Adventurer's Guild

Despite the innkeeper's enthusiastic recommendation, upright young Havent still refused this seemingly decent proposition.

At last, under Old Soger's somewhat regretful gaze, he headed up to his room on the second floor.

Before long, there came a knock at the door. Havent, who was standing by the window watching the town residents bustle about, turned his head and said,

"Come in. The door isn't locked."

With a creak, the heavy pine door was pushed open. A waiter wearing a small cap stepped inside and bowed to Havent.

"Sir, the bathwater you requested has been prepared. Shall I bring it in now?"

Havent nodded to indicate his approval. The waiter turned and went out, calling down the stairs a few times. This was followed by a clattering racket.

Several young waiters carried in an enormous wooden tub. Bucket after bucket of hot water was poured into it, and steam immediately filled the room.

"Sir, your bath is ready. If you need anything else, just let me know."

Looking at the steaming bathwater, Havent felt that although the conditions were rather crude, after going five or six days without a bath, he was practically a piece of air-dried salted meat. Naturally, he could not afford to be picky.

As he undressed, he asked the waiter standing by the door,

"Are there any caravans in town heading to the Imperial Capital? Also, do you offer laundry service?"

The waiter froze for a moment, thought briefly, then replied,

"Sir, this humble one isn't sure about that. But there's an Adventurer's Guild in the center of town. You can go there and take a look.

"As for laundry, we can do that. Which clothes would you like washed?"

Havent pointed at the clothes tossed beside the bed, signaling for the waiter to take them away. Then he fished a Silver Grol from his pocket and tossed it to him.

"Thank you. I'll call for you when I'm done. Close the door on your way out."

"Yes, yes, sir. My name is Bru. If you have any instructions, just pull the rope by the bed."

Upon receiving a Silver Grol, the delighted waiter gathered up the clothes, bowed to Havent several times, and respectfully closed the door.

Once outside, Bru squeezed the coin in his hand hard in disbelief. This was ten days' worth of wages for him. What a generous guest.

Holding the clothes, Bru wound his way to the courtyard behind the inn.

"Hey, Linda! I can finally buy you that silver necklace you wanted."

The woman washing vegetables looked up at Bru and teased,

"What is it, Bru? Don't tell me you found money?"

Bru went into the room, carefully placed the clothes in a wooden basin, then carried it back outside.

"No, I met a wealthy guest. He asked whether we offered laundry service. Make sure you wash these clothes carefully later. If he's happy, he might reward me with another one."

As he spoke, he showed off the Silver Grol in his hand to her.

Inside the room,

Havent lay comfortably in the tub, his feet resting on its edge. The cool breeze blowing through the window carried a faint scent of earth.

With his head resting on a rough linen towel, he narrowed his eyes and recalled the scene of their parting before he left.

On the afternoon of the second day after deciding to head to the Imperial Capital, Havent met the travel-worn Marquis Charlton in his father's study.

The old man wore a neat riding outfit. His graying short hair was combed tidily back, and a scar ran from the arch of his right brow to his cheekbone. Though days of travel had left his face full of fatigue, the sharp glint in his eyes and his imposing bearing showed that this military and political governor of the Northern Frontier was no ordinary man.

Contrary to the heated debate Havent had imagined, Marquis Charlton merely confirmed Count Mori and Count Havent's intentions, asked a few questions, then nodded in agreement. After waiting for a while, he picked up the letter once Count Mori had finished writing it, read it over, and added his own name.

Then, under Havent's puzzled gaze, he walked over.

"I didn't expect little Kevin's child to be so grown already. I saw you when you were very young. Grow up quickly, child of the Northern Frontier."

After saying that, he ruffled Havent's head with a large hand clad in a steel gauntlet, then took a ring from the magical pouch at his waist and tossed it to Havent.

"All right, I'm leaving. This is the birthday gift I've owed you all these years. We'll meet again someday. I hope that by then, you'll have become an even better man of the Northern Frontier."

Clutching the ring in his hand, Havent stared blankly at Marquis Charlton's retreating back. It was upright and powerful.

"Handsome, isn't he?"

Turning around, Havent found that his father had somehow come to stand beside him. Looking at Marquis Charlton, who had already gone far away, Havent nodded heavily.

"Yeah, very handsome."

Count Havent smiled and patted his son on the shoulder.

"When you get to the Imperial Capital and see your mother, apologize to her for me. I'm afraid I won't be able to attend your cousin's wedding."

Havent put Marquis Charlton's gift on his index finger and gave his father a reassuring gesture.

That night, after dyeing his hair and changing into a set of old leather armor, Havent left Baiman City on a cargo wagon. Looking at the figure standing atop the city wall, he raised his right hand and waved.

Glug glug glug—

A string of bubbles burst. Havent, who had been holding his breath beneath the water, suddenly shot out of the tub, water streaming down his lean body.

He put on the ring resting on the table. As he fed magic into it, the runes on its surface glowed faintly.

Once dressed, Havent pulled the rope by the bed. Before long, Bru, wearing a green cap, entered the room.

"Sir, what can I do for you?"

Havent pointed at the bathtub and said to Bru,

"I'm done. Help me clean this up. Also, how do I get to the Adventurer's Guild?"

"Yes, sir. I'll clean it up right away.

"After leaving the inn, walk straight east. After crossing two streets, you'll see a white building. That's the Goddess of Harvest's church. Then follow the church north for another five hundred meters, and you'll see the Adventurer's Guild, built of red brick."

After listening to the waiter's directions, Havent nodded, picked up the longsword from the table, and left the room.

Although night had already fallen, the streets were still crowded with pedestrians, and many vendors along the roadside were hawking their goods.

"Come try some! Freshly roasted boar meat, piping hot! Only five Copper Bicks a piece!"

"Look over here, look over here! Fine wolf pelts! Take one home and all you need is a simple..."

"The Mobilai Merchant Guild's new stock has arrived! We have everything you could need, big or small! Spend ten Silver Grols in one purchase and get a hunting knife for free."

Mingling with the pedestrians, browsing this and that, Havent finally arrived at the entrance of the Adventurer's Guild after half an hour, a bag of salted chickpeas in hand.

Looking at the rather imposing building before him, he nodded in satisfaction and walked into the hall.