Chapter 162 - 161: Double the Holy Light

Chapter 162: Chapter 161: Double the Holy Light

Hesia’s gaze swept across the middle section of the notice board.

He was looking for quests to clear out sizable Demon lairs. Not only did they offer generous rewards, but they would also provide him with plenty of practice targets to increase his Magic proficiency.

Most importantly, having a sufficient number of targets would allow him to efficiently farm for new entries.

However, after scanning for a good while, Hesia found that most of the listings were for investigation-related quests.

’Is it because the weather’s turning colder that all the Demons are hiding in their lairs, unwilling to come out?’

Just as Hesia was lost in thought, a timid voice came from behind him.

"Um... Excuse me, are you Lord Galen?"

Hesia turned around and saw a short woman.

She had short, chestnut-colored hair and held a warhammer. She wore the robes of a Holy Professional, but the emblem on them was unfamiliar, making it impossible to tell which Deity she served.

Seeing Hesia sizing her up, she looked a little nervous, but she still gathered her courage to speak again. "I was wondering... would you be interested in joining a party with a Healer?"

"You know me?"

"Um... I’ve heard of you." She hesitated before adding in a low voice, "I heard you’re Rose Town’s... best-drinking Mage..."

The corner of Hesia’s mouth twitched. He had no doubt which big-mouthed Warrior had spread this "great reputation" of his, or how.

Seeing the odd look on Hesia’s face, she quickly waved her hands to explain. "Of course! I also heard from a friend... who also heard at a tavern that you are a very capable Mage! So, I’d like to invite you to complete a quest together."

"By the way, my name is Hayley. Hayley Melo," she introduced herself.

"Hello, Ms. Hayley," Hesia nodded. "I’ll need to understand the quest details first."

Hayley quickly handed over a piece of parchment. The style of the ink and paper was quite different from the local quest forms in Rose Town.

[Extermination] The Frogman Tribe of Blackwater Swamp

Details: For the past half-month, the Frogman Tribe of Blackwater Swamp has deviated from its usual behavior and become extremely aggressive. They have been systematically attacking the trade route to Trout Town, resulting in multiple vicious incidents of plundered goods and casualties. This poses a serious threat to the region’s commerce and travel safety.

Note: Due to the large size of the target tribe, this team quest will be posted simultaneously in three nearby towns. The bounty will be shared by a maximum of three squads that successfully complete the extermination mission and make the most outstanding contributions. The specific distribution will be determined by the Trout Town Chamber of Commerce Alliance.

Objective: Reduce the number of Frogmen, destroy their offensive capabilities, and ensure the safety of the trade route.

Reward: Eighty Golden Shields. Distribution will be based on the number of frogman webbed feet submitted by each squad, to be arbitrated by the Trout Town Chamber of Commerce Alliance.

Warning: The swamp environment is treacherous. The Frogmen are familiar with the terrain and have superior numbers. Accepting this quest constitutes full acknowledgment of the risks involved.

Issuer: Trout Town Chamber of Commerce Alliance (Sponsored and reported by the Gasp River Pufferfish tavern)

Contact: Old Nick of the Gasp River Pufferfish tavern

Blackwater Swamp. Hesia remembered a teammate mentioning before that the journey from Rose Town would take around ten days, even by carriage.

A reward of eighty Golden Shields was certainly tempting, but it had to be split among three squads, and then split again among the members within each squad... However, the core of the quest was "distribution by quantity." As long as he killed enough of them, he’d naturally get a bigger share of the money.

’Me, plus Bruce, and then if I can get a suitable Undead skeleton for Slag to possess...’ Hesia calculated in his head. ’Logically, when it comes to mob-clearing efficiency, no one should be able to beat me.’

As for safety, this Hayley was a Priest, which was an absolutely Rare breed in Rose Town. Her presence would greatly increase the party’s margin for error.

Still, he decided to confirm a few more details. "How many more people do you need? What about the other teammates? Are they people you’ve worked with before, or did you just recruit them?"

"With you, we’ll have a full party of five," Hayley replied. "One Priest is a friend I knew from before. The other, a Warrior, and a Stalker were recruited recently. They’re level 18 and 19, respectively."

"Wait a minute..." Hesia caught a detail. "Aren’t you a Priest yourself?"

Hayley nodded gently, confirming, "I am."

Hesia’s heart leaped at her words.

’Two Priests! By the Holy Light, this party composition is extravagant!’

’Double the healing, double the blessings... That’s maxing out the safety factor right there.’

’It’s a shame there’s only one spot left, or I could have brought Zoya in. But it seems she’s busy with her own stuff recently anyway.’

"Alright, I’m in," Hesia decided on the spot.

At his words, Hayley’s hands, which had been clenched around the handle of her warhammer, finally relaxed. Her eyes curved into crescents as a relieved smile spread across her face.

"That’s wonderful! We plan to set out the morning after next, following a caravan to Trout Town. That way, we can also complete an escort quest. We have plenty of time; we just need to reach Trout Town within half a month."

"No problem."

Hesia followed her to the counter and registered his Adventurer information with her temporary party.

Unlike a permanent party, a temporary party is formed for a single quest or a specified set of quests. After the commission is over, its members are no longer considered part of the same team.

"Then let’s meet at the east gate of town the morning after next."

"Alright."

...

Now that his travel plans were set, Hesia began preparing for the long journey.

He planned to spend most of the next day catching a few goblins to "deliver as a meal" for Trist. He would also bring some other food over to make sure Trist had enough to eat while he was away.

That meant he needed to go shopping this afternoon. Fortunately, Laila had recommended several useful shops to him before she left.

First, Hesia went to a leather goods shop called "Hard Hoof" and bought a pair of waterproof tall boots and a waterproof pack.

The tall boots were made from tanned Giant Lizard Hide. They reached nearly to his knees and had drawstrings at the top that could be tightened to effectively prevent muddy water and leeches from getting inside.

The waterproof pack was made of thick, oiled canvas, designed to keep his spare clothes and Magic Materials dry in the damp swamp.

After that, he visited an Alchemy Shop and bought a large bottle of Insect Repellent Potion and two Antidotes.

The Insect Repellent Potion wasn’t just for Hesia; Bruce would need it as well.

Hesia planned to give the [Thick Hide] entry to Bruce for the duration of the mission, since he himself had [Mage Armor].

As for the Antidotes, while he had the [Refined Gold Gastrointestinal Tract] entry, it might not be effective against poisons that seeped through the skin into the bloodstream.

He only bought Antidotes specifically for snake, insect, and poison frog venoms. While not as effective as a more potent, all-purpose antidote, they were considerably cheaper.

As for the long staff or walking stick that an ordinary Adventurer might buy before entering a swamp—for probing the path, pushing aside vines, scaring away small snakes, and testing the depth of pools—Hesia, of course, had no need for one. His two-meter-long Magic Wand was the best probing tool imaginable.

After purchasing all these items, Hesia’s already light Money Bag was left with only two lone Silver Scales.

He didn’t immediately spend these last two Silver Scales on the dry rations he would need for himself.

He planned to use this money to buy some fresh meat for Trist tomorrow and deliver it all at once—a small investment that would be returned with interest the very next day.

Once he delivered the "goods" and collected his payment, there would still be time to buy the hard bread, dried meat, and nuts he needed for the road.