TL: Knight Errant
A new morning dawned, and Dio, having received a call from the Mercenary Guild, checked his equipment for the last time before heading to the designated meeting place.
Arriving at the north exit at the appointed time, Dio slowly approached a noisy crowd he found there.
-Did you hear? It’s an A-grade!
-Don’t be reckless.
-Why would an A-grade be in such a remote area?
However, Dio’s brows furrowed momentarily as he recognized the faces in the crowd.
‘That branch manager… played a clever trick, huh?’
He had expected the mercenary group to be composed only of C-grades, but most of them turned out to be D-grades.
‘This variable… I hadn’t considered.’
Presumably, they trusted the surety of an A-grade mercenary and formed a party with D-grade mercenaries to save on the quest fee.
But the situation was too ambiguous to make a fuss about it.
The number of members had increased in lieu of them being D-grades.
At this level, it wasn’t inadequate to complete the mission.
The only change was that the journey to the temple had become a bit more dangerous.
‘Damn. I need to stay sharp.’
With that thought, Dio approached the mercenaries discussing him and cleared his throat softly.
“Is this the escort team heading to the Forgotten Temple?”
One positive aspect was that the leader of this mercenary group was someone Dio knew.
‘What was that guy’s name? Raymond, was it?’
It was thanks to him that Dio could identify their ranks at a glance.
“Indeed?”
Recalling Raymond, a C-grade mercenary who resided in Avera Village, Dio responded to his casual greeting.
An incorrigible, no-concept NPC, typical of the strong preying on the weak.
‘If I tried to correct his attitude carelessly, he’d become a ‘troll’ who would abandon the quest midway.’
Isn’t it said that ignorance is bliss?
Raymond simply considered an A-grade mercenary to be ‘merely’ two ranks higher than himself.
His reaction was quite different from that of ordinary mercenaries, but to Dio, who knew him, it was not so strange.
‘I should just observe for now.’
Raymond was a mercenary captain exuding the aura of a seasoned veteran at a construction site.
Except for him, the mercenary group was entirely composed of D-grades.
In other words, nothing special.
“My name is Monte.”
Dio, using a pseudonym, spoke stiffly.
If he was to pretend to be an A-grade mercenary, he needed to conceal his identity from NPCs who knew ‘Dio.’
These mercenaries were typical of the average D-grade bunch.
‘Not bad guys per se, but…’
Lacking in professionalism and skill.
Raymond, trying to establish dominance, extended his hand first.
A bald man with a long scar on his left cheek.
Due to his distinctive appearance, Dio couldn’t forget him.
“I’m Raymond. An A-grade mercenary, huh… Well, I’ll trust that.”
Despite knowing Dio was an A-grade mercenary, Raymond greeted him in the rough manner typical of mercenaries.
[Quest ‘Exploration of the Forgotten Temple’ updated with Raymond’s participation.]
[Quest ‘Exploration of the Forgotten Temple’ updated with Laika’s participation.]
[Current Quest Members]
[Dio / No Class / Lv10]
[Raymond / Warrior / Lv121]
[Laika / Guard / Lv115]
[……]
Mercenaries are usually quite tolerant in such matters.
Therefore, Dio didn’t show any displeasure.
That doesn’t mean he was overly friendly, either.
Checking the system window and seeing the expected composition, Dio nodded and spoke.
“As long as you don’t cause trouble, I’ll make sure none of you die.”
At Dio’s somewhat harsh statement, Raymond flinched slightly.
And behind him, the mercenaries stepped back, watching the situation unfold.
This group was known among OTF players as the “no-answer mercenary gang.”
Being mercenaries based in Avera Village, Dio had also participated in their foolish acts in the past.
Of course, that was back when he was a newbie.
‘These hopeless guys with no sense of direction caused a lot of trouble for the newbies.’
Remembering those days, Dio became more concerned about today’s mission.
But at least it seemed no one was doubting his identity.
Dio thought that was enough.
“Has the client not arrived yet?”
At Dio’s question, Raymond, who had been subdued, was about to say something.
But just at that moment.
“Just a moment-!”
A silhouette that appeared to be a woman came running from a distance, arriving just in time.
“Phew, I made it right on time. You are the mercenaries guiding us to the temple, right?”
The client.
Clara, a priestess of the Church of Luna, took a deep breath before introducing herself.
“I am Clara, assigned to the mission at the Forgotten Temple. Please take care of me.”
Dio, after briefly observing her, recalled information about the priests of the Church of Luna.
‘The Church of Luna often sends priests to the Forgotten Temple.’
Tired from the journey to Avera Village, her priestly robe, which must have been pristine and white originally, was now quite dirty.
If it weren’t for the gem-encrusted staff symbolizing her priesthood, it would have been hard to tell she was a priestess of the Church of Luna.
After Clara, who kept apologizing for being late, and the mercenaries briefly introduced themselves.
[Quest ‘Exploration of the Forgotten Temple’ updated with Clara’s participation.]
[Current Quest Members]
[NEW!]
[Clara / Priest / Lv 105]
Dio, observing the updated message in the information window, caught Clara glancing at him.
‘What, does she find me suspicious?’
Clara, with an awkward smile, avoided Dio’s gaze.
“Hmm…”
But it was a reaction Dio could understand.
From the client’s perspective, it was natural to feel relieved yet suspicious about the addition of an A-grade mercenary.
“Alright, enough talking, let’s get going!”
Even if Clara felt uneasy, there was no room for change now that the quest was confirmed.
As soon as Raymond signaled to move out, Clara shifted her focus away from Dio.
‘Alright, shall we go?’
Dio, meticulously checking the composition of the mercenary group one last time.
After identifying themselves to the guard, Dio and his companions left the village through the north exit.
Ding-!
As the system message appeared…
[You have left the safe zone.]
[Warning.]
[You have entered a field significantly higher than your level.]
Dio started to feel increasingly tense.
* * *
By the time the sun set, the group safely arrived at Camp 1 and began preparing for the night.
“Let’s head to Camp 2 when the sun rises tomorrow.”
Laika, Raymond’s right-hand man and a burly mercenary, pointed at a destination far northwest from their current location on the map.
At his words, the mercenaries nodded to each other, and Raymond agreed with Laika’s suggestion.
However, only one person shook his head, seemingly disagreeing with Laika’s proposal.
“No.”
At Dio’s word, everyone turned their attention to him.
The path suggested by Laika was one deemed safe by adventurers.
Although it was a detour, not following it meant crossing through dangerous territories.
Even if mercenaries were known for their greed, nothing was more valuable than their lives.
Therefore, they immediately opposed Dio’s opinion.
“Look here, brother, we know you’re A-grade, but… do you know this area better than us?”
“I could navigate it better than you guys even with my eyes closed.”
As Dio spoke earnestly, the mercenaries frowned deeply.
“What… what did you say?”
Several mercenaries blushed at Dio’s blatantly dismissive tone.
Dio casually dismissed them and pulled the map towards himself, opening his mouth to speak.
“Do you think this is my first time here? If we head to Camp 3 instead of Camp 2, there’s a hidden cave. If we cross Dunville Forest from there to the temple, it’s much faster.”
“Ha, don’t make me laugh! Do you even know what the path to Camp 3 is like!?”
“Are you crazy? We could die!”
Although Laika cautioned Dio with a glance, Raymond, true to his nature, didn’t hold back and vehemently objected.
“Crossing Dunville Forest is just as deadly! Do you even know what kind of monsters are there?”
“I know, of course.”
“…….”
Stunned by Dio’s confident response, Raymond was momentarily speechless.
However, that was short-lived.
“…Isn’t Raymond right?”
“Maybe it’s better to go the way we know…”
“We’re not A-grade mercenaries…”
Perhaps because they had followed Raymond for so long, the mercenaries murmured in agreement with Raymond’s opinion over Dio’s.
“Hmm.”
What would a ‘real’ A-grade mercenary have done? Probably couldn’t have tolerated Raymond’s insolence and would have put him in his place.
Anticipating such a reaction from the mercenaries, Dio began to look at each of them.
The D-grade mercenaries instinctively flinched under the gaze of the A-grade mercenary and avoided his stare.
“Do you really think Raymond is right?”
If Dio had plenty of time, he would have followed without objection.
But he was not afforded much time.
Dio’s goal was to change his class before the wave started, to at least gain some basic combat capabilities.
One of the difficulties of escort missions is the need to move at the pace of the person being escorted.
Clara’s class was a priestess.
Naturally, her physical endurance was lower compared to combat-focused mercenaries.
If they moved at her pace, it was clear they wouldn’t reach their destination on time.
For Dio, heading straight to Camp 3 was just as risky as stopping at Camp 2.
However, the monsters in the cave route, although stronger than the standard route, had much simpler patterns.
Therefore, not only for Dio but also from the mercenaries’ perspective, the shortcut was safer and a time-saver.
“It’s incomprehensible. The same safe path, but you choose to go the longer way around.”
If Dio didn’t know the correct path, the shortcut being more dangerous than the indicated route would be a fact.
But with the mercenaries accompanying Dio, his statement wasn’t wrong.
“Let me make it clear.”
Dio continued speaking and slowly approached Raymond.
The mercenaries, intimidated by Dio’s presence, retreated, and Raymond swallowed nervously.
“I’m going to Camp 3.”
Dio announced this as he stood right in front of Raymond’s nose.
Pretending to be someone of a higher status to intimidate others could be a risky gamble.
However, Dio knew that for these ‘mercenaries,’ such a bold play would be more effective.
One must push harder in such situations.
“Didn’t you hear why I’m joining? I want to finish this as quickly as possible.”
Dio, seemingly irritated and scratching his head, removed his hand from the mace.
“I’m here because it’s a bother, but if you’re going to waste my time like this, what am I supposed to do?”
Dio shrugged his shoulders and approached Clara, who was fidgeting nervously.
“What will you do?”
“Me? M-me?”
Startled by Dio’s sudden question, Clara responded in a fluster.
“I’m not forcing you, priestess, but we can’t just ignore the mission we’ve been entrusted with, can we?”
“Uh…”
“I assure you, it would be safer for me to escort you alone than with those fools.”
The reason Dio pretended to take on the hassle and join Clara was different from his original motivation for participating in the request.
If she decided to follow him, the other mercenaries would have no choice but to follow as well.
Dio, a mercenary himself, was drawing in the client while pretending not to forget his duty.
“I… I think it would be better to follow Monte-ssi’s advice if we can get there faster…”
Clara cautiously offered her opinion amidst the awkward situation.
In fact, not only Clara but everyone knew.
One A-grade mercenary was better than all the mercenaries present.
“We can, we can take Raymond-ssi and Laika-ssi’s suggested route on the way back…”
Clara, observing Raymond’s sullen face, hastily tried to persuade the other mercenaries.
Sensing the mood, Raymond clicked his tongue and replied.
“Tch, if the employer says so. As for the hazard pay… huh, no need. I trust the mighty A-grade mercenary will handle any dangers!”
“Right, right…”
Watching Raymond reluctantly step back, Clara let out a sigh of relief.
Despite the turmoil, with Clara’s decision, the subdued group began to prepare for the night at the camp.