NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Escort Quest (1)
Chapter 10: Escort Quest (1)
With various events unfolding, I graduated from the academy. In this loop, unlike the previous ones, I became an adventurer.
Firstly, I decided to take on an escort quest. While I achieved a D-rank during my student days, to ascend to the higher C-rank, I needed to fulfill several conditions. One of them was clearing an escort quest. Escort quests are usually done in parties, and it’s challenging to solo them. However, a guild staff managed to slot me into a certain caravan’s escort request. Thank you, half-smiling guy at the buyback counter.
“You’re Alexi, right? Nice to meet you.”
The voice came from Dion, the leader of the C-rank party Falcon Blue, with whom I would be doing the escort. He himself is a B-rank adventurer. He took on the quest to escort me, a lower-ranked adventurer, to help raise the party’s rank.
“I’m Dion. I should have come to greet you, but thanks. Nice to meet you.”
I shook hands with a smile. However, Dion’s party members sent disdainful glances my way.
“What, a Pillbug?”
“Just don’t drag us down, okay?”
Scout Edome, healing mage Fabian, and the only female party member, the wizard Gabriel, ignored me entirely. While keeping my smile intact, I followed them towards the caravan waiting at the main gate of the capital.
“Hey, Alexi! You’ve grown!”
Leading the caravan is Mr. Haimo, a merchant from a neighboring country with whom my family has dealings. He is broad, but I’m slightly taller. Yet, as always, he vigorously ruffles my head. Is this a shared function among dads?
As soon as it became clear that I have a good relationship with the client, Edome and Fabian’s attitudes did a 180. “Hey, feel free to ask anything!” or “Leave injuries to me” – they said. Although I’m a recently graduated student, I have the mindset of a Japanese working adult. It’s essential to handle these situations with adult-like responses, so I smiled and responded politely. Dion lowered his eyebrows in a wry smile.
The escort involves a three-night, four-day journey to the central city of the neighboring territory. Besides us, two other parties are accompanying the caravan. The caravan consists of six wagons with 10 merchants and servants and 12 adventurers, forming a decent-sized composition. The members of Falcon Blue and I are positioned in the middle. Perhaps because of the awkwardness from the first encounter, the other three members, excluding Dion and me, walked on the opposite side.
“I apologize for our members.”
Dion expressed his regret.
“No need to worry. I understand it’s bothersome to guide a greenhorn like me.”
Guiding subordinates or juniors is always a challenging task, be it in a company or a club. Especially in the adventurer profession where strength is everything, it’s natural for the inexperienced to be scorned. Leading a novice with no experience in a job involving the exchange of lives is undoubtedly troublesome. When I mentioned this, Dion smiled brightly.
“Just as recommended by the Inyass Guild. You’re humble and don’t show off. That’s good.”
After that, he taught me things like the essentials of being an adventurer along the way. Even for high-ranking adventurers, combat, especially harming others, is something you never truly get used to. And when it comes to actual conflict, the first priority is always to protect one’s own life. In many stories, it’s written that one fights with their life on the line, but that’s nothing more than fiction. The opponent resorts to the use of force because they have a chance of winning; one should never think of trying to win against overwhelming odds. While the client may dislike it, if surrendering your belongings is enough to save yourself, you should do so. Since the opponent understands this too, in most cases, they won’t go as far as taking lives.
“However, more than that, the most important thing I want to convey to you is to groom your appearance,” Dion spoke to me with a serious expression.
The adventurer’s profession is often thought to be about honing one’s skills by battling monsters, but in reality—especially in jobs like escort missions—it’s not about defeating threats in combat but rather showcasing your strength to intimidate and prevent conflicts.
“Your equipment is practical and combat-ready, I think. But with just that, you won’t climb to higher ranks,” he explained, and it was an eye-opener. It’s exactly right. Until now, I had only focused on raising my stats and getting stronger. It’s akin to the mentality of a corporate worker who thinks, “If I can do the job well, grooming doesn’t matter.” In the workforce, trust is crucial. Appearance is one aspect of it. Despite various arguments, if it’s not a suit, job interviews won’t succeed, and negotiations won’t go through.
Until now, I never thought about why weapons and armor that don’t seem that strong are sold just based on appearances. It turns out that looking “strong” is a significant part of being an impressive weapon.
“So, decorating with party or clan emblems serves the same purpose, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. You understand it well.”
Enhancing one’s appearance, showcasing strength and achievements. It’s a way of demonstrating that attacking this caravan isn’t worth it. It may not affect monsters, but it serves as the most effective deterrent against thieves.
Moreover, grooming appearance influences job requests.
“In the end, it’s the same people who assign us jobs. Especially wealthy nobles and merchants value appearance and reputation,” Dion explained. I see. In the end, adventurers are also businessmen. Taking another look at my equipment, they’re all practical and unassuming. Since they were chosen by a professional, there’s no problem with usability and attack power. In terms of honing combat skills, these are more than sufficient. However, when I return, it might be a good idea to find something that looks more impressive.
“To be honest, I didn’t plan on teaching you something like this. But you’re a good listener, so I couldn’t help it,” Dion winked at me. Damn, what a handsome guy. So, this is the visual impact of a B-rank adventurer.