Chapter 452: Greenfield City

As Helag rode closer to Greenfield City, he encountered more people on the road.

There were merchants, caravans, and adventurers equipped with weapons, all heading toward the city.

It was nearing dusk, and everyone wanted to get inside the city before nightfall, as the wilderness was too dangerous.

From a distance, Helag could see Greenfield City. It wasn’t particularly tall or grand, but its defenses were strict.

Soldiers were stationed at intervals along the city walls, and watchtowers constantly scanned the horizon for any signs of trouble.

Upon entering Greenfield City, Helag dismounted and thanked Arnt. “Thank you, Sir Arnt!”

Arnt nodded. “No need to thank me. Exorcists rid the world of demons and protect the people. This is just a small favor.”

With that, Arnt and his men headed toward the Lord’s Manor, as they had matters to report.

Helag found a simple inn to stay in. The accommodations were basic, with little more than a bed.

The door was broken and wouldn’t close properly. Helag had to use a bit of force to wedge it into the frame.

No identification was required to check into the inn.

In this region, identification held little value, as cities were almost independent of each other.

This was why Helag hadn’t been questioned when entering the city. Anyone could come and go, as no one had reliable identification.

The Portlands Empire was an empire in name only. In reality, the regions were self-governed and independent.

Due to the constant threat of demons, most people focused their efforts on dealing with them, leaving little time for infighting.

The inn didn’t provide meals, so guests had to find food elsewhere.

Helag, not wanting to bother, simply took some rations from his spatial ring.

After a night of rest, he set out early the next morning.

Helag planned to gather information and learn more about the area.

Aed had mentioned that Greenfield City had a large tavern frequented by adventurers.

Walking through the streets, Helag navigated the city for about half an hour before finding the tavern Aed had described.

The tavern was indeed large, almost like a hall.

Helag observed that it was a repurposed hall, which explained the vast interior space.

Despite its size, the tavern only had three servers.

The place was already bustling, noisy like a marketplace.

The three servers were constantly rushing around, never stopping. Helag wondered how they managed to hear customers’ orders amidst the chaos.

After sitting for over twenty minutes, a server finally came over to ask what he wanted.

Helag glanced at the beer on the table next to him and said, “I’ll have the same.”

It took nearly an hour for the beer to arrive, but Helag didn’t mind. He wasn’t there for the drink.

He sat quietly, listening to the conversations around him, filtering through the noise to gather useful information.

Most of what he heard was irrelevant, but after two hours, he finally picked up some valuable intel.

First, the area had been chaotic recently, with many demons appearing—something Arnt had already mentioned.

Second, the Lord’s Manor was recruiting people to deal with the demons.

Many adventurers were eager to join, though they feared they wouldn’t be selected.

After all, aside from exorcists, ordinary adventurers were almost useless against powerful demons.

Having gathered this information, Helag finished his beer and left the tavern.

The Lord’s Manor was easy to find—it was the tallest and most imposing building in Greenfield City.

Most of the city’s buildings were low, with very few structures exceeding two stories.

Helag noted that the city’s economy seemed even more underdeveloped than many places on the Carlson Continent. It was quite backward.

Upon reaching the Lord’s Manor, Helag saw a bulletin board outside.

The board was filled with notices, including one recruiting adventurers and exorcists to deal with the demons. The reward was substantial, and those interested were directed to see Steward Roguli.

After reading the notice, Helag approached the manor’s gate and informed the guards of his intention to join the demon-hunting team.

The guards gave him a once-over before heading inside to report.

A short while later, a rotund, round-faced middle-aged man emerged, followed by a guard.

“You want to join the demon-hunting team?” Roguli asked directly.

Helag nodded. “Yes.”

“We don’t recruit weak adventurers. Dealing with demons isn’t a game. Don’t let the reward blind you,” Roguli said, eyeing Helag skeptically. The man looked too young and ordinary to be a strong fighter, and Roguli was reluctant to take him on.

“I’m an exorcist,” Helag stated.

“An exorcist?” Roguli was surprised.

Exorcists were rare, especially in a frontier city like Greenfield, where there were very few.

“What’s your awakened ability? Show me,” Roguli said, still somewhat doubtful.

Helag hesitated. “There are too many people here. It’s not convenient to demonstrate.”

If he revealed his Titan form, his massive size would draw too much attention.

With so many people around the Lord’s Manor, Helag couldn’t risk exposing his Titan form.

If any other wizards were hiding in the crowd, it would be as good as revealing himself to them.

The advantage of staying hidden would be lost in an instant.

In fact, Helag had decided that unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t use his Titan form in battle.

His base physical stats were already high enough to handle most situations.

Roguli, growing more suspicious, said, “What kind of ability can’t be demonstrated? For exorcists, using their abilities should be a simple matter.”

“My ability is somewhat secretive, so I can’t display it in public,” Helag explained.

Roguli, now thoroughly skeptical, began to think Helag was just making things up.

In Roguli’s experience, exorcist abilities were always visible. The idea of not being able to demonstrate one in public seemed absurd.

With a look of displeasure, Roguli said, “The Lord’s Manor isn’t a place for people like you to fool around. Get lost, or I’ll have you locked up. Pretending to be an exorcist—if you somehow manage to fool me, you’ll still be dead when you face the demons. I don’t understand you adventurers, risking your lives for money.”