Chapter 70: Adventurers’ Guild

“Took a private job?”

Ailiya’s ice-blue eyes flickered slightly, but she didn’t press further.

“Then I won’t ask. I hope she’s fine.” Ailiya ended the topic in a flat tone.

“Cough, yeah, hope she returns safely.”

Balke coughed dryly twice. He clearly didn’t want to dwell on the subject, so he immediately turned and shouted at Leo, “Hey! Young Master, stop dawdling! The sun is already high!”

“Coming, coming!”

Leo hurried over and scrambled onto the large carriage, using both hands and feet.

Ailiya followed with light steps and sat in the seat closest to the door.

With a crisp crack of the driver’s whip, the carriage slowly rolled out of the side gate of Kastian Manor and headed toward the bustling district of Fengyue City.

Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was a bit dull at first.

Although Leo was excited inside, being alone with these three dangerous-looking unfamiliar adventurers still made him somewhat reserved.

He clutched his short wand tightly and curiously glanced around at these people.

Ailiya sat with her eyes closed, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her, perfectly playing the role of a transparent person.

“Cough, since we’ll be working together for the next few days, we should at least introduce ourselves.”

The lean man, Balke, sat across from Leo and slapped his thigh, breaking the silence first. He pointed at the guy beside him who was idly tossing a small dagger.

“This is Misi. He’s good at tracking, setting traps, and scouting. Don’t be fooled by how thin he is—this kid runs so fast in the forest that even wolves can only eat his dust.”

Misi stopped the flipping dagger, grinned at Leo, and flashed a mouthful of white teeth. “Hello, Young Master. If you get lost in the wild, or want some fresh roasted wild rabbit at midnight, just call me.”

“Hello.” Leo nodded awkwardly.

Balke then jerked his thumb toward the young man huddled in the corner, dozing while hugging a crude wooden staff.

“This is Sailin. But don’t expect him to unleash any earth-shattering high-level magic—he’s a half-baked mage. Heh, rather than chanting spells from the back, he’s better at using his iron-tipped wooden staff to smash an enemy’s head in when they get too close.”

Sailin opened one tired eye, glared at Balke, and muttered, “Boss, what do you know? This is what I call martial and magical dual cultivation.”

Then he looked at Leo and chuckled. “Young Master, don’t listen to his bullshit. My magical talent’s mediocre, but when it counts, I can still pull off a few Light spells and Fireballs. I won’t hold you back.”

Leo looked at this young man who had none of a mage’s demeanor and even exuded a rogue air, and could only force a smile in response.

No matter how he looked at it, this team’s composition seemed a bit off.

Finally, Balke gently elbowed the bald giant who had been sitting silently on his other side.

“This is Bulunda, our sturdiest shield warrior. That ebony tower shield on his back is our squad’s most reliable defense against beast packs. With him in front, we can work in peace.”

The bald giant paused, the shield on his back swaying slightly, producing a dull thump.

Bulunda merely scratched his shiny bald head in a simple-minded way, nodded amiably at Leo, and then continued sitting there like an iron tower, saying nothing else.

“As for me, no need to ask.”

Balke flicked his hair and lifted his chin proudly. “You already got a deep taste of my strength back at the training ground. Don’t worry, with me around, I guarantee you won’t lose a single hair.”

Leo rolled his eyes in exasperation and couldn’t help retorting, “Thanks, but I hope you won’t use me to test any more of your damn extreme training in the coming days. I’m afraid I’ll die of fright before the monsters get me.”

“Hahaha! Relax, relax. I’m paid to do the job, I know what I’m doing.” Balke laughed heartily.

A few jokes quickly livened up the atmosphere inside the carriage. Leo’s taut nerves gradually relaxed, and the curiosity of a young boy took over as he began asking these old hands about basic survival skills in the wild and monster habits.

Misi and Sailin took turns, weaving in their own adventure stories, describing things so vividly that Leo was completely captivated, his eyes sparkling.

Ailiya sat quietly to the side, occasionally opening an eye to glance at these spittle-flying adventurers.

She had no intention of joining in, treating it all as background noise.

As long as these people didn’t cause her too much trouble, she was happy to stay out of it.

Before they knew it, the carriage entered the noisy inner city area of Fengyue City, its pace gradually slowing. The sounds of vendors hawking and carts rumbling grew louder outside the window.

The driver pulled the reins, and the carriage came to a steady stop in front of a huge, bustling building.

“We’re here.”

Balke was the first to lift the curtain and jump off the carriage.

He turned around, that wild, free smile still on his face.

“Let’s go, Young Master.”

Balke’s voice rang out particularly loud on the bustling street, carrying a seductive taste of adventure.

“Time to see what the outside world looks like!”

Leo took a deep breath and jumped off the carriage.

Above the tall gate hung a huge shield carved with crossed swords and a roaring dragon’s head emblem.

This was the largest intelligence hub in Fengyue City, the distribution center for quests, and the starting point of countless legendary tales and tragic stories—

the Adventurer’s Guild.

“So imposing…” Leo looked up at this building full of wildness and the unknown, unable to help but exclaim, his amber eyes filled with eager anticipation.

“Let’s go, Young Master. Once inside, stay close to the group. Don’t stare around randomly, and definitely don’t talk to strangers who come up to you. Watch your purse.”

Ailiya lifted the traveling case, walked silently to Leo’s side, and reminded him in a flat tone, perfectly fulfilling her role as a nanny maid and guardian.

“I know! Who would dare steal this young master’s money!”

Leo gripped the short wand at his waist, puffed out his chest with a tsundere air, and put on a “don’t mess with me” expression.

Ailiya glanced at him, a merciless smirk curling at the corner of her mouth.

“Heh. I wonder who once got stuffed into a sack by a few rogue mercenaries in a tavern, beaten black and blue in an alley, and had every valuable item stripped off him.”

Leo’s face instantly turned bright red, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

“Th-that was in the past! I’m different now!”

“Even without magic, I can beat those thieves to a pulp with this staff!”

With that, Leo confidently stuck out his thumb and pointed at himself, a bright, confident smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

“Because the me right now is super strong!”

“Let’s hope your strength matches your mouth.”

Ailiya withdrew her gaze and walked past him. “Let’s go. Keep up.”

Under Balke’s lead, the group strode into the bustling guild hall.