The city gates soon came into view.
Tolu and Ore had spent most of the journey supporting Akin between them.
By the time they reached the Adventurer’s Guild, Akin was barely putting any weight on his injured leg.
"Let’s get you to a healer first," Tolu said.
Akin nodded.
"That would probably be wise."
Tolu helped him toward the treatment room while Ore carried the sack containing the Mirefang’s body.
She walked up to the counter and placed the sack down.
"I’d like to sell the materials from this."
The person behind the counter opened the sack and inspected the contents.
After a short examination, they nodded.
"One hundred and twenty bronze."
Ore nodded.
"Deal."
The coins were counted out onto the counter.
The clerk looked at her.
"Did you three go looking for a Mirefang?"
Ore shook her head.
"No. We actually stumbled across it."
"And you fought it?"
"Unfortunately."
The clerk smiled.
"You look like novices."
"We are."
"Then you three should really look for a teacher."
Ore raised an eyebrow.
"An Adept?"
The clerk laughed.
"No."
He shook his head.
"Adept-ranked adventurers are busy trying to make a name for themselves. You could say they’re in their prime."
"I’m talking about an Advanced adventurer."
Ore’s expression changed.
"An Advanced?"
"Yes."
The clerk leaned against the counter.
"Having an Advanced adventurer teach you would go a long way. You could grow on your own, but it’ll be much slower."
He glanced toward the treatment room.
"And you might not be lucky next time if the beast you encounter is simply too strong."
Ore looked at the coins on the counter. "How do we convince an Advanced adventurer to teach us?"
The clerk smiled. "That’s for you to figure out."
Ore sighed. "Right."
The clerk gathered the paperwork. "Good luck."
Ore collected the coins and turned toward the treatment room. She found Tolu and Akin sitting nearby.
Akin’s leg was now wrapped tightly in bandages. He looked much better than before.
Ore walked over and handed Tolu a portion of the coins.
"Forty bronze each." She handed another portion to Akin.
Akin looked at the coins but didn’t take them. "You should keep that."
Ore frowned. "Why?"
"You two did most of the work."
Tolu shook his head. "We all fought."
Akin glanced at him. "I was mostly sitting hoping the mirefang wouldn’t look at me."
Ore laughed. "You did a good job as bait."
Akin looked at her for a moment. "Was that supposed to make me feel better?"
"Yes."
"It didn’t."
Tolu laughed.
Akin finally accepted the coins. "Thank you."
Ore sat down beside them. "So, you said you’re a novice too?"
Akin nodded. "I only started adventuring a few days ago."
Tolu looked surprised. "Seriously?"
"Yes." Ore smiled.
"Then where’s your partner?"
Akin opened his mouth.
Before he could answer, the guild doors opened.
A young woman walked inside. She had deep brown skin and an athletic build. Her dark hair was tied back into short braids, but the tips had been dyed a vivid orange that caught the light whenever she moved.
Her dark eyes scanned the guild. Then they landed on Akin.
She stopped. Her expression immediately changed.
"Akin."
Akin looked up. "Temi."
She walked over. "I heard you got hurt."
Akin nodded toward his bandaged leg. "I did."
Temi looked at the injury. Then she looked at him. " You survived."
"Apparently."
She folded her arms. "Good."
Akin stared at her. "That’s all?"
"What else do you want me to say?"
"Nothing."
"Good."
Tolu and Ore exchanged a glance.
Temi finally looked at them. "Who are they?"
Akin gestured toward them.
"Tolu and Ore. They found me after the Mirefang attacked."
Temi’s expression softened slightly.
She looked at the two of them. "Then thank you."
Ore smiled. "No problem."
Temi shook her head. "Still, you shouldn’t have wasted your time."
Tolu raised an eyebrow. "Wasted our time?"
"Getting involved with him."
Akin looked at her. "I was injured."
"Exactly."
Akin sighed.
Temi smirked. "You should’ve just stayed there and waited."
"You left me."
"Because you annoyed me."
"You could have stayed."
"And listen to you complain?"
Akin shook his head.
Ore covered her mouth.
Tolu looked away.
Neither of them could stop the smile from appearing.
Temi noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing," Ore said quickly.
Akin introduced them properly. "Temi, this is Tolu and Ore. Novice adventurers."
Temi nodded. "And you’ve already met Akin’s biggest problem."
Akin looked at her. "Yourself?"
Temi smiled. "Exactly."
Tolu laughed.
The tension that had been hanging over them since the forest finally began to disappear.
Ore suddenly remembered something.
"Actually, there is something we wanted to discuss."
The three looked at her. "We were told we should find a teacher."
Temi raised an eyebrow. "Teacher?"
"An Advanced adventurer."
Temi laughed.
"Advanced adventurers aren’t babysitters."
"Exactly."
Ore looked at all three of them. "That’s why I have another idea."
Tolu waited.
Ore continued. "We form a group."
Akin looked thoughtful. "All four of us?"
Ore nodded. "The more people we have, the better our chances of surviving stronger monsters. Except we all want to kill slimes and pick herbs forever and today showed us even that isn’t completely safe."
Temi looked at Akin.
Then at Tolu and Ore.
She shrugged. "I’m willing."
Akin nodded. "I don’t see a problem with it."
Tolu smiled. "Then I guess we’re a group."
Ore smiled. "Looks like it."
They were already thinking about the next adventure.
.....
Tobi watched as the Mirefang was carried into the processing room.
The creature was placed on a large wooden table.
He pulled his gloves tighter and looked over the body.
"Not bad."
The wounds were obvious.
There was a deep cut along its side and another across its shoulder.
Tobi crouched beside it.
"For a group of novices..."
He smiled.
"...they did better than I expected."
He reached for a knife and carefully began removing the creature’s thick back scales.
The scales were dark and slightly rough, with a faint sheen beneath their surface.
These were the most valuable part of a Mirefang.
When properly treated, they could be shaped into light but durable forearm guards.
Tobi placed each usable scale into a separate container.
"These should fetch a decent price."
He continued working.
The hide was separated from the meat and placed aside for the guild’s buyers.
Then he carefully opened the creature’s body.
Several organs were removed one after another.
Unlike the ordinary remains, these were handled with much greater care.
Tobi placed each organ into a separate glass jar before sealing it.
Mirefang organs had little value on their own, but alchemists used different parts in various potions.
The liver could be processed for certain stamina mixtures.
The glands were useful in some antidotes.
Even the blood could be collected and refined.
Nothing was simply thrown away.
Tobi wiped his knife clean and looked over the collection.
One Mirefang.
Not a particularly powerful monster.
But enough to earn a group of novices a respectable amount of money.
He thought about the four adventurers who had brought it in.
Tolu.
Ore.
Akin.
And the girl who had arrived shortly after them.
Temi.
Tobi chuckled.
"Four novices taking down a Mirefang..."
He shook his head.
"They were lucky."
Then he remembered the wounds on the creature.
The positioning of the cuts.
The fact that none of them had been fatal on their own.
They hadn’t overwhelmed it.
They had simply kept fighting until they found an opening.
Tobi smiled.
"Maybe not just lucky."
He placed the final usable organ into its jar.
The Mirefang had been processed.
Soon its parts would be sold to craftsmen, alchemists, and adventurers.
For the guild, it was just another monster.
Another hunt.
Another transaction.
But Tobi had a feeling those four novices might not remain ordinary for very long.