Chapter 36: The Escort Commission

The "additional person" Guildmaster Nova referred to was not Li Rui, but a half-elf archer.

Once Paul and his team agreed to take on the mission, Guildmaster Nova picked up a prismatic crystal communicator. After a few adjustments, she called out to someone on the other end: "Milly, come to my office now. I have something to discuss with you."

Before long, a young woman walked in, a longbow slung over her back, her movements as agile as a deer in the woods.

"This is Milly, the daughter of the former guard captain and a guild-certified Level 3 archer," Guildmaster Nova introduced, her voice tinged with the warmth of a mentor.

Milly had striking pale silver hair tied into a neat ponytail that swayed gently with her steps. More eye-catching were the pointed ears peeking through her hair—slightly upturned at the tips, though not overly long—signifying her elven heritage as a half-elf. This lineage granted her a refined face and a pair of sharp, clear, pale green eyes that sparkled with the vitality of a thawing spring stream.

Upon entering, Milly’s gaze was drawn like a magnet to the three fully armed members of Paul’s team. Her eyes lit up as if she had discovered treasure. "Guildmaster, are you finally letting me go on an adventure? I’ve been waiting for this day forever!"

"Indeed," Guildmaster Nova smiled, her expression as bright as a spring sun. She turned to Paul and his companions to explain Milly’s background: "Milly’s father was the former guard captain of Golden Wheat Town and a dear friend of mine. He passed away early, leaving Milly and her mother to look after one another... and later, her mother passed as well."

She sighed softly, her gaze resting on Milly with deep affection. "I’ve watched this child grow up, and I can guarantee she has great potential. While she may not yet match the experience of Kate, the archer who left your team, I believe that with a few months of tempering, the results will be quite something."

"What do you say, Captain Paul? Do you think she is qualified to join your 'Earth's Claw'?"

Paul exchanged glances with Garon the barbarian and Brook the sword-and-shield fighter.

Garon grunted, "Looks spirited enough!"

Brook whistled silently, his eyes lingering for a moment on Milly’s longbow.

After seeing his teammates' approval, Paul nodded steadily and spoke for the group: "We trust anyone the Guildmaster recommends. Welcome to the team, Milly."

"That’s wonderful!" Milly’s eyes shone with excitement as she stood tall. "I look forward to working with you, Captain Paul, and everyone else!"

"Excellent," Guildmaster Nova said with satisfaction. She picked up a yellowed piece of parchment from her desk and pushed it toward them. "Now, take a look at this. Milly, come over and see as well. This is the mission I am entrusting to you all."

***

The three members of Paul’s team and the newly joined Milly gathered around the desk, their eyes fixed on the clear ink upon the parchment:

—
[Escort Li Rui to slay undead creatures]
[Mission Type]: Escort
[Reward]: 1,000 gold coins
[Destination]: Amos Mine, Copper Mine Town, south of Black Rock Town
[Mission Brief]: Li Rui is a sorcerer. He needs to stimulate himself by slaying undead to awaken his powers. The adventuring party accepting this mission must escort Li Rui to the Amos Mine, where undead have recently been appearing in the depths of the tunnels.
This mission requires ensuring Li Rui’s survival and assisting him in slaying as many undead as possible until he feels he no longer needs to use this method to awaken his powers.
If the adventuring party performs well, they may even gain a sorcerer as a permanent teammate!
[Mission Issuer]: Guildmaster Nova of the Adventurers' Guild
—

"A sorcerer?!" Upon reading the mission, the three men looked at Li Rui in astonishment.

During the days they had spent bringing him out of the monster-infested forest, this young man had never revealed a single word about being a sorcerer!

*The fellow has a tight lip, hiding his status as a spellcaster,* Paul thought to himself, though a surge of immense joy quickly followed. *But this is absolutely fantastic news for us!*

Having fully understood the mission’s scope and potential rewards, both the trio and the curious newcomer, Milly, felt a wave of excitement pulsing through them.

***

What made their hearts race was not the tempting 1,000 gold coin reward, but the enticing line at the end: they had the chance to recruit a true sorcerer into their ranks!

Although "Earth's Claw" currently had Paul, a druid, the path of the druid was fickle. While not exceptionally difficult to enter, maintaining it was full of variables. Many druids found midway through their practice that they were better suited for other lifestyles or career paths, and in their internal struggle, they risked straying from the path of nature. Once that choice was made, they would lose their spellcasting abilities entirely, and the gifts of nature would vanish.

Even Paul was often plagued by such uncertainty in the depths of his heart. He could not guarantee with total certainty that he would remain a devout servant of nature for his entire life; human hearts are easily influenced and changed. He often asked himself if there would come a day when he suddenly lost his deep connection and reverence for nature. If that were to happen, he would revert to being an ordinary person—one with slightly better physical strength, agility, and constitution than the average, but without any professional abilities.

In the world of Endi, possessing attributes without corresponding professional skills meant he could not even defeat a Level 1 warrior with the same equipment.

In Endi, those whose spellcasting abilities were tied to faith or a connection that could be severed—such as druids and clerics—were often seen by many as "pseudo-spellcasters." And where there are pseudo-spellcasters, there are "true spellcasters."

The term "true spellcaster" naturally referred to wizards and sorcerers. Even for sub-classes like warlocks, who required the mysterious blessing of a "Patron" to acquire new spells, once they truly mastered a spell, it was permanently etched into them, becoming a part of their own power. Even the Patron who granted the power could not forcibly strip away spells that had already been mastered, as one might reclaim a borrowed item.

Whether or not the source of one's magic can reclaim it is the most significant distinction between a true spellcaster and a pseudo-spellcaster.