Mercenary Systems: The Eternal Life
Chapter 21 Towards the Adventurers Union

"Hey," Bianca looked at me gently. "You can stay one or two more nights here, or until you recover. I don't mind sleeping on the floor that long."

The streets are quieter than they were on Valentine's Day. Just yesterday the celebration ended, but the atmosphere felt much different. I stood in front of the entrance of the inn where Bianca was staying. In front of me, Bianca was standing right at the entrance.

"I can't trouble you any further, Bianca," I said, returning the gaze with a warm smile. It had only been a few days since I was with him, about half a month, but the memories during his time with him especially the experience of sleeping in a room with a woman impregnated unavoidably.

This morning, I found an inn that had empty rooms. After I finished checking the condition of the room, I rented the room for two days, temporarily. The money I have is very thin. Of course, I left it to meet the needs of the stomach.

So, there's no reason for me to stay overnight in Bianca's room.

Even though Bianca insisted on thinking I was sick, it was basically not. I just feel worried about something. Ever since the nightmare I've been having, I've always forgotten to breathe more casually. It feels like there is some kind of college assignment that forgets to be done with deadlines that have been very close or even missed.

"You want to buy how many pirofly crackers, son?"

"I'll buy two, please."

Come to think of it, ever since I came to this world, I haven't once taken a leisurely stroll. Although I have been to many places with Bianca, my attention has been more on her than the surroundings.

Many new things passed from my sight, this made me forget a little of the tense feeling I was feeling.

I had intended to go to the inn, thinking that maybe I needed some alone time in the room to really rest. But my stomach has been rumbling. I haven't had lunch yet. The money is still there, at least I can eat a few more times. After that, maybe I should find a job, which I have absolutely no experience to apply for. It makes me nervous just thinking about it.

Valentine's Day is over, so now I'm going to cover the cost of eating out of my own money.

Just reaching the entrance of the restaurant, I held my breath unconsciously. It is time for most people to have lunch. Inside the room, my eyes quickly looked for an empty table.

"Haha! Our healers are finally up in rank. Congratulations guys!"

"Thank you, Senior Lerd."

"Very good, man! We can finally take on the long-awaited mission."

"But, have any of you got the guidance?"

"I've heard, there's a guy named Garreck who found the doorway to Mount Kimoji. I think he can help us. What do you think?"

I glanced at the group of people, who seemed to be talking about something related to the material gathering mission. From what I heard, one of the young men who was with them had been promoted to a C rank adventurer.

The topic they were talking about was not something that caught my attention, but they gave me an idea.

"It's a broag thigh roast and a glass of your mint-flavored beer, sir."

"ah! Thank you," I gasped a little for daydreaming, thinking about the job I was going to take. The idea was inspired by a group of people whose table was next to the table where I ate, a free job as an adventurer.

At first glance the broag thigh roast looked like a lump of meat that had just finished roasting, not resembling a thigh at all. There were no bones or skin. I tried the first bite, and-

Whoa!

The tender meat was filled with fat that immediately melted in the mouth. It keeps me from eating it. Although the spices and seasonings used only taste a little, the meat itself tastes savory. Eating a grilled serving of broag thighs until it runs out in a short time makes my stomach feel full.

I wanted to eat it all the time, ordered another serving, but my stomach wasn't strong.

A full glass of mint-flavored beer as a dessert, it only runs out by half. Ah, my stomach has been completely full. It makes me lazy to move.

As someone who spent a lot of time in front of a sophisticated electronic screen, of course I felt quite familiar with the job as an adventurer. But, it is not certain whether the job is in accordance with what I think or not. Therefore, I need to make sure it directly.

"Excuse me."

"Yes?"

"That's ... Do you know where the Adventurers' Union is?"

I asked someone who was wearing light armor. I thought he was an adventurer. Maybe he knows something. He was eating snacks by sitting on the side of the road, so I sat there after buying snacks around. While asking that, I also offered her the snacks I bought.

"Hoo ... A visitor from the outside, huh? Quite complicated to say, too," she finished her snacks, before turning to the snacks I had just given her.

Giving directions can not only be conveyed through words. Using his hawker skewers, he began to draw a simple plan on the dirt road. And as he said, the road to the Adventurers Union building is indeed complicated if explained. Because indeed, the distance from here to there is quite far.

I just need to observe the simple plan, no need to bother remembering it because the Map feature copies it perfectly.

It is estimated to take about half an hour on foot to get there. The feature on the Map is not only to copy or map the locations I have visited, but also can provide direct navigation to my vision. It's even more advanced than the modern technology in my previous world.

The direction of the virtual arrow pointed to the right, so I also turned to the right. I'm not walking in a hurry. Days each long, enjoying the atmosphere of the city with a medieval feel is not a bad thing.

I just realized how romantic it was when I imagined my date moments with Bianca. Walking on the streets that were swept by ancient buildings and mingling with people wearing traditional clothes, wasn't it amazing? Too bad, now it's all just a memory. Opportunity didn't come twice, that's a pretty familiar phrase in my ear.

My steps came to a halt as soon as I heard a thud in a narrow alley. I peeked into it. There, there were three men. Two of them conspired, while the other sat on the ground.

"Ah~ I'm not heroic at heart, but ..."

The narrow alley reminds me of my escape days in the Port City of Vorlte. I feel sick, actually reluctant to step back on this garbage-filled land.

"... It is more sickening when there are pitiful people who face a dead end to be able to move forward. I'm lucky because there's a system, while he doesn't. Moreover, he had a small bully who liked to disturb the lives of others."

After all, I was locked up for years in my comfort zone just because I was afraid to start stepping in. There was nothing blocking my path, but I felt so helpless. He was even more formidable as he was able to survive to this point in a much harsher environment. There is no harm if I intervene to help people who have the same fate as me.

Indeed the case is far from resemblance, but I feel the need to open the way for him to start moving forward. He may be afraid to avenge their actions, so I just need to show him that the two people are not as scary as he imagined.

One of them saw me coming. He signaled to his friend that someone was coming behind him.

"Hm? Didn't you see? This little road is busy. It's better to take another path" said the person who had previously turned his back on me. He waved, telling me to leave as he said while looking at me coldly.

I did not stop, but stared at him sharply. Then, I stood in front of him quite close.

"Hey, coward," I said quite slowly.

"What?"

The face of this man who looked the same age as me who was in front of me hardened when he heard the word that came out of my mouth.

"Oh, not just a coward. You're deaf too, apparently."

"What did you say?"

"Geez," I took a step back while looking at him with disdain. "It's only the first time I've ever faced someone whose ears are full of dirt. Or maybe, his ears have been damaged, huh?"

"These bullies ...," his hardened face turned redder. His black eyeballs narrowed slightly, while in the white area the hairs of the blood vessels stiffened. As he walked over to me, he said in a submerged voice, "do you want to die, huh?"