It had been said that when an adventurer is needed, trouble is surely not far behind. But in most cases, they were the only ones who could finish a job too difficult for anyone to tackle, or lack of attention to it made even the job poster apathetic. Sometimes, they accepted their circumstances, and others, hopelessly broken by the terror, turned to worship the danger they once tried to rid, and the knights were seen as a nuisance. Worse, they became the terror these poor souls couldn't rid.

Most wandering knights were seen as this unstoppable force because of their experience. Many knights were former soldiers of fortune looking that changed their ways. Many of them did not learn their craft in the official way, but resorted in unconventional means, even mixing and matching certain disciplines to success. This made them more reliable than rank-and-file soldiers. That is, of course, if they're reliable.

Which is why, the best knights wandering for a job do not necessarily boast about their achievements and preferred to just sit around a tavern or an adventurer's guild, look at the job postings, take one they felt capable of, get the gold, and went off to another adventure, sometimes not even looking back. These knights were rare, for they did have a skill to tackle the job they chose, and not someone who seem to know what they were doing, only to fail miserably.

Yes, miserably as in dead.

But we are not here to talk about those kinds of knights. Here is a story about a certain knight who happened to get a job within a kingdom he wandered in. Like many of these knights, he had no affiliations, and he had no interest in becoming tied to all the politics. He was there to get the gold and save up to retire.

And none could give him the right amount of gold than slaying a dragon plaguing a town. He was a perfect man for the job.

And without knowing it at first, he was right because he did not know the full story.

Ever since Bartlett Evans chose to become an adventurer, he had wished for recognition and glory associated with it. And so, he began traveling, hoping to find adventures whenever he went. Like many wanderers, his exploits and his capabilities started to turn heads, and he became a popular adventurer, mostly because he was not petty when it came to jobs. He was known not to refuse a job, no matter how simple it looked. If the only available job in the town or village he visited happened to be a rat problem, he'd take it. He didn't care. The money's good and his attitude was good enough that he made an impression. He may not aware of it, but he heard songs about himself sung in taverns by bards. If he was younger, he would not hesitate to take the stage and tell everyone who he was. He lamented the fact that he did not have the opportunity to do so before he wizened up with age.

In time, taking menial jobs would not help him, so he started taking increasingly difficult jobs, culminating in jobs that involved dragons. The magical beasts usually tried to shy away from civilization and prefer to do whatever they do best: to breed and to survive. However, unlike many animals, they do know the concept of good, evil, and greed. Like all the races that dominate the world, dragons were no exceptions.

However, despite his penchant of taking any jobs he could, he preferred the jobs to capture the dragons instead of slaying them. He wasn't the kind of person who wanted to be called a dragon slayer, though unfortunately, this belief was not shared by many. For many, the glory associated with a dragon slayer was too hard to refuse. Fortunately, that title was only ever given to a select few people, for a very good reason.

Dragons were rare enough that only a select group of people could even have a chance to slay one. Not only that, but dragons were also dangerous. Bartlett understood his skills enough to know that slaying a dragon was something reserved for someone who not only deserved it, but also had no guilty conscience. There was an emphasis on the word 'rare' for the man, and he preferred not to see such magnificent creatures be extinct. So, capturing a juvenile dragon that did not mean to cause trouble was more satisfying than cutting an evil dragon's head off, cut off its tongue, show that he was the real slayer instead of someone claiming to off its head, and marry the princess. While it sounded like a cliched story, it was indeed a fact. Heroes of times past were remembered for this feat.

But Bartlett had no trouble slaying a dragon if he believed the dragon was evil. Unfortunately, he could be a little too gullible about it.

So, when Bartlett walked into a guild looking for a job, he instantly became intrigued by the job posted on the wall marked 'Urgent'. Bartlett was not the first to be there, though. Many young adventurers of all known races, ranging from humans, elves, orcs, halflings, dwarves, and an assortment of beast people looked at the job posting.

It was a job with a hefty gold prize of fifty thousand gold coins that it felt like a scam. Fifty thousand gold coins could mean a lot of things, but it was undeniably a lot. It could range from buying a modest house with a farm or be invested in opening a store. If someone thought that's too boring, they could buy enchanted weapons, or even pledge their honor to marry anyone they wanted. I mean, why not? There is a reason why gold's the currency; it's stable, so fifty thousand gold coins would always be worth fifty thousand gold coins.

The caveat, though, came from the job itself. It was a dragon slaying job. Not a problem for someone with experience, but for most, that's too high of a peak to climb. The posting also noted that the dragon in question had claimed many experienced hunters' life and was vicious. If it wasn't for this exaggerated description, anyone gullible enough would simply take it thinking they would be the one to claim the glory of joining a select group of dragon slayers, immortalized in history.

But it had been years since totally gullible warriors and mages fell for this kind of high-risk high-reward job. If it wasn't for the incident where a young party of adventurers were wiped out by goblins, long thought to be easy monsters to pick with, anyone who wished for a quick way to glory would take the job, boast about it, then die and be forgotten. Even goblins were smart enough to produce mages; that fact was something that the young adventurers arrogantly dismissed, thinking that their own mage could deal with them.

It was unfortunate that the 'coward' way of dealing with them, in this case, gaining their trust then poisoning their wine barrels, was also looked down upon for not something a hero would do. It was smart, just not honorable.

It had been years since the goblins were a menace. That story happened almost 30 years ago, long before Bartlett even considered himself to be an adventurer. Nowadays, the younger goblins had abandoned their ways after the god they worshipped turned out to be a demon. There were not a lot of jobs involving them unless it was conspiracy related. Bartlett would not want to be involved by it, knowing how complicated it could be.

Noting these facts, Bartlett was aware of the risks involved and he would just shrug it off if it wasn't for someone noticing him. He was the only one at that time who looked at the job, shrugged it off without even commenting on the rewards, and took his time going to the bar and ordering a drink. Also, he was the only one who carried a weapon strong enough to potentially slay a dragon: that of an enchanted magic sword with an ornate hilt and a round shield big enough to cover the one using it. Anyone with enough understanding of swords would know that it was the very weapon that could slay a dragon.

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So, while the other adventurers discussed what to do, the man walked to him and sat across the table. Bartlett looked at him and smiled, attempting to be polite.

"This the first time I've ever seen someone uninterested in a dragon slaying job," said the man.

"I'm still young," said Bartlett with a smile. "I'm not risking my life taking on a dragon. I'm not a glory-seeker."

"Surely that's not your only reason. From the look of it, you could easily take on the beast with that sword of yours."

"Still not gonna risk it. And besides, fifty thousand gold? It's too good to be true."

"It is," said the man with a nod. "But tell me. Is it too much price for the description?"

"The description does make the dragon sound dangerous, but I know them. They can be reasoned with."

The man looked at Bartlett with a raised eyebrow.

"So, you have dealt with one before," he surmised. "Guess my hunch is right."

"Your hunch?"

The man invited Bartlett to the second floor, intending to talk to him in private. Bartlett was a little confused but was also reluctant. He felt that this stranger was rather shady. He was not talking straight with him ever since they met.

Nevertheless, Bartlett had a feeling that he might not regret it.

Bartlett followed the man to the second floor, away from the crowd on the main floor. He chose the furthest table, away from many ears, including those with sharp enough ears to listen in. The second floor had less people as it was reserved for those who preferred the peace and quiet away from adventurers celebrating a successful mission. The adventurer's hall catered to other townsfolks who simply wanted to relax, or to use the inn.

"I'm Nolan," said the man. "What's yours?"

"Bartlett," said Bartlett.

Nolan then invited Bartlett to sit across the table, which he did.

"The price on the dragon's head is not there to dissuade people," explained Nolan. "The king himself agreed to that price."

"The king of Manarithia?" said Bartlett in disbelief.

Nolan looked around, then leaned in and whispered, "The king of Wyrith."

The mention of 'Wyrith' caused Bartlett to look at Nolan as if he was lying.

"What?" said Bartlett. "Is this a joke?"

"Unfortunately, it's not. This dragon took the princess and absconded itself to Manarithia. If we could, we would deploy soldiers to get to it, but you know the reason why we can't."

"Yeah. You clearly took a lot of risks asking me to do your job. What if I happened to be a Manarithian knight, hmm?"

"You won't, because you're not." Nolan took a glance at Bartlett. "I know a knight when I see one. And because I know you are Bartlett Evans."

Bartlett chuckled dryly. "So, my reputation precedes me. Are you sure it's wise? I'm clearly a Manarithian. I doubt anyone in Wyrith would sing songs about me."

"No one would dare sing about a Manarithian hero, not when we're at war."

"I'm not a hero," said Bartlett with a scoff.

"Act humble all you want. Your skills are still the reason why I'm here talking to you and not some upstart thinking he's hero material. Only you can do this, Mr. Evans."

Bartlett sighed. Being an adventurer was one thing, but this was the first time he had ever worked with a nation at war with his homeland. He may not think much about the politics, but this could count as treason if anyone ever knew that he worked for the king of Wyrith, of all people.

Yet he had a feeling that if he refused to hear this Nolan person's proposition, he might end up hiring someone with less tact, and the job would end up failing miserably. Bartlett couldn't boast his achievements, but at least he was aware of his own skills.

So, reluctantly, he said, "Say I accept the job. What should I be aware of? Fifty grand is a lot of gold for a dragon job. Thirty grand is usually the price. Fifteen if it's just a wyvern."

"This is not your run-of-the-mill dragon—"

"Dragons are never run-of-the-mill. What the hell are you talking about?"

Nolan cleared his throat and said, "I mean it's smart. It never stayed in one place, or to find a mate. It had been a bane to the countryside, laying villages to waste and burning down crops. It then got bold and terrorized the castle until finally, it managed to get the princess. Then to our embarrassment, the reason why it never got caught is because the princess was...actively helping the dragon escape our grasp."

"You know that's bullshit, right?" said Bartlett, crossing his arms. "I know they can understand human speech, but humans don't generally fall for a dragon."

Nolan let out an exasperated sigh. "It's not our policy to question the king's family. If the royal highness is...troubled, it's not our business. Some princesses do have a rebellious streak, after all."

Bartlett was not satisfied with the Wyrithian's claim. He seemed to be hiding some vital information about the dragon. However, it wasn't Bartlett's business prying into a personal business, even if it happened to be Wyrithian in nature. In fact, he had a feeling that prying further would only draw ire, and he would end up in more trouble than its worth, considering how he, a Manarithian, was working with Wyrithian soldiers. He then tempered his curiosity and let out sigh.

"Okay, I understand," said Bartlett. "So, what? You expect me to slay the dragon alone?"

"Oh, no, not alone," said Nolan. "I'm coming with you, along with three more. They're hand-picked, and they all have experience fighting monsters. It's up to your expertise to make this a smooth job. I won't lie. They may not have any experience against dragons, but then...they got us. So, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I hope you do."

Bartlett wanted to reconsider, feeling that everything was too good to be true. But the fact that the money was good, and Nolan sounded rather frustrated by the princess's antics, were enough to convince Bartlett that it was an offer he did not want to refuse.

He had no qualms about slaying dragons. In fact, he slayed one before. He was just worried that this might not be something as simple as Nolan claimed it was. But then, the money....

It did not take long for him to consider.

"I'll take the job," said Bartlett. "On one condition. I do not need to be recognized by the king, or even the princess. We slay the dragon and I get the gold. That's all. No title, no nothing."

"You wouldn't want to refuse the king's gift," said Nolan.

"Hey, I don't want to be seen as a sell-out. In fact, I don't want to pledge my allegiance to you, or anyone. If this is a political move, I will have to refuse, got it? I'll do my job, then leave."

"But—"

"Got it?"

Bartlett's insistence caused Nolan to sigh in disappointment, which only proved that Bartlett was right that this job was not as it was.

"The king will see this as an insult, Evans," said Nolan.

"If you're so concerned about it, then why don't you take the glory to yourself? I'll get the gold, but you'll get the glory. What you do with that glory is up to you."

"Well, if that's the case, then alright," said Nolan. "And since it's settled, we can start."

Nolan then pulled out a map. Bartlett could tell that it was right at the edge of the Wyrithian-Manarithian border, though it would still take at least a day or two by horse. The Wyrithian then pointed at a circle dot with the name of the town they were in, Agledal, in cursive.

"We're here," said Nolan, before slowly moving his finger towards a mountain range. "It's here."

"What?" Bartlett checked on the distance and murmured things under his breath. "The dragon's just a couple of hour ride from here?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"I never even heard about any disturbances in the nearby forest! A dragon would certainly cause a stir!"

"Like I said. It's not supposed to be public knowledge," said Nolan. "If it knows we're onto it, it will go deeper into Manarithia and we'll end up complicating our situation further."

"How can you be so sure that it'll wait for us there?" asked Bartlett.

"Dragons are like animals, too, you know," said Nolan. "If they think they're safe, they won't move."

"Except this dragon doesn't do anything a normal dragon do."

"Yeah, well...we just have to risk it, then."

Bartlett wasn't someone who would be suspicious of someone trying to hunt a dragon, but unlike Nolan, he knew dragons. The dragon they were describing was far too shrewd and far too elusive. Also, the fact that it stayed in a place so close to civilization while it could easily migrate somewhere else made it seemed that it was deliberately staying because it was waiting for something. Bartlett had already suspected that there was something more to this than just a dragon slaying mission, but he couldn't tell if anything was wrong.

Nevertheless, Bartlett did not want to alienate Nolan further. He felt that he was the only one who could do what others wouldn't dare do: face a dragon and possibly slay it. He'd prefer to capture the dragon instead, but it wasn't his call to make it. In fact, he had better learn how not to complain if he wanted to keep the job.

The great prize on the dragon's head was not something he would turn down, not when he was specifically picked for the job.

He only hoped that this job was as simple as it was.