Chapter 27 - 27 Joining the Adventure Team
Chapter 27: Joining the Adventure Team
"This is Lumbro Ironhammer, a black iron dwarf shield bearer, our team\'s vanguard. Don\'t be fooled by his old appearance; he\'s actually just in his thirties, barely an adult!"
The dwarf named Lumbro Ironhammer had already poured a large cup of ale into his mouth, casually wiping away the white foam on his beard with his hand. He grumbled discontentedly, "Hey, Nichole, isn\'t it inappropriate to say that about me in front of others?"
Nichole made a face at Lumbro and then proceeded to introduce the others.
"This beautiful lady is Elena, an elven ranger, our team\'s scout. Elena is amazing; she helped me a lot when I registered as a mercenary."
The golden-haired elf woman sitting next to Nichole nodded at William with a somewhat cold attitude.
"And this is Jason, you\'ve probably seen him before, Jason Hard, a warrior like me."
Jason looked at William and said friendly, "Nice to meet you, Viscount William Cain."
Since the other party was so polite, William also greeted this outstanding descendant of the Hard Duke politely.
"Likewise, Jason Harold, Your Excellency," William replied.
This was not a false statement; the Duke Harold was the most respected among all the court nobles and was also the most trusted by His Majesty the King.
"Wow, William, you\'re a noble? I couldn\'t tell!"
Lumbro said casually, without caring if his words were rude.
"Just inherited a title from the family."
William didn\'t think much of it. Dwarves had always been direct in their speech, something he had experienced in his past life.
Elena also scrutinized William for a moment, but there seemed to be a hint of hostility in her eyes.
Nichole was a little dissatisfied and tapped the table. She hadn\'t introduced William yet!
"This is William Kane, I met him before and bumped into him today at the Mercenary Guild. He\'s a Bronze-tier mage."
Nichole looked around triumphantly, her small white face lifted proudly. "But from today on, he\'s my disciple! How awesome is that?"
William helplessly tapped the table with his index finger. "I remember I just wanted to learn a weapon technique from you. When did I become your disciple?"
Nichole waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it\'s the same thing. If I teach you, then I\'m your teacher, and if you learn from me, then you\'re my disciple. No problem!"
It was rare to meet someone who could save her stomach. How could she let this opportunity slip away?
"All these dishes were made by William. They taste so good. I\'ve already decided that from now on, when we go out on missions, William will take care of cooking!"
Listening to Nichole\'s straightforward arrangements, William felt somewhat helpless.
Of course, he wouldn\'t refuse. A golden opportunity had presented itself, and he couldn\'t ignore the memories of his past life.
But it still felt strange, as if he had suddenly been packaged and sold.
Does this count as officially upgrading to being a leg accessory?
"Is he joining our adventure team? Since when?"
The elf woman, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke, staring at Nichole.
"Haha, ahaha."
It was obvious that Nichole had thought of it on a whim and hadn\'t discussed it with the team members.
But seeing Lumbro drinking ale one cup after another, he clearly didn\'t care whether William joined the team or not.
As for Jason, he seemed to want to say something, but then realized that he had never successfully stopped Nichole\'s ideas, so he gave up.
"Oh, Elena, William\'s cooking is really delicious. You should try it!"
The elf looked at the table full of meat dishes, except for the simple fruit and vegetable salad, and felt a bit speechless.
What do you want me to try?
Nichole seemed to realize the problem too and apologized awkwardly, shaking Elena\'s arm and acting cute. "But William\'s cooking is really delicious. I don\'t want to eat those tough dry rations anymore. Let\'s have William join us, okay?"
Elena looked somewhat helpless as she watched Nichole\'s pitiful act and said, "He\'s just a novice mage, right? It might be dangerous for him to adventure with us."
"I\'ll protect him!" Nichole patted her small chest confidently.
Elena felt a headache coming on. She wasn\'t keen on suddenly letting someone she didn\'t know well join the team, but seeing Nichole\'s pitiful expression, she softened her stance.
Nichole never complained or felt tired during adventures, although she was stronger than Elena. Elena had always treated Nichole like a little sister.
"Alright, alright, stop shaking. I agree, okay?"
"That\'s great!"
Without even asking for Jason\'s opinion (lowering his status by 1), Nichole raised her cup filled with juice and exclaimed loudly, "Then let\'s welcome William to join our adventure team!"
William genuinely showed a happy expression and after clinking glasses with Lumbro and downing a cup of ale, he invited everyone to start enjoying the food.
Nichole and Lumbro couldn\'t resist and immediately began eating.
"Mmm, this is delicious!" Nichole took a big bite of the specially made cold meat covered in sauce and widened her eyes in delight.
Lumbro also praised William\'s cooking, while Jason\'s expression was somewhat strange. However, he didn\'t eat any slower than the others.
Even Elena was moved by the fruit pudding William had made specifically for her, and her gaze softened when she looked at him.
"Oh, by the way, is our team an adventure-type team?"
"Oh, I haven\'t introduced that to you yet!"
After snatching the last golden shrimp ball from Lumbro\'s hand and enjoying it contentedly, Nichole began to explain to William.
"We registered our team as an adventure team called Nichole\'s Adventure Team. We mainly take on exploration and caravan escort missions. Although there are only four of us now, including you, we still have quite a reputation at the Mercenary Guild!"
Mercenary Guild missions can be completed independently or as a mercenary group, but most advanced missions are exclusive to mercenary groups. After all, it\'s always possible for accidents to happen on the way to completing a mission.
Depending on the type of mission undertaken by the mercenary group, there are different classifications.
For example, there are mercenary groups that specialize in war contracts, as well as escort groups that primarily accept escort missions.
Nichole\'s adventure team belongs to a somewhat special category.
Typically, mercenaries join to earn commissions and enjoy a better life.
But there are some who are passionate about exploring the world\'s secrets, discovering unknown wonders, and enjoying the thrill of traversing ruins and dangerous areas, even at the risk of their lives.
Of course, obtaining more precious treasures is also a reward for their courage.
These adventure teams generally undertake territorial exploration tasks issued by countries and mercenary associations, as well as long-distance caravan escort missions.
During downtime, they also actively explore unexplored ruins and other areas, spending most of their time on the road.
However, they probably won\'t take on missions that are too far from the capital, right?
Considering Nichole\'s status, the kingdom probably wouldn\'t allow her to venture too far from the capital!