The guild hallway felt narrower as the group advanced after the meeting ended, leaving the room and following Alden out of the guild.
As they walked, the air felt a bit heavier. After what Isolda had said, each of them seemed lost in their own thoughts, but no one said anything.
Alden led at the front, guiding the group with firm steps and a stiff posture. His hands were clasped behind his back, the posture of the Merchant Coalition's Master Treasurer returning.
Korgar walked right behind him. His large, heavy body resembled a small artificial mountain sliding through the narrow corridor. Each step was heavy enough to make the floor tremble, his dark plate armor blocking some of the light.
Silas followed at his side, hands folded behind his head. He still wore that light, relaxed smile as if he were out on a stroll.
Mark walked behind them.
Further back came the Silver Wolf group. Kael was in the middle. Lyra, Garret, and Voren followed beside him, all maintaining a tight formation. The group had not said a single word this entire time, simply following behind quietly.
As for Elara, she walked close to Mark. Her lips held an unreadable smile. From time to time, she shot him a quick glance.
And it was genuinely confusing him.
Mark kept his eyes forward, pretending not to notice.
But it was impossible to ignore.
From the moment he had entered the room, that woman seemed interested. Mark had absolute confidence in his concealment skills. Nothing about his behavior should have been suspicious.
Besides, Pippin was well hidden beneath the [Threat Dissipation Cloak].
Elara had no reason to suspect anything.
Even so, there she was, observing him as if she had found something curious.
What had she seen? Mark tried to think of an answer, but none came. His discomfort had little to do with danger, since Elara did not seem threatening. It was more like the unsettling feeling of being analyzed without knowing why.
And Elara was not the only one.
There was another occasional stare.
A light pressure that appeared and disappeared on his back every few seconds. Mark tilted his head just enough to catch the corridor behind him from the corner of his eye. His movement was discreet, almost imperceptible.
Lyra was looking.
The red-haired girl kept her eyes fixed on him with a discreet intensity. But the instant she realized Mark had noticed, she quickly looked away, turning to Kael and letting out a short, clearly forced giggle, as if reacting to some comment he had supposedly made.
"?" Kael looked confused at Lyra, then looked in Mark's direction. His expression shifted suddenly as he realized something. He frowned, glancing between Lyra and Mark a few times before lowering his head.
Mark faced forward again.
There were two people watching him for completely different reasons.
And neither made any sense.
"Alright." Suddenly, Alden glanced over his shoulder and called their attention.
"As you must know, this mission will last a few days. Crossing the initial stretch of the desert, leaving Luminaris until we get past the sand, should take around three to four days if we do not take many breaks and the weather stays stable. With better soil, but still hostile, we will take another two to three days to reach the eastern detour and finally enter the Principalities. And since this is not a mission resolved in half an hour, we should spend around two to four days on site. Add that to the return trip and we are talking about something between fifteen and twenty days away."
"Twenty days?"
Korgar grumbled behind him, his deep voice filling the corridor. "We do not need all that. We can finish it in a day, tops." He cast a sideways glance at Mark before continuing.
"We are three experienced gold rank adventurers. We will handle it. You can trust us."
Alden let out a long sigh and shook his head. "Korgar, just do not do anything outside the mission."
"Complaining again?" Elara commented, not even looking at him. "You are getting paid. Bite your tongue and stop rambling like an old man."
Silas let out a low laugh. "There goes Korgar's temper again."
Korgar stopped walking, slowly turned, and stared at Elara. He stood still in the corridor, blocking the way and forcing Mark and the group behind him to stop.
"I do not ramble." His voice came out low, which only made the sentence even more absurd.
Elara raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed. "Of course not. Now move."
Silas cleared his throat to hide a laugh.
"Can we please keep walking?" Alden rubbed his face with one hand as he watched the scene.
This group was already clashing and they had not even stepped out of the guild yet.
Korgar huffed, turning back and resuming his path with heavy steps. Silas followed with a quiet laugh, patting the mountain's shoulder as if trying to cheer him up, though that only irritated him further.
Mark watched it all silently.
He did not know if the group was efficient, strong, or experienced, but they definitely did not seem harmonious.
Maybe they were used to fighting and used to working together even while fighting?
Alden took another deep breath before continuing his explanation. "As I was saying, the duration is long, but the route is straightforward. We will leave through the east gate and cross the edge of the desert. After that, we continue toward the Principalities."
"Do you intend to camp normally or advance at night?" Kael asked from behind, raising his voice for the first time.
"I am still evaluating." Alden answered without turning. "Depends on the conditions. And on the group."
Korgar muttered something no one understood.
Probably about not needing rest.
"As for the reward." Alden finally reached the point he had been leading to. "The three of you already know what was offered." He looked at Korgar, Silas, and Elara.
Korgar gave a grunt of acknowledgment. Silas merely smiled and Elara nodded lightly. Alden then looked at Mark, as if weighing every inch of his face.
Mark blinked.
Reward?
He had accepted the mission without even asking how he would be paid. Isolda had thrown him into it saying he needed to validate his rank and he simply followed. The reward never seemed important.
I mean, he doubted there was anything valuable enough to push him to move. His inventory was filled with so many items he did not even know where to start discarding. And his experience selling the dagger on his first day had left a deep impression of this world.
Poor.
The world felt a bit lacking in high level resources.
But now that Alden mentioned the reward, maybe it was better to know.
"What is the reward?"
Alden adjusted his monocle as if that were necessary to see Mark better. "You... do not know the reward?"
Korgar laughed mockingly, but said nothing.
Even though his intentions were obvious.
Alden sighed, trying to calm things down quickly and avoid another argument. "The reward is simple. It is not just platinum. The Coalition has granted temporary access to the Northern Internal Warehouses. For adventurers, that is worth more than any direct payment. You will be able to choose reserved items, refined materials, and early purchase permissions that most adventurers only get after years on a waiting list."
He straightened his posture and continued.
"Additionally, the guild registered the mission as high priority, which grants credit with the Coalition. That opens doors for requests of exclusive items." Alden continued explaining as they walked toward the guild's main hall.
Mark simply nodded, showing he understood. He glanced at Korgar's back as the man resumed walking and thought about something.
They had accepted the mission because of this?
For most adventurers, access seemed enormous. Judging by the sparkle in their eyes and the way they looked satisfied, it really was.
Reserved items, rare materials, early permissions... All that sounded valuable within this world's rules, but Mark had seen and held things far above that level.
For him... it was hard to care.
It did not take long for the group to descend the last flight of stairs and enter the guild's main hall.
Elara, Korgar, and Silas were recognized immediately.
"Hey, look!" Someone commented, stopping what they were doing as they noticed the group emerging from the upper floor.
"Three gold rank adventurers coming down together?" Another adventurer muttered, holding his mission slip as he waited for the receptionist.
"Who is that one with them?"
"This looks like a big mission."
"Isn't that the Silver Wolf group...? Aren't they silver rank? What is going on?" Another silver rank adventurer in the crowd commented after recognizing Kael's group.
The murmurs filled the air, but as the group of nine moved forward, the voices gradually faded.
Gold rank adventurers always drew attention. One alone was enough to make heads turn. Three together was even more shocking, attracting every gaze in the hall.
Mark felt dozens of eyes sweeping over the group.
They were definitely drawing attention.
Part of him wondered if this was really a good idea, considering the mission's importance. But he dismissed the thought. Maybe he was overthinking it. Isolda did not seem like someone who would make such a basic mistake.
Alden crossed the hall without slowing, completely ignoring the curious stares.
The group followed him, passing between tables, mission boards, and adventurers who made way, some inclining their heads in greeting.
As they exited through the main door, sunlight hit them immediately. The streets of the bronze district were alive. Merchants shouting offers, haulers carrying crates, artisans working in front of small workshops.
The group moved down the main street, heading toward the gates.
It was not a short walk. They passed through the commercial district, where spices, tanned leather, and southern perfumes blended in the air.
Mark watched everything silently as they walked, until the scenery began to change.
The city's organized architecture gave way to the open view of the eastern wall.
And then, as they rounded the last corner before the gatehouse—
Two heavy transport carriages were parked there. Each one reinforced with dark wood and metal, with tall wheels built for uneven terrain. But what really drew attention were the animals pulling them.
Four giant desert lizards, larger than horses, their scales brown like sand, muscular legs, narrow eyes, and long snouts stood waiting. Their thick claws rested in the hot dust. Each creature released sharp bursts of dry air from its nostrils, looking impatient to depart.
Those creatures...
Was that how they were traveling?
Alden stopped in front of the two carriages. He turned to the group, showing a smile that did not reach his eyes.
"I arranged the best we have for the crossing." He smoothed his gray mustache with his thumb, regaining some of his merchant posture as his other hand gestured toward the animals.
"These lizards are trained to maintain a steady pace under the scorching sun. We will travel in them until we leave the arid desert zone and cross the official border into the Neighboring Principalities."
He then paused, his gaze jumping from the gold ranks to the Silver Wolf group who came last.
Alden extended a hand toward Lyra and her group. "As for the Silver Wolf group..." He made a short gesture, palm up.
"You will take the second carriage." The old man declared, his voice losing its polite tone, leaving no room for discussion.
"Lyra will assist the driver. I need your eyes to recognize every danger before we get too close. The rest of your group will guard the rear and handle the lighter cargo. I do not want surprises while our... specialists... rest for the real combat."
Kael clenched his fist so tightly his knuckles turned white, but Korgar's sideways glare, as he climbed into the first carriage with a heavy thud, made him swallow any complaint.
"Mr. Vaelin, I believe you would prefer the comfort of the main carriage, alongside your peers. Date wine has been prepared inside."
Mark looked at the lizards, their heavy tails hitting the ground, then at Lyra.
She finally looked away, climbing onto the high seat beside the second carriage's driver with a rigid expression. Her companions, Kael, Garret, and Voren, exchanged tense looks as they settled among the crates.
This was part of their mission.
Mark simply nodded to Alden without saying a word and climbed the carriage steps.
Inside, the air was suddenly cooler, and the smell of leather and something like sandalwood replaced the scent of the animals outside.
Through the gap in the curtain, he saw the Silver Wolf carriage take the lead, surrounded by the dust raised by the lizards as it began to move.
His carriage started moving shortly after.
Mark took a deep breath.
The mission had officially begun.