Brody, as his father's second son, neither possessed the natural advantage of an eldest son destined to inherit the family estate, nor had he shown any extraordinary talent or capability that would make his father look at him in a different light.
This so-called 'mission' to investigate some disturbance in the Shadow Forest was in a godforsaken place.
To Brody, this was simply an excuse for his father to send him away—a disguised form of banishment, or perhaps a sign that his father felt he was of no real use in the city.
The Shadow Forest... Although Brody had lived a pampered life, he wasn't entirely ignorant of the name.
His family's merchant caravan would occasionally purchase local specialties like 'moonlight grass' from the villages on the edge of the forest, but that was the extent of his knowledge.
He knew that this forest was by no means as peaceful as it appeared on the surface.
Dangers lurked deep within—not just low-level monsters, but more troublesome threats, and there were even rumors of far stranger things.
Even if it was a godforsaken place, the dangers within were not to be underestimated. He had no desire to lose his life over his own carelessness.
Though resentful, Brody also knew that this might be one of his few opportunities to prove himself.
If he could achieve some results here—such as uncovering the true cause of the disturbance—the rewards would be substantial.
‘But the chances are slim,’ he thought.
His gaze swept over the people behind him.
The most reliable among them was undoubtedly Flynn, his guard and servant.
A half-step Silver Rank class holder, Flynn was considered skilled even in the county, and he was more than capable of handling most troubles in a rural place like this.
Though he was getting on in years, his strength was unquestionable.
As for the other four, they were adventurers he had hired with his own funds in Anda Town. Though they hadn't stepped into the extraordinary realm, their advantage lay in their familiarity with the Shadow Forest.
This makeshift team could hardly be called elite, let alone loyal.
“Let's go,” Brody said to Flynn, suppressing his calculations and displeasure. He turned his gaze back to the village not far away. “We should enter the village early. I hope this Calm is as capable as you say.”
...
Meanwhile, on the other side.
The afternoon sun filtered through the windowpane, casting its light into the room. Matthew had just finished a session of deep practice with the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】 and was slowly drawing in his breath.
The thin white qi coiling around him receded into his body like an ebbing tide. The warm core in his abdomen gradually settled as his breathing calmed, leaving him with a strange sensation of being energized yet comfortably fatigued.
Matthew stood up, stretched his limbs, and felt the power surging within him.
He slung his simple travel bag over his shoulder. Inside were some rations, a waterskin, and emergency herbs—all standard supplies for entering the forest.
Then, he headed toward the agreed meeting place.
Before even reaching the village entrance, Matthew spotted figures gathered under the crooked old oak tree from afar.
It wasn't just Calm; five or six other people were gathered there, their attire and bearing completely out of place compared to the villagers.
Matthew softened his steps as he approached. Before he had even fully stepped into the shade of the tree, a slightly impatient voice drifted over on the wind.
“...So, Mr. Calm. As long as you assist us in uncovering the anomalies in the forest as quickly as possible, you certainly won't be disappointed with the reward. Flynn, show him the deposit.”
As Matthew drew closer, he saw the finely dressed young man speaking to Instructor Calm, his tone tinged with a hint of condescension.
Beside Brody, the guard, Flynn, shook his head slightly in his heart.
He knew a Brass Rank adventurer wouldn't submit to mere gold coins, but he was also unwilling to go against his young master's instructions.
Flynn took a step forward, pulled a heavy little leather pouch from his breast, and untied the drawstring. Ten glittering yellow gold coins were revealed inside, gleaming enticingly in the dappled afternoon sunlight.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment at the sight of that golden luster.
The eyes of the four hired adventurers went wide, and their breathing grew heavy.
Brody was very pleased with this reaction, a subtle smirk playing at the corner of his lips.
To him, a retired adventurer in a rural place like this, even if they had once been a Brass Rank, must be quite hard up now that they were living in seclusion. The temptation of gold coins would surely be enough to move him, perhaps even make him deeply grateful.
“Mr. Calm, here are ten gold coins. There will be three times this amount as the final payment once the job is done.”
The two men beside Instructor Calm—Hal and Rayson—had originally just been sizing up these outsiders with curiosity.
But when Flynn untied the leather pouch, revealing the glittering gold coins inside, their eyes instantly bulged.
In a frontier place like Stone Mill Village, a single silver coin was enough for a family of three to live comfortably for a month.
One gold coin was equivalent to a hundred silver coins, and its purchasing power was enough to buy a decent property in Anda Town, or purchase two sturdy oxen.
Thirty gold coins... This was an unimaginable fortune to them. It was enough to open a decent shop in town or buy a large tract of fertile land, completely changing a family's destiny and even benefiting future generations.
Both of their gazes simultaneously turned toward Instructor Calm in front of them.
However.
Instructor Calm merely glanced at the pouch of gold coins. His face remained as calm as still water, without even a trace of surprise or hesitation.
Brody frowned, clearly surprised that Calm didn't agree immediately.
He knew that for hiring a Brass Rank class holder, a deposit of ten-odd gold coins was already a very sincere price.
If it weren't for the fact that the local Brass Rank class holders in Anda Town were either elusive or already belonged to established factions, making them difficult to hire on short notice, he wouldn't have listened to Flynn's tip and made a special trip to this remote village to find this rumored retiree.
At the same time.
Flynn, who had been standing silently slightly behind Brody, sighed in his heart.
When he first entered the village and laid eyes on the middle-aged man standing under the oak tree, he had already made his judgment.
As a half-step Silver Rank class holder who had practiced breathing techniques for a long time, his perception of his peers' aura was extremely sharp.
Although the other party didn't intentionally show off, his breathing was faintly in harmony with the surrounding environment, showing he was clearly no ordinary person. Combined with the location and age, Flynn had immediately concluded that this was Calm.
He had then informed his young master.
But now, watching Brody pull out gold coins and attempt to 'recruit' Calm like an ordinary mercenary, Flynn only felt a headache coming on.
Hiring an ordinary adventurer with cold hard cash would work a hundred percent of the time.
But since Calm preferred to stay in the countryside, he was clearly not someone who pursued wealth.
Although his young master had received a family education since childhood and was not lacking in shrewdness, he was ultimately still shallow in experience and worldly knowledge.
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