“Iron rank que~st! Iron rank que~st!...”

“Shut up its embarrassing.”

We are currently on the way to the south gate after buying some supplies and today as usual the two of them started their bickering but I can't blame Bart for being excited cause I am the same as its our first quest far away from the city.

“That's enough you two were close to the gate.” Denn said.

After arriving at the gate we head towards the side were the carriages are then we asked the coachmen there if they are heading to place that we are going, then Denn negotiated the payment and before long we were driven by the carriage towards the village.

The quest we took is to subjugate the monsters that have been spotted near a village south of the city, the quest was perfect as our first Iron rank quest because we can back out if the enemy would be too much after giving the guild the information and if we succeed the pay would be good.

“How much longer?” Bart asked.

The coachman who have been asked by Bart a couple times look back at him, sighing he said.

“I said it already, we will arrive their at noon.”

“Then can you make it faster?”

“Then you do it.”

He must be tired from Bart's questions that he answered like that but unlucky for him Bart doesn't notice his hint.

“Alright mister give me the reign.” Bart said offering his hands.

The coachman look at him dumbly then just as his hands about to snatch the reigns his head jerked after getting a fist in the head by Alexa who look at the coachman apologetically.

“I know your excited but do not bother someone go to sleep and save your strength, when you wake up we already arrived there.”

Bart followed her instruction and slept making the coachman sigh again.

We arrived at the place when it is noon but we didn't felt the rise of temperature as the sun was blocked by the dark clouds. Standing near the entrance was an old man who welcomed us.

“Oh! mercenaries! Ahem, I am this village's chief I welcome you.”

The chief greatly welcomed us different from the villagers whose gazes seemed to contain wariness, he led us towards the house at the center of the village and offered us to sit before serving us drinks.

“Thank you for heeding our quest.”

“Thank us later after we finished the quest, first can you tell us the details?” Denn said.

“Ah right, the hunters spotted them the day before yesterday at the forest in the east as we didn't have enough power we decided to commission it to the mercenary guild but then yesterday some of our livestock was stolen luckily they did not attack us so there's no casualty.”

“I'm sorry but how did you know that it was stolen by them not one of you?” Alexa asked.

“It's alright, at first we thought like that too so we investigated and we found footprints much bigger than our feet near the place were the livestock was reared, that was why the villagers was on edge as we don't know if next time its us not our livestock.”

“We accepted the quest so we'll do our best to complete it.”

“Oh thank you!”

The chief took Denn's hand shaking it for a long time.

“Village chief we would like to have a space to build our tent before we head to the forest.” Denn said, as he took back his hand.

“Oh~ so you want to start your quest soon I'll wish you luck, you can use the vacant house in the village to sleep.”

“Ah no we won't attack right away we have just arrived so we will just scout the place and see if we can have more information about them.”

“Is that so...” the village chief said with a disappointed looks.

“Don't worry about it tonight we will guard the place so that no orc would step in the village.” Bart said.

Hearing his words the village chief look at him happily before he guiding us towards a house near the place we're the livestock live. After the chief go back we started checking the house as its basics of mercenaries to be cautious after all, after checking that the place is safe we put down our luggage and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Fuu~ Finally we can relax.” Alexa said as she massage her back.

“Hahaha! its your first time sitting to a rocking carriage after all.” Bart who slept for the whole ride said.

“It's your first time too why are you still so energetic?”

Just when we started to relax the two of them started their bickering again but was stopped by Denn.

“Alright that's enough hide your luggage and bring with you your important items we will start our scouting.”

We followed his orders and donned our armors before going out to the forest, on the way the villager's gazes still remain the same as they see us off with it.

We entered the forest and after following the route given to us we found several footprints in the ground, like the chief said it was two times bigger than my foot, we then follow it and we saw in the distance where houses haphazardly made from woods and leaves then we spotted the monsters for our subjugation.

“Orcs...” I muttered under my breath as I look at the monsters that have resemblance with a boar, it has height two times Denn's, armed with a tusk that is pointed towards the sky looking like it could pierce it, and standing in two thick legs as it holds its body that is packed with muscles.

In the book that I read orcs were depicted as one of the most common monsters followed after goblins, all they do are mate and eat creating thousands of them in a year, there are powerful but slow so they are easier to run from but if its hit connected your whole life would flash pass your eyes.

This was the creatures that we have to kill in order for us to finish our quest, I thought, then I heard Alexa's voice making me look at her.

“Look there.”

I followed where those fingers pointed and saw bunch of smaller orcs playing in the mud.

“Little orcs?”

I was confused about what her point is so I look back at her like Denn and Bart did.

”Are we going to kill them too?”

Hearing her words my confusion vanished but all I did is shut my mouth as I don't know how to answer her question instead I look for Denn who is more knowledgeable than me.

“Count their numbers first then we'll go back, its dangerous to talk things about that here.”

We spotted a total of 24 orcs 5 of them are male, 6 are female and the rest was their offsprings , after that we walked back towards the village in silence we were welcomed by the chief as he asked us about our findings.

We told him about the numbers of orcs and his face crumpled, he took Denn's hands and pleaded that he would add more for rewards but he only looked at us who are still silent especially Alexa who had her head lower before looking back at the chief.

“Thank you for your offer but first we would like to rest and put our plan together, we will tell you our decision after we decided.”

We bid goodbye to the impatient chief as we head back towards the house they've let us borrowed.

“Do you want to take this quest?”

With his back facing us Denn said after the door closed but we didn't answered him.

Hearing no response he look back at us.

“If you can't do it we will not accept this quest, our credibility might suffer but its much better than having you three burdern with guilt.

It's just that after we surrender the quest, either the orcs will attack the village after they grew in numbers or someone who are in the same trade as us will kill those orcs and earn the money, remember we are no knights what we valued is not honor, its money and our lives.”

“...I'll do it!” Alexa said.

Her hands still shaking but her eyes was carrying different light, hearing her answer Denn looked at the two of us.

“Knights values honor but their first and formost job is to protect the weak people, also I promise to the chief that won't let an orc take a step in this village.”

“Is that a yes?”

Bart nodded making me the only one who have no answer so I gave a simple nod.

After we made our decisions Denn got out of the house saying that he would need to tell the chief that we would do the quest tomorrow, he then came back later with pouches of oil with him, curious about it I asked him, hearing that he looked outside at the sky that is blocked by dark clouds and told us his plan.

That night it rained.