To reach Aught Town, the carriage fare was five gold coins. However, Jasper had only two gold and thirty silver in his possession. So he chose a small village for their night stay. It was a popular stop among travelers moving between the two towns for business. The sun was about to set, so he decided to stay there temporarily.
Jasper paid two gold coins for the carriage ride, leaving him with only thirty silver coins. He quickly searched for an inn for the night. Soon he found a cheap one where a single room cost five silver per night.
The three of them moved into the room. It was large enough for a single person, with one bed and an attached bathroom. For three people, however, it felt cramped. Still, it was the best they could get for now.
"Mother, you two take some rest. I will go buy some food," Jasper said before leaving the room.
Money was Jasper's biggest concern right now. With only twenty-five silver coins left, they were practically stranded in this village. If those Bernardi bastards sent more people after them, they would be caught like fish in a pond.
He wandered around the village and eventually reached the main street, where most people gathered to trade and seek entertainment. As he walked along, Jasper saw many shops on both sides of the road.
Weapons, food, clothes, and many other goods were displayed for sale. Adventurers and merchants moved between the stores, busy with their dealings. But Jasper had not come here to buy anything.
He was looking for a chance to earn some silver for tomorrow's travel. Otherwise, he would have to walk all the way to Aught Town or remain stuck in this village. Neither option sounded appealing.
But he had no idea what kind of work he could find.
Just as disappointment began to creep in, he noticed a signboard placed in front of a fancy cook house.
[Bounty: Giant Orange Snakehead]
Dead 1 kg: 50 Silver
Alive 1 kg: 1 Gold
Curious, Jasper walked toward the signboard. A few people were already gathered there discussing it. Before he could approach them, a small commotion broke out among the group. He slowed his steps to avoid getting involved and watched from a short distance.
Suddenly a tall guy shoved a chubby-looking fellow. The push sent the chubby guy crashing to the ground. Furious, the man struggled to get up and fight back, but the others joined the tall guy and stomped him several times before leaving.
The chubby guy remained on the ground, unwilling to stand.
After the scuffle ended, Jasper walked toward the signboard. He passed the fallen man and stopped in front of the notice.
"Giant Orange Snakehead."
What does that even mean? Are they asking people to capture a snake?
Jasper frowned, but when he saw the reward offered for a live one, temptation stirred in his mind.
Who should I ask for details?
He glanced around. Just as he was about to step into the cook house to ask about the creature, a strained voice called out behind him.
"Do you want to team up?"
Jasper turned around. To his surprise, it was the chubby guy still sitting on the ground. His face was covered in bruises. He looked about Jasper's age and carried a large round shield. The shield appeared high grade, with intricate carvings on its surface.
Has he recently awakened his trait? Jasper wondered.
Those people had just beaten him badly. If Jasper teamed up with him, wouldn't those same men target him as well?
He remained silent for a moment before nodding.
After thinking it through, Jasper realized he would leave the village tomorrow anyway. Even if those men considered him their enemy, it wouldn't matter much. Besides, asking strangers about the bounty might only leave him more confused.
But if he worked with this chubby fellow, he might earn some money tonight. That alone would help with his journey.
"The profit share will be fifty-fifty. If you have a problem with that, you can leave now," the chubby guy said as he slowly pushed himself to his feet.
Jasper watched him struggle to stand. It took several seconds before the man finally managed to get up.
Seeing this, Jasper immediately understood why that group had beaten him and left him behind.
If he struggles this much just to stand, how can he capture a giant snake? Jasper wondered.
"So which direction should we go?" Jasper asked.
"That target lives in Fessi Lake," the chubby guy replied.
Jasper was surprised to hear that the snake lived underwater. That would make it extremely difficult to kill, let alone capture alive.
"So where is your weapon?" the chubby guy asked.
"Well, I didn't bring my weapon with me. Don't worry. I'll use my bare hands," Jasper replied. Since he couldn't offer another pickaxe, he simply claimed he would fight empty-handed.
"What is your awakened trait?" The chubby guy gave him a sharp look after hearing that.
"My trait is Berserker," Jasper said, lying without hesitation. He had already thought this through. He couldn't hide his strength forever. Sooner or later he would have to present himself as an awakened person, and Berserker suited his physical power.
"What? You're a Berserker? That's a great trait!" the chubby guy exclaimed.
"I am a Warrior," he added proudly, extending his hand.
"My name is Barry Heacock."
"Nice to meet you, Barry. My name is Jasper," Jasper replied, somewhat surprised by the sudden change in the guy's mood. A moment ago he had been groaning in pain. Now he looked almost excited.
"So how many achievement points have you gathered?" Barry asked.
Achievement points?
Jasper frowned in confusion. What does that mean? Some kind of adventurer ranking?
"Oh, I have zero points," Jasper answered quickly.
"Hahaha!"
"What? Me too! I haven't gained any points yet. I visited a few places with my group before coming here, but there was too much competition. So we traveled for two days straight to reach this place and try our luck at Fessi Lake," Barry said, laughing again.
"But those bastards betrayed me. I was the one who told them about this spot after we arrived. They broke their promise." Barry's voice grew quieter.
"Alright then, let's go. We can't waste any more time. We need to gain a few points if we want to place in the top thousand," Barry said as he started walking.
"Place in the top thousand?"
Jasper felt even more confused after talking with Barry. Still, since Barry seemed to know a lot about the cook house bounty, Jasper decided to follow him.
At the end of the day, he only needed a few gold coins.
That was all that mattered.