MTLNOVEL Chapter 04: Adventurer Guild
"Is this mission... difficult?" Christina asked cautiously.
"Oh, no, not difficult." Andrew, snapping back to his senses, replied a bit flustered: "Not difficult at all. It's just... why hire a mercenary group for this kind of mission? How much did she offer you?"
"Lady Lida said she'd give me fifty copper coins."
"Fifty copper coins?"
"Since she's a neighbor, I gave her a fifty percent discount."
"Fifty copper coins with a fifty percent discount?" Andrew was flabbergasted.
"Is fifty percent too much?" Christina blinked innocently and asked.
Andrew didn't even know how to continue the conversation anymore. He held his forehead for a while, then helplessly said: "The problem isn't the discount—it's the fifty copper coins itself. Even if you charged full price, no discount, it's still just fifty copper coins. Are all the missions you take usually this cheap?"
Christina shrank her neck, lowered her head, and looked at Andrew pitifully.
Taking a deep breath, Andrew said irritably: "Tell me, the most expensive mission you've ever taken—how much did you make?"
Christina cautiously held up five fingers.
"Five silver coins?"
"No, fifty gold coins."
"Fifty gold coins? Not bad. Then why does this mission only pay fifty copper coins?"
"Because..." Christina answered, feeling wronged: "Lady Lida doesn't have much money, and this isn't an urgent matter. She only wants to find out who did it."
"Do you base your fees entirely on the client's financial situation?"
"Isn't that how it should be? If I charge too much, she wouldn't be able to afford it."
"Do you really have to take on missions like this?" Andrew's voice jumped up an octave: "You're a dragon! For heaven's sake, show a little dragon dignity, will you? Dragons are supposed to solve big problems, not sniff around neighborhoods to see who pooped on someone's doorstep!"
Christina shrank her neck even further and timidly looked at Andrew.
"Sorry, I forgot you're a dragon. My tone was a bit harsh—hope you don't mind?"
"No, I don't mind." Christina gently shook her head.
"Listen, if you want to grow your mercenary group and make money, stop taking on missions like this."
"Why?"
"There's no why. Haven't you noticed that the money you make from missions isn't even enough to feed yourself?"
"But I..."
"No buts."
"But I don't need to buy food. I hunt for myself—dragons always hunt for themselves."
"Good grief!" Andrew didn't even know what to say. He covered his face and sat on the bed, defeated.
Christina quietly watched him from the side.
After a long silence, Andrew smacked the edge of the bedside table with his palm and spoke with heartfelt seriousness: "Is this about whether a dragon buys food or not? Is this about whether a dragon buys food or not? Doesn't your time have value?"
"But... time actually doesn't cost anything, does it?"
Andrew was stunned, staring at Christina in disbelief.
"It's true, I swear. I never paid money for time—not even once." Christina tried her best to explain. Well, the conversation couldn't go on anymore. Dead end.
After a long pause, Andrew forced a smile and sighed: "Can you leave for a moment, please?"
"Leave?"
"Yes, leave. I just got out of bed; I haven't tidied up yet. I can't just go out with you looking like this, right? Since you want my advice, wait outside for a bit, okay?"
Christina eagerly nodded and quickly turned to leave.
When the door closed, Andrew let out a deep sigh, lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, completely speechless.
After a while, he sat up again and muttered to himself: "Am I thinking about this the wrong way? I can't expect her to be dumb when I trick her and suddenly smart at other times—it's either she's dumb or smart. Those are the only options. She can't switch back and forth. Thinking this way makes me feel a lot better."
He got up, tidied himself, changed into his old clothes, and then noticed that this shabby room didn't even have a mirror. Sighing again, he muttered: "Can people really live in a place like this? Starting today, I'm going to change her life! It'll be my new beginning—and hers too! That's decided! I'm Andrew, the Blood Elf, and I'm going to live a glorious life!"
Taking a deep breath, Andrew blew a kiss toward the tightly shut window, flashed a charming smile, and then turned to open the door.
"Take me to meet this Lady Lida!" Andrew strode toward the door.
"Oh, okay!" Christina eagerly followed.
No mistake about it! Detective Andrew—no, Duru—has arrived!
...
In front of the gate, Andrew, Christina, and a middle-aged woman with a face full of freckles stared at a pile of poop.
The middle-aged woman had already cleared the snow around the poop, making it even more visible than last night. Andrew stared at it for a moment, and after confirming that it was indeed his handiwork from last night, he quietly turned to Christina and asked: "Did you collect the payment yet?"
"Not yet."
"You can collect it now."
"Huh?" Christina froze for a second.
"You know who did it already?" The middle-aged woman quickly asked.
"Yes, I already know." Turning around, Andrew slightly tilted his head upward and looked down at the middle-aged woman who was more than a head shorter. He announced: "It's... dog poop."
"Dog poop?"
"Yes, dog poop. So the person you're looking for doesn't exist."
"No, this isn't dog poop." The woman shook her head earnestly: "I've seen dog poop—it doesn't look like this. This looks like human poop. And it's... diarrhea."