At dusk, Aaron and his companions left Eveningstar Town under the guidance of a local ranger and approached the kobold encampment.
Their guide was named Matt Bentbow, a perfectly ordinary name. He was a half-elf with early elite-level strength and fairly decent skills, though he was terrible at close combat. He was the sort who could work wonders with a bow.
Half-elves were natural archers, exceptionally gifted in the art. Whether they chose the path of the warrior or the ranger, they had access to an advanced subclass called the half-elf longbowman. Their arrows could travel dozens of paces in a flat trajectory and more than 120 paces in an arc.
Matt was deeply reluctant to guide Aaron and his companions. Had the lord not issued a compulsory order requiring his assistance, the half-elf ranger would never have taken a single step outside Eveningstar Town.
To secure his help, Aaron and the others paid twenty Golden Lions as a guide fee. After they left town, Aaron privately slipped him another small pouch containing ten Golden Lions, along with a Charm spell. Only then did Matt stop scowling and break into a smile.
Even so, Matt stressed that he would not take part in any fighting. He would only bring them to their destination.
The sun was almost down. In the dim wilderness, Matt led the three of them slowly forward, one ranger shepherding three companions. He scouted seventy or eighty meters ahead, then signaled back once he had confirmed there was no danger, allowing Aaron and the others to follow at a measured pace.
That was why Aaron understood Matt's reluctance.
Scouts did more than reconnaissance. They always took greater risks, so adventurers assigned to scouting, infiltration, lookout duty, and night watches traditionally received an extra share of the loot.