adventurers in the sewers

Louis thought about it and realized that it wouldn't be good to just sit around and do nothing. If he could make a little money from the Frostclaw tribe's market, it would indeed be a good choice.

So he nodded and decided that he would definitely go and take a look once the orc market opened.

Immediately afterwards, Dina told Louis another piece of news:

"It is said that the third hero squad has already passed through White Night Territory and will arrive at Black Rock City in about five days."

"Accompanying the Hero Squad is a Level 3 professional from the Royal Capital, so the journey should be smooth."

Louis said, "Once the heroes arrive, the Blackrock City government should begin its recruitment of us professionals."

Just as Louis expected.

Just two days later, all branches of the Adventurers' Guild simultaneously issued the "Defend Blackrock City" commission.

[Commission: Defend Blackrock City (Long-Term)]

[Commission Introduction: With the Frostclaw tribe defeated and the demonic tide approaching, Blackrock City will become the first line of defense for our Kingdom of Lortheran! It will also be the front line of the war against the demons!]

[Acceptance Restrictions: Experienced adventurers (in a party) or professionals (in a party) who have completed more than ten quests.]

[Commission Requirements: Suppress the demonic tide and defend Blackrock City.]

[Commission Rewards: Redeemable with battle merits, 1 battle merit ≈ 1 silver coin]

[Note: After accepting the commission, please report to the Blackrock Legion. The legion leader will assign different positions to adventurers based on their individual abilities or the strengths of their team.]

Upon seeing this commission, only two words came to Louis's mind—cannon fodder.

So you're going to assist the regular army's ragtag troops, huh?

However, Louis understood that the term "cannon fodder" only referred to low-level adventurers who were not much stronger than the militia.

True professionals, and even aspiring professionals, are treated with respect by the Black Rock Legion and are assigned important positions; they are never sent to fill in the gaps.

Otherwise, what about the reputation of the Adventurers' Guild?

The cooperation between the legion and the adventurers is not a one-off deal; they will have to cooperate again after this one.

As soon as the commission was posted, Louis gathered his team members and headed to their usual guild.

Upon entering the guild, Louis encountered a bustling crowd, most of whom were there to accept city defense commissions.

This commission, with its extremely high casualty rate, certainly deterred many adventurers, but many more skilled and daring adventurers traveled tirelessly from other city-states just to earn this quick money.

This has resulted in an unprecedented number of adventurers in Blackrock City.

However, after revealing their bronze-colored professional badges, the sewer team skipped the queue and went directly to the reception window through the VIP passage.

The receptionist was still Miss Liv, whom Louis knew best.

The red-haired beauty had a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, clearly indicating that she was very busy.

However, upon seeing Louis, she still flashed a warm and friendly smile.

"Welcome, members of the sewer squad. Louis, are you also here to take on the city defense contract?"

Louis smiled and nodded, but his gaze shifted as he noticed a dazzling silver wedding ring on Liv's left ring finger.

Noticing Louis's gaze, Liv touched the ring on her finger and smiled:

"Although Eric is a traitor to humanity, his legacy is innocent. He can inherit all of Hysen Manor's assets simply by wearing this ring, which is still a good deal."

Louis blinked, and for some reason felt that Miss Liv seemed to be a very shrewd woman.

However, he had no interest in other people's private lives and quickly got back to the main topic, accepting the commission for the city defense mission.

In fact, the commission has not officially started yet, but it doesn't matter if I accept it first and report to the Black Rock Corps a few days later.

On the afternoon of the same day the commission was accepted, the retreating Frostclaw tribe also appeared outside Blackrock City.

Since Blackrock City's population carrying capacity was already nearing its limit, the city government only allowed the elderly, women, and children of the tribes to enter the city freely, while the able-bodied were directly managed by the Blackrock Legion.

The Frostclaw tribe, with a population of 30,000 to 40,000, was quickly absorbed by Blackrock City, including more than 25,000 young and middle-aged men.

These orcs will also become a powerful force to defend Blackrock City.

Louis had no idea how the city government negotiated with the Frostclaw Horde's leadership, nor did he know how the Blackrock Legion would take in and manage the Frostclaw Horde's orc forces.

He could only see the Frostclaw tribe's non-combatants filing in from outside the city.

It was Louis's first time seeing orcs, and he and his team waited early by the roadside near the city gate.

With the city gates opened, the main force of the Frostclaw tribe finally entered the city.

Louis's eyes lit up when he saw the orcs who had traveled a long way, looked exhausted, and had pale faces.

Compared to the brutal orcs depicted in Western fantasy novels of his previous life, the half-orcs Louis encountered were closer to the style of Japanese fantasy.

The women of the Frostclaw tribe are otherwise identical to humans, except for their furry cat ears and tails.

Even those few that are more severely beast-like only have a pair of cat paws, with pink paw pads and retractable claws.

Furthermore, the women of the Frostclaw tribe's main races, such as the Cat Orcs, Leopard Orcs, and Tiger Orcs, possess an inherent wildness and facial features reminiscent of felines, making them highly compatible with human aesthetics.

Their figures are, needless to say, graceful and athletic, with virtually no excess fat, and their skin is a healthy tan from frequent sun exposure.

It's no exaggeration to say that these female orcs are all above average in appearance; one in five could be considered beautiful.

However, the male orcs were rather strange-looking. Apart from a few with human faces, most of them had the heads of felines and bodies as strong as wild beasts, only their expressions were more human-like.

"I think this fantastical world isn't entirely without its merits."

Louis muttered to himself.

At least you can see catgirls, and in groups of them at that.

However, the catgirls are clearly wary of humans.

For example, Nora is using a lollipop to lure a little cat-person girl.

The little girl was clearly attracted and was about to walk towards Nora when her mother grabbed her and hid her behind her.

Led by the municipal official, the thousands of elderly, women, and children of the Frostclaw tribe were taken to a cleared area.

Orc tribes have always lived a nomadic life, so they carry tents in their luggage.

They built a neat and orderly settlement themselves before nightfall.

Bright campfires were lit around the settlement, and shrewd old orcs set up stalls in front of their tents, displaying various goods for sale.

After all, Blackrock City wouldn't provide them with living supplies for free.

To have enough to eat and survive in Blackrock City, you need to earn human currency or barter.

The orc market is now open.

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P.S.: There will be an extra chapter tonight! Please read on!