Chapter 128: Venn

Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Venn

The woman pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down, placing her staff against the side of the table. She then rested her elbows on the wooden surface and looked at Ragnar with a curious expression.

"Now, this is unexpected. I haven’t seen you around for quite some time, Gil. I was beginning to wonder whether you’d finally given up adventuring altogether."

Ragnar picked up his fork again, hoping that eating would give him an excuse to avoid answering too many questions.

"Have I been gone that long?"

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"That long? It’s been nearly two weeks since I last saw you! We used to meet almost every other day when we were exploring together. Did you hit your head or something?"

Ragnar’s hand paused briefly.

Two weeks?

He hadn’t expected Gil to have been absent for so long. Fortunately, the woman didn’t seem particularly suspicious. She was simply surprised to see someone she knew after an extended period.

"Something like that," Ragnar replied casually. "I’ve been dealing with a few things."

The woman narrowed her eyes, then suddenly laughed.

"Hahaha! You’re still as strange as ever. You always say something like that whenever I ask you about your life. Honestly, Gil, I don’t know how you’ve managed to survive as an adventurer for this long."

Ragnar offered a faint smile and continued eating.

He was beginning to understand that this woman was considerably closer to the original Gil than the five men who had mocked him earlier. She spoke without hesitation, showed no concern about sitting beside him, and seemed familiar with his habits. If he wasn’t careful, she could easily expose his impersonation.

He needed to learn her identity.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to ask.

As the woman shifted in her seat, the metal identification plate hanging from her robe became visible. Ragnar glanced at it briefly, making sure not to stare for too long.

Name: Venn

Class: Mage

Level: 22

Group: Independent Adventurer

Venn.

Ragnar silently memorized the name.

She was a Level 22 mage, her equipment was reasonably good, and the staff resting beside her chair appeared to be of decent quality. Several magical crystals were embedded near its tip, suggesting that she wasn’t an inexperienced spellcaster.

More importantly, her familiarity with Gil meant she might know a great deal about his past.

Venn picked up the cup of water the waitress had brought and took a sip. Then, as though remembering something, she suddenly asked, "By the way, I guess you’ve already bought your mother’s medicine for this month, right?"

Ragnar’s hand stopped halfway toward his plate.

’His mother?’

He glanced at Venn, making sure his expression remained unchanged.

’So this guy has a mother who needs medicine every month.’

That was certainly unexpected.

Until now, Ragnar had only thought about obtaining Gil’s identity, equipment, and adventurer identification. He hadn’t considered the possibility that the original owner had family members who depended on him.

For a moment, he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

’Well, since I’m using his body and identity, I might as well help take care of his remaining responsibilities.’

Ragnar didn’t know what kind of relationship Gil had with his mother, but judging from Venn’s casual question, it seemed that purchasing her medicine was part of his monthly routine.

He placed his fork down and looked at the woman.

"Oh, right, Venn. Could you do me a favor?"

Venn tilted her head.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Could you buy my mother’s medicine for me this month?" Ragnar asked. "You can use the remaining coins for food or anything else you need. I still have a few things to take care of here in the dungeon, so I probably won’t have time to make the trip myself."

Venn stared at him for a moment.

Then she burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! What are you talking about? Of course I can. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve done it for you!"

Ragnar felt slightly relieved.

Venn waved her hand dismissively.

"Don’t worry about it. I’ll buy the medicine and make sure your mother has enough food as well. You should know by now that I won’t let you forget something that important."

She paused, then looked at him with a slightly teasing expression.

"Although, I have to admit, I’m surprised you’re asking me to do this when you apparently have enough money to order such an expensive meal. Did you really find a hidden chest with good loot?"

Ragnar gave a helpless smile.

"I just got lucky."

"That’s good. So, maybe next time you’ll even treat me to a meal."

"Sure. Just let me know."

Venn laughed again, seemingly pleased with his answer.

"Actually, since we’re talking about things to do, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I’ve just gathered a new group of adventurers. We’re preparing to explore the cemetery area this afternoon, and we still need one more person."

Ragnar raised an eyebrow.

"The cemetery?"

"Yes. We’ve already got two swordsmen, a Guardian, and another mage. What we’re missing is someone who can help deal with the skeletons and keep the monsters away from our back line." Venn tapped her fingers against the table as she explained.

"The cemetery shouldn’t be too difficult for a properly organized party, especially since most of the monsters there aren’t particularly strong individually. The problem is that they tend to attack in groups, and fighting them without someone watching our surroundings can become troublesome."

She paused, then looked directly at Ragnar.

"That’s why I thought of you. You’re Level 15, aren’t you? Even if you’re not particularly good at fighting, you should be able to contribute something. Besides, I know you. At least I won’t have to worry about you suddenly running off with our supplies."

Ragnar almost laughed.

’That’s quite an interesting way to recommend someone.’

He didn’t know whether he should feel offended or grateful.

Ragnar considered it briefly before nodding.

"Alright. I’ll join."

Venn smiled.

"Really? That’s great! I was worried you’d refuse like you always did before."

"Well, I have some free time now."

"Good. Then I’ll come find you after I’ve finished buying the medicine and taking care of a few other things." She stood up and picked up her staff. "Don’t disappear before I return, alright? We still need to discuss the party’s formation and decide when we’re entering the dungeon."

Ragnar nodded.

"Okay. I’ll wait."