Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Best Commission (2)
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-Thwack, thump!!
"Can't you do it right? That's why you're stuck doing shitty jobs catching suckers, right?"
"S-sorry..."
In a carriage heading to the Purgatory zone on the surface layer of the Nether.
Rack, the guild master of Golden Duck, was pummeling the stomach of the guild member he'd first introduced to Fey and Will.
"Do you have to flaunt that you're a thug? We're running an illegal business here—want to put out an ad or something? Huh?"
"No, sir!"
"Then why's your attitude like that? You got two brains or something? Switching back and forth?"
Rack beat the man all over his body in a fit of nerves. The gentle demeanor he'd shown in front of Will and Fey was nowhere to be seen.
Yet he avoided hitting the face—that was the mark of a pro gangster.
"Guhk."
-Crash!
The man's body couldn't hold out and collapsed to the floor.
Only then did Rack catch his breath and put his pocket watch back on his wrist.
"Hoo... Well, at least your improvisation was good. That mage is pretty famous lately. Nice job catching her."
"Right? I spotted her right away! The Magic Tower Lord's personal disciple who's been making waves. That's why I reported straight to you, Guild Master! Heh heh..."
The man, seemingly forgetting his beating, bowed repeatedly to Rack again.
"Eh, whether she's a tower prodigy or genius, dying on the surface is all the same... Pretty face too, so we can play with her a bit longer."
"Exactly!"
"Good... Got a scenario. Have that bony horse boy 'accidentally' die on a mission, comfort the girl just right, and squeeze a few more jobs out of her. With those specs, investors will bite."
"Business as usual... Take the down payment and ghost?"
"Yeah. Association crackdowns are tightening lately... Time to score big and lay low somewhere."
Rack grinned sleazily.
-Tap, tap.
Rack straightened his disheveled clothes from the beating.
"Alright, time to go rip open some more dumb suckers' bellies."
Golden Duck.
The goose that lays golden eggs.
The name of the guild he'd hastily thrown together was, in fact, how he saw novice adventurers.
Form a guild, rack up fame with a few easy commissions. Then hire a bunch of grunts and drifters to inflate the exploration scale.
Once merchants bit and invested, swallow the cash and bolt.
Bonus: 'Accidentally' kill off some drifters for pocket change.
"Hm."
Rack opened the carriage door and looked at the young man named Will.
A pitiful guy whose money, life, and girlfriend who was above his station would all be taken.
"Think of it as bad luck."
His facial muscles wriggled like maggots before forming a friendly smile again.
"Oh, there you are."
While Fey and the grunts were chatting idly, Rack got out of the carriage and approached us.
"Rest well? Looks like everyone's here, so let me explain the mission again."
The commission from Rack's guild, Golden Duck, was as follows.
"Simple job. For the next three days, we'll enter the 'Black Forest' and harvest herbs from the mandrake colony."
Mandrake.
The classic fantasy plant that screams and kills when uprooted. Yeah, that one.
Here too, it's a rare ingredient, but in the Nether, colonies form because they're so common.
"While we keep watch, you all harvest the mandrakes and bring them up. Easy, right?"
Sure was.
The grunts, including me, nodded.
"Alright, let's head in. Oh! Before that!"
-Clap.
Rack clapped, and a man brought out a blank chart.
The names of Rack and the rest of the group were listed below it.
"We calculate contributions with points. If you do something for the team, let us know—we won't forget."
"What if you have zero contributions?"
To the worried group, Rack replied with his signature affable smile.
"Haha, no need to worry. No pay cuts. You'll just handle chores like cooking or night watch that day. Even I'm not exempt."
'Anti-freeloader measure, huh.'
No contributions? Do chores.
Pretty reasonable system.
"Finally... Safety first. Your lives matter most. If it's life-or-death, ditch the herbs. As long as the reason checks out, we won't hold you responsible."
"Ooh..."
How does he make it sound so cool?
Corporate types who treat lives like feathers could learn a thing or two.
"Let's move! Time to make some money!"
With Rack's cheerful shout, our first journey began.
"...I swear I've seen him somewhere."
As we trekked into the forest, Fey still looked uneasy about something.
Even a Magic Tower prodigy couldn't escape physiognomy pseudoscience?
"Fey, more importantly—you okay? Black Forest had some trouble last time."
Instead of poking her bias, I checked on her condition.
If Rack was a good guy, the misunderstanding would clear itself.
Preventing a repeat of her freaking out over a dog and running off was priority.
"Of course! That was a special case! Theoretically, nothing in here beats me except Black Dogs!"
"Wow."
"What's with that reaction? It's true!"
"Sure it is."
"Urgh... Fine! If a monster shows, I'll show you my skills! You watch out too, Will! No way luck keeps them away like last time!"
"Got it."
Still, better heed the expert.
I pushed through the jungle, rifle in one hand, staying alert.
"...Why aren't they coming?"
And once more, nothing happened.
6 hours since entering Black Forest.
As the sun began to set, Fey's impatience grew.
'Why... why...'
No sign of even a single monster.
'This is weird! Super weird! Last time, I took down like thirty on the way!'
Did the ecosystem change? Monster plague or something?
How was she supposed to show off to that guy whistling ahead if this kept up?
'Just one! Please, one!'
Fey searched desperately for monsters, eyes blazing, but found no trace.
"...Haha, luck's on our side today. Walked this far without a single monster."
Fey wasn't the only one weirded out. Guild Master Rack scanned the surroundings with a troubled look.
'Fuck, why aren't they coming?'
He'd deliberately taken a monster-heavy route.
'That Will runt needs to get beat up by monsters and crawl around for the picture to look right.'
Through the ages, women fall for capable men.
While her group trembled under monster attacks, he'd step in and stylishly wipe them out.
That was Rack's plan to win Fey's favor.
"Hey, you guiding us right? Why's nothing showing up?"
"I... I don't know. This isn't how it usually is."
The guide looked baffled too.
'And... scores are...'
At this rate, he'd be dead last.
Others had racked up points doing various tasks.
Weaker grunts competed fiercely for big contributions.
But three with a proud zero:
Rack, Fey, and Will, who'd yielded tasks to seniors from the start and leisurely toured the jungle, planning for night watch.
'Should've snagged some easy monsters early and ditched the grunts...!'
Monster kills gave high points.
One would avoid last place.
But no monsters appeared, making him and Fey the most useless today.
"Haha, at this rate, me and Fey might end up on night watch? Can't wake a lady, so I'd take it all..."
Sweet—
In his anxiety, Rack tried lines he wouldn't normally, approaching Fey, but
"Ah, thanks. Could you move aside?"
She still didn't warm to him, forcing Rack to withdraw with a frozen smile.
'Damn it.'
All that loser's fault.
As Rack's aimless irritation turned to rage at Will—
-Rustle.
"Hey! Something there! Monster?!"
One of the group pointed at the bushes and yelled.
"Where?!"
"Where is it?!"
Rack and Fey lunged forward, eyes aflame.
Both at zero points, facing meals and watch duty—no time for caution.
But that haste tripped them up.
-Step.
Rack stepped on the hem of Fey's robe as he charged,
"Kyaa!"
Sending her sprawling forward.
"What are you doing?!"
"Ah, sorry—"
-Bang!
A loud gunshot from behind silenced them.
"Deer."
It was Will.
While they bickered, he'd calmly drawn his hunting rifle and nailed the charging deer's head.
'Skills haven't rusted.'
Before possession—back when Will was Kim Joo-hyuk—he'd picked up the hobby overseas.
During a US trip, locals heard he was heading to the army soon. Bros he'd befriended took him to a local range for crash-course shooting.
Both hated America despite living there.
'Thanks, Nacho bro, Muhammad bro.'
Will silently thanked his two mentors.
"Perfect timing! Will got a deer, so let's camp here? Cook it up."
A grizzled-looking grunt suggested, and the others agreed.
"Then scores..."
A guild member glanced at Rack while checking the chart.
Three zeros.
But
"Ah, deer kill means I get points now, right?"
Will escaped, leaving only Fey and Rack.
"...What?"
"...Me? Last place?"
The duty for the night was set.