My inventory is full of monster materials.

Chapter 103 The Third Captain of "White Eagle"

Inside the room, the lighting was dim, and a set of gray armor pieces hung on the wall. The breastplate, arm guards, and leg guards were neatly arranged, silently telling the story of the owner's past adventures.

At one end of the wooden table, Henry, dressed only in a rough linen shirt, stood with his hands clenched into fists and his eyes filled with struggle.

At the other end, Mark, dressed in a blue mage's robe, stood calmly gazing into the distance.

Margot, standing beside them, held a brass candlestick; the flickering flame illuminated their faces, creating an interplay of light and shadow.

Finally, Henry took a deep breath, slowly pushed the palm-sized bronze badge on the table forward, and said in a low voice.

"Mark, from now on you're the captain of the White Hawks."

Mark's gaze fell on the team emblem with the eagle pattern in front of him, and he felt no surprise whatsoever.

Mark knew that Henry would leave the team and follow in the footsteps of their former captain, Felix, as soon as their squad accepted Clyde's commission.

But Mark looked up at Henry and asked meaningfully.

Why choose to leave at this time?

Henry didn't hide anything and spoke frankly.

"I'll be reporting to Dongzhuo Manor tomorrow, so before I leave, I must take care of the team's affairs. In 'White Eagle,' you're the only one I can entrust with this."

Mark nodded silently.

Emily is timid and easily panics; Brady is reckless and impulsive, often acting on impulse.

Of the entire team, Mark is the most suitable candidate to be the captain because of his meticulousness and strong abilities.

In fact, since Henry took over as captain, Mark has been in charge of formulating tactics and dealing with various emergencies.

Henry, on the other hand, was more focused on grasping the overall direction and making the final decisions.

However, Henry's almost resigned behavior made Mark keenly realize that things were probably not so simple.

"The Anderson family's mercenary mobilization... is it dangerous?"

Henry pondered for a moment, his eyes darkening, and then slowly spoke.

"Actually, at first, I also thought that I was just going to work as a mercenary to fight bandits, but after arriving in Sergei City, I found that things were far from that simple."

As he spoke, Henry turned to look at Margot, his voice growing increasingly serious.

"The gnoll leader who robbed the Anderson family's caravan is named Hogg. He has a band of two to three hundred men under his command, including at least 10 professionals. Their overall strength is very strong."

Henry took a deep breath and then said helplessly.

"Their bandit gang has had a terrible impact on the trade in Serchi City and the surrounding area, so Zhenshi Fortress plans to take the lead in organizing a large-scale bandit suppression operation."

"The unions, associations, churches, and various nobles all need to contribute. The Anderson family is in a hurry to recruit mercenaries to fill the gap in their combat strength because they lack their own troops."

Mark listened, his brows gradually furrowing.

He never expected that Henry would get involved in such a turmoil.

"Why would Felix recommend such a job to you?"

Henry shook his head and argued.

"Felix doesn't know the specifics of the situation here; he's probably only heard about it from his family."

Mark hesitated for a moment, then asked again.

"Henry, we've been fighting side-by-side, and I don't object to you responding to the mercenary call as part of a small team."

Upon hearing this, Henry's eyes glazed over for a moment, but he immediately became firm and stubborn, shaking his head like a rattle drum.

"Mark, I already acted impulsively once for Clyde's request last time. If you ask the team to risk their lives for me again this time, I might not be able to leave."

Mark's expression shifted slightly. He took a deep breath, leaned forward slightly, and looked directly at Henry, offering a suggestion that went straight to the heart of the matter.

"Henry, all you really need is a job change badge, right?"

"Given my current status as a fully-fledged mage, I can easily find a way to get it for you, but... I require that you cannot leave the 'White Eagle' squad."

The air froze in that instant.

Henry's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

Margot, standing to the side, had a bright look in her eyes. She shifted her limbs a few times anxiously and spoke softly.

"Henry... I can provide you with the funds to purchase the emblem."

Margot didn't care about the bandit suppression operation or her promotion to a professional; she only cared about this man's safety.

With Mark's status as a formal mage, coupled with Margot's funding, he could easily acquire a holy emblem.

But in just a moment, Henry realized the subtext.

If you accept Mark and Margot's help, you must stay in Pinewood Town and remain with the "White Eagle" squad.

Henry's eyes immediately reddened, and a layer of mist welled up in them.

When he was desperate, he turned to adventure, and it was Felix who took him in and helped him out of the shadows of his life.

Those memories of risking their lives and going on adventures with Felix, Talia, and other companions became so clear and vivid.

Mark persisted in trying to persuade him.

"Henry, you're not alone. You still have Anna, you still have people who love you. Is it really okay to leave like this?"

Henry tilted his head back to catch his tears, his hands clenched into fists.

After a long while, Henry slowly released his grip, his tone as firm as a rock.

"I was really happy to hear tonight that she had registered as a Dharma Master apprentice. I know she has grown up, and I can finally do right by her mother."

Henry then turned to look at Margot, his eyes filled with guilt.

"Margot, please forgive me, I want to be willful just this once."

"It's okay, I'll wait for you."

Margot gazed quietly at the man before her, her eyes filled with encouragement and expectation, without a trace of complaint.

Seeing Henry's determination, Mark stopped trying to persuade him, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Is the "White Eagle" squad cursed? Every time they start to make progress, they immediately encounter major personnel changes.

However, Henry was determined to leave, and Mark could only silently support him.

Immediately afterwards, Mark took out two metal balls engraved with intricate runes from his pocket and gently placed them on the table. The metal balls gleamed with a faint brass luster under the candlelight.

"Take these two; they might come in handy at a crucial moment."

Henry reached out in confusion and grabbed the two metal balls in his hand.

The metal sphere was about the size of a baby's fist, its surface covered with fine runes. It was cold to the touch, heavy, and unremarkable, yet it exuded a faint magical aura.

Henry couldn't tell what it was at first glance, but Margot, who was next to him, came closer, took a closer look, and her expression changed slightly.

"This is an alchemical bomb. I don't know its exact effects, but judging from the rune pattern and magical fluctuations, it can at least severely injure a first-tier monster."

Henry gripped the alchemical bomb tightly, his eyes filled with gratitude. He looked up at Mark and thanked him solemnly.

"Thank you, Mark."

Then Henry turned to Margot, who was standing beside him, and gave her instructions.

"Fetch me a pen and paper. I need to write a formal letter of appointment for Mark as captain so that it can be filed with the Adventurers' Guild."

"Um."

Margot nodded, turned and strode out of the room, quickly returning with a yellowed parchment, a quill pen, and a small bottle of ink.

Henry then sat down at his desk, gripped his quill pen, dipped it in ink, and began to write slowly.

Henry's handwriting was crooked and he wrote very slowly, but each stroke was written with extra force, as if he were not writing, but carving words into the parchment with a knife.

When the last word was uttered, Henry felt much more relaxed, a relieved smile appearing on his face. He then handed the appointment letter along with the squad badge to Mark.

"Congratulations, Captain Mark!"

Mark accepted the heavy letter of appointment, his fingertips tracing the cold bronze badge, his expression complex.

At this moment, he is the third captain of "White Eagle"!