Adventurer of Many Professions

In the utility room, Raymond carefully adjusted Arya's grip on the dagger, gently guiding her fingers into a more precise position. "If you hold it like you did before, you'll have to use more force to keep a tight grip when swinging it. But the longer you hold it like that, the more your fingers will stiffen, and you won't be able to exert the same strength."

Raymond picked up a dagger himself, showing her the proper way to hold it, then made small adjustments to Arya's grip.

As Arya followed his guidance, she immediately felt a difference. Even though Raymond had only made minor tweaks, it felt more comfortable and secure. "So, it's the smallest changes that make a huge difference," she murmured, testing the new grip.

Raymond nodded. "Exactly. Remember this grip. It might seem simple, but it's effective."

Once Arya seemed comfortable with the new position, Raymond continued. "There's another grip you need to learn, the reverse grip."

He demonstrated the reverse grip to her, explaining the subtle yet important differences. "The forward grip and reverse grip each have their strengths. The forward grip is like holding a sword, with the tip facing forward. It can give you a slightly longer reach, but with a dagger, the difference isn't much."

"But," Raymond continued, "the reverse grip is different. It allows you to use the full strength of your arm, even though the reach is shorter. For assassins, it's all about precision and power. You want to strike once and make it count."

Arya's eyes brightened as she understood. "So, when fighting with a dagger, it's about attacking with overwhelming force, making sure you kill with one strike, right?"

"Exactly!" Raymond confirmed. "The dagger is short, and if you don't take the enemy out with your first strike, you'll likely leave yourself open to their counterattack."

Arya nodded thoughtfully. "Got it."

Raymond paused, his tone turning more serious. "But, remember this: weapons that are ten centimeters longer are more powerful, and those ten centimeters shorter can be more dangerous. When facing an opponent with a longer weapon, as long as we close the gap, their advantage becomes nullified."

Arya blinked, her expression confused. "But when we're on commissions, we're mostly dealing with monsters, right? They don't use weapons."

Raymond suddenly coughed, awkwardly clearing his throat before responding, "Well… that's true. I was just thinking, what if... It's only been a few days since the Black Wind Bandit incident, remember? Not all our commissions are monster-related."

Arya's eyes widened in realization as she remembered the bandits. "Oh... right. The Black Wind Bandits." She fell silent, a somber expression crossing her face.

Raymond nodded. "Exactly. While most of our work is with monsters, there are still plenty of bandits and thieves out there, people who'll attack adventurers for their gear and supplies. They don't care about monsters, just about getting rich by stealing from others."

Arya's face darkened as she thought back to the adventurers the Black Wind Bandits had killed. "I see what you mean," she murmured, her voice quiet.

Raymond met her gaze. "Just remember, even if we don't want to harm others, we must always be on guard. Not everyone shares our intentions."

Arya nodded seriously. "I understand. Thank you, Raymond."

Raymond smiled, pleased with her response. "Good. Stay alert and always be prepared."

But then, Arya looked at him with curiosity. "Raymond, I've been meaning to ask... you seem to know so much. Everything you say makes sense, and I'm starting to realize... I never noticed before how experienced you are."

She tilted her head, thoughtfully adding, "For example, what you just said about being on guard against others even when we don't intend harm, that's not something most people would know unless they've been through a lot themselves."

Raymond was silent for a moment, the weight of her words settling in. He looked at her, his expression softening. "I've seen my fair share of things, Arya. Life... it's never just about the good intentions. Sometimes, you have to learn the hard way to protect yourself."

It was clear that Arya had a sharp eye and knew Raymond well. She immediately picked up on the fact that his speech today was unusually eloquent.

When Raymond heard Arya's comment, he realized that the words he had just spoken, the ones he had quoted from his past life; were indeed the kind of insights only someone with certain experiences could possess. He felt a slight twinge of discomfort but quickly came up with an explanation.

"I actually read it in a book," Raymond said, waving off the thought. "It made sense to me, so I wrote it down."

He went on, hoping to ease the situation. "I have a habit of writing things down when I read. If something resonates with me, I jot it down so I can avoid making the same mistakes later."

Arya's eyes lit up, and she smiled. "Ah, I see. I'll have to read more and memorize some good lines, too."

Raymond chuckled but didn't want to linger on this topic any longer. He quickly changed the subject, not wanting Arya to think too much about his earlier words.

"Alright, now that we've covered the two ways to hold the dagger, let's move on to the next part. I'm going to teach you how to attack with it..."

Raymond began to show Arya the basics of dagger combat. But, of course, there was more to it than simply using a dagger. Close combat, especially with a dagger, required coordination with other skills, such as footwork and reaction time.

Raymond explained, "Reaction speed is something that can only truly be developed in combat, but we'll work on the basics first." He wasn't going to make Arya jump into actual combat just yet, though. That would come later.

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Somar

Somar, the largest border city on the southern edge of the Kingdom of Atlantis, stood at the frontlines of defense against the monstrous hordes that roamed beyond. It was both the most strategically important and the most dangerous city on the southern border.

Beyond Somar, the land was overrun with monsters. Here, adventurers didn't need a specific commission to hunt them. As long as they brought back proof in the form of designated monster parts, the Adventurer's Guild would reward them accordingly.

This made Somar a hotspot for adventurers. Of the 500,000 or so people living there, a staggering 50,000 to 60,000 were adventurers, nearly one-tenth of the population. The sheer number of adventurers was overwhelming.

In comparison, the small town of Wittes, where Raymond and his team were based, was much smaller. Though it had grown to a population of 100,000 over the years, there were only about 2,000 adventurers, a tiny fraction of the number found in Somar.

However, the large number of adventurers in Somar often led to chaos. The adventurer community was a mixed bag, with many less-than-reputable characters among them. As a result, violent incidents were common, and even the knights stationed there couldn't always keep the peace. Groups of adventurers, sometimes dozens strong, often grew arrogant and domineering.

But despite the dangers posed by both monsters and unruly adventurers, people continued to live in Somar. The same was true for the villages surrounding Wittes, which, though often attacked by monsters, didn't move away. Why? Because life in the borderlands was cheap.

The Kingdom of Atlantis had lowered tax rates in these frontier regions, cutting them in half compared to other parts of the kingdom. Moreover, if a village was attacked by monsters, the residents would share the losses collectively. This lower cost of living was a significant draw for many, even if it meant living in dangerous territory.

Where there were people, there would always be monster attacks. And where there were monster attacks, the Adventurer's Guild would issue commissions for adventurers to take on in exchange for rewards. With an Adventurer's Guild present, adventurers flocked to these areas to earn their living.

With adventurers providing protection, even the most dangerous places felt a little safer. The lure of low taxes and protection from monsters slowly transformed these areas into thriving towns.

In the end, the most dangerous places attracted the most adventurers and offered the most enticing benefits for those willing to risk it all.

Somar had evolved into the bustling border city it was today. The Adventurer's Guild in Somar was strategically positioned at the southernmost edge of the city, directly connected to the city wall and facing the dangerous frontier. If monsters from beyond the borders ever wanted to invade, they would first have to breach the Adventurer's Guild.

One notable difference between Somar's Adventurer's Guild and that of Wittes was the scale and facilities. Somar's Guild wasn't just a place to handle commissions; it was an all-encompassing building that also provided accommodations, taverns, restaurants, and more. In contrast, the Guild in Wittes was much simpler and solely focused on commissions.

The Somar Adventurer's Guild was open 24 hours a day, and the city gates were always open to adventurers and travelers. Given the availability of cheap rooms and meals, many adventurers chose to stay at the Guild for convenience. However, even though it was a central hub for adventurers, there were still far more adventurers in Somar than the Guild could accommodate.

Due to the nature of monster hunting, where adventurers didn't always need to take formal commissions, the Adventurer's Guild wasn't crowded during the morning hours. But by afternoon and evening, things were very different.