Building The First Adventurer Guild In Another World-Chapter 245: Leash And Longing

The streets of Riverdale buzzed with their usual energy. Shopkeepers shouted prices from their stalls, carriages clattered over polished stone roads, and the aroma of roasted meat mingled with the fresh river air, drifting lazily through the afternoon breeze.

There was no hint in the vibrant city that a massacre had taken place in Greyvale just days before. Trade didn’t pause for sorrow, and gold didn’t wait for mourning; life simply marched on.

Boren strolled down the main street at a leisurely pace, a leather-bound book snugly tucked under his arm. His round figure bounced slightly as he walked, his robes swaying with each step. He even whistled softly to himself, as if he had just wrapped up a delightful business meeting rather than negotiating thirty million gold linked to bloodshed. A bead of sweat lingered on his forehead from the tension of their earlier conversation, which he casually wiped away with his sleeve before letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Well," he said lightly, glancing at the sky as if checking the weather instead of reflecting on what they had just accomplished, "that was quite easy."

Valeria walked beside him with steady strides and raised an eyebrow without looking his way. "Easy?" she echoed flatly.

Boren turned slightly towards her and grinned. "Yes! I expected more resistance. I thought Aldric would argue longer or try to haggle down the amount. I didn’t anticipate boss’s instructions working so smoothly."

Valeria paused briefly before resuming her pace. "Instructions?" she asked slowly, finally meeting his gaze directly.

Boren’s smile widened as he tapped the leather-bound book under his arm,a subtle but intentional gesture. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Valeria’s eyes flickered to the book, and understanding dawned almost immediately. "You mean..." she began before exhaling slowly. "All of this was planned by that greedy bastard?"

Boren nodded eagerly. "Exactly! Boss prepared everything before the soul transfer even began, he wrote detailed instructions on how to approach Aldric: what to say, what to reveal or conceal, and how to push him toward compensation. The thirty million was clearly outlined."

Valeria stared at the book as if it were alive. "He’s in a coma," she murmured almost to herself. "And yet his schemes keep unfolding."

Boren chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head; his cheeks jiggled slightly with movement. "That’s our boss for you."

Valeria shook her head lightly in disbelief. "That greedy bastard is something else, planning three steps ahead even while unconscious."

Boren didn’t disagree; instead, he beamed as if receiving praise.

They continued walking through the bustling street while people moved around them, oblivious to their quiet exchange.

A group of children dashed past, their laughter ringing out as they nearly collided with Boren, who sidestepped with surprising agility. A cart loaded with grain rolled by, pulled along by a weary-looking horse, while a fish vendor shouted discounts from the corner.

Valeria glanced at Boren again. "Was he really sure Aldric would agree to pay?" she asked after a moment.

Boren adjusted the book under his arm. "Not one hundred percent," he admitted. "The boss mentioned that there are always variables when dealing with merchants. But he was confident. We had solid evidence linking Aldric to the situation, even if he wasn’t the mastermind behind it all. That made it credible. Aldric is smart, he understands numbers, reputation, and leverage."

Valeria nodded faintly.

"Boss also wrote," Boren continued, lowering his voice slightly despite the lack of nearby listeners, "that the thirty million isn’t just compensation; it’s a signal."

"A signal?" Valeria asked.

"Yes. It indicates to Aldric that we know more than we’ve let on. It shows him that the Guild is still intact and ties him to us. Once he pays that amount, he becomes invested in our recovery, he can’t afford for the Guild to falter further because it would expose him too."

Valeria’s expression turned thoughtful. "So the money serves both as compensation and a leash."

Boren grinned. "Exactly."

They walked in silence for a few steps.

"And what if Aldric had refused?" Valeria asked.

Boren shrugged. "The boss wrote that if the first plan failed, I should adjust pressure points, raise exposure risks and suggest potential public inquiry. And if that didn’t work..." He paused and chuckled softly. "He said I should come up with my own solution or face trouble when he wakes up."

Valeria snorted quietly. "Even unconscious, he still manages to threaten you."

Boren scratched his head again with an amused look. "That’s our boss for you."

Turning onto a quieter street, they left behind the bustling marketplace; here, buildings were smaller and crowds thinner. A few travelers ambled by with bags slung over their shoulders as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting warm light across stone walls.

Valeria glanced at the leather-bound book once more. "How much of this did he plan before the attack?" she asked.

"Almost everything," Boren replied confidently. "He suspected Aldric’s involvement early on. From there, he outlined possible motives, reactions, and countermeasures."

Valeria fell silent.

For someone lying unconscious in bed, Sage’s presence felt overwhelmingly strong.

They walked side by side for some time; their footsteps created a steady rhythm on the cobblestones.

After a while, Boren’s whistling faded away. His cheerful demeanor gradually shifted to something more somber. He began to look around, as if he were seeing the people passing by for the first time.

Ahead of them, a young father walked hand in hand with his small son, who struggled to keep pace. The father bent down to adjust the boy’s cloak and said something that made the child laugh.

Boren’s gaze lingered on the scene longer than usual.

Valeria noticed this change in him. She stayed quiet for several steps before gently asking, "Is something wrong?"

Boren hesitated for a moment, scratching his head as he forced a small grin. "Not really."

Valeria didn’t seem convinced.

He let out a slow breath. "I just... kind of envy Orak."

Valeria glanced at him.

"For having a father like that," Boren elaborated. "A father who goes that far. willing to risk reputation, wealth, even safety just to save his son."

His smile dimmed slightly.

"I wish I had that kind of father."

Valeria didn’t respond right away. The street felt quieter now; the sounds of the market faded into the background. Only occasional footsteps and the soft hum of city life filled the air.

As they continued walking, Boren’s voice was lighter but carried an underlying weight. "My father was... well, let’s just say he doesn’t care about me at all. And I learned how to survive and count coins before I learned how to read because if I didn’t keep track, they’d disappear."

Valeria listened intently.

"My male servant used to tell me that gold was all you could rely on," Boren shared. "People leave; gold stays, that’s what he believed."

"And you?" Valeria asked quietly.

Boren offered a faint smile. "I believed him, for a long time."

They passed by a small inn with a wooden sign creaking softly in the wind.

"But seeing Aldric today," Boren continued thoughtfully, "made me realize something important: thirty million means nothing to him. But he hesitated not because of money; it was pride holding him back, admitting involvement is painful but when it came down to his son... he chose."

Walking beside him with her hands relaxed at her sides, Valeria wasn’t great at comforting others or finding words for emotional moments. So she did what she always did when unsure of what to say: she simply stayed present.

After a moment, she spoke softly again. "Not all fathers are the same."

Boren chuckled lightly. "I know."

They turned another corner and approached the district where their inn awaited them.

"You’re not like him," Valeria added quietly.

Boren blinked in surprise. "Not who?"

"Your father," she replied simply.

He fell silent for several steps before smiling again, this time more gently. "Thanks."

The sun sank lower in the sky, stretching shadows across the street as the horizon deepened into a rich orange hue. Valeria stole another glance at Boren. "You admire Aldric for what he did," she observed.

"I do," Boren confessed. "Even if it caused harm. Even if it was selfish. There was something... genuine about it."

Valeria nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

"But admiration doesn’t change consequences," she pointed out.

"No," Boren agreed, his expression thoughtful. "It doesn’t."

As they approached their inn, the familiar wooden sign swung gently above the entrance, and muffled sounds of laughter and chatter drifted out from within. Boren adjusted the leather-bound book tucked under his arm and gazed up at the building.

"Do you think our boss knew all this would happen?" he asked suddenly.

Valeria hesitated before responding. "He anticipated it."

"And what if Aldric wasn’t the only one involved?" Boren pressed.

A shadow crossed Valeria’s face as her eyes darkened slightly. "Then this is far from over."

Boren nodded slowly, absorbing her words. They stood there for a moment, lost in thought before stepping inside.

Once inside, they were enveloped by light and sound, but the weight of their earlier conversation lingered heavily in the air. Somewhere beyond Riverdale and Greyvale, the true mastermind remained at large.

And when Sage finally woke up... things would start moving again.