Half a year has passed, and the party is heading towards the capital of the Mammon Kingdom. The bounty on their heads has increased to 50,000 gold coins combined. Adventurers who took up the quest to hunt them never came back, from small C-rank parties to large A-ranks. This manhunting quest not only gained fame but also caught the attention of the higher-ups in the Adventurers Guild.
To set Project Chaos in motion, we must each venture down separate paths.
"Angela, head west to the capital, secure funds, and garner support and favor from the church. With your healing magic, it shouldn't be a difficult task, right?" (Zack)
"You can count on me" (Angela)
"Diabolas, your task is to search for strong fighters, magicians, healers—whether they're criminals or not. Gather them and await further instructions." (Zack)
"leave it to me my lord (Diabolas)
" You both have half a year to complete your respective tasks. Time is of the essence."(Zack)
Captain Rebecca was lost in thought, pondering where she had seen that man before. He spoke as if he knew her, perhaps at the academy? However, if such a formidable individual had attended the academy, he should have been well-known.
Rebecca mused, "Those two formidable women, when did we have such monsters in our country?" Despite reporting everything to the head captain upon her return, she now faced the daunting task of bringing them back to the capital for testing. "Does she want me to risk my life?" she wondered. Given the head captain's instructions for the captains of squads 2 and 5 to join forces with me in finding him, I hope this combined manpower will be sufficient. Though I doubt these muscle-headed captains will readily cooperate, initiating a conversation with him first might prove effective. The memory of how they effortlessly took the lives of so many in less than a minute still sends shivers down my spine. Let's offer our prayers to the goddess and hope for a favorable outcome.
Zack, notorious for his lack of direction, found a unique solution. Separated from the ladies, he took a stick, threw it up, and determined his direction based on where it landed. A somewhat unconventional but practical approach to navigate his way.
As the sun set, Zack skillfully hunted game and grilled it with spices, creating a delicious aroma that wafted through the air. With his meal prepared, he settled in to enjoy the fruits of his successful hunt.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Suddenly, five carriages emerged with numerous foot soldiers. They came to a halt at a distance, and a single man approached.
Zack thought to himself, "What is this now? Can't a man enjoy his meal in peace?"
"Greetings sir, what should I call you?." (unknown man)
You can call me Zack. What brings you here interrupting my meal? (Zack)
"My young mistress took interest in the meat you are grilling. How much do you want for it?" (unknown man)
"Ah, your young mistress has a taste for good food, it seems. For the meat and my culinary efforts, let's settle on a fair price of 100 gold coins." (Zack)
"What? Are you crazy? That's expensive. You should be honored that the young mistress is interested in your food. Hand over the food, and we will see how much we can give you." (unknown man)
Zack thought to himself "What the hell is this? Can't a man eat in peace? Oh well, I guess I should just kill them all. I tried negotiating with them."
Chris, don't be rude to Sir Zack. We won't be taking anything forcefully here," said a tall, elegant lady with blonde hair, approaching the scene.(unknown lady)
"and you are?" (Zack)
Gloria bowed gracefully and introduced herself, "My apologies for the abrupt entrance. I am Gloria von Goldfields, the third daughter of the Goldfield family."
"okay, You can call me Zack"
An awkward atmosphere settled as Zack and Gloria exchanged glances. Gloria, taken aback, questioned herself, "Who is this Zack? What kind of short introduction was that?"
"I apologize for Chris's rudeness, we will pay the 100 gold for the meat" (Gloria)
"Well, the meat is too much for me alone. I will share it with you guys. In exchange, can you show me which way the capital is? I have been heading north," Zack pointed in a direction.(Zack)
Gloria replied with a smile, "But Sir Zack, that is the opposite direction of the capital."
Chris instructed the soldiers that they would be camping here for the night. They began to unpack the tents and the food. Zack, Gloria, Chris, and other high-ranking soldiers sat around the campfire, savoring the shared meat.
"Please stop with the sir" (Zack)
"You can also call me Gloria, no titles please" (Gloria)
"Fine by me" (Zack)
"how about you become my personal chef, I will pay you 5 gold coins per month" (Gloria)
"thank you for the offer but am good" (Zack)
"how dare you act arrogant in front of young mistress? (Chris)
I swear am going to kill this bootlicker soon or later Zack thought to himself
" It's fine, just think about it. You don't have to give me an answer immediately "(Gloria)
The Goldfields family is one of the prominent clans in the Kingdom of Mammon, renowned for their wealth and thriving gold trading business. Their prestige is such that even the household servants are held in high regard. Chris thought to himself, "How dare this Zack try to leech off the young mistress. He's pretending this meeting is coincidental, knowing she has a soft heart. I've got to get rid of him before reaching the capital."