88 – Darville (4)
The inn where Wade was indebted, ‘Night of the Forest,’ was quite a well-known inn even within Darville.
The inn’s owner, Anton, was originally a mercenary.
And quite a renowned one at that.
Anton, a skilled mercenary known for his high reputation even in Darville, where mercenaries from all over the continent gathered, suddenly declared retirement one day.
He was still at an age where he could continue his activities, and his skills at the time were undeniably top-notch, which surprised many.
There were even people who tried to dissuade him from retiring.
However, despite some objections, Anton firmly declared his retirement.
Then, using the money he had accumulated during his mercenary days, he opened an inn in Darville.
Those who knew him and knew what kind of person he was during his mercenary days visited his inn with curiosity.
Not just because Anton was a famous mercenary, but because they held him in high regard.
Anton was rare among the rough and excessively free-spirited mercenaries for keeping his faith and knowing how to be generous to others.
His friends, those who had helped him, those who admired him, those who had heard of his reputation.
Quite a few people visited the inn.
The prosperity of ‘Night of the Forest’ that came with these visitors was not temporary but continued even as time passed.
It wasn’t just because of the loyalty among mercenaries.
The attractiveness of ‘Night of the Forest’ played a significant role.
The inn’s facilities were decent for the price, and the chef’s skills were exceptional.
That alone could have been a reason enough to have regular customers, but the good points of ‘Night of the Forest’ didn’t end there.
What set ‘Night of the Forest’ apart from other inns was the services provided to mercenaries and adventurers.
Among them, the service of arranging requests stood out.
Even in a place like Darville where there was no shortage of work, there were cases where rookie mercenaries couldn’t get any work, leading to many difficulties in their lives.
Anton, not forgetting his days as a rookie, implemented this service for rookie mercenaries.
Initially started out of goodwill and on a small scale, the service grew in size over time and eventually became a signature feature of ‘Night of the Forest.’
Given that the innkeeper Anton was originally a famous mercenary and was adept at managing trouble-causing mercenaries, the public’s perception of ‘Night of the Forest’ was quite positive.
Wade too had his share of relationship with Anton and ‘Night of the Forest’ while living in Andel.
He used to bring appropriate and not overly dangerous requests for Wade.
Of course, whether it was a difficult task or not, Wade had no problem with it, but for someone who had to pretend to be an ordinary mercenary, they were tasks at a very suitable level.
For these reasons, the first floor of ‘Night of the Forest’ was always bustling with people welcoming the morning.
It was the same today.
With nothing to do, Wade wandered on the first floor, thinking about taking on some requests or dealing with them appropriately, when he noticed Anton having a conversation with someone at the counter.
“Has something big come in?”
It wasn’t always the case, but when Anton dealt with clients directly, it was often a big deal.
Or a request with ambiguous details.
It’s good for business to thrive.
Passing it off like that, Wade was about to walk past them pretending not to notice.
As the client who was talking face to face with Anton happened to glance away, their eyes met.
In that moment, the client’s eyes widened.
“Oh? You’re…?”
“What, do you know me?”
Anton looked back and forth between Wade and the client with a puzzled expression.
They knew each other.
Is it okay to express it as knowing each other?
While he was pondering that answer.
“…I’ll go with this person!”
The client unexpectedly spoke out.
***
“…So, Miss Andel, do you want to entrust the request to this guy?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm….”
Anton, who had come out to a room only used when a more proper conversation was needed, along with the client and even the escort, started to stroke his chin and contemplate.
However, that contemplation didn’t last long.
“No. This guy has only been a mercenary for just a month. He’s too inexperienced to take on your request, Miss.”
Anton’s conclusion was a refusal.
And the response to Anton’s words came not from the lady who was the client but from the escort standing beside her.
“Only a month as a newcomer? Miss. It might be better to listen to the innkeeper’s advice here.”
Serious concern and anxiety were evident in his expression.
However.
“…No. I’ll go with this person.”
The lady’s opinion remained unchanged.
“Miss…!”
The escort even raised his voice, but the lady’s expression didn’t waver. It was like she had made a firm decision.
Seeing her resolute expression, the escort sighed and lowered his head, but he didn’t say anything more to the lady.
As if thinking that any more was meaningless.
“Your determination seems firm. But still, no. Even if the lady wants it, I have no intention of allowing it.”
Yet, even with such a declaration from the lady, Anton still shook his head.
“Besides, this guy doesn’t even know much about the forest. Taking him along won’t be much help. So, let’s go with someone else.”
Although I couldn’t hear the details, it’s possible to roughly guess the content from the flow of the conversation.
The lady is probably here to find a mercenary or adventurer to accompany her into the forest.
If that’s the case, Anton’s words are right.
I haven’t ventured into the forest myself, but I’m inexperienced to take on a serious request like this.
From the start, it’s rare for someone who’s barely been in the business for a month to receive a request to venture into the forest.
“No. I’ll take this job with this person.”
However, despite Anton’s repeated persuasions, the woman ultimately didn’t bend her opinion.
“…Hmph. I don’t know what she sees in this guy to be so fixated.”
With a will as firm as steel, Anton let out a small sigh and shook his head.
“But even if the lady insists, it can’t be done. Besides being of no help, this guy’s life is at risk.”
“……”
At those words, the woman swallowed her first objection.
She might have realized the weight of the danger to the life of the one taking the request.
In that situation, I spoke up for the first time.
“What is the nature of the request?”
“Hmm?”
Anton turned his head towards me.
“I want to hear the story. I need to know a little as well, don’t I?”
“…Well. I’d rather you not take an interest if possible.”
Anton showed a hint of discomfort.
Then.
“It’s a request to accompany to the forest.”
The woman, who was the client, spoke up.
“I want to explore the forest, but being from out of town, my knowledge is limited. That’s why I’ve come seeking some help.”
“I see.”
I silently nodded at her words.
“It’s not just about entering the forest. If what the lady says is true, we’ll have to go beyond the early parts of the forest.”
Anton added with a hint of warning.
Only then did I understand why Anton was adamantly against it.
The forest itself is dangerous from the start, but the further you go in, the greater the danger becomes.
And once you pass the early stages, the danger increases to the point where even seasoned mercenaries end up as casualties.
For someone like me, in Anton’s eyes, a rookie just turned mercenary, taking on such a request is essentially being thrown into the lion’s den.
“Anyway, not this guy. Whether with someone else or multiple others.”
Consistently and decisively cutting off the client’s wishes, Anton.
Watching him, I couldn’t help but think that he truly was a good person.
When you think about it, there’s no reason for Anton to reject so stubbornly.
Simply put, he’s in the position of arranging the requests, and no matter what happens to the hired mercenary, honestly speaking, it’s none of his concern.
Yet he’s shaking his head like this.
All for my sake.
Hidden behind his rough demeanor and appearance, he’s definitely a good person.
His consideration and warm heart truly came across.
However.
“I will take on that request.”
I decided to reject his consideration.
“…!”
“What?”
The woman’s expression brightened, while Anton’s face furrowed in response.
“How much do you know about the dangerous nature of this request you’re talking about?”
Anton’s heavily furrowed face was undeniably menacing.
He already had a sharp demeanor on a regular basis.
Seeing even him distort his expression, the emanating pressure was significant.
“Even those veterans who have been rolling in the mud on this ground for years can end up dying if they make a mistake. And you’re going there?”
He asked in a low voice, like a growling beast.
“You don’t need to worry too much about that part. The Dorothy here is an exceptional professional.”
The woman interjected at that moment.
As soon as Anton’s sharp gaze reached her, he immediately shut his mouth.
His gaze then landed on the woman, or perhaps, on the one named Dorothy.
“…Certainly seems to be exceptionally skilled. Not just your average guard.”
Dorothy, the woman who appeared to be the client’s guard, was undeniably a highly skilled individual.
At first glance, she seemed sweet, but she even appeared naïve beyond that. At least her skills were genuine.
She must be around her mid-twenties, right?
With that skill at that age, she definitely belonged to the category deserving of being called a genius.
“However, things will change after the early part of the forest. Probably more dangerous than what the young lady imagines.”
Yet, Anton’s determination remained firm.
Even after recognizing Dorothy as an extraordinary professional, he seemed unwilling to yield in any way.
“In the end, isn’t the opinion of the person involved the most important?”
The woman seemed to have judged that convincing Anton was impossible, so she changed the subject.
Anton, apparently having no response to this, turned his gaze towards me without replying.
“Think carefully. You’re still young.”
With that, he delivered a serious piece of advice.
Perhaps, it was filled with genuine concern.
I was grateful for Anton’s feelings.
However.
“I will take it.”
Even so, I had no intention of changing my mind.
I had coincidentally met the woman who had saved me and now met her again.
And now, that woman wanted to entrust me with a request.
It felt like the time had finally come.