I'm not a Witcher anymore.

"Zig, what are you daydreaming about? I've called you several times already!"

Ravenna's voice cut through the noise of the tavern and came straight to him.

Zig snapped out of his daze, blinked, and the first thing he saw was her scrunched-up little face.

The halfling girl was leaning over the edge of the table, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed, as if she would reach out and grab him if he were even a fraction slower.

The tavern was busiest at that time.

The sounds of clinking wooden cups, laughter, and varying voices mingled together, while the candlelight on the table flickered under the shadows and the smell of alcohol, bathing the entire room in a warm yellow glow.

Zig slowly exhaled, pulling his thoughts back from the chance encounter that afternoon.

"Sorry." He rubbed his temples. "I was just spacing out, thinking about some things that happened this afternoon."

"Afternoon?" Lucy's expression tightened.

She put down the beer glass in her hand, even unconsciously clenching the emblem into her palm, and her eyes swept over Zieg.

"What happened? Are you feeling unwell?"

Zieg smiled at her.

"It's nothing, Lucy. I just ran into an old acquaintance and we chatted about old times. By the way, where were we?"

The topic shift was rather abrupt.

Ravenna stared at him for a couple of seconds, as if she had something to ask, while Hill sat there quietly without saying a word immediately.

But everyone could tell that Zieg didn't intend to continue talking about what happened that afternoon.

The group exchanged glances but didn't press for answers.

Valeria raised her hand and gently pressed it on the table.

"Enough with the small talk. Let's get down to business."

As she spoke, she placed several heavy money bags on the table. The bags clinked together, producing a crisp, solid metallic clang.

Ravenna's eyes lit up immediately.

"So many?"

Valeria glanced at her, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"I went to the guild during the day. The commissions, inspections, and loot sales in Kawaki Village were all taken care of."

She pushed the money bags in front of the group.

"This trip was quite fruitful, even more than we originally estimated."

"Distribute according to the old rules."

Once these words were spoken, no one had any objections.

It's a common practice among adventurers for the captain to take double. Besides, Valeria has paid out a lot of money and taken on a lot of responsibilities along the way.

No one would think it's wrong for her to take an extra portion.

The money pouch had barely been pushed in front of her when Ravenna swiftly grabbed her own first.

She held it in her arms, first weighing it in her hands, her eyes shining even brighter.

The next moment, she was holding the money bag tightly, and she could barely suppress a smile.

His appearance made everyone at the table burst into laughter.

After the money was divided, the atmosphere at the table visibly relaxed considerably.

The battle at Kawaki Village was fierce, and the wounds, exhaustion, the smell of blood, and the dampness of the mountains clung to me almost constantly.

Even now, sitting under the warm lights of the tavern, listening to the laughter around the table, and seeing the bag of money that is actually in his hand, he feels like he has truly emerged from that tough battle.

"Okay." Valeria stopped laughing and smelling alcohol on the table, and her tone became more serious. "Next, let's talk about something else."

Everyone's expressions became more serious.

Her gaze swept across the faces of the group before she continued speaking:

"You've all probably heard about what happened in Water Seven recently."

As soon as he said that, the previously relaxed atmosphere immediately fell silent.

Ravenna was the first to react.

"Captain, you mean—we're going to Water Seven next time?"

Valeria nodded.

"The Sword Maiden has already issued a commission through the Adventurers' Guild. The murder case in the Water City still hasn't been suppressed, and things have escalated. The guild is waiting for someone to take over."

"The commission is of a high level, and the bounty is substantial. More importantly, once we find out what is causing trouble in Water Seven, the subsequent problems will likely be significant. Going there now means we can at least intervene before things completely spiral out of control."

She didn't continue immediately, but gave her teammates some time to process what she had to say.

"This is my opinion. But whether the team should go or not shouldn't be decided by me alone. Let's hear your thoughts first. If you think it's too dangerous, or want to rest more, we'll stay in the border town and find another assignment."

As soon as she finished speaking, Ravenna raised her hand first.

"I agree."

She answered quickly, without the slightest hesitation, her eyes brimming with barely suppressed excitement.

"I've been wanting to visit Water City for a long time. I've heard there's a Grand Canal, a High Temple, and far more shops on the streets than in the border town. Besides, since something really happened there, I can't just pretend I didn't hear about it, can I?"

Hill sat down beside him, lightly touched the rim of his glass with his finger, and then nodded.

"I have no objection. As the captain said, Water City is a major city on the western border. If this matter is allowed to continue to escalate, the chaos that follows will only be greater. Since the guild has already issued the commission, it is only natural for us to handle it. We can't just wait for it to get out of control."

"Besides, the library over there is huge. I'd like to go in and have a look if I have time."

Ravenna turned her head and glanced at her, unable to suppress a laugh.

"I knew you'd add that line."

Hill didn't respond to the joke; he simply picked up his glass, took a quiet sip of wine, and his lips curved slightly into a smile.

Lucy was a little slower than the two people ahead of her.

She held the cup, her fingers tightening, as if she had mentally reviewed the whole situation before speaking softly:

"I also agree with going. Anything that the guards of Water City haven't been able to catch yet is probably very dangerous. It won't be easy once we get there." She paused for a moment, then finished her sentence, "However... I will do my best to protect everyone."

The eyes of the people at the table then fell on Zig.

He leaned back in his chair, his wine glass still in his hand.

Whether he goes or not was never a question in the first place.

To others, Water City is just a recent, much-discussed commission; but to him, that place is far more than just "the next stop."

Two of his remaining three milestones, namely "Goblin Enemy" and "Eye Pain", can be achieved in Water Seven.

After resolving the incident in the Water City, he should be able to accumulate enough contribution points to advance to the Iron-class Adventurer and complete the second main quest.

Zig raised his eyes, met their gazes, and nodded.

"I have no objection."

He paused, then calmly added:

"Since everyone thinks it's a good idea, let's go take a look."