Chapter 289: Server Apprentice

They only helped Ned because of the reward. So it seemed.

The reward was unknown to Ned, but it sure made Iou's smile widened to the point that it was almost a grin.

Well, Ned can't argue more. With or without the reward, either way, it works perfectly fine for Ned as they helped him justify his current situation. No one would believe a kid lost in the woods of the Middle and Inner part and still got back unscathed.

But what concerned Ned was the number of wounded Hunters and civilians alike. It was too much that the encampment was overcrowded of them.

The camp has no walls, so to maintain security, Hunters were stationed at the towers. Before the encampment, to the forest going inside the Middle part, was a broad clearing of trees. It was made to be able for the watchers to see the invaders.

But who could they be? Ned thought as Iou walked him to a ship waiting with other survivors. Along the pathwalk were torches pinned down to the side.

How nomadic, Ned thought as they watched the torches dancing to the trail of wind. At the Hive, to illuminate their chambers, the magical creatures use mana stone itself. While on the surface, humans were fighting over a piece of mana stone. While Ned got thousands left in his inventory, he sighed.

"Hunter-sir." Ned looked over his shoulder to meet the Gold Rank Hunter's eyes and asked what have been bugging him. "What is happening here? I thought the invaders backed off already?"

"About that, kid..." Iou moved and leaned closer to Ned. His copper laced hair was somewhat tidy for a Hunter on a Quest. "You're not a Hunter, so you're not supposed to ask those kinds of questions. Perhaps, some other day. Best a Companion not tangled himself in Hunter's matters? Right?"

Inside, Ned was holding himself not to push his inquiries any longer. Iou was right. But looking at the current situation, it was already obvious something was happening inside the forest. And it seemed that Hunters were suppressing information.

Ned held it and bowed for the service they have offered to him and left the Hunter.

From the Hive to the shore and the Hunter encampment was almost five to six hours of travel via sea. The sun rose, just in time for the ship to sail going back to the Sudden Plate port.

Ned boarded the ship along with other wounded Hunters and, perhaps, Companions as Ned was directed inside a deck where dozens of younger men were huddled at the sides.

They were indeed Companions from what Ned heard. It seemed that they were told not to share any information regarding the events inside the forest.

But all it takes for Ned was to focus and he could hear their whispering from a group of Companions circled at the end of the wooden deck.

"I saw it..."

"Were you there?"

"My leader said the monsters... forest..."

"Hey, a little louder..."

A kid, perhaps around Ned's age leaned closer to the group of four kids. He then paused for a moment and swept the area around him with his eyes. Thinking that it was safe to talk, he continued.

"He said... they are going wild."

"Wild?"

Three of the male Companions were whispering while a lady was staring at them as she listened.

"Yes. Monsters are leaving their territories, even though it wasn't supposed to happen."

"I agree. I saw a wild Steelwing leaving the Inner part and looking for its prey inside the Middle areas."

"No way."

"A wild Steelwing appeared?"

The group broke apart after a Hunter in city guard uniform checked inside the deck.

Steelwings were a rare kind of flying beast that normally built its nest at the base of the mountain, wherein it could watch everything below. They were typically brown with feathers as hard as steel, hence the name Steelwing, and uses its beak to tore apart their prey. A bird, but its size was triple of a normal human adult.

It was the first time Ned heard of these Grade C flying beasts. But judging from its rarity, it wasn't supposed to be in the Middle area where most of the Hunters used to hunt.

The travel from the shores of the Du'kki island to the port of Sudden Plate would take around three to four hours, depending on the ship. And currently, Ned was boarded in a ship owned by the Hunter's Guild. Most of the ship was made of wood, aside from the starboard side (right side when facing the front of the ship) of the ship which was layered with shining iron for protection. It was rather luxurious for a rescue ship. The woods on both the deck and the railings were varnished red, making the reflection from the sun seemed to dance as it hit the waves.

It wasn't even three hours after Hunter's ship arrived at the port of Sudden Plate.

Ned took air to his nose, smelling the city air rather than mud from the Hive. Aside from the merchants selling various items over the side of the buildings, nothing had changed. Crowded as how it was used to be, carriages lined on the right side of the building of the port, while to Ned's left were merchant stalls selling food and items. Some were not even merchants, others were Companions selling their loot from a raid. There were even Hunters trying to get lucky with their loot as they trade them along with loud shouts.

Before Ned was an elevated platform made of burned bricks divided with stony stairs that led above the port. Ned walked as he grazed shoulders going to the top.

It wasn't this crowded before, Ned thought to himself as he cut a couple of pedestrians.

A passerby was looking at him as though he was a piece of a gemstone. Ned had to lower his head to hide his blaring blue eyes under the blazing hot sun.

After a long walk, Ned arrived at an intersection where he could get carriages. From there, Ned rode back to the Forgotten Pint. As far as he knew, he still got months left before the date to his rented room ended.

Inside the carriage, with a soft cushion and refreshing air whipping his face, his thoughts wandered: why do beasts running amok on the island? Am I connected to all these? No, no.

Ned looked over the gap of the window, behind him was the Du'kki mountain still visible. Ned frowned. Yes, smoke was visible, but it could barely be seen from his current location. The smoke the mountain letting off was a white one, instead of black.

"A supposed dead mountain turned out to be a volcano, and I activated it?" Ned sat with crossed legged. His eyes went back to the tarnished floor of the carriage. "Master Claire might know a thing or two about the events."

Soon after, Ned arrived at the Forgotten Pint. The only inn he considered he could fit in well. After giving three gold and six silver to the coachman, Ned paused for a moment before entering the inn.

Walking near the inn, Ned received clamoring from the inside. A clamor when one was hungry enough to wait for the food.

Drunken bickering made the heads of the passerby turned toward the inn. Utensils clanking behind the kitchen.

"Huh." Ned passed the cobblestone street, eventually landing at the doorsteps of the inn's double door. "Since when did this inn became so busy like this?"

Inside, the twins: Su'aya and Su'ayun were running with silver plates they held. The buzz cut Master Claire glared to his drunk customer, the scar running from his eye down to his cheek embossed with annoyance. "You had too many. Pay and you'll have your third keg—Piratehand!"

Master Claire bellowed to the other side of the table where six Hunters busy jugging an ale. One of them was a Gold Rank Hunter who stood immediately as he heard Master Claire's roar.

"Master Claire!"

The guy named Piratehand posed a salute befitting for a person in the military.

"Yelo was too drunk to take another keg. Why don't you call it a day in this sunny afternoon, eh?"

"Yes, Master Claire."

Without much of a talk, the Gold Rank Hunter Piratehand took one of his team by the arm and pulled him out of the inn along with his other team.

As he passed by Ned, Piratehand nodded and kept on pulling the drunk Hunter.

Ned could only think if when did Hunters became this polite?

"You!"

Ned cocked a shoulder as he heard Master Claire talking to him.

"Yes, Master Clai—"

"Yes, Master Claire my ass! Go get the dishes behind the kitchen or help the twins. You have a lot of things to do, kid. You better help or I'll put the coins to your tab since the twins were busy cleaning your room day and night."

Ned was lost in words.

Were the twins cleaning my room? He thought as he looked at the twins busy running the messy tables.

If it was true, then, there's no reason for me to stand in ceremony here.

Ned smiled at the twins, which, even though they were busy—they stopped. As soon as they saw Ned, they gave him a deep bow with blushing on their cheeks.

"Don't worry," Su'aya said as she approached Ned. Her yellow dyed hair glittered with light from the reflections of the lamp and her big rounded eyes welcomed Ned with a shimmer. "Master Claire hired a new server apprentice. It's been so long, Ned."

"Looking at the drinkers here, he surely needs more apprentice."

Ned smiled at the twin and bowed with his hand tapping his chest.

"I am fine, Su'aya."

Ned and Su'aya with the other twin took turns in cleaning the tables the drunk customers left. But no matter how fast they were, more guests were coming as soon as one of the tables were cleared.

Eventually, Ned had to run to the kitchen being that Master Claire asked him to help the new server apprentice.

Inside, he saw a guy, a little less old than him, might be around fifteen or sixteen, maybe younger, fetching dishes with a graceful move.

His skin was smooth like that of a flawless lady. Perhaps he was an elf with his daggers like eyes and thin eyebrows. But if he was an elf, he must have the darkest hair of them all. One look at the guy, no one would think of him as a farmer, or a miner, or a merchant.

Perhaps Master Claire knew some nobles from Great Houses?

"How may I help?"

"Ahm." The guy nodded and smiled at Ned. And as one predicted, he's got the whitest teeth gleaming under his full lips. "I... I don't know."

"You got time to talk?! Huh?"

Master Claire went bolting to the back of the kitchen as he saw Ned and the elf looking guy talking to each other.

"Ned! Go get the Lampaca meat. And you! Deliver that Battered Oak! Tik... Tok... Tikol... What in the Makers tongue is your name again?"

The guy ran past Ned and stopped near Master Claire and bowed, there was red on his face. He then said, "Teklavit, Master Claire."