Ascension from Dual Professions

Chapter 110: Chapter 109: The Shock of the Behemoth Entering the City

Night had fallen, and the snowstorm raged on.

By the time Jon arrived at the gates of Birch Town with Big Mimi and two horses laden with the Old Dwarf’s belongings, the sky was completely dark.

However, upon entering the town, he ran into a bit of trouble.

The young guard at the gate saw the terrifying beast behind Jon—with its wings, hooked tail, and a body nearly the size of a small house—and was so frightened his legs trembled. He refused to let them pass, no matter what.

This gave the Old Dwarf a good laugh at Jon’s expense.

"Jon, my boy, this whole trip you’ve been saying you’ve made a name for yourself here, that your face alone could get you through any gate."

"But I don’t see that face of yours working so well now, do I?"

Jon looked a little embarrassed and could only toss a badge into the young guard’s arms.

"I’m with the Golden Maple Leaf Trading House. This is my token."

The poor young guard was trembling like a leaf, but he still stubbornly refused to let them in immediately, gritting his teeth to respond.

"I... I have to... to get the captain first and report this..."

Seeing how dedicated the guard was to his duty, Jon felt a bit helpless. He just waved his hand, gesturing for him to hurry up.

But before the young man could move his wobbly legs, a middle-aged man in Plate Armor hurried over.

"No need to report. I’m here."

His gaze lingered for a moment on the enormous Big Mimi, his pupils contracting slightly, before he turned to Jon and said sternly,

"Are you Mr. Jon, by any chance?"

"You know me?"

Jon’s eyebrows rose slightly as he looked at the man, a workhorse of Birch Town whom basically every player in Heta County recognized.

"I don’t recall ever publicly revealing my name."

The middle-aged man glanced around, took a few steps closer, and lowered his voice.

"My apologies, please don’t be alarmed. I am Yadri, Captain of the Guard in Birch Town."

"It was Sir Dean who told me about you. He asked me to help cover for you when I saw you."

After speaking, he couldn’t help but glance again at Big Mimi, who was sitting obediently behind Jon, and said pointedly,

"I just didn’t expect someone so young to have already tamed a manticore. It’s truly admirable."

"But... you’re being far too conspicuous..."

"Captain Yadri, I appreciate your good intentions."

Jon shrugged, a nonchalant look on his face.

"But since I came here like this, I had no intention of keeping a low profile. This is all part of my plan."

"Can you let us through now?"

Yadri bowed respectfully and asked no more questions.

"Of course. Please, come in."

He then waved his hand, signaling the young guard to open the main gate.

With his boss backing him up, the young man’s legs finally stopped feeling like jelly. Still, he took a wide detour, activating the gate mechanism from as far away from Big Mimi as possible to open the town’s main entrance.

RUMBLE—

The sound of the heavy gate hinges turning drew the attention of those who were desperate to gather any and all intelligence in the current chaotic situation.

’To have the guards open the main gate after dark... could it be that the lord of Birch Town’s territory, Viscount Paris, has returned?’

In the darkness, several pairs of eyes stared intently at the gate.

But when the gate swung open, they didn’t see the middle-aged nobleman in his prime, but a young Warrior with an extraordinary presence!

He wore a sword and shield, clad in a suit of exquisite, battle-scarred Armor. His face was resolute and stern, betraying no emotion.

But what drew even more attention than the man himself was the pure white beast following quietly behind him!

A lion’s body, a scorpion’s tail, wings on its back, and horns on its head—it was unmistakably the renowned Demon Beast, the manticore!

This made everyone gasp in shock.

As a hub for merchants near the Shery Mountain, some people in Birch Town did capture and sell live Demon Beasts, but most of them were Ordinary breeds.

For a Demon Beast as powerful and rare as a manticore, you might not even see a dead one in a year, let alone a living one that had been tamed!

Who on earth was this young man, to be able to tame such a monster?!

Yet, when they scoured their intelligence on all the young talents of the Empire, they couldn’t find a single one who matched the young Warrior before them!

They could only watch as this person paraded down the main street of Birch Town with his "pet beast" and "Dwarf Attendant."

If it weren’t already late at night with few pedestrians on the road, the entire town of Birch Town would have erupted into a frenzy!

And when they saw the young Warrior leisurely walk up to the closed gates of the Golden Maple Leaf Trading House, exchange a word with the guards, and then lead the giant beast directly through the back gate used for cargo, they had a sudden realization.

"So he’s from the Noble United Commerce Association!"

"When did Heta County produce such a noble prodigy?"

"I have no idea! There wasn’t even a whisper about him!"

"Quick, go find those minor nobles who joined the Noble United Commerce Association! See if you can find any information!"

For a time, the arrival of this "mysterious young noble Warrior" threw Birch Town’s intelligence gatherers into a state of chaos.

And that was exactly the effect Jon wanted.

To establish a power of his own, he had to build momentum in various ways.

Displaying his strength was the simplest and most direct method.

If not for the inconvenient timing, he wouldn’t have wanted to wait a night out in the cold wind. Otherwise, he would have preferred to enter the town during the day and make an explosive entrance.

Still, this wasn’t bad either. Letting others guess would also create an air of mystery.

...

With Big Mimi’s size, it was impossible for it to move without being noticed. Even when lying down, its shoulder height exceeded two meters, and its large head could easily reach the second floor of a building.

Evans was already patrolling the trading house with his men and rushed to the rear courtyard the moment he heard the commotion outside.

Even with his composure, he couldn’t help but stare blankly for a moment after seeing Big Mimi, before finally turning his gaze to the calm and composed young man.

"Jon, what is this?"

"Something I picked up on the way back from handling some business. I’m using it as a mount."

Jon waved his hand dismissively, skipping over the topic, then turned sideways to reveal the Old Dwarf behind him.

"Uncle, this is Sir Evans Dean. He’s the head of security for this trading house."

"Sir Dean, this is Sutton Silverbeard, an elder of mine. Could I trouble you to arrange a room for him to rest?"

Naturally, Evans couldn’t refuse.

"It is my duty."

He then looked at the Old Dwarf.

"Hello, Mr. Silverbeard. Please, follow me."

In front of people he didn’t know well, Sutton acted quite cold and aloof. He merely nodded in response to Evans’s greeting before looking over at Jon.

"Kid, make sure my things are settled! And have someone get me some wine. This old dwarf can’t sleep without it!"

"Don’t you worry, just go and get some rest!"

Jon replied with a smile, then looked at a young man who had hurried over.

"You hear that, Pascal? We can’t neglect the old gentleman."

"Yes, Lord Jon!"

Seeing Jon again, the former attendant, now a manager at the trading house, was clearly very excited.

He first gave a deep, respectful bow, then quietly reminded him,

"Miss Reya has asked to see you!"