章節 46: Quick Reunion

"Damn this place is crowded! We barely even got a place to stay in the guildhall! I damn near thought we'd be forced into booking hotels from outside!" A man chuckled and slammed his large wooden mug on the table.

"Well, goes to show how many refugees arrived in the city after the attacks… I see a lot of copper plates. I bet a lot of people were forced to become adventurers to survive and pay the bills. It must have all been pretty wild," Another man responded, his demeanour far calmer than the man adjacent to him as he casually took a sip of his drink.

"So where we goin now? We just gonna stay here?"

"Our mission is over, so I'd say it'd be best if we headed back to the capital."

"I guess…" A blonde adventurer sighed as he casually took a sip, listening to his comrades, trying his best to block out the bustling nature of the outside world. But that was when through the thick crowds, he caught a glimpse of a man that breathed life into his amiable eyes. "Hmmm? Alucard? Is that you! Hey! How's it been! It's great to see you again so soon!"

"Same to you sir Lisvern, I hope you and your team had a safe journey after yesterday's events," Alucard nodded his head out of respect before looking up towards his teammate's stares. "My apologies, allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Alucard, a new copper rank adventurer in the guild. We had fought briefly alongside each other yesterday on the road, I hope I'm not being an inconvenience to any of you."

"Hey man! Stop being so stiff! They already know all about you! You've got some serious skills! What are you doing still standing up? Come take a seat and join us!" Lisvern laughed heartily and tapped Alucard's back in a friendly manner.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality," Alucard bowed and pulled a chair in an open space around the table beside Lisvern and the Bow user from the day before.

"You know, you're a lot more formal than I thought… No simple kid from the boonies talks like that... Your entire being is weird… You're a poor masked man with less than optimal attire fighting on the level of a silver or gold rank adventurer. But, you're only a copper rank… And not only that, you just happened to be in the right place at the right time to help us..."

Alucard raised an eyebrow and turned his head to where that voice emerged and his gaze met the rapier wielder who was by far the shortest of the group.

His soft, less than rugged characteristics along with his height made him seem like a child, his scruffy reddish hair was short and poignant, his eyes were closed leaning back on his chair with his arms crossed as he spoke, only to open his fiery ocean blue gaze upon him like missile fire.

"Vernon, what's this all about? Why are you being such a prick?" Lisvern retorted.

"I'm just saying the facts as it is. I can't deny that he did save us and without him, things would have been much different. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna trust him so easily, even if you force me Lisvern. Bottom-line is, I can't say I can trust a man who I can't even see their face…"

"Hey… I'm really sorry for what he said... Don't listen to him too much. He's always cranky and mistrusting but Vernon is a really nice guy… I don't doubt your intentions and I'm truly grateful for what you've done… Th-thank you…" The brown-robed spell caster spoke, trying his best to disperse the problem as he comforted and apologized.

His voice was soft and gentle, yet at the same time rather jittery and filled with nervousness. His caramel hair was cut short, and his eyes shined brightly like encrusted amethysts. He was the next shortest in the group ahead of Vernon, the rapier wielder and his features were gentle, and his constitution was skinny compared to his peers even from what Alucard could perceive under the abnormally baggy robe.

"No need to apologize, he has a point and I agree. If I were you, I wouldn't trust me either," Alucard sighed. "I'm a new adventurer who arrived here from a faraway, rural village. I've trained ever since I was young. I'm a simple copper rank since all must start at the bottom and I had yet to complete any mission since I had only just arrived in town. When I was but a little child, I was greatly abused, and my face suffered the punishment," He held his mask tightly, lifting it up only slightly revealing his chin.

His skin was scarred bright red, and it seemed as though it was filled with disgusting rot. From the little that they saw, they inwardly shuddered, and the drinks they had just drunk began to react vigorously with their turning stomachs.

"That's all you're gonna get and I don't plan to show more. I've worn this mask ever since my scars… Never once took it off and don't plan to now either. If you want to trust me, it's up to you. But just like you don't trust me I don't fully trust any of you either. I've no need to explain myself any further."

"Great! That's not bad!" Lisvern laughed. "This is like how all relationships start! We may not have trust now but I'm sure we'll build some soon! We did fight life or death with each other! That's more than I could say for even my closest buddies at home!"

"I'd have to agree with Lisvern on this one. I'm all for it. Y'all need to loosen up. Especially you Vernon! For once listen to Taylor and show some appreciation!" The archer who almost seemed like the eldest brother of the group spoke in a strong yet casual voice, staring daggers at Vernon who immediately scoffed and looked away.

His hair was a bright purple and fell down slightly over his hazel eyes. His face had several scratches and small scars, yet its features were solid. What truly defined it was his firm jaw and small nose that almost seemed to lack an arch. His arms were crossed around his waist and his posture showed calmness and maturity, and his blue leather armour was light and nimble compared to everyone else's, fit for an archer.

"Yeah, whatever," Vernon grunted, rubbing his head. "I'm gonna trust you guys on this one but that's about it." He shook his head before continuing. "Anyways… You, Alucard… I'm almost certain you didn't come here to have a friendly conversation. You clearly want something, so talk!"

"Oh! So you found me out! Well, I won't delay you any longer." Alucard smiled from beneath his mask. "Your leader Lisvern said that he and all of you are in my debt, so I've come here to make a request. I request that you allow me to join your team for a simple level four mission. I hope that's not too much to ask." He pulled out a large, crumpled piece of brown paper from his pocket.

Everyone around the table instinctively leaned in closer to peer over at the request, but Lisvern snatched it away before any of them read past the first few words as he read the request out loud with great intrigue.

[ Level 4 Request ]

[ Danger Level: 30 ]

"Greetings brave adventurers. I am the chief of the border village of Yorksha. For many years, our poor village has been haunted by death with every step… The mountain that was once home for our livestock is now unsafe, terrorized by a cave-dwelling monster. The animals that once called the mountain home and made up most of our meals have all run away, and now we are struggling to plant food on our less than fertile soil. Thanks to this, our land is poor and rampant with crime, our people are sick, and our children are dying of hunger. We have sent many of our strongest warriors from our village to that cave to slay what laid inside, yet none have ever returned alive. Please! You are our only hope!"

[ Reward: 25 Silver Coins ]

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