Andrew’s mouth twitched sharply: "Uh... no. I’ve been really busy these past years, so I’ve decided to give myself a little vacation."
"Yes. I... well, anyway, the mission has already failed, and it’ll take some time to make up for it, otherwise it’d be too easy to get exposed. I figured I might as well stay in Lunbak for a while. In the meantime, I can also help some people in need—like you, a broke and down-on-your-luck dragon! I can help you form a mercenary group and make you prosperous."
"Of course it’s true! Do you think a famous Mercenary Corps Commander like me would lie?"
"Definitely not. By the way, what’s your name?"
"Uh... my name is Duru. Yes, Duru. You can call me Mr. Duru."
"I think I heard you call yourself Grand Master Andrew earlier today."
"No, you misheard. It’s Duru. And I’m not a Great Mage either."
"Sorry, I even got your name wrong. I’ll make sure to remember it properly this time. You’re such a famous Mercenary Corps Commander, and I didn’t even know your name—people would laugh at me! Thank you so much, Mr. Duru!"
Christina grabbed Andrew’s hand again, her eyes welling up with tears, scaring Andrew so much that he leaned backward, forced to give an awkward laugh.
After all, no matter how foolish she might be, she’s still a dragon, isn’t she?
Night gradually deepened.
Andrew was assigned to "Little Lynn’s" room, while Christina took four mice to sleep in "Little Jeff’s" room.
You ask why she sleeps with four mice and even prepares rooms for each of them?
Who knows. And don’t you think a dragon leading a mercenary group with four mice is bizarre in itself? With such a "big" bizarre thing at the forefront, the subsequent "small" bizarre things, well... somehow seem less weird. Let’s just ignore it.
That night, Andrew tossed and turned in bed. Perhaps his conscience was uncomfortable, or maybe it was just the "hesitation of a con artist."
The so-called "hesitation of a con artist" is when a swindler prepares a series of airtight lies in advance, weaving a seamless narrative so convincing that even they start to believe it. But when a swindler encounters a truly "naive" person, they often find themselves suddenly... overdoing it.
You think you’ll have to say the third lie before the other person believes you, but they already believe after the first one—or worse, even before you open your mouth. This leaves you unsure whether you should say the next two lines. Say them, and you risk sounding defensive, like you’re over-explaining. Don’t say them, and it feels like something’s missing, and you’re afraid the other person might suspect something later on. It’s a peculiar drumbeat of anxiety you just can’t seem to shake.
After pondering this situation for a good while, Andrew found himself feeling aimless.
"Who am I? Where am I? Why am I deceiving this dumb dragon? What’s the point of tricking someone this stupid?!"
Unable to sleep in the dead of night, Andrew got up and wandered aimlessly around the house, only to discover after some time that the place didn’t even have a toilet... Left with no choice, he reluctantly threw on his coat and headed outside to do his business in the wild.
It must be said—this was quite the experience. Snow was falling, the wind howled, and the cold bit at his backside. Lucky for him, he was a Blood Elf; a human would probably freeze to death in that squatting position, leaving behind a "toilet ice sculpture" for everyone to gawk at the next morning.
Braving the blizzard, he relieved himself while casting Fireball Techniques to stay warm. At one point, he accidentally melted the snow on the branches above, nearly burying himself alive. Afterward, he trudged back through the snowstorm.
For some inexplicable reason, that harrowing bathroom break seemed to clear Andrew’s head.
"She’s lived here for years, and everyone seems to know her. Judging by things, people think rather highly of her. Gray’s influence grows stronger every day—it’s just a matter of time before it reaches here. By then, if I have her vouching for me, no one will ever suspect my identity. Yes, that’s it! With her around, I can start a new life with a fresh identity. Plus, she’s clueless enough not to figure out my secret. Perfect! It’s decided—Mage Andrew no longer exists in this world! From this day forward, I am Mercenary Duru! Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"
"What are you laughing about?"
A sudden voice startled Andrew, making him slap a hand over his mouth and turn around. There stood Christina, groggily leaning against the doorframe in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes with one hand, a mouse perched on her shoulder.
"Yes, you laughed. Loudly."
"Oh... sorry for waking you."
"No, you don’t need to apologize." Christina mumbled sleepily, "You’re a righteous Mercenary Corps Commander. If you’re laughing, it must mean something good happened. I’m happy for you too."
She gave him a sweet smile, revealing a pair of little fangs.
This left Andrew at a total loss for words. He could only force out: "Get some rest. Good night!"
With that, he hurried back to his room, slamming the door shut behind him.
Christina stood there silently, still half-asleep, just staring blankly.
"Squeak, squeak," the mouse on her shoulder chirped, glancing up at her.
"Let’s go to sleep as well. It’s late... and we have to get up early tomorrow to earn money to pay off the debt. Who knows if we can even find a paying job..." she murmured as she turned and shut her door.
"Phew... I might have gotten a little carried away. This won’t do; it could lead to trouble. Dang it, it’s all her fault—too easy to fool, she’s making me drop my guard. I can’t let this happen again! She’s still a dragon, after all," muttered Andrew to himself, wiping away cold sweat as he sulked under his blanket.
Although things weren’t exactly going according to plan, Andrew had nonetheless successfully settled in at Lunbak. Even if he still didn’t know what the place was called... but hey, who cares?
It’s a good start, isn’t it? And a good start is half the battle, they say.
A change of clothes, grow a beard... unless someone from the Silver Moon Knight Order shows up, no one should recognize him, right? Andrew thought.
Lunbak, a quiet border town, lay still under the night sky, with only the sound of wind scraping through the air, carrying flurries of snow. The whole world seemed blanketed in white.
The fortress which Andrew had partially blasted now stood silently amid the snowfall.
"Huh? What did I just step on—AAAH! Who’s the bastard who took a dump right outside my door in the middle of the night?!"
Andrew was jolted awake by the sharp screams of the neighbor lady next door.
Bright and early in the morning, the neighbor’s shrill voice echoed through the entire street, loud enough for likely the whole village to hear.
"Unbelievable! Someone actually went and took a dump outside someone else’s door... Good grief, small-town folks just have no sense of decency! I’ve *never* heard of this happening anywhere else. And in this freezing cold—how deep must their grudge go? Wait... where did I relieve myself last night?"
Andrew opened his eyes, thought about it for a moment, and then quietly pulled the blanket over his head, pretending not to hear a thing.
"Mr. Duru? Mr. Duru? May I come in?" There was a knock at Andrew’s door.
Christina, now dressed in light armor, pushed the door open and entered.
Andrew was still lying groggily on the bed: "What is it...?"
"I’ve taken on a task. I need your guidance—it’s urgent, since I’ve never dealt with anything before."
"You’ve already been to the adventurer guild? You picked up a mission that quickly?"
"No, I didn’t go there. It’s a task given to me by Lady Lida next door."
"Oh, looks like you’re on good terms with people around here. Everyone’s already coming to you for help, huh? So, what’s the task? There’s nothing I can’t handle."
"She wants me to find out who took a dump outside her door last night."
Upon hearing this, Andrew’s expression immediately froze.