Chapter 11

Chapter 2: Crisis is an Opportunity (2)

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"Silver Roar... Silver Roar... Ah, I found it!"

After entering the city, I first looked for the inn the guard captain had introduced me to. As the guard captain said, finding the inn wasn't difficult. All I had to do was follow the neatly paved road from the city gate to the lord's castle and look for the noisiest building.

"Ha-ha-ha!"

Bang! Crash!

"Whoa!"

"Ooooh!"

"Jez fell over!"

"Damn horse-faced bastard! I bet everything on you!"

Bang!

"I don't need to go in to know. This is the inn run by the mercenary guild."

The sound of drunk men's voices came from inside the swinging door, even in the early evening. There were sounds of something being smashed and strange songs being sung with slurred pronunciation.

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[Silver Roar]

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These are the sounds you typically hear where mercenaries gather. The mercenary guild, in simple terms, is an interest group for mercenaries. It operates in various ways to provide convenience and benefits to mercenaries, from small tasks like job referrals and creating mercenary teams and ranks, to larger tasks like mediating conflicts between large mercenary groups and lords, and handling large-scale extermination requests. While large mercenary groups often take jobs directly without the guild, most mercenaries use the guild for its convenience and safety, despite the fees.

Creak-

The professor pushed the swinging door carefully but boldly enough not to draw attention and entered.

"Grh-! How dare he talk to me like that, I-"

"Hey, Tolnar."

"What! I was having a good time!"

Tap tap.

"Over there. That."

"....Ahem."

The atmosphere in the tavern, which had been heated up, suddenly cooled down with the professor's entrance.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud

Squish, thud!

The professor, who had crossed the floor, sat down at a chair in front of the bar, and the noisy atmosphere from before was gone, with only occasional whispers coming from the tables.

'What's going on? Even if I'm a stranger, do they really need to pay this much attention? Mercenaries are known for their thick nerves.'

- takealook: I think it's quite reasonable.

- professor: What is?

- takealook: Look at yourself.

'...Oh no!'

Only then did the professor realize his condition.

His height was a head taller than most people, and his build was so broad that it barely fit between the tables. His doublet and pants were torn to rags, covered in blood and dirt. The wounds he had sustained on his way to Turan had already scabbed over, leaving white scars, and fresh blood was still seeping through the bandages that crossed them. His face, twisted in irritation due to his nervous breakdown, completed the look.

Anyone would think he was a deranged serial killer.

- Jokass: The city gate guards weren't overreacting. If I were them, I'd lock up anyone who looked like this and ask questions later.

- Speed Wagon: Why did you crawl into the guild building looking like that?

- Hungnam Mandu: Hey, they're drawing their swords! Is he a bounty hunter?

'Damn it! I had no choice! I was about to explode if I kept worrying about everything!'

In real life, the professor was known for his meticulous nature.

It was because if he left even a small trace while wandering the wasteland, the psycho gangs would somehow find him and come to destroy his shelter.

Anticipating all possible worst-case scenarios and preparing the best moves. That was the first rule of survival in the wasteland.

However, in GG, the moment the professor tried to think about multiple things at once, his mental breakdown would flare up, so he had to focus on one goal at a time.

On the way to Silver Roar, the professor had to mutter "Silver Roar, Silver Roar" like a madman to get there.

The result was that he appeared in a tavern full of mercenaries looking like a criminal.

Swish-

"Looks like you've had your fair share of sword fights. What brings you to our Silver Roar?"

The silence was broken by a fat man who seemed to be the tavern owner, slicing a large steak at the bar.

'Don't panic. Be non-threatening. But don't let them underestimate you.'

The professor spoke in as low a voice as possible.

"To do mercenary work...."

Squish!

Thud!

"Ah! Mercenary work! Of course! I was being stupid. There's no reason for someone to come to an inn run by the mercenary guild for anything else. I don't recognize you.... Are you from another city?"

"A little from Gideon...."

Squish!

"Gideon? Ah, the old name of Molludic Castle! How nostalgic! It's been 20 years since Gideon changed its name after the chaos. Not many people confuse the names anymore, but if you were 'someone who was trapped in a place cut off from the outside world for a long time,' it might be different."

"......"

He messed up.

'I answered wrong! I made them more suspicious!'

Swallow.

The atmosphere in the tavern was not just quiet, but as cold as a sharp blade.

"So.... Since you have some free time and said you came to take a job, why don't you show me your mercenary badge? I need to know your level."

There's no way he would have a mercenary badge if he came here to register.

"....I lost it."

"Lost it.... I see...."

Shh! Shh!

"Ami!"

"Yes, Master!"

The fat tavern owner, who was sharpening his knife on a whetstone, smiled warmly at the waitress who was frozen in a corner.

"Take this steak across the street to Sherry of the Lazzaris Trading Company."

"Um, you want me to deliver food?"

"Yes. Tell her it's a thank you for the good deal on the wolf teeth last time. Take Cindy with you."

"Both of us?"

"Yes, both of you. If you have time, play a bit outside. It should be over in about 30 minutes."

"Yes, Master!"

Tap tap!

The waitress, sensing something from the owner's words, grabbed the hand of another waitress and hurried out of the tavern.

Once the two waitresses were out, the tavern owner smiled even more warmly and said,

"So, what's your name again?"

"Professor."

"Hmm. Professor. That's strange. I thought I remembered most names."

"What... name?"

The professor sat calmly, but inside, he was sweating profusely.

'What do I do? They're clearly suspicious! Even a fool would know the owner sent the waitresses away! They're planning to attack me! Here! Right now! They're going to beat me up!'

Crack!

The tavern owner stabbed the sharp knife into the table.

"Of course, someone who lives by the sword but doesn't have a mercenary badge, wears tattered clothes, and has to hide among similar-looking mercenaries without proper treatment.

Society has agreed to call such people c.r.i.m.i.n.a.l.s.

As the master of the mercenary guild, I should know the names of all the criminals who have escaped around the city, right?"

Rattle!

Clank!

As the tavern owner finished speaking, the sound of chairs being dragged and metal clanging began from the back tables.

'Damn! ID! Is there any kind of ID?'

"Since you don't seem like an ordinary person, I don't think anyone will complain if we all attack you. Besides, it's meaningless to demand justice from a criminal."

'Noble family! What about a family crest! Anything, anything....! Status window! Inventory!'

The professor, grasping at straws, opened the status window, even though he knew it was empty.

Ding-!

[Item: / ㅁ / - / - / - /]

'What? There's something!'

The inventory, which should have been empty after using all four bandages, had something occupying one slot.

[Item - Guard Captain's Introduction: A handwritten introduction from Enock, the guard captain of Turan's city gate. The front states that the holder is vouched for by Enock, and the back has a hastily scribbled "Stay strong! Young man!"]

'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

- Hungnam Mandu: Wow, that?

- Ganjang Gayba: Brother!!!!

- NoruDrug: Did you see that! This is 'The Power of Love'! Look at the warm romance between two men!

- Ganjang Gayba: I pity you for not knowing the beauty of love!

'Could it be... before I left?'

[Tap tap, have a good trip!]

The hand tapping his shoulder seemed unusually busy, but he ignored it, thinking it was just his nervous breakdown. What a surprise! Thank you, Enock! I'll definitely succeed and repay you!

The professor immediately took out the introduction from his inventory and showed it to the master, who was about to slice him with his knife.

"I don't have a mercenary badge, but... I have this."

"Huh, what kind of cheap trick is this-? Oh? Enock?"

The tavern owner, halfway over the bar, snatched the introduction from the professor.

"....This vouches for the person by the name of Enock. The seal is correct. The handwriting is...."

"Is that enough?"

"What's going on here?"

"He's not a criminal?"

"I thought he was that notorious serial killer because of his size, bare hands, and bloodstains....