I am Just an Average Tamer-Chapter 46: Party

"Phew!"

Kai exhaled, stepping out of the inn.

'I'll take my first-ever mercenary mission today.'

He thought and began walking toward the Adventurers' Guild.

[]

"Yeah," Kai gave a firm nod.

"Vex, I think you should rest today."

He stroked her ears and latter purred, then Kai sent her to his Soul space.

Then he stopped at the clothing shop.

He bought a simple scarf to cover his face.

Soon, he reached the guild, his face covered with a black scarf.

Walking inside, he took in the bustling scene of adventurers.

Taking a deep breath, he headed straight to the second floor.

At the left corner of the floor, there was a room with two men guarding it.

Kai moved toward them cautiously.

As he approached, they blocked his path.

"Identity?"

Kai pulled out his adventurer's card from his pocket and flashed it toward them, only showing the necessary information.

They both nodded and stepped aside, making way for Kai to enter.

As Kai entered, his gaze swept across the room.

Inside, there was fine wooden furniture, a table and chairs for discussions,

a noticeboard for missions, and a mini bar.

The room was big enough to hold around 100 people,

but there were hardly 30–40 present.

The walls were adorned with fine paintings.

While scanning the room, Kai's gaze fell on a particular group of five members.

He noticed one of them, a man with red hair, discussing something with another man who appeared to be in his 30s.

However, the latter shook his head, causing the red-haired man to drop his head in disappointment.

Ignoring them, Kai moved toward the board where mission notices were hung.

"Hmm?"

He carefully began inspecting them.

Suddenly—

"Hey, buddy."

A voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Kai turned around to see a tall, muscular man clad in leather armor with metal accents.

A large war axe was tucked behind his back.

"You want something?"

Kai asked, tilting his head upward since the man was around 6'0" tall.

His gray eyes, matching his gray hair, lingered on Kai for a second before shifting to the man standing just behind him.

"What about him, Red?"

He was a little shorter than the giant, probably around 5'10".

He was a bit lean, wearing sturdy armor over his black tunic.

A scar creased his left cheek.

His black hair was tied back in a ponytail.

Red crossed his arms, assessing Kai from head to toe.

He closed his gray eyes and nodded.

"He doesn't look that bad."

"Huh?"

Kai blinked.

"We're hired for an infiltration mission, but we're short on a Rogue-class mercenary. Will you join us?"

Red spoke, seeing the confusion etched on Kai's face.

Kai's eyes narrowed.

"How do you know I have a Rogue class?"

Red replied in a calm tone,

"The way you carry yourself, the aura you exude—it gives the feeling of a rogue. Not to mention, you're also covering your identity."

[]

Kai gave a mental nod.

"So, what do you say?" Red asked again.

"Can you first tell me a bit more about the mission?"

"We have to retrieve a certain item from a certain someone. I can't tell you more unless you join our party."

Kai pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons.

Eventually, he nodded.

"Count me in."

Clap!

"Alright, it's settled then," a soothing voice chimed in.

Kai turned his head, his gaze shifting beside Red.

A young woman, around 5'4" tall, stood there, clasping her hands together.

She wore blue-colored robes that created a perfect combo with her silver hair.

Her violet eyes locked onto another figure beside her, and she started pulling them.

"Let's go, or we'll be late."

As they moved to leave the room,

Kai's gaze drifted to the last figure, who was clad in a dark cloak.

His sharp eyes locked with Kai's for a second before he gave a curt nod and moved away.

Kai followed behind them.

As they descended, they waited at the right counter.

Red filled in the details of all their teammates and gestured for Kai to give his details too.

Red stepped back, and Kai showed his guild card.

The elderly attendant nodded and asked,

"Would you like to use a new name?"

Kai nodded and spoke.

"Shadow."

The attendant scribbled it down on the paper and handed it to Red.

Clap!

Red clapped, catching everyone's attention.

"Alright, guys. Since you're all aware of the mission, I don't think I need to repeat it. But since Shadow is the new one..."

He handed the paper to Kai.

"You can check it yourself."

--

Objective: Retrieve the stolen artifact known as the "Voidglass Compass" from a corrupt merchant's fortified estate.

Merchant Name: Crispin Duvall

Estate Location: Duvall Manor, situated on the outskirts of Ravenport, near the border of Howlfen Forest.

Details: Crispin Duvall is a cunning and influential merchant whose estate, Duvall Manor, serves as both his residence and a hub for his illicit trade dealings.The manor lies just outside the trade city of Ravenport.

Reward: 30 SC

--

(A/N: CC= Copper Coins, SC= Silver Coins, GC= Gold Coins)

'Holy Crap! 30 silver coins...'

He calmed himself down and gave the paper back to Red.

The latter then turned to Kai and offered his hand for a handshake.

"I know you're probably already familiar with my name, but I'll introduce myself again. I'm Red, leader of this mercenary party."

Kai shook his hand and replied, "Glad to make your acquaintance, Red. I'm Shadow."

Then, the tall man stepped forward, stretching his hand for a handshake.

"I'm Garren." His gray eyes glinted with mischief as he squeezed Kai's hand.

Kai yelped, yanking his hand away.

"Haha! Sorry, my bad," Garren replied with a practiced apologetic look.

"You won't change a bit, Garren, will you?"

The silver-haired woman sighed and reached for Kai's hand.

She chanted a few words, and a light-green glow shot forward from her palm to Kai's hand.His pain vanished.

"You're a healer?" Kai exclaimed, gazing at her with admiration.

"Yup! And the name's Sarah," she replied, offering her hand for a handshake.

The girl behind her stepped forward, her long blonde hair pulled back in a loose braid.

Her short armor revealed her slender figure.

She offered Kai a smile and said,

"I'm Aria. Nice to meet you, Shadow."

"Likewise," he replied.

But his gaze lingered on her for longer.

'Lira...' he thought as he stared deep into her emerald-green eyes.

Not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable, he quickly averted his gaze.

'I really miss her...' he smiled, turned around and moved.

As he was about to reach out to the last person left unintroduced in the group,the latter spoke.

"Felix," he said and turned around without waiting for a reply.

Sarah sighed, shaking her head.

"Don't mind him. He's just like that."

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

Kai gave a small chuckle.

"It's fine."

Ahem!

"Since we've introduced ourselves, we'll discuss the details on our way. We don't have enough time to spare. Let's go."

Red said and turned to leave.

They rented a wagon and seated themselves inside.

All of them started chatting animatedly, but one of them sat in the corner.

Alone.

'Felix.'

[]

'Huh? How?'

[]

'Hey, I'm not.'

[]

'You're the one who started.'

[]

His gaze suddenly landed on Aria, laughing at Garren's lame jokes.

Sensing his gaze on her, Aria raised a brow.

"You want something, Shadow?"

Kai shook his head.

"No, it's just..." he paused for a moment,

"Your eyes. They're beautiful."

All their heads snapped in Kai's direction.

However, a smirk tugged at Aria's lips.

"Don't tell me... is it love at first sight?" Aria said teasingly.

Kai instantly shook his head.

"No, no, no. You just reminded me of my close friend.

You both have similar eyes."

"Is your 'close friend' a girl?" Aria asked.

"Mmm, yeah." Kai nodded.

"Then, mister, you're not allowed to flirt with me thinking of her."

"I'm not flirting, nor do I plan to."

Clap!

"I think we need to strategize now," Red said in a serious tone.

Everyone nodded, their expressions mimicking his.

"So, it's like this..."

--

"He's inside, right?" Kai asked as he looked at the Manor in front of him.

The Duvall Manor stood tall, its dark stone walls giving off an eerie aura.

Sharp iron fences surrounded the estate, with thorny vines creeping along the edges.

Dim lanterns flickered faintly, casting unsettling shadows across the cobblestone path.

Several guards were stationed around the doors.

Moonlight waves washed over the surroundings.

"Yes, Aria confirmed it," Felix said.

They were both perched on a large tree, a short distance away from the manor.

According to Red's plan, Aria had been tasked with scouting the area all day, tracking their every move.

After that Kai and Felix were assigned to locate the artifact and signal the others.

Once the artifact would be spotted, the outer team would create a diversion, giving the rogue duo enough time to escape with it.

In an instant, both blurred—

Reappearing near the rear of the mansion where no one was.

Silently nodding, they disappeared again, each taking a different side.

They moved swiftly, appearing and disappearing through the corridors, skillfully avoiding the guards.

Just as Kai was passing by, he overheard a conversation—

"Did you hear the news about Lady Lira?"

Kai halted; his breath caught as the words echoed in his ears.

But their next words felt like a punch to his gut.

His chest heaved, and his heart pounded hard.

Clink.

A guard's gaze snapped toward his direction.

'Shit!'

Kai froze.