8: Chapter 8 Conversation and Appraisal

Cecilia and her two companions turned and left the counter.

Val the Brawler was being dragged by her wrist by Cecilia, her mouth still muttering something in frustration, her voice kept very low.

But Richard could vaguely hear a few words, complaints like "pretentious bastard" and "bullying others with power."

The male Cleric apprentice followed at the very back, head bowed, like a little quail stunned by a storm.

Richard leaned against a stone pillar nearby, watching the whole scene from beginning to end.

He quickly calculated in his mind.

First, he had almost wanted to mention to the Adventurers Guild staff that he had encountered a Kobold Warlock during his novice quest, but now it seemed that saying it would have been a waste of breath.

The Adventurers Guild's attitude was cold; the quest content was for reference only, and one was responsible for any unexpected situations oneself.

If you died outside, it was because you weren't capable enough; if you returned alive, it was because you were lucky. Don't expect to squeeze a single copper coin of compensation from the Adventurers Guild.

Reality was just that cruel. In this day and age, there was no shortage of adventurers; they were popping up everywhere like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Second, these three young people had piqued his interest.

It wasn't just because their situation was miserable—he could count a dozen miserable adventurers just by glancing around the hall, many missing arms or legs.

What interested Richard more was their conversation earlier; the fact that they had actually pawned their own equipment to save their teammate was quite interesting.

A small team that didn't abandon its teammates was rare in a place like the Adventurers Guild, which would eat you alive without spitting out the bones.

Richard had an idea.

He stood up and followed in the direction the three had left.

They hadn't gone far and were squatting by the stone steps outside the main entrance of the Adventurers Guild. Cecilia was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, eyes closed. Val was sitting on the stone steps, pounding her knees with her fists, swearing with every strike.

The Cleric apprentice stood nearby, clutching his holy symbol, his lips moving silently, likely praying to his God of Healing.

When Richard approached, Val was the first to notice him.

She looked up, her eyes still a bit red from her earlier anger, but when she saw it was a boy she didn't recognize, her wariness rose first: "Who are you?"

Richard didn't answer directly.

He first let out a long sigh, carrying a sense of exhaustion and helplessness that was just enough to make people feel that "this person has been through some terrible things."

"I was standing nearby and listening," Richard said in a low voice.

His tone was very slow: "What you were talking about earlier, the matter of encountering the Magic-Infused Giant Rat King in the sewers—my situation is similar to yours."

"Similar? You encountered it too?" Val frowned.

"Sigh—we also accepted a beginner-level commission to go to an abandoned mine to clear out some Kobolds; it was considered a novice quest."

Richard propped his halberd on the stone steps and leaned against the railing, his expression squeezing out a bit of bitterness.

"Five of us went in, and I was the only one to come out alive. Inside, there weren't just Kobolds, but also a Kobold Warlock capable of casting Fireball…"

"Heh, do you know what was written on the commission provided by the Adventurers Guild? 'Small group of Kobolds active in the mine, number does not exceed fifteen, low difficulty.'"

What he said was basically the truth, except that he had "resurrected" and escaped.

Val's mouth opened wide. The anger in her amber eyes diminished, replaced by sympathy.

A moment ago, she had been angry about the injustice her team had suffered, but now, suddenly discovering that another group had it even worse made the scales in her heart tip.

"A Kobold Warlock?" Val stood up, the gunpowder in her voice fading.

She switched to a gruff, sympathetic tone: "Damn, then you're even unluckier than us. That thing isn't something a novice can handle; it would at least require a Bronze-rank adventurer."

Richard sighed again and waved his hand helplessly.

Cecilia, who was leaning against the wall, had been observing Richard. Those blue eyes rested on him for a few seconds, scanning him from head to toe, before finally landing on his face.

Her expression wasn't as animated as Val's; she was just quietly assessing him, but Richard could feel that this assessment wasn't just curiosity—it also carried a cautious attitude.

"My friend, what do you want to say?" Cecilia spoke, her voice crisp.

"You didn't come all the way here just to compare misery with us, did you?"

Richard stopped the small talk; he wasn't a person who liked to beat around the bush.

"I lack teammates," Richard said, tapping his halberd lightly on the ground, getting straight to the point.

"I am a warrior with decent strength. I've slaughtered Kobolds in the mine, and on the way here, I even helped take down a Bugbear."

"Furthermore, I can Appraise various equipment and items; it's a family trade. I want to ask, can I join your team?"

"You are also an Appraiser?" Cecilia's eyebrows twitched.

She didn't hide her suspicion; in fact, she hadn't intended to hide it at all. The word "disbelief" was clearly written all over her tone.

Cecilia continued, "You look like you're only sixteen or seventeen."

Richard knew this would be the reaction.

Never mind Cecilia and her group; if he were in their shoes and a boy suddenly popped up claiming he could do Appraisal work—something only scholars and noble children could do—he would most likely roll his eyes at the person.

"Of course, just talking isn't convincing," Richard said, resting the halberd on his shoulder and spreading his hands.

"If you have anything that needs Appraisal, take it out and let me see. Whether I'm accurate or not, you can judge for yourselves."

Cecilia was still hesitating, but Val couldn't hold back anymore.

"I think this kid is telling the truth, and he really is just too miserable."

The red-haired female Brawler walked up to Richard in a few steps, pulled out a pendant tied to a leather cord from her neckline, and shoved it into Richard's hand without a word.

The pendant still carried her body heat; it was warm.

Hanging on it was a raven carved from black stone. The carving was rough, but the shape was recognizable, with the beak slightly open and wings half-folded.

"We looted this last time we took down a minor skeleton leader in a crypt," Val said in a rapid-fire manner, completely ignoring the helpless look Cecilia was casting from the side.

"Later, we took it to an old Appraiser at that merchant guild on the street. The guy looked at it for a long time and charged us two silver coins before telling us what this thing was for."

"If you really can do Appraisal, you should be able to tell us what this thing is, right?"

Richard took the pendant and turned it over in his palm without changing his expression.

Then, he quietly activated the "Appraisal" skill on the pendant.

A parchment scroll unfolded in his field of vision, and lines of text quickly appeared:

[Raven Pendant (Common)]

Type: Magic Jewelry

Material: Obsidian, Bronze base, Silver clasp

Effect: Possesses the function of calming the mind and soothing the spirit; wearing it can alleviate mild anxiety and insomnia symptoms. Can cast Summon Raven once per day (Level 1 spell / Damaged, repair method unknown)

Weight: 14 grams.