episode_0021

After completing the measurements, blacksmith Malton began adjusting the leather armor.

Marlton’s wife, Anne, brought out tea for me and Sister Cerise, who had to wait. She appeared to be in her early 30s and was a married woman with ponytail hair and prominent breasts, with a sultry air.

“Are you okay with your mouth?”

“Yes, it’s delicious. Much better than what we had at home!”

Kara said, taking another sip of tea. Seris became a little glum, but I agreed with Kara’s words.

Unlike Seris’ tea, which had a strange taste, this tea had a savory taste.

In the first place, it’s strange to compare normal tea with tea made from leaves picked in the mountains behind.

“Thank you. For fitting the equipment at my house.”

Anne said, looking happily at us as we savored our tea. I waved my hand.

“No. We like to buy good things at low prices. On the contrary, I am sorry for causing you any harm.”

“Hehe, it’s a good product. Thank you for saying that.”

Anne smiled slightly, rested her chin and looked at her husband.

“My husband works really hard. I’m good at it too…”

There are a lot of really mean people in the world. She muttered softly. I asked if she meant the Captain’s Guild, but she just smiled and didn’t answer.

After some time, Malton finished adjusting the armor.

Kara and I wore leather armor, and Seris wore leather pants, quilted armor, and chain armor. We still felt awkward getting dressed, so Marlton and Anne helped us.

“Am I really allowed to wear this…”

Seris, wearing chain mail over quilted armor, said.

“Since you are a vanguard, it is natural for you to wear it.”

Seris’s armament consisted of a shield and a sword. That’s why I automatically took over the position. Since it was the most dangerous position, I also had good armor.

“Ugh…can I do well?”

“Is it that story again? I told you so. You can do well.”

“But…”

Seris hesitated and picked up the chain armor.

“This is expensive. If you break it…”

“You owe 20 silver, right?”

“Hiik…!”

Seris was shocked and put down the chainmail she had picked up.

“It’s a joke. It’s just given to you, so don’t hold back and use it. Because there is nothing more important than life.”

“Ugh… Still…”

“Don’t feel burdened. You just have to do as well as you get.”

“…Yes!”

Seris lowered her head with eyes full of determination.

We finished calculating the cost of the armor and said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Malton.

“Take care of yourself~.”

“Don’t forget your promise.”

“Yes, I will come again.”

I waved to the two and headed to the inn.

“Hey, Yoosung…”

Seris called me right in front of the inn. She said, wriggling her hands.

“Well, I was buying equipment…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll lend you money for dinner and lodging tonight.”

“Thank you…”

Her determined gaze did not last long.

* * *

“Oppa.”

“Why?”

“Are we sure we can do our job?”

“…Sure.”

Clap and flutter.

Kara slammed her face down on the table. And I muttered to myself.

I sighed and leaned against the back of the chair.

‘I expected it, but I never thought it would be like this.’

We came to the adventurer’s guild early in the morning and looked for a good request. At the same time, I was trying to find a temporary colleague to join me.

But it was impossible to find a temporary colleague.

‘Thanks to the equipment, the initial reaction wasn’t bad…’

As soon as he finds out that he is an inexperienced young chick, his attitude changes. Most of them expressed their disapproval or left, saying they had business to attend to. In severe cases, there were cases of swearing.

‘We can’t handle well-paid requests on our own. Should I start by gathering medicinal herbs as I regret it?’

After thinking for a moment, I quickly shook my head.

Herb gathering has little income compared to the time and effort it takes. The only money we have right now is the 2 silver I have. To live a stable life, gathering medicinal herbs is not enough.

And above all…

‘You can’t get karma.’

From experience so far, karma can only be obtained by killing living creatures. There, the pun that ‘plants are also living beings’ was not used.

In the end, this means that requests such as gathering medicinal herbs are a loss in any respect.

Is there no other way? While I was thinking about it, the receptionist I saw yesterday came up to me, giggling.

“Mr. Han Yu-seong.”

“Mr. Orr? What’s going on?”

“I continued to watch from afar. Are you not saving your colleagues?”

“Yes. It’s not easy because I don’t have any experience.”

“Because this is something you risk your life for. Naturally, I became reluctant to adventurers with no track record. Instead of that, how about starting step by step with things like building security and city patrol?”

I shook my head at Orr’s suggestion. The reason is similar to gathering medicinal herbs.

“Is there any other way? To be honest, it’s a little stuffy.”

“Umm… It’s a different method… That’s dangerous… But Han Yu-seong says Belita’s skills aren’t bad… so it’ll be okay, right?”

She spoke to herself and convinced herself. I guess he was thinking of letting me know that that was the reason he came to me in the first place.

Orr approached me and whispered in my ear what she thought.

* * *

“Yuseong, are you really planning on doing that?”

Seris, who was eating bread dipped in soup, asked in a low voice.

“Are you worried?”

“…Yes, honestly, I’m a little worried. We have to catch the goblins in the abandoned castle. We can’t do it alone.”

The method Orr had told me was to hunt goblins living in an abandoned castle two hours away from Kalita.

If you kill them, other adventurers will recognize your skills?

It wasn’t a bad offer since it gave me karma. However, as Seris feared, if you are not careful, you may end up in a dangerous situation.

“Anyway, my sister is very scared.”

“Kara?”

“That’s right. It was the same when we sparred yesterday, and it was also the same when I got distracted by the story decided today. Aren’t you a match for adventurers?”

“That’s…”

Seris looked at me and spoke firmly.

“No. Even you can do it if you put your mind to it.”

“So you’re doing it?”

“Huh..? No, that’s…”

Cerise hesitated and avoided answering. I sighed and joined the conversation.

“You both stop. Because it hasn’t been decided yet.”

“No?”

“Uh, no. I think I need to think about it a bit. So stop fighting and just eat.”

“Okay…”

After the noisy meal, Sister Cerise went up to their room.

I didn’t go up, but looked around. Even though it was evening, the inn was noisy. This is because the people who stay here drink and talk loudly.

Among them, I approached a man who was drinking alone and sat in front of him. It was a man who appeared to be in his 40s and had an impressive beard.

“Sorry, but I just want to drink alone right now.”

He glanced at me and said. I raised my hand and called the waitress.

“Two glasses of ale.”

“Two glasses of ale!”

The waitress who took the order returned.

“…It’ll be okay if it’s just for a little while.”

The man rolled up the corners of his mouth.

We chatted lightly until the ale we ordered arrived.

The man’s name was Patrick, and as I expected, he was in his 40s. He was already married and had a daughter, but it had already been 10 years since he entered the adventure industry to make a living.

The grade is said to be copper grade, one level higher than iron grade.

“10 years… You’ve been there for a really long time.”

“Yes. I have seen more than half of the silver grades currently in Kalita since I was a young chick. …It’s already been so long.”

Patrick fiddled with the handle of the ale glass with a faint expression.

“Now that I think about it, I heard a rumor that the silver grade is great. How high is it? Because I’ve never seen it.”

I’ve heard a few rumors that it’s comparable to a knight. However, as it was a rumor floating around in the slums, the credibility was low.

“It’s huge. It’s not for nothing that the nobles want to keep them in their territory.”

Patrick waved his hand as if to stop talking.

“Is it that much? I thought ignoring the nobles was only possible at the gold level…”

“That’s right. No matter how silver level you are, you can’t stand up to a noble. What I’m saying is that they are just that good.”

“The ale you ordered has arrived!”

The waitress left two glasses of ale on the table. Patrick took a gulp of his new ale.

“Now, let’s listen to your story. What do you want to ask me?”

I told Patrick about my situation. He listened intently to my story while drinking ale.

“I heard that a new iron-level recruit came in this time and it turned out to be you.”

“Has the rumor already spread?”

“Sounds obvious. After merchants, adventurers are the most sensitive to rumors. Because if you mess up, you’ll die. Well, I heard it from Belita.”

Patrick said with a chuckle. I was a little surprised to hear the name Belita come out of his mouth.

“Do you know Belita?”

“I know. Because I’ve known him since I was a young chick. It was really cute at the time, but now that I’m all grown up…”

I wonder if I can get married like that. Patrick clicked his tongue.

“So, what is Belita’s grade? Is it by any chance a silver grade?”

“He’s in the same grade as me.”

“I see.”

I asked just in case, but it was the same. If the copper grade is that strong, how strong is the silver grade or gold grade? I couldn’t quite get a feel for it.

“Well, silver grade may not be far away. There is already no one in this class that can stand up to that guy. So don’t be too disappointed.”

“Yes?”

“ Weren’t you thinking something like, ‘I was so pushed back by someone with the same grade.’ ”

“It was similar, but I didn’t think it was ‘something like that.’”

“Either that or that.”

Patrick chuckled.

“Even though he is young, he has been living here for more than 5 years. Since a guy like that praised you, you can be proud.”

“A compliment?”

“They said that for the first time in a while, a not-so-bad guy came in.”

“…Is that a compliment?”

“That’s pretty generous to him. Rather than that, let’s get back to the main point. Do you want to get some advice about the goblins in that abandoned castle?”

“That’s right. Advice from a 10-year veteran like Patrick is very helpful.”

“I prefer chicken soup to that kind of flattery.”

“…”

“I also really like ale. Do you hate it?”

“…I like it too. Very.”

* * *

“It was a good meal. When I come back safely, let’s work together sometime.”

“Yes, please go in.”

Patrick went home, and I went upstairs and knocked on Sister Cerise’s door.

The door was opened slightly, as if he had not fallen asleep yet. Seris peeked out her face through the gap.

“I told you to cover your face.”

I quickly went into her room to see if anyone would see.

“Oppa? What’s going on… Ugh, the smell of alcohol. How much did you drink?”

“…a lot?”

“A lot! What, if you’re going to drink, drink together. Why do you drink alone?”

Kara grumbled to show that she was upset. I stroked Kara’s hair and ruffled it.

“Ha, don’t do it!”

“I’m sorry. Next time, let’s drink together.”

“Did you promise?”

“Yes, yes.”

When I made a pinky promise to Kara, she smiled happily at me. I, too, seemed to be a little drunk, so I smiled at her.

“K, keuhm!”

Seris cleared her throat.

“So, Yoosung. What brought you here?”

“Ah, that’s right. Let’s go there tomorrow.”

“There?”

“Abandoned castle.”

“Huh? Are you going?”

“Yes. I think it’s okay to go.”

“Wow!”

Kara got excited and shook her body. While I was laughing at that, Seris asked with a worried look on her face.

“Isn’t it too dangerous?”

“It’s okay. Because I received a lot of advice from a senior adventurer earlier.”

Patrick’s advice was helpful. So much so that I didn’t waste the chicken soup and ale I bought him.

He told us about the overall outline of the abandoned castle, its atmosphere, and the power of the goblins living there, along with his experiences. Even though that wasn’t his experience.

Thanks to this, I had a rough idea of what to do, and there was no reason to be reluctant to go out of business.

“I’ve already figured out how to act, so don’t worry too much.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Seris looked a little anxious, but nodded. It meant that my judgment was respected, and even though it was only a little, I felt proud.

After chatting with Sister Cerise for a bit, I went into my room and slept.

And the next day, we headed to the abandoned castle.