The Moonlight Swordsman

Aizel, Harry, and Alisha were on their way to the Goblin Subjugation meeting point.

"Is this your first raid of this kind, or have you done them before?" Aizel asked as he wanted to know more about how it was going to work.

"Not this type of raid, but we helped defend a nearby village from monster herds last winter," Harry replied while trying to think of more details to provide.

"Don't worry, just stay with us, and don't talk to anyone unless absolutely necessary," Alisha replied.

"There is one more thing I need to mention; before coming here, I met with Leah, and she told me there was a possibility of a Grade II monster," Aizel said as both Harry and Alisha's eyes widened in shock, with a tinge of fear visible in them.

"This was not mentioned at the time of listing," Harry spoke with a stern expression.

"If the Rosewell family issues the mission, I believe there will be mages available as well.

"And Aizel has also slain a Grade II monster before right, so he can at least fight it and kill it with the help of other mages," Alisha said, trying to instill some hope and confidence in the raid.

"I mean, I'm not sure what we're going to face, but it's better to be serious and alert during the raid," Aizel replied even though he had killed the Monkey King at that time, it was also done with the help of Leah, and if he rated the abilities of the Monkey King with its magic usage, then the monster was very weak in the magic department.

"Well, let's hope nothing bad happens," Alisha said as they arrived at their meeting point.

The meeting place was a small town bar. It was near the local market, and, from the looks of it, it appears to be of a decent type. Dolothy's Bar was the name of it.

Aizel and the rest of them walked into the bar and were met with complete silence. As everyone sat quietly, drinking and staring at each other, there was an unspoken tension in the air.

From the inside, the bar appeared to be quite decent, with basic wooden furniture and a counter similar to what Aizel had seen in anime.

They quickly walked over to an empty table and took a seat.

Aizel noticed that the patrons seemed to be on edge as if waiting for something to happen. He wondered if it was because of their sudden entrance or if there was something else going on. Aizel decided to keep his guard up and observe his surroundings carefully.

"Don't worry; everyone is nervous about the upcoming raid. They know it's not going to be as simple as it appears." After noticing Aizel, Alisha spoke up.

Someone else opened the door and shouted authoritatively.

"Let's go; Mr. David is waiting for us at the town's gate."

Everyone stood up and started to leave the bar, including Aizel, Harry, and Alisha, who did the same and followed everyone at the end.

Aizel took notice of the people around him. Some were middle-aged men, some were young women, and everyone was carrying different weapons and exuding the aura of a seasoned hunter.

Everyone arrived at the town's gate, where they saw some guards dressed in proper uniforms, as well as mages wearing robes and bearing the same symbol.

It was a flying hawk symbol, and there was one man who shone like gold. He was dressed in gold and black leather armor and carried a massive longsword on his back.

"That guy is David Rosewell, Miss Leah's younger brother," Harry said as Aizel took a glance at him.

"So, I have to make sure that idiot reaches home safely; what a pain in the ass." Aizel thought in his mind.

He didn't care about him, but he did care about the benefit. He wanted to have a good relationship with Leah, not only because she was the oldest daughter of her noble family, but also because she was strong and might help him in the future in many ways. She also assured him that she would make sure no harm came to the kids while he was not there.

"Where is Lucas, and why hasn't he returned yet?" Harry asked while Alisha looked concerned.

"Listen up, everyone. You've all come to help me conquer Lockwood Town, which is currently infested with goblins." Suddenly David started speaking with an authoritative voice.

"Many experienced hunters and guards have arrived to join the raid. Grade I mages are also present to assist us in defeating those beasts and seizing control of the town. After we conquer the town, everyone will receive gold and a feast." He said while everyone cheered him after hearing the award.

"Those guys in the robes are all mages; from the looks of it, there are ten of them, eleven if we include Aizel," Alisha said as Aizel looked towards the mages who were standing proudly behind David.

"So mages are treated differently than the rest of them," Aizel spoke softly, making sure no one heard him except Alisha.

"Of course, do you see the one who is standing in the middle, the dude with the short black hair, He is Thomas.

"He is the upcoming genius in the Rosewell family. He is a water mage, and everyone has high expectations that he might be able to form an ice core too." She said as Aizel took a glance at him.

Thomas appeared to be quite skinny, with fair skin. However, based on the expression on his face, he appeared to be quite proud and arrogant.