The first snow in the Broken Mountains fell harder and harder.
But the two men outside the Mine Tunnel were Professionals. The wind and snow did not bother them.
"You said you used to be a street thug?" Captain Reyne asked curiously.
Apart from his Northern Frontier accent, he saw nothing streetwise about Little Smo.
With his careful thinking and cool judgment, Little Smo seemed more like a Commander. Captain Reyne even saw shades of his former Holy Knight Instructor in him.
"Surprised? Honestly, I'm more surprised than you are... Back then, I had nothing going for me. I was struggling just to survive, so skinny you could see my ribs. You could've dropped me in a crowd and never found me again."
"But you're a Professional."
"I was an ordinary person then. I only became a Professional after the battle, when Lord Annan rewarded me with a vial of Mountain Essence."
"That explains it."
No wonder Little Smo had a Warrior's physique but none of the skill to match. Even an Apprentice Knight with a few months of training could beat him head-on.
So Little Smo had risen from a Civilian to this position?
The thought left Captain Reyne silent.
Then a noise came from the Mine Tunnel. Little Smo heard it too. They watched for a moment as the Nameless One emerged, her shadow stretching behind her.
"Captain, the Deputy Captain asked me to tell you it's done."
"Already?"
"If your Oskulas Mercenary Company can't even clear a Mine Tunnel without an Elite in it, you might as well stick to commissions finding cats for Nobles and clearing out Kobolds." The Nameless One folded her arms.
"Let's go in." Little Smo entered first.
Even as a Professional, standing in the snowstorm for so long had left him somewhat