After navigating the desolate main road for a few minutes, Ash finally laid eyes upon the magnificent two-story house described by the blacksmith's uncle. It wasn't merely the largest house in Woodworth Town, it was a masterpiece, at least Ash hadn't seen any house better than this one. Unlike the other stone-and-timber dwellings, this one was crafted from pure, high-quality wood, clearly, the builder of this house wasn't just any random guy.
Lush gardens brimming with vibrant flowers and miniature trees nestled against its base, enclosed by a sturdy meter-tall wooden fence. A pair of towering metal doors, two meters tall and gleaming under the sun, served as the gateway to this opulent residence.
Standing sentinel before the entrance was a guard so stoic, one might mistake him for a statue. Clad in full-body, gleaming metal armor, he gripped a two-meter spear with the unwavering focus of a hawk, scanning the surroundings for any potential troublemaker so he could catch him immediately and get a few praises from the Mayor.
"Sigh, old-time people were so honest and naive. This dude is so serious as if an army of thousands of people might teleport in front of him any moment, and he is the only one who can save everyone in this town. He definitely deserves a consultant or a bad buddy who can teach him how the world works," Ash thought, shaking his head as he strolled through the Mayor's beautiful garden.
As Ash crossed the threshold of the meticulously tended garden, a deep voice boomed, shattering the serene silence. "Halt, stranger! Identify yourself and state your purpose!" The spear tip jabbed towards Ash, its polished metal reflecting the fear rising in his eyes.
Ash took a deep breath to calm down his inner nervousness. As a purely introverted otaku just a few hours ago, it was easy for him to comment on others behind their backs, but when it came to face-to-face conversations, especially when the other party pointing a spear at his nose, it was best if he didn't run away. His heart hammered against his ribs, palms slick with nervous sweat.
"I... I just came to this town and wanted to meet Mr. Mayor about some inquiries regarding work and residence," Ash spoke awkwardly, raising his hands in a placating gesture. Cold sweat started to break out from his forehead and back.
The guard's gaze softened slightly, the spear lowering a fraction. "In that case, seeking the Lord Mayor's counsel is indeed the proper course. But why are you raising your hands? Is this some kind of new trend of greeting in your land?" His gruff voice, though lacking warmth, held a surprising hint of humor. "Also, you are new here, so I won't make things difficult for you. But if you even show disrespect toward Lord Mayo again, I will probably make sure you stay inside the prison for the next few months. Got it?" The serious-looking guard spoke, placing his mountain-like heavy spear on Ash's shoulder, making his legs jelly, before turning around and gesturing for Ash to follow him.
The guard shifted the weight of his spear, leaning it against the wall, and beckoned Ash towards the imposing doors. "You may meet the Lord Mayor, but first," his voice dipped low as if what going to happen next was something he never wanted to do if he had any other option, "A security check is mandatory. No weapons are allowed within his presence."
After The guard finishes his statement, he, like an experienced pervert, began moving his hands with a metallic gentleness on Ash's entire body, and even his poor ass and little brother didn't escape from the guard's evil hands.
F*cking hell, this is broad daylight sexual harassment. I want to complain, help, police... Outrage bubbled within Ash, his mind screaming accusations of harassment and abuse. But remembering the guard's previous leniency, the stark reality of his new surroundings, and the ironclad grip of the spear that could easily turn his defiance into a fatal mistake, he swallowed his anger.
"Okay, you are indeed a poor ghost. You don't even have a single coin on you. I wonder how you managed to come here in one piece." The guard chuckled, a surprising shift from his earlier stern demeanor. "Although you are a bit handsome, it surely wouldn't be an easy journey for you, right? Anyway, what does this have to do with me? Go in. Just remember respect for Lord Mayor Hans. Although he looks easy to get along with from the outside, believe me, you don't want to see his dark side," the serious-looking guard said, who surprisingly turned out to be a good guy or just wanted to save himself from extra work kindly advised with a fearful look on his face especially when he mentions the last part, clearly he had seen something he didn't want to remember.
Ash shook his head helplessly with a deep sigh. It is still not easy for him to digest so many changes in culture within a few hours, like those M.C. in third-rate novels that never make any sense and don't hesitate to rape common sense in just the first few chapters, let's not talk about later versions. So, it is normal for him to add "Mr." instead of "Lord" before a random Mayor whose name he hardly heard some minutes ago.
After nodding at the guard, who didn't give him any response in return and simply returned to his chair by the door, Ash straightened his spine and entered Lord Mayor Hans' abode.
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The Lord Mayor, as anyone could predict, was a rich dude as expected. The interior of the house was a testament to opulence, expansive, and luxury—unless a normal middle-class man had a money tree in his backyard, they hardly would see such things in their life. But poor Ash hardly had a chance to observe the luxurious things of the other world's rich people, which could easily labeled as super deluxe antiques in his past life, because he had already reached his destination as right next to the main door was placed what looked like a receptionist desk. Behind it sat an old man in his late 60s, he was engrossed in documents, brows furrowed in concentration.
On the opposite side of the receptionist desk, or more specifically, the Lord Mayor's working desk, a few meters away stood an emotionless guard in full-body metal armor. If not for the fact that Ash saw his chest moving, clearly indicating that he was breathing, he might have mistaken him for a statue.
"Who are you, kid?" Noticing an unfamiliar face looking all around in his house with awe like a country bumpkin, the old man rested the document in his hand and asked calmly.
Just when Ash, dumbfoundedly staring at the statue-like guard, wondered how he went to the toilet in this kind of packed armor since he didn't see any zip or something, suddenly, an old gentle voice sounded from his left side, jolting him awake.
Ash quickly turned his head and saw the old man, supposed to be the Lord Mayor, looking at him curiously, waiting for his answer.
"Ah, hello, Lord Mayor." Ash blurted, bowing clumsily as he remembered from animes. "My name is Ash. I just came to your wonderful town and was wandering aimlessly when a kind-hearted patrolling guard pointed me your way. I was hoping, perhaps, you could help me find work, any kind of work, really. I wouldn't mind a bit of part-time labor, just enough to stave off starvation." He quickly spoke as politely as he could, so The Lord Mayor in front of him didn't get annoyed. He really had no mood to see this currently kind-looking old mayor's dark side.
"So, you're a new arrival, looking for a better future, huh? First of all, Welcome to Woodworth Town. I am the current mayor of this town, Hans—Hans Liberwood. Nice to meet you, Ash."
"Now, if you are sincerely looking for a better future instead of trying to seek your own death, then I suggest you speak to the farmer to the northeast from here. He has quite a big farm and always needs help. Although his temper is a bit...Amm, what I would say, weird, he is a good guy. He shouldn't refuse to help a poor little guy like you. Easy work, decent pay, and you'll sleep like a log after a day in the fields."
A mischievous glint flickered in Hans's old eyes. "But if you're good with a blade and shields, which I doubt seeing your body posture, then I have a problem you may be able to help me with," Hans, The Lord Mayor, said with a smile, stroking his long white beard.
"What kind of problem, My Lord?" Ash, smelling the scent of a quest and literally seeing an imaginary yellow exclamation mark blinking nonstop above Hans' head, asked with a frown masking his growing excitement.
"Hahaha, young man, you don't have to be so nervous. It's not that big of a deal. The forest to the east has been buzzing with trouble lately because the goblin population there is growing nonstop. In order to find a quick meal, they occasionally walk out of the goblin forest and attack travelers. Sigh, we've already lost several people, and because of the low number of guards, I can't send more people there to clean up those goblins, as their numbers are too much for my people to handle."
He sighed, the weight of responsibility etched on his weathered face. "Anyway, I'll pay you 20 coins for any goblins you slay. Just bring me their ears as proof of their death. Oh, if you're really interested in this suicidal quest, then you better talk to Gabriel. You can find him in the tavern. Although he may be a bit of a drunkard and an asshole because of his dark past, he knows quite a lot about them since he fought and survived two continuous goblin wars. He might even show you a trick or two if you catch him sober enough."
As Hans finished his spiel, a shimmering notification materialized before Ash's eyes, visible only to him. A quest, shiny and new, beckoning like a siren song.
[ *Ding! New Quest - Goblin Ears.
Type: Repeatable
Description: Mayor Hans begs your aid, he told you that goblins have infested the woods surrounding town. They have already brought several town's people and travelers to their dinner pot and literally become a nightmare for every person in the town. Seeing people in panic, the kind-hearted mayor decided to do something to reduce their number, even though it would be a direct hit on his pocket in the short term. But because of a manpower shortage, he doesn't have the power to do so. So he decided to offer a bounty—any goblins that are slain by the host have to deliver a pair of their ears as proof of the kill.
Requirement:
*Slay goblins as much as you can. ( Method is your choice, results are all that matter. )
*Collect their ears and submit them to the kind-hearted Lord Mayor.
Reward:
*20 coins for each goblin pair of ears
*Anything found on goblin body or in their hideout.
Failure Consequence: None ]