"Head guard!" A guardsman knocked hard on the door of the head guard's room.
The room is exclusive, a single-person room inside the gate. Only the head guard uses it, either for work or sleep.
Inside the room a drunk man looking at a paper. His face is a bit red but still able to read the paper in his hand.
"Head Guard!" The door knocked hard and got harder. "Clint!"
The head guard Clint slammed the paper on his desk. "Coming!"
He is getting annoyed. He already instructed the others not to disturb him and leave some small cases to his subordinate.
He opened the door and finds his subordinate standing there with a tired face.
"What?" Clint asked.
"That new adventurer, the one you gave recommendation paper before. Who is it again?"
"Cory? I still remember. What happened?"
"He is already an adventurer and he brings a defeated monster here, in this city."
Clint standing there silent, and his subordinate is also silent.
Clint closes the door, but before the door closes, his subordinate grip the door handle.
"What? It's normal for an adventurer to bring subjugated monster here."
The Guardsman is looking at him with a tired face. "It does not fit the gate."
Clint got silent again, processing the word the man in front of him uttered.
"What?"
***** ***** *****
It is quite a spectacle. A big simple wagon carrying the mutated Gamaconda appeared in front of the Krim Town Gate. A lot of horses pulling the wagon.
The process is not easy. A quick simple big wagon was created in the Anderhall with the help of the villagers. Meanwhile, Guild Leader Shawan requested horses from the Merchant guild. Four days of a journey from the Anderhall to Krim.
A lot of Residents of Krim are flocking to the corpses, curious about the two-headed Gamaconda. Some gate guards set up a parameter, so the others will not get too close.
I am standing with Aura, Shawn, and a man. The man is the Merchant guild leader of Krim Town, Gorten.
"I have never seen this before." Gorten standing beside Shawn looking at the Gamaconda.
"Neither do I." Shawn ignites his tobacco pipe. The smoke flutters in the air.
"Neither do I too." Suddenly a voice comes out behind us.
Form the flock of the spectating resident. The Head Guard Clint appeared. His eyes set on the Gamaconda.
"Clint. Finally, the man is here." Shawn smiled.
"Let me borrow that." Clint takes the pipe from Shawn and inhales the tobacco. His face looks tired.
"We want to dismantle the Gamaconda in the guild but the gate is too small," Shawn said.
"That's why we will dismantle it here, outside the town," Gorten said.
"I see, so you want permission and my subordinate to help." Clint exhaled the smoke.
"The permission and I just need help guarding the corpse. The merchant guild will pay."
"Better do it fast then. I don't want the smell to go inside the town."
Clint looks at the injured Boris and Fahad.
"It must be a hell of a fight."
"Er.." Shawn pondered what to say. "The story is a bit long."
Boris and Fahad got embarrassed and looks away.
"Cory, Aura follow me to the guild," Shawn tells us.
***** ***** *****
"Due to your achievement in subjugating the mutated Gamaconda. I will promote you to the gold rank." Shawn takes a paper and begins writing. "You to Aura."
"Wait! It's should be more than a rank promotion. He can subjugate a mutated version of Gamaconda." Reis protested.
"I agree with Reis. Moreover we, the platinum-ranked adventurers can not do it." Klim added his statement.
"I would love to give them platinum rank. But you know me right, I am just an ex-platinum doing a guild job. This branch is also not strong enough to give them the appropriate rank." Shawn interjected.
"I don't mind," I said to them. Then I look at Aura.
"I don't mind either." Aura smiled.
Being an adventurer is only a side job to survive and survey the condition on this planet.
"I am surprised. You guys are not greedy." Leira behind us talks. "To be honest, you, Cory. Can achieve the Palladium ranks or higher."
"That is why." Shawn gives us a paper.
"What is this?" I ask.
The paper is rolled and sealed with wax, The guild symbols are engraved in the wax.
"This is a recommendation paper for rank promotion to Platinum ranks. Go to the Crom Capital Adventurers guild. The guild leader there is my friend and an ex-palladium-ranked adventurer. He may look harsh but he is a man of trust."
Aura looks at me. It looks like the goal is aligned with our purpose to meet Aura's Aunt.
Then Shawn put a Sack of gold on the table. "This is the commission of the mutated Gamaconda. 967 Golds, the dismantling fees and the cost for the gates guard already included."
Klim and Reis gulped at the sight of the golds.
"Congratulation you both are now Gold-ranked adventurers."
Boris walked towards us.
"What?" Aura frowned.
"Sorry." Boris scratches his head and bowed his head. "I am sorry for unbelieving you."
"Me too. Looks like a year of adventuring makes me an arrogant person." Fahad also bowed his head.
It looks like a quiet scene for them. For Palladium-ranked adventurers to bow their heads to the gold-ranked adventurers. I got a bit awkward due to them bowing their head.
They might be an arrogant person but they are not evil ones.
"Still, a promise is a promise." Alexander who is silent all this time now talking.
"Alex. That.." Boris and Fahad gulped.
"A total of three hundred Golds." Alexander looks at them with cold eyes.
The atmosphere is tense in their group. It is like a father punishing his children.
"It's fine, forget about it." I calm Alexander. "It's fine right, Aura?"
Aura nodded, she also looks tense.
"Sir Cory..." Boris looks at me like he wants to hug me.
"Cory, you are too soft. But thank you. On behalf of them, I am so sorry." Now Alexander bows his head.
"Please don't mind it." Aura looks awkward now.
"You guys better be thankful that Cory and Aura are good people." Leira dictates them.
At that time, the bond between Alexander's party, Klim's party, and we were created.
I decided we will go to Crom Capital tomorrow. It is where Aura's Aunt lives.
At this time we never expect that we got dragged and ensnared in the kingdom's politics.
+++++ +++++ +++++
(Next Chapter)
"Everyone prepares to advance! Once it breaches, the Capital is next!" The old man shouted.
"Now you guys, I don't have time for this sh*t right now. And maybe I will not have time for this in the future either. Let's just test you with this. Kill or be killed!" The old man looks menacingly at us.
+++++ +++++ +++++
----- ----- -----
Name: Cory Grieves
Skill: Whirlwind slash sword, Mana sword
Mana cap: 10X Dark Turquoise
Magic: Fireball, Blue Fireball (Divine Flame), Healing, Air-suspended magic, Multicast, Whirlwind, Tornado, Fire Tornado, Fire Grenade
----- ----- -----
Name: Nia
Skill: Auto body repair, body adaptation, auto mana regulator, extreme body battle mode.
Connection skill: Full Connection
sub-connection skill: Partial connection, non-human connection
Movement: Blood medium, Water-medium