Joe took a week off from hunting and trained and enjoyed his self-made vacation.
Joe went to the guild building the next day, looking for a new mission.
He entered the guild building, which was a large and busy place where hunters gathered and received their missions. He walked to the bulletin board, where various papers and posters were pinned, each with a different mission and reward.
He looked at the board for some missions to his liking there were missions to Hunt down a pack of dire wolves that had been attacking the nearby farms. Reward: 500 gold coins and a wolf pelt.
To clear a bandit camp and rescue the hostages from there.
He was about to choose one of the missions when he heard someone calling him.
"Hey, Joe! Long time no see"
He turned around a found out it was Amy his friend in the hunters guild. She is a C-rank hunter and usually takes a mission with her party.
She was a cheerful and friendly woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She specialized in healing magic and archery.
She usually invites Joe for missions that their group couldn't complete alone because Joe is a well-experienced hunter.
She smiled and hugged him.
"How have you been? What have you been up to?"
"I've been good. I've just returned from an expedition to the eastern part of the forest, you should have heard that was a lich kings layer. I really got lucky then"
Amy gasped.
"Really? Did you go to the lich king's castle? That's amazing, Did you see him? Did you fight him? Did you kill him?"
Joe nodded.
"Yes, yes, and yes. I killed the lich king I had help from the guards who came with the nobles, It was really a tough fight".
Amy's eyes widened.
"Wow, You killed the lich king that's a big deal you should have been rewarded".
Joe shook his head.
"I did what I had to do."
Amy said,
"Well, you did more than that. You did something amazing. And you should be proud of it."
They then looked at the bulletin board together.
Amy said,
"So, what are you looking for? A new mission?"
Joe nodded.
"Yes, I'm looking for something interesting and rewarding."
Amy said,
"Well, I have something for you. I've just accepted a mission to escort a merchant and his goods to the port city of the country. It's an easy and safe mission, but it pays well. The merchant is willing to pay 1000 gold coins for each hunter who joins him."
Joe said,
"Really? That sounds like a good deal. What kind of goods does he have?"
Amy said,
"He has some rare and exotic spices, herbs, fabrics, and jewels that he wants to sell in the port city. He says they're very valuable and in high demand."
Joe said,
"I see. And how many hunters does he need?"
Amy said,
"He needs at least four hunters to protect him and his goods from any possible threats along the way. He already has me and my team agreed to join him. He needs one more hunter to complete his team."
She looked at Joe with a hopeful expression.
"Joe, would you like to join us? It would be fun and profitable for you. It be for the best and we know each others well".
Joe thought for a moment.
He liked Amy and trusted her judgment. He also liked the idea of traveling to the port city and seeing new places and people. He also liked the reward of 1000 gold coins, which was more than enough for his needs.
[In this context 'he likes her' means not in a romantic way]
He decided to join them.
"Sure, Amy. I'll join you. It sounds like a good mission."
Amy smiled and clapped her hands.
"Great, I'm so happy that you're joining us, You won't regret it".
She took his hand and led him to the merchant who had posted the mission.
The merchant was a middle-aged man with brown hair and green eyes. He wore fine clothes and jewelry that showed his wealth and status. He had a cart full of goods that he wanted to transport to the port city.
He looked at Joe with interest.
"Hello there! You must be Joe, the B-rank hunter who killed the lich king. I've heard about your feat from Amy here. I'm very impressed by your skill and courage. I'm glad that you've decided to join us for this mission."
He extended his hand and shook Joe's hand.
"My name is Marcus, and I'm a merchant who deals with rare and exotic goods. I'm looking for some reliable and trustworthy hunters who can escort me and my goods to the port city of the country. I'm willing to pay 1000 gold coins for each hunter who joins me."
He smiled and said,
"Are you interested in joining me?"
Joe nodded and said.
"Sure I will join your group".
Marcus smiled and said,
"Excellent! Then welcome to the team. You're the fourth and final hunter who joins us. We have a full team now."
Joe then went and met up at Amy's party.
They said that they were looking forward to traveling with him and learning from him.
They gave Joe respect because of the recent news about the lich king and his rank as a B-rank hunter.
They then discussed the details of the mission with Marcus.
They decided to travel to the port city by carriage and it would take them around Ten days to reach there.
They also took notice of the terrain and threats throughout the journey and prepared themselves for any attacks from the wild animals or the bandits in that area.
They finally decided to start the mission the next day at dawn. They would meet at the gate of the city and depart from there.
They agreed on the plan and confirmed their participation.
They then said goodbye to Marcus and each other.
They decided to meet again the next day at dawn.
They went to their respective places to prepare for the mission.
Joe went back to his room at the inn where he was staying.
He packed his belongings and checked his equipment.
He made sure that he had everything he needed for the mission: his swords and his armor.
I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter.