At the same time, Regg's opinion of Matthew grew even more positive.
With such an instructor, the character of the student he taught was naturally trustworthy—this composure and sense of responsibility, passed down through the instructor's personal example and teachings, was far more reassuring than any rumors.
After traveling together and observing him over the past few days, Regg had gained a general understanding of Matthew's background and the villagers' opinions of him, which were nothing but praise.
His desire to recruit Matthew under his banner became increasingly clear and strong as well.
Coming back to his senses, Regg spoke with a sincere tone, “You don't have to worry about the village. I have already given Delank thirty gold coins, which is enough to help everyone get through their immediate difficulties. If they need more help in the future, I will do my best to look after them.”
He paused slightly, looking at Matthew with a sincere gaze:
“Although this amount of money isn't much, it should be enough for the villagers to safely get through this transitional period. I only hope to ease some of your worries so that you don't have to be too distracted by your hometown's situation.”
Hearing this, Matthew felt a slight stir in his heart.
Thirty gold coins—for the relocation of such a remote village, this was by no means a small sum.
Although he did not know the exact cost of living, he could imagine that this money was enough to allow the villagers to easily handle the current migration and transition.
Details revealed the larger picture.
Regg's willingness to proactively offer such a sum of money, regardless of whether he had other calculations behind it, at least showed that he was not stingy when it came to getting things done and knew how to empathize with others' difficulties.
Matthew couldn't help but think that traveling to the county seat with such a person meant that even if they encountered any expenses or needed to grease some palms along the way, they probably wouldn't end up tight on cash or plotting against each other.
‘Not bad...’
With these thoughts in mind, his expression remained calm as he nodded to Regg:
“Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Regg. With the village's matters arranged like this, I can put my mind at ease as well.”
“You're welcome. Have you thought about the reward?”
Matthew pondered for a moment and then said frankly:
“I have. I need medicinal herbs that assist in energy absorption, especially for processing magical beast crystal cores.”
This was not a spontaneous decision; he had already learned about the rarity of such herbs during his earlier conversation with Instructor Calm.
These kinds of medicinal herbs were practically nonexistent in borderlands like Anda Town and could only be found in large cities where resources gathered, such as the county seat.
Therefore, this reward was far more valuable to Matthew than simple money.
After hearing this, Regg nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation.
“Sure, that won't be too difficult. I'll be relying heavily on you for our safety on this journey.”
Seeing how readily Regg agreed, Matthew sighed inwardly, ‘I still underestimated the financial power of the great nobility.’
But since the deal was struck, it was not convenient for him to go back on his word, so he simply replied:
“That's only natural. When do we set off?”
Regg said:
“I have already arranged for Porter and the others to head to the town to prepare the supplies needed for the journey. Once you finish handling the village's affairs, we can set off.”
Matthew nodded calmly, his gaze shifting to the winding river not far away and the newly settled crowd along the river beach.
“Since we've decided, let's not delay any further.”
He withdrew his gaze and said in a steady tone, “I'll go exchange a few words with the instructor and the villagers. We can set off before noon.”
A hint of appreciation flashed through Regg's eyes, and he replied, “Alright, I will also make some preparations on my end. We depart at noon.”
Matthew said no more, turning around and walking in the direction of Instructor Calm and Uncle Delank.
...
As noon approached, the spring sun was warm and gentle.
A group of four rode on horseback, traveling along the dirt road leading to Anda Town.
The sunlight stretched the shadows of the riders and their horses long, and the early spring breeze swept across the wilderness, bringing the scent of green grass and soil.
Regg was in a good mood. He turned his head to look at Matthew, his gaze finally landing on the nervous-looking young man beside him.
Seeing Young Master Regg looking at him, Aidan put on an awkward smile.
With a trace of teasing amusement in his eyes, Regg smiled and spoke in a relaxed yet pointed tone:
“This friend beside you—I don't have to pay an extra reward for him, do I?”
Matthew caught the tease in his words, smiled, and introduced him:
“This is Aidan. His combat strength is reliable, and he is highly experienced. Traveling with me, he won't drag the team down.”
Hearing this, a look of understanding and satisfaction flashed across Regg's eyes.
He nodded and didn't ask further, only smiling. “That's good. On this road, having one more person means one more person to watch our backs.”
Matthew said no more. As for Aidan tagging along, it was originally Instructor Calm's suggestion.
Matthew had weighed the options briefly and agreed—when traveling in the wilderness, having someone he knew inside out, who shared a tacit understanding and was loyal to him, was naturally a good thing.
As for the possibility of him causing trouble? That was even more impossible.
Although Aidan had not officially entered the ranks of Class holders, he had already touched the edge of the extraordinary. His skills, tempered through real combat, were far beyond what ordinary adventurers could compare to.
A moment later.
The group arrived outside Anda Town.
Porter and Zachary were already waiting at the town entrance ahead of time. Beside them parked two sturdy and spacious carriages, and several people dressed as adventurers—five in total—stood near the shafts.
Seeing Regg approach, Porter stepped forward and introduced them, “Young Master Regg, these five are adventurers I recruited on short notice. They all have decent wilderness experience and can assist with escorting and miscellaneous tasks.”
He pointed to the carriages and added, “The one in the back is loaded with dry rations, drinking water, and essential supplies. The first one is prepared for you, lined with soft cushions to make the ride steadier.”
Seeing this, a hint of approval flashed through Regg's eyes—Porter was not only efficient in his work, but also knew how to anticipate needs, which raised his evaluation of this socially adept Silver Rank expert even higher.
As for why they hadn't recruited more Class holders, Regg didn't mind.
Before coming here, he had already thoroughly mastered the intelligence of the surrounding three towns. There were very few Class holders in Anda Town to begin with, so being able to hastily gather such a team now was already quite decent.
Matthew listened from the side and nodded slightly. Such thorough preparations would indeed save them from many worries on the upcoming long journey.
His gaze swept across the adventurers, pausing slightly on a familiar face—it was Sierra.
The female archer who had adventured with him in the Shadow Forest, and also someone who knew about Brody...
Sierra had also spotted Matthew. A trace of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she then nodded to him gently as a greeting.
Neither of them said anything more, remaining quietly in the ranks.
Seeing this, Porter said to everyone:
“Since everyone is here, let's prepare to set off. I hope everyone looks out for one another along the way.”
...
Rate on N.U.
