NOVEL WEB Chapter 28: The Old Gentleman
Everything was calm as usual. EeDeChi was preparing to head to the Adventurer's Guild to take on a new quest. However, Ureirika, one of the twin sisters, suddenly came down with a high fever and fell into a coma. Their weak constitutions had not yet recovered from the adverse effects of teleportation.
Kind-hearted Stella was frantic, and Sean was also anxiously pacing around. Eventually, they had to call in a professional healer from the city. The illness was finally brought under control.
This delay lasted several days. Once Ureirika's fever subsided, EeDeChi decided it was time to dive back into the adventuring life. Barrett led her to the local Adventurer's Guild hall.
Whether in the open or behind the scenes, they were an adventurer team. Although money was not an issue at the moment, every adventurer had to be registered with the local Adventurer's Guild to access its full range of services.
…
In the Adventurer's Guild hall.
"Captain, I'm telling you, you should try not to keep talking about how you took down the Sorcerer Kingdom's king. It's too dangerous."
"What's dangerous about that?" EeDeChi replied casually, glancing at the various quest notices on the bulletin board.
Barrett stood in front of the task board in the Adventurer's Hall, his voice low as he urged his reckless captain, his tone serious:
"I've confirmed the rumors. That Magic Caster King named Ainz Ooal Gown really did unleash an unprecedentedly powerful spell! He wiped out over a hundred thousand soldiers of the Re-Estize Kingdom in one go! It sounds so unbelievable it might as well be a fairy tale, but it's true! We can't mess with such a terrifying undead being!"
"You can't mess with him, but I can!" EeDeChi said with her hands on her hips, chest out, and a defiant look.
"You…" Barrett was momentarily at a loss for words.
It was late autumn, and the weather had turned chilly. Early in the morning, the Adventurer's Hall was nearly empty. A few adventurers without a place to stay were wrapped in blankets, still sleeping on the benches. A receptionist in a black vest stood behind the counter, looking exhausted and yawning occasionally.
Barrett stared at the scrawled black handwriting on a quest notice, carefully considering his words before saying, "Even if you're going to challenge him, you should be cautious. Don't go around shouting that you're going to take him down. Think about it—he's a king, and he surely has spies. If they catch wind of your plans, they'll be ready for you before you even get close."
EeDeChi rested her chin on her hand, thinking for a moment before nodding. "You make a good point. We're in the shadows while they're in the open. They don't know about me, but I know about them. That does make things easier. I'll follow your advice and wait until I have more information before making a move."
The door to the guild hall suddenly swung open, letting in a gust of chilly autumn air that made the lightly dressed receptionist shiver. She was about to scold the adventurer for leaving the door open when she fell silent, for a dashing old gentleman had entered.
The old gentleman had a full head of white hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His face was almost wrinkle-free, with a high, straight nose, sharp eyebrows, and striking eyes—remarkably handsome for his age.
He was tall and upright, about the same height as Barrett, and wore a perfectly tailored black tailcoat that was both classic and dignified. Time had not marked him with signs of aging but had instead deepened his masculine charm.
He walked into the Adventurer's Guild hall with a measured stride, politely closing the door behind him. His eyes, sharp as an eagle's beneath his gray brows, scanned the few adventurers in the hall before settling briefly on EeDeChi. He then strode purposefully toward the receptionist.
Despite knowing that this gentleman was old enough to be her father, the receptionist's heart raced like a frightened deer. She lifted her slightly blushing face and asked softly, "Sir, how can I help you?"
"Hello, miss. I'd like to post a quest that requires at least one orichalcum-level adventurer, and they cannot be local…" The tall, dignified gentleman bent slightly toward the receptionist.
"You can select from this list…" The receptionist, flustered, pulled out a book. "These are the adventurer teams in the area recently."
The old gentleman opened the parchment-bound roster and began to peruse it carefully…
"That old gentleman seems impressive," EeDeChi remarked, observing the elegant figure in the tailcoat at the counter. "His Justice Value is a solid 300, which means he's extremely virtuous."
"He must be a high-ranking noble—refined and cultured," Barrett said with envy.
Even though the old man was a bit past his prime, the grace and masculine charm he exuded with every movement could still captivate countless young women.
Barrett was now a somewhat sleazy middle-aged adventurer. By the time he reached the old gentleman's age, he would probably just be an old man sunning himself against a wall.
The old gentleman spoke briefly to the receptionist before leaving the Adventurer's Guild hall.
For some reason, EeDeChi felt that he had looked at her specifically. However, she paid it no mind, as she was always unguarded around those with high Justice Values.
Everyone's eyes followed the old gentleman out of the Adventurer's Guild hall before returning to their own tasks. The receptionist continued flipping through her book, and adventurers trickled in one by one.
EeDeChi pointed to an old yellowed parchment at the top of the task board. "How about this quest? The reward is quite high."
The somewhat outdated task notice read: Clear out the umber hulks in the Summers Town mining area, approximately 3; Reward: 80 gold coins; Requirement: mithril-level.
Barrett glanced at the notice and shook his head. "The iron mines in Summers Town are about the same size as those in Mistwood. Finding an umber hulk in those tunnels would take at least two or three months. Umber hulks all look similar, and humans can't really tell them apart. If it says three, there's probably more. The timestamp shows it's been four months; no one wants to take this job."
"What about the task next to it?" EeDeChi pointed to another parchment.
The notice read: In Emerald Forest, destroy the out-of-control iron golem, quantity: one, large Construct. Reward: 50 gold coins; Requirement: mithril-level or higher.
"Out-of-control Construct… Probably another mage messed up," Barrett said, crossing his arms.
"This might look like a decent job, but Emerald Forest is very far from here. Travel, lodging, and equipment costs would add up to about ten gold coins. The employer is casting a wide net, posting the same job in every city's guild. A stingy employer won't cover travel expenses; this kind of task is meant for adventurers passing through."
"I see…" EeDeChi nodded, thoughtful. She patted Barrett on the shoulder and said with appreciation, "You know quite a lot. Promoting you to deputy captain was indeed a wise choice. My judgment of people is really quite good."
Is she praising me? Barrett wondered to himself.
At that moment, the receptionist approached them. Her demeanor was somewhat hesitant. She looked repeatedly at a magical image in her roster and compared it with EeDeChi's face several times before cautiously asking, "Are you the leader of the Last Defender of the Way adventurer team?"
"Yes, that's me," EeDeChi said, shifting her attention from the task board to the receptionist, who was dressed in a black vest and white shirt.
"There's a client who specifically requested your team for a task and has offered a very high reward. I hope you won't refuse," the receptionist said.