While Clayton was still lost in thought, someone suddenly patted him on the back.
"Hey, Clayton! What's up with you? Are you alright?"
Startled, Clayton turned around and saw that it was Arthur.
"Oh, Arthur. I'm fine. Just got a little too caught up in my thoughts. Anyway, what brings you here?"
"Nothing urgent. I just wanted to ask if you've joined a patrol group for tomorrow. If not, you're welcome to join ours."
Before Clayton could respond, an unpleasant voice cut in.
"Arthur, are you sure you want to invite him? I've never even seen him fight. If he joins our group, he'll just be dead weight."
Clayton turned to find Bravus glaring at him with thinly veiled disdain.
Bravus had always looked down on Clayton, believing he relied too much on magic scrolls and mini skeletons. Sure, his magic was strong—but in Bravus's eyes, if the scrolls ran out or the skeletons were destroyed, Clayton would be useless.
Over time, others began to believe the same. To them, Clayton looked weak.
What they didn't know was that Clayton wasn't just strong—he was a dual-class practitioner: both a mage and a knight.
Still, Clayton had no interest in wasting energy responding to someone like Bravus.
Arthur, on the other hand, clearly disliked Bravus's hostility. He genuinely wanted Clayton on the team—especially since they'd all benefit from the magic scrolls he produced.
"Bravus, what do you mean by 'dead weight'? Even if Brother Clayton can't fight, he's still a huge asset. The scrolls he makes are our best guarantee of survival."
Arthur spoke cleverly—implying that rejecting Clayton was the same as jeopardizing the group's safety.
Hearing that, the others around them began pushing for Clayton to join.
Bravus looked clearly displeased.
"What's so great about those cheap scrolls? You can buy them anywhere! We don't need to rely on someone this weak!"
Arthur simply shook his head. He knew the truth—scrolls from other vendors were expensive and nowhere near as effective as Clayton's.
Clayton crafted his scrolls using both Observation Entry and Rune Entry—making his creations top-tier.
"We could buy them, but it's too late now. Patrol starts tomorrow—we're out of time. So I think it's best if Clayton joins us," Arthur said firmly.
Bravus tried to protest again, but Arthur quickly cut him off.
"Let's vote. Whoever gets more support, wins."
Without hesitation, the group overwhelmingly voted for Clayton to join. Bravus could only grumble as everyone sided with Clayton.
Once the decision was made, Arthur turned to him.
"It's settled, then. So, Clayton—will you join our team?"
Clayton nodded. At this point, refusing would be pointless. Besides, he figured he'd be safer in a group of experienced people.
Bravus, more irritated than ever, stormed off with a scowl, clearly unhappy with the outcome.
Arthur didn't seem to care.
Meanwhile, Equus scoffed as he watched Bravus leave. Calling Clayton weak? What a joke. Just look at what happened to Hank.
With that, everyone dispersed and returned home to prepare for the next day.
...
The Next Day
The tenant farmers gathered, waiting for instructions from Brother Tiger and his team.
Once everyone had assembled, Brother Tiger divided the patrol zones among the different groups.
Arthur's group—now numbering over a dozen—headed off toward their assigned area.
As they walked, Bravus kept throwing annoyed glances at Clayton. He still couldn't accept the idea of sharing loot with someone he considered a freeloader.
The more he thought about it, the more it irritated him. Eventually, he spoke up.
"Hey Arthur, I've got a question. How are we splitting the loot if we kill any monsters?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"The usual way, of course. Why do you ask? Were you unhappy with how we've done it before?"
Bravus was quick to deny it.
"No, no! I'm totally fine with it. It's just... I don't want certain irrelevant people leeching off the hard work I put in," he said arrogantly.
Everyone knew exactly who he was talking about.
Arthur found himself in a tough spot. If he sided with Bravus, Clayton would feel alienated. But if he didn't, Bravus—whose perfume business funded much of their group—might pull out.
Arthur frowned, thinking of a way to keep the peace.
Before he could speak, Clayton calmly stepped in.
"You're right, Brother Arthur. I agree. I have no interest in taking the fruits of someone else's labor. I'd rather not risk bringing bad luck onto myself."
Arthur wanted to talk him out of it—after all, they were all hoping for a good hunt. But seeing how composed and indifferent Clayton was, he let it go.
"Alright, we'll do it that way—if it keeps things smooth," Arthur concluded.
Bravus looked satisfied. Let's see if you regret that later, he thought smugly.
...
They continued their patrol as planned.
At first, everything went smoothly. No dangerous monsters—just a few Class-0 beasts, too weak to even bother chasing.
For most groups, that would be a blessing. But Arthur's group, eager for spoils, started to grow bored.
A few members began glancing at Bravus, signaling him subtly.
Clayton, alert to his surroundings, noticed the strange looks and grew curious.
Bravus, aware of the attention, felt proud.
As he basked in their admiration, he noticed Clayton watching him with a questioning gaze.
Bravus quickly looked away, pretending not to care—though he was secretly pleased.
The patrol remained uneventful. Until finally, one member spoke up in a teasing tone,
"Hey, Brother Bravus, didn't you bring your treasure today? Come on, use it! I'm getting bored just walking around."
"Yeah! If you do something, we might actually get some excitement!"
Others chimed in, egging him on.
Clayton's curiosity only deepened.
Arthur, also growing restless, didn't stop them. He, too, was in the mood for a hunt.
Bravus, basking in the attention, stepped forward with flair.
"Alright, alright. Settle down. I'll do it for you guys!"
He pulled out a pink perfume bottle from his pouch.
After grabbing a random object, he sprayed it generously and tossed it into the bushes.
The group watched with anticipation.
Clayton furrowed his brow, puzzled.
A few seconds passed.
Then came the rustling of leaves.
A giant rat—roughly the size of a puppy—emerged.
Though not worth much, the group charged at it without hesitation.
Watching the scene unfold, Clayton finally understood what Bravus and the others were up to.
Unconsciously, his thoughts began to drift—deep in thought.
So deep, in fact, that he didn't notice the nimble rat suddenly darting in his direction...