Chapter 171

Thanks to the kind uncles, I was able to take on the request I wanted, but I didn’t jump right in.

The uncles took me around, saying they’d introduce me to the villagers, and they were a bit too generous, to be honest.

I wasn’t exactly pressed for time, so I went along with it. It turns out those uncles are adventurers who use this village as a base.

You could say they’re all about that “connections” life. For me, my connections were literally Sword Saint and Saint, but I just let it go.

More connections are always better. Plus, adventurers on the frontline have loads of field experience.

Rod, well, he’s been around, so his view on things is like, “back in my day…”.

But of course, his tales of experience can’t be overlooked. He’s the guy who single-handedly took down a blue demon.

‘Demons start from red and work their way up slowly unlike those who were purple from the very beginning and those in between who are navy.’

Aside from them, everything else begins at red.

Moreover, there’s a significant gap even among the blue ones, so you can’t ignore that either. The guy I wanna take down is, for now, a blue one too.

“Whoa. This guy is super strong! He doesn’t look it from his face, but his body is incredibly solid!”

“Thanks.”

“So Rex recommended him, huh? He wasn’t wrong!”

Anyway, putting everything aside, I was doing manual labor. Just to reiterate, manual labor.

The adventurer uncles dragged me around doing requests, starting with the lowest rank – manual labor.

I literally just had to haul this and that at the construction site. And I’m confident in my physical strength, not falling behind anyone.

“Having someone like you who can lift logs barehanded is rare. Thanks to you, we finished ahead of schedule. Here’s your pay.”

“Thank you.”

“I gave you a bit extra since you did really well. Let me know if you want to do more later!”

I received silver coins from a supervisor with quite a striking mustache. It felt hefty, so there must be a good amount in there.

Somehow I ended up doing manual labor, but I didn’t feel too bad about it. I have all the time in the world anyway.

Most importantly, the work ended early thanks to my hard work. It was about time to move on to other requests.

“Whoa. It’s already done? I really do have a good eye. Kids who speak respectfully are usually diligent.”

“··· ···”

“Okay then. What’s the next request? I’ll tell you where to go.”

But right after I wrapped up, I was bombarded with questions. Were they watching from afar or something?

That’s bizarre on its own. But hey, you can’t spit at a smiling face, so I went along with it considering their kindness.

After that, I did simple part-time work at a general store, looked for lost cats, organized a warehouse, and so on.

I managed to finish all the lowest rank red requests. And that too before sunset.

‘The part-time work took the longest.’

There weren’t many people until I arrived, but as soon as I did, they all flocked in. Especially the women.

Thanks to that, the owner mentioned he made a good profit today and gave me quite a bonus. Earning money through direct work feels weird compared to stocks.

‘Wait, no. I’ve worked before.’

I did earn money from hunting Usuks. But that felt more like daily life than an actual job, so I didn’t feel much excitement from it.

Anyway, after finishing all the requests suggested by the uncles, I returned to the guild for a breather.

As soon as I got back, the uncles welcomed me, claiming I performed the requests perfectly.

“Is there something you want to eat?”

“Uh… something sweet?”

“Of course. After tough work, something sweet is the best. Should I buy you some cake?”

“··· ···”

It’s strange that a guy who looks super masculine loves cake.

But it felt oddly awkward as the combination was bizarre yet coincidentally fitting.

Still, I couldn’t turn down free cake, so I accepted it gratefully. It’s not like it was a loss for me anyway.

“We were wrong in our assumptions. You’re not just red; you should start from orange. But beyond that, it’s tough due to regulations.”

“But didn’t those folks make a fuss trying to get green earlier?”

“Probably from yesterday. We might have to check on them soon.”

It seems something happened while I was doing my requests. I didn’t care much, though.

“Oh right. What’s your name?”

One of the uncles, likely the leader, asked me. I figured he must be Rex.

With muscles honed in real battles and a short-cropped head, the scar running across his lips gave off a very intimidating vibe.

But I knew. I knew there was warmth hidden within that toughness. Otherwise, so many wouldn’t follow him.

“Sivar.”

“Sivar? Unique name.”

“What? Not from the Eastern Empire?”

“Look at his eyes. Where do you see an Eastern person? He seems like a mixed breed.”

When did it get this friendly? I’m not quite sure.

Then the uncles began introducing themselves, just as I expected, the leader’s name was Rex.

The rest… well, I felt indifferent to remembering them, but I doubt I’d forget them either.

They were quite the peculiar bunch. Though one might say sweaty uncles lack individuality, that’s exactly what makes them unique.

“But can I just touch that axe once?”

“I don’t think you can handle it.”

“What do you mean by can’t handle–”

*Crack!*

“Ahhhh!”

A kind warning for the one eyeing Ragnarok. Maybe this would shift everyone’s focus from the axe.

“Sivar, I don’t know what you’ll end up doing, but if you ever come to this industry, I can give you some advice.”

“What advice?”

“It’s about something that crossed over from the East. Be careful around the old, the young, and the women.”

“··· ···”

That’s advice I can totally relate to. There are tons of strong individuals around me.

The old one is Rod, the women are Rize and Kara, and as for the kids… well, if they’re someone’s child, I’d just say they’d be taken.

Anyway, having that bone-chilling advice, I nodded as if in agreement. I could empathize since I’ve been utterly wrecked by Rod and Rize before.

“Especially be careful with women. Otherwise, you’ll end up getting messed up!”

“······?”

What’s that supposed to mean? I looked at Rex with a puzzled expression.

Rex’s face was serious, which only added to my confusion. Is he suggesting that because the women are strong?

“Oh come on, bro. You’re telling that to a bright-eyed kid?”

“Yeah. Just because your nose got pierced doesn’t mean you should pass that down.”

“What are you even saying when you’ve got three kids?”

A sudden wave of accusations. Mostly the response was: no way you could say that.

“Shut it! You guys! I gave up my freedom! You don’t know what it’s like to have even held a woman’s hand?!”

“Oh, you’re really touching a sore spot.”

“I’m not avoiding it; I just can’t.”

Looks like he settled here for marriage. Maybe he really does have a sense of responsibility.

Plus, since his underlings are with him, his reputation must be pretty solid. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lasted this long.

In terms of relationships, he seems like a genuinely good person. It’s hard to find someone like this in such a harsh world.

“Anyway, remember this well. No matter when or where, women are always above men. You never know what will happen when you’re not paying attention.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Don’t just half-listen. Even if they act all demure in front of you, they could be plotting all sorts of schemes behind your back?”

Well, listening to that made me picture the women around me.

Each and every one is a charm bomb and a strong individual. Unless they’re embarrassingly straightforward, they seem far from scheming.

But then again, every person’s life is different, so I didn’t want to toss that idea aside too casually. Rex might not be in a bad situation if he’s got three kids.

“Anyway, let’s get to work. We can’t hang around here.”

“That’s true. Make sure you work hard from here on out.”

After Rex’s nonsensical but not entirely meaningless chatter ended, the uncles got up to leave. Looked like they were heading out for requests.

I waved them off pleasantly and glanced at the map. I needed to find a spot where the demon might reside.

‘That guy is usually lurking around big caves. To do that, I’ll need to head into the forest…’

Without the compass, I’d be in big trouble. I’d likely have gotten lost again otherwise.

I checked the map, got my bearings and stood up. First off, I’m heading to where the traces were found.

For now, it would seem he’s busy growing stronger against the beasts or monsters of the forest. But soon, he’s likely to stretch his claws towards people too.

‘Anyway, it doesn’t matter if I end up living in the forest for a while.’

I plan to use Unity Village as a base, but it’s just that – a base. For now, I’ll be staying in the forest while piecing together clues.

How hard could it be? It’s not like it’s going to be worse than the Chaos Forest. That place is so tough that even squirrels are ridiculously strong, but here seems average.

With that, I headed directly to the northwestern forest without delay. I spotted the uncles on the way but breezed right past them.

‘Northwest. Northwest. Northwest.’

I moved steadily following the traces.

*******

Rex and the gang are a group of adventurers using Unity Village as their base.

In fact, calling them adventurers is a stretch; they’re more like a neighborhood watch, influenced by Rex’s family life.

With a marriage and not to mention a bunch of kids, he can’t just wander around aimlessly.

Yet, they’re quite skilled and have a knack for making money, so they’ve never struggled financially.

“Hey. Has anyone seen that kid? Sivar?”

“You mean the one with the red eyes? I haven’t seen him.”

“I saw him going into the forest.”

Unity Village is set up near the Academy. Because of that, Academy Students often visit the place.

There’s also a naturally well-formed ecosystem nearby, making it an ideal spot for simple requests.

The problem arises when Academy Students get a bit too cocky now and then. Most of the cleanup falls on Rex and his crew.

While not as dangerous as Chaos Forest, nature is always a risk. You never know when a dangerous monster or beast will pop out.

Occasionally, there are also monsters like ogres that are tough to deal with. In those cases, they take care of it quickly.

“Do you think that kid can’t get out of the forest?”

“They gave him a compass and a map.”

“Apparently, navigationally challenged folks can’t find their way even with a compass.”

Naturally, I became worried about Sivar. A rare young man you wouldn’t find easily in today’s world.

Unlike the typically snobby Academy students, he was polite and spoke gently. Thanks to that, Rex and the gang view him favorably.

If someone like him were to go astray… it sent chills down my spine. The expressions on Rex and his crew turned serious.

“······First, let’s go into the forest. He headed for the northwest entrance, right?”

Let’s find Sivar first. Rex and his crew packed their gear and headed towards the direction Sivar took.

The northwestern forest hasn’t had good rumors floating around recently. Not only is there unusual monster activity, but dead bodies have also increased.

Monsters might be fighting over territory. But that sounds way too extreme considering the amount of corpses around.

If Sivar ends up being one of them… just thinking about it is horrifying.

“It’s only been a day, so it should be showing soon…”

Just as Rex muttered, a huge roar shook the forest. Even the birds sitting on the trees flew away startled.

Rex and the gang paused upon hearing the sound but quickly turned to each other. They sensed it simultaneously.

It was likely over there. There’s a high chance the person they are looking for is there.

Even if it isn’t, it doesn’t matter. Dealing with dangerous monsters in advance is always a good idea.

“Let’s go quickly! You slowpokes!”

“Just keep your limbs attached!”

Rex and the crew dashed toward the source of the sound without hesitation, fervently hoping Sivar was safe.

As they made their way through the forest, they eventually found what they were looking for.

Sivar, holding an axe in one hand, standing against a gigantic monster.

It looked like an ordinary ogre at first glance, but it was much larger than usual.

“Damn. A Forest Ogre? What the hell is it doing here?”

“Hey! Run away! It’s dangerous!”

Just as Rex’s crew was about to shout in alarm, Sivar swiftly climbed onto the ogre’s back. The ogre, however, let him approach too easily.

Looking closer, the ogre was in bad shape. There were several axe wounds on its body and it looked exhausted.

*Crack!*

“Gruuuaaaah!”

Sivar shoved his axe into the ogre’s mouth. The painful scream echoed throughout the forest.

Then Sivar jumped down powerfully, pushing with force on the axe lodged in the ogre’s mouth.

With the imbalance, the ogre fell awkwardly, crashing down.

*Crack!!*

Sivar retrieved the axe from the ogre’s mouth and swung it vigorously once more. This time, it aimed directly for the ogre’s head.

With Ragnarok embedded deep, no matter how tough an ogre is, it couldn’t survive having its brain turned to mush.

*Splaat-*

Once Sivar confirmed the ogre’s death, he wiped the blood off his axe. The sharp edge dripped with blood.

Rex and the gang couldn’t utter a word witnessing this scene. There’s a saying;

If someone can do a particular task too easily, that person is an expert in that field.

Sivar could indeed be called an expert in monster hunting.

“······Huh?”

Sivar, shaking off the blood from the axe, noticed Rex and the crew.

With a pure face splattered in blood, he created an oddly eerie ambiance.

Sivar tilted his head for a moment and then bowed with the axe in hand.

“Hello.”

What a polite young man indeed.

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