No one stepped forward to object.
She was clearly just a young girl, yet among this large group of fierce and menacing adventurers, not a single person dared to voice any opposition.
Whenever her gaze swept over them from beneath the hood, every adventurer felt their body grow a little colder.
This might have had something to do with the icy aura the girl was radiating at that moment.
But more importantly, by now every adventurer still active in town knew that the team Kelta had joined contained two powerful mages.
The third-tier demon beasts they themselves viewed as incredibly terrifying had, in recent days, all been turned into bounty money and pocketed by this suddenly rising mage team.
No one was a fool, and neither was Wilfred.
He had barely seen this mysterious mage girl a few times and had no clear idea of her temperament.
If he angered her here and she decided to teach them a lesson—or even kill some of them—the town mayor’s eager attitude toward the group meant she probably wouldn’t face any punishment.
If he had known a few days ago that these two were mages, Wilfred would never have suggested that Kelta join them.
The reputation of mages in the adventurer profession was simply too terrible.
Wilfred recalled the rumors he had heard: high-tier mages using live people to test new spells, or passing mages burning someone to ash just because they didn’t like the way they looked…
They considered themselves superior and often viewed adventurers as some kind of foul-smelling waste.
When in a good mood, they would simply pinch their noses and leave with a frown. When in a bad mood…
The middle-aged adventurer shivered.
Even though Kelta had privately assured him that both mages had good tempers, Wilfred didn’t dare bet his life on whether that was true.
But right now, he had no choice but to be the one to speak up.
This was also why a mere Level 2 adventurer like him could temporarily act as the leader of the group.
Even if it wasn’t by choice.
Still, he was the one most familiar with Kelta.
“Respected mage,” Wilfred said, lowering his head. “May I ask how you intend to arrange us?”
“Mage…”
She seemed momentarily unused to such respectful treatment and paused, but quickly returned to her icy demeanor.
“Yes, I am a mage. You look like the leader of this group? Will you carry out what I say?”
“I can’t guarantee it,” Wilfred said cautiously. “But if the arrangements are reasonable, we naturally won’t resist.”
The person under the cloak stared at him for a while.
Wilfred’s heart rose to his throat. Just as he thought he was about to get hit by a fireball, the mage girl spoke.
“Those two demon bears are to the north of Crim Forest. Split your people into three teams to defend the east, west, and south directions respectively. Ed has already arranged the battle location. We will take you there shortly to have a look. But remember this: do not suddenly rush in while we are fighting, and do not let any demon beast through.”
She spoke a long string of instructions in one breath, paused briefly to catch her breath, then stared at Wilfred again.
“Understood?”
Wilfred nodded as if waking from a trance.
He had been worried that this young-looking girl might give chaotic orders, which would put all the adventurers in serious trouble.
But it seemed the mage named Ed had already arranged everything in advance, and she was simply conveying his instructions.
If that was the case, there was nothing to worry about.
“Then let’s go.”
The short mage girl turned around.
“Ed is already waiting near the demon bears’ nest. You’d better move quickly and not waste any time.”
Wilfred hurriedly called for the adventurers behind him to get moving.
The sight of a large group trailing behind a single small girl looked somewhat comical, but none of those involved felt that way.
Instead, everyone breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
Wilfred walked along the rugged forest path, looking at the young mage silently leading the way ahead.
“Kelta,” he said in a low voice.
“Be honest with me. What exactly is your relationship with them and Sylvia?”
The young adventurer walking beside him was startled and scratched his head.
“Our relationship… should be pretty good. Uncle, don’t be fooled by how serious Miss Bailis looked earlier. She and Mr. Ed are actually very easy to talk to normally. It’s just that recently the two of them… might have had a little disagreement, so she’s speaking a bit coldly. Please don’t take it to heart, Uncle.”
“Easy to talk to…” the middle-aged adventurer repeated.
He shifted his gaze onto the young adventurer’s face, which still showed some youthful innocence but had become much more resolute than before.
“What are your plans after this?” he suddenly asked.
“After this?”
The young adventurer thought the conversation was over and was vigilantly scanning the surrounding bushes.
Wilfred’s voice pulled his attention back.
“After this, I’ll probably stay in town and take quests from the Adventurers’ Guild to earn money,” he said uncertainly.
“I’ve already saved up most of the money that Sylvia’s father demanded. With a bit more effort, I should be able to gather the full amount.”
Wilfred remained silent.
He unconsciously rubbed his fingers together.
The rough fabric of his gloves scraped against each other with faint rustling sounds.
His expression looked hesitant, carrying a struggle that was hard to decipher.
“Uncle, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Kelta asked with some concern.
Perhaps it was this question that made Wilfred finally make up his mind.
“Kelta, come here.”
He beckoned the youth gently, signaling him to come closer.
The scene felt somewhat familiar.
Kelta was dazed for a moment, feeling as if he had returned to the day he first met Mr. Ed and Miss Bailis.
Back then, although the middle-aged adventurer with the forest-like thick beard hadn’t beckoned with his hand, he had used a very subtle gesture to make him lean closer.
After thinking briefly, Kelta whispered something to the girl beside him and moved closer to the middle-aged adventurer.
At the rear of the group, Leo watched the two figures drawing closer at the front and smiled silently.
“Once the trade route opens,” Wilfred said before Kelta could ask, “you should follow the two of them, get on a merchant caravan’s carriage, and leave this place.”
“Leave Loren Town?”
The young adventurer thought he had misheard.
“But I haven’t saved up enough gold coins yet…”
“Money can be earned anywhere,” the middle-aged adventurer told him.
“But opportunities like this come only once.”
“What opportunity?”
Wilfred no longer looked at him.
He gazed deep into the forest, as if seeing through the layers of branches and tree trunks to the mysterious mage youth.
“A… chance to escape this quagmire that is the adventurer life.”