My front door leads to a comic strip

Adventurers' Guild, or more accurately, Mercenary Guild.

Millie Alde stood before the counter, her gaze sweeping over the unfolded map, and then spoke thoughtfully to the organization's staff:

"You mean, what appeared on the empire's borders weren't monsters, but a creature that looks very much like a human?"

Do you know the name of this creature? Or would you like to know more about it?

As expected, this is a demon. Life is tough, but they can earn some information fees.

Before him, a man draped in white cloth first narrowed his pupils upon hearing this, then leaned forward, deliberately lowering his voice, his tone tinged with urgency:

"Do you know who they are? Please, this is very important to us."

"Although this area is under the jurisdiction of the empire, it is neglected because it is a border region."

"A lot of adventurers have already died, if they keep dying..."

If more people die, the population will be lost in large numbers. Adventurers can escape, but the residents cannot.

Knock knock.

Millie Alde tapped the table with her knuckles, and the person in charge turned around and solemnly pushed a glass of wine in front of her.

She took a small sip, her brows furrowing.

"It doesn't taste good, never mind. I can give you the news, but it will cost three hundred gold coins. That shouldn't be too expensive for you."

She wanted to earn back the money Gu Yuan had spent, even if Gu Yuan didn't need it.

"Three hundred?" The person in charge breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the number.

"no problem."

Compared to the losses of the past few days, it's just a drop in the ocean.

After consulting with the authorities, about five minutes later, a bulging money bag was placed on the table with a "thud".

"Let's begin, Miss Elf."

He spoke solemnly.

Millie Alder glanced at her sideways: "Aren't you worried I'm deceiving you?"

"...Deception? No way, because the guild is backed by the royal family."

The word "royal" carries immense weight, and Millie Alder nodded slightly.

"I see."

She didn't ask why the royal family hadn't sent troops to suppress them; it was probably an organization set up by some prince who had nothing better to do.

As she slowly described the characteristics of the demon race, the person in charge nodded repeatedly, while still feeling lingering fear.

That's terrifying! It can release magic like breathing. Luckily, I met someone who knew the truth and took a deep breath.

"So, do they have weaknesses?"

This question, like a blade cutting through water, abruptly severed Milieard's train of thought.

She wasn't really sure, but... remembering Gu Yuan's understanding of the demon race, she nodded slightly.

"We'll talk about that later; you need to prepare more compensation."

She changed the subject...

"Gold coins are out of the question. Do you have any magical items or magical artifacts? Special ores would also be fine."

The person in charge's eyes lit up instantly: "I'm not afraid of the other party having many demands, I'm only afraid of the other party not making any demands."

"No problem, trust me, the royal family has far more power than you imagine, as long as you can provide valuable information."

Milie Alder nodded noncommittally.

Despite not being particularly fond of the royal family, I have to admit that they are far more adept at collecting items than individuals.

Gu Yuan would be happy to hear this.

She picked up the map, rolled it up, grabbed the money bag with her other hand and stuffed it into her bosom. She turned around lightly and walked quickly out of the guild.

Behind the counter, the young manager stood quietly watching her back, his eyes flashing with a complex light.

……

Meanwhile, on the other side...

On the desolate mountains on the border of the empire, sunlight streamed through cracks in the cave ceiling, illuminating the skeletons scattered on the ground.

Brut was squatting in front of a fresh corpse, licking the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth with his tongue, a satisfied sigh on his face.

"It's delicious."

Just as he was lamenting how difficult it was for humans to capture them, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

"Crack." That was the crisp sound of bone being crushed.

Brut turned around abruptly, his eyes instantly turning fierce and wary.

A man clad in white armor stood at the entrance of the cave.

He looks human, but the pair of curved horns on his head give away his identity.

Kono glanced at the corpse beside Brutus, a playful smile playing on his lips:

"Interesting, I didn't expect to encounter someone of my own kind here. A deserter?"

He was also a deserter, and since the eldest brother didn't mention the second brother, he didn't really care about the other person's identity.

"Who are you?"

Brut spoke in a hoarse voice, his eyes filled with hostility.

He swept up the blood on the ground, which coalesced into a long spear, which he aimed steadily at Kono, looking wary as if he were afraid his prey would be stolen.

Seeing this, Kono's excitement intensified, and he even licked his lower lip:

"Oh? Blood magic? Not bad, I'm starting to admire you more and more."

"How about becoming my subordinate?"

Demons prefer to fight alone, but not all of them are like that.

If it could help him achieve his wish of reclaiming the title of the Seven Sages, Kono would rather have as many cannon fodder around him as possible.

Brut thought the other party was going to say something provocative, but it turned out to be this...

Without a second thought, the spear of condensed blood shot out with a whooshing sound.

But in the next second...

"Weak, too weak."

Kono shook his head and casually waved his hand, sending several supersonic white bone thorns flying through the air, instantly shattering the blood spear.

Boom!

The bone spur then pierced Brutus's body with pinpoint accuracy.

"Ah!" Brut cried out in pain as his limbs and fingers were pinned to the wall, making it extremely difficult for him to even lift his head.

tread.

The sound of Kono's footsteps, crushing bones, echoed all around.

"Did you lose, surrender, or die?"

……

Blacksmith shop.

"Ding!"

The dwarf flicked his finger across the blade, listening to the crisp sound, a look of satisfaction and eagerness flashing in his eyes:

"The craftsmanship is so exquisite that I am increasingly convinced that this is a masterpiece by a renowned artist."

"Hey bro, can you tell me who forged it?"

At first glance, it just looks impressive, but upon closer inspection... even the dwarf's breathing becomes heavy.

"If I could meet that person, I would forgo all the forging this time, and by the way..."

He quickly ran to a wall, carefully took down a mineral with a strange luster, and handed it to Gu Yuan, his voice decisive:

"I'll also give you this priceless light-heavy rock."

"Light and heavy rock?" Gu Yuan picked up the ore and examined it, not quite understanding its effects.

Just then, she caught a glimpse of Miliearde returning and was about to ask her a question.

At that moment, an apprentice came out of the house wiping the sweat from his forehead.

He was holding a suit of armor, intending to hang it on the wall.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly saw what Gu Yuan was holding and stopped abruptly.

Then, a bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead.

"No, this is terrible!"

He turned and ran back to his room in a panic, his voice filled with anxiety and disbelief, "Senior brother, senior sister, something terrible has happened! Master is actually going to give away the shop's most prized possession! You all…"

Upon hearing the words "the store's prized possession," Gu Yuan understood immediately.

So that's why it's worth a fortune, slightly more expensive than the Demon Sealing Mine.

So, what is the effect?

Before long, the dwarf gave his answer, pointing to the ore and explaining:

"This is the ore used to forge divine weapons, which allows the weight of the weapon to be changed at will."

"It was the main material of a divine sword from the mythological era."

"I apologize for making this sound so awkward; I am not capable of using it, but..."

He stared intently at the longsword again, a determined glint in his eyes:

You can.

To be precise, it is the master behind Gu Yuan who is capable.

Keeping it would be a waste; it's better to do someone a favor.