Ravenwood Town

After leaving the forest, Ronan and the others were a sorry sight. The wooden armor Ronan had made for himself was cracked in several places as well. They had failed to find any water during this time, and once their previous supply ran out, they could only collect dew to drink. Bathing was completely out of the question. Everyone was grimy and bedraggled, and there was no way to wash the bloodstains from their armor.

At this point, Ronan's forces consisted of only four Skilled Rhodok Spearmen, four Veteran Nord Archers, and two Vigia Riders. That's right—the two Veteran Vigia Soldiers had leveled up after so much fighting. Ronan had waited until they left the forest to upgrade them, for the same reason: the forest was not suitable for riding horses.

The studded leather armor worn by the two Vigia Riders had upgraded into split mail hauberks that protected them down to the thighs. They now wore mail gloves and rode warhorses with breastplates. In addition to the longswords and shields they had started with, they now carried lances and cavalry battle axes. They had reached level 21, far surpassing Ronan.

Ronan also claimed the reward for the Knight's Path quest. A fully armored warhorse and a chest containing armor and a greatsword suddenly appeared before him. He was also granted the Guardian Template, gaining one point each in Strength and Endurance. Memories of the Guardian's combat experience and weapon techniques continuously flashed through his mind.

It took Ronan a full ten minutes to recover. He first stored the armor and greatsword in his inventory, then removed his shattered Wisteria Wood Armor with his subordinates' help. Ronan swung himself onto the warhorse, patted its head, and said:

"From now on, your name is Carrot."

He waved for his subordinates to follow and took the lead, choosing a direction and riding onward. Ronan and the Vigier Cavalry moved along slowly on horseback, while the other soldiers had it rough. Without horses, they could only walk. Ronan had never ridden a horse in his previous life, but fortunately, the Guardian's experience included horsemanship. Combined with the Riding skill he had raised to level 6, he handled the horse fairly well.

After about an hour, a small road finally appeared before Ronan. Overjoyed, he could hardly wait to find somewhere to wash up properly and rest. He urged his subordinates to quicken their pace and set off along the road in one direction.

Heaven had blessed him; Ronan had chosen the right direction. After another half hour or so, a small town finally came into view. Having finally found a human settlement, Ronan was so excited he wanted to spur his horse into a full gallop at once. But considering his subordinates' speed, he restrained himself.

The town ahead was fairly large, with walls roughly three meters high surrounding it. Since it stood near the forest, they had probably been built to defend against other races and wild beasts emerging from the woods. Two guards stood on each of the watchtowers flanking the town gate, dressed in leather armor and carrying short bows. Guards also stood watch beside the gate.

Seeing Ronan and his group approach, and noticing Ronan's armored warhorse and the bloodstains on the soldiers' equipment behind him, the guards came forward.

"Hold it. This is Ravenwood Town, an autonomous town under the Holy Cross Kingdom. Who are you?" A guard raised a hand to stop Ronan.

Ronan had prepared for this.

"Hello, officer. We're a small mercenary company. We came to see whether there are any opportunities to make a fortune in the forest." As he spoke, Ronan took two silver coins from his clothes and handed them to the guard.

The guard accepted the silver coins, gave Ronan's party another look, and stepped aside.

"Don't cause trouble after entering the town. The Goddess will be watching you!"

"Officer, may I also ask where the inn in town is?"

"Follow this road straight in and you'll see it. It has a sign hanging out front. It's called Mare's Hangover."

Having gotten directions, Ronan hesitated no longer. He led his subordinates straight to the tavern called Mare's Hangover. After removing Carrot's barding and handing the three horses over to the tavern attendant standing outside, Ronan pushed open the tavern door and entered with his men.

Making his way through the noisy crowd, Ronan walked straight to the bar. He knocked on the counter to get the attention of the owner, who was wiping a glass, then said:

"Boss, get me six rooms. What food do you have here? And can we bathe?"

"Right now, all we have left is bread, mashed potatoes, and roasted meat, and most of it's already cold. If you want hot food, you'll have to wait until six this evening. The rooms have bathtubs. If you want to bathe, the servants can fetch and heat water for you, but it'll cost extra."

Ronan placed two gold coins on the counter.

"Prepare some of everything and deliver it to every room. Have the servants heat the water too. We'll be staying here for a while, so keep these coins as a deposit. Tell me if it isn't enough."

After hearing this, the tavern owner summoned a servant and gave instructions. The servant then led Ronan and the others upstairs to their rooms. The soldiers shared rooms in pairs, while Ronan had one to himself. The rooms were small and plainly furnished, containing only two beds, a table, and a clothes rack. A wooden bathtub sat in the corner. While the servant prepared Ronan's bathwater, he asked:

"This is my first time here. Could you tell me about the Holy Cross Kingdom and this town?"

"Certainly, my lord. The Holy Cross Kingdom is a theocracy that worships Goddess of Light Maya. Ravenwood Town was named for its proximity to Ravenwood Forest. The town mayor is also the Bishop of the church, and most of the town's guards are church protectors and militia recruited from within the town.

"Ravenwood Town was named after Ravenwood Forest, and it prospered because of Ravenwood Forest as well. It is the only town within a hundred li of this area. Ravenwood Forest is rich in resources and contains many valuable medicinal herbs and animals. As a result, adventurers from all over the world come here hoping to make their fortune in the forest.

"The area around here is also rather chaotic. Other races occasionally emerge from the forest, and the largest trade road nearby is plagued by bandits. Ravenwood Town lacks sufficient defensive forces, so it often hires mercenary companies to drive out and eliminate other races and bandits. This has caused mercenaries and adventurers to gather in the town, making it a rather famous adventuring haven in the Holy Cross Kingdom."

"Oh, I see. Is there anything in this town I should pay attention to?" Ronan thought. No wonder the guards had let me in so easily after I said I was a mercenary.

"The more famous places in town are the Grand Cathedral and the Mercenary Guild. The cathedral is in the center of town. The Mercenary Guild was established by the mayor to make management easier, and it's right across from our tavern. My lord, the water is ready, so I'll leave first. I'll bring the food you requested shortly. Call for me if you need anything."

After responding, Ronan eagerly stripped off his clothes and walked over to the bathtub. He tested the water with his hand; the temperature was perfect. Ronan climbed right in.