Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 136 (Part 1)

They arrived at the Mercenary Guild to receive their mercenary badges. At Rodin’s appearance, the staff at the counter instinctively straightened up.

“Sir pla—…”

“Shh!”

Rodin quickly pressed a finger to his lips, cautioning the staff member. The employee inhaled sharply and cautiously returned to their seat.

“Sir, we’re here to pick up the mercenary badges.”

Bianca stepped forward and spoke up first. Her tone, carrying an endearing charm, brought smiles to the mercenaries nearby.

“Looks like you’ve passed the assessment. May I have your name, new mercenary?”

“My name? Oh, it’s Bianca.”

“Bianca. Here you are. Wow, you’re a mage mercenary. Welcome aboard. May you complete many requests and eventually become a gold badge mercenary.”

“Gold badge? No way! I’m going to be a platinum badge mercenary!”

“Yes, yes. Best of luck to you.”

Following Bianca, Larry, Karis, and Jena also received their badges.

“Brother, let’s look for a request.”

“A request?”

“You never know. There might be one heading straight to the Richmond Marquisate.”

“Alright. Checking won’t hurt.”

Rodin didn’t have much experience with mercenary requests. Up to now, he’d only completed one—a delivery of potions.

He had supplied over 400 healing potions in a single delivery, earning the equivalent of four bronze badge requests in one go.

“There are plenty of requests heading to Richmond.”

“Well, both cities are major hubs.”

The Richmond Marquisate was the largest city in the Lennox Kingdom’s interior. Similarly, Asir, where they currently were, was a sizable trade city near the border. It was only natural for trade between the two cities to flourish.

“But the departure dates are all too far off.”

“This is the border, after all. They’ll want to gather enough goods to make the trip worthwhile, so timing will always be tricky.”

“Hey, Brother, how about this request?”

“Hm? A delivery job?”

Instead of an escort mission, this was a transport request. The mercenary accepting the request would be directly responsible for delivering the goods to their destination.

“The destination is the Richmond Marquisate.”

“Sounds good. We can leave today if we want.”

The request duration was set at 30 days. Even with a leisurely pace, they could reach the Richmond Marquisate in 15 days or less.

Even if unexpected delays arose, they’d still have plenty of time. If Rodin pushed himself and picked up the pace, he could arrive at the marquisate in just three days.

Moreover, the job was marked for iron and wooden badges, meaning it wasn’t for valuable goods.

“Alright, let’s take this one.”

“Sure.”

Larry applied for the request himself. The counter staff glanced briefly at Rodin but said nothing, immediately contacting the client.

A job meant for iron and wooden badge mercenaries involving a Grand Mage? This was a mission that couldn’t possibly fail.

That very day, the client came to their inn. After verifying Karis, Jena, Larry, and Bianca, they entrusted the job without hesitation.

Iron and wooden badges represented the lowest mercenary ranks. A job assigned to such low-ranked mercenaries essentially meant it was a guaranteed acceptance.

After heading back to the guild and signing the contract, they were given the goods: a large wooden crate.

“Is this all that needs to be delivered to the Richmond Marquisate?”

“Yes. It’s a transport request. While the items aren’t expensive, they’re crucial for the marquisate right now. Please deliver them as quickly as possible.”

“Understood.”

The client handed over the crate, along with the recipient’s name and address, and then disappeared.

The designated recipient of the goods was the current Marquis of Richmond. After succeeding the title from the previous marquis, who passed away a few months ago, he was known as a sixth-level swordsman.

“Brother, shall we leave right away?”

“Let’s do that.”

“Yeah, no need to delay. Since it’s important to the marquis, we should deliver it as soon as possible.”

“Agreed.”

The sun was still high in the sky, just past noon.

—

The carriage sped eastward, leaving Asir behind. Rodin drove it slightly faster than usual.

Though it was an easy request, a job was still a job. With plenty of time to spare, they sped up to secure even more leeway.

“Brother, what’s in the delivery?”

“Potions, I think.”

“Really?”

Rodin didn’t store the transport goods in his dimensional bracelet. Instead, he left the crate in the carriage as they traveled.

This delivery wasn’t for Rodin—it was for Larry and Bianca. It was meant to give them a proper experience of typical mercenary work, excluding tasks beyond an ordinary mercenary’s ability.

“They sell potions in Richmond too, don’t they? Why buy them from so far away?”

“Good question. True Eye.”

Curious, Rodin cast a spell, peering into the crate to inspect its contents.

“They’re potions?”

“Yeah. Detox potions.”

“Detox? Is someone poisoned?”

“No idea. But buying detox potions from far away makes sense.”

Detox potions were among the cheapest types of potions. The materials were inexpensive, and demand was low.

Detox potions were useless unless someone was actually poisoned. Since poisoning incidents were rare, their demand was equally scarce.

This lack of demand meant they weren’t commonly produced, which often led to situations where even large cities couldn’t procure them.

“Don’t they sell them in Richmond?”

“Not often. Since they’re not lucrative, shops don’t stock them regularly.”

“Oh, so it’s about profitability.”

“Exactly. But still, it’s not just one or two bottles—there are 100 detox potions in total.”

Rodin recalled hearing rumors of an epidemic spreading in the Richmond Marquisate. It seemed the marquis had concluded the illness was caused by poison.

“Does that mean a lot of people are poisoned?”

“That’s what they must think… but this request might turn out to be more trouble than it seems.”

A sense of unease crept over him, as if he were being pulled into someone’s scheme. The feeling left a bitter taste.

“Brother, what’s wrong?”

“There’s an epidemic in the Richmond Marquisate. The marquis seems to believe it’s caused by poison.”

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