Connor ducked inside a barn, a chicken staring at him with its eyes wide open as if confused about what the human was doing.
"Everything seems in place, keep up the good work, Joshua" A man in a gray and red leather armor with a black robe covering most of it spoke. He had a bald head, large ears with a big build.
"Thank you, warrior!" The old man which Connor now knows as Joshua spoke, smiling faintly.
"Alright then, we'll be back in 3 months for the next harvest" The large man waved and said before he turned around and commanded his people to move. There were 2 other men wearing the same outfit as him with their hoods on walking quietly behind him.
"You can come out now" Joshua called after a few minutes, prompting Connor to jump out, scaring the chicken away.
"Thank you" Connor said.
"Ahh, don't worry about it" Joshua chuckled. "I was never into the forceful listing that the monastery does, although they mean well, their ways are flawed"
Connor sighed, thinking about what happened. After his arrival, he greeted Joshua and they both talked for a bit, mostly some general information Connor needed, amongst the information was a few things about Harbor Town, but in the middle of it he saw Joshua quickly grab his hand and lead him towards the barn, telling him to keep quiet before running out.
"How unlucky should I be to arrive on the delivery day?" Connor laughed.
"Haha, don't worry about it, even if you're caught, the monastery isn't that bad of a place" Joshua said. "Their way of doing things got them such a bad reputation, especially when whomever goes there, willing or unwilling, comes out later without any problems about the place" Joshua chuckled. "People would rather find fault in things"
"What's it like there?" Connor asked.
"It's a monastery, what would it be like? When you first arrive they give you a room and things to do, they train you, feed you and clothe you" Joshua smiled as if reminiscing. "At first, they teach you close combat, a staff, sword, dagger, whatever you choose to wield, and when you complete your training, they open their doors for you to either leave or stay"
"That simple?" Connor asked.
"It's a place where everyone is equal, although we work for the Mages, they never disrespect even the lowest member. Take my interaction with the people that arrived just now, the man leading them is a 3rd Order Warrior, speaking to a Novice like myself normally, as if we stand on the same grounds, can you believe that?" Joshua smiled. "People there are kind, maybe a few are competitive or a bit quirky, but you still feel like you belong"
"Hold on a second.." Connor frowned. "That man was a 3rd order warrior?"
"Yes, he was"
Connor was shocked for a second, thinking back, the man had an aura of dominance, but Connor only believed it was an illusion due to his size. "If he is a 3rd Order Warrior, why is he running errands?"
"Haha!" Joshua laughed. "You think every supply point is like this?... There are supply points in the deepest parts of the forests, caves and ruins, no ordinary novice could venture through those spots"
Connor nodded, understanding what Joshua meant, especially as that skinny humanoid looking creature he saw in the cave still lingers in his mind. That thing still haunts him, it is the reason why he looks twice at the dark corners.
"Anyways, young man, since you owe me" Joshua winked. "Could you help me out with something?"
"Anything but field work" Connor chuckled.
"Worry not, seeing the Sword you have it'll be the kind of work that'll suit you" Joshua then looked behind the cabin at the mountain in the distance. "Right there, on that mountain there's a small cave that we used to use as a mining spot, but the place was swarmed by goblins, gnomes or whatever those things are called" Joshua sighed. "They come out at night, killing our livestock and sometimes even ruining the fields. They're not a threat to us but the bastards are sneaky so we suffer some loses from time to time"
"And you want me to take care of them?" Connor asked.
"That would be wonderful and of course when you clear up the place you can mine everything in there" Joshua said. "The Ore veins will reform eventually so go ahead"
Connor thought about it for a minute before agreeing. This put a smile on Joshua's face as he invited him for a meal. They chatted, joined by the rest of the Novices.
'Maybe the monastery isn't that bad' Connor thought.