Chapter 32 Mercenary Commission
Early the next morning, William was already fully armed, standing at the entrance of the Mercenary Guild.
Having introspected his inner desires yesterday, William felt a firmer resolve within himself. Perhaps this was his own inner conviction? William chuckled self-deprecatingly, but his determination remained unshaken in his eyes.
The Mercenary Guild's hall was bustling in the morning. Few people remained seated, chatting and drinking to pass the time. Most were gathered around the commission board, discussing with their teammates which tasks to undertake.
Surveying the surroundings, William noticed that Nichole and the others hadn't arrived yet. Perhaps he should go to their villa first.
But then again, maybe he should wait a bit longer.
He might have been a bit impatient; after all, he had arrived earlier than necessary.
Finding a place to sit near the guild entrance, William began to construct magical models in his mind. His recent progress in arcane research hadn't been significant, as much of his energy had been devoted to martial training.
Since he had acquired the specialization "Mastery of Arms," and had familiarized himself with various weapons during his battles with Nichole, he realized he needed to focus on arcane research.
After all, arcane arts were the foundation of his identity!
As William contemplated how to make a breakthrough in defensive arcane magic, he felt a tap on his back.
"William, what are you daydreaming about? I called your name several times," Elena's clear voice rang in William's ears.
"Oh, I was just lost in thought. Didn't notice," William replied, turning around to see the fully armed quartet standing behind him.
Nichole was clad in a set of dark red leather armor, its faint glow indicating it was a valuable enchanted item. She carried a black longsword in a scabbard on her back, looking lively and cute.
Jason, on the other hand, wore a white full-body suit of armor and wielded a silver spear emitting a cold gleam. Handsome as he was, he seemed a bit showy.
Lumbro, in contrast, donned a complete set of pure black dwarven guardian armor, much heavier than Jason's, yet he carried it effortlessly, even casually resting a hammer almost his own height on his shoulder.
Elena was dressed in a standard ranger attire, her slender figure complementing her beautiful face. Mercenaries around couldn't help but turn their heads to gaze at her. Even William's eyes lingered on the fair skin between Elena's shorts and boots.
"Let's go. We'll register William into our adventuring party first and then see what commissions are available," Jason beckoned to William, and they all headed to the registration desk together.
Coincidentally, it was Lyla sitting behind the counter.
Seeing Nichole and her group approach, Lyla greeted them proactively, "Ah, it's the esteemed members of Nichole's adventuring party. Is there anything I can assist you with?"
"This is our new member, William. Help him with the registration," Jason said.
Official personnel information of mercenaries in the guild was registered and documented. Without registration, completed commission tasks couldn't be counted towards an individual's mercenary points, thus hindering their progress in the mercenary rankings.
"Is this... Mr. Moriarty?" Seeing her teammates' strange looks directed at him, William couldn't help but awkwardly cough and say, "That's the pseudonym I've chosen. Let's register under that name."
"Alright," Lyla responded promptly. If Mr. Moriarty was joining Nichole's adventuring party, a top-tier mercenary group, then he must be someone exceptional. She hadn't misjudged him.
Surrounding bystanders, upon learning that Nichole's mercenary group had a new member, couldn't help but curiously gather around William.
Though the name "Nichole's Mercenary Group" didn't sound as imposing as Blood Wolves, Lionhearts, or Falcon's Eye, mercenaries valued strength above all else. Members of Nichole's adventuring party were all of Silver rank or higher, making them truly illustrious among mercenaries.
"Is there any other information you need to update?" Lyla asked.
William pondered for a moment before saying, "Change my profession to Mage."
Previously, William had concealed his profession to focus on learning martial skills without drawing attention. Now that he had obtained the Warrior specialization, there was no need to hide anymore. Moreover, it was even more peculiar for an unaffiliated individual like himself to join Nichole's group.
"Then..." Seeing Lyla's hesitant expression, William didn't say much and simply took out his Emerald Staff from his storage ring.
As magical energy flowed, the gemstone at the staff's tip emitted a verdant magical glow.
Seeing this, Lyla promptly completed the registration. She handed the card to William and said, "Mr. Moriarty, your information has been registered. Please keep your mercenary identity card safe."
Taking the card, William noticed the surrounding mercenaries looking at him, a young and handsome mage, discussing in hushed tones.
"No wonder he could join Lady Nichole's adventuring party. Looks so young. Turns out he's a mage."
"I wish our team could have a mage join us someday."
"He must have Silver-level strength. To become a Silver mage at such a young age is incredible."
"Definitely, didn't you see the large high-level magic gem on his staff? It must be a Gold-tier equipment. If he's not a Silver mage, could he be a Bronze one? If so, I'll swallow my sword right now!"
"True, but is it possible he's a Gold mage? After all, Lady Nichole, being so young, is already a Gold-ranked warrior. I can't be sure about this handsome young man."
Listening to the surrounding mercenaries' discussions, William's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Being a Bronze mage would indeed be disappointing.
William forcibly resisted the urge to perform sword-swallowing stunts for the onlookers and followed his teammates to the commission board to see what suitable tasks were available.
[Missing Person Commission: Mr. Smith has once again run away from home (with a portrait attached), requiring retrieval (force may be necessary). Reward: 5 gold coins, Duration: Unlimited.]
[Escort Commission: Escort the Mayer caravan to the Duke of Baird's territory to the east, requiring a mercenary group of at least ten. Reward: 100 gold coins, Duration: One month.]
[Extermination Commission: The Hilo Manor outside the city is being invaded by a group of tusker boars, requiring the elimination of all tusker boars on the estate. Reward: 2 gold coins for each tusker boar eliminated, all spoils belong to the hunter, Duration: Unlimited.]
Glancing over a few commissions, William felt a sense of déjà vu.
He had accepted many similar extermination commissions in his past life. Such tasks were lucrative; selling a single boar fetched around 4 gold coins, and with an additional 2 gold coins as a reward for each elimination, it totaled up to 6 gold coins, a considerable reward.
However, there probably wouldn't be many people taking on this task. Apart from experienced hunters using traps for hunting, dealing with tusker boars alone would require a profession level of at least 10, which was equivalent to hunting low-level monsters.