Frog's Request

They slept until almost the afternoon before getting out of bed together.

Galan and Lia yawned, hastily dressed, and casually smeared some face powder before heading downstairs to get something to eat.

Having slept without eating anything since then, their stomachs rumbled uncontrollably as they walked.

But as they walked down the stairs, they ran into a familiar face they hadn't seen in a long time—"Hey, how have you been lately? Have you missed me?"

Frog stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the two of them with a grin.

"Frog... you're back? When?"

"It happened this morning, not long ago. I was worried you'd already left and weren't staying here anymore, so I rushed over to check on you... But you all look like you just woke up..."

"It's rare to relax like this..."

Seeing the other person give a wry smile, Galan also felt somewhat ashamed.

He had traveled with Frog all the way, so he knew how difficult the caravan's journey was. It was unimaginable to sleep until the afternoon like this. Even during his time in [Äußerst], Frog was always running around, entertaining clients and making business, and rarely had a proper rest. His complexion had visibly deteriorated due to the long journey.

"You've worked hard, but you still need to take good care of yourself. Seeing you like this, I'm really worried. I'll check on you later, and if it's really bad, I'll prescribe some tonics for you. If this continues, I'm afraid your body won't be able to take it."

"Wow! You're being so kind today, I'm really touched."

Frog rubbed his nose with his finger, his eyes crinkling into slits with laughter.

"Well, I actually came here today to ask you for a favor. I was wondering if you could help me with this?"

"Something happened?"

Galan knew that it was rare for Frog to come directly to him for help like this.

If it happens, it must mean he's encountered some very difficult problem. Frog didn't continue talking on the stairs. Seeing that the two hadn't eaten yet, he led them to a small restaurant not far away.

"Go ahead and tell me. If it's something I can help with, I certainly won't hesitate to do it, as long as it's within my capabilities."

Galan had a very good impression of his friend Frog.

Putting aside the fact that the other party has been able to build such a large business at such a young age, even showing signs of catching up with several leading chambers of commerce, there is no doubt that their business acumen and intelligence are top-notch.

Moreover, he is extremely mature in his dealings with people, possessing a composure that is completely beyond what one would expect for his age.

Moreover, he was the first friend he made after arriving at this point in time, and the first person to offer him help. With all these factors combined, it was difficult for him to have any negative feelings towards this exceptionally shrewd young man.

The three sat at the dining table. Lia simply ate the food that had been laid out for her, occasionally glancing up to listen to the conversation between the two. She knew she didn't need to get involved in this matter, so she obediently remained quiet.

"Um...

... If I had to put it in perspective, this matter could be considered a big or small issue, but if it escalates, it will become very difficult to handle...

Frog frowned slightly, looking somewhat troubled. Actually, his expectations for Galan were more focused on the pharmaceutical business, hoping that Garland could help him enter this field at some point in the future. However, it seemed that the favor he had previously done needed to be put to use at this time.

He cleared his throat slightly, looked at Galan with a sincere gaze, and slowly began to speak:

For the next order, I need to make another trip to [Weise], but the trade route we used before has been captured by the Demon King's Army. I don't know what dangers I'll encounter along the way...

After listening, Galan didn't give an answer immediately. Instead, he lowered his head and thought for a moment before asking:

"Is it really absolutely necessary to handle this order?"

A shrewd businessman never reveals his full intentions, because doing so can easily put him in a passive position.

However, having said that, Galan roughly knew what the other party needed his help with – acting as a bodyguard.

In fact, with the Mercenary Group that Frog originally had as his bodyguards, he would be able to escape danger in most situations, and even when encountering Demons who were not so powerful.

He didn't know why they had specifically come to him to act as his bodyguard.

"I really wanted to refuse this order, but I had no other choice."

A rare ruthlessness and determination appeared in Frog's eyes.

As you know, I built my fortune and got to where I am today by doing the [Fallen Trade Routes ] that ordinary merchants wouldn't dare to do. Now, if I want to go further, I must establish a long-term and stable cooperative relationship with the major merchant guilds, and this commission is a difficult problem they've given me."

"In other words, the reason they gave me this insignificant order was just to test me. To be honest, I don't want to gamble everyone's lives on my career. These days, everyone is just trying to make a living, and sometimes for some, simply surviving is a luxury."

"But I thought about it for a long time, and even had an argument with Lancelot about it. In the end, I still felt that if I couldn't take on this challenge this time, all my previous efforts would have been in vain."

"Actually, I can really understand Lancelot's feelings. After this mission, quite a few of our brothers were injured, all by monsters on the way. They basically have to stay in [Äußerst] to recover and can't participate in this mission anymore."

"This reduces the number of combatants in our team even more, significantly increasing the danger for us traveling the [Fallen Trade Route]. No matter how you look at it, it seems like something not worth risking our lives for."

"But Galan, can you understand? That feeling of being so close to achieving your goal... You can say I'm gambling with my life, but I've come this far, and I can't think of any reason not to keep going..."

Frog didn't say anything more... He had already revealed everything he wanted to say, and everything he didn't want to say.