Chapter 307 - 291: Confession

Chapter 307: Chapter 291: Confession

The private room fell silent for a moment.

"So... since this place is so mysterious."

Valles voiced the question on everyone’s mind. "What do you think is inside?"

"Who knows?"

"Precious materials from the Ancient Era, special weapons with powerful effects, high-purity Top-Grade Crystal Stones, lost High Tier Magic Scrolls... Or even the most mundane treasures, like gold and silver. Anything is possible."

Hill smiled casually.

"Isn’t the unknown charm what makes treasure so alluring? Who knows what we’ll find before we open the box?"

His words were indeed tempting.

Even the ever-steady Marcus couldn’t help but swallow.

For Adventurers, the combination of "unknown" and "instant riches" was a fatal attraction.

None of the squad members had ever explored ruins for treasure before.

Taking commissions from the Adventurer’s Association was more like working a regular job.

Stories about stumbling upon unexpected fortunes during an adventure were always legends told by others. Everyone dreamed of experiencing it at least once.

"Besides... to be realistic, you all know what winter in Black Stone Town is like, right?"

"The heavy snow seals off the forests, the trade routes are cut off, and the Adventurer’s Association closes for the winter."

"Not only that, but the roads to other towns will be blocked as well."

Hill pointed out the window.

"If we pass up this invitation to explore... we might really be stuck in town for a month or two. Do you want that?"

They looked at one another.

Alright.

Hill’s proposal...

It was indeed feasible.

But before that, there were still some things to sort out.

"Where did you get this map?" Zelir asked.

"Found it," Hill said, scratching his head with an innocent look.

"I’ll assume you’re joking."

Zelir’s tone grew serious.

"Since we’re a squad, we need to be honest with each other. Otherwise, we can’t even build basic trust..."

"So where did this map really come from."

The atmosphere in the private room grew tense.

"Alright, alright..."

Hill sat back down in the wooden chair. "I’ll come clean. I got it from a rich merchant’s safe."

"You stole it?"

"I wouldn’t put it that way."

Hill thought for a moment. "It’s only stealing if the person is alive. Since he’s dead, it should count as me ’discovering’ it."

Valles’s eye twitched.

"So... you killed him?" Zelir wasn’t surprised by Hill’s answer.

"Yes."

Hill nodded.

"He was my target. This trip was to deal with him."

"I don’t usually care about my targets’ identities, but that guy really deserved to die."

"He was the owner of a high-class brothel. And that place... well, you know what I mean. He was involved in a lot of trafficking."

"He kept a group of thugs who were responsible for snatching good-looking girls from far away, stuffing them into Wangyou Court, and forcing them into service."

"It took me over a month to figure out the loopholes in his security. Then I went straight in and slit his throat."

"I found this map in the safe in his room."

"He certainly deserved to die, then..." Zelir nodded slightly.

"And before that? Have you killed other people?" Valles asked.

"That would be a rather long list."

Hill smiled playfully. "Want me to go over it for you?"

"Alright, we don’t care about your past, and there’s no need to ask."

Zelir waved a hand at the right moment.

"But Hill, let me get this straight first."

"If you’re going to team up with us, you have to follow our rules."

"Unless we run into another situation like with the Drake Squad, you absolutely cannot kill anyone."

"And we will absolutely not get involved in any matter concerning the Assassin’s Guild."

"Understood."

Hill nodded. "I can keep things separate."

"Besides, I’m not some crazed killer. Unpaid jobs... are not my thing."

Seeing that the ground rules had been established, Zelir’s expression softened.

He looked around at his old teammates.

"What do you all think?"

"Alright, sounds good to me."

Gray was the first to speak up. "Exploring some ruins is better than staying in Black Stone Town huddled by a stove."

"I’m in, too," Marcus said next.

Valles didn’t say anything, just nodded.

"Then... we have a new squad," Zelir said with a nod.

The current team composition seemed even more well-rounded than before.

Vanguard, Swordsman, Ranger, Mage, Assassin.

’We’ve got all the bases covered! And except for me, they’re all Middle Level Professionals. This team is formidable!’

The snows of Black Stone Town hadn’t blocked the roads just yet, so the squad still had a few days to prepare before setting out.

With the discussion over, the group began to disperse.

Only Gray and Zelir remained.

"Hey."

Gray nudged Zelir with his elbow, wiggling his eyebrows. "Zelir, how did it go last night?"

Zelir said nothing in response to Gray’s question.

He just let out a soft sigh.

’I really need to take care of this before I leave Black Stone Town.’

...

「Evening.」

The Mage’s Guild.

The sun was setting, its afterglow painting the lake’s surface a tragic, beautiful golden-red.

Bev sat alone on a stone bench, staring down at her toes. Her figure looked lonely and desolate from behind.

Ever since this morning, her Spirit had been in a daze.

"Bev..."

A familiar voice called out.

Bev’s body trembled slightly as she looked up.

Zelir was standing right in front of her.

He had finally found her here after asking around at Alberti Manor, questioning Mage Haddley, and talking to a few other acquaintances.