Chapter 7: Coercion and Temptation (1)
A light morning mist hung over the countryside. Stepping off the uneven streets, Komer took deep breaths of the fresh air from the south. Ugru Town was incredibly small—fewer than eight hundred people actually lived on its streets, with most others scattered in the nearby areas, giving the town a desolate appearance. By ten o’clock at night, the streets were pitch black, and even the taverns rarely stayed open past midnight, usually filled only with regulars and adventurers.
Komer found it hard to adapt to this dull and lonely life. Despite three years of wandering, just a few months back in Sepulus City had made him crave again the extravagant, glitzy lifestyle he once enjoyed. The difference between city and countryside was evident, especially at night. After moving from the city to exile and then back, Komer detested the monotony of his current life. Even assassinations, battles, intrigues, or disasters were far preferable to this dull existence. Though he knew he had to adapt, he knew this situation couldn’t last—and indeed wouldn’t.
Birds chirped joyfully in the trees. Although it was early winter, the Caucasus remained lush green, with hints of gold and crimson in the foliage. Weasels with spotted fur flashed by Komer like shadows, stirring a breeze, while occasionally the grunting of hedgehogs could be heard from the depths of the bushes. At least the rural morning scenery was incomparable to that of the city. Walking silently through the fields, Komer couldn’t help but sigh at the noise of Sepulus City’s mornings.
A series of clear horse hooves came from afar. Komer could tell there were two horses, one in front of the other, their synchronized rhythm indicating well-trained steeds—unlike the inferior warhorses Puber had seized from the Leon gang. The two riders rounded a small grove, and an old adventurer Komer had met before appeared before him, followed by a young man clearly related to him, wearing a simple rolled straw hat that gave him a lively appearance.
The older man seemed surprised to see Komer walking alone in the field path. Riding was his hobby; going for a ride every morning had become his greatest pleasure, and his son had picked up the habit as well.
“My lord, why are you here by yourself?” The head of the Adventurers’ Guild dismounted gracefully, his skilled movements indicating he had spent considerable time and effort in this activity.
“Oh, hello, Mr. Hess. Just as riding is your hobby, walking is mine. I enjoy taking walks alone in the early morning; it helps me stay energetic throughout the day,” Kommer said with a smile.
Perhaps finding the lord’s hobby somewhat strange, the young man who had helped Hess dismount glanced at Kommer curiously, though wariness was evident in his eyes.
“Mr. Hess, is this your son?” Kommer examined the young man with interest. He resembled Hess almost exactly, the only difference being their age.
“Yes, this is my son, Neptune. Come, meet my lord,” Hess said, a tender expression crossing his face as he took the reins from the young man’s hands.
After some small talk, Kommer gently guided the two of them along a path. The atmosphere seemed to darken suddenly. The experienced Hess sensed that the lord wanted to speak to him alone and waved for his son to go ahead, but Kommer interrupted his gesture.
“No, Mr. Hess, it’s fine. Since Mr. Neptune is your son, I don’t think our conversation is a problem. Since we happened to meet today, I think we can have a casual chat. I originally planned to visit you at your residence at an appropriate time,” Kommer said, looking up calmly as he pushed aside a branch hanging over the path and gazed deeply at him.
The young man immediately slowed down, ready to leave. To be honest, he was also eager to meet this young lord. His father had told him that this man was a spoiled brat from Cyprus, but he was far from ordinary—having managed to evade attacks from monster groups in the Greenland Forest. Yet now, upon meeting him, he couldn’t see anything extraordinary about him that would warrant his father’s caution.
“Mr. Hess, when did you come to the Caucasus to start a business? I heard you’re also considered a rare solo adventurer in the Kingdom of Nicosia,” Kommer began the conversation in this way, surprising Hess. A hint of shock crossed his face, but it also brought back memories of the past.
“Hehe, my lord, the life of an adventurer is indeed full of adventures and thrills. It’s also a quite challenging profession for young people. Wouldn’t a lifetime be utterly boring if one doesn’t have any memorable moments in old age? That’s my opinion. But people do grow old. When one’s body and energy can no longer handle high-intensity, high-risk actions, it’s time to know when to step back. I’m already fifty years old and not quite suited for personal adventures anymore. Experience can help one avoid many dangers, but sometimes it’s not enough to solve all problems. I hope to use my experience to serve professional adventurers and those who love adventuring, helping them avoid many unnecessary dangers. That’s the original intention behind founding this adventurers’ guild.” Perhaps Kommer’s sincere gaze slightly moved him, as Hes’s eyes filled with a sense of contentment from years of experience, and he instinctively poured out everything on his mind.
“Oh, it’s rare to find someone as passionate about adventuring as Mr. Hes. But why did you choose the Caucasus as the location for your adventurers’ guild? Is there a special reason for that?” Kommer asked casually.
“Hehe, my lord, you don’t know much about this. There are basically two types of adventurers: professional adventurers who make a living by exploring and searching for treasures. As you know, our continent has had many prehistoric civilizations. Although many of them have been lost over time, many records of those civilizations have remained—antiques, gold and silver jewelry, artworks, and even books, scrolls, paintings, and so on. Especially gold and silver jewelry, which hardly deteriorate over time, have become the main targets of these adventurers. Of course, the exotic creatures among the magical beasts that appeared five hundred years ago, which possess many special items, have also become the main targets of these professional adventurers.” When talking about his field, Hes completely changed—his speech became extremely fluent, and his thinking seemed much quicker as well.
“Another group are amateur adventure enthusiasts who crave an adventurous lifestyle. They believe that challenging nature is a privilege reserved for warriors, and achieving success in such challenges brings them a special kind of pleasure. That’s why more and more adventure lovers are joining our profession,” Hes said with a smile, seemingly indulging in the joy brought by his career. “Perhaps Lord, you’re wondering why I’ve talked so much without answering your question, but to explain the complexity of our industry, I need to elaborate a bit more.”
“Caucasus is the southernmost territory in the Homer region and also the farthest south of the Kingdom of Nicosia. To the north lies the Vot Mountains, separating it from the Leon region. The Vot Mountains were once the homeland of ancient mountain dwarves, and many legends surround this area. To the east is the Abyssal Sea, surrounded by a chain of islands. From time to time, people see evil dragons playing in the waters—these dragons are the natural enemies of the sea merfolk. Their greatest pleasure is devouring merfolk and taking their pearls, night pearls, and other treasures for themselves. Wouldn’t finding a dragon’s lair be an enormous fortune? To the south are the lands of barbarians, but in the Puling Great Rift Valley near the east lies a paradise for magical beasts, with all sorts of strange materials and abilities emerging endlessly. It’s a paradise for adventurers—and, of course, their greatest graveyard. Of course, Lord, your Damalsk Fortress is also well-known, but in recent years, no one dares to go there easily.” Hes’s face showed deep nostalgia, clearly recalling his comrades who perished there. “Lord, how many adventurers do you think these countless fantasies will attract? That’s the main reason I chose this place. Of course, there’s another reason: before you, there was no lord here, so the adventure guilds didn’t have to pay the high taxes required by guilds in other regions.”