Cain turned to the direction of the call, a man in his mid-twenties with a well-toned body extended his greeting.

“My name is Paul… Saw you register a while ago… We have a spot open in our group.”

Paul was muscular and tall, almost 30 centimeters taller than Cain. He talked with a stone face and rigid tone. He wore a higher than average quality metal breastplate. It had signs that it experienced combat but well kept. Paul’s towering stature made Cain want to step back. He didn’t like other people invading his personal space, which was 1 meter around him.

“Uh-huh… so?” Cain replied, changing his posture to be more defensive.

“…You, join,” Paul said with a firm tone.

While Cain’s brain was working in overdrive how to best respond to this out of nowhere threat, someone intervened.

“Aaaand stop. Better not make it more complicated,” a woman about 21 to 23 years old placed herself between Cain and Paul. “Sorry about that, he’s a bit awkward when speaking to new people. I hope he’ll get better by conversing a lot so I sent him to you first. He meant no harm so don’t take it the wrong way, okay?”

“…If you say so,” Cain replied.

“We have a proposition, are you willing to hear us out? I’ll treat you to a warm meal for your time. You look like you went through Hell.”

“Wilderness, not Hell. I have no plan of visiting Hell… at least not until I’m a hundred years old. But if you’re offering free food, lead the way.”

“Good, right this way,” chuckled the woman at his not joke.

The woman’s shoulder-length red hair fluttered as she led him to a table in the guild’s eating area. Cain already had an idea about what she wanted and followed her. The awkward man named Paul silently followed Cain from the back. There were two other people at the table, a boy and a girl about his own age.

“Waiter, one of today’s special please. Oh, and a serving of chapuri,” she called a waiter while taking her seat. “Please sit down,” she offered Cain.

“While we’re waiting for your food, let me introduce myself. I’m Lena. This one is Oliver and the girl is Irene.”

The young woman named Lena seemed to be the leader of the group. Oliver was looking toward Cain with smiles while Irene was eyeing him judgingly. Lastly, Paul the muscular took his seat silently beside Cain. The table had four mugs of drink, the group must have been in the middle of a discussion before inviting Cain to their table.

“Cain,” he said curtly.

“So, long story short, we want you to join our group for two or three quests in the coming days,” Lena said.

“Thought so… but why me?”

“Oh, it’s nothing complicated. We need quick cash so we band up to tackle a quest with higher difficulty. I’ll be frank, this party is just assembled. Paul agreed to help me out but we haven’t fought together before, while Oliver and Irene are newbies. Considering the kind of quests available, I figured we need another person.”

“Hm,” Cain hummed, he studied the four.

Lena and Paul were Level 1, Oliver and Irene were Level 0. At least they’re Pathseekers, Cain thought. Other than their Levels, only the older pair had the markings of people who had been tested in the fires of combat.

“If you want a helper, aren’t there a lot of people here who fit the bill?” Cain used his neck to point out the adventurers flocking the quest board.

“They’re Idlers, not Pathseekers. They won’t be able to keep up with us. Well, perhaps they can serve as shields when the time comes,” Oliver answered mockingly.

“Olie! I told you before, you shouldn’t talk like that! Just because you can use Victa doesn’t mean you should think of them as lower!” Lena berated the younger boy.

“Fine, fine, sis Len,” Oliver said, putting his hands on his head, making the catapult pose.

“Please forgive him. He’s young and brash but doesn’t really mean it,” Lena cut in.

You know Oliver, in a more... civilized age. Other people would treat comments like that very negatively, Cain thought. He said the truth though. Idlers wouldn’t be able to keep up.

“One of today’s special and one serving of chapuri coming up!” A waitress brought a tray to the table. On it was a bowl of hot chicken stew and a plate with ten round balls. Although Cain was starving, he didn’t immediately put the food in his mouth out of politeness.

“To answer your question, even if this is just a temporary party I don’t want anyone to die in this group. Safety first,” Lena said firmly. “Therefore Level 0s are the minimum… ”

Yeah, asking ordinary humans with an ordinary sword to fight a magical tiger isn’t exactly an image of safety, he lampooned internally.

“Irene joined us earlier and there’s not a lot of options to begin with. And then you came into the room, a Level 0 who has experience fighting monsters. Perfect timing,” Lena said.

“Wait, what? You have fought monsters before?” Oliver showed his surprise.

“Olie, if you observe more before you speak then you’ll have less trouble in your life… So, what do you say, Cain?”

Paul and Irene didn’t open their mouth, letting Lena do all the talking.

Cain leaned on the back of the chair while thinking. Now then, what should I do about her request… actually, do I have a reason to refuse? This suits my objective just fine.

Lena calmly waited for his answer, a glint of hopefulness in her eyes. Oliver was mumbling something, mainly about how unfair someone his age had already slayed monsters. Paul drank from his mug as if the discussion had nothing to do with him but his eyes were fixed at Cain. All the while, Irene kept her silence and mysteriousness.

“Depends on the quests,” Cain answered not long after.

“Lovely. Please eat first, don’t mind us. We’ll talk again later,” Lena took one of those chapuri things and took a bite. Cain saw the inside of it looked like croquettes. As she offered the snack to the others, Cain ate the stew.

The taste was okay, and too little salt in his opinion. Lena ate a couple of chapuris, Paul and Irene took one each for the sake of politeness, the rest went to Oliver’s stomach. After Cain finished eating, Lena showed him a quest paper.

“I use the liberty of picking our first quest, have a look.”

“…Deliver three eggs of Giant Chicken…” Cain read it aloud. “Basically, monster egg poaching. Obsidian rank?”

“Yep, among the easiest Obsidian though. Giant Chickens kinda hibernate during winter, keeping their eggs warm. We find their lair, me and Paul distracts them or lure them away, you three get the eggs. Simple,” Lena clarified.

I don’t think chickens hibernate in winter, but this is another world so maybe they do. Kinda cruel though, kidnaping baby chicks, eggs or otherwise.

Lena explained further while Cain was thinking. “The area is half a day walk from here. I’ve done my research, the other thing to watch out for are the Tukukus. They’re ice owls that make frostbites with their wings. Alone they’re no big deal, but a whole flock is another story. They are very active in cold weather but I already made preparations to deal with them too. If all goes well, we can get the eggs without fighting at all.”

“Aww, we ain’t gonna fight them?” Oliver disapproved.

“Be silent! Fighting monsters is no joke! Stop dreaming rubbish about dragon hunting. The songs and stories you heard have more lies than truths.”

Cain held back the urge to snort in derision. “What’s the plan?” Cain asked.

“Just to be sure, you’re on board?” Lena said.

“If the plan is sound.”

“Very well,” Lena moved closer and whispered her plan in a small voice.

She must be afraid of other people using her plan if overheard.

“…and that’s it. What do you think?”

Sounds good. If her plan was nonsense I would have refused but as things stand… “Okay, I’m in.” Cain said.

“Great,” Lena nodded. “Use today to prepare whatever you need. We depart tomorrow morning, any objections?”

The other three had no objections but Cain had one. “We should have breakfast together before leaving.”

They didn’t reject Cain’s idea, although Oliver made a snide remark about it. Something about his chubbiness. Lena knocked his head and apologized again for the loudmouth although Cain assured her it was fine. The main reason he was adamant about eating first was a bit silly but it was something uncompromisable.

Take a quest, egg delivery, frost and snow… I refuse to go ‘monster hunting’ without my meal first! A shame there won’t be a round, grandma cat with adorable meows making my Chef’s Choice Platter. I must have my plus 50 health and 50 stamina… should I get a 2 meters long sword from a bald smith?

They agreed to meet up here for breakfast tomorrow. A few rounds of small talk later, Lena gave a simple composition of the party. She and Paul were the frontliners with Paul as the tank and herself as a speed-focused fighter. Oliver had some training but this would be his first quest. Lena said Irene was really good with the bow but she’s lacking in close quarters.

“Don’t worry Irene, making sure enemies don’t get close to you is our job as frontliners!” Lena assured her, Paul and Oliver had the same mind by the look of their face.

That’s true in a party I suppose, Cain calmly drank water from the wooden mug.

Lena asked where Cain would be staying, apparently Irene was staying at Olopo inn as well. Lena, Paul, and Oliver went to a different inn.

“See ya tomorrow kids,” Lena waved her goodbye from across the street, the other two were on her side.

“Mm,” Cain waved back. “If you have other business, you don’t have to guide me. I’m sure I can find the inn myself,” he said to Irene next to him.

“It’s fine. I’m going there too,” Irene replied.

“Then I’ll take your kind offer.”

Irene walked in front while Cain followed. They walked not fast but not leisurely either. There were no conversations between them. Cain was content seeing the sights of the streets and Irene didn’t try to fill the silence. When they arrived at the Olopo inn, the girl led him to the reception before taking her leave.

“This is it. Until tomorrow,” Irene curtly dipped her chin.

“Thanks. Until tomorrow,” Cain returned the courtesy.

Cain checked-in with the sleepy-looking man at the register, picked a single room with a bath service option and paid the fee for a three days stay. Cain took the key and went toward his room. He picked the room on the ground floor so it wasn’t far. Along the way, he saw a boy about eleven carrying a bucket full of water with difficulty to another room. Cain suspected that must be the bath service. He kinda felt sorry for the boy since he wanted a bath himself, which meant more work for him.

It was a simple room with minimal furniture but it was clean. It was more than adequate so Cain felt satisfied. He dropped his baggage with a relieved sigh, removed his traveling cloak, and sat down on a chair.

Not a home sweet home but it will do.

It was around 11 o’clock, the sun was shining bright. The room was pleasantly warm so Cain planned to take a nap but he opted to do some reading first.

Cain closed his eyes and went into a place inside himself called the realm of consciousness. This realm was virtually limitless like a human mind and there were many things inside it. Some were entirely his own, some were mysteriously there without him knowing, some even took residence in one corner of his mind.

The girls seem to be sleeping, better not wake them up.

Cain went to a place where he kept his special ‘collections’.

In front of him was a ball of pale blue flame the size of a volleyball. There was a face on that ball, with eyes closed. It seemingly felt Cain’s presence, both eyes opened and the face’s expression changed to terror.

“Hello Arnold, or Tarakai, how are you today? I’m in the mood for some reading, let me read more of your memory,” Cain smiled brightly. “Let’s see… Where did I leave the bookmark last time?” Cain muttered while rummaging the soul’s mind, ignoring the book’s silent scream.