Ch. 9
Chapter 9: [The Gatekeeper Uncles and Randall]
As a medium-sized stronghold of the Adventurers’ Guild, Thornfall Outpost stood on the edge of the Kanna Plains, built along gentle hills.
A river, purified and barely potable, had been diverted to the edge of the city to provide water for its inhabitants.
There were more than three thousand permanent residents in the city, including guild guards responsible for maintaining order, clerks handling documentation, twelve senior mages who took shifts maintaining the monster-repelling formation, professional blacksmiths in charge of equipment maintenance and crafting, alchemists and material refiners dealing with demonic essence resources, resident merchants and their families who sold daily necessities and food to adventurers, traveling traders handling loot sales, and the largest group of all—the adventurers.
The towering white city walls were built from huge blocks of Kanna Plains white stone, stacked with precision.
Simple yet durable watchtowers and crossbow turrets stood upon them.
The bricks’ surfaces bore the rough traces of erosion and dust storms from the wasteland.
It was daytime.
The charred wooden gates of Thornfall Outpost stood open.
Adventurers returning to report tasks and those setting out again mingled with merchant convoys, forming a loosely organized crowd—busy and orderly like an ant colony’s entrance.
Two guild guards stood at the gate, each holding a sharp spear.
They wore light armor on their chests and shoulders, flexible leather armor inlaid with copper plates on their limbs and joints, steel helmets atop their heads, short swords at their waists, crossbows and quivers on their backs.
Their blue cloaks bore the emblem of the Guild:
Two iron-cast hands crossed in an X-shape, with a massive eye above them—symbolizing indestructible hands that dared to explore and create, and a gaze forever fixed upon the unknown ahead.
“That bunch of bandits… should quiet down for a few months.” Guard No. 1 squinted toward the wasteland. “Damn corpses are heavy as hell. Took all morning just to hang them on the trees. Never felt this tired swinging a spear, but hanging bodies? That’s exhausting.”
“Idiotic and vile. Hiding in the wild like stray dogs was one thing, but daring to rob a Guild supply convoy?” Guard No. 2 snorted. “There’s already a bounty out—worth over five thousand Edric gold coins. Those bandits will be flattened soon enough by adventurers and bounty hunters. Thought they were tough just because no one bothered with them before.”
“Morning, Uncle Robin, Uncle Carlisle!” A young adventurer carrying a longsword on his back called out as he returned from the plains, greeting them in passing.
“Oh, morning, lad.” Guard No. 1 looked up.
“Morning, Randall… Out on a job?” Guard No. 2 called.
“Nope, just scouting.” The young adventurer grinned, squeezing through the crowd to speak with them at the gate, clearly excited.
“Our team just snagged the bandit-clearing mission—a big one. I went out at dawn to check their tracks and signs of movement. Got a rough idea now.” He lowered his voice. “Judging by the footprints and traces, their camp’s probably south of the Beastbone Hills.”
“What… you guys took that one?” Guard No. 1 blinked. “I thought… more experienced adventurers or fierce bounty hunters would go.”
“Hey, kid, how’d you snatch a high-level job like that? One of the reception girls at the Guild Hall got a crush on you or something?” Guard No. 2 frowned. “Those extermination jobs usually go to fifth-rank adventurers or mercenary groups first.”
“Nah. It’s just that the recent ‘Kanna Dungeon Siege’ multi-party mission gives great rewards and loot, open to all adventurers of level five and above. All the high-level ones went down into the dungeon depths to raid the inner ring. The reports say the outer ring’s already cleared, and treasures in the inner ring are worth seven or eight times more than those outside.” Randall shrugged. “Ah, if only I were high-level enough—I’d love to join in too. Haven’t you noticed how empty the city’s been? Most of the top adventurers moved into temporary camps deep in the dungeon. This is the only time we can grab a big, high-paying job.”
“But you’re only level three. That bandit job’s…” Guard No. 1 hesitated. “Think your team can handle it?”
“Don’t worry! We’ve got this!” Randall grinned. “We’re not rookies anymore. Don’t treat us like greenhorns.”
“Robin doesn’t mean that. He means, while you’re one of the best among the newer adventurers—experienced in exploration, hunting, survival, and harvesting magical materials—you’ve never fought bandits head-on.” Guard No. 2 warned. “Bandits can be more dangerous than monsters. Be careful.”
“Got it.” Randall answered briskly.
“Your team’s still the same five?” Guard No. 1 asked suddenly. “You, that blockhead swordsman, the level-four old thief, the rookie alchemist, and the apprentice mage?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re missing a frontliner. Go find a good melee fighter—preferably heavy-armored.” Guard No. 2 said. “If you’re dead set on this, we won’t stop you. But you need to know your limits. Your lineup’s good for exploration and hunting, not fighting organized bandits. You’ll need a strong, heavily-armored warrior for that.”
“Isn’t Grad good at melee?” Randall gestured. “His greatsword’s taller than a man—”
“That’s no damn melee weapon!” “Useless!” both guards swore in unison.
“That fool of yours doesn’t have the strength for a greatsword. He nearly throws himself with every swing and runs out of stamina after two. Can barely breathe after that.” Guard No. 2 snorted. “A greatsword’s practically a blunt weapon—it only works with enough impact power. In the Imperial Army, greatswords and lances are cavalry weapons, used for mounted charges. On foot? Pointless. Tell that fool to switch to a lighter sword or a spear—gripping a spear at the midpoint makes it easier to control. Have him save up for some body-tempering materials and stamina potions before going back to greatswords.”
“Using a greatsword on bandits? What nonsense is that? You’ve been fighting Root-Creatures and Skeleton Soldiers too long?” Guard No. 1 barked. “Root-Creatures can’t run, Skeleton Soldiers are stiff and brainless—they don’t dodge. You think bandits are the same? They’re living, breathing humans, fast and smart! You swing for three seconds, pant for ten, and that’s enough for them to slit your throat a hundred times!”
Randall took the scolding with a smile. Instead of arguing, he pulled out a small notebook filled with scribbles and diagrams, along with a charcoal pencil, carefully jotting down everything they said.
He snapped to attention, notebook under his arm, charcoal pencil between his teeth, and saluted the two guards with an awkward, lopsided imitation of an Imperial military salute.
“Thank you, uncles!” he said cheerfully and sincerely. “I’ll head to the Guild Hall to find a heavy-armored melee fighter to join up—and tell Grad to switch weapons! Though… whether he listens, who knows. Uncles, any other advice? Please teach me more!”
“You brat! You came just to ask for tips, didn’t you?” Guard No. 1 chuckled. “You don’t need more advice yet—and don’t get greedy for our Imperial combat techniques. Get your swordsmanship and archery right first. When you’re strong enough, maybe… maybe we’ll teach you a move or two.”
“Good thing you told us before leaving,” Guard No. 2 said, then stopped himself. “We’re both former Edric Imperial soldiers. Not much use for wasteland exploration, but we know a thing or two about fighting humanoid enemies. You’re a good kid—hope we see you come back through this gate every day, safe and sound.”
“Go now.” Guard No. 1 said. “Don’t waste daylight.”
“Yes, sir! Thank you, sirs! Once I’m back, drinks are on me—same spot as always!” Randall stuffed his notebook away and jogged off toward the Guild Hall, waving.
“That kid…” Guard No. 1 muttered.
“Good lad,” Guard No. 2 smiled. “Polite to everyone, takes advice, learns fast, and stays steady. Just the fact that he asks veterans before acting already makes him better than most his age.”
“Half his batch of adventurers are already dead. The rest are still level one or two. He’s level three now. Used to be under a level-six adventurer, but now he’s leading his own team and doing great—got a level-four old-timer following his orders, too.”
“Yeah, back when he was under ‘Windblade’ Norman, always running errands. When missions came, Norman refused to take him—said he was too low-level. That mage in Norman’s team was a real bastard—promised to bring him along, then ditched him before departure, said it was too dangerous and didn’t want to split the loot. The kid spent half a month preparing, only to be left standing at the gate in the pouring rain, crying on the steps. I thought he was just a soft kid then.”
“Was our shift that day. I pulled him into the guard post to get out of the rain. Honestly, I thought he’d quit after that. But he said being an adventurer was his dream—ran away from home to chase it. What can you do?” Guard No. 2 shrugged.
“Dreams, huh… to still have dreams, that’s youth.” Guard No. 1 nodded. “Youth is good. We’re just old men now, standing guard in the middle of nowhere.”
“Hey, I wasn’t any worse when I was young. That kid’s just like me back then. I almost made cavalry captain, you know?” Guard No. 2 boasted. “If the Edric Empire hadn’t stopped its war with the Suparl Empire so soon, I’d be nobility by now! Who knew they’d end the war after only two years?”
“You’ve told that story eight hundred times.” Guard No. 1 laughed. “Face it, it didn’t happen. We’re in our forties now. Some things don’t pay off, no matter how hard you work. It’s luck.”
“Being a Guild guard’s not bad either. The job’s remote and rough, sure—but the Guild’s loaded. Pays well too…” Guard No. 2 trailed off suddenly, staring into the crowd. “Oh.”
“What is it…” Guard No. 1 followed his gaze—and froze. “Oh.”
After guarding Thornfall for three years, they knew most adventurers by face. They’d seen all sorts of newcomers, but never ones like these two.
Through the crowd came two towering figures in heavy armor, treading through the yellow dust of the wasteland like giants among men, drawing countless stares.
One was a slender knight in black armor, his pitch-dark plates caked with dust, trailing a blood-red cloak like a scaled serpent. His limbs were long and thin, spider-like—deadly and elegant. Despite his lean frame, he carried a massive hammer-spear like a royal scepter. Judging by his stride, he stood nearly two meters tall, with the bearing of a king.
The other was a bronze-armored knight, his armor rusted and covered by a gray cloak. His gauntlets and greaves bore ancient engravings and rust stains, wrapped with cloth strips.
He held down the brim of a battered hood, his face completely hidden in darkness.
He was as tall as the black knight, maybe taller—broad-shouldered and powerfully built, though slightly hunched to appear smaller.
A rusted bronze longsword hung at his waist, and a kite shield on his back. Silent and stoic, like a knight in exile.
Clang, clang.
The heavy rhythm of their steps rang like steel war machines rolling forward.
“The black one’s carrying an anti-armor weapon, the bronze one’s got a sword and shield… interesting—foot-combat war knights. Damn, it’s rare to see full-plate war knights these days—and both on foot, too.” Guard No. 1 murmured. “Since the War of Kings, large-scale cavalry charges have died out. Half the war knights switched to half-plate or light armor.”
“They’re walking all the way here? Could they be adventurers? Adventurers travel long distances in harsh conditions.” Guard No. 2 frowned. “What kind of terrifying stamina and endurance does it take to march long distances in full armor? They’d have to drink strength potions like water.”
…
Samael and Thaleia moved with the crowd, trying their best to keep a low profile as they entered the city.
“I think we might be a bit too tall, my lord,” Samael murmured. “I… I thought our height was normal, but now that I’ve seen living people for the first time here, it’s… not. Are we both actually two meters tall?”
“My father stood at two meters and nine… shoulders one and a half wide,” Thaleia whispered. “I’m considered small and slender—and this is already after my mother’s counterbalance.”
“Our abilities might be… a little much for normal adventurers,” Samael said quietly. “We’d better restrain ourselves and hide our power.”
“Those two guards are staring at us,” Thaleia hissed. “Oh no, do newcomers need to be checked before entering? I don’t recall that being a Guild rule!”
“Relax,” Samael muttered. “If things go south, we’ll just… handle it as it comes.”
They forced themselves to stay calm, stepping forward. Just as they were about to enter Thornfall, one of the guards raised a hand to stop them.
“Excuse me, are you two new adventurers?” Guard No. 1 asked. “Haven’t seen you around here before.”
“Ah… we’re not adventurers yet, but we do wish to become ones… may the Gods bless us.” Samael pressed his hands together solemnly. “We’re wandering knights from a distant monastery, on a pilgrimage of hardship and reflection. We thought perhaps we could become adventurers—or find a caravan to the Edric Empire.”
“So you haven’t even registered as adventurers yet?” Guard No. 2 asked.
“That’s… correct,” Thaleia said. “We devoted our lives to the Gods, bound to the monastery. But our mentor told us that the Gods watch over the living world, and only through worldly trials can one truly commune with them. So we left on this pilgrimage and came here, though we’ve yet to register.”
“May I ask your professions? With such specialized equipment, I assume you already have one?” Guard No. 1 asked.
Sharp eyes, Samael thought. Very experienced.
“War Knights,” Samael answered.
The two guards exchanged a look.
“You both seem seasoned, but if you wish to join the Guild, you’ll still start at level one—that’s the rule. The wasteland’s too dangerous for the inexperienced. Too many die chasing money without knowing the risk. Hope you understand.” Guard No. 2 said kindly. “Even if you’re veterans, you’ll need to start as novices—join a team led by a senior, learn for a while before working solo. If you’re looking to register, perhaps you’d like to join a good team first?”
“We can vouch for them,” Guard No. 1 added, rubbing his hands together. “A good young captain, responsible and sharp—and his team just got a mission perfect for you. If you two are interested, we can introduce you. He can even help with your registration.”
Samael and Thaleia exchanged glances.
“Uh… certainly,” Thaleia said.
“Of course. Thank you, sir!” Samael said warmly. “We’re very grateful, uncles!”
“Then please wait here, monks.” Guard No. 2 nodded, turning to his partner. “I’ll stay on duty. Go fetch Randall before he gets too far.”
“Why am I the one running errands?” Guard No. 1 grumbled, but strode toward the Guild Hall.