Warm sunlight bathed the elf plains, the air carrying a rare summer freshness.
After a night of fierce fighting, Los’s mercenary team had reaped a bountiful harvest. Los, Matt, Gaiton, and Harley were piling up the slain wolf rats, cutting off their tails with knives and collecting them in bags.
As ferocious beasts, wolf rats’ pelts and flesh couldn’t be sold like other prey. Their only value was the chaos they caused, giving mercenaries work. Each wolf rat killed earned two silver coins from the town hall. Since hauling all the carcasses back was impractical, Los’s team cut off the rats’ long, thin tails as proof for the reward.
In one night, Los’s four-person team had taken down forty-eight wolf rats, worth nine gold coins and six silver coins, a fortune in the Gustro continent, where currency was gold, silver, and copper coins, with one hundred copper coins equalling one silver coin, and ten silver coins equalling one gold coin.
This was a substantial haul, a great success for Los’s team. Yet, none of the four showed any excitement, because…
Matt wiped sweat from his brow, straightened up, and glanced at Ye Chui and Debbie nearby. He couldn’t help but curse, “By the Demon Emperor’s arse, how did they manage that!?”
“Demon Emperor’s arse” was a colourful curse with thousands of years of history on the Gustro continent.
Los also stood up, looking over with a complex expression. She had planned to look after these two newcomers to win their friendship. Now, she could only scoff.
Not far off, beside the small pond, a pile of wolf rat corpses lay stacked. Ye Chui, with a disgusted expression, was methodically cutting off their tails with a knife, tossing them into a cloth bag.
Debbie sat cross-legged nearby, grinning mischievously, her hands massaging Lululu, who lay on her lap. The poor creature was utterly exhausted from the night, looking at Debbie with an expression of “no will to live,” his fluffy, chubby body seemingly thinner.
Ye Chui’s plan had worked because he knew magical creatures didn’t truly die. He and Debbie had been prepared for Lululu to be killed by the wolf rats, but astonishingly, Lululu had survived the entire night. Ye Chui had to give him credit.
You’ve got a real talent for being bait!
After sending Lululu back to the magical world, Debbie stood up excitedly, her face flushed. “Counted them? How many?”
“Forty-two,” Ye Chui said, lifting the heavy, blood-soaked bag, his expression jubilant. “Eight gold coins’ worth. Not bad at all.”
Los, approaching, froze mid-step. These two rookies had killed forty-two wolf rats in one night, only six fewer than her seasoned team of four. A strange sense of shame welled up in her. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Where were the helpless newbies?
“Miss Los,” Ye Chui called, waving as she turned to leave. “What a thrilling night. So, how do we split these tails?”
“Split them?” Los blinked.
“Yeah, we’re a team, right? Shouldn’t we divide them evenly?” Ye Chui said matter-of-factly, glancing at Debbie, who nodded in agreement.
Los’s slightly tanned, pretty face flushed with embarrassment, a sense of mortification washing over her. She had planned to give them two wolf rats to “look after” them! Two rats, four silver coins, a decent sum for newbies. Now, the thought made her want to crawl into a hole. How could she possibly share their haul?
“Last night, if you and Gaiton hadn’t drawn most of the wolf rats’ attention, our plan wouldn’t have worked,” Ye Chui said earnestly. It was true. Without Los and Gaiton distracting the bulk of the pack, Lululu might have lured all the rats, and Ye Chui and Debbie would’ve been done for.
“No, this is the reward your courage and ingenuity earned. We won’t take any,” Los said firmly, then smiled. “If you feel guilty, treat us to a drink back in town.”
“Exactly. You two made a fortune. I’m gonna milk you for the best beer,” Gaiton, the tall, burly swordsman, said with a booming laugh.
Matt and Harley followed, both clearly eager for Ye Chui’s promised drinks.
Ye Chui and Debbie realised insisting on splitting the haul would be awkward.
Ye Chui laughed. “Alright, I’ll treat you all to plenty back in town!”
…
Back in Stan Town, after Ye Chui and Debbie bathed at their cabin and returned to the mercenary guild feeling refreshed, Los had already submitted the wolf rat tails to the town hall, collecting the rewards. She handed Ye Chui a bag containing eight gold coins and four silver coins.
The clinking coins drew envious looks from other swordsmen and mages, who now regarded Ye Chui and Debbie with growing respect.
Harley had already spread an embellished tale of the night’s events. Several people even approached Ye Chui. “Sorry for mocking you yesterday. Even if you awakened the most useless spellbook ever, it doesn’t change that you’re an outstanding mage.”
“…Thanks,” Ye Chui said, choosing to believe their apologies were sincere.
The mercenary guild hall was spacious, filled with tables and chairs, and a bar in the corner. Mercenaries could drink or eat simple but filling meals while awaiting tasks. True to their word, Ye Chui and Debbie spent two silver coins on a barrel of fine “West Hill Beer,” letting everyone drink heartily.
Though it was still morning, it didn’t dampen the drinking spirit, and the hall’s atmosphere quickly grew lively.
“Haha, since everyone’s so cheerful, I’ll show you my summoning magic,” Debbie, her face flushed from a beer, announced proudly.
Her words drew every eye.
Harley and Matt had once doubted Debbie, thinking her as unreliable as her flat chest, incapable of summoning impressive spirits. Now, their views had changed, and they watched eagerly. Ye Chui was curious too. Was Debbie finally summoning her costly battle spirit?
“Ta-da!”
With a flourish, Debbie used her green summoning key to open a colourful gate, and out popped a clown in a ridiculous costume.
“This is the ultimate party spirit, the Joyful Clown!” Debbie introduced enthusiastically.
The clown began performing all sorts of comical antics.
The guild hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in laughter.
Ye Chui’s mouth twitched.
He recalled Debbie saying she loved adventuring, but her family, worried, had put a bounty on her capture. Now he understood why. He’d do the same in their shoes.
What kind of adventurer summoned such a useless bunch of spirits?!
