Chapter 84

"Hey, you're back. How was it? Your first trip to the wilderness?"

"It was pretty good. Saw some nice scenery."

"Right, right. That road has a great view, you know."

Garuudo, who was sitting comfortably in a chair at the empty barrel, greeted Thor and the others as they returned to the carriage stop. Glancing at their sand-covered figures, he stroked his bearded cheek and continued talking.

"But it must have been tough. The troublesome sand and wind, plus those pesky assassins."

"You mean the rock lizards? They do kind of sneak up from the shadows, I guess."

"Shieldmen would say it's the worst. You have to be on guard all the time. I wouldn't go even if you begged me."

"Guess that's how it is. There were a lot of them, and it was tiring."

The experienced guide, who had been staring intently at Thor, suddenly lowered his voice and began to reveal the truth.

"Actually, the ones who choose the middle path are usually the cocky ones. They cross the Bloodflow River in no time."

"Is that so?"

"And they get taken down by the sand and lizards, and come back. You were lucky to return in one piece."

It seemed that the reason he had included the dead-end route in the guidance was to teach a lesson. It was a script for newbies who climbed the ranks quickly and chose the shortest route, the eastern path, to learn their limits.

"I see, it was a good experience."

"Haha, don't get too cocky. Coming back in three days is a sign of good judgment, Thor. You're more promising than those who spend four days there."

While the veteran guide spoke, the others at the table didn't seem to think so. They had lost interest and were engrossed in their board game, ignoring Thor and the others.

Thor, not caring about the audience's reaction, smiled slightly and replied.

"So, choosing the middle path first was the right choice. That's a relief."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. If that's the hardest part, the others must be easier, right?"

The crowd at the empty barrel murmured at his matter-of-fact tone. It was common for adventurers who had just climbed the ranks and chosen the eastern route to return exhausted, saying nothing and boarding the carriage.

Garuudo, surprised, raised an eyebrow but nodded in understanding.

"You're right. You've been a veteran for twenty-five years. Your resilience is still the same. Hmm, I should learn from you, as a shieldman."

"Well, I'm tired of that sand. Next time, I'll prepare better before challenging it."

Garuudo, taken aback by Thor's casual response, burst out laughing. After a while, he seemed to remember something and asked.

"By the way, how was Salissa as a guide?"

"She was very helpful. I'd like to request her again next time."

"She's a good person, but a bit hard to approach. I'm glad you liked her. When you report to the Adventurer's Guild, make sure to mention that. If her reputation gets too bad, she might lose her guide license."

"Got it. But I noticed something. Did something happen there? She seemed a bit off."

"It's a dangerous place where people often get hurt or killed. She was probably on edge."

"…It didn't feel like that."

The two men looked at each other for a moment, then Garuudo sighed.

"You can't fool me. Celsa went missing on that path. That's why she's still searching. She's looking for something left behind."

"I see. I asked a tactless question. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have kept it from you."

After saying that, the middle-aged shieldman glanced at the wilderness. Thor also turned to look at the place they had just returned from.

A whirlwind slowly lifted the sand and ran across the desolate land. The only sound was the sad wind. The men watched in silence.

Garuudo, who had seen Thor and the others off as they boarded the carriage and headed back to town, approached his own carriage and knocked on the door. After a while, the sound of a key turning was heard, and he quickly entered.

Sitting on the seat was his step-sister Salissa, who had just finished changing. Garuudo, sitting opposite her, sighed and spoke.

"Another disappointment, huh? You did your best."

"No..."

"I thought maybe they could do it, but if they're back in three days, they must have gotten stuck at the Big Round Rock."

"No..."

"If they're almost unharmed, they didn't fight much. I heard they came here in two months, but this is a letdown."

"No..."

Garuudo, puzzled by Salissa's constant denials, asked.

"Did something happen? Thor seemed to notice your strange behavior."

"Too much happened..."

"Did that guy do something to you!?"

"No, not that. We went beyond the Big Round Rock..."

"You can't be serious. All the way to the Long Rock? With that party?"

"No, even further."

"......You can't be serious?"

"Yes, all the way to the Blue Crown Grass field."

Garuudo, taken aback by her answer, stood up and hit his head hard on the carriage ceiling, creating a dent. But in his excitement, he didn't seem to notice the pain and muttered.

"On their first trip...! What kind of group did they gather?"

"Yes, that kid is abnormal. The other two are also... And for some reason, the water doesn't decrease. No matter how much they use, the water..."

Perhaps because she had seen something too far from the norm, the blue-scaled woman hugged herself and shrank back.

Garuudo, convinced that she wasn't lying, asked a question that suddenly came to mind.

"I see... But didn't they return too early? If they had the time, they could have stayed another day."

"The reason they decided to return...?"

After a pause, Salissa answered weakly.

"They said they couldn't carry any more rock lizard skins."

Garuudo was speechless at her answer.

The number of rock lizards Thor and his group had hunted on this expedition was 121. They brought back 34 skins and 18 Blue Crown Grass flowers. The bounty was two large copper coins per lizard, so they earned 24 silver coins and 2 large copper coins. The skill points they gained were 665 each. Yuril, who only participated in half of the journey, earned 1525 points.