Chapter 144 - 145: Greenfield

Chapter 144: Chapter 145: Greenfield

They walked through the gates.

Greenfield was a small village. Smaller than Silverbrook. Smaller than any city Daniel had ever seen. But it was clean. It was quiet. It was peaceful.

The streets were made of packed dirt. The buildings were made of wood and stone. The people were friendly. They smiled at the group as they passed. They waved at the children. They nodded at the elders.

It was a nice place. A safe place. A place where nothing bad ever happened.

Daniel looked around. His eyes moved over the village. Over the people. Over the buildings.

"This is nice," he said.

Lyra nodded. "It is."

"It’s quiet."

"Very quiet."

"I like it."

"Me too."

They walked further into the village. They passed a bakery. The smell of fresh bread filled the air. They passed a blacksmith. The sound of hammering echoed through the streets. They passed a tavern. The sound of laughter and music drifted out.

Daniel stopped. He looked at the tavern. At its sign. At its name.

The Green Dragon.

"Good name," he said.

Paul nodded. "It’s a popular tavern. Travelers come here. Adventurers come here. People looking for work come here."

Daniel nodded. "Then that’s where we’ll go."

They walked toward the tavern. They pushed open the door. They stepped inside.

The tavern was warm. The fire crackled in the hearth. The smell of ale and stew filled the air. People sat at tables. They were eating. They were drinking. They were talking.

Daniel looked around. He saw a table in the corner. It was empty. He walked toward it. The others followed.

They sat down. Daniel looked at the others.

"We need information," he said. "We need to find a caravan. We need to find out how to get to Heaven’s Domain."

Paul nodded. "I’ll ask around."

Daniel nodded. "Good. The rest of you, stay here. Rest. We’ll figure out our next move."

They nodded. They were tired. They were happy to rest.

---

Paul walked toward the bar.

The bartender was a large man with a thick beard and kind eyes. He was wiping down the counter with a cloth. He looked up when Paul approached.

"Welcome," he said. "What can I get you?"

Paul shook his head. "I’m not here for a drink. I’m here for information."

The bartender raised an eyebrow. "Information?"

"Yes. We’re looking for a caravan. We need to get to Heaven’s Domain."

The bartender’s eyes widened. "Heaven’s Domain? The strongest guild?"

"Yes."

"That’s a long journey. A dangerous one."

"We know. That’s why we need a caravan."

The bartender thought about it. "There’s a caravan leaving tomorrow. It’s heading to the kingdom. It’ll pass near Heaven’s Domain."

Paul nodded. "Who’s the caravan master?"

The bartender gestured toward a table near the fire. "That’s him. The man with the gray beard. His name is Aldric. He’s a good man. Fair. Honest."

Paul nodded. "Thank you."

He walked toward the table. The man with the gray beard was sitting alone. He was eating stew. He was drinking ale. He was reading a book.

Paul stopped in front of him. "Excuse me."

The man looked up. His eyes were sharp. His face was weathered. He looked like a man who had seen many things.

"Yes?" he said.

"Are you Aldric? The caravan master?"

The man nodded. "I am. Who’s asking?"

"My name is Paul. My group and I are looking for passage to Heaven’s Domain. We heard your caravan is heading that way."

Aldric nodded slowly. "It is. But passage isn’t free."

Paul nodded. "We can pay."

Aldric looked at him. At his clothes. At his face. At his posture.

"How many are you?"

"Seven."

Aldric thought about it. "Seven. That’s a lot. The caravan isn’t that big."

"We can pay extra."

Aldric was silent. He was thinking. He was processing.

"Fine," he said. "But it’ll cost you. Ten silver per person. Fifty silver total."

Paul blinked. "Fifty silver?"

"Yes. It’s a long journey. A dangerous one. We need to hire extra guards. Buy extra supplies."

Paul nodded slowly. "Okay. Let me talk to my group."

Aldric nodded. "Take your time. We leave at dawn."

---

Paul walked back to the table.

Daniel looked at him. "Well?"

Paul sat down. He looked at the others.

"The caravan master is named Aldric. He’s leaving tomorrow. He’s heading to the kingdom. He’ll pass near Heaven’s Domain."

Daniel nodded. "Good."

"But there’s a problem."

"What problem?"

"He wants fifty silver. Ten per person."

Daniel’s eyes widened. "Fifty silver?"

"Yes."

Daniel reached into his pocket. He pulled out his pouch. He counted the coins.

"I have thirty silver," he said.

He looked at the others. "How much do you have?"

Lyra shook her head. "I don’t have any."

Cheeky shook her head. "I don’t have any."

Fluffy shook her head. "Fluffy doesn’t have any."

Mittens shook her head. "I don’t have any."

Brick Head shook his head. "I don’t have any."

Daniel sighed. He looked at Paul.

Paul shrugged. "I don’t have any either."

Daniel groaned. He buried his face in his hands.

"We need fifty silver," he said. "We only have thirty. We need twenty more."

He looked at the others. At their tired faces. At their empty pockets.

"We need to find a way to make money," he said.

---

They sat in silence.

Then Lyra spoke.

"We could take a mission," she said. "From the guild. There must be a guild in this village."

Daniel looked at her. "A guild?"

"Yes. A guild. They post missions. They pay money. We could take a mission. Complete it. Earn the silver."

Daniel nodded slowly. "That could work."

He looked at Paul. "Is there a guild here?"

Paul nodded. "Yes. There’s a small guild. It’s not like the Night Owl. It’s just a local guild. But they post missions."

Daniel nodded. "Then that’s what we’ll do."

He stood up. He looked at the others.

"Let’s go," he said. "We have a mission to find."

---

They walked out of the tavern.

They walked through the streets. They walked toward the guild.

The guild was a small building. It was made of wood. It was old. It was worn. But it was busy. Adventurers came and went. They carried weapons. They wore armor. They looked tired. They looked determined.

Daniel pushed open the door. He stepped inside. The others followed.

The guild was small. It had a mission board. It had a bar. It had a few tables. It had a few people.

Daniel walked toward the mission board. He looked at the postings.

Most of them were simple. Gather herbs. Clean stables. Escort merchants.

But one caught his eye.

[Mission: Clear the Goblin Camp]

[Rank: C]

[Location: The forest northeast of Greenfield]

[Description: A camp of goblins has been terrorizing travelers on the northern road. They have killed three merchants in the past week. The camp is led by a Hobgoblin. Estimated threat level: C.]

[Objective: Eliminate the goblin camp. Bring proof of kill.]

[Reward: 30 silver]

Daniel read it twice. Thirty silver. That was more than enough.

He pulled the paper down. He walked toward the guild receptionist. She was a young woman with a kind face and tired eyes.

"We want to take this mission," Daniel said.

The receptionist looked at the paper. Then at him. Then at the others.

"You’re taking the goblin camp mission?"

"Yes."

"It’s C rank. It’s dangerous."

"We can handle it."

The receptionist looked at him. At his calm face. At his determined eyes. At his confident posture.

"Fine," she said. "Sign here."

Daniel signed. He looked at the others.

"Let’s go," he said. "We have a mission to complete."