I'm not a Witcher anymore.

Ravenna walked very fast.

She was small in stature, with light and agile steps, and she moved through the streets and alleys as if she were navigating her own backyard.

He turned the corner several times without the slightest hesitation.

Zieg followed behind her, asking as he walked:

"Was this request posted by the guild?"

"I guess so."

Ravenna didn't stop walking.

"There's a village at the foot of the mountain, and lately people have been hearing noises at night. The chicken coop was overturned, two sheep went missing from the sheepfold, and a couple of days ago, a child who went to fetch water from the woods almost didn't come back."

"The village elders dared not delay any longer, and scraped together some money to ask the adventurers to completely clear out the goblin nests on the mountain."

Zig listened without saying a word.

Ravenna, however, seemed to know what he was thinking, and turned her head to add:

"We've almost got enough people. If you join, there will be five of us."

She paused, then her tone softened again.

"As for how the money will be divided, she'll explain it clearly when we meet the captain. She never lets anyone suffer a loss in this matter."

Zieg nodded.

"it is good."

Money is definitely not the most important thing.

If the target really is a goblin, then this trip is worthwhile.

The two of them walked through two side alleys and then along the stone-paved road for a while.

Before long, the familiar stone building of the Adventurers' Guild appeared in the night.

The tavern next door was brightly lit at the moment, and the firelight shining through the cracks in the doors and windows warmed the exterior walls.

Even before we got close, the sounds inside could already be heard.

Laughter, cursing, clinking glasses, the screech of wooden chairs being dragged apart, and someone, drunk, belting out a terrible tune—all these sounds mingled together, clearly audible even through the door.

Ravenna pushed the door open.

A warm wave, mixed with the aroma of alcohol, meat, and the lively atmosphere, immediately swept out.

She led Zig through the tavern hall with practiced ease.

The hall was filled with the noise of people, making the whole room stuffy.

She moved quickly among the tables, chairs, and crowd, her agility allowing her to brush past the elbows of adventurers holding wine glasses several times without even touching the hem of their clothes.

Someone recognized her and, drunk, raised their arm.

"Hey, Ravenna, want a drink?"

"Let's do it another day."

Ravenna didn't turn her head, just waved her hand with her back turned, and didn't stop walking at all.

She led Zig up to the second floor of the tavern, stopped in front of a private room, and knocked twice with her fingers.

"Captain, I'm back."

A woman's voice soon came from inside the door.

"Come in."

Just two words, but they sound crisp and concise.

Ravenna pushed open the door and entered.

The heavy door closed behind us, immediately shutting out most of the commotion outside.

The private room was much quieter, with only the faint crackling of the oil lamp and the soft sloshing of the wine as it swirled gently in the glass.

The room wasn't big.

In the center was a round table with several opened bottles of wine and a table of still-uneaten hot food.

The firelight slanted down from the oil lamp on the wall, illuminating the silhouettes of the three people at the table clearly.

Zig's gaze first fell on the woman directly opposite the door.

She didn't get up, but just sat there with her back straight.

The light plate armor he wore was in excellent condition. The breastplate and shoulder armor were covered with a layer of cold silver light, and the edges were inlaid with subtle patterns. The arm guards and belts were also neatly fastened without any looseness.

That wasn't the fancy stuff that nobles used to show off.

Rather, they are items that have actually been worn in battle and have always been cared for by their owners.

She had short, light chestnut hair that reached her neck, with the ends slightly curled outwards at her neck. The wispy bangs that fell across her forehead were not low, but they couldn't hide her unusually steady eyes when she looked at people.

His face wasn't exactly cold and stern, but his jaw was taut and his shoulders and back were always open. Even when he was just sitting, he exuded a weight that commanded respect.

An elven woman sat to her left.

Her pale golden hair was gathered at the nape of her neck, with the tips of her ears peeking out from among her hair, and a bluish-gray shawl was wrapped around her neck.

Her clothes were neatly tailored, and the silver ornaments on her chest gleamed coldly under the lamp. A wooden cane lay horizontally beside her, with a dark red gemstone embedded in its head.

She didn't speak, her fingertips lightly touching the rim of the cup, her gaze lingering on him indifferently.

On the other side was a young priest.

She wore a white short cloak, fastened at the chest with a round blue stone clasp, and underneath she wore the light-colored robes that priests usually wore.

Her chestnut-brown hair was tied back, revealing a face that still held a hint of youthful innocence.

She held her hands neatly in front of her knees, still exuding the tranquil air characteristic of a priest.

If she weren't sitting in this private room frequented by adventurers, it would be hard to immediately associate her with a member of the Iron-class squad.

"Valeria."

Ravenna spoke first, her tone still carrying the lightness of her running up the stairs.

"This is Zieg."

After she finished speaking, as if afraid that she hadn't explained herself clearly in one sentence, she couldn't help but add half a sentence:

"If it weren't for him, we might not have been able to come back unscathed from that last job."

Zig nodded slightly to the people around the table.

"Zig."

He didn't say much, only stating his name.

Valeria's gaze fell on him, paused for two breaths, and then she nodded slightly.

"I am Valeria."

She nodded slightly, indicating the empty seat at the table, her tone calm and brief.

"Please sit down."

Zig sat down as instructed.

Ravenna then casually mentioned the other two as well.

"Hill, mage."

The elven woman, holding a wine glass, raised it slightly towards Sieg as a greeting.

Her expression was indifferent, but her eyes were unwavering, as if she were silently observing someone.

"And Lucy too."

Ravenna tilted her head to the other side.

"Priest."

The girl in white robes looked nervous; her shoulders were tense. Hearing her name called, she quickly lowered her head and whispered:

"Hello……"

The sound was very soft, almost swallowed up by the light.

There was a brief silence around the table.

Ravenna clearly wasn't going to let this quiet last long. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the edge of the table, her eyes sparkling.

"I don't just bring people here randomly."

"The last escort mission involved first encountering goblins on the road, and then a head-on battle with a group of outlaws in the wilderness."

At this point, she finally calmed down a bit, and her tone became more subdued.

"If you had seen what Xiao Xiong did, you would know I wasn't exaggerating."

Hill then finally looked up.

"Owlbear?"

Ravenna nodded.

"Joel's job, and then one of them popped up at the very end. Ingram got sent flying, and Finn almost lost his footing too. I thought we were going to die there."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Zieg, her eyes still holding a lingering light from that night.

"Then he dragged me out from under the owl's claws."

"And then, that thing died."