Inside a bustling tavern filled with various races, a young human man and a demi-human girl sat together, seemingly enjoying their breakfast—bread with a drizzle of honey, orange juice, and a handful of hazelnuts. It was a great breakfast, just as great as this morning, with sunlight streaming into the tavern as everyone gathered inside.
The young man sat with his white hair slightly disheveled, eating his honeyed bread. His leather armor fit snugly on his body, and a long white cloak hung from his back, reaching down to his legs. He looked just like any other adventurer in the tavern—an adventurer with his wife, who wore simple clothes that made her look like a housewife. They appeared to be a married couple well-adjusted to each other, sharing breakfast before the husband left for his work as an adventurer.
"So, Laos, today we're going to complete the quest," the demi-human girl said.
"Yeah, Ponier is waiting for us at the guild. Let's finish breakfast and head out," the adventurer replied.
It had been five days. I got my armor, and I won't lie—I look fucking fire in it. Alright, today we have a job to do. Lately, I've just been taking down mushroom monsters so my contract wouldn't get terminated. But today… today, I've got to protect Mr. Bolf's sheep... Ugh, finally, I've paid off my debt, got myself some armor, and even have a Bronze-ranked adventurer in my party! But… I don't know, I just don't feel happy about being in Ponier's party.
Fuck! Why the hell did I impulsively ask to join him? He's a nice guy, sure, but I just wanted it to be me and Maris—not anyone else. I really hope I don't end up regretting this again. Ugh, I've been making reckless decisions way too often these days. The moment he gave me the money, I just blurted out my request. What the fuck is wrong with me? Such an asshole.
"You look good in your armor," Maris said as she ate the last piece of her bread.
"I know, all this designer got me drip drip," I said as I stood up, running my hands over my leather gloves.
"Huh?" Maris muttered, confused.
"Alright, let's go, Maris! Time to complete the quest no one else could finish!" I grinned confidently.
"Yeah!" Maris responded.
We left the tavern and headed for the guild. For the past five days, I've been hoping that some kind of guild war scenario doesn't break out, leading to my death. I still hope that doesn't happen—I don't want to die now that things are finally improving! As we walked, I noticed Maris's expression. It was different from any other day. She looked distracted… even sad. She started acting this way ever since the others bought me armor.
No way… don't tell me Maris is upset because no one paid attention to her! I don't want that to be the case. If no one else cares about her, then I will! But why won't she just ask me for something? I mean, she doesn't have any proper clothes… but, fuck, I'm still broke as hell. I can't afford to buy her a gift to cheer her up. What's with that look on her face?
"Maris, you look sad," I said.
"Oh! Do I? No, I'm not," she replied in a soft voice. Yeah, she totally is.
"I just want you to know… if something's bothering you, you can tell me. If you don't, it'll really bug me," I said, staring into her unfocused eyes with a big grin.
"Laos…"
"Yeah? Tell me what's wrong," I pressed. Come on, talk to me!
"No, it's nothing. Forget it," she added. Fuck!
"No way! Talk, now—that's an order!" I demanded.
"Look, it's Ponier," she muttered, trying to change the subject.
"Oh, hey, Laos! Looks like we arrived at the same time," Ponier called out, waving.
"You won't get away with this that easily," I whispered to Maris.
We left the guild and made our way to Bolf's ranch. Protecting sheep from wolves—how hard could this really be? Fuck those noobs! Seriously, screw you guys! Imagine if I couldn't finish this quest either… that would be humiliating. But I'm sure I can do it, especially with this fucker on my side. He's a Bronze-ranked adventurer, even better than Grell and Miro.
"So, today's opponent is an unknown type of wolf," Ponier said. God, I'm already regretting joining him.
"Yeah, right," I replied. Honestly, I didn't understand that shit. What types of wolves exist in this world, anyway? I have no clue.
"Thalesa, what types of wolves are there?" I asked.
"There are normal wolves, silver wolves—which are slightly bigger—horned wolves, and skeleton wolves, which are much rarer," she replied.
"Only four types?" I asked again.
"…"
"Can't you just say you don't know? Just say, 'There are a lot, but I don't know them all.' Why do you always act like you know everything? Or are you afraid I'll bully you?"
"Screw you! Who even cares about getting bullied by a human like you?"
"You're talking weird… You don't sound happy at all, even after paying off your debt and getting armor," Thalesa added.
"I'm really not in the mood…"
God, why am I so pissed? I'm actually angry! Is it because Ponier is here instead of just me and Maris? Fuck, he helped improve my life, and now he's ruining it again. No, it's not him—it's me. I'm the fucking dumbass who asked to join him. But why did he agree? Why did you accept, you fucking fox…? Ugh, I need to calm down!
"There it is—Bolf's ranch," Ponier said, stopping in front of a wooden fence.
His ranch was located near the outskirts of town. It was fairly large, filled with sheep and even cattle, and he also had a few horses. As we approached, a short and chubby man stepped forward. He was dressed in simple village clothes, had a graying beard, and when he reached us, he flashed a wide smile, closed his eyes, and greeted us with rosy cheeks:
"Welcome! You're the adventurers from Alis, right?"
Weird. Despite all the trouble The Dark Eye was causing, people were still treating adventurers from Alis kindly. Strange, really. But it seemed like a massive portion of Iveleth's adventurers were from Alis, which explained why people still posted requests there. A large customer base guarantees success, no matter how bad your service is. Alis was like that shopkeeper you argue with for giving you the wrong change, only for him to flip you off and say: "Go fuck yourself. I don't give a fuck, I've got a thousand other customers."
But what if you recorded him and posted it on YouTube? His reputation would go down the drain. And that's exactly what would happen if The Dark Eye really was an adventurer from Alis. I hope that's not the case.
After that, the chubby man, Bolf, shook our hands and started explaining the situation. From the looks of it, they were just normal wolves. Well, that would make things easier. But… could I even take down a wolf?
"They travel a long distance before attacking my ranch. I don't know where they live, but I'm sure their den is far from Iveleth. And yet, every night, they attack my ranch," Bolf explained.
"Do you know why every previous adventurer failed to complete this quest?" Ponier asked.
"Underestimation," Bolf muttered.
"Everyone who took this quest saw it as just another beginner-level quest for an adventurer in Iveleth, only to realize the truth too late. People should always go into battle with a pessimistic mindset so that when the worst happens, it won't hit as hard… It's a way to ease the burden on oneself. So, adventurers, I'm telling you now—this quest will be your doom!" Bolf declared with intensity. What's with this old man all of a sudden?
"We got this!" Ponier grinned stupidly. I swear he thinks he looks tuff.
"Follow me. I'll show you the best place to wait for the wolves," Bolf said, walking ahead.
I don't know, but I was starting to feel nervous. This was a Leaf- and Wood-rank quest—the worst two ranks in the guild. Why were they acting like we were about to slay the Great Dragon perched atop a towering mountain, threatening the entire continent? Alright then, bring it on, you fucking wolves. Let's see what you got! I'm gonna tear your asses apart!
"As you can see, this part of the fence is broken. They smashed through it last night, so there's a high chance they'll enter from here," Bolf said.
"They broke a fence?!" I blurted out in surprise.
"Yes. Their attacks are incredibly strong. My sons saw them breaking it down. It seems they do this so their pregnant females don't have to jump over," Bolf explained.
"Alright, it's all clear now. We'll handle it from here," Ponier said, staring at the fence.
"I'll let my wife know to prepare some lunch for you. Good luck," Bolf said before retreating to his house, leaving the three of us alone in the ranch.
"Thank you, sir," Maris added with a respectful bow to the chubby man.
God, this ranch is huge. It's obviously vulnerable to attacks, and the defenses are practically nonexistent. What's with these flimsy wooden fences?! Even slimes could get through them! As someone who mastered wall-building while playing Clash of Clans in the waiting room at the dentist's office, I swear I could fortify this place way better. Damn, I hate rich people who refuse to spend their money. He could've at least installed an iron fence.
"So, we have to wait until nightfall. Alright, let's plan. I think I'll act as the bait. I'm good at attracting attention—probably even better than Miro," Ponier said with a light chuckle.
He then stepped forward, his orange tail flicking around randomly. He sat in front of the broken fence and pulled off the remaining loose planks, leaving the entrance wide open. Tossing the wooden pieces aside, he said:
"Alright, we need to make sure they see this as the best way in. No need for backup plans in case they don't come through here."
"So your goal is to guarantee they enter through this spot with 100% certainty," I said after piecing together his reasoning.
"Exactly. And since this is a low-rank quest, I doubt there'll be more than five of them," Ponier added.
"Mr. Ponier, you're a Bronze-rank adventurer, so this should be easy for you, right?" Maris asked while patting the head of a large cow. funny!
"Yeah… but… like Bolf said, we need to go into battle expecting the worst," Ponier muttered.
"Alright… so, what's the plan?" I asked.
"I'll be the bait. I'll lure them in and take down a few, then you'll join in. If anyone gets injured, he should retreat so Maris can heal him while the other continues fighting. Since they're just normal wolves, it should be simple. Basic plan," Ponier explained.
"But why do we even need bait? Why don't we just wait for them together?" This plan was so full of unnecessary fluff. I hate people who act all strategic and organized just to sound smart, stuffing in useless complexities that don't change a fucking thing.
"Because if they see both of us, they'll run away… because of you," Ponier said seriously.
"Why me?"
"It's your aura."