Chương 43: Fully Armed

After finishing his rebuttal against Drake, Hogan's gaze lingered on Zelier for quite some time before he finally spoke.

"Marcus' party may only have two Mid-tier professionals, but one is a Ranger and the other is an Assassin. Both of them are capable of dealing lethal blows to the White-haired Goblin. And on top of that, they have a mage."

"The importance of a mage in a party doesn't need further explanation. Clearly, Marcus' team is better suited for this mission."

"This isn't favoritism. It is a judgment made from decades of adventuring experience." Drake clenched his fists, his face full of unwillingness. Then he suddenly turned toward Zelier.

"Hey! You, Mid-tier Ranger, and that little mage. How about joining our party instead? I'll give you a bigger share of the loot!"

"I don't want to team up with barbarians." Vaelis rejected him without hesitation.

"As for me, I'll pass this time. Maybe another opportunity in the future." Zelier politely declined as well. Yeah, right. Joining Drake's party? I'd be worried about getting stabbed in the back before we even reached the goblins. Under the amused gazes of the surrounding adventurers, Drake could only swallow his anger. As he passed by Marcus, he shot him a vicious glare.

"Damn it… Let's go!" He stormed out of the Association with his party following behind. In the end, Marcus' team officially accepted the commission.

"I'm saying… that guy isn't going to cause trouble for us later, is he?" Zelier asked with some concern.

"Who knows." Cyr answered casually.

"Alright, forget about them. Everyone go back and prepare properly. Tomorrow morning, meet at the Blackstone Town Gate." Marcus clapped his hands. The next morning. At dawn. After checking his equipment inside his room, Zelier let out a satisfied breath. Today, he was completely prepared for battle. Since he was right-handed, he wore his rapier on his left hip, allowing him to draw it quickly in an emergency. His white ashwood casting focus was strapped to his right side.

As for armor, besides the studded leather chest piece he already owned, Zelier had spent one gold coin and ten silver coins on a decent pair of faulds and tassets. The reason was simple. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Goblins were short. Most attacks from them wouldn't reach the chest area. Their blades were more likely to strike the lower body. Since Mistveil Embrace was still unusable, he needed to protect every vulnerable spot he could.

After purchasing the equipment, Zelier still had four gold coins and forty silver coins left.

"This should be enough…" He went downstairs. By coincidence, he ran into Auro, who was just finishing her shift. The young receptionist rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned, looking exhausted. When she saw Zelier's fully equipped appearance, she immediately looked surprised.

"Zelier, are you heading out on a mission?"

"Yeah."

"What kind of monster are you fighting this time?" Auro couldn't hide her concern.

"Nothing serious. Just a few little goblins." Zelier answered casually.

"Please be careful. Come back safely." Auro's voice was filled with worry.

"Don't worry. You'll see me downstairs tonight, eating a huge meal." Zelier smiled. The first rays of dawn had only just touched the horizon. Most of Blackstone Town was still asleep. But at the town gate, several members of the party were already waiting. A carriage pulled by two strong draft horses approached and stopped in front of them.

"Everyone here?" Marcus jumped down from the driver's seat.

"This is the carriage I rented. Walking there would waste too much time and drain our stamina. Put your equipment inside."

"Not having to march there on foot is definitely good news." Grey removed his hardened leather armor and tossed it into the carriage together with his sword. Gark's armor and broadaxe, Vaelis' longbow and leather armor, and Zelier's rapier and equipment were all placed inside the carriage. Wearing all that gear constantly was uncomfortable anyway.

"Don't you have anything to put away?" Zelier looked at Cyr curiously. Her outfit was exactly the same as yesterday. A simple short cloak. Cyr only smiled lightly.

"All my equipment is already on me." As she spoke, she loosened the buttons and opened her cloak. Zelier's breathing unconsciously slowed. Just like the lower half of her body, Cyr wore tight-fitting leather armor beneath the cloak. The specially crafted material hugged her figure perfectly, emphasizing her elegant curves and highlighting her feminine charm. But what truly shocked Zelier was what was hidden beneath the cloak. Countless assassination tools covered every inch of the interior.

Combat daggers nearly half a meter long. Small throwing knives. A wire-thin garrote hanging near her left ribs. Unknown throwing devices attached to her right side. A concealed wrist blade capable of springing out instantly. Her waist was filled with countless delicate tools that Zelier couldn't even identify. It wasn't hard to imagine how dangerous an assassin carrying this many weapons truly was. Hidden beneath her cloak, she could employ any method necessary and take a target's life at any moment.

"You don't seem to be looking at my weapons." Cyr's voice carried a playful edge.

"Do you think so? Maybe you're mistaken…" Zelier awkwardly looked away.

"Hmm…" Cyr chuckled softly and closed her cloak again.

"Before we depart, I want to emphasize one more thing!" Marcus pulled the reins, causing the whip in his hand to crack sharply.

"This mission is different from our previous ones. We aren't dealing with a single monster this time, but an organized goblin settlement!"

"Stay alert at all times. During combat, I will be the commander. Everyone must follow my orders!"

"Understood!"

"You're the boss, chief." Cyr answered lazily.

"Then let's move out!" Marcus climbed back onto the driver's seat. With the rumbling sound of wheels turning, the carriage began heading toward the Ashwood Forest. Normally, traveling there on foot would take the party several hours. But with the carriage, their speed was much faster. Before long, they reached the edge of the forest. The dense woods ahead were unsuitable for continued carriage travel. Not to mention, the noise might attract monsters.

After leaving the carriage at a nearby village, the party equipped their armor, took up their weapons, and began advancing through the forest on foot. Cyr did not follow directly behind the group. After informing Marcus, she immediately disappeared into the trees. Her movements were incredibly light. Even Vaelis' agility seemed inferior compared to hers. With a slight tap of her toes, she effortlessly leapt onto a tall tree.

After several graceful movements, her figure gradually blurred until she vanished completely. Now that's an assassin with Agility maxed out… Zelier looked upward. According to the map provided by the commission, the goblin settlement was located in the central region of the Ashwood Forest. It was much deeper than the area where Zelier had previously completed his Wild Wolf extermination task. Marcus and Gark led the way at the front, forming the party's first defensive line.