---Third POV---
Fuki stammered and nodded. "They just turned six this year, but the magical aptitude test is in the spring, so… we'll have to wait until next year."
As he spoke, his voice grew weaker. Clearly, he knew his reasoning wasn't convincing. He hesitantly added, "They're well-behaved, they can help with chores, and they're good at weaving…"
Unfortunately, Viktor had already tuned him out. He massaged his temple in frustration. It was becoming harder to maintain his image as an evil dark mage.
Why were the refugees seeking refuge with The Watchers always the elderly, the weak, and the infirm?
Couldn't they send a few able-bodied workers for once?
The worst part was, why hadn't Edgar mentioned such a crucial detail in his earlier letter through the messenger bird? No wonder the other side had been so eager to accept his harsh condition of abandoning divine prayers.
Fuki grew increasingly nervous under Viktor's silence.
Viktor finally spoke, "Fine, bring your granddaughters over."
If Edgar had endorsed them, they must have some exceptional qualities. Since he planned to establish this territory as part of The Watcher, children were an essential part of the community.
Fuki was overjoyed.
Out of habit, he almost prayed to the Lord of the Web. But halfway through raising his hands, he abruptly stopped and instead bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Necromancer."
"Just call me Viktor next time."
---
On Earth, Logan removed his helmet and let out a long sigh.
"Another day of no progress."
Unlike the second day, which was packed with discoveries, the third day in Nary Town yielded little to no new information. They felt like there was a hidden secret lurking in the background, but they couldn't figure out what it was.
He stared into space and muttered, "We've explored most of what's on the surface, no wonder the people behind the scenes are getting anxious."
Modern players, armed with a wealth of information channels, were excellent at identifying key details when it came to uncovering drama. The deeper they dug, the closer they came to confronting the faction issuing the warnings.
But they still hadn't found Edgar.
Not completing the mission before returning was pure torture for players with obsessive tendencies.
As NeverShowOff mentally mapped out the next day's itinerary, he opened the game forum. To his surprise, he noticed a new private message.
"Huh? Special mission update?"
He clicked on it and quickly skimmed the content, his mouth dropping open in surprise.
"A single-player mission can update like this?"
Since in-game mission updates weren't possible, they had been updated on the forum instead?
"Damn, the mission designers are seriously dedicated to immersion."
After venting his amazement, his eyes lit up with excitement.
"Perfect, now I can head back and hand in a major quest!"
He immediately clicked [Confirm Completion] and shared the good news with the three others who hadn't yet received it. For a mission with such a long build-up, the final reward had to be incredible!
---
By the time Gaeman woke up, he spent half an hour trying to figure out what he had missed overnight. He sat blankly in a lounge chair in the living room, listening to the four players discuss which Nary Town souvenirs to bring back.
It sounded like they were ready to leave at any moment.
The more he listened, the more confused he became. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Weren't we supposed to take the mercenary certification test?"
Child slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering. "Oh yeah, didn't we say yesterday that we'd take that test?"
The Angel's Kiss was a hub for mercenaries. These drunken, rowdy warriors often let slip information that wasn't easily obtainable elsewhere. That was why the group had spent most of the previous day there. Somehow, they had managed to convince the tavern owner that they had "mercenary potential."
The owner had eagerly suggested they earn their living as hired hands.
The players didn't mind his assumption. In fact, they were quite happy to make some money through dangerous work.
After joking about how easy it was to get a mercenary license, which would be perfect for developing into a lifestyle profession later, they had agreed to take the test today.
Supposedly, anyone reckless enough could pass it easily.
NeverShowOff thought it over and nodded. "The test shouldn't take long. Let's get the mercenary licenses first and leave in the afternoon."
Lux grinned, dimples showing. "Special profession certificate? I'm in!"
Rare achievement badges like these were bound to make other players envious!
Gaeman watched their discussion in utter bewilderment. Why didn't things match what he had imagined?
As if sensing his confusion, Child finally remembered there was an NPC guide in the room. He pulled out 100 sol from his backpack and handed it over.
"Here, this covers your guide fee for the past two days. You don't need to stick with us anymore. The room is paid up until tomorrow morning. You can stay here tonight."
Lux poked her head out to add, "You've got four rooms; you can try a different one tonight."
Garble chimed in with a reminder, "But leave early tomorrow morning. Don't let the innkeeper catch you."
After all, they had damaged quite a bit of furniture and walls in the inn. If the innkeeper found out...
The players kept chatting among themselves.
Gaeman grew more anxious, his face increasingly pale. It felt like there was an invisible barrier between him and them that he couldn't break through. Had he slept for just one night, or had he missed several days?
"Skip the animal pelts. The forest has plenty—" Before Child could finish, he felt a light tug on his sleeve.
He looked down.
Gaeman's face was flushed red. After some hesitation, he finally mustered the courage to speak. "Can I… come with you?"
"Huh?" Lux stopped mid-argument, turning her head in surprise. "You want to leave with us? But… we've only known each other for two days…"
She suddenly thought of something and looked back and forth between Child and Gaeman, suspicion growing in her eyes.
Abruptly, she stepped back, her face filled with horror.
"Child! How could you?! No matter how much of a pervert you are, you can't go after a kid!"
Child was dumbfounded. "Huh?"
What kid? He hadn't even touched this NPC!
Lux took a deep breath, her suspicion growing. "No wonder you wanted to share a room with him. What's this about no ID? Just an excuse?"
"Wha—!" Child finally understood and burst out laughing in frustration.
Lux had a knowing expression on her face. "You don't need to explain. Explaining is just covering up!"
Child's temple throbbed in annoyance. "Sometimes I really want to study the brain structure of a fujoshi to see if it's different from normal people."
He grabbed the cape draped over the chair and started chasing after Lux to fight. "I usually don't hit women, but that doesn't include game characters!"
"And when you brought that kid back, didn't you say it was for cherishing the young?"
"Lux!!! Prepare to meet your end!"
The room descended into chaos, with feathers flying everywhere for some unknown reason.
Garble helplessly covered his face. "Sigh..."
Lux had never been beaten since childhood, all thanks to the immense power of money.
NeverShowOff, who had been around the two longer, was already used to it. Automatically filtering out the fighting sounds that had become background noise, he bent down to look at Gaeman eye to eye.
"Bringing you back doesn't mean we'll be responsible for your future life. If you want to eat, you'll have to work."
They didn't have Lux's financial prowess and weren't keen on supporting three NPCs.
"Besides, when we get there, everything depends on Viktor's decision. It's not certain you'll be able to stay. Are you sure you want to come with us?"
Gaeman's clear eyes glimmered with excitement, and he nodded firmly. "Yes!"
"Alright, deal." NeverShowOff stood up and took a small notebook from his backpack.
Under the entry "Purchase local specialties from Nary Town," he added another line: One NPC, around 10 years old.
As he wrote, he mumbled to himself, "Leaving you here in Nary Town wouldn't work either. The militia would chase you out eventually. Let's consider this a good deed..."
"Do we get extra rewards for persuading an NPC to join us?" Garble suddenly asked.
"Cough, cough. Let's keep it low-key. Rewards are just a bonus."
"The NPC can't even understand what we're saying. What are you worried about?"
The two players enthusiastically discussed the potential rewards for recruiting NPCs.
They were well aware of the huge shortage of NPCs in Honeyvale Town. Although Gaeman was just a kid, his physical capabilities and intelligence made him an excellent ally NPC candidate. Given Viktor's way of handling captives, as long as Gaeman was willing, staying in Honeyvale Town would be almost guaranteed.
And since Gaeman's background seemed suspicious, triggering a storyline would be a double win.
---
In the afternoon, the group successfully left Nary Town.
Although they were looked down upon by the gate guards, who viewed them as bumpkins for carrying too many local specialties, nothing unexpected happened.
The return journey was faster with a map and the horse-drawn carriage they had spent 1,000 sol to purchase.
The players moved at a brisk pace, passing by two refugee settlements in no time. They had assumed that their flamboyant display of wealth would attract attention from hidden onlookers. But surprisingly, no one emerged from either settlement.
It was as if the inhabitants were truly simple farmers on the wasteland, rising with the sun and resting at dusk.
This left the players somewhat disappointed.
"Hyah! Whoa—! Wait, why isn't this horse listening to me at all?" During his turn to drive, Child yelled while struggling to pull the reins, attempting to control the wild red horse with tusks.
The carriage raced wildly down the bumpy dirt road, like a beast gone berserk, deliberately rolling over every uneven rock and hole. Inside the carriage, the four passengers were jolted so violently it felt like their brains were being scrambled.
"Child… maybe you should let Garble take over the reins…" NeverShowOff said with a pale face, gripping the edge of the carriage for dear life.
Garble, also enduring the rough ride, tried to inch toward the driver's seat.
Meanwhile, Lux clutched her mouth, looking as if she could vomit at any moment.
"Urgh! Uuurgh!" The most miserable one was Gaeman. His body was so light that, without the others holding him down, he might have been thrown out of the carriage.
The carriage looked shabby. Most of the money had gone to the tusked, red-maned horse pulling it. The passenger section in the back resembled a wooden box with three enclosed sides mounted on four wheels. Its safety was practically nonexistent.
Child stubbornly gripped the reins, his face full of determination. "Just give me a little more time, and I'll tame this horse!"
"Whoa—!" The red-maned horse didn't slow down. Instead, it ran even faster.
"Aaaahhh!" Lux's terrified scream echoed across the desolate wasteland like a sound wave.
Reality proved far harsher than expectations.
Before Child could tame the horse, or before it could crash the carriage into a rock or tree, Garble managed to reach the driver's seat amidst the chaos and took over the reins. Under his control, the carriage finally steadied, allowing everyone to catch their breath.
After the near-death experience, the group unanimously decided to rest before continuing their journey.
"Ughhh—blech—" From the roadside bushes came the sound of Lux vomiting uncontrollably.
Child coughed awkwardly and tried to explain, "The horses in the game mutated, so their temper's a bit wild… It'll be fine next time!"
The red horse hadn't been that hard to control when he first took over. Who knew it would suddenly go berserk?
"Enough!" NeverShowOff pressed his still-spinning head and interrupted him. "We'll handle it from now on. You just rest!"
He was genuinely worried they'd end up dying, not from bandits but from their own incompetence.
That kind of death would be utterly...
If Child had shown his lack of skill from the start, it wouldn't have been so bad. But he had started so confidently, even looking like a pro, leading everyone to board this "thief's carriage."
NeverShowOff took deep breaths.
"I'll take turns with Garble from now on."
It was fine to experience new things to gain extra experience points, but not on a medieval dirt road with potholes everywhere, just to experience the thrill of speeding.
Up front, Garble tied the red-maned horse to a tree. He was about to check on the others when he suddenly heard the sound of something cutting through the air. His eyes turned sharp instantly. Picking up a rock from the ground, he hurled it toward the bushes where Lux was vomiting.
Thud!
The rock collided with something mid-air and bounced back.
NeverShowOff and Child looked over and saw a feathered arrow embedded in the ground.
"An arrow?" The three exchanged glances, their expressions turning serious.
The arrow was finely crafted, clearly not the work of wasteland refugees!
"Enemy attack!" NeverShowOff shouted.