Adventurer of Many Professions

"Hey… do you really think those four adventurers can handle the Red-Eyed Crows?"

The question came from a villager who had just finished processing a fresh mutton carcass. His hands were still slick with grease as he wiped them on his apron, his face shadowed with unease. His gaze flickered toward the road where the adventurers had arrived earlier.

"To be honest, I'm worried," he continued in a hushed tone. "They look too young… maybe fifteen at most. They can't have been adventurers for long."

Another villager, an older man with calloused hands from years of farm work, nodded grimly. "Ever since I saw those last adventurers cut down by goblins… I can't help but feel anxious when new ones come to take on dangerous quests. We lost good people that day."

A murmur of agreement passed through the small group gathered around.
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"And I heard that White Porcelain-level adventurers can only take on Black Iron commissions," another villager added hesitantly. "If all four of them are just White Porcelain-level… well, we're basically sending kids to do a dangerous job."

"No!" A sharp voice cut through the conversation. It came from a pockmarked villager named Ace, who crossed his arms and frowned at the others. "Didn't any of you pay attention to their nameplates?"

The others looked at each other, blinking.

"Uh… I was too excited when they arrived," admitted one.

"Same here… forgot to check," another muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

Ace sighed in exasperation. "I saw them clearly. The archer is at the White Porcelain level, but the other three? They're all Black Iron level."

A brief silence followed. Then—

"Three of them are Black Iron already? At their age?"

"That's incredible! To reach Black Iron so young, they must be stronger than most adventurers at that rank."

A woman, standing nearby, furrowed her brows. "Wait… wasn't one of them a priest? I heard priests need two specific skills to even be promoted to Black Iron. That means they aren't just strong—they're experienced."

A ripple of realization spread through the group, and their apprehension began to ease. A team with a priest was usually well-balanced, and that alone reassured them.

But Ace wasn't done. He smirked slightly, leaning in as if sharing a secret. "You're all missing the biggest detail."

"What do you mean?"

"Back at the village chief's house, did any of you actually listen to what their leader, Raymond, said?"

"Uh… about the plan to lure the Red-Eyed Crows?"

"No, not that." Ace's voice dropped to a near whisper. "It's the Explosion Magic."

The villagers exchanged puzzled looks.

"Explosion Magic? What's so special about that?"

"Ace, stop teasing us and just tell us already!" one of them huffed. "You travel to Wittes often, right? You must know something we don't."

Ace finally relented, his eyes gleaming. "Alright, listen up. The magician in their group isn't just any magician. She's an Explosion Magician. And that means one thing, her magic is the most destructive type there is."

A collective gasp followed.

"Wait… are you serious?"

"If that's true, then they can handle the Red-Eyed Crows!"

Relief swept through the villagers, their concerns now replaced by cautious excitement.

Just then, a voice interrupted their chatter.

"Shh! The village chief is bringing them over."

The group fell silent as Raymond, Arya, and the rest of their team approached, following Village Chief Gamens. The adventurers carried themselves with confidence, their nameplates gleaming under the sunlight. The villagers quickly straightened up, some dusting off their aprons in an effort to appear more composed.

The village chief stopped in front of them and gestured to the prepared supplies. "Well, Mr. Adventurer, we've prepared the food you requested."

Raymond stepped forward, his sharp eyes scanning the five large sheep lying in a neat row on the ground. They had been expertly skinned, gutted, and cleaned. He nodded in approval.

"These are for luring the Red-Eyed Crows?" he confirmed.

Gamens nodded. "Yes. We could've left the sheep whole, but… if we did that, the feeding would turn into a bloodbath. The sight of them tearing into fresh kills, the smell of raw blood, it unsettles some of the villagers. So instead, we've processed everything in advance."

Raymond's gaze shifted to a nearby basin, filled with neatly arranged intestines and organs. The villagers had clearly taken care to prepare everything properly.

He paused, thinking. "Where do you usually place the food for them?"

The village chief pointed toward a crossroads about a hundred meters away. It was a wide, open space, an ideal location for setting a trap.

Raymond's lips curled into a small smile. Perfect.

Now, the real hunt would begin.

Village Chief Gamens cleared his throat, his voice steady but tinged with concern. "We've been using that crossroads because it's visible from the rooftops, where the Red-Eyed Crows perch. If we throw the food there, they'll see it right away and come down to feed. Plus, the houses nearby give us good cover, we can stay hidden while tossing the food out. It's the safest way we've found… so that's why we chose that spot."

He expected a nod of approval, but instead, Raymond stood silently, studying the area with a deep frown.

Noticing this, the chief's confidence wavered. "Uh… is something wrong?" he asked nervously.

Raymond exhaled through his nose, his expression thoughtful yet firm. "It was a good choice before. But now, we need to find another spot."

Before the chief could ask why, Sylph stepped forward, arms crossed. "Yeah, it's too narrow there," she said matter-of-factly. "My Explosion Magic covers a huge area—if I cast it there, the blast will take out half the houses nearby."

A ripple of unease passed through the villagers. The chief's face paled. "Th-this… what should we do, then?" He swallowed hard, glancing at the houses that might become collateral damage.

Raymond's gaze swept across the village before landing on an open space. "I noticed a large square in the center of the village. We can use that instead."

"The central square?" Gamens repeated, rubbing his chin. "It's big enough, sure, but…" His brows furrowed. "It's too close to the Red-Eyed Crows' territory. There's no cover, if we go anywhere near it, those creatures will spot us immediately. If they attack before we're ready, there's no escape."

A tense silence settled over the group. The villagers exchanged worried glances, clearly imagining the worst.

But Raymond was unfazed. A confident smirk played on his lips. "That won't be a problem. Just leave the food placement to me."

Gamens blinked. "You… you can handle it?"

He hesitated, then his gaze dropped to the nameplate at Raymond's waist. His eyes widened slightly. Instead of the sword emblem he expected, representing a warrior, the nameplate bore the symbol of two clenched fists, the mark of a fighter.

The chief's confusion deepened. He had assumed Raymond was a warrior since the young man wore light armor and carried an arm shield. But a fighter? Why was he equipped like that?

Before he could voice his thoughts, Sylph grinned and clapped Raymond on the back. "Don't worry, Chief. Raymond's not just a fighter, he's a warrior as well."

The chief stiffened. "Wait… what?"

Gasps rippled through the gathered villagers.

"Did she just say two professions?"

"That's… that's impossible, right?"

"I've never heard of anyone awakening two professions at once."

Murmurs spread like wildfire, but Raymond simply gave a small nod, neither confirming nor denying the amazement in their voices. He was used to this reaction.

In truth, he didn't mind Sylph revealing his secret, his dual-class status was no longer something he needed to hide. He had walked openly in the town of Wittes as both a fighter and a warrior, so a small village like this posed no risk.

Satisfied with his plan, he turned back to the chief. "Have the villagers move the mutton closer to the central square. After that, leave everything else to us. When the time comes, make sure everyone finds a place to hide and stays there."

Gamens hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Understood." He turned to his people. "Alright, let's move! Get the mutton over near the square, then spread the word, everyone needs to stay away from the area."

The villagers sprang into action, lifting the prepared sheep carcasses and carrying them toward the new location. They carefully positioned them behind a house near the square, using the building as temporary cover to avoid being seen by the Red-Eyed Crows.

Once the last of the meat was in place, the chief wiped his brow and turned back to Raymond. "Is there anything else we need to do?"

Raymond shook his head. "No, that's all. Go take care of your people."

"Alright," Gamens said, nodding firmly. "Everyone, let's go!"

The villagers quickly dispersed, heading off to warn the rest of the settlement to take cover.

As the last of them hurried away, Arya stepped up beside Raymond. "Should I take Sylph and the others to our positions now?" she asked.

Raymond gave a slight nod. "Yeah. Get into position. We move as planned."

They had already discussed their strategy earlier, lure the Red-Eyed Crows to the central square, then strike. Arya and the others would remain hidden, waiting for the perfect moment. And when the time came… Sylph would unleash her devastating Explosion Magic.

The pieces were in place. Now, all that remained was to spring the trap.