Chapter 4

When they returned to Hadas Town, it was already noon the next day.

To soothe Cecilia's mood, Shawn indeed kept his promise and boiled a large bucket of hot water for her, allowing her to have a comfortable bath. Of course, all the household chores for the day were also taken care of by Shawn alone, which could be considered a form of appeasement in a way.

Lunch was also handled by Shawn.

It was only at such times that Shawn would feel how foolish it was to choose blacksmithing as his life profession in the game. Up until now, his blacksmithing skills had never been of any use, and instead, because he had been eating meat almost every day, he had started to feel a bit tired of it. He suddenly missed all the various delicious dishes he used to enjoy, both in and out of the game.

"How is it stew again?" Cecilia, who had just finished her bath, came out and saw the iron pot on the table, her little face wrinkled.

"Because it's convenient and cheap," Shawn blushed slightly, though the stew was simple and inexpensive, he wasn't really unable to afford better ingredients. However, after wasting a lot of money on a few attempts, Shawn decided not to do this anymore. "You're done with your bath? Come and eat then."

As he spoke, Shawn placed the remaining bread and vegetables on the table and glanced back at Cecilia.

But this glance made Shawn's face show a hint of surprise.

Because of the hot weather, Cecilia, who had just finished her bath, was only wearing a thin dress. She tilted her head and was drying her wet hair with a towel. This simple action exuded a noble aura, completely unlike a girl of twelve or thirteen. This kind of aura was clearly only possessed by those who had received excellent family education.

However, it couldn't be denied that although Cecilia was still very young, if you only looked at her figure and appearance, she seemed like a girl still in the development stage. And from the information currently available, this girl's future achievements would undoubtedly be astonishing.

Seemingly sensing Shawn's gaze, Cecilia suddenly straightened her body, looking quite pleased with herself, which made Shawn chuckle helplessly, "You're still a little thing. Try this move a few years later."

Cecilia pouted and huffed, like a proud little hen, and ran to her seat, waiting for the meal to start.

This was a very simple lunch, but Shawn and Cecilia both enjoyed it very much. Although Cecilia did complain a bit at first, once the food was on the table, she still ate it with gratitude and without any waste, which was what Shawn valued the most. He knew very well that Cecilia's background was not simple. Regardless of her magical talent, her manners, actions, aura, and speech were not those of an ordinary person. Yet, she could still choose to endure hardship, which was truly remarkable.

After lunch, the household chores that should have been done by Cecilia were, unusually, taken over by Shawn. Cecilia, on the other hand, continued to read her magic book.

In the game, it wasn't difficult for a magic apprentice to become a third-tier mage. As long as they met the requirements and completed the task, they could advance. However, in this real world, it was not easy for a magic apprentice to become a formal mage. Besides needing sufficient insight and magical talent, they also needed the guidance of a mage, and even then, there was only a fifty percent chance of success.

Cecilia had good talent and insight, but the problem was that she didn't have a mage as a mentor, which made her path to success more difficult. However, fortunately, Cecilia had told Shawn that the magic book in her hands was written by her teacher. As long as she studied it diligently, becoming a high mage would not be a problem.

And a high mage was a fifth-tier profession in "Miracle."

Of course, for Cecilia to achieve this through self-study without a mentor, she would need to put in much more effort.

It seemed to be a very peaceful and ordinary day.

If it weren't for the knocking on the door.

Shawn looked curiously at the door. Cecilia clearly had no intention of getting up to open it, so Shawn had no choice but to go and open it.

Standing outside was a slightly plump man and a robust middle-aged man.

"Mr. Shawn, you've finally appeared!" The plump man warmly shook Shawn's hand, his face full of excitement. "We've been looking for you for several days. You were never at home, which worried us a lot."

"Mr. Harvey, you're too kind." Shawn was a bit taken aback but still politely invited the plump man and the middle-aged man into the house, not forgetting to ask Cecilia to serve them tea.

"Adorable little girl, how have you been?" Harvey smiled and greeted Cecilia, but she gave him a cold look.

However, Harvey seemed to be used to Cecilia's coldness and didn't say anything more, maintaining his smile. On the contrary, the middle-aged man's face showed a hint of displeasure, especially when he looked at Shawn, his eyes filled with disdain and hostility.

But Shawn remained very calm about the middle-aged man's expression. Or rather, he had become accustomed to it, as he had long anticipated such a reaction—indeed, since he became a mercenary, he had become used to such attitudes.

[Mercenary (First-tier Profession): This is a diverse profession that rarely gives a good impression. Basically, anyone with any weapon can call themselves a mercenary, and in a sense, it can be considered a versatile existence. However, in many regions, mercenaries are often equated with bandits and robbers. If you are suddenly arrested by the guards while traveling, don't be surprised, as it is likely a region that dislikes mercenaries.]

[Profession Reward—Weapon Insight: Due to your long-term wandering, you have come to understand the importance of weapons. In many situations, you are forced to use unfamiliar weapons, and over time, you have developed unique insights into their usage (automatically gain the "Mastery" effect when using any weapon); Wandering Life: After countless brushes with death, your achievements are truly astonishing, proving that true strength comes from constant trials (Strength +2, Strength Limit +4, Endurance +2, Endurance Limit +5, Agility +1, Agility Limit +4, Wisdom Limit +3, Willpower Limit +4)]

[Profession Penalty—Hostility: Due to the special nature of the mercenary profession, you will often encounter unexplained hostility in many places (all expenses increase by 30% in regions where your reputation is below friendly).]

The diverse professions are one of the highlights of "Miracle," but these are only for higher-tier professions. According to the game's original settings, players could only choose from three first-tier professions: Mercenary, Apprentice, and Priest. Although professions did not restrict players' growth paths, choosing an Apprentice or Priest could still allow them to become melee-type professions at the second and third tiers, as many higher-tier professions could cover different lower-tier professions. The only differences were the profession rewards and penalties.

However, it was clear that these characteristics were also retained in the Miracle Continent, and even more profound and far-reaching effects had been added.

Therefore, Shawn, who valued the "Weapon Insight" reward unique to mercenaries, naturally had to endure the negative impact of the "Hostility" penalty.

"Mr. Harvey, you're usually a very busy man," Shawn said with a smile, ignoring the middle-aged man's expression. "Is there a commission you want to introduce to me?"

"You're right on the mark," Harvey nodded, not denying it. "This commission is indeed one that only you can take."

"Oh?" Shawn's interest was piqued by Harvey's words.

Shawn knew very well that the fat man in front of him, Harvey, was not someone to be underestimated.

Merchants are an indispensable profession in any world, and on the Miracle Continent, they are even more important. Many things can only be circulated through the promotion and transportation by merchants. Thus, merchant guilds were born out of necessity. Some guilds have strong national characteristics, while others maintain a high degree of neutrality and independence.

"Polar Silver" is a large merchant guild with a strong degree of independence. Their commercial activities cover six kingdoms, including the Serian Kingdom, making them one of the more well-known guilds in the northern part of the Miracle Continent. However, as a large guild, the president of Polar Silver cannot handle everything personally, so the guild is divided into different ranks, including stewards and merchants.

Harvey is the merchant in charge of the trade route from the Sivir region to the Seanchi region in the Serian Kingdom. As the merchant in charge of a trade route, Harvey has a private guard team composed entirely of third-tier professionals, and the funds he can mobilize are even more than those of an ordinary viscount. Even Viscount Damien needs his help in many areas.

While he may not have overwhelming power, he certainly has the authority to act as he pleases in the Sivir region.

So how could Shawn not be surprised that such a person would come to him for help?

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Thank you all for your support! I'm back, and I'm starting to ask for votes! Even if you want to fatten the book before killing it, please give me your recommendation votes to encourage me. A new year, a new beginning, I bring you a story about Shawn.