Adventurer's Guild

Despite the innkeeper's strong recommendation, young Havent, with his upright conscience, refused the seemingly good offer.

Finally, under Old Sogg's slightly regretful gaze, he walked up to the room on the second floor.

Not long after, a knock sounded. Havent, who was standing by the window watching the busy figures of the townspeople, turned his head and said.

"Come in, the door isn't locked."

With a creak, the heavy wooden door made of pine was pushed open, and a bellhop wearing a small cap walked in and bowed to Havent.

"Guest, the bathwater you requested is ready. Shall I bring it in now?"

Havent nodded to indicate yes. The bellhop turned and walked out, shouting a few times downstairs, followed by a clatter.

Several young bellhops carried in a large wooden bathtub, and a few buckets of hot water were poured in, immediately filling the room with steam.

"Guest, the bathwater is ready. Please let me know if you need anything else."

Looking at the steaming bathwater, although the conditions seemed a bit harsh, Havent, who hadn't bathed in five or six days, felt like a piece of dried salted meat. Naturally, he couldn't care less about the details.

While taking off his clothes, he asked the bellhop standing at the door.

"Is there a caravan heading to the Imperial Capital from this town? Also, do you offer laundry services here?"

The bellhop was stunned for a moment, then replied after a slight pause.

"Guest, I'm not too clear about that, but there's an Adventurer's Guild in the town center. You could try asking there.

We can also do laundry. Which clothes do you need washed?"

Havent pointed to the clothes thrown by the bed, signaling the bellhop to take them. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a Silver Grol, and tossed it to the bellhop.

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

"Yes, yes, guest. My name is Bri. If you need anything, just pull the rope by the bed."

The bellhop, happy to receive a Silver Grol, picked up the clothes, bowed deeply to Havent, and respectfully closed the door.

After leaving, Bri, unable to believe it, clenched the coin in his hand. This was ten days' wages! What a generous customer.

Carrying the clothes, Bri twisted and turned his way to the inn's backyard.

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

The woman washing vegetables looked up at Bri and teased.

"What's up, Bri? Did you find money?"

Bri walked into the house, carefully placed the clothes in a wooden basin, and carried the basin out.

"No, I met a rich customer who asked if we had laundry service. You have to wash these clothes carefully later. Who knows, if he's happy, he might give me another one."

He then showed the Silver Grol in his hand to the woman as if to brag.

Inside the room.

Havent soaked comfortably in the bathtub, his feet resting on the edge of the tub. The cool breeze blowing in from the window carried a faint earthy scent.

He rested his head on a linen towel, closed his eyes, and recalled the scene of his departure.

The afternoon after he decided to head to the Imperial Capital, Havent met Marquis Charlton, dusty from his travels, in his father's study.

The old man was dressed in a practical riding outfit, his short, graying hair neatly combed back. A scar ran from his right eyebrow to his cheekbone. Although the fatigue from days of travel was evident on his face, the sharp glint in his eyes and his imposing aura clearly indicated that this chief administrator of the North Territory was no ordinary man.

Unlike the heated discussion Havent had imagined, Marquis Charlton merely confirmed the intentions of Count Mori and Count Havent, asked a few questions, and then nodded in agreement. After a brief wait, once Count Mori finished writing, he took the letter, glanced at it, and then signed his name.

He then walked over to Havent, who watched with a puzzled expression.

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

With that, he rubbed Havent's head with his large hand, which was clad in a steel gauntlet, and took a ring from the magic pouch at his waist, tossing it to Havent.

"Alright, I must be going. This is the birthday gift I owe you over the years. We will meet again in the future. I hope you can become an even better man of the North Territory by then."

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

"He's quite handsome, isn't he?"

Turning his head, he found his father standing beside him at some point. Looking at Marquis Charlton, who had already walked far away, he nodded heavily.

"Yes, very handsome."

Count Havent smiled and patted his son's shoulder.

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

He put on the gift from Marquis Charlton on his index finger and made a gesture of reassurance to his father.

That night, Havent, having dyed his hair and dressed in old leather armor, left Baiman City in a horse-drawn cart. Watching the figure standing tall on the city wall, he raised his right hand and waved.

Gurgle gurgle

A sound of bubbles bursting. Havent, who had been holding his breath in the bathtub, suddenly emerged from the water, the water flowing down his thin body.

He put on the ring that was on the table. As he channeled his magic, the magic pattern on the ring's surface glowed faintly.

After getting dressed, Havent pulled the rope by the bed. Soon, Bri, wearing a small green cap, walked in.

"Guest, what are your orders?"

Havent pointed to the bathtub and said to Bri, "I'm done. Help me clean up, and also, how do I get to the Adventurer's Guild?"

"Certainly, sir. I'll clean up for you right away.

When you leave the inn, head east. After crossing two streets, you'll see a white building – that's the Church of the Goddess of Harvest. Then, go about 500 meters north of the church, and you'll find the Adventurer's Guild, a red brick building."

After listening to the innkeeper's directions, Havent nodded, picked up the longsword on the table, and walked out of the room.

On the street, although the sky had already darkened, there were still many pedestrians, and quite a few vendors were hawking their wares nearby.

"Try it, try it! Freshly baked wild boar meat, fragrant and only 5 Copper Bick a piece!"

"Look here, look here! Top-quality wolf pelts! All you need to do is a simple... when you buy it."

"The Mobilai Merchant Guild's new shipment has just arrived! We have everything you need, big or small. Spend 10 Silver Grol in a single purchase and get a hunting knife for free."

Mingling with the crowd, looking here and there, Havent, now holding a bag of salted chickpeas, finally arrived at the entrance of the Adventurer's Guild after half an hour.

He looked at the rather grand building before him, nodded with satisfaction, and walked into the main hall.