Way of the Knights

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This mission's deadline is within a month. Raven along with the team spent at least a week and a half before making it back to the kingdom.

Fortunately, they didn't encounter any sorts of difficult situations on their way back. They travelled low and slow until the walls of the kingdom was within reach. Once they arrived, they only needed to confirm their identities and they were allowed to enter.

The adventurers almost kissed the ground and cried once they entered the gates. The feeling of constant danger and having their nerves always stay on alert, really took a great toll on their bodies. Now that they have returned, they felt like a heavy burden was removed from their shoulders, allowing them to feel carefree and relaxed.

The only task left for them is to report back to the one who issued this mission and receive the rewards.

The one who issued this mission was the Royal Army. They headed towards the inner court since their office was located there. After requesting an audience, the meeting was held and the adventurers along with Jackson and Raven reported the results of their mission.

Sufficed to say, the Head of the Royal Army was relieved but also greatly worried when he heard that a Dream Sucking Centipede was seen that close to the kingdom. He expressed his thanks for their braveness and for the wonderful job of eliminating the beast. Jackson decided to surrender the corpse of the centipede to Royal Army for various reasons. One to serve as a direct proof of their claim, two to serve as a warning so that they will be careful from now on, and three for additional benefits as well.

Corpses of beasts like this aren't easily seen in the kingdom. Most of the times, it's only the king and his men who supply this type of rare beasts to them, and the amount of beast they could bring back is limited as well. This cause researchers to be dismayed and helpless, but now that this centipede is here, they will have another beast to dissect and who knows what discoveries they could find?

As for Raven's mission, even though it was handed to him by the institute, he needed the Head of the Royal Army to give him a report summary with a seal and pass it to the Institute Director Victor for confirmation, fortunately he had no trouble getting this.

On top of this, Raven actually received an additional reward from the Royal Army. His efforts and efficiency was backed up with supporting confirmations from the adventurers team and Jackson himself. He received an additional 300 Merit Points, 5 hours to any Cultivation Environment, a B-grade Item raffle ticket and a 1000 gold cards.

As for the rewards of the others, he didn't inquire since it's none of his business.To celebrate their return, the team decided to celebrate with a little feast and alcohol, they celebrated this on the Adventurers Team office. Raven's a minor so no liquors for him, but that's fine since there are alternatives anyway, like fruit juice.

On a separate note, these folks from adventurers team surely can't take contain their alcohol properly. Just a few bottles of beer and they were already slurring on their words. Jackson doesn't seem to be affected at all.

" *Hik!* Aish! Seriously. We nearly freakin' died like a hundred times. A hundred times I tell 'ya! But we alive! Whoo! We alive boys! *Hik!* " Jordan slurred as he waved his hands while holding a bottle of beer.action

"Das right! Das right! Thish little brother saved our asses multiple times there! Thank you bro! Love 'ya! Hihi" George was slowly but surely sliding down from his seat, similarly waving a beer bottle like Jordan did.

Alina was quiet, no one knows what she was thinking but judging from her deeply blushing face and the bobbing her head, they knew that she's drunk as well.

"Bosh Jo! George! I deshided!" Alina said after a while of silence, "I quit! I'm done with being an adventurer." There was a profound silence after her words.

"This Lady does not want to experience those terrible things anymore!" She exclaimed and looked up, the rest saw that the rims of her eyes wet with tears.

"I'mma go find myself a husband! Then I'll stay home to take care of our kids instead! And you best believe I ain't marrying an adventurer! It doesn't matter if he's a farmer, a fisherman, a baker, or even a construction worker! So long as he could provide me a nice and peaceful life? That's everything I could wish for."

"Besides…" her voice toned down and she continued, "Being an adventurer doesn't suit me at all. A mother might be more fitting."

"Sho! There you have it! I'll file my resignation letter once I sober up, so don't you dare refuse me 'ya hear!?"

Alina's sudden decision took them by surprise, but on a second thought, all of them were expecting this anyway. Jordan seemed to have sobered up, he didn't say anything first and instead look towards George and asked: "How about you?

"When George saw Jordan looking at him, his lips twitched a bit before a helpless sigh escaped his mouth. He smiled wryly and said:

"She beat me to it." George referring to Alina, "Ever since I fell under the illusion of that monster, my thoughts became a mess. What if one day I died in the middle of a mission? What will Janine feel? What will happen to her? We don't even have kids yet and she will be left alone."

"I want to spend the rest of my life with her, that's the reason why I proposed to her. I want to give her a pleasant life but I can't do that if I died so suddenly right?"

"So, I made up my mind. I was just waiting for the right time but Alina ruined it!" George said while sending a glare to Alina. Her seeing this made her giggle.

Hearing this, Jordan sighed. Well, he couldn't really blame them.

"Alright, we're disbanding then."

"Eh?" George and Alina let out a surprised sound.

"You're quitting as well?" George asked.

"Yeah."

"Why? I always thought you wanted to become a great adventurer." Alina inquired.

"I'm 45 Alina." Jordan said while smiling wryly, "Not to mention becoming a great adventurer, I can't even find a way to raise my cultivation level. My youth has long since passed and I'm also thinking of settling down as well."

"I could take over my old man's business. He's a meat supplier here in the Inner Circle, I suppose that's not too bad. I only need to find a woman I like, preferably someone who knows how to cook good food and I'll be set."

There was another round of silence in the room, separations are always painful but it's necessary to move on towards the next chapter of their lives. And it's not like these people won't see each other again anyway. Specially if someone could do something about it.

"This will be our last celebration as adventurers! Come! Let's drink our hearts out! Whoo!" George smiled and raised his glass. Jordan and Alina joined him afterwards.

The celebration was then extended and eventually, the trio couldn't handle it anymore and passed out. It was this time that Raven flashed a mischievous smile and stood up.

He tapped Jackson on his shoulder and said: "You get him, I'll handle her."

"Huh?" Jackson raised his brows, not sure that he understood what Raven was trying to tell him.

"Just get him and follow me." He said while picking Alina up. Confused Jackson just did what he said and picked Jordan up as well and followed him. Raven entered a door that had a mattress prepared in it, this was Jordan's room since he sleeps in this hut as well. He placed Aline on the mattress and looked at the dumbfounded Jackson on the door.

"Lay him here." Raven said while wearing that mischievous smile.

"You little devil! So this was your plan huh!" Jackson's mouth twitched a couple of times upon realizing this.

"It's great right?" Raven beamed, "Why look elsewhere when the answers right in front of you? Didn't she say that she wants a husband? She doesn't even care if she lives a simple life considering that it's peaceful. He fits that requirements! And didn't he said that he was looking for a wife, preferably someone who can cook? It was her that cooked our food just now and it's good so she fits the criteria as well! Aren't they perfect for each other then?"

Jackson was speechless. His feeble mind fought over the thought whether this was the right thing to do or not.

"Don't think too much! I'll handle it! They won't suspect you anyway since such actions doesn't fit your image, so you're safe. Just lay him down here!"

Jackson greatly hesitated before sighing and placing the unconscious Jordan beside Alina. "Alright you go somewhere else, I'll handle the rest." Raven flashed his fangs and shoo-ed Jackson away.

Before leaving the room, Jackson heard something about incense aphrodisiacs, door that won't be opened unless a 'miracle' happened and absolute fertility pill.. For some reason, he felt a shudder on his spine, and he wondered why.