A good day welcomed me as I opened the window of my room blessing myself with morning sunshine.

Looking at the cloudless blue sky I then stretch both my arms upwards and said.

“Good morning.”

After stretching my body and exiting my room I walk downstairs then I took a sit in one of the tables in the dining hall before calling the waitress.

“Your order?”

“2 eggs, bacon and a fruit juice.”

“Its 5 bronze sir.”

I take out the said coins in my pouch before giving it to her.

“Coming right up.”

I passed my time waiting for my order listening to the people close to my table gossiping about some rumors and news floating around the city.

As this inn's inhabitant were mostly mercenaries I heard a lot about the news concerning our trade but the information that picked my interest the most was about the scarcity of copper rank subjugation quest due to the dwindling number of monsters in the eastern forest area because of that novice mercenaries were forced to pick gathering quest which is not enough for all of them.

'Luckily we promoted earlier.'

“Here's your order!”

Breaking me from my thoughts was a nice smelling dish laid in my table I hurriedly took both the utensils in my hands and I put the food in my mouth savoring it until there's not even a piece of it left on my plate.

Today we will do our second iron rank quest so after gulping down the fruit juice I head at the backyard taking a bucket of water with me as I head back into my room, then after I cleaned myself I put on my armor and weapons before walking out of the room and exited the inn, I then followed the memorized alleys towards the guild.

I looked around the place but I did not spotted any of my teammates, realizing that I was the first to come I took a sit in the corner of the lobby and waited for them to arrived.

Minutes passed until the pair Bart and Alexa passed the guild's doors and seconds after them Denn arrived holding a parchment in his hands.

After we greeted each other Alexa went straight to the point as she look at Denn.

“So did you find anything?”

“Hmm I found a good paying quest but I don't know if the rest of you will like it.”

Denn said as he unrolled the parchment in his hands before putting it down the table letting us see its contents.

“'Missing harvests of the Corcus Town.'” Bart read the quest title out loud.

“So there's someone stealing there crops?” I asked Denn about it after reading the summary of the quest.

“Yes, yesterday I asked someone who have been in that town and he told me that the culprit is still at large.”

“So all we need to do is catch the thief right?!” Bart excitedly asked him making Denn shakes his head to his question.

“Read this part.” he then pointed at the parchment in the table.

“'Guard the warehouse until the tax collector arrive.'” this time it was Alexa's turn.

“Yes all we need to do is guard it for a couple of days, will you accept it?” Denn asked us.

“I accept!”

Unsurprisingly Bart was the first one to agree.

“Me too.” I voice my agreement immediately after him excited about the chance of exploring another new place.

Unlike both of us Alexa took the parchment and read it carefully before giving us her answer.

“I'm in, but how long do you think it will it take before the collector comes?”

“Maybe a week or two? I am not sure.” Denn answered as he shrugged his shoulders.

“The culprit has yet to be found so if we somehow manage to catch the culprit we will be earning hefty amount coins.” he added making Bart's eyes shine.

“Then when are we going to go there?” she asked.

“Today, its a town so there must be a market there but just to be safe we will buy our necessities first then we'll head out, I'll find the coachman, using a wagon or carriage will take us there in 2-3 days, you three ready yourself we'll meet when its noon at the north gate.”

But before heading out the guild Denn went towards the counter to process the quest acceptance.

We then made our way to the market area and then we bought the minimum amount of supplies we need, I also bought an ashen colored cloak to protect myself from the sun that starting to get hotter everyday, after that we separated from each other heading to our own places.

When I get back to the inn I head straight upstairs in my room and pack up my things that I'll need, mostly clothes in my bag then I head downstairs and before opening the door outside I remember the innkeeper lady words so I went to the desk and called her.

When she arrived she looked at me with confusion but after seeing the packed bag in my shoulders she asked.

“Are you going to do a quest again?”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

“Maybe a week or two? Its a complicated quest.” I said as I scratched my head.

“Good luck I'll wish you safe, oh right what about the stay that you are left with? Do you want me too refund it for you?”

“No its alright because after a week when I come back I'll still sleep here so please reserve a room for me.” I said bordering Bart's boasting.

“Hahaha, alright just come back safe young lad.”

Her laughter made the unease hidden in her eyes vanish making me kind of happy inside.

After another goodbye from her I took a long walk towards the north where the meeting place are.

“We're here!”

I saw Bart waving to me from afar and when I close the distance I notice Denn and Alexa next to him talking to the coachman so I must be the last, I then said my greetings to the coachman who greeted me back.

Seeing that the party was complete Denn urge us to board the covered wagon, inside of it were full of wooden boxes making us have limited but not a cramped space then after we took our seats and when we became comfortable in it Denn called out to the coachman sitting in front.

“Sir you can go now were ready.”

Answering to his call was the horses' neighs and before long we pass again through the wide open gates I opened the cloth covering the back of wagon letting us see again the wide green grass field as the wagon speed through the north.

Yellow lights spread out from east signifying the start of new day.

We travelled for about two days until we spotted a wooden walls in the distances.

“Wake up we've finally arrived.”

Alexa shakes Bart who mostly slept for the duration of journey except when eating or watching for the night.

“So that's the Corcus Town.”

It was what he said first after seeing the town in the distance.

The town was a little bigger than a village but more smaller than the city it was covered by wooden walls making us not see anything except the farms in its sides, as we gets closed to it we stopped in front of its wooden gates before long it was opened revealing a gap inside then a soldier clad in leather armor and spear showed up, he looks like a man who have not taken sleep for a long time with his unkempt brown hair and dark circles under his eyes.

“Who are you?” he asked us irritatedly.

We alighted the wagon before Denn pass him the letter seeing the guild mark inscribed in it his attitude suddenly turned better as he gave us a wide smile and I also saw some tears falling from his eyes.

“Welcome mercenaries!!”

After greeting us the man went back inside and drag a tired looking man the same with him and tasked him to check the wagon.

“Follow me mercenaries I'll take you to where the mayor is.” the soldier called to us.

Before following him we gave our thanks first to the coachman.

Passing through the gates we are greeted by a bleak wide almost empty street making the party stopped in our steps even Bart who was ready to shout his piece closed his mouth. There are people here and there but all of them where like the soldier when we met him just a few moments ago, tired and sleepy making the whole street somehow feel gloomier.

“Mercenaries hurry up!”

Like the sun in the stormy day the soldier called us with a wide open smile revealing his yellowish teeth.

We then followed him reluctantly walking in the main street of the town among the townsmen that lookd like the zombies from what the books described it making me unconciously hasten my steps.

When they finally notice our existences they look at us up and down before giving us a smile like what the soldier did making all the hairs in my body stand.

Seeing us being stunned by their antics the soldier explained.

“Sorry about that its just they are happy finally having a mercenary to guard the warehouse.”

“Why would they be happy?” Alexa asked.

“The soldiers guarding the warehouse and other places are not enough due to that mayor enlisted some men for help.”

“But there are only four of us here.” she added.

“With you four guarding the warehouse other soldiers can focus on other parts of the city making us not need them, they can finally do their own job. Oh we're finally here.”

The man said as he pointed at the house up the hill.

“I can only lead you up to here, right I forgot to introduce myself I am Captain of the Guards of this town, Mark.” the soldier—no Mark said offering his hands towards us.

“Then see you tonight.”

After a round of handshake with us he left us in front of the gates where two guards stood by.

After greeting and showing the quest acceptance letter to the soldiers stationed there we passed by the gates and climb up the hill's gentle slope until we arrive at the mayor's house, waiting at us from the entrance was a woman dressed in black long sleeved gown topped with white apron and a white hair dress covering her brown hair, it was a maid.

“A maid!” Bart blurted out making him take an elbow to his side.

“Welcome mercenaries the master was anticipating on your arrival.”

Not minding his rudeness the maid welcomed us before entering the house.

We followed her upstairs until we arrived in front of a room, the maid knock the doors before calling the person inside.

“Mayor they are here.”

“Let them in.”

An old mellow voice came inside the room.

Heeding what the voice said the maid open the door, inside was a room where there's a little decorations except the couches, the table, and the desk where behind it sits a man with a yellow balding hair.

“Welcome mercenaries please take your sit, Maya get us a tea.”

The mayor stand up from his seat and went towards the couch before he offered us the couch in front of him.

Not letting him wait we took our seat then Denn greeted the mayor.

“We are the party called Dream Chasers and we are the one that accepted your quest.”

“Hmm, I am the mayor of this town Renalto I give my thanks to you for accepting the quest.”

After greeting each other the maid Maya finished making the tea and put down the cups in front of us, letting Denn do the talks I pick mine up before taking a sip.

“About this quest can you please clarify it to us?” Denn started getting straight to the point.

“Sure.”

The mayor put down his cup as he look outside the window with a look of recollection, then after gathering his thoughts he look straight back at us.

“It was one week ago when it first happened.

That night was the same as always but when the morning came a guard checked the warehouse where the harvests are stored he noticed some missing sacks of wheat. He didn't report it as there were sometimes cases of sacks being attack by some rodents but after it happened again the next day he finally reported it making me awared of it.

I then ordered the guards to check inside and they confirmed that it was truly stolen by someone due to no grains being left like how the previous cases where rodents are the culprits but having no evidence or even lead at all, all I can do is increased the number of soldiers guarding there by having taking some around the city.”

The mayor stopped as he took a sip on his tea before continuing.

“It was a bad move because the next day we noticed that the hens in the poultry was missing, it was attacked by the culprit like how the sacks of wheat vanished. After that instead of separating the guards I enlisted the help of the townmens to guard all the facilities that the culprit might attack next, I then send a messenger to the city and now here you are.”

“What about the culprit did it stop from stealing?” Alexa asked.

“Hmm, there's nothing stolen from us after that but the townsmen are starting to show dissatisfaction so its truly a good timing for you to arrive this time.”

The mayor heaved a sigh of relief before smiling at us.

“When do we start guarding the warehouse?” Denn asked.

“You can start tonight I'll ask a soldier to guide you where the warehouse is but first rest yourselves, Maya bring them to their rooms.”

“Yes master.”

We accepted the mayor's offer and then after thanking him we went out his room before following the maid who is heading towards the first floor, we pass by many rooms until she stopped in front of a room.