NOVEL WEB Ch. 7
Chapter 7: Arrows and Magic (2)
Creak…
The scene that greeted Artier and Jeina upon entering the Mercenary Guild was utter chaos.
“Hey, hurry up and give me a mission! Can’t you see I’m busy?”
“Just wait a moment! We’re getting flooded with mission requests from the entire city!”
Behind the sweating receptionist, a mountain of something was piled up.
“No way that’s all mission requests, right?”
“Looks like it.”
The receptionist was practically in tears, but we had work to do.
“Let’s see…”
Recruiting a party member was simple.
Find a suitable mission, form a temporary party, evaluate their skills, and then officially recruit them.
“Any good missions?”
“Hmm… not great. It’s all escort missions.”
Jeina scanned the mission board and made a troubled face.
“These kinds of missions attract newbies, so it’s hard to gauge skill.”
Escort missions often ended with just walking if no enemies attacked, so as Jeina said, there might be no chance to assess abilities.
“I see…”
Of course, I could just check their stats with the info window.
But I’d learned something from the tutorial.
Doing it that way won’t convince Gerard or Jeina.
This was a game, but also reality.
When I drove off the Hell Assassin during our first mission, Gerard didn’t just feel relieved to be alive—he interrogated me about my identity.
“Then what kind of mission would be good?”
“Probably a subjugation mission. Or a dungeon. Dark, damp places always have something lurking.”
Following Jeina’s advice, I scanned the mission board.
And then, I spotted a request pinned at the very bottom.
This mission is already up?
[Viewing Quest.]
A client, presumed to be a scholar, has requested an exploration of ruins located to the east. They seek rubbings of ancient stone tablets found there.
Reward upon acceptance: 20 silver coins, additional rewards based on the number of rubbings.
I knew this quest.
How could I not? In all my time playing
“What’s up?”
“Let’s go with this.”
Worried someone else might snatch it, I quickly tore the request off the board.
“Ancient ruins exploration? You into this kind of thing, little brother?”
“Not exactly… I’m more interested in the rewards.”
The tutorial mission’s reward, including the advance, was 4 silver and 20 copper coins. This mission offered a whopping 20 silver coins just for exploring some dark ruins.
Plus, extra pay for more rubbings.
Normally, mercenaries would’ve been tripping over themselves for a payout like this.
If it’s the eastern ruins, it’s definitely that place. I have to go there.
I wasn’t choosing this mission just for the money.
There was a special reward only obtainable in these ruins.
“Really? 20 silver is pretty sweet.”
Unaware of the details, Jeina handed the request to the receptionist.
As another task piled on in real-time, the receptionist shed tears of joy.
“Your party has been registered…”
After completing the registration, Jeina and I moved to a corner to wait for a comrade to join us.
But even after a long wait, no mercenary stepped up to join the ruins expedition.
News of monsters that sliced people like tofu had spread across the city. Even mercenaries seemed to be playing it safe.
“This is tough.”
“Yeah. No one knows when the monsters might show up, and everyone’s scared.”
Jeina, growing bored, was about to order a beer.
“Huh? Did that guy just take our request?”
“What?”
I looked where Jeina pointed and saw someone holding the request I’d registered, approaching the receptionist.
“Oh, this mission already has a party on standby.”
Hearing the receptionist, the person glanced toward Jeina and me.
What’s with that outfit?
They wore a deep brown robe with a hood and a fox mask covering their face.
Their entire body was so thoroughly concealed that their identity was impossible to discern.
“What’s that? No clue who they are—maybe a mage?”
Even Jeina was puzzled enough to say this.
The fox-masked figure strode toward us and asked.
“Are you the party heading to the ruins to collect rubbings?”
“Yes, are you looking to join?”
“Give up the mission.”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
The voice from behind the fox mask was so flat it sounded modulated.
They then turned to the receptionist and said.
“They’re giving up the mission.”
“Hey, what’s your deal? When did we say we were giving up?”
Jeina, incredulous, snapped back, but the fox-masked figure responded with annoyance.
“You lot exploring the ruins at your level will just get in the way.”
“What? What do you know to talk like that?”
“More than you.”
The figure stepped in front of Jeina. Despite her imposing size, they didn’t flinch.
“You know exploring these ruins requires at least mid-tier mercenaries, right?”
“So?”
“I don’t have time to clean up after a party dragging along low-tier mercenaries.”
I let out a sigh.
It’s because of me.
Only Gerard and Jeina knew my skills rivaled a top-tier mercenary.
Officially, I was still a low-tier mercenary, so this reaction was understandable.
Low-tier mercenaries could never handle a ruins exploration.
Still, this should be easy to resolve.
I spoke to the fox-masked figure.
“Is the problem with me?”
“At least you’re perceptive.”
“Well, I have no intention of leaving the party.”
“Ugh, clueless newbies…”
“How about this?”
Cutting them off, I continued.
“Let’s have a duel. If I win, you join our party.”
“Why would I? You gonna pay me for tutoring?”
The figure sneered, but I responded confidently.
“It looks like you want something from the ruins. Am I wrong?”
“….”
Silence is sometimes an answer.
Heading to the ruins at this point was unusual in itself.
Just as Jeina and I were looking for a new comrade, this fox-masked person likely had their own goal in the ruins.
“Here’s the deal. If I lose, you can take whatever you’re after alone. And I’ll leave the party.”
“The mercenary next to you doesn’t seem all that reliable either.”
“Then you can kick her out too. I’ll hand over party leader rights as well.”
At my words, the figure glanced at Jeina.
Their expression was hidden by the mask, but they seemed baffled that I, a low-tier mercenary, was the party leader.
“A low-tier mercenary as party leader?”
“Well, underestimate him and you’ll regret it.”
Jeina crossed her arms, a grin spreading across her face.
“Our party leader isn’t ordinary.”
“What’s this nonsense… Fine, if you insist.”
The three of us moved to an open lot behind the Mercenary Guild.
The fox-masked figure drew a shortbow.
A bow? An archer?
I looked at them with curiosity.
Perhaps sensing my gaze, they mocked.
“You can still back out.”
In a duel, attacks must stop the moment the opponent surrenders.
But arrows don’t stop just because someone shouts surrender. That’s why mercenaries avoided dueling archers.
“No, I’m fine.”
I replied calmly, stretching my body.
Good thing I borrowed Gerard’s sword.
In Jestion’s viscounty, my spear, lance, and even shield had been destroyed, leaving me without a proper weapon.
Fortunately, Gerard, who needed to rest, lent me his sword.
[Ferocious Green Bastard Sword (Magic)]
Attack: 6~9
Options: (Ferocious) Wind Damage +2, Movement Speed +2
As a weapon used by an upper-tier mercenary, its options were impressive. Magic-grade weapons were especially rare in the early game.
“My name is Artier. What’s yours?”
“No reason to tell you.”
“Not particularly curious, but I should know the name of a party member.”
“Cocky… Call me Bow. That’s what’s registered.”
“Bow?”
Since they said it was registered, it was likely a pseudonym. But an archer named Bow?
Hiding my amusement, I checked Bow’s info window.
Lv.8 Bow
Title: Upper-Tier Mercenary
Class: Plains Archer
Strength: 13
Agility: 15
Intelligence: 8
Usable Skills: Tracking (Lv.1)
Pretty high level.
Level 8 was among the strongest mercenaries you’d encounter at this point.
For reference, after the last battle, Gerard was level 6, while Jeina and I were level 4.
I can see why they’re so confident…
“If you’re done chatting, can we start? I’ll let you go first.”
Bow, clearly underestimating me, stood still without even nocking an arrow.
Seeing this, I made up my mind.
To make them a party member, I needed to thoroughly crush their arrogance.
“Well, if you insist.”
I faced them and took my stance.
Just a shortbow? This is almost too easy.
An archer openly allowing close combat and giving up the first move?
No need to overthink. I charged at Bow and swung my sword diagonally.
Whoosh!
But Bow, bending their waist fluidly, dodged my sword with ease.
In an instant, they moved behind me.
“It’s over.”
Bow fired three arrows at the back of my head in rapid succession.
Clang! Thud!
But the arrows didn’t hit me.
“What?!”
“Too obvious.”
Using the momentum of my swing, I spun around completely. I’d anticipated Bow would move behind me.
An archer wouldn’t fight head-on.
I deflected the incoming arrows and thrust my sword forward.
Bow hurriedly drew their bowstring, but my blade was already at their chin.
“Want to keep going?”
I smiled, but there was a hint of mockery in it.