A Chance Encounter in the Rain

Nightfall.

Two carriages emerged from the forest, their wooden wheels crushing the mud and emitting a dull creaking.

John gazed up at the overcast night sky, extending his palm to let the icy raindrops fall onto it, then slip through his fingers.

‘Life is much like this curtain of rain,’ John sighed softly. ‘A thousand threads, impossible to sever, yet tangled beyond unraveling.’

“Sir Captain, you’re lost in melancholic thoughts again,” Rob chuckled, seated beside the carriage.

As the company’s swordsman, he was young, unmarried, and possessed a cheerful disposition.

Rob offered John a leather-bound flask.

“Have a few sips,” he suggested. “It’ll ward off the chill.”

John took the flask, twisted open its wooden stopper, and took a small sip.

Yet, the potent, spicy liquor failed to disperse the gloom weighing on his mind.

John served as the captain of the Link Adventuring Company, commanding a modest force of merely six individuals: a scout, two archers, two guards, and a single alchemist.

Neither John nor his subordinates held any prominent place in the Adventurers’ Guild registry; their names were as unremarkable as their hunts—mediocre, even somewhat clumsy.

Link—his young, innocent son—was the very reason he had named the company as such.

John often wondered if, when his son grew older, he would feel shame upon discovering his father had used his name for an adventuring company barely scraping by, perpetually on the brink of destitution.

‘Ah,’ he would lament, ‘I must ensure my son becomes a formidable swordsman someday, sending him to the Royal Capital’s Sword Academy to carve out a name for himself…’

Shaking his head, John glanced back at his weary company.

Their recent hunt in the forest had been dismally disheartening.

The adventuring company had initially set out to clear goblins and ghouls from the forest, but ill fortune had plagued them.

Not only had their quarry been scarce, but their scout and one of their guards had sustained severe injuries.

Consequently, the company was forced to temporarily cease operations.

For a carefree soul like Rob, a few days’ hiatus merely meant a handful fewer silver coins, a trifle of no great consequence.

For John, however, this was a matter of dire importance—his wife at home, and young Link, both relied entirely on his meager earnings to survive.

Yet, John had long grown accustomed to such hardships.

Truth be told, John was hardly an exceptional warrior, nor were his team members amongst the elite.

Their swords had never been stained with dragon’s blood; their arrows had pierced only the most basic of magical beasts; their names had never been sung by bards.

Within the vast circle of adventurers, they were but a few faces among the countless masses.

Failed hunts were nothing new for the Link Adventuring Company, but this time, the losses incurred felt… considerably heavier than usual.

At last, the rain ceased.

A heavy dampness still permeated the woods, with mist rising in ethereal wisps.

“Captain… look ahead,” Rob suddenly urged, pointing forward.

Following the direction of his finger, John’s gaze immediately fell upon a solitary figure.

Was it one person? No, it seemed to be two.

A young girl trudged slowly along the muddy forest path, carrying a boy on her back.

She wore neither an umbrella nor a hat, allowing the rain to drench her completely.

John urged the carriage closer.

Only when they were near enough did he discern the girl’s appearance: her delicate features and fine bone structure were striking, complemented by a cascade of eye-catching silver hair.

The boy on her back, in contrast, had dark hair.

His features were subtle, his face ashen white as paper, and his breathing labored, as if he were gravely ill.

“Children, what are you doing out here?” John asked, a pang of pity stirring within him.

“I… I need to get to the town ahead,” the girl stammered, sounding like a child unacquainted with the world’s harshness.

“Get in,” John offered. “We’re heading back to town ourselves; we can give you a ride.”

He cast a swift glance at the boy on the girl’s back, noting that his condition clearly wouldn’t last much longer.

“I… I’m looking for work,” the girl stated, her voice surprisingly steady. “Do you… happen to have any for me?”

John paused, taken aback for a moment, before offering a wry smile.

He glanced back at his injured companions in the carriage, then considered his own recent predicament…

Ultimately, John shook his head.

“Then… then I won’t get in your carriage,” the girl replied. “I can’t afford it.”

With a defiant turn, the girl resumed her shaky walk forward.

As John watched her unsteady figure, a voice within him urged him not to meddle.

Yet, in the end, his heart softened.

“What kind of work are you seeking?” John called out, catching up to the girl.

“I… I’m looking for a position with an adventuring company,” the girl halted, explaining. “Just enough to make ends meet. I’m skilled with a bow, have some basic sword training, and I’m a proficient scout.”

John regarded the girl in silence.

He had expected her to seek work as an alchemist.

John sighed, casting his gaze down at his own hands.

He realized that with their scout severely injured, they desperately needed someone who could pathfind and set up perimeters.

This would allow them to undertake some lighter hunting tasks for the foreseeable future.

“Very well,” John conceded, finally nodding. “You may join our adventuring company.”

“He… he needs to join too,” the girl insisted, gesturing to the boy on her back.

“He?” John questioned, a note of bewilderment in his voice. “What could he possibly do? He looks as though he’s barely clinging to life.”

“He was once a formidable swordsman, the chief of a prominent adventuring company. But…” The girl lowered her head, taking a deep breath. “He was crippled in both legs while saving me, and that company simply cast him aside.”

A heavy silence descended for a moment, broken only by the whisper of the cold wind.

Rob furrowed his brow, appearing as if he wanted to speak, but ultimately, he merely looked at John.

John surveyed the boy, who seemed on the verge of death.

He had witnessed too many abandoned adventurers.

Though it was often said that adventurers lived and died together, reality painted a different picture.

Companies were pragmatic, resources finite, and an individual no longer able to fight was frequently deemed nothing more than a burden…

“Though he can no longer fight, he can help you analyze intelligence, refine your sword techniques, and even assist with hunting strategies… He can also serve as a quasi-accountant, helping with ledgers…” The girl’s voice grew increasingly rapid. “…And he even knows a bit about potion concoction.”

John rubbed his temples.

He knew, deep down, that he wasn’t truly suited to be a captain.

His heart was too soft; it was precisely this softness that prevented his adventuring company from ever truly expanding.

He could never bring himself to abandon injured members, always striving to ensure everyone survived…

John finally nodded. “Alright,” he agreed.

Without another word, he waved a hand at Rob. “Rob,” he instructed, “take this boy to the rear carriage and have Alice examine his condition.”

Rob grumbled a low “What a bother,” but nevertheless stepped forward, reaching out to take the boy.

The girl carefully eased the boy from her back.

The boy’s body felt alarmingly light.

John watched Rob carry the unfortunate boy to the rear carriage before turning his head back.

“What is your name?” John inquired.

“I don’t have a name,” the girl replied. “Everyone in my previous company called me ‘White Star.'”

“And the boy?” John asked, glancing back at the rear carriage.

“His name is Ed,” the girl, White Star, stated.

John gave a slight nod.

As he turned back, however, he noticed that White Star still carried a cloth-wrapped sword on her back, along with a modest-sized bundle.

“Bring your belongings up here,” John gestured.

White Star climbed into the carriage, and together with the Link Adventuring Company, they entered the town.

****

The addition of White Star and Ed not only resolved the Link Adventuring Company’s immediate crisis but also significantly bolstered its strength.

White Star had not lied about her swordsmanship; she indeed possessed only the most rudimentary training.

However, White Star’s extensive experience as a scout, coupled with her exceptional agility, greatly enhanced the company’s reconnaissance capabilities.

At times, White Star would even volunteer to act as bait to lure monsters.

Yet, the greatest asset to the adventuring company proved to be the sickly boy John had first encountered—Ed.

Despite his youth, Ed displayed remarkable sagacity in monster hunting.

His analyses of various hunting targets and his intelligence gathering were both precise and effective, and the hunting plans he devised for the Link Adventuring Company far surpassed those John had previously created on his own.

With increased efficiency, their yields naturally grew.

Life, it seemed, was steadily improving.