific emblems on their clothing signifying their affiliation with a mercenary group. These symbols suggested that they were likely hired by another merchant. The Adventurers’ Guild was not the sole entity that enlisted the services of adventurers; smaller mercenary groups were also engaged for larger security needs.

While these mercenary groups might be smaller and less powerful than the Adventurers’ Guild, they possessed distinct advantages. Their strength lay in their ability to assemble a larger force, and they were often engaged for temporary army-like roles. During disputes between nobles, these groups were sometimes enlisted to reinforce their forces. However, a significant drawback was their hiring process, or rather the lack of rigorous evaluations. As long as individuals weren’t wanted criminals and possessed a battle class, they were deemed fit for employment. Even the first part was sometimes overlooked, which explained their behavior here. The girl was a porter and their section was below this area.

The porter’s only way out was passing through the large cabin where the adventurers and mercenaries were resting. Physical strength was not a prerequisite for those tasked with carrying luggage; possessing sufficient funds to acquire a spatial bag and weight-reducing items sufficed. Even an ordinary-looking girl could suffice for the task as long as she could maintain the required pace.

It appeared that she had just completed a task within the airship. Often, individuals in such roles were assigned various forms of manual labor. Bernir, who had experience in this profession, had shared some tales. Tasks included preparing food for the group and even washing their soiled undergarments during the journey. Mistakes could lead to the threat of physical violence, making it a challenging and demanding profession. Those in such roles could only hope to be part of a reasonable adventurer group, but many times it was the only way of earning money.

‘It’s not like they can unionize…’

Despite his initial reluctance, Roland found himself unable to ignore the escalating situation. His former self would typically have avoided such matters, as there was often no compelling reason to intervene in others’ affairs. While he still held the same perspective, he acknowledged that taking action occasionally led to unforeseen rewards. In this particular case, intervening could halt the entire nonsensical episode, and Roland was also unwilling to witness the trio assaulting someone when he had the capacity to prevent it.

No one from the three there posed much of a threat and the other tier 3 class holders that were watching, weren’t much better. They all were around the strength of the platinum party that he defeated in the dungeon. Now that his level had gone up, he felt even more comfortable.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I didn’t do anything…”

“Hey, where do you think you are going? If you don’t have the coin, you can pay in different ways…”

The purported leader of the group, a robust man with a scar across his face, advanced threateningly toward her. His lips emitted an obscene sound as he extended his hand to seize the visibly frightened girl. It was apparent to her what the men were after, and she desperately sought help from the other adventurers within the spacious chamber. Roland observed that there was little interest in assisting her, primarily because half of the individuals present belonged to the same mercenary group and were disinclined to intervene.

An opportunity presented itself for him as the rabbit girl attempted to flee, and her only path led directly toward him. She darted off, displaying impressive speed, likely owing it to her beast race attributes. Unfortunately, she faced adversaries equipped with proficient battle classes, and the limited space offered little room for maneuvering or escape. In her haste, she stumbled over a bump and careened forward.

Roland observed that the trio appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, their faces radiating joy as if on the verge of erupting in laughter. Yet, behind these seemingly gleeful expressions lurked a malevolent undertone. They were individuals intoxicated by power, reveling in the exercise of force over someone defenseless. It was a harsh reality of this world, where the strong dictated the rules, and the existence of distinct classes condemned certain individuals to perpetual subjugation to their whims.

Yet, even in an unjust world like this, some individuals resisted succumbing to such impulses. Not everyone elevated themselves above others solely based on their class or higher level. Roland as a person from a more modern world where things were a tad more equal, exemplified such principles. He also tried to surround himself with like-minded individuals who at least didn’t bully others.