The sun hangs closer to the western horizon than the east, the day well into its second half. After the ambush by the Goblins, everyone was on high alert and anxious for another attack as we moved ever forward through the woods.
It had taken thirty minutes to clear the road from the fallen tree along with the eight dead Goblin corpses with Blake. In the process, we snatched any valuables that they had been carrying to take with us to Inchor.
They had very limited koin, only 27 split between all of them. Not surprising considering they would likely keep their main stash wherever they happened to be staying. The fact that they had any koin, however, was a sign that they had robbed other people before us.
That's a problem. Not only that, but they ambushed us. Normally Goblins never do something like that unless they come from extremely large groups. I'll have to let the Guild know about this.
I made sure to take note of the location for later.
The rest of the goods that the Goblins had were their clubs, which we took with so that the main group wouldn't have something to come back for, and each of their left ears as proof of kill.
The clubs we could take in to Inchor and sell for some cheap koin, but the ears were where the real money was at. The Guild pays out 25 koin for each confirmed Goblin kill, which means in total, we made an additional 200 koin on top of the 450 koin from the escort quest.
Overall, a decent payout.
All that's left for us to do is make it to Inchor, and if what Seth has said is anything to go on, we were close, only about another hour or so before we make it.
"I can't believe we actually ran into monsters. I know that's why we're here, protecting Seth and all, but I don't know, I didn't think we would actually see any," Lillia says, her composure somewhat shaken after the encounter.
Her eyes haven't left the surroundings since the fight, instead watching without rest. I can't blame her, it was her first fight as an adventurer, and there isn't anyway to know with certainty whether another will happen at any moment.
"I know, it certainly was a surprise, just make sure you're keeping yourself together right now. I need you focused, but not too the point of anxiety."
"Mmm," she nods.
I'd hoped my words would help her reign in her nervousness, but it was clear it still lurked within her mind. I could only sigh.
Though we may have won the fight, and rather easily at that, sustaining no damage and completely annihilating the enemy, the fact that they had managed to ambush us in the first place drained the enthusiam of a landslide victory from everyone.
Still, I imagine once we're within the walls of Inchor, they'll be celebrating their first fight soon enough.
All I could do was sit and watch as we moved ever forward by the effort of the horses. The seconds slowly turned to minutes, and after a while the minutes turned to an hour.
"Here it is," Seth called out from the front of the wagon.
I turn around, facing the direction the wagon is going. Sure enough, there was Inchor, its stone walls standing tall and proud.
"Ah, were here!" Lillia exclaimed, too excited to be within safety to hold it in. "We made it!"
"So it would seem," I respond.
As important as it is to stay focused until the moment we cross into the walls, I let her have this moment. After all, the wagon only really needs one person keeping an eye out from behind.
As the horses clip-clop ever forward, closer and closer to the gate allowing entry, they finally come to a stop.
"Purpose of your visit sir?" a voice calls out, a guard standing by the gate.
"I've brought goods to sell for the festival in a couple of days. Planning to sell my wares and then leave."
"Understood. Duration of stay?"
"Until one day after the festival has ended."
"I see. Here you are then," the guard said, handing a paper to Seth. "A permit granting you a five day stay. Your companions?"
"Adventurers, three in total. Two of them are in the back of the wagon."
Both Lillia and I look back to wave at the guard, and the guard simply nods.
"Let me see your Adventurer's ID then, all three of you."
"Of course," I say, hopping off the back of the wagon with Lillia following behind me.
Already by the time we get to the guard, Blake is being checked by the guard. The guard takes a quick look at Blake's ID, first at the front where his name is written, then the back where the official seal of the Adventurers Guild is placed. The seal itself pictures a sword with a bejeweled hilt pointed downwards, a sturdy shield placed just behind it, and two crows place above it.
"Looks good. Next is the girl."
Blake nods, stepping aside so that Lillia could step forward. He does the same with her ID, checking the front and back before nodding once more.
"Finally you," he says, motioning me to come forward.
I do as he commands, holding out my ID for him. He quickly reads it over, though he pauses momentarily after reading my name.
"Lionell Mukes? As in the Lionell Mukes?" the guard asks, almost seemingly in awe.
"Uhh, yes, that would be me," I awkwardly answer, rubbing the back of my head.
"It is an honor to meet you sir!" the guard suddenly announces, bending forward slightly out of nowhere.
"W-woah, hey now, what's this all about?" I flinch back, surprised by the reaction.
"Sir, six years ago, you and your party saved my home village, Blitherly, from an invading group of Orcs! They saw the signs of an imminent invasion, so they sent out an alert to the nearby Guild buildings asking for help. Despite the lack of koin they had to offer as a reward, your party showed up two days later and stayed until the orcs did attack that next week!"
"Oh yeah, I remember that one. One of the houses ended up pretty damaged, so we stayed afterwards to fix it up."
"Exactly, that one was my mother's house!" he exclaimed, taking my hand into both of his. "I had just left to be a guard here at Inchor, so I wasn't there to help fight. When I heard the news of the invasion, I was so scared for her and my dad, but then I heard your party saved them and the village. Thank you so much!"
"I-it was nothing," I awkwardly replied, turning away as I blushed slightly.
The guard shook my hand for a good moment before he regained his composure, thanking me once more.
"You all are allowed to enter. Please do enjoy your stay," the guard said, moving aside so that the wagon could pass.
Lillia and I both hopped back on the back of the wagon before moving within the city limits.
"I didn't know you were a hero," she said with amazement. "You seem like a good person, but I got the impression that you like sticking with smaller quests."
"Well, I was a different person then than I am now. These days, I only take easier quests."
"Why is that?"
"That's..." I pause, not really wanting to share. "I have my own reasons..."
"I see..."
There was an awkward silence as we crossed through the gate and into the city of Inchor. Just inside the walls alone, there was plenty of bustle from the locals. Already, there was work being done on stalls that were being set up in preparation for the festival, and some people were even buying things this early on. Kids ran and played in the streets, seemingly oblivious to the work happening around them as they bumped into the working people.
"Watch where you're going!" a woman shouted as one of the kids bumped into her, knocking all of the things she had been carrying down to the ground.
"Sorry!" the kid shouted before running off, catching up with his friends.
The woman only sighed.
Taking a moment, I hop off of the wagon, helping the woman pick up her stuff as the wagon continues without me.
"Here you are," I say, holding it up for her.
"My, thank you!" she says, accepting her things back gratefully.
"Of course," I reply with a smile before quickly catching up with the wagon and hopping back on.
"That was kind of you," Lillia said as I sat back down, waving at the woman.
"Yeah," I answer back.
The wagon rides through city for a couple of minutes before coming to a stop in one of the larger buildings within its walls.
"Well, here's the Guild building in Inchor," Seth says, calling back to me. "How 'bout
you two stay here with the wagon while me and Lionell go in."
Seth points at both Blake and Lillia as he speaks, and both of them nod in return.
"We got it," Blake says.
"Good. Now then, let's go in Lionell."
"Alright."