Savage Ascension: Starting with God-Tier Plunder Ability-Chapter 70: This Is Fate Too, Isn’t It?

"That place..."

Rowan pointed with his finger at a building that clearly stood out even in the downtown area. A somehow artificially white building.

"That’s the Temple of Light. The place you go when injured."

Informant Merein said. Rowan looked at Yuval. Yuval seemed not to grasp the meaning of that look and said something else.

"You can go anytime. Doesn’t matter if dawn hasn’t broken or the moon is high."

"Well... doesn’t it cost money?"

Rowan finally spoke directly. Both frowned deeply at Rowan’s words.

"Those who believe in the gods consider holding money taboo. If there’s a priest consumed by greed, they’ll immediately lose their divine power."

"Then how is that big building operated?"

"It’s run by those with means among those who’ve received grace. Mostly nobles or wealthy merchants. Of course, normally you make some offering after treatment. However, since they don’t take money, you have to bring goods."

Rowan was impressed. But soon convinced. Because a human using divine power coveting money was actually quite contradictory.

"Maybe a fake priest visited your mountain village?"

"Ah... yes. I’m embarrassed too."

When he spoke naively, it was natural because it fit someone from a mountain village.

"Especially ask to see Priest Liraen. She’s the priest with the best healing skills in mercenaries’ reputation."

Merein provided information. Rowan nodded. This world didn’t quite match the fantasy novels he knew in a few ways.

’I’ll have to be careful from now on. This isn’t a novel.’

The place called the wizard’s research lab, they could only see the exterior. The reason for only showing the location was because it was so expensive that not entering was the best policy. They said there were all sorts of magic artifacts, but nothing knights would use.

Meaning cost-effectiveness wasn’t there.

The place they went for lunch was a restaurant called Stone Bridge’s Rest. A place with pretty rough-looking customers. The employee was an auntie who seemed full of life force. Her hair stood straight up and her build was quite large.

"Welcome!"

Thick speech came out for a woman.

"How many?"

She even spoke casually right away.

"Three."

Yuval spoke and headed straight to the second floor. Many spots on the second floor were empty. There was no ordering from a menu. Food and alcohol just came out.

"Every day it’s made with the cheapest ingredients. But the composition is solid."

Merein picked up a fruit. You could see the fruit had water droplets from being soaked in water.

"Finding cheap restaurants is hard. Knowing one is convenient."

Yuval said while cutting meat. Rowan learned of one cheap restaurant here. The menu couldn’t be changed, but the composition was good enough not to complain. They said there was always fresh fruit or vegetables and definitely meat.

Fish was mostly pickled fish. Salt brought huge changes to food in human history. Especially the compatibility with fish brought rapid changes in humanity’s food culture and development.

They said pickled fish was always available.

"Sometimes pickled shark meat comes out too."

"That... I’d like to try once."

Rowan could eat without trouble. Though he had to sprinkle fruit juice on the pickled fish, it wasn’t a bad lunch.

"What are you thinking of doing from now on? Get a mercenary badge and take commissions?" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"No. I’ll have to go back to the mountain village with peddlers."

"After coming all this way?"

At Yuval’s question, Rowan nodded.

"Because I still think I’m not ready..."

At those words, Yuval waved his hand holding a fork.

"What are you talking about. With that much, you stand out even among mercenaries. Tons of mercenaries can’t properly restrain an orc warrior. You could get treated well anywhere."

"This is the first time you’re praising me... isn’t it too obvious?"

At Rowan’s words, Yuval laughed.

"I just stated the obvious. So what do you say? This is fate too, isn’t it? How about doing bounty hunter work together at the Skull Mercenary Group?"

’So he moved for me targeting this.’

Only now could Rowan understand why Yuval had gone around various places without buying anything.

The Skull Mercenary Group.

’They’re skilled, but it’s not a mercenary group I can control.’

The mercenary group’s owner was Consensus Yuval.

A quite excellent mercenary group. But he had no desire to belong there. Because it wasn’t his mercenary group, but Yuval’s. That meant work Rowan didn’t want could be forced depending on the situation.

’Our dispositions don’t match either.’

Abandoning comrades and leaving? He understood. Even seasoned veterans run away in just their underwear when facing a junior firing wildly. Rowan had fled too, so he had no room to talk about others. Rather, the best tactic was exactly fleeing.

If the opponent is strong, flee. No better tactic than that.

What Rowan thought badly of in the mercenary group’s disposition was simply that it didn’t match him. A modern person’s sensibility. That thing not yet erased, faint but suddenly popping out when facing situations or depending on emotions. Escaping that meant the true death of Rowan. Because he couldn’t do that, he couldn’t be with them.

’We’d fight all the time together anyway.’

Right now they treated each other well, but actually in every situation Rowan and Yuval could clash. The relationship could deteriorate any amount. Because Yuval was the mercenary captain and Rowan was the one who’d rolled in.

’I have to be the mercenary captain.’

"Thanks for the offer. At least I’ve confirmed I can become a quite excellent mercenary. But I’ll decline the offer."

Yuval nodded his head big. That was it. Yuval, with lingering regret, ordered one more bottle of alcohol.

"Where will you go after this?"

At Rowan’s words, Yuval drew coins with his hand.

"We’ll go to Gorgon Trading Company. I have connections there."

’The bear hide.’

Rowan got excited. He’d get to see a pretty big transaction with his own eyes. Of course, it wouldn’t be as impressive as he expected. But even that would become precious information for Rowan.