After refuting Drake, Hogan’s gaze lingered on Zelir for a long moment before he finally spoke.

"As for Marcus’s squad, they may only have two Middle Level Professionals, but one is a Ranger and the other is an Assassin. Both can deal a fatal blow to the White-haired Goblin, and they also have a Mage."

"I don’t need to elaborate on the importance of a Mage in a party. It’s clear that Marcus’s squad is better suited for this mission. This isn’t favoritism, but a judgment call based on my decades of experience as an Adventurer."

Drake clenched his fists, his face a mask of indignation. He whirled to face Zelir.

"Hey! You, the Middle Level Ranger, and you, the Mage kid! Want to join our team? I’ll give you a bigger cut of the loot!"

"I have no desire to team up with a barbarian," Valles refused flatly.

"I’ll pass this time. Perhaps some other time," Zelir also declined with a polite smile.

’Are you kidding me? If I joined Drake’s team, I’d be worried about getting a knife in my back.’

Amidst the amused gazes of the other Adventurers, Drake could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger. As he brushed past Marcus, he shot him a vicious glare.

"Dammit... We’re leaving!"

He stormed out of the association with his indignant teammates.

In the end, the Marcus Squad accepted the commission.

"So... you don’t think that guy will try to cause trouble for us, do you? He seemed pretty resentful," Zelir said, a little worried.

"Who knows," Hill said nonchalantly.

"Alright, don’t worry about them. Everyone go home and get prepared. We’ll meet tomorrow morning at the gate of Black Stone Town," Marcus said, clapping his hands.

...

「The next day.」

「Early morning.」

After checking his equipment one last time in his room, Zelir breathed a sigh of relief.

Today, he was armed to the teeth.

Being right-handed, he wore his Foil on his left hip for a smooth draw in an emergency. On his right hip, he carried the White Wax Wood Base Material.

As for Armor, in addition to his Studded Chest Armor, Zelir had spent one gold coin and ten silver coins on a decent quality Waist Armor and Skirt Armor.

This was because he figured goblins were short. They generally couldn’t reach his chest, only his lower body.

After all, he still couldn’t use Embrace of the Mist Veil, so he had to make sure the important parts were protected.

After purchasing this equipment, Zelir had four gold and forty silver coins remaining.

’This should be fine...’

He went downstairs.

Zelir happened to run into Aurora, who was about to end her shift and get some rest. She was rubbing her eyes and yawning, looking exhausted.

Seeing Zelir’s gear, Aurora asked in surprise.

"Zelir, are you heading out on a mission?"

"I am."

"What kind of Demon are you fighting this time?" Aurora asked, unable to hide her concern.

"Nothing much. Just a few little goblins," Zelir said casually.

"Please be careful. Come back safe," Aurora said, her voice full of concern. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Don’t worry. You’ll see me back tonight for a feast," Zelir said with a smile.

The first light of dawn was just creeping over the horizon, and most of the townsfolk were still sound asleep.

The members of the squad were already waiting at the gate of Black Stone Town.

A carriage pulled by two sturdy draft horses rolled up and stopped in front of them.

"Is everyone here?"

Marcus hopped down from the driver’s seat.

"I rented this carriage. Walking would waste too much time and drain our Physical Strength. Let’s load our gear onto it."

"Not having to march on foot? That’s great news."

Gray unstrapped his Hard Leather Armor and tossed it into the carriage along with his Longsword.

Gak’s Armor and Broad Axe, Valles’s Longbow and Leather Armor, and Zelir’s Foil and Leather Armor were all piled in the center of the carriage.

It was stuffy wearing all that gear constantly.

"Don’t you have anything to load?" Zelir asked, looking at Hill curiously.

Her attire was the same as yesterday, just a simple Half-Length Cloak.

Hill just gave a slight smile.

"My gear is already on me."

With that, she undid a clasp and opened her cloak for Zelir.

Zelir’s breath caught.

Underneath, just as on her lower body, Hill wore form-fitting leather clothing.

The taut, specialized material hugged her impressive curves, fully accentuating her feminine Charm.

But what shocked Zelir even more was what lay beneath the cloak: a dense array of deadly tools.

Everything from foot-long combat daggers to small Flying Sabers.

A coil of hair-thin garrote wire hung by her left ribs. By her right were numerous unknown throwing weapons. On her wrists were spring-loaded Sleeve Swords.

Her waist was adorned with even more ingenious contraptions that Zelir couldn’t name.

It was easy to imagine just how dangerous an Assassin carrying so many weapons could be.

Under the cover of her cloak, she could employ any number of methods to easily claim a target’s life at a moment’s notice.

"You don’t seem to be looking at my weapons, are you?" Hill said teasingly.

"Is that so? You must be mistaken..." Zelir averted his gaze, slightly embarrassed.

"Hee hee..."

With a light chuckle, Hill closed her cloak.

"Before we set out, I need to stress one more thing!"

Marcus cracked the whip in his hand, producing a sharp sound.

"This mission isn’t like the others. We’re not facing a single Demon, but an organized Goblin Community! I need everyone to be on their highest alert. I’ll be in command during combat, and everyone must follow my orders!"

"Understood!"

"You’re the boss," Hill replied lazily.

"Then let’s move out!"

Marcus climbed back into the driver’s seat.

With a RUMBLE of its wheels, the carriage started toward the Gray Wood Forest.

It would have taken the squad several hours to reach the Gray Wood Forest on foot, but with the carriage, their pace was much faster. They soon arrived at the forest’s edge.

The dense Forest Area ahead was impassable for the carriage, and the noise might have alerted some Demons.

After leaving the carriage at a nearby village, the squad members donned their Armor, armed themselves, and began trekking through the woods on foot.

Hill didn’t stay with the group. After a quick word with Marcus, she began to dart swiftly between the trees.

Her form was incredibly light, her movements even more nimble than Valles’s.

With a light push of her toes, she easily scaled a tall tree. After a few leaps, her figure blurred and vanished from sight.

’She’s truly an Assassin with a maxed-out Agility Attribute...’ Zelir thought, looking up.

According to the map provided with the commission, the Goblin Community was located in the center of the Gray Wood Forest, much deeper than Zelir’s previous mission to hunt wild wolves.

Marcus and Gak took point at the very front, forming the squad’s first line of defense.