Reke

Matthew’s gaze swept across the quest boards, where the clearly labeled and varied commission sheets were posted. He was quickly evaluating the risks and potential rewards of each task.

Compared to the simple hunting or escort commissions he had seen in Anda Town, the content here was clearly more complex and diverse. It better suited his current needs for acquiring resources, gathering intelligence, and honing his combat experience.

He focused intently, not even paying attention to the movement around him. Just then, a voice that was deliberately made to sound hearty came from his side.

“Hey, friend, is this your first time at the inner city guild?”

Matthew turned his head at the sound and saw a tall man in his early thirties approaching with a smile. The man wore a set of semi-worn leather armor and carried a short sword with a thick blade at his waist. Although he wore a bold smile, his eyes betrayed the shrewdness of someone accustomed to sizing people up and calculating.

Most noticeable was the badge on his chest, which reflected a cold metallic glint under the guild’s lights.

Matthew’s pupils constricted—the cold glint reflecting off the metal surface made his heart skip a beat.

Looking closer, he realized it was just a piece of bright brass. Only then did his tensed nerves quietly relax.

He felt a hint of self-ridicule at his momentary alertness, yet he knew that staying vigilant in a strange place was never a bad thing.

After returning to his senses, Matthew did not directly confirm or deny the man’s judgment. Instead, he followed the lead and asked casually, “How did you know it was my first time here?”

His expression was frank and his posture relaxed. He wasn’t nervous about being addressed, nor did he show any contempt because the man was only at the Brass Rank.

This naturalness came from a clear understanding of his own strength. With his current combat power and experience, which were comparable to the Silver Rank, he truly had no need to be overly guarded against a strange Brass Rank Class holder.

Reke saw that Matthew was calm, showing none of the nervousness or sycophancy typical of a newcomer before a strange powerhouse. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

However, he quickly hid it and proactively extended his hand, his smile becoming even warmer. “I’m Reke, the captain of the Greystone Squad.”

“As for how I could tell...” He jerked his chin toward the quest boards.

“You’ve been standing here for a while. The order you’re looking in and the time you spend on each one are different from the veterans who come here often. They mostly head straight for familiar areas or specific types of commissions; they don’t look through everything line by line like you.”

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over Matthew again with a hint of recruitment in his tone.

“And looking at your air, there’s a steadiness to you... how should I put it? You don’t look like someone who’s spent much time in those disorganized outer city squads. How about it? Interested in taking on a quest together? Our squad is short an expert.”

Matthew understood after hearing this. The man had indeed observed him carefully.

He had indeed been systematically learning about the quest structures and difficulty distributions of the inner city guild, which differed from the behavioral patterns of veterans who had fixed preferences or channels.

As for the so-called “air,” it was likely just a common sales pitch used to close the distance and create a sense of belonging.

He met Reke’s seemingly honest gaze calmly, his mind not swaying in the slightest. A squad led by a Brass Rank that needed to recruit strangers in public likely didn’t have access to quests with the level of difficulty or rewards he expected.

Furthermore, the man’s background was unknown. Hurriedly cooperating might only increase constraints and risks.

With these thoughts, he shifted his gaze toward the people standing behind Reke—there were three others.

One was a middle-aged man of average build. Another was a lean youth carrying a longbow, his eyes sharp and his knuckles covered in thin calluses from years of drawing a bow.

Not far from those two was a young-looking, naive boy who was looking around the guild hall with wide, curious eyes, appearing both a bit restless and excited.

Matthew judged that this four-man squad shouldn’t be short on hands. Besides, if there really were a good opportunity, they wouldn’t proactively seek out a newcomer like him.

A strange thought occurred to him. He glanced at the youth, a trace of unnoticeable sympathy flashing in his eyes, but he had no intention of interfering.

“Thanks for the offer,” Matthew said in a flat but clear tone. “I’m just familiarizing myself with the environment for now. I don’t have any plans to join a team.”

Reke’s smile didn’t fade. Instead, he stepped half a pace closer and lowered his voice. “Don’t be so quick to refuse. There’s a gathering quest in the guild recently with a good payout. The target is Moonlight Moss, which can only be gathered in the Silver Pine Forest on the night of a full moon.”

“The journey isn’t far, but acting at night always requires a few more people to look out for each other. We already have four in our squad. With you, it’ll be just right. The reward will be distributed by contribution—it’s absolutely fair.”

He patted Matthew’s shoulder with a “I’ve got a good feeling about you” expression. “How about it? Let’s do a job together and make a friend while we’re at it. In the inner city, it’s never a bad thing to know more people.”

Matthew’s gaze calmly swept over Reke’s seemingly honest face, then over the brawny man lifting stone weights, the archer silently wiping his bowstring, and the youth whose face was written all over with “newness.”

He felt no ripples in his heart. Such a squad and such a quest were meaningless to him in every aspect.

“No need.” Matthew withdrew his gaze, his tone distant but unquestionable. “I have things to do.”

After saying that, he gave Reke a slight nod and turned toward the reception windows deep within the guild, giving the man no further chance to persuade him.

Reke stood there, watching Matthew’s retreating back. The hearty smile on his face slowly vanished, replaced by a trace of unnoticeable gloom in his eyes.

He muttered under his breath, “Tsk. He doesn’t look that old, but he’s a kid who’s cautious to a fault...”

That said, he only stood there for a moment longer. His gaze wandered through the guild hall, but he ultimately didn’t chase after him. He didn’t dare to do anything out of line in the strictly regulated adventurer guild hall.

Soon, he also turned around and walked back toward his team members.

...

...