Ethan sighed to himself.
He had just turned nineteen today.
As his stomach grumbled, he raised his left hand and rubbed his belly.
He had just finished going around the guild, asking adventurers if they were willing to give him a job.
He had told them he was willing to do anything, even carry their luggage. But every single one of them turned him down.
They all gave him the same reason.
Even if they needed someone to carry their luggage, they couldn't hire someone who couldn't protect himself.
Ethan slowly gave up.
He then sat down on the floor.
After a while, he stood up and began walking around the town, looking at the villagers and watching the children play.
Then, he noticed a lady wearing a scarf.
She looked at him.
"Follow me. You want a job? I'll give you one," she said in a low tone.
With that, she turned around and walked away.
Ethan paused as he stared after her.
Was she just talking to me?
He looked around, but there was no one else nearby.
He turned back toward the woman and slowly followed her.
As Ethan followed the woman, they walked through a narrow alley.
She eventually stopped and pulled her scarf downward, revealing her beautiful fox-like features and dark brown skin.
There were three other men with her.
Ethan was already somewhat popular in town, though not for the reasons he would have liked. He was known by two nicknames.
The first was the Delusional Kid.
The second was the One Forsaken by the Goddess.
"Hey, I've heard about you."
"I am a saint capable of receiving messages from the goddess," Sela said.
Ethan lowered his head slightly before slowly looking back up.
"Why did you call me?"
The other three men didn't say a word. They simply stared down at him.
"I was looking for someone who could carry our bags and luggage while we enter the dungeon," Sela said.
Ethan quickly nodded.
But at that exact moment, his stomach grumbled once again.
His face immediately turned bright red.
For a moment, everyone stared at him.
Then, every single one of them burst into laughter.
One of the men stepped forward.
"I'm Strang."
He looked at Ethan before continuing.
"Why don't you come with us?"
The others then introduced themselves to Ethan as well.
Ethan smiled.
Finally.
It had been weeks since he last got a job.
At the very least, he could finally eat something proper. And if they paid him well, he could even buy medicine for his brother.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
Ethan quickly wiped it away and nodded at them.
"Thank you, everyone," he said.
Every single one of them laughed it off.
"Well, you are quite popular around here," Strang said. "I know what you're thinking. You're probably wondering why we called you out of the blue."
He shrugged.
"We just happened to see you. Since a lot of people had already refused you, we figured we'd give you a chance. And don't worry, we pay you well."
Strang then nodded.
When they finally arrived at the dungeon, Ethan noticed what the others were wearing.
The fox-like woman was dressed in a white tunic and black leather trousers, with a light silver breastplate covering the upper part of her chest.
She looked at Ethan.
"Well, we're starting now. And remember my name. I am Sela Halston, from the Family of Saints."
She paused briefly.
"And we have to go now. Since we've already found you, it's best for us to just start."
Ethan paused.
He thought about it for a moment, but then quickly shook his head.
He didn't want to overthink things.
He really needed the money, and if they were willing to give him the job, it was best to start now.