I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 129 Afterwards
The driver was still there when they came down the mountain. He was surprised to see his two employers return early: "Sirs, are you going back? What about the fare?"

The two exchanged a glance. This guy should be fine. DuPont said, "Just calculate as usual. I'll go to the mage academy tomorrow morning. Once you take me back, your task will be complete."

Hearing this, the driver breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it's still a 2-day mission, staying at an inn in the city this time is much safer and more comfortable. It's like earning 10 gold just by going for a short trip outside the city. Such a good deal is rare: "Alright, but where is that young wanderer?"

Too lazy to explain further, DuPont casually remarked, "We've completed our mission; he's off to do his own thing."

Deva did not refute these words.

It's appalling that contracts have been turned into a means of harming people. If word gets out, it would be disastrous if some unscrupulous individuals learned this trick.

So it seems that sometimes lies are necessary.
It was already dark when they returned, but the tavern was still bustling. When Deva took out the four hideous and ugly troll heads, she was met with incredulous stares. However, her private conversation with the guild leader almost made the kind-looking warrior Old Joe drop his jaw.

This young lady had only been there for two days when she caused the notorious corrupt sheriff to commit suicide out of guilt. It was hard for the powerful figures in Beer Town not to investigate her background, but all they got from White Rock was a simple sentence.

"No comment."

Upon hearing this answer, the people of Beer Town felt utterly disheartened.

Even his own direct superiors couldn't afford to offend him, yet he could bypass the town council and communicate directly with the church. This kind of capable person could probably only be contacted by that high-ranking mage in the area who usually doesn't even bother to show up at meetings.

The town council even held a small meeting on this matter, and the only result was: let this lady do whatever she wants, give her money or people if she wants, anyway, she's a paladin and she won't be too extreme, we just need to be patient until the end of the year when she will probably be transferred, and then everyone can go back to what they're doing.

It must be said that this decision was quite effective. A week later, the security bureau was completely calm, with no signs of a new broom sweeping clean, and not even any requests for funding, which put everyone at ease.

As for applying for the mission, that doesn't matter at all. If you're willing to rid the people of evil, that's definitely a good thing. If any problems arise, it's not our fault. If you really run into some trouble and have to recover for half a year, wouldn't that be a happy ending for everyone?

So when Old Joe saw the four big heads, he wasn't surprised at all; he was just somewhat impressed that this young lady from the big city was truly capable.

Although the paladin was indeed very strong, he was able to easily annihilate this troll pack and more than twenty goblin bears with just a mage apprentice casting low-level spells. Before he was forced to retire after being shot in the knee by a lizardman, even his mage teammates did not have this ability.

Just as Old Joe had taken out the money he had prepared to curry favor with this young lady, the words spoken by the mage apprentice almost made him jump up.

"Guild Master, the guide who led us here is a hidden cultist. He's working with an evil mage named Randy to lead a group of monsters to ambush us, harm adventurers, and steal their treasures. Are you aware of any details about this?"

Upon hearing this, Old Joe almost thought it was a new way to extort money, but looking at the irrefutable evidence, the cult ritual, and the corpse badge, he was completely stunned. Especially after bringing in several adventurers and guild registration forms to confirm that the magical weapons these two had picked up were indeed weapons used by the adventure team that went out on a mission that week.

However, by this time it was already a relic.

Such a terrible scandal left Old Joe's mind blank, and the sorcerer's cold gaze only intensified his anxiety: "I don't know, something must have gone wrong somewhere."

“A simple “I don’t know” is unlikely to convince everyone.” DuPont took out a file and sat there slowly trimming his nails. He had sent Deva away to check the roster and take charge of the handover ceremony. Now he was the most powerful person here: “Just based on these weapons we have obtained, we don’t know how many souls have lost their lives. This cannot be explained by a simple dereliction of duty.”

As he spoke, he raised his head and took out a gleaming gold coin: "You're an old adventurer, do you recognize this?"

"This is... Soul Coins?" Old Joe couldn't help but shudder. "Could this be related to the devil??"

"You're asking me? I'd like to ask you the same thing!" DuPont sneered. "Fortunately, Miss Deva and I went together. Otherwise, if Miss Deva had encountered some trolls on her own, there wouldn't have been any problem. But if she had been tricked by the hidden devil cultists and had a safety issue, I'm afraid few people in Beer Town would have escaped the consequences. In that case, you, as the person in charge, probably wouldn't have been able to escape either."

Upon hearing this, Old Joe broke out in a cold sweat.

Some things can be reasoned about, but many things cannot, especially when it comes to those in power or influential positions. A single act of vengeance could lead to the deaths of many people.

If this label is pinned on him, then he, as the person primarily responsible, certainly won't be able to cover it up.

Thinking of this, Old Joe stepped forward and, in a fawning manner, pulled out a near-perfect ruby ​​from his waist: "Please understand my difficulties, sir. As you can see, my legs are not very good, and many things are handled by my subordinates. Most of them are young and don't have much discernment. In the future, I will definitely send out more scouts to investigate the situation and prevent similar incidents from happening again."

Looking at the priceless gem, DuPont maintained a stern, businesslike demeanor: "I understand your difficulties. After all, there are indeed many things that are not handled well in the countryside. But since the problem has arisen, we should think about how to solve it, not how to shirk responsibility and distance ourselves from it. Otherwise, if everyone does this, won't the problem just come back to square one?"

Listening to this repetitive talk, Old Joe cursed inwardly that this kid was really troublesome. He had no choice but to take out an exquisite ring from his waist and flatter him with a face full of compliments: "Your words are right. We will definitely conduct a thorough internal investigation and find out those guys who are just loafing around all day."

DuPont nodded in satisfaction and accepted the ring and gemstone: "It's good that you have this intention. Miss is kind-hearted, and it's just a matter of being reprimanded for laziness so that it won't happen again. But if there are evil people within the organization, that would be bad. I hope you can examine yourself and not create additional problems when people from above come to investigate the faction. Otherwise, it will be embarrassing for everyone. Of course, more importantly, this matter must not be related to that sheriff from before. If someone deliberately set this trap for Miss, then no one can protect her."

Seeing the kid accept the gift, Old Joe breathed a sigh of relief. Anyway, he was upright and had nothing to fear, so even if someone was plotting against him, it had nothing to do with him: "Don't worry, Your Excellency, we will definitely have the priest conduct a thorough investigation, and we will definitely find the bad apples before dawn and eliminate similar hidden dangers."

“That would be best.” DuPont nodded, and just before Old Joe thought it was finally over, he spoke again: “By the way, could you please give me a map of the Taras Mountains near Ale Town, one that shows the monster lairs? This is a very serious matter. We will personally investigate whether there are any cultists disguised as monsters in the surrounding area, and try to clear your name.”

(End of this chapter)