Adventurer of Many Professions

"Raymond, thank you so much. You and your team have done us a great service. We no longer have to live in fear of the Red-Eyed Crows."

Raymond waved it off casually.

"It's what we were hired for. We accepted the commission; so, of course, we had to see it through."

But as the villagers continued to shower them with gratitude, Sylph leaned in and whispered mischievously to Raymond.

"See? Unlike you, these people appreciate my magic."

Raymond didn't bother responding, he just gestured toward the square.

"Less talking, more working. Let's get those beaks and claws."

Sylph pouted, but with the help of the villagers, the search would go much faster.

For now, their job wasn't quite finished, but the hardest part was already over.

Raymond took another glance at the wreckage-littered square and let out a wry smile.

"Well, we need the sharp beaks and claws of the Red-Eyed Crows, but with five of them blasted to pieces, their remains are scattered everywhere. Looks like we'll have to trouble you, Village Chief, to help us find them."

The village chief waved a hand dismissively, his expression eager. "No trouble at all! No trouble at all!"

Turning to the villagers behind him, he called out loudly, "Everyone, help the adventurers search for the sharp beaks and claws of these 'Red-Eyed Crows'! They need them!"

The response was immediate and enthusiastic.

"Got it!"

"Leave it to us!"

"I'll go grab some tools!"

Some villagers rushed back to their homes to retrieve shovels and tongs, while others immediately began searching, sifting through the debris.

Just then, two villagers hesitantly approached, the ones whose homes had been occupied by the Red-Eyed Crows.

One of them spoke awkwardly, "Um… Village Chief, Adventurer, we'd like to check on our homes. Could we go take a look?"

The village chief turned to Raymond for confirmation.

Raymond nodded. "Of course. All the 'Red-Eyed Crows' inside have been dealt with, but the scene might be… well, a bit bloody. You should be prepared for that."

The two villagers exchanged glances before nodding. "Understood. Thank you." Without another word, they hurried off toward their homes, bracing themselves for what they might find.

As Raymond watched them go, a familiar voice called out.

"Raymond!"

Turning, he saw Arya and Lorene approaching, looking much more refreshed after their short rest.

Their eyes swept over the villagers, quickly piecing together what was happening.

Arya's gaze flicked toward Raymond.

"You're having the villagers help find the beaks and claws, aren't you?"

Raymond nodded. "Yeah, searching through this mess would take too long otherwise."

But before he could say more, he studied Arya's expression. Her face was no longer pale. She was standing straighter, her posture steadier.

He didn't even have to ask before Arya met his gaze and said firmly, "I'm fine now!"

Then, as if to prove it to herself, she took another look at the bloodied remnants of the Red-Eyed Crows in the square. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled.

There was no hesitation in her voice when she continued, "I'm going to be taking on commissions with you from now on. I'll adapt as soon as possible."

She then turned to face Raymond fully, determination burning in her eyes.

"And don't go easy on me! I don't want to be treated like a burden to the team!"

Raymond blinked.

Then, almost instinctively, he glanced at Lorene.

She knows.

Lorene, looking slightly guilty, lowered her head. "U-Um… sorry, Raymond. I… might have said something I shouldn't have."

Arya immediately spoke up. "No, Lorene! You weren't wrong!"

Turning back to Raymond, Arya crossed her arms and frowned.

"I also know how you treated Lorene when she first joined you guys. You made her fight 'Poison Sting Wasp' larvae, even when she was scared! Raymond, you're too mean!"

Raymond sighed internally. So that's what this was about.

He wouldn't blame Lorene, because she hadn't done anything wrong.

Back then, he had forced Lorene to kill the wasp larvae for a reason, not just to help her adapt faster, but because he needed to test something.

Lorene was a priestess, someone trained to heal, not kill. He had been genuinely worried that she might hesitate too much in battle, that she might let her mercy get in the way of survival.

If she had shown too much kindness, if she had refused to kill even monsters, then she would have been a liability in a fight. He had needed to break that hesitation early before it could cost lives.

Luckily, Lorene wasn't too soft-hearted. When push came to shove, she could fight.

Arya, however, was different.

Her parents had been killed by monsters.

She wasn't someone who would struggle with the morality of killing them. If anything, she would probably want to kill more.

The only thing holding her back was the shock of seeing real, gruesome battle.

That was normal. It was a psychological barrier, one that she would eventually overcome with experience.

That was why Raymond hadn't forced her to adapt immediately.

Unlike with Lorene, he wasn't worried about whether Arya would hesitate to kill—only about how much time she needed to adjust.

Besides…

With his current strength, taking on Black Iron-level commissions was easy.

As long as he could create a safe combat environment, Arya would have plenty of time to grow stronger without unnecessary pressure.

"Raymond, did you hear me?"

Arya's voice snapped him back to reality.

She was serious.

Raymond knew that this wasn't just about her own growth.

She was thinking about Lorene and the others too.

If he showed favoritism, if he treated her too gently, then resentment could build.

Arya didn't want that. She wanted to be seen as an equal.

He let out a deep sigh.

"Yeah, I heard you."

And this time, he really meant it.

Raymond paused for a moment, his thoughts swirling, before he turned to Lorene with a sincere look. "Lorene, I owe you an apology for how I treated you earlier," he said, his voice tinged with genuine regret.

Lorene, caught off guard by his sudden change in tone, blinked in surprise. "This... this... it's okay," she stammered, her voice soft but understanding. "You're doing this for the team... and for my own good."

She seemed a little overwhelmed by his unexpected apology, as if the moment had caught her off guard.

Sylph, who had been watching from a distance, couldn't help but laugh lightly. "Heh, as expected, only Arya can make Raymond so obedient," she teased. "Remember, back in the day, not only did he ignore us, but he also went off on his own missions, leaving Lorene and me behind."

Her words were lighthearted, but there was a hint of mischief in her eyes.

Raymond rolled his eyes, exasperated, but couldn't help a smile from tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I did it for efficiency, alright?" he shot back, defending himself.

Before Sylph could reply, two villagers came rushing up to them, their faces alight with excitement. "They're all dead! They're all dead!" they exclaimed, their voices filled with joy and relief.

They hurried toward Raymond and the group, practically glowing with gratitude. "Thank you, Adventurer! Thank you for killing all those Red-Eyed Crows!" Their eyes shone with relief, not just because the dangerous creatures were gone, but because their homes had been spared from the brunt of the chaos.

Before, they had feared the worst, how the fight would destroy their homes or leave them in ruins. But when they checked, while there was some damage, it was minimal and completely manageable. What's more, they could see that much of it had been caused by the Red-Eyed Crows themselves before the battle had even started.

Raymond nodded, his expression neutral. "It's my duty," he replied simply. For him, it was just another job, and the gratitude of the villagers, while appreciated, wasn't something he expected or particularly sought.

However, the gratitude was not lost on Arya and Sylph, who both wore beaming smiles in response to the villagers' thanks. It was clear they felt a sense of pride in what they had done for these people.

Raymond, in the meantime, opened his status panel, checking his progress and reflecting on the day's events:

Name: Raymond Kelton

Age: 15

Magic value: 1010.2/1151.2

Professions: Fighter, Warrior, Craftsman, Magician, Swordsman, Hunter, Pharmacist, Archer, Thief, Assassin

Skills: Bone Crushing, Taunt [Upgradable], Wind Slash, Camouflage, Forging [Upgradable], Primary Mana Recovery Potion

Skill points: 2. Cumulative value: 55%

Awakenable professions:

[Priest] Awakening requirements: At least two hundred people are grateful to you, progress: 16/200

Learnable skills:

• Iron Elbow [Fighter], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

• Whirlwind Kick [Fighter], Learning Cost: 2 Skill Points

• Iron Bones [Fighter], Learning Cost: 2 Skill Points

• Wind Slash [Warrior] [Swordsman], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

• Charge Charge [Warrior], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

• Hunting the Heart-piercing [Warrior], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

• Sweeping the Enemy [Warrior], Learning Cost: 3 Skill Points

• Mountain Collapse [Warrior], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

• Eagle Falls [Warrior] [Upgradable], Learning Cost: 3 Skill Points

• Thunderstorm Spear [Warrior], Learning Cost: 5 Skill Points

• Flowing Like Clouds and Water [Warrior] [Swordsman] [Upgradable], Learning Cost: 3 Skill Points

• Wind Slash [Swordsman], Learning Cost: 2 Skill Points

• Cross Slash [Swordsman] [Warrior], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

• Identify [Craftsman] [Pharmacist] [Upgradable], Learning Cost: 2 Skill Points

• Metal Fusion [Craftsman] [Upgradable], Learning Cost: 3 Skill Points

• Guardian Shield [Warrior], Learning Cost: 5 Skill Points

• Shield Strike [Warrior], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

• Earth Tremor [Warrior] [Upgradable], Learning Cost: 3 Skill Points

• Indestructible [Warrior], Learning Cost: 3 Skill Points

• Fireball [Magician], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

• Ice Field [Magician] [Upgradable], Learning Cost: 3 Skill Points

• Ice Crystal Wall [Magician], Learning Cost: 3 Skill Points

• Wind Blade [Magician] [Upgradable], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

• Magic Cyclone [Magician], Learning Cost: 2 Skill Points

• Storm Fist [Mage], Learning Cost: 5 Skill Points

• Eagle Eye [Archer] [Hunter], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

• Biological Perception [Hunter] [Thief] [Upgradeable], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

• Fatal Strike [Assassin] [Rogue] [Hunter], Learning Cost: 1 Skill Point

His mind wandered as he reviewed the information. So many options, so much potential. But for now, there were more pressing matters to focus on, like getting back to work.