Translator: CinderTL
The corpses lay mangled, as if repeatedly crushed or torn apart by some massive blunt instrument.
Deep, gaping wounds exposed bone, and internal organs mixed with dark red blood splattered the floor, forming a gruesome mess.
Several limbs were twisted into unnatural angles, some even forcibly severed, leaving jagged, uneven edges.
The overwhelming stench of blood mingled with a faint, feral musk.
If not for the barely recognizable facial features, Roland would have struggled to believe these had once been human bodies.
The entire hall was shrouded in a suffocating silence.
The cloying, suffocating stench of blood hung like a viscous curtain, pressing heavily on everyone's chests.
The usual boisterous chatter and clinking of glasses had vanished without a trace, leaving only an oppressive silence occasionally broken by strained, controlled breaths or the faint scrape of metal weapons against leather.
The normally rugged, bloodthirsty adventurers now stood frozen in place, their faces pale as they stared at the carnage on the floor, or huddled against the walls, their bodies trembling slightly, their eyes filled with lingering shock and profound fear.
Roland frowned, his sharp gaze sweeping across the crowd until he spotted Avril and Galvis.
Unlike the adventurers and mercenaries around them, who were paralyzed by fear, the pair seemed unfazed by the gruesome corpses on the floor.
They were placing bulging satchels—filled with demonic beast trophies like lizardman scales and serpentman tail tips—on the counter, pushing them toward the equally composed receptionist.
Seeing this, Roland stepped forward, silently weaving through the crowd gathered around the corpses to reach his companions.
"Roland! You're..."
The elf girl Avril's cheerful voice rang out, but she immediately realized her lighthearted tone was inappropriate for the grim atmosphere. She playfully stuck out her tongue and quickly lowered her voice.
"What brings you here?"
"Checking for new commissions," Roland replied briefly, nodding toward the center of the hall. "What happened here?"
"From what I overheard, it seems the Bear Goblins did this. Oh, right..." Galvis said without looking up, meticulously counting the coins the receptionist had just handed him. "You probably recognize those dead guys—they're from the Lion's Eye Mercenary Group."
"The Lion's Eye Mercenary Group?"
The name stirred Roland's memories.
After a moment's thought, the image of a tall, muscular man carrying a massive greatsword nearly half his height materialized clearly in his mind.
"Is... is that the team led by Klaus?"
Roland had no quarrel with the Lion's Eye Mercenary Group.
He had simply crossed paths with their leader, Klaus, a few times at Adventurer's Guilds in other regions.
Due to Roland's team's astonishing number of completed commissions and countless slain demonic beasts, Klaus had once approached him, his words hinting at recruitment.
Though politely declined, Klaus showed no resentment, maintaining a friendly demeanor.
In subsequent encounters, Klaus even proactively shared some intelligence.
While Theresa and Avril had already thoroughly gathered this information, Klaus's goodwill left Roland with a favorable impression of him and his mercenary group.
Seeking to hone his skills, Roland had also engaged in a few friendly sparring matches with Klaus himself and several members of his group, always stopping short of serious injury.
Though the encounters were brief, they left Roland deeply impressed by the mercenary group's strength.
Every member of the Lion's Eye Mercenary Group was a seasoned veteran, with at least four or five, including Klaus himself, having already stepped into the Transcendent Realm.
Their mastery of combat techniques and wealth of experience made them a truly elite mercenary group.
But now...
After the bard's reminder, Roland examined the corpses on the ground more closely.
This time, he finally recognized one of them.
It was Klaus's robust frame.
The massive greatsword, broken into three pieces nearby, was his signature weapon.
Seeing this, Roland sighed silently, quickly composed himself, and asked in a deep voice, "Have new Bear Goblins appeared in this area?"
Given the Mistland's notorious reputation, Roland had deliberately avoided that dangerous region when accepting the commission, relying on intelligence gathered by Theresa and Avril.
The town they were currently in was a safe distance from the Mistland.
Before this, neither the notices from the capital's Adventurer's Guild nor the rumors they had heard along the way had mentioned the Bear Goblin that dwelled in the Mistland ever leaving its lair.
"I'm not entirely sure about that..."
Galvis shook his head slightly in response to Roland's question.
"I already asked this gentleman about it earlier."
The bard nodded toward the receptionist behind the counter.
"He doesn't know much about the Mistland either," Galvis added.
"But at least we can be certain of one thing," Galvis continued.
"Bear Goblins are definitely active in this area."
Hearing this, Roland nodded to the receptionist and asked, "Do you know the exact location of this Bear Goblin?"
"Of course, sir," the receptionist replied.
Unlike the burly, rough-looking men typically found at other guilds, this receptionist had refined features. Yet the solid, corded muscles on his bare arms silently testified to his formidable strength.
As he spoke, he retrieved a fresh sheet of parchment from a drawer beneath the counter. The still-damp ink indicated that the commission had been drafted just moments ago.
"This intelligence was brought back by the last survivor of the Lion's Eye Mercenary Group," the receptionist said, his voice heavy with sorrow.
"Unfortunately... his injuries were too severe. I summoned the town's best physician, but even he couldn't save him."
Noticing the receptionist's helpless expression, Roland murmured his thanks, accepted the parchment, and began to scrutinize it carefully.
"Echo Valley?"
The name made Roland's brow furrow slightly.
They had passed by this valley on a detour during a previous demonic beast extermination mission.
It was a region surrounded by steep, low mountains, its interior crisscrossed by narrow, labyrinthine paths.
Dozens of natural caves of varying sizes dotted the valley floor, making it a prime nesting ground for demonic beasts.
Echo Valley wasn't far from town—a half-day's journey by carriage.
No wonder the adventurers and mercenaries at the Adventurer's Guild wore such grave expressions.
This area had once been their ideal hunting ground for steady income.
But the emergence of Bear Goblins had not only cut off their livelihood but also meant they could now encounter this deadly threat at any moment while operating in the surrounding areas or carrying out commissions.
Yet, in stark contrast to the anxiety gripping the crowd, Roland's sharp gaze swept over the sparse information on the parchment, his mind already calculating calmly.
"Bear Goblins, huh..."
He murmured to himself, his thoughts racing.
(End of the Chapter)
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