Chapter 145: Outside the Tower 5
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
Join the discord! Here
The small city of Ertta served as a kind of crossroads leading to the Western Count Morris territory.
Normally, cities develop because people need to gather for some reason and create amunity.
This was a mandatory stop for merchants taking risks to conduct deals near the northwestern wastnds and for those heading to the harbor city in the westernmost area to buy seafood and specialties.
Even though the city wasnt veryrge, its streets were bustling with merchants and mercenaries.
While merchants also gamble with their livelihoods when ites to money, they aren''t the type to rush into a ming pit without armor, hence, they naturally needed numerous mercenaries for protection.
There are so many people, especially mercenaries.
But what''s the difference between adventurers and mercenaries?
-Just a guild difference, right?
-For starters, there are more a**holes among mercenaries. They backstab a lot.
-Why are you curious about that now lol?
-Just saw it and spat it out, didnt you?
-There are a lot of people ying as mercenaries instead of adventurers, right?
Han Se-ah, observing the bustling street filled with mercenaries, threw out a question.
Whether she casually asked the stream or blurted it out of curiosity, I wasnt sure.
Responding to Han Se-ah''s mumbling, it wasn''t me but Lily Depp who answered.
Walking along, with a long spear on her back, she began exining next to Han Se-ah.
...Does Han Se-ah possess some kind of charm that entices women?
The speed at which the two are bing friends is no joke.
In fact, theres not much difference. After all, mercenaries can register as adventurers, and adventurers can register as mercenaries. It''s just that the guilds emphasize different requests.
Oh, is that so?
Most of the requests from the Adventurer''s Guild are rted to monsters and involve requests from the Magic Tower, while the Mercenary Guild often takes requests from merchants or territorial battles.
Although we are high-level adventurers, were also registered as bronze mercenaries in the Mercenary Guild, so we ept upper-level escort requests whenever we are heading west.
"Upper-level escort requests? Arent those also avable at the Adventurer''s Guild?
Well, in the adventurer''s city, there''s no Mercenary Guild. With a monster-infested tower embedded in the middle of the city and arge branch of the Magic Tower present, why would a branch of the Mercenary Guild establish there?
They would just have their rice bowls snatched away by the Adventurer''s Guild and be pushed out. However, in this city, where only merchants wander around without any monsters or beasts nearby, theres a Mercenary Guild and no Adventurer''s Guild.
Han Se-ah and the party nod to Lily Depp''s exnation.
Although the exnation was lengthy, the point was all about money, which, as adventurers who earn through requests, was very easy to understand.
She gave stories of adventurers who doubled their rewards by taking ovepping quests from both the Adventurers Guild and the Mercenaries Guild, those who met ignorant bandits while heading west and earned extra ie, and those who were betrayed by mercenaries thinking adventurers were easy targets but got a taste of their own medicine.
With Lily Depp''s sudden storytelling session, both the party and the viewers were unwittingly drawn into rapt attention.
Even if some of the viewers, who were gamers, became mercenaries, their ranks would merely be at the level of wooden or copper mercenaries, thus the stories from a silver were bound to be interesting.
"It might be time to scatter and gather information?"
"Oh, right! We should."
Only Katie, who was under Reba, a gold mercenary, had the presence of mind to remind us what we should be doing.
Prompted by Katie''s words, Han Se-ah hurriedly began dividing the group.
Myself, Han Se-ah, Grace, Irene, Katie, and with Lily added, we made six.
To hear rumors, pairing up into three teams seemed the best approach.
Moving solo was too chaotic, and, excluding me, the visibly striking beauties would likely attract inconvenient incidents when dealing with mercenaries.
However, moving in threes seemed inefficient.
Everyone seemed to have simr thoughts as they exchanged nces, then Irene spoke up first.
"Then, it seems like we should move in pairs. As for the time, umm... how about we gather at the inn before the moon fully rises?"
The group nodded in agreement with Irene, having no objections to her suggestion.
Then, they exchanged nces, seemingly contemting how to divide the pairs.
In the midst of this, while watching Han Se-ah, who was sending a strong gaze towards Grace
"I''ll go with Rnd."
"...Huh?"
Lily Depp stepped closer to me quite naturally and crossed her arms.
---
Raei Trantions
---
I was the only Lily Depp knew in our group.
Han Se-ah couldnt argue regarding this.
After all, what can you say about wanting to stick with the only person you know when you''ve only known the others for just a day or two?
Thus, in pairs, we scattered in different directions towards the market that dimly lit up as the sunset and darkness crept in.
Being a city of merchants, magic lights were set up, ensuring it wasnt dark even after the sun set.
It gave the vibe of a vibrant night market.
Lets go this way, Rnd!
Alright, got it.
Lily Depp, who even linked arms with me, was seriously focused on gathering information.
Probably concerned about her teammates.
Though Han Se-ah might be plotting something herself.
After all, there was a camera hovering above my head.
It feels like the side quest suddenly became about love and war, huh? A friendly female acquaintance turns out to be an incredibly strong rival.
-Why are you so serious on the love front?
-Please proceed with the side quest, maam!
-Still, stalking Rnd is more fun than gathering information, so isnt it alright?
-You ignorant folks, this is a cliffhanger, a cliffhanger!*
-Isnt it night market, not cliffhanger? (Really dont know)
"Look, attaching ''really dont know'' is not an invincible cheat key. You may not have been caught by the AI, but youve been caught by my eyes, so go cool your head for about 30 minutes.
Teaming with Grace, she naturally began something that looked more like rtionship counseling than information gathering.
ncing at the stream I had opened in a corner of my view, I could feelughter about to leak out.
The viewers were still unaware that Grace and I had crossed a certain line, and watched as if they were viewing a web drama.
Indeed, the love stories of NPCs, who seemed more human than actual humans and were beautiful to boot, were bound to attract interest.
Rnd? This is a ce mercenaries oftene to drink. Lets go in.
Yeah, sounds good.
Lily led me to a shabby inn while I was watching the stream on the side and following her.
It was obviously more worn down than the inn we had booked rooms in, but judging by the loud, bustling voices bursting out, it seemed like a ce heavily frequented by mercenaries.
Creeaak-
As we pushed open the un-oiled wooden door, for a brief moment, all eyes converged on us.
Although Lily, being a star-bearing beauty, attracted attention, no mercenary dared to start trouble or strike up a conversation, seeing that we were openly carrying weapons.
Perhaps because it''s a city with many merchants, there were probably more escort requests than hunting or war ones.
Seems like they had to temper their attitudes a bit to earn money.
"Three more beers here!"
"Uheheh, so I picked up the tab and that woman was gulping down--"
"What the hell, its not the mercenary who''s gone missing, but the client...?"
"Shit. This request really went south."
As mercenaries noisily voice theirints, a small boy rushed over as we took a seat at a table.
"Wee! What can I get for you two?"
"Two ales, and enough sausage for two to eat well."
"Yessir~"
The boy, asionally ncing at therge man at the counter - perhaps this is a family-run inn - poses a question to us.
Without me saying anything, Lily naturally orders two ales.
The menu isnt particrly important, so I nod without furtherment and focus on the chatter of the mercenaries around us.
"Did you hear? A ship heading from the western port to the northern port sank."
"Ha, these damned pigs raising the passage fee these days..."
"The boss upstairs seems to want to bulk up a bit, you thinking of going?"
"That damn, when will we get to touch silverware? Done so many requests already."
"Theres a street behind the Rusty Horseshoe Inn where the harlots gather"
Leaning backzily in the chair and stretching out while waiting for the food, the surrounding din of diverse conversation reaches us.
From gossip and banter to drunken grumblings and joyful revels.
The tales weaving through this inn,mon to adventurers, were varied.
Of course, I don''t expect to find a perfect clue about Lily''s missing party members by doing this.
What I want is just two things.
One, peopleining about orcs sightings or attacks by unknown beings, and second, someone who might trigger Han Se-ahs quest window.
Its natural to take advantage of having a yer with a quest window in the team.
"Rnd, should we try talking to those guys who mentioned the missing client?"
"Hmm, it seems the most relevant, at least."
Well, we should at least try to find some clues.
As the small boy, holding a ss as big as his own head, wobbles over, I rise from my seat and head towards a secluded table.
---