81. back east (1)

A square on the outskirts of the royal capital, near the city gate.

A crowd of merchants and handymen were screaming and waving their hands. Hundreds and thousands of crates were piled up like a mountain, and the heavy batteries were piled higher than that, literally forming a small hill. It’s harvest season. There were more supplies to carry than usual, and the quality was much better.

One hour until departure. There were queues waiting in line to deliver supplies to uninhabited areas on a regular basis.

“It’s a convoy request, so you’re sending it to the east in a truly novel way. The road to the east is rough and takes a long time, so it’s an unpopular regular quest.”

The head of the Wangdo Guild said that while seeing Maxim carrying luggage on the wagon. The hooded shoulders shrugged. The wagon was loaded with luggage, and the two huge horses leading the wagon roared and scratched the ground.

“The regular supply transfers to the east are so vast that we cannot inspect them thoroughly. No matter how much they do, they won’t be able to check this amount of goods and the manpower escorting these wagons.”

The branch manager greeted the adventurers passing by with a friendly smile and waved a thick hand. Then he quickly starts talking to Maxim again.

“It is the safest and fastest way to transfer the power under the umbrella to the east while avoiding Benning’s eyes. Really, I can’t help but admire His Majesty’s insight.”

As if he was hoping for an answer of consent from Maxim, the branch manager moved his gaze to Maxim sitting on top of the box. Maxim just shrugged his shoulders again.

“How the hell did you come into contact with His Majesty?”

“Everyone has circumstances.”

The branch manager did not know Maxim’s face yet. The identity of Maxim, and the fact that Maxim had changed to a member of the escort under the direct control of the king. He was just thinking of him as an adventurer who had received a gift from the king. The guild leader left a message to the branch manager of the royal capital that he should not be curious and just do as he was told. That left a huge curiosity in the head of the Wangdo branch.

The skills and background of an adventurer wearing a hood. everything else. The feeling of the branch manager, who was once an adventurer, was ringing the alarm that he was not an ordinary person.

“That’s great.”

The head of the head of the branch was complicatedly calculating, and he was looking at Maxim with coveted eyes. Maxim pretended not to notice the look in his eyes and put the last load on top of the cart.

“When will the other adventurers arrive?”

The branch manager cleared his throat and looked around.

“It was announced 30 minutes ago that it was a gathering, so wait a little bit and it will arrive. We’ve selected quite talented adventurers, so don’t worry.”

I never said I was worried. It doesn’t matter if you have skills or not.

Maxim looked at the head of the branch, who was talking excitedly with a confused look. It was impossible for the branch manager to see Maxim’s eyes hidden in the hood’s shadow.

“But now is the time to arrive…”

The branch manager frowned and tapped the ground. Then came the distinct sound of footsteps in the distance. People who looked menacing at first sight were rushing towards them with stern expressions on their faces.

The branch manager nodded at the adventurer who was waving his hand. The shaggy-haired adventurer in the lead showed a smirk and a ferocious smile.

“You were right on time.”

“How long is the transfer mission? In particular, regular transportation to the east is a lifeline for us, so we have to do it well.”

“yes. You should do well not to make any mistakes. Even if the merchants are overpriced, it’s to make sure they don’t use mercenaries.”

The head of the adventurer’s guild had changed to his usual solemn attitude, as if he had been chatting so excitedly. Hiding in the shade of the caravan and watching the scene, Maxim laughed.

“By the way… I don’t think I can see one. What if there is no one with the best skills?”

The shaggy-haired adventurer slapped me on the head, saying that I forgot about the guild leader’s words.

“Oh, first I’m probably talking to the head of the merchants for a bit.”

“You are still very good at acting.”

The branch manager sighed. It seemed that he was willing to take care of the necessary things on his own, but he was not in a bad mood.

“Here, they are coming.”

The branch manager’s head turned along with the adventurer’s hand gesture.

“Ah, Pierre. Come on. There was no need for you to step in.”

Pierre?

Maxim in the caravan shook his shoulders. There was a person that came to mind, but there’s no way that person would become an adventurer right away.

must be the same person Is there only one more person named Pierre in the royal capital?

Maxim thought it was a coincidence and shook his head.

“It’s not a big deal, but shouldn’t you take care of this much?”

And at the voice he heard, Maxim’s expectations were brutally betrayed. It was very clear that the thick, low voice belonged to the bald instructor. Gently, I turned my head and looked outside the caravan to see an instructor dressed in the shabby clothes of an adventurer.

I don’t know how that instructor became an adventurer, but it could have been a little difficult if his identity was revealed. Of course, the chances of getting caught were very low.

Maxim put his hand inside the hood and rubbed his blackened hair. Maxim’s overall appearance has changed beyond recognition thanks to the king’s help.

‘It is the elixir of human transformation.’

Maxim hesitated for a long time after receiving the medicine the king had given him. The medicine that glowed green was somehow reminiscent of poison.

‘Try a little at a time.’

The king realized that he had made a mistake when he saw Maxim’s hesitant expression after receiving the medicine.

‘Ah… I’m sorry. There’s no way you can accept the medicine that others give you so easily.’

‘No, Your Majesty. God dared to offend.’

Maxim drank the elixir on the spot. Surprisingly, the taste was like melting sweet candy. I could feel the elixir going down my esophagus.

‘…!’

My face was hot. Maxim felt pain as if someone was violently pulling and distorting his face. The structure of the face was changing little by little. Maxim thought that while feeling the tearing pain in his eyes.

As if the change was over, the pain subsided. Seeing Maxim’s changed face, the king nodded his head in satisfaction.

‘Hair color and eye color have changed. The impression of the features is also different.’

In the mirror handed to me by the escort knight commander, a black-haired, black-eyed handsome man was standing. Maxim’s features seemed to have been sharpened. Originally, Maxim’s face left a very vague impression. Above his nose was a thin cut. Maxim groped his nose in admiration.

‘It makes scars that aren’t there.’

‘It’s an elixir that’s few and far between in the palace. The recipe has been lost for quite some time, so I wonder if more can be obtained. Well, there’s still enough left for you and me to use.’

‘Your Majesty, how can you do something like this…’

‘If it’s not you, no one will use it. Take it.’

Sure enough, it was an extremely rare item. Maxim realized anew that the King had pretty high expectations of him.

‘The transformation of the face must be random as long as it doesn’t deviate too much from the original face, but it suits me quite well.’

‘It’s too much praise.’

Maxim returned the mirror to the knight commander and thanked him. The king gently ran his chin down with his finger and looked at Maxim.

‘I’ll have to decide on a pseudonym. If you go to the east once, you’ll probably have to serve me with that figure. Do you have any ideas, Wei Gaoqing?’

The escort knight commander’s name was Hugo. Maxim chewed on the name he had never heard of before.

‘It would be better to make it my relative in order to be able to clearly know the origin. That side will raise less suspicion.’

‘Then the last name is Bern. name, yes How about Arsene?’

The king had a delightful expression on his face, as if he were actually naming a person.

‘The castle is ruined.’

‘Yes, Lord Arsene. You are now the distant nephew of Wei Gaojing, and this time you have joined the Royal Guard Knights. Got it?’

‘Yes. I will.’

At the change of name, Maxim could not hide his bewilderment and answered. An elixir filled with green liquid was placed on Maxim’s hand.

‘If you drink the entire bottle, the transformation will last for three days. I’ll pack some medicine for you, so keep taking it while you carry out your mission in the east.’

The king emphasized by rolling Maxim’s hand holding the elixir.

‘Take note. The fact that this face of yours and that name is a changed form of Maxim Appart should only be known to Jim, you, and the commander of the escorts. Do you understand?’

‘I’ll keep that in mind.’

Arsene Bern.

Maxim repeated his pseudonym. The branch manager and Pierre, who had just finished talking, approached the caravan where Maxim was sitting.

“Adventurer.”

At the call of the branch manager, Maxim straightened his posture. A bald adventurer with the size that made the generous branch manager look small looked at Maxim. Pierre’s eyes glared fiercely at Maxim. For some reason, Maxim remembered a little bit of memories from when he was a candidate for a knighthood, and smiled inwardly.

“This is Pierre Fabien… After working as a knight for a long time and retiring, he joined the adventurer’s guild. In fact, you can think of him as the person in charge of leading the adventurers in this escort mission.”

Maxim nodded.

“He’s very good, and perhaps because he’s been a knight for a long time, he’s good at controlling adventurers.”

Pierre narrowed his eyes. The branch manager, who naturally talked to adventurers and was comfortable with them, was strangely polite to that unfamiliar adventurer. If you are wearing a black hood and wearing a long sword like that,

“That person is, by any chance, of that rumor…”

Pierre remembered the ‘nameless adventurer’. In fact, looking at his activities, I wondered if it would be better to call him an adventurer without a face.

“That adventurer is right. I persuaded and asked you to participate in this tour.”

Pierre crossed his arms and closed his mouth, seemingly disapprovingly.

“…Is it okay to include such an unidentified person on a mission like this?”

“When did we only pick and use identifiable people? Your skills are certain, so the path will be easy. I don’t know if they’ll listen when you tell them.”

The branch manager shrugged casually. Looking at the nonchalant branch manager, Pierre clicked his tongue. He’s hiding some undesirable plan this time.

“Because it’s you, I don’t think you will do anything useless.”

“If you value your life, you won’t even fight with that person.”

Pierre dropped his shoulders once in resignation and approached Maxime.

“This is Pierre Fabien.”

Maxim did not open his mouth, but took Pierre’s outstretched hand and shook it. Pierre muttered as if he had something to say, but then he put it aside and stretched awkwardly.

“I wish you well in the future.”

Pierre left those words behind and began calling adventurers and assigning them to the wagons, pretending to be busy giving orders. The branch manager looked around to see if the adventurers were well placed, and then returned to Maxim and greeted them.

“Then I’ll be leaving.”

What on earth do you consider yourself to be, that is why you treat yourself so politely? Maxim looked away from the branch manager with a feeling of trembling. The branch manager looked at the wagons lined up in a row and were really ready to depart with worried eyes. Then I turned my back and started walking to the guild located in the alley of the royal capital.

“Come on, everyone to position! As soon as the escorts are all in position, we will set off right away!”

The booming voice of the Merchant Responsibility echoed through the plaza. The sound of merchants and adventurers babbling could be heard here and there, and adventurers put their butts on their horses and caravans.

The caravan where Maxim was seated was excited. It seems that the adventurer grumbling and swearing to himself is sitting in the front seat.

“Hey, some people lie down and go, while others sit and drive horses. Well?”

The adventurer narrowed his eyes and turned his head toward the caravan. Maxim, who was sitting on top of a pile of boxes, came into his eyes full of pain.

“Hey, that bastard.”

The adventurer contorted his face and spat out swear words. Maxim was counting the number of elixirs in his arms, wondering if he could survive undetected during this mission.

“Hey there!”

The adventurer’s hoarse voice was heard. Maxim knocked on the box next to him without pretending to hear. Coudantang. The caravan shook loudly once more. Maxim felt the presence of something coming towards him beyond the box. The one-eyed adventurer roughly grabbed Maxim’s shoulder and turned it around.

“Baby. Can’t you hear me?”

Maxim nodded his head and let out a sigh. Now that he is an adventurer, he didn’t have to be polite. Skills have been revealed to some extent.

“It’s fine, kid. Do you know how to speak? you go forward.”

And, looking at the one-eyed face that fluttered at will, she laughed.

rattle.

Pierre walked around and checked the condition of the wagons one by one, noticed the caravan that had been bouncing around a few times, and walked away.

Another kid trying to have an accident.

Even if he took his eyes off it for a moment, Pierre’s anger towards the adventurers who had accidents like a child’s was allayed. Impetuous steps quickly carried Pierre to the front of the caravan.

“These bastards again…!”

The front of the wagon, the driver’s seat. There was a one-eyed adventurer who trembled while holding on to the horse’s reins, shivering strangely. He trembled so pitifully that Pierre’s face changed from rage to doubt in an instant.

“No big deal.”

Pierre turned his eyes into the caravan.

An adventurer wearing a hood was sitting on top of the box and turning his head to him.