It was not only the young man whose face looked strange; the townspeople were the same. A few of them even pulled away from Qin Ran as though he were a venomous snake.
The natives' reactions made Qin Ran's lips curl upward.
He smelled the scent of a side quest.
Yet on the surface, a trace of confusion appeared on his face.
"What? Is there a problem with it?"
"Or did something happen here?"
Qin Ran pretended not to know as he pointed at the letter of appointment in the young man's hand.
"Of course there's no problem. I can still understand an appointment letter from the lords of Dawn City."
"Hello, Lord 2567."
"I'm Vaughn, captain of Gravel Town's militia."
"It is an honor to meet the newly appointed sheriff. You should know, I've long been looking forward to your arrival—the safety of Gravel Town cannot depend on the militia alone."
As he spoke, the young man changed the subject and extended his hand.
"The honor is mutual."
Qin Ran shook his hand, then followed him toward Gravel Town's sheriff's office.
Along the way, the young man occasionally glanced at the mixed-blood Frost Wolf cub padding beside Qin Ran's feet.
"What an excellent hunting dog!"
"Strong limbs, loyal to its master, gentle toward those its master acknowledges... Its appearance reminds me of my former companion!"
The young man praised it enthusiastically.
"Then it must have been a good dog."
Qin Ran said with a smile.
"Of course!"
"Unfortunately, two months ago... Those bandits are even more disgusting than maggots in a gutter. Don't let me catch them, or I'll make them understand what terror is."
The young man spoke viciously.
Yet his expression was the only thing vicious about him. There was not the slightest killing intent, much less