Chapter 153
It was clear that being a B-rank adventurer carried an incredible amount of prestige in Saints Point. Everyone started looking at me as if I was out of my mind, wondering if I was eager to die or something.
Even Hugson, who had heard my words loud and clear, tilted his head in confusion as if thinking, “What did this guy just say?”
Harriet might have looked cute doing that, but a rough-looking man like him just looked creepy.
“Do you want me to repeat what I just said? Let her go,” I demanded.
“And who are you to order me around?” Hugson replied with an oppressive tone, looking incredulously at me as I approached him.
“Well, what gives you the right to ignore someone and order them to follow you without question?” I retorted.
It’s ironic, isn't it? People don’t like being spoken to in a commanding tone, yet they do it to others without a second thought.
I guess it’s plausible. It seems everyone inherently believes “It’s different when I do it,” including me. But I can’t stand it when they do that to my people!
Eleris was looking at me, her lips twisted grotesquely. It seemed Eleris was the most shocked by my sudden outburst.
“Do I need to even listen to her response? Our party can offer the best rewards and achievements around here. There’s no need to hesitate,” Hugson stated confidently.
Saints Point wasn’t a large base, and according to Loyar, the surrounding area was safe.
Because of this, highly-ranked adventurers did not come to this place. That was why Hugson’s party was considered the most prestigious around here, and everyone seemed to acknowledge that.
It was like a talent who was used to only receiving offers from mid-sized companies suddenly having a scouting offer from a major corporation. It would be unnecessary to ask for their response. Of course, the only response would be a yes.
‘Hmm...’
When I thought about it that way, his words did make some sense after all...
No.
But this situation was different.
‘Major corporation or conglomerate, all of that doesn’t matter right now!’
“Whatever it is, it’s not right to drag someone along without asking for their opinion.”
“Ha... Alright then, Miss Mage. So, are you coming or not?”
“Ah...” Eleris, in the face of Hugson’s intense stare, flashed an ambiguous expression. “... I’m going to have to decline.”
“...?”
At her words, not only Hugson’s expression, but the expressions of the other onlookers also turned bizarre.
I could clearly read their thoughts. ‘That woman... She turned down a major corporation! What other call could she possibly be waiting for?!’
That was the meaning behind everyone’s expression. Hugson couldn’t believe his offer had been rejected. His eyes went wide with shock.
“... I don’t know how great of a mage you might be, but what makes you think you’re worthy enough to refuse my offer?”
Hugson was questioning whether she was a mage of high enough value to play hard to get.
Eleris merely shook her head in response. “It’s not that... I just don’t like the way you act.”
Eleris carefully pulled her arm away and looked toward me.
“I’d rather work with someone who may not be as skilled, but at least asks for opinions, than someone who is highly skilled but too autocratic,” she continued.
And with that, Eleris moved the conversation forward to make it seem as if she was going to join my party, implicitly providing a natural reason for her refusal and her choice to partner with me instead.
Indeed, experience wasn’t gained idly.
Both Hugson and everyone inside the inn were astounded by Eleris’s words.
***
Eventually, Hugson failed to force Eleris to go with him against her will.
Even if he’d left her alone, Eleris would not have joined his party, but it seemed Hugson believed he’d lost a mage recruit because of me, and glared at me menacingly.
“You seem new here, but it would be better for you not to overstep your bounds next time,” he warned me.
I was about to retort, but the look in Eleris’s eyes said everything. ‘Please don’t say anything unnecessary anymore!’
Under her silent pressure, I could only slowly nod my head in agreement.
“Ah yes. I apologize for the rudeness on our first meeting.”
“...”
‘You should be grateful you’re still alive because of Eleris.’
Hugson left the inn, and Eleris walked briskly over to me and extended her hand.
“I’m Rellia. Nice to meet you.”
We were officially meeting for the first time. We had agreed to act as if it was our first encounter so as not to arouse Ellen’s suspicions.
“I’m Reinhart.”
Somehow, the guys around us seemed envious, but the sentiment seemed to be fueled by more than just the fact that I had managed to recruit a mage.
***
Ellen was toweling off her hair, having taken a shower and then changed into regular clothes after the commotion below had subsided.
I escorted Eleris up to our room. It was a good opportunity for introductions.
“... You really managed to bring her here.”
Ellen looked a bit dazed, not expecting me to actually secure the services of a mage.
“Hi, I’m Rellia.”
“... I’m Ellen.”
The two shook hands. Ellen seemed slightly awkward, probably because she hadn’t actually expected an additional member to join our party.
“I don’t know what kind of incentives Reinhart offered but... we don’t have much money to offer to a mage.”
“Incentives? Oh, I don’t need any special treatment.”
“...?”
I explained to Ellen what had happened below in detail.
Ellen still seemed unconvinced, as if it was strange for someone to reject better offers and join us after merely receiving a few supportive words in a tough situation.
“In truth, I’m not that high-level of a mage... Joining a party under such conditions would mean having a lot of expectations placed on me... And that could become problematic... I’d rather work as an equal member of the party. People tend to think all mages are grand mages.”
Apparently, Eleris had an excuse handy.
Indeed, receiving preferential treatment would come with great expectations. She was afraid of being harassed later if she couldn’t meet those expectations, so she had been rejecting such offers.
Ellen nodded slowly, seeming to understand the reasoning. “I guess that’s possible.”
Of course, she wasn’t likely to let down her guard completely just yet.
“I can perform a bit of offensive magic and a little bit of support magic.”
Eleris didn’t specify exactly what magic she could perform. She used vague terms like “a bit,” “a little,” and “somewhat.”
Anyway, with Eleris joining us, we would be able to handle unexpected situations in a more assured fashion.
“How did you end up in such a tough situation?”
That was what I was most curious about. It’s not as if mages had the word “mage” tattooed on their foreheads, and Eleris wasn’t wearing robes or doing anything to signify she was a mage.
How did the people find out? Although I asked, it was more of a command. Eleris, scratching her cheek with an ambiguous smile, replied.
“Oh... there was someone who kept bothering me, so I just... wanted to teach them a bit of a lesson with magic... Eh... I didn’t expect things to turn out this way...”
Apparently, she had used magic to ward off someone who had been harassing her. While she’d managed to send the harasser packing, the action revealed her identity as a mage, which ended up attracting even more trouble. Apparently, Eleris hadn’t realized that mages were so sought after in these parts.
“Do you have any plans in mind for what to do next?” said Eleris, quickly changing the subject. She seemed embarrassed to discuss the incident further. It must have been quite mortifying for her to admonish me about keeping my temper while she herself lost hers and resorted to using magic.
In response to Eleris’s question about our plan, Ellen shook her head. “We were just about to start making one.”
“Shall we think about it together, then?”
We gathered around the table in the double room.
We’d come to the Dark Land seeking practical experience, and we had chosen Saints Point as it was said to be the safest place around.
“It looks like you guys have a map?”
“Yes.”
Ellen and I spread out the map of the Dark Land, which we had obtained from the Thieves’ Guild.
While most of it was blank, representing unexplored territories, it was continuously being updated based on the achievements of adventurers. The Egxian Forward Base was located on the far west of the map, with adventurers gradually illuminating the Dark Land to the east of it.
From the Egxian base, which was the main base for the adventurers, supply lines that connected different supply bases branched out in all directions like a web, following the eastern route that the allied forces had taken during their advance. If one were to describe the pattern, it resembled a network of root tendrils. Saints Point was a node located in one of the relatively safe zones within this network.
The risk increased the further one traveled north or south, or deeper into the east. The frontiers were expected to be populated by high-ranking adventurers who had seen all kinds of battles. Of course, there was no reason why lower-ranked adventurers couldn’t go to those places; some might choose to venture into these areas hoping to stumble upon something valuable.
Although Ellen and I had done some preliminary research, Eleris, who had arrived before us, would likely have more detailed pre-information. Indeed, she might know more about the Dark Land than most adventurers, given how early she had arrived.
Saints Point was located somewhat on the southern end of the eastern route of advance. Hence, it made logical sense for our primary area of exploration to be toward the south, rather than the north.
“Actually, most of the areas in this vicinity have already been explored, so it might be difficult to discover anything new. There aren’t particularly dangerous places around here, and the only work around here would involve drafting detailed maps... Do either of you know how to draw maps?” Eleris asked.
“No.”
“Not at all.”
Eleris, having arrived here before us, had a better grasp of the actual situation in Saints Point. She had access to more detailed information.
Saints Point was safe. Thus, the only job available was drafting detailed maps. And none of the three of us knew how to draw maps.
“This place serves as a midway base for those heading down to Klitz Point, which is a full day’s journey to the south. It seems that area has been quite developed as well, but there are rumors that demons have made appearances nearby. There have also been quite a few eyewitness accounts. Fortunately, there haven't been any reported casualties.”
Klitz Point, a day’s journey south...
Saints Point was a stopover for those who were preparing for the journey down to Klitz Point.
The area around Klitz Point had been significantly developed, but it wasn’t completely secure and there have been reports of demon sightings.
“There have been recent reports of trouble further south of Klitz Point as well.”
“Trouble?” Ellen asked.
Eleris nodded in response.
Humans set up different points that served as supply bases for adventurers, and represented fortifications established by humans as they expanded further into the Dark Land.
Saints Point was not located that far to the east of Egxian, and was positioned on the southern side of the eastern advance route.
Saints Point had been set up to encourage exploration of the southern areas, and as adventurers moved further south and found suitable locations, new points were established by the Adventurers’ Guild.
Eleris pointed at the map, indicating the points located along the path south from Saints Point, down from the eastern advance route.
Eastern advance route.
↓
Saints Point.
↓
Klitz Point.
↓
Altz Point.
↙ ↓ ↘
A-1 A-2 A-3
From Altz Point, three other points were spread out to the south—labeled as Altz-1, Altz-2, and Altz-3—whose goal was to widen the exploration range. These points, situated south of Saints Point along the southern exploration route, represented the frontier of exploration.
Eleris pointed towards the area around Altz Point.
“Recently, communication with the area south of Altz Point, including Altz Point itself, was cut off. The exact cause has not been determined yet. Although some adventurers have departed to investigate, it seems nothing has been discovered yet. The assumption is that Altz Point might have been attacked and destroyed.”
The base that served as a node, responsible for supplying the three points south of it, was presumed to be destroyed.
“Then... What happened to the three points south of Altz Point?” Ellen asked, a serious look on her face. She was starting to realize the gravity of the situation.
“They would be isolated.”
Altz Point played a vital role in supplying resources to the three forward bases to the south. However, with the destruction of this intermediary node, the supply line to the front had been severed. Consequently, personnel at the Altz-1, Altz-2, and Altz-3 Points were now isolated.
The supply node had been destroyed recently, and although adventurers had been dispatched to investigate, the situation remained unclear.
“So, if we’re not going to limit our work to just Saints Point, the biggest job would be escorting a convoy bringing supplies to these isolated bases. The convoy will carry materials needed for the reconstruction of Altz Point, as well as supplies for the three points further south.”
While it was presumed that Altz Point had collapsed, the truth behind the incident has not yet been determined.
However, the frontier bases were in urgent need of supplies due to the interruption of the supply chain. For this reason, a convoy was being organized to deliver resources to the three southernmost bases, and escorting this convoy was now the most significant quest.
There wasn’t much to do if we decided to stay only in Saints Point. If we chose to leave Saints Point to pursue more hazardous endeavors, the most substantial task available was acting as an escort for this convoy.
I looked over at Ellen. “What should we do?”
“...”
I left the choice to Ellen. After all, exploring the areas around Saints Point was probably not very appealing to her.
“Let’s join up with the convoy.”
As I expected, Ellen chose the option of taking on a bigger task.
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