This is how adventurers respond if you ask them about Leeb-An City.
'The city where adventure starts, the city that loves adventures!'
Leeb-An City was a place that stimulated your desire for adventure.
It was fine once you got used to it, but for those visiting for the first time, it was easy to get shocked by this city that had businesses, mercenaries, and other adventure-related areas being so developed.
This was the case for this beginner adventurer named Bob as well.
"Wow."
Now that he was twenty years old, he took his first step as an adventurer.
'Leeb-An City truly is amazing!'
Small cities usually only had one or two inns, however, Leeb-An City had numerous inns in the plaza alone.
The beginner adventurer looked at the clock tower in the central plaza.
2 pm.
He needed to find an inn to spend the night.
Bob, who had been looking forward to his first night in Leeb-An City, looked around before heading toward a place.
'Oh! I like the name of that inn!'
He mumbled the name written on the sign as he headed toward it.
"…Hope and Adventure Loving Inn!"
It also said, 'grand opening,' next to the sign.
He liked the inn name and the fact that it was having a grand opening. For a beginner adventurer like him who was just starting off in Leeb-An City, he thought that it was a very fitting inn to start his journey.
However, Bob had to stop in front of the inn. He could see that the building looked clean and nice.
He thought about his shabby outfit, his old, second-hand bag, as well as the small amount of coins he had in his pocket.
It was at that moment.
"Welcome."
The employee at the entrance greeted him.
The beginner adventurer who had been hesitant felt relieved after seeing the honest expression on the employee's face.
He quietly asked the employee a question.
"This is your grand opening?"
Bob looked toward the honest-looking employee who seemed to be from a mountain village like himself as he waited for a response. The employee, who was indeed from a mountain village, well, mountain bandit group to be correct, realized that he found a prey and started to speak.
'You'll be receiving a glove if you don't memorize it correctly.'
The former mountain bandit recalled Beacrox's glove as he warmly responded back.
"Yes, today is our opening day. We are providing a cup of beer and a plate of smoked chicken for free to all visitors."
"Oh! How wonderful! That's enough for a meal!"
Bob was someone who played along well.
"You are correct. It is our grand opening event for the next week. In addition, we are doing a fifty percent discount for all guests who stay with us this first month."
"Ohhhhhhhh!"
"Finally, unlike other inns, we are providing towels and other toiletries free of charge!"
"Ohhhhhhhh, how amazing!"
Someone interjected as the mountain bandit and Bob's conversation continued.
"Isn't it? This is a great inn."
Bob looked toward the handsome man with short hair who suddenly appeared. Cale gently responded to Bob's gaze that seemed to be asking who he was.
"I am an employee of the inn."
"Ah, I see. I didn't know because you were not wearing a uniform."
"That is not a problem. I couldn't help but interject because I saw a cool adventurer-nim."
A cool adventurer. That description made Bob start to smile widely.
"Hahahaha! Do I seem like that? I am still just a beginner!"
"My goodness. I thought you were a young and talented adventurer-nim, but if you are just a beginner, I can't help but imagine how famous you will be in the future."
Bob's shoulders slowly started to go up.
On the other hand, the mountain bandit could not help but get chills while watching this new side of Cale.
'This person can act like such a friendly employee?!'
Cale reached his hand out to Bob.
Bob grabbed on as it seemed like the obvious thing to do. Cale naturally led Bob inside the inn entrance as he continued to speak.
"I am happy to host a future great adventurer-nim in our inn. I think you will be very famous in the future, can you please tell me your name?"
"Hahahaha! Thank you for the exaggerated compliment. Well, my name is Bob! I will definitely be famous in the future!"
Bob.
That name made Cale think about Toonka, however, he casually handed the adventurer's hand to the employee inside and responded back.
"Mr. Bob, I hope this is the start of an amazing adventure for you."
"Thank you very much."
Bob walked into the inn filled with joy.
He felt as if he had already become an amazing adventurer.
Cale watched Bob, Choi Han, who was helping with the serving on the first floor, and Beacrox, who was dressed as a chef and heading for the kitchen, as he turned around. The mountain bandit gulped after seeing Cale's face instantly turn stoic once he turned around.
Pat. Pat.
Cale patted the employee on the shoulder. The employee stiffened up at Cale's slow patting, however, Cale was actually praising him.
"You're doing well. Keep it up."
Pat. Pat.
The mountain bandit vigorously nodded his head.
Cale was satisfied with this response. He heard Raon's voice in his head.
– We are earning money! M, m, more money! They said you start with a speck of dust but end up with a Dragon's Lair! I'm going to earn enough to fill a Dragon's Lair!
'…Vicious.'
Cale ignored Raon's comments. However, he soon heard an ancient power's voice.
– Hehehe, throwing money around…So happy…So precious…Can't wait to see all that money being thrown around.
The Fire of Destruction seemed to be slowly getting crazier.
Cale feared this cheapskate fiery thunderbolt for a different reason than why he feared Raon. The problem was that he felt the same way.
Money was precious.
Cale looked toward the person approaching him and started to speak.
"Let's go."
"Yes, young master-nim."
His servant Ron followed him with a relaxed smile on his face.
There was somewhere Cale needed to go with Ron on this grand opening day.
"Time to go to City Hall?"
"Yes sir, I will guide you there."
The City Hall was located at the center of Leeb-An City. They needed to go inform the city of their business opening.
The mountain bandit employee next to Cale looked at Cale in confusion and Cale responded back with a smile.
"We are law abiding citizens. We love the law."
The mountain bandit avoided Cale's smile.
'…Scary people!'
None of the mercenaries had come to the inn's grand opening.
The people who would go crazy for free beer were nowhere to be found.
Why?
It was because, 'Arm,' had touched the mercenaries' pride.
Of course, it was not the real Arm but the, 'Real Arm,' but how would they know?
The Leeb-An City's Mercenaries Guild was probably in a state of emergency right now.
'But our boss who caused all of that mess is smiling gently.'
The assassin old man who was their boss's right-hand man seemed even more relaxed.
"Relax and work hard until we come back."
The mountain bandit held back his tears as he responded to Cale's comment.
"I will work like my life depends on it! Please trust me!" ( (PR: Knowing Beacrox, his life might really depend on it…) )
Cale wondered why this guy was acting like this as he headed to City Hall with Ron.
* * *
Cale could see a statue as soon as he arrived in front of City Hall. It was the statue of the current mayor.
"He has about 2-3 months left in his term."
He nodded his head at Ron's comment and observed the face of the mayor depicted on the statue.
The Mercenaries Guild and the Merchant Alliance that controlled the day-time aspects of Leeb-An City took turns placing a new mayor.
Each mayor's term was 4 years long, and an election was coming up soon.
Of course, the mercenaries and merchants had made it so that there was only one candidate up until now.
The current mayor was from the Mercenaries Guild.
"Arm was being even more careful because the mayor is from the Mercenaries Guild."
"But it failed thanks to us."
Ron nodded his head at his puppy young master-nim who answered while smiling.
"Young master-nim."
"Yes."
"You plan on revealing Mostue's cozy relationship with the Mercenaries Guild during this election, right?"
'What a smart old man.'
Cale did not respond.
"Then you should be able to take care of Arm, Mostue, the Mercenaries Guild, and all of the forces dealing with the underworld of Leeb-An City all at once. Am I right, young master-nim?"
Cale didn't respond again, however, Ron knew enough about Cale to know what this silence meant.
However, Ron didn't know everything about Cale just yet. Cale handed the business opening documents to Ron.
"Here."
"Shall I go report it for you?"
They had filled out the documents from the City Hall in advance and had to just go turn it in today.
Ron had naturally taken care of everything and handed it to Cale, who filled in the empty spots.
"Yes. Ron, you need to do it."
"I do?"
"Yeah, and there's a part you need to fill out as well."
Ron watched Cale avoiding his gaze and opened the envelope and took the document out.
< Hope and Adventure Loving Inn >
The inn's name was correct, the address was correct, and even the inn size and number of employees was correct.
However, one thing had changed.
"…Young master-nim."
Ron called out to Cale, but Cale did not respond this time either. However, Ron could not look at the silent Cale.
His gaze was stuck at the box for the inn owner's name.
That box was filled out as well.
< Ron Molan >
Ron's name was listed on there. The other box that was empty was the box to sign that said everything listed was correct. That was what Ron needed to fill out.
Ron recalled what Cale had told him before. It was what Cale had said on the day they arrived at the Eastern continent as Cale pointed to Ron while talking to Mount Leeb's former bandit leader.
'You will be one of the underworld's rulers starting from today onward, and this is the person who will be your boss.'
That was pretty much an order telling Ron to be the ruler of the underworld, and Ron happily accepted as he had not forgotten about his revenge.
Cale was providing the foundation for it to Ron, who had accepted that order.
"It's yours."
Ron responded with a smile that was far from his usual benign smile.
He had returned to the Eastern continent after losing everything. Now he had a place to restart in that place.
Ron Molan. That was a name that even Arm would have forgotten about by now.
'It's not like Arm has nothing better to do than to confirm a small inn owner's name in order to find me.'
His puppy young master-nim probably handed him this document while knowing that that was the case.
Ron folded the document back up and held it in his hand. He then looked toward Cale who was looking at him and started to speak.
"Many of the Leeb-An City residents have issues with the Merchant Alliance and Mercenaries Guild taking turns being the mayor."
Both the residents and the small business owners had issues with this practice.
The Merchant Alliance mainly accepted mid-sized merchant guilds that could do regional trades but did not accept small businesses into the fold.
"I will look for a worthy mayor candidate."
Beating around the bush did not fit Cale or Ron's style. Cale preferred it like this as well.
"You take care of it."
Ron had a bright benign smile on his face.
"…What the…?"
Cale was a bit scared. That extremely bright smile seemed vicious. Ron didn't care as he started to speak to his young master-nim who was still scared of him.
"I will do it properly as your servant, young master-nim."
"….Uh, sure. You can take your time."
Cale turned away from Ron's even thicker smile. Ron gently asked this cute puppy young master of his.
"Will we make our move tonight?"
Ron could see Cale starting to smile. Cale's palms were getting itchy thinking about tonight.
Why?
They were planning on emptying all of the Mostue faction safes tonight.
* * *
Cale could see the six-years-old Dragon that was full of greed once night arrived.
"Human, take it!"
Cale received what Raon was offering him. He then asked Raon in shock.
"Why do we need a potato sack?"
"Money!"
Raon's firm response made Cale flinch.
However, the young Dragon was excited. He seemed very much like the Dragons that like shiny things.
"Human! The spatial pocket bag needs to be big in order to pack away all of the dirty money! I told Beacrox who was acting indifferent to give me this sack so I could put spatial dimension magic on it!"
Cale looked down at the simple potato sack. He was certain that Beacrox got annoyed by the children averaging nine-years-old and handed it to them.
Cale could see the excited children averaging nine-years-old in the corner room on the third floor of the inn.
"Looks like we can get some allowance again today!"
"He said that he will add it all up and give it to us later, but then we won't know how many gold coins it is."
"I'm going to fill my entire piggy bank!"
Raon approached Cale who was nonchalantly holding onto the potato sack and put it tightly in Cale's arms as he continued to speak.
"It is an extremely large spatial dimension! Human, just trust me!"
Cale clenched onto the sack and calmly responded back.
"I trust you."
He really meant it.
The children averaging nine-years-old were great and mighty.
"Hehe."
Raon seemed excited as he spun in circles. He could hear the voice of the Fire of Destruction as well.
– Precious potato sack … Precious bad guys' away...money … Precious, rare, and most beautiful of all, is throwing money away…
The Fire of Destruction was completely crazy. This was Cale's honest belief.
It was at that moment.
"Cale-nim."
"…Choi Han."
Cale received an item from Choi Han as well.
It was the robe with a red star on it, as well as a black mask. Choi Han had taken the initiative to pack the shabby, 'Real Arm,' uniform.
'…Choi Han, you actually enjoy this, don't you?'
That's what Cale wanted to ask, however, Choi Han looked serious. He looked like someone who was ready to move for peace and justice. Cale thought to himself once more that Choi Han really was a good person as he put the robe around himself.
Choi Han opened the third-floor window and started to speak.
"Cale-nim, I will escort you there. We will only charge forward."
Cale was flabbergasted. All of them were too excited to stealthily escape through the inn window. However, Cale confidently responded back.
"Of course, charging forward looks cool."
Cale gave the order.
"We will head to the Mercenaries Guild first."
Arm and the Mercenaries Guild in Leeb-An City would be bitter enemies after tonight.
Those evil bastards who had their feet in the underworld would fight each other. Cale could not help but laugh.
"You are smiling like a villain."
He ignored On's comment.
This unexpected windfall of money was already floating in front of his eyes.