Chapter 108: Adaptation 4
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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Adventurers live and thrive on their reputation.
Back during the Horned Wolf incident, I generously covered the building repair costs and often handed out supplementary weapons worth a gold coin or two to my fans.
It's all for the sake of reputation because, in the adventurer business, word of mouth can turn into gold.
"I am Balves, the Blood-Axed Balves!"
"Balves? Have you ever heard of such a name?"
"Hmm I havent come across such a name in the Tower lately."
A bearded man, without permission, plonked down at Han Se-ah's table, puffing up his chest in proclamation.
But the surrounding adventurers, subtly forming an encirclement, remain nonchalant as if the man's status means nothing here.
In the city of adventurers, what matters isn't one's reputation as a mercenary but how high theyve ascended the tower.
No matter how golden your achievements back home, in the game community, its all reduced to 'What's your rank?'
So, up to which floor of the tower have you climbed?
"Listen, I don't care how famous you were outside this city. Here, its about your contributions as an adventurer."
"How dare these brats..."
Tales of beheading or suppressing a hundred bandits, mean little compared to stories as an adventurer.
And it's the city's citizens who have set these standards.
They prefer adventurers who protected the inn during the Horned Wolf incident over mercenaries who boast of beheading bandits.
They value magic stones procured from the tower more than feats against bandit camps.
Given that this city sprouted around the tower, from the commoners to the nobles, everyone holds a soft spot for adventure tales.
Unfazed by the commotion, Han Se-ah calmly sips her chilled sangria and digs into a hefty steak.
Concerned, Grace couldn't take her eyes off her.
I took a sip of my refreshing drink, leaned back, and watched the unfolding drama.
"Blood-Axed Balves, was it? So, you're here to pick a fight?"
"What?"
And of course, tales of adventurers taking down thugs always make for a good story.
"If you're going to fight, please take it outside..."
"Alex? Win the fight and come back, I'll give you a special service~"
Tens of customers fondle their weapons, staring intently.
Behind them, the inn's servers shoot pleading looks at the mercenaries while urging the adventurers on.
In some ways, these mercenaries are just like monsters.
Whether it's defending a store from a Horned Wolf attack or protecting an inn from a rowdy outsider, both can earn one valuable word of mouth.
The chatter of gossipy servers, shopkeepers who deal with the inn owner, and talkative fellow adventurers at the barhaving your tales spread through their words, although trivial, is pivotal in building one's reputation as an adventurer.
"These, these crazy people?!"
"Do mercenaries these days only fight with words?"
As an adventurer armed with a buckler stepped forward with confidence, other adventurers clicked their tongues in envy.
In a city teeming with adventurers, people can't help but envy the ones who can confidently step forward.
It is their superior abilities that lend them their confidence.
Finally noticing the commotion, Han Se-ah looks around with wide, surprised eyes.
"The food's getting cold. Looks like things are settling down. Let's eat."
"Hey, Roland. Isn't that a bit strange? I mean, I know Hanna is beautiful, but..."
It surely is odd to see every drinking customer rushing to help, and the employees cheering them on with gleeful laughter.
The behavior is so off from what one might expect that it's jarring, not just for the mercenaries causing the ruckus but also for observers like Grace.
The city's inhabitants possess notions and common sense drastically different from those of other territories.
They're adventurers, after all, driven by the tiniest slivers of fame.
The camaraderie among them, albeit faint, adds to the ambiance.
It's a city where if you don't know, you learn the hard way.
"It's because they're adventurers."
"Being an adventurer causes this?"
Once Grace was assured of Han Se-ah's safety, she finally sat down properly at the table and focused on me.
The once-steaming, appetizing steak had cooled a bit, but in exchange, we got a good show.
It kind of evens out.
Grace seemed undeterred, taking a small piece of steak and savoring it as she listened to my explanation.
"Our party might not be care, but the personal requests adventurers receive are diverse. To the point where there's little distinction between mercenaries and adventurers. The Adventurer's Guild mainly deals with requests related to the tower and magic stones, but individual requests can vary."
"So, they fight because...?"
"When citizens face trouble, the adventurers are usually the first to step up. Even a hint of a good reputation can bring small benefits. Whether it's sending a letter to a nearby village or procuring an item, a little trust can make one choose an adventurer over a stranger."
While explaining, I sneak a glance at Han Se-ah.
The stubborn mercenary and the fame-hungry adventurer had apparently stepped outside for a duel.
Perhaps because she was the cause, or simply swept up by the crowd, Han Se-ah too, is heading out.
From what should have been a simple date, it seemed we were now set for some entertainmenta duel between grown men.
Our date has transformed into a whirlwind tour of Han Se-ah's adventures in the city.
As Grace chews on her steak, her gaze frequently drifts to the commotion outside.
"If it's still bothering you, shall we go watch?"
"Huh? Really?"
"We can always have our date later. Let's see what our party leader is up to."
Besides, it seemed like a golden opportunity to tease her.
I'm sure I can get a few good laughs out of this situation.
Joining Han Se-ah essentially means ending our date, but Grace nods enthusiastically.
It seems she's a tad overprotective of our genius mage.
After generously paying for the barely-touched steak and a sip of alcohol, we followed the crowd out of the inn.
Those who left before us were drunk and formed a long, trailing line, making it easy for us to follow.
"Those are the people, right?"
"There's only one open space around here. Ah, Hanna's there too."
With her keen eyes, Grace effortlessly spotted Han Se-ah amidst the crowd.
Of course, it didnt take me more than a minute to find Han Se-ah either.
The streaming fanatic had hurriedly turned her camera on.
A quick glance shows she hasn't started streaming just yet.
The semi-transparent camera drone hovers above, perhaps capturing short clips.
After all, an adventurer and a mercenary clashing in front of an inn would be quite the story for the viewers.
"Hey! Did you call yourself Blood Axe? From today on, you'll be Razor Blade*!"
"Alex! Phila's waiting for you at the inn! Finish this quickly!"
Facing off are an adventurer wielding a small dagger and a one-handed sword, and a mercenary with a massive double-bladed axe.
The drunken adventurers circle around them, cheering them on, transforming the space into a makeshift arena.
The area, devoid of civilians, means even the guards give it only a cursory glance before losing interest.
Amidst this chaos, Han Se-ah stands out conspicuously.
If Alex, the adventurer, and Balves, the mercenary, are the fighters in the arena, and the onlookers form the walls of the arena, then Han Se-ah, standing in the center, is like the referee between the two contenders.
"Beautiful Mage is watching! Fight passionately! Just don't die!"
"It's an official duel with a witness! Act like men, fight like men!"
I initially thought she was just accidentally positioned like a referee, but she was indeed the appointed referee.
Pushed into this role, she stands as the official witness to the duel, which is hilarious.
Even funnier is her filming the whole thing.
If there's such a thing as a calling in life, streaming and entertaining must be Han Se-ahs.
With that wide smile, as she captures the drama unfolding before her, who could deny her natural aptitude?
"Huh, she seems to be enjoying this more than I thought?"
"Seems like it. We probably didn't need to worry."
The once-worried Grace now looks at ease, casually hooking her arm in mine.
Enjoying the soft and warm touch from her forearm, we began to watch the duel.
The mercenary, in his excited state, swung his massive double-edged axe wildly, while the adventurer, despite being drunk, calmly dodged with precision.
The duel, which attracted a crowd from the inn, seems quite one-sided.
Unless the scruffy mercenary has a trick up his sleeve, he'll probably exhaust himself swinging and get easily overpowered.
The obvious disparity in their skills leads to increased jeers from the crowd.
It's not really fun. Should I bring Hanna over?
Bring Hanna? ...Well, I don't mind either way.
The excitement of the crowd is slowly fading away.
In the very center stands a beauty...
The leader of our party.
I leap toward her, jumping over the heads of the masses.
Without a thought to soften the impact, I land with a thud, stirring up a cloud of dust.
All eyes are on me.
Hey, isn't it a bit too loud for this time of night?
"And who are you?"
It felt like the perfect moment to steal someone else's limelight.
Sorry, Alex.
If you come to me claiming to be a fan later on, I'll gift you a nice shield.
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