Chương 118: Highly Sought After

Most people were trying every possible connection they had, hoping to pull some strings behind the scenes and secure a spot in the escort unit. Some were even willing to offer generous referral fees just for a chance to join. The competition was fierce. It required not only connections and wealth, but the participants were almost all Silver-Rank adventurers at minimum. Anyone below a Mid-Tier class barely even dared to dream about it.

Under such circumstances, Marcus's team—where every single member had been selected—naturally stood out like a sore thumb. Marcus had only recently advanced into the Mid-Tier rank. Vaelis was also a newly promoted Mid-Tier Ranger. Both had shallow experience, and nobody had heard of them having any special connections within the guild. But what shocked people the most was... That guy named Grey. How could he possibly qualify? He was only a Lower-Tier Warrior!

Of course, nobody was naive enough to believe that the entire team had been chosen purely because of their own strength. That left only one possibility... The only mage in the group! In an instant, every gaze directed toward Zelier—whether open or hidden—became noticeably heated. How could such an excellent teammate willingly stay beside Marcus this whole time? Zelier calmly ignored all of it.

After advancing, his Perception had only increased by two points, but his sensitivity toward his surroundings had still improved. It was enough for him to clearly sense the complicated emotions hidden within those gazes.

"I wonder if you've ever experienced something like this." Grey spoke lazily.

"When you attend a banquet with an exceptionally beautiful female companion, every man in the room naturally ends up focusing their attention on her."

"You've actually attended banquets before? Which noble family had such a low entrance requirement?" Vaelis glanced sideways at Grey.

"The point isn't me. It's the female companion." Grey completely ignored Vaelis's sarcasm.

"They don't just look. They'll even try to steal her away from your side. The moment they get a chance, they'll walk over with a wine glass and ask her to dance."

"Zelier is that dazzling companion right now." Grey elbowed Zelier.

"I'd bet that right now there are at least eight or ten adventurer teams trying to recruit you." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Hey, you're not planning to abandon us one day and run off with someone else, are you?"

"Try making another weird comparison like that and see what happens..." Zelier forced himself to hold back his anger. Marcus sighed and interrupted the meaningless conversation. He walked over to the commission board and scanned through it.

"The commission board is pretty empty today." Vaelis looked up as well and noticed that most of the higher-ranked missions had already been taken. What remained were only scattered minor tasks. The Adventurer Association wasn't guaranteed to have profitable work all year round. When there weren't enough monster-related commissions, adventurers simply had to rest.

"It's fine." Marcus remained calm.

"We weren't expecting to take any lucrative commissions anyway. This time, the main purpose is to let Zelier practice his swordsmanship." The group searched through the available tasks for a while before finally choosing one....... Outskirts of Blackstone Town. Plains. The distant mountains had lost the vibrant green of summer, their colors gradually deepening into autumn shades. A cool autumn breeze brushed across the land. The vast fields of pasture swayed gently like golden waves rolling beneath the sky.

Marcus's team strolled leisurely across the open plains. There were no oppressive forests. No muddy swamps. Only the peaceful atmosphere of harvest season.

"I haven't felt this relaxed during a mission in a long time." Zelier couldn't help but spread his arms and close his eyes, as if trying to embrace the entire autumn breeze.

"Of course. This is only a normal-ranked commission." Vaelis walked beside him.

"If it were a lower-ranked mission, we'd probably already be buried deep inside Ashwood Forest, carefully watching our backs for monster ambushes." A three-story wooden house appeared in their field of vision. Thick logs formed the main structure of the building, while the roof was covered with layers of heavy thatch. A thin trail of smoke drifted lazily from the chimney. In front of the house was a spacious yard.

Golden stacks of wheat piled up like small hills in one corner, while an old wagon loaded with pumpkins and corn rested nearby.

"This should be the place." Marcus pulled out the commission document from his coat and confirmed it once more. The mission was to clear out the wild boars that had been rampaging through Ursa Farm. The group walked up to the wooden house.

"Knock, knock..." Marcus raised his hand and knocked on the sturdy wooden door. Not long after, the door creaked open. A woman with silver-gray strands mixed into her hair appeared at the entrance. Her face carried traces of age, and her expression was weighed down by worry.

"Are you Madame Ursa? We're the adventurer team that accepted the wild boar extermination commission." Marcus showed her his adventurer badge and the commission document.

"Thank the gods, you've finally arrived!" Seeing them, Madame Ursa's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed. She quickly stepped aside and welcomed them inside. The interior was somewhat dim, but everything was kept extremely tidy. Several polished farming tools hung on the walls, along with an old bear hide. The flames inside the fireplace crackled softly. A young man with a slight limp walked out from the inner room. He looked to be in his early twenties, clearly a simple farm boy.

A tray holding several cups of steaming tea rested in his hands.

"Please, have some tea." The young man placed the cups one by one on the table. Zelier glanced at him and noticed that his right leg was wrapped tightly in thick bandages. His movements were clearly restricted.

"Thank you..." Marcus accepted the tea before turning toward Madame Ursa.

"Madame Ursa, could you tell us more about the situation?"

"Those damned beasts... they've ruined the fields we worked so hard to cultivate!" Madame Ursa sighed, the wrinkles on her face deepening.

"A group of wild boars came down from the forest some time ago. No matter how we tried to drive them away, they wouldn't leave. Every day, they charge into our farm and cause trouble."

"Look outside. So much wheat was destroyed before we could even harvest it. If this continues, we won't have enough food to survive the winter." As she spoke, Madame Ursa looked painfully at her son.

"My eldest son went to another town to sell goods some time ago. That left only my poor second son here."

"He tried to drive the wild boars away, but one of them struck him with its tusks and broke his leg. He almost lost his life... That's why we had no choice but to seek help from the Adventurer Association."

"I see..." Zelier nodded slightly. Madame Ursa's second son scratched his head, his face turning red.

"Those wild boars are terrifying. They're huge, and when they charge, it feels like a small mountain is rushing toward you. Even with a pitchfork, I couldn't stop one. It knocked me away instantly."

"Madame Ursa, take us there." Marcus finished his tea and stood up.

"We'll handle this problem." Under Madame Ursa's guidance, the group crossed through the yard and headed toward the back of the farm.