༺ City of Adventurers (3) ༻
The profession of an adventurer requires versatility in many ways.
While a mercenary only needs to be good at fighting, being good at combat alone is not enough for an adventurer. Monster extermination, dungeon exploration, material collection, VIP escort, delivery of goods, etc. Resolving various types of requests is exactly what an adventurer’s job is.
Of course, one can’t accomplish all these tasks alone, so most adventurer teams consist of warriors, mages, rogues, priests, etc, who are specialized in their respective fields. From there, many also develop specific expertise, such as being a monster hunting party or an exploration party.
But once a request is entrusted to adventurers, they are pretty much able to handle anything, making them something akin to a jack-of-all-trades errand-runner.
Naturally, the services of an adventurer are expensive.
The higher the adventurer’s reputation and rank, the more astronomical their fee becomes. And the money to hire such an adventurer doesn’t just fall from the sky.
Therefore, when the city was under attack by the undead, the mayor hastily drove down the hiring costs for the adventurers.
Of course, the adventurers immediately pushed back.
The expression on Instructor Lirya’s face momentarily blanked.
“Whether it’s adventurers who want to get paid first even while the city is under attack, or a mayor who tries to slash the price… both sound similarly dubious.”
Her thoughts were somewhat valid. From an outsider’s perspective, neither seemed to present a very admirable picture.
But the adventurers had their own perspective as well.
“It’s because of the adventurers’ rules.”
“The rules of adventurers?”
People often only see the good side of the adventuring profession and admire them, but in truth, being an adventurer is a very dangerous job.
Without capability, one can’t even accept requests, and one has to fearlessly tread into dangerous and filthy places. Sometimes, one has to risk their life in a battle with monsters, and even after all that hardship, there are cases where the client rips off the cost.
Of course, the number of adventurers who have lost their lives and not returned is innumerable.
“That’s why adventurers never work without compensation. If rumors spread about an adventurer who works for free, it will harm other ordinary adventurers.”
That adventurer is good and works for free, why do you, who are less skilled, want to get paid?
If such an atmosphere prevails, it becomes difficult for adventurers to make a living. Hence, the guild imposes strict penalties on unpaid labor.
In the middle of listening to the explanation, Instructor Lirya tilted her head and asked a question.
“You’re very detailed. By any chance, were you an adventurer before, Instructor Graham?”
“…Not me, but a colleague of mine used to be an adventurer.”
He was a very talkative guy. He incessantly talked about his past as an adventurer, which I wasn’t even curious about, so I had to forcefully shut him up.
Anyway, that wasn’t the important matter at hand.
After taking a brief look at the city, it seemed that the adventurers weren’t entirely devoid of conscience. In the situation where the city was about to be overrun, they were willing to fight as long as the mayor secured the bare minimum wages.
However, Mayor Roman had no intention of even providing that minimal wage. He claimed that adventurers should naturally step forward to fight when the city is in danger, and when things didn’t go as he wanted, he even made comments suggesting forced conscription.
Naturally, the atmosphere turned sour, and the negotiations broke down immediately.
Instructor Lirya furrowed her brows and spoke.
“It’s their own doing. They brought danger to the city themselves. Now that we know the situation, we can’t stay in this city for even a day longer. It’s too dangerous for the students.”
“I agree that the safety of the students is of utmost priority.”
Instructor Lirya’s face brightened.
“I knew you would say that, Instructor Graham! Then, let’s find a way to safely leave the city as soon as possible-“
“No.”
I felt sorry to betray Instructor Lirya’s expectations, but I lightly shook my head.
“The students need to stay here.”
“What? Why, why? You already know that this place is dangerous?”
“The outside would be more dangerous.”
Whether we ride, walk, or take a boat, it all means nothing.
The undead march tirelessly, and ghost types like specters and phantoms fly freely in the sky. Leading over 200 students and continuously fending off the pursuing undead is nearly impossible.
Of course, I can fight. But no matter how strong I am, I only have one body, and though I may be able to kill all the undead given time, it would be difficult to perfectly protect 200 students in the chaotic battlefield.
That’s why I always chose to fight alone in past wars.
Because I wasn’t confident in a fight to protect someone.
“I understand Instructor Lirya’s wish to quickly place the students in a safe place. But the best option now is to wait for reinforcements or for the repairs of the fortress.”
“But, but… We might still have other options? If we put our heads together and think more-“
“The enemies won’t wait for that time.”
In a battlefield where the situation changes every moment, the judgment of the moment determines everything. Therefore, swift judgment was an essential quality of a soldier.
I had already felt it after one battle with the undead army. This was not going to be the last battle.
After a long moment of contemplation, Instructor Lirya reluctantly nodded.
“I understand. I’ll trust your judgment, Instructor Graham. So, what do we do now?”
“Please stay with the students. This is their first time to experience something like this, so they will need someone familiar to rely on.”
“I’ll do that. What are you planning to do, Instructor Graham?”
“I will make this city safer. So that the students can stay with peace of mind.”
“Really? Is there a way to do that?”
“Yes.”
I nodded briefly.
“I’m going to deal with the mayor now.”
Instructor Lirya’s face momentarily blanked.
“…Why did you come to that conclusion?”
“Shubaltsheim has sturdy walls and enough people to fight, but it’s not functioning properly because of the mayor. So, the mayor needs to be dealt with first.”
Instructor Lirya looked at me blankly, then let out a deep sigh.
“You’re planning to do something dangerous again. You’re saying you’re leaving the students’ side, aren’t you? The students of Opal Black must be very anxious by now, don’t they need Instructor Graham?”
I shook my head firmly at her words.
“They’re students I personally taught, so they should be fine to this extent.”
I personally trained them in physical strength and taught them how to survive.
Even though it’s only been a month, they’re all students with outstanding potential. They’ve grown a lot in the meantime, so wherever they go, they’ll be able to do their part.
After a moment of contemplation, I opened my mouth.
“Come to think of it, we might need one person.”
***
The young man with a gentle demeanor, Schultz, asked, unable to hide his bewilderment.
“Instructor, why on earth have I been brought here?”
“Because I need your skills for what I’m about to do.”
“My skills?”
According to my intuition, there is certainly something rotten with the mayor.
However, most acts of corruption are not so easily exposed. The mayor isn’t a fool, so he would have hidden his weaknesses in a place he deems safe.
Crimes such as slavery and black magic are straightforward illegal activities that can be caught on the spot, but it’s hard for me to uncover things like manipulation of accounting books. I wouldn’t know even if I looked at them.
That’s why I need Schultz’s help. As the son of a merchant, his ability to review documents would be superior to anyone else’s.
After hearing my explanation, Schultz seemed to understand and nodded.
“I see what you’re saying. But will that be alright? Even if I am the son of a merchant, I am just a student with no official position. It could cause problems later.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
I lightly patted Schultz’s shoulder twice. It was a simple appointment.
“Since you’ve been appointed by the special forces captain of the Imperial Army, you are now an honorary member of the special forces.”
This was indeed an exceptional case. It had been almost 10 years since I had appointed a new member to the special forces.
However, this wasn’t the time to worry about such things, not when the safety of those I must protect was at stake.
Schultz wore a surprised look for a moment, then lifted his glasses and gave a joyful smile.
“Haha, to think I am now part of the special forces I’ve only heard about… It sounds great.”
We headed to the mayor’s office. As expected, the mayor’s bodyguard was stationed in front of the office.
Seeing us approach, he blocked the entrance in a threatening manner.
“Stop. No one but the mayor can enter here- Ugh!?”
Instead of answering, I grabbed his shoulder and pushed him lightly. The heavily armored guard rolled on the floor as if he was a toy.
I stopped momentarily in front of the office door and took a short breath.
And then, with one swift kick, I tore the thick wooden door apart.
Bang! Crack!!
The broken pieces of the door flew into the office, and the people inside expressed shock beyond the shattered doorway.
Startled by the noise, Mayor Roman jumped up from his seat.
“You, what are you!? What is this all of a sudden…!”
“We’re the Imperial Army’s special forces.”
I said, staring at him with cold eyes.
“Everyone, stay where you are.”
