Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 334

“My first job as a ‘consultant’ was to accompany three aspiring adventurers, introduced by Kimberly, on a shopping trip. 

They weren’t exactly adventurers, more like boys from the countryside who had just arrived.

They were about 16 or 17 years old. Three of them.

Each wore the same tattered clothes with patches on their elbows and knees, leather sandals, and carried nothing but a club and a single backpack containing all their worldly belongings.

Even so, their freckled faces gleamed with hope for the future, their eyes shining with ambition.

I couldn’t help but smile warmly, thinking, “I had a time like this too.”

Then, one of the boys with unruly hair, looking especially cheeky, said, “Ah, I feel like I’m sucking on my mom’s breast, tagging along with a woman like this!” Trying to hide his embarrassment, perhaps, he cracked a joke.

This seemed like a good opportunity to teach them a little about the ways of adventurers.

“Is that so?” I said, and in one fluid motion, I drew an arrow from my quiver and nocked it, quickly aiming and shooting.

The arrow pierced the ground sharply between the feet of the boy with the loud mouth, the fletching slapping his groin with a sharp *thwack*.

I’ve been playing with a bow and arrow since I was little and have spent years as an archer adventurer. A cocky little country kid like him? Not even a challenge.

The boy, writhing in pain from the physical blow to his exposed intestines, crouched down with his back hunched, groaning.

I addressed him sternly. “You see, adventuring is a profession where you earn your living with your skills, not your mouth. A careless word can cost you your life.”

The remaining two boys nodded, their faces pale.

No adventurer would tolerate such disrespect. Especially not a rookie who picks a fight with someone like me, who’s a lot kinder than most. If I weren’t so lenient, that would have been the day he quit being an adventurer.

As an experienced adventurer, it’s important to give a harsh lesson at the start. I had purposely made sure the arrow only grazed him, but I could have aimed for the tip if I wanted to.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

“So, what are your names?”

In a small village, there’s no need to introduce yourself. Everyone knows everyone else, so no one needs to greet each other.

Because of that, the kids who come from rural villages tend to be quiet and struggle with greetings.

But in the world of adventurers, that won’t get you far.

Noticing the boys muttering among themselves, I made my bowstring snap and called out loudly.

“Introduce yourselves!”

Startled, the three of them stood up straight, and one by one, they introduced themselves.

“I-I’m Jan!” 

“I’m Jiru!”

“I’m Heiru!”

Jan, Jiru, Heiru. Got it.

“So, what kind of request are you planning to take on? Kimberly just told me to accompany you on shopping, but she didn’t say anything else.”

The three of them elbowed each other, unsure of who would speak, but eventually, Jan stepped forward and began to explain.

“Well, we were thinking of taking on a goblin subjugation quest, but since it’s our first time, we didn’t know what we’d need. So, we asked Kimberly for advice. She told us there’s someone good to talk to and introduced us to you…”

“Wait a second. A goblin subjugation? Just the three of you? Have you ever taken on a subjugation quest before?”

The three of them stiffened like a set of matching figurines, shaking their heads in unison.

What a mess.