Adventurer of Many Professions

After their showers, the two of them went out to a local restaurant. Arya, still feeling the effects of the day's training, was especially hungry and ended up eating a lot more than usual.

Once the meal was over, she glanced at Raymond, a little worried. "Do you think I ate too much? I'm afraid I'll get fat."

Raymond burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Arya frowned. "I'm serious!"

He shook his head, amused. "If you don't eat more, how do you think you'll keep up with tomorrow's training? This kind of training isn't just a one-day thing. It'll take time and consistent effort."

Arya pouted, realizing he had a point. Even though she was concerned about gaining weight, she knew the training was necessary. She'd have to eat well to stay energized, and there was no avoiding it.

Seeing her unease, Raymond smiled. "As for weight…"

"What about it?" Arya leaned in, curious.

"Well, you might gain a bit of weight, but it won't affect your figure. In fact, your body could actually improve because of the training. You'll get stronger and more toned."

"Really?" Arya's eyes lit up with excitement.

She had expected the weight gain, but didn't anticipate that her figure could improve from the training itself.

Raymond nodded, assuring her, "Absolutely."

With Raymond's reassurance, Arya felt much better. On the way back, she seemed more energetic than before, chatting enthusiastically about her determination to work hard and never slack off in training.

When it was nearly eight o'clock Raymond quickly got ready, applying his makeup, and grabbed the eight bottles of 'Primary Magic Recovery Potion' he had prepared the night before. He then set off to meet Manik.

This time, with more time on his hands, Manik had successfully gathered the eleven materials needed to refine the potion. Raymond handed over the eight bottles he had made.

As he took the potions, Manik suddenly spoke up. "Mr. Rose, something big happened recently in Wittes. Have you heard about it?"

Since the business of "underground pharmacists" is shady, many of them rarely leave their hideouts unless absolutely necessary. Most of the time, they only hear snippets of news through interactions with their "buyers." This was the case for many of the underground pharmacists Manik had worked with before. They were well-informed, but it was more out of necessity to avoid detection by the Knights and stay on top of things that might affect their work.

If anything important occurred in Wittes, Manik would be the first to tell Raymond, especially if it could impact their work. Just like when he informed Raymond about the "Black Wind Group" earlier.

Raymond tightened the bag containing the materials, sensing that something must have happened that might disrupt their herb collection. He frowned, then asked, "What's going on?"

Manik quickly responded, "It's about the dual-class adventurer Raymond and the 'Explosion Magician' Sylph. Their team just added a new member, a female archer, whose 'magic affinity' is 4.2. And get this, they're actively recruiting a 'warrior' to join them!"

Raymond felt a mix of disbelief and amusement. He'd expected some trouble with the herb collection, but this was a bit unexpected.

Still, he feigned surprise and replied, "Oh? Really? I've heard of this dual-class adventurer Raymond and 'Explosion Magician' Sylph before. I didn't know they had someone with a 4.2 magic affinity joining their team! That's quite the surprise!"

"Yes, yes!" Manik responded eagerly, clearly excited to share more. "Let me tell you, Mr. Rose, that dual-professional is something else! Not only is he a dual-class adventurer, but his magic affinity is also sky-high at 3.8! And he's already mastered three skills! Can you believe it? And he's only been awakened as an adventurer for three months!"

Manik was practically glowing with excitement. It wasn't just him, everyone in Wittes was buzzing about this new talent.

"The whole town's talking about it! Everyone says he's the most talented adventurer in the entire Kingdom of Atlantis! People are sure he'll become a 'Platinum Level' adventurer someday!"

Manik couldn't stop talking, and Raymond could tell that the entire town was excited. After all, a world-class adventurer coming from a small town like Wittes was a huge deal.

It was a source of pride for the locals. In the future, when they told others they were from Wittes, people would definitely ask if they were referring to the town where Raymond, the dual-professional adventurer with the highest magic affinity in the Kingdom of Atlantis, came from.

Naturally, Manik had no idea that the person standing in front of him was, in fact, the very dual-professional Raymond he was talking about. Raymond didn't plan to reveal his identity, though.

When Manik finished, Raymond took a deep breath, letting out a hoarse exhale. "I had no idea this dual-professional Raymond had such high talent! It seems his recruitment efforts will attract a lot of attention."

Manik nodded eagerly. "Exactly! I've heard their recruitment has spread to surrounding towns. I bet by tomorrow, many 'warriors' who think they meet the requirements will be lining up for interviews the day after. I even heard there are warriors coming from Somar City to join!"

Manik was practically buzzing with excitement. Then, as if struck by a new thought, he pulled a piece of paper from his jacket and handed it to Raymond.

"Mr. Rose, take a look at this," he said eagerly. "This is the content of the 'recruitment letter' from the dual-class Raymond and 'Explosion Magician' Sylph."

Raymond had already seen the contents of the 'recruitment letter' after all, he had written it himself. But as the "underground pharmacist" Rose, he had to act as if he was hearing about it for the first time.

It was clear that Manik was not just any ordinary associate. As an 'acquisition expert', he was very thorough and even took the time to transcribe the details of the recruitment letter for Raymond's convenience.

Taking the paper from Manik, Raymond glanced at the contents:

Recruiting Profession: Warrior

Recruitment Requirements: Magic Affinity of at least 2, at least one skill mastered, under 15 years old, Adventurer level Black Iron or Bronze.

Current Team Members:

• Captain Raymond Kelton: Age 15, Occupation: Warrior/Fighter (Dual-Class), Adventurer Level: Black Iron, 3 skills mastered.

• Team Member Lorene Welty: Age 15, Occupation: Priest, Magic Affinity: 2.4, Magic Points: 412, Adventurer Level: Black Iron.

• Team Member Sylph Vargas: Age 15, Occupation: Explosion Mage, Magic Affinity: 2.6, Magic Points: 405.8, Adventurer Level: Black Iron.

• Team Member Arya Moore: Age 15, Occupation: Archer, Magic Affinity: 4.2, Magic Points: 108.2, Adventurer Level: White Porcelain.

Interview Details:

Location: Interview Room 4, 3rd floor, Adventurer's Guild, Wittes Town.

Time: 9:00 AM, September 24th.

Raymond noticed that Manik had added the magic points for Arya, Sylph, and Lorene, which wasn't in the original recruitment letter. It seemed Manik had also heard about their magic tests from the day before and thoughtfully included the information himself. That was definitely something Raymond appreciated.

"Mr. Rose," Manik said eagerly, watching as Raymond read through the letter, "what do you think? Pretty impressive, right?"

Raymond nodded, impressed by the details. "These four really are something else."

Manik nodded vigorously. "Exactly! The entire town of Wittes is talking about them. Everyone says they're the most talented adventurers in the Kingdom of Atlantis!"

Raymond chuckled softly, though he was secretly amused. He was, of course, the 'dual-class Raymond' in question, but there was no way he'd reveal that to Manik.

"Yes," Raymond replied, pretending to be surprised. "If they're this talented, their recruitment efforts will certainly cause a lot of stir."

Manik's eyes gleamed. "You're right! I've already heard that their recruitment drive has spread beyond Wittes. Adventurers from surrounding towns are probably already heading here to apply. And even people from Somar City are said to be coming to check it out!"

Raymond smiled wryly. "Sounds like it's going to be quite the event."

Manik leaned forward, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "And, Mr. Rose, I've actually bought herbs from dual-class practitioners like Raymond before."

Raymond raised an eyebrow, pretending to be surprised. "Really? I didn't know you worked with them."

Manik nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, but at that time, I wasn't working with you, Mr. Rose. Raymond was already well-known, but not like he is now. He wasn't the most talented adventurer in the Kingdom back then!"

Raymond nodded along, letting Manik continue, though he couldn't help but think how rapidly his 'fame' had grown. He never expected his name would spread so quickly, especially under a different guise.

Seeing that he had said all he needed, Manik seemed to think for a moment before giving Raymond a warning. "Mr. Rose, you should be careful over the next few days. With all the adventurers flooding into Wittes for the recruitment, it's bound to stir things up. The Knights might even increase patrols."

Raymond nodded, appreciating the heads-up. "I'll keep that in mind."

Manik was clearly very concerned, and he added, "If anything comes up, and you think it's too risky to come, don't hesitate to send a message to me. I'll handle it."

Raymond gave a reassuring smile. "I'll be careful."

Manik, though clearly eager to be of assistance, finally stepped back, seemingly content that he'd done his part. "Take care, Mr. Rose. And be safe."

Raymond nodded once more before turning to leave, grateful for the unexpected ally in Manik, even if the man had no idea who he was truly dealing with.