《Prepared Members》
It was on the seventh day after the members of the Gusts of Wind, except Serinn, had entered the Halls of Warriors. The members came back to the guest house in the late afternoon. Although they seemed exhausted due to their hard training, it was good to see that their eyes were still burning bright.
"I really appreciate your consideration, Boss. I learned some good tricks, thanks to you," said Teeno.
Haroon was concerned about Teeno being weak in combat, but now he was relieved that he's learned a good combat skill.
"Hahaha! Boss! Now I can knock down every monster with a single shield!"
Haroon chuckled from the chatterbox's words, but he didn't rebuke him for it. It was good to see that he was being confident for once.
"Hoho, monsters are my bread from now on. I learned an awesome skill, you know?"
Haroon hoped so. He hoped she wouldn't get the party in trouble by taunting the monsters.
"Boss, thanks."
Haroon found Philip the most trustworthy, as he could easily tell that his eyes had deepened. Though it was pitiful to see Serinn's sagging shoulders, there was nothing the party could do for her. All they could do was speak no more about it.
'I wonder how much they've changed….'
Haroon was expecting a good result, as it was the first time he was opening the guild stat window after they had completed their first quest.
Name: The Gusts of Wind
Grade: Small guild – D
Specialization: N/A
Members: Philip, Gitan, Serinn, Ritrina, Teeno, Haroon(leader)
Fame: 100
Though they have completed two quests, there was no change made to the grade as they were personal quests, not through the mercenary office. Haroon touched on each member's status window.
Name: Philip
Race: Human NPC
Class: Swordsman
Level: 40
Title: Grade-D Mercenary
H.P.: 1,400 M.P.: 1,100
Strength: 44 Stamina: 48
Intellect: 25 Wisdom: 28
Luck: 5 Agility: 19
Focus: 6
[Skills]
Smashing Blow – Basic Lv.5(96.25%)/Lv.5
Multi-blow – Intermediate Lv.1(85.20%)/Lv.5
Philip has leveled up 5 times during the journey, and he has learned an intermediate skill in the Hall of Warriors. By name, Haroon presumed it to be an evolved skill of Smashing Blow.
Name: Gitan
Race: Human NPC
Class: Swordsman
Level: 32
Title: Grade E Mercenary
H.P.: 1,535 M.P.: 740
Strength: 61 Stamina: 60
Intellect: 5 Wisdom: 7
Luck: 5 Agility: 7
[Skills]
Shield Attack – Basic Lv.2(12%)/Lv.5
Shield Crossing – Basic Lv.1(88.50%)/Lv.5』
Gitan has leveled up 7 times. His stat gains were mainly on Strength and Stamina. Like Haroon thought, this character would be like a corpse without his strength. Though he might be a cowardly man, he learned two skills in the Hall of Warriors. He wondered how Gitan was able to learn two skills when Haroon only paid for one.
'Well, scientists do say bears are clever when they look rather dull'
Name: Serinn
Race: Human NPC
Class: Swordswoman
Level: 23
Title: Grade-E mercenary
H.P.: 1,105 M.P.: 970
Strength: 26 Stamina: 34
Intellect: 18 Wisdom: 25
Luck: 7 Agility: 11
Coquetry: 6
[Skills]
Housework – Basic Lv.1(82.36%)/Lv.5
Skinning – Basic Lv.4(24.40%)/Lv.5
Since Serinn was not deployed for combat, she only leveled up twice. Though, because Haroon forced her to do every miscellaneous job, her strength and stamina rose quite a lot. Her skill Skinning was quite high as well.
Though, it was Haroon's concern that she doesn't have any combat ability. Coquetry didn't rise at all as she didn't have much chance to use it lately.
Name: Ritrina
Race: Human NPC
Class: Swordswoman
Level: 28
Title: Grade-E mercenary
H.P.: 1,070 M.P.: 830
Strength: 34 Stamina: 34
Intellect: 16 Wisdom: 18
Luck: 8 Agility: 26
[Skills]
Swift: Basic Lv.1(90.20%)/Lv.5
Taunt: Basic Lv.3(24.40%)/Lv.5』
Ritrina has leveled up 4 times. The name of the skill she learned in the Hall of Warriors suggest that it's an agile skill. It was interesting to see how she was able to level up her taunt skill 3 times in such a short time.
Name: Teeno
Race: Human NPC
Class: Swordsman
Level: 49
Title: Grade-C mercenary
H.P.: 1,500 M.P.: 1,350
Strength: 34 Stamina: 50
Intellect: 38 Wisdom: 40
Luck: 8 Agility: 36
Focus: 11 E.S.P.: 4
Observation: 12 Foresight: 10
[Skills]
Topography Recon – Intermediate Lv.4(82.00%)/Lv.5
First aid – Advanced Lv.1(96.50%).Lv.5
Collecting Herbs – Intermediate Lv.3(21.20%)/Lv.5
Compounding remedy – Intermediate Lv.2(40.13%)/Lv.5
Messenger Moving – Basic Lv.5(100%)/Lv.5
Cartographing – Intermediate Lv.3(64.54%)/Lv.5
Defence Sword – Basic Lv.1(90.20%)/Lv.5』
'Oh my gosh!'
Teeno's abilities were beyond Haroon’s expectation. His level was the highest in all the members in the guild, and he was even a grade-C mercenary. He had 4 additional stats, and various skills. Though he may lack some combat abilities, it was pure luck to have him in the guild.
'I don't think I should be the boss instead of him!'
Haroon thought in doubt. Anyways, he was relieved by having him in the guild, as his members were not exactly the best, if he didn't count Philip.
'I should check mine as well.'
Recalling that it was first time checking his status window after clearing the dungeon, Haroon opened his stat window.
Name: Haroon
Race: Human
Class: Swordsman
Level: 22
Title: Mercenary Guild Leader(and 5 others)
H.P.: 1,235 M.P.: 1,265
E.F.P.: 450
Strength: 46(+15) Stamina: 37
Intellect: 21 Wisdom: 39
Luck: 31 Agility: 34(+12)
Endurance: 16 E.S.P.: 12
Focus: 22 S.P.: 93
Fame: 1190 Leadership: 465
Fire Resistance: +10%
Magic Resistance: +10%
Bonus stats: 24
'Dang, I've been power leveling!'
He leveled up 12 times within a few days after getting his class advancement, and this was a remarkable achievement as no one has done that before. Although 7 levels were the reward of a quest, it made him feel proud, as he had been thinking that he wasn't good at anything at all.
He gained some fame, and leadership as he put his members in the Halls of Warriors using his own money. He also gained enough Soul Points to learn at least 3 basic skills, though, he was disappointed by how little H.P. and M.P. he had gained.
Haroon distributed his bonus points equally to the 6 basic stats. That was enough to cover the points lost by the death penalty.
He was pleased to see his new status window.
Name: Haroon
Race: Human
Class: Swordsman
Level: 22
Title: Mercenary guild leader(and 5 others)
H.P.: 1,315 M.P.: 1,365
E.F.P.: 450
Strength: 50(+15) Stamina: 41
Intellect: 25 Wisdom: 43
Luck: 35 Agility: 38(+12)
Endurance: 16 E.S.P.: 12
Focus: 22 S.P.: 93
Fame: 1290 Leadership: 465
Fire Resistance: +10%
Magic Resistance: +10%』
'Oh, right! I got an item after killing the Hobgoblin.'
Haroon quickly opened his inventory and checked his item. It was a small bead.
'What is this? Is it a strange one again?'
He felt betrayed by his expectation as it was another bead-looking item, right after he got a strange marble as a reward of the last quest. Still not losing hope, he checked the information of the item.
Poison Bead
Type: Magical ingredient, Medical ingredient
A bead that was formed by the coagulation of the Hobgoblin's poison. Strong and pure poison like this item has a lot of usages, often required for several poison-magic experiments, or for creating antidotes. It absorbs weak kinds of poison for the carrier. Sprays poison if the user can infuse mana.
He was disappointed once again. He expected that it wouldn't be a good item, but he didn't expect it to be a common item. He also thought about controlling Brat's poison with the bead, but realized that Brat's poison would not be weak enough to do so.
This item might be a great item to poison users, but it wasn't worth much to Haroon. Though he uses poison as Brat does, his ability was not related to poison.
'Well, I guess there will be a use one day.'
Haroon put the poison bead in the inventory, then joined the conversation with the others.
Translated by Channy_
Edited by Tom and Kmatt
Footnotes:
Editor's notes:
Channy: Big, BIG chapter incoming! I was wrong about the bead, seeing how at least the author hasn’t forgot about the bead that Briella gave him, not just yet.
Tom: It's another dungeon!
Kmatt: At this rate he'll be able to make himself a charm bracelet with all his beads!