Hakan said with some sadness.

Brandon Jenkins's eyes lit up. Did this guy actually have a backstory? It really was completely different from the game.

“What do you mean by having no homeland? I heard that Diallos mercenaries come from the vast snowy mountains in the north. Can’t you go back?”

Hakann shot a glare at Brandon Jenkins.

“It’s none of your business. We’re not that close, are we?”

“Haha, fine. Then, for the sake of that necklace, can you tell me how to get out of here?”

Seeing that the other party had no intention of continuing the conversation, Brandon Jenkins didn’t press further.

Not having enough favorability to advance a side quest—Brandon Jenkins was all too familiar with this.

But Hakann wasn’t stingy about this question.

“I rowed a small boat along the coast to get here. This is an isolated beach, and the cliffs nearby are very steep—there’s no way up or down.”

“Oh, oh! Then can I hitch a ride with you and leave together? I’m willing to give you extra jewelry as payment.”

“That would be a great deal, but unfortunately, a few days ago my boat hit the rocks near the shore and was damaged. It’s already lucky that my companions and I weren’t hurt.”

Hakann pointed to the warhorse and the white wolf nearby.

“To be honest, I’m also looking for a way out. Just today, I discovered a cave. I was planning to rest up and go in tomorrow to look for an exit, but then I ran into you today.”

Hearing there was a chance to leave, Brandon Jenkins couldn’t help but feel happy.

When he heard the boat was broken just now, he thought he’d be stuck here.

It had taken so much effort to get off that isolated island at the Prince’s Chapel—if he ended up imprisoned somewhere else, he’d lose it.

“Haha, what a coincidence! So, shall we explore together tomorrow?”

But unexpectedly, Hakann rejected Brandon Jenkins’s proposal.

“It’s a good suggestion, isn’t it? But I refuse.”

------------

Chapter 7: Cave Ahead

“Why?”

Brandon Jenkins didn’t quite understand. It was clearly a win-win situation.

“I’m not comfortable turning my back to someone I just met in a cave.”

“And besides, I’m the one who found the cave. You just want to hitch a free ride.”

Brandon Jenkins nodded. Hakann did have a point, but there was still room to negotiate.

Brandon Jenkins didn’t think Hakann was an idiot who would casually reveal information about a cave for no reason.

“So, what do you want to say? No need to beat around the bush.”

“Heh, you’ll have to pay more!”

Brandon Jenkins couldn’t help but laugh. He thought it would be something serious, but it turned out this was all he wanted.

“Fine, fine. There’s still plenty of jewelry on the beach where I landed. I couldn’t carry it all before. I’ll go back and pick it up for you later—consider it hiring you to explore the cave with me.”

Hearing this, Hakann’s expression became a bit interesting.

“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t care about your stuff anymore, and I don’t want to hear the word ‘hire’ right now.”

Brandon Jenkins shrugged.

“Alright, I won’t ask why. But I’ll still give you the jewelry. I can’t carry it anyway. Rather than leave it on the beach, I’d rather you take it.”

“Alright, it’s a deal then.”

Brandon Jenkins led Hakann back to the landing spot and picked up all the jewelry he couldn’t carry earlier.

After receiving the jewelry, Hakann generously invited Brandon Jenkins to eat some grilled fish he’d made—it really did taste good.

Brandon Jenkins thoroughly enjoyed this time. He didn’t have many friends; at most, he’d chat with people online.

He loved interacting with game NPCs and exploring their stories.

It was like making friends with a group of unique people from another world.

Right now, Brandon Jenkins felt as if he’d rediscovered the joy he had while playing games.

But the difference was, now he was personally experiencing this fantastical journey.

NPCs he could interact with in games, and minor characters he couldn’t—now Brandon Jenkins could actually meet them all.

-----------------

Keeping a basic level of vigilance, they each rested for the night. The hours passed quickly and uneventfully.

The next morning, Hakann led Brandon Jenkins to the entrance of the cave.

The entrance was hidden among jagged cliffs and was hard to spot if you didn’t look carefully.

Hakann turned to look at Brandon Jenkins.

“Since I’ve taken your payment, I’ll do my job properly. I’ll take the lead in a moment. You follow behind me and don’t try anything funny. I’ll have the wolf keep an eye on you.”

“That’s fair.”

After all, they were just chance acquaintances. Trusting each other with their backs was out of the question.

If Hakann had asked Brandon Jenkins to take the lead, Brandon Jenkins would never have agreed.

Thinking from the other side, Hakann letting Brandon Jenkins stay behind him was already a big concession.

If a warrior really wanted to launch a sneak attack, even if the white wolf could give a warning, by the time it reacted, the weapon might already have struck.

As a warrior, Hakann couldn’t possibly not know this.

And while this formation did give them the chance to surround Brandon Jenkins, the risk of being attacked from behind and the risk of open combat were not at all equal.

Since there was no perfect solution, this was probably the best for both sides.

Hakann lit a torch, stretched it into the cave, then walked a few steps inside before turning to call Brandon Jenkins to follow.

They entered the cave one after another. The view ahead immediately dimmed, becoming narrow and cramped.