While Jhed and the others were having breakfast, outside, in the morning sunlight, people were heading off to their daily work. No one knew yet that Master Ro-Ro was about to help them — that adventurers might soon start coming to their town again just like before, and that the town could finally begin to grow once more. Not yet, but soon enough, everyone would find out.
Most of the people in this town were adventurers, so they were all heading toward the guild. Money was so scarce here that only when someone completed an A-rank mission would they receive a single silver coin. Everyone else only got two meals a day. Food and drink themselves weren't scarce here — both were free. But if you needed to buy clothes, a weapon, or anything else, you needed money. And those things were necessary too — which was the real source of all the hardship. But now, Master Ro-Ro would send people here. Merchants would start coming. This town produced a large quantity of potions, so merchants would come to buy them. Since there was no shortage of food and drink here, they would come to take supplies from here as well. This way, the town's trade would start moving again. People would come to visit. Money would start flowing in.
This was how the town would grow. And because of that, people who had become adventurers only to fill their stomachs, or for a bit of spare coin, would finally be able to reopen their own shops. All of this, of course, was still to come.
For now, it was just the usual crowd of adventurers at the guild.
Maruls and his team had also arrived at the guild. They were standing near the counter.
"Why hasn't the guild master shown up yet?" It was the same short-tempered boy who had tried to pick a fight with Maruls that day at the guild. He asked angrily, standing near the counter, right next to Maruls.
"The master should be here any moment. He's with his guest," said the girl standing at the counter.
"Then call him quickly," the boy snapped.
"Is your temper just permanently sitting on the tip of your nose?" Maruls said.
"What's that supposed to mean? You want to fight?" He glared at Maruls with fury in his eyes.
"What's today's A-rank quest?" Maruls asked the girl at the counter, ignoring him.
"Today's A-rank quest is to capture the Fire Bird," the girl said politely.
"You're ignoring me."
"I don't want to waste my time fighting with the likes of you." Maruls accepted the mission. The Fire Bird was a massive bird wrapped entirely in flame, which was how it got its name. Its feathers were used in crafting fire-magic potions, capable of boosting fire magic many times over. Even its heart was used for stamina-boosting potions. So today, Maruls and his team were setting out to capture it. They had already failed several times before, since it was incredibly difficult to catch — the moment you got close, your skin would start burning, which made it all the harder. That was why A-class adventurers usually banded together to hunt it, making the capture somewhat more manageable. Even then, plenty of people still ended up with burns.
"You think I'm just some nobody? Hey, girl, I want that same quest too." He slammed his hand down on the counter.
"Yes, sir..." The girl handed him the same quest. Tension crackled between the two of them. Their teammates stood behind them, watching the standoff.
"We shouldn't get involved in this," Metye said. He was part of Maruls's team, and everyone respected him for his composure.
The two of them hurried off, both racing to capture the Fire Bird first.
"I'll catch it before you do. Come on, let's go!" The boy shoved past people and rushed off. Maruls left as well, his team following close behind.