Extra in a Romance Fantasy

108 – The Hero’s Tomb (3)

“Oh. You were here first.”

As I waited at the designated spot, a familiar voice reached my ears.

Turning my gaze, I saw Max, a man with bright orange hair and a large backpack slung over his shoulder.

He glanced at me and asked, “Did you pack everything you need?”

“Yes.”

In truth, there wasn’t much else to pack.

Max had already prepared my gear, and all I had to do was bring it along.

“Hmm. Still, just to be safe, let’s do a final check.”

My gear was packed by Max, and before leaving, Anton had taken the time to check it over carefully. Given that Max had likely done this countless times, the chances of any issues were slim, but he still conducted a final inspection just in case.

Was this a sign of a seasoned mercenary?

Perhaps this was part of why he had managed to continue his mercenary life without major incidents until now.

I couldn’t help but wonder if he had learned this from Anton as well, and with that thought, Max and I finished our gear check.

After that, instead of setting off immediately, we stood in place and engaged in casual conversation.

Despite the dangerous journey ahead, one that would lead us deep into the forest where life-threatening situations would be as common as meals, there was no tension in our expressions.

Was it simply because Max was one of the top mercenaries in Darville? No, that wasn’t the reason.

There was another reason behind it.

“Alright, let’s get going!”

“Don’t fall behind!”

It was the sheer number of people around us, overflowing to the point of filling the western entrance of Darville.

The area around the western entrance was bustling, reminiscent of a marketplace.

This place was always crowded, but the current scene made the usual hustle and bustle feel sparse.

“…I’ve never seen a scene like this while being a mercenary.”

Even Max looked at the spectacle with a somewhat strange expression.

There was no need to explain; all these people were heading to the Hero’s Tomb.

The timing for the opening of the Hero’s Tomb was fixed, and as everyone aimed to depart at that time, the crowd had gathered.

“With this many people, it’s bound to be noisy even at the tomb, right?”

I nodded silently in agreement.

The destination for everyone visible around us was the Hero’s Tomb, and they all shared the same purpose.

—

So, it’s not just at the entrance that we’ll see a considerable number of people; there’s a high probability that many will be visible on the road to the grave as well.

“It should be a bit less, right?”

“Yeah, probably.”

However, depending on who leads and the group’s choices, the paths and speeds will differ, so the current numbers will likely decrease further.

“This time, it’s going to be quite a different journey.”

Max muttered with a subtle expression.

“Well, there are some advantages to it.”

As he added, having a large group certainly has its clear benefits.

The biggest advantage is that the monster attacks will likely decrease.

It’s true that the forest monsters are hostile towards humans, but they possess enough intelligence to assess the situation.

If a group of this size were to move together, the moment they catch a whiff of the scent, most monsters would retreat rather than attack.

And when the forest’s peculiar, alien phenomena occur, they would be able to receive help from those around them.

Moreover, fatigue would accumulate less.

Considering Max’s skills and my own, we wouldn’t be in danger, but that doesn’t mean we can completely let our guard down in the forest.

After all, it’s the forest where anything can happen at any time.

And simply maintaining that state of tension can lead to fatigue.

However, if this state continues, we would definitely be able to reduce fatigue compared to a typical journey.

Yet, even knowing this, Max’s expression wasn’t particularly bright.

“Look at those guys. They’re grinning like they’ve hit the jackpot just for taking on one request.”

He clicked his tongue while looking at the mercenaries around us.

“Hit the jackpot.”

It wasn’t wrong to say that with this many people, the chances of reaching the grave without significant danger were high.

Max didn’t seem to like that.

“I’m sorry. It’s because of me.”

I immediately apologized to Max.

If it weren’t for me, he could have taken on a request like those mercenaries and made a good sum of money.

“Huh? Why are you apologizing?”

But Max looked puzzled.

“You didn’t even ask me to accompany you; I came at Master’s request, so what’s there to apologize for?”

Max shook his head firmly.

“Even if that weren’t the case, I had no intention of taking on any requests this time. Sure, I could earn some money, but then I wouldn’t be able to act freely. Personally, I really wanted to visit the hero’s tomb. So, there’s no need to apologize.”

“…Yes.”

In truth, considering my skills, I wouldn’t be in any danger even if I entered the forest alone, but traversing through the forest to reach the tomb was a different story altogether.

Given the nature of the forest, unless one is a seasoned mercenary or adventurer, it’s all too easy to get lost within it.

Well, with this many people, I might be able to solve that issue by simply following along behind them, but that raises ethical concerns, and it certainly isn’t a clean solution in many ways.

So, personally, going with Max was the most comfortable and reliable path for me.

With him around, I wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost in the forest, and if any problems or troubles arose, we could resolve them without much difficulty.

Even though it wasn’t my intention to accompany Max like this, it was undoubtedly beneficial for me.

…Well, from Max’s perspective, who doesn’t know my skills, I might just be another burden he has to carry.

While I felt a bit guilty about that, I decided not to apologize any further.

I simply resolved to remember that I owed him one.

Anyway, as I was quietly observing the crowd while engaging in such trivial conversations with Max.

“Hey? Is that you, Max?”

Someone recognized Max and approached us.

“What’s up, Hector?”

Max immediately recognized his face as well.

And I recognized him too.

To be precise, I recognized the name.

Hector is quite a well-known veteran mercenary in Darville.

It seemed that Max and Hector had some sort of acquaintance, as they soon began chatting amicably.

“Um? But what about your party? Is it just the two of you, including you?”

In the midst of their conversation, Hector asked Max with a puzzled expression.

To this, Max shook his head quietly.

“That can’t be right.”

No matter how skilled a veteran Max is, there are limits.

The forest is not a place where one can feel at ease simply because of superior skills.

Above all, if there are only two in the party, their condition can only deteriorate over time.

This is precisely due to the need for a night watch.

Regardless of the circumstances, a night watch is absolutely necessary in the forest, and two people would struggle to fulfill that role.

A few days might be manageable, but fatigue would accumulate rapidly as time goes on.

—

Moreover, if that one was merely a burden on the surface, Max could hardly sleep at ease.

Knowing this all too well, he had arranged for a separate party in advance.

“There you are.”

They say a tiger comes when you speak of it.

Just then, someone was approaching us.

Turning my gaze in that direction, I saw a tall woman with strikingly short gray hair.

“Johanna?”

Hector seemed to recognize her immediately, his eyes widening in surprise.

In truth, anyone who worked as a mercenary in Darville… No, anyone who had spent some time in Darville would have known her.

There could only be one mercenary with such a distinctive appearance in this place.

Johanna Fairlyn.

She was one of the most famous mercenaries in Darville.

Her exceptional skills, the fact that she had been working in this field for a long time despite being a woman, and simply her beauty combined to make her one of the most recognized figures among the mercenaries here.

“What’s this, it’s Hector!”

Johanna seemed to recognize Hector as well, tilting her head in curiosity.

“You were bringing Hector along?”

“No. I just happened to run into him.”

“Oh, really?”

As she nodded while saying this, Johanna honestly appeared to be someone who wouldn’t be greatly affected either way.

“…So, the party member is Johanna, I see.”

Hector seemed to understand at last, nodding his head.

Then, he turned his gaze back to me.

“This will be an incredibly luxurious experience for a rookie.”

“…Haha.”

I simply laughed it off without saying much, but inwardly, I agreed with his words.

Both Max and Johanna were what you could call elite mercenaries, for whom a considerable sum would need to be paid if formally hired.

Yet to include two such individuals in the party at the same time was something I could never have dreamed of in my original country.

It was truly a luxury that only a proper noble could enjoy.

“So, you’re the one who’s going to accompany us this time?”

At that moment, Johanna spoke to me.

“Sure.”

“Hmm…”

After hearing my response, Johanna began to stare at me intently.

What lingered in her eyes was a faint curiosity.

Time passed in that state for a moment.

“Alright. I look forward to working with you.”

She greeted me cheerfully.

“Thank you. I look forward to it as well.”

I also returned her greeting.

“Well, since my curiosity has been somewhat satisfied, I’ll take my leave now.”

Hector soon departed.

“Now that everyone’s gathered, we should get going too.”

Finally, we were set to leave Darville.