With the crackling of his bones, Kase stood up.
The two-meter-tall Half-Orc stood before the newcomers like a wall of flesh. He looked down at them and said, "I could rip your jaw off, runt."
Sitting to the side, Colin tightened his grip on his mug, ready to help at a moment's notice.
Now that Kase had stepped up, as his teammate, Colin certainly wouldn't back down. 'But I've never seen Kase this angry outside of a real fight.'
Though the other Adventurers were intimidated, they didn't back down an inch.
They had no choice. No work meant no money, and no money meant they wouldn't survive.
Better to go looking for work than to wait for it to come to them.
Even if it meant conflict.
"Old Black Heart, a little help!" Bob turned and shouted to the tavern owner. "Get these lads a cold beer each. Let them cool down."
The owner waved his hand, and a barmaid walked over to the table with mugs of beer.
Seeing that the cart driver knew the owner, the Adventurers who had come to poach the job immediately calmed down.
After a moment's hesitation, they could only walk away in silence.
Anyone who dared to run a tavern in the slums outside the city was never a simple character. At the very least, they weren't someone a few Low-tier Adventurers could afford to provoke.
After they left, Kase let out a grunt and sat back down.
"So, there we are. Eight Silver Coins, same as last time. You'll escort me up north, alright? The journey's about the same length."
Bob paid the little spat no mind, acting as if nothing had happened.
In his eyes, that other group couldn't hold a candle to these two.
"What are we likely to run into on the road?"
Bob said, "A few Goblin Tribes might come out looking for a meal, but it's not very likely since we're taking the trade route. This road is the lifeline of Thousand Masts City; those nobles value it highly. To be honest, I'm not worried about monsters."
Colin nodded. "No problem."
'Even if there were, I still have to make rent.'
"Then the carriage will pick you up here at the tavern entrance the morning after next, as usual. We need to transport goods to Flint Village up north, rest there for a day, and then head back."
"Can we stay in the village a bit longer? I'd like to gather some herbs in the area."
"That's fine, but three days is the maximum."
With that, Bob hurried out of the tavern.
"So, we'll deliver the goods, and I'll grab some herbs on the side," Colin said, taking a sip of the complimentary cold beer.
'So the plan is all set.'
"Sounds good." Kase nodded. "Now, I'm taking you to spar."
Colin agreed he needed to improve his combat skills in the coming days, so he nodded and followed the Half-Orc.
The two of them left the tavern, following the main road away from the slums.
Kase was unusually quiet.
Not wanting to force small talk, Colin stared at his Panel, his mind racing.
-----------------
[Commission: Escort the Carriage]
[Rating: Not Started]
[Reward: Uncalculated]
-----------------
'So I guess that counts as a new commission.'
'Also, was what that Dwarf at the herb shop said true? That I could learn Magic? If I can learn more skills without relying on the system, that's definitely a good thing.'
'And all it takes is a single Frost Star Grass, worth five Gold Coins.'
'That's an incredible bargain for tuition.'
'After all, the Mage Academy in Thousand Masts City charges a sky-high two hundred Gold Coins per semester. Even a single sword lesson from a retired Mercenary in the Dock District costs several Silver Coins.'
'But can a five-Gold-Coin Frost Star Grass really be found that easily?'
"Ready?"
Colin snapped out of his thoughts to find Kase's fierce face looming before him. Behind the Half-Orc stood a massive oak tree.
Colin looked around.
They had reached their usual training spot—a small, grassy knoll with an oak tree on top.
Colin nodded, taking the simple Wooden Sword Kase handed him.
After meeting Kase, the body's previous owner had learned a thing or two from him. They had made these Wooden Swords themselves and hidden them in the tree's branches.
"Let's spar. I wanna see what you're made of." Kase swung his own Wooden Sword. "I still prefer a good chunk of iron, though."
"By the way, I learned a new spell. When I cast it—"
Before Colin could finish, the Half-Orc's Wooden Sword came whistling down at his head. The guy wasn't holding back at all.
He hastily leaped back, watching his opponent's Wooden Sword gouge a small crater in the earth.
Mud splattered and bits of grass flew everywhere.
For an instant, Colin felt as if time had stood still.
His body moved before the thought to counterattack even formed in his mind.
He dug his feet into the ground and swung his sword with both hands.
Kase batted the strike aside with a single swing.
The force of the impact shot up his arms, numbing the web of his thumb. Startled, Colin forced himself to tighten his grip on the hilt to keep from dropping his sword.
"What the—"
The Half-Orc's Wooden Sword whistled through the air again, this time slashing toward Colin's flank.
Gripping his Wooden Sword with both hands, Colin swung it to the right in a defensive block. He felt Kase's weapon slam against his Sword Guard.
He used the force of the blow to leap aside. Mimicking scenes from movies, he dropped into a low stance, resting his hilt near his front knee and pointing the tip of his sword at his opponent's face.
"Enough with the useless poses! Where are your Flame Cantrips?" Kase roared. "If you can't use them in a fight, what damn good are they?!"
"Then you'd better be careful!" Colin's eyes narrowed.
"Bring it! Your Cantrips can't hurt me!"
'Kase is right... This is the perfect chance to test out the new Magic I just got.'
He quickly began chanting the Spell he had memorized the day before.
The Half-Orc paid him no mind and charged straight ahead, weapon swinging.
The pressure of his enemy bearing down on him nearly made Colin forget the incantation. Nerves, fear, the worry of hurting his friend... a torrent of emotions flooded his mind, tangling into a messy knot.
Fortunately, his Intelligence-enhanced brain quickly calmed down and finished the Spell.
In an instant, Flame engulfed the blade of his Wooden Sword.
As he swung the blade, Colin held back, careful not to injure the charging Half-Orc.
The two swords met.
CRACK!
Sparks flew as the burning Wooden Sword shattered on impact.
The tremendous force sent through his arms nearly sent Colin sprawling.
After catching his breath, he suddenly felt dizzy. His vision swam with stars, and he collapsed to the ground.
'My head didn't get hit,' Colin thought. 'So this feeling is probably a side effect of Emerald Flame Sword. Looks like I can't use that move too often. The cost is way higher than Flaming Arrow.'
"Alright, kid."
Kase's voice came from above. He straightened up and tossed aside his own shattered Wooden Sword. "That was impressive. I gotta say, the average human Adventurer probably wouldn't be a match for you now. Like those idiots who tried to steal our job."
Colin got to his feet, rolling his shoulders. "Did those guys really get to you that much? You don't seem like yourself today."
Kase sniffed. "You know I'm from up north, right? With this winter disaster, my tribe has definitely been hit hard. I need to head back soon."
"I never asked before... why did you come all the way down here?"
"The tribe has always wanted to move south. I'm our best Hunter, so they sent me to scout things out."
"Then why come to Thousand Masts City? I would've thought one of the surrounding villages would be a better choice."
Kase said sullenly, "And then me and my kin would all end up on bounty posters, right? I figured it'd be safer to make a name for myself first, then bring them over."
"That's true."
Colin murmured, thinking of the reputation Orcs had.
Kase continued, "But now this winter disaster has started early, so I have to go back and check on them. Before I do, I need to make you stronger. At least strong enough to survive without me looking out for you."
After a moment of silence, Colin said seriously, "If there's anything you need, just ask. I'll help."
Kase suddenly burst out laughing.
His booming laughter was so powerful Colin felt like he was standing in front of a giant bellows.
"You're a good kid, little brother." Kase clapped him on the shoulder. "I've walked all the way from the far north, and in more than two years, you're the best I've met."
Colin added, "Provided you don't get me killed in the process."
"There's nothing for you to help with, so you can rest easy. I might need some money for the trip back, though, so we'll have to take on more jobs."
"Come on, back to training!"
With that, Kase turned to look for more branches.