Chapter 40: Error 404.

The air hung heavy with tension, and the slackers were sweating nonstop even in the cold—as if a scythe hovered at their necks, ready to claim them. The forty of them stood in ragged formation, their unsteady breaths forming ghostly clouds. Their clothes bore the stains of their crimes—stains of luxurious food and drink of all kinds.

"It's better to kill us here. Why send us there to die slowly?" some of them murmured.

"Those who survive the wilderness will earn the right to return here." Jasper's voice cut through their buzzing like a blade. His cold smile deepened, carving shadows across his hooded features as he surveyed the trembling mass of meat before him. "But if anyone tries to escape…"

The pause stretched endlessly, broken only by the distant cawing of ravens that were witnessing the sentence. Each man felt the weight of that unfinished threat settling over them like a burial shroud.

"Well... Let's just say you'd be wiser to claim your own lives before I catch you."

Not a single man dared to protest. The air itself seemed to crystallize under Jasper's penetrating gaze, frost forming on their lips as their words died unspoken.

"Prepare the carriages!" Jasper's bark echoed off the stone walls.

His eyes—twin pools of shadow beneath his hood—locked onto Richard, who had been silently observing the sentencing from a distance. The man's hands were clasped behind his back, his knuckles white with tension as he noticed Jasper looking his way. "Please, don't call my name, plea—"

"Richard!" Jasper shouted, gesturing for him to come closer.

"F— my life."

Richard's boots scraped against the stones as he approached, each step elegant despite the tremor in his hands.

Leaning in close enough that Richard could smell the leather of Jasper's hood and the faint trace of herbs, Jasper's whisper carried the weight of a mountain settling on Richard's shoulders. "Take them to Phoenix Nest. Train them mercilessly—you've practiced swordplay with Ivar, haven't you?"

A tight nod, barely perceptible, was his only response.

"Good." Jasper turned back to address the group, his voice ringing with finality. "Work them to the bone. Whip any disobedience out of them. And if one dares rebel…" His hand made a sharp slicing motion through the air. "Show no mercy."

Richard raised a hesitant hand. "Boss, the camp might be too small for forty more—"

"Perfect." Jasper smiled and started clapping. "They'll expand it themselves. Oh, and one more thing—" His fingers suddenly mimicked scissors, snipping sharply. "If any of them lay hands on the women there... well, they'll learn new definitions of pain."

The condemned men shuddered as one, their imaginations conjuring fates worse than the wilderness itself.

Jasper and the others began walking back to the guild. Suddenly, he stopped with such abruptness that Ivar nearly collided with him. The sharp snap of his fingers cracked through the air like a whip.

"Ah—Richard! One last thing. Stop by the guild once everything's settled."

"Yes, Boss!" Richard acknowledged before hurrying off.

As they continued their walk, their shadows stretching before them, Breeze cleared his throat. The sound was unusually hesitant.

"Hey, Jasper?"

"Hmm?" The response was muffled slightly by the hood, but attentive.

"When I was delivering the salve to Countess Laura's servant, I saw Heinrich—the guild master of the Heinrich Merchant Guild—waiting there."

"Wait, isn't that the guild that rejected you, Master?" Ivar interjected.

"Nope. This guy is a bit reasonable compared to other guild masters" Jasper said, shaking his head.

"Rejected?" Breeze blinked in confusion.

"Yep. First day here, I tried to register as a merchant. A certain merchant guild threw me out for being disfigured and the son of a hated merchant." The words carried no emotion, but the air around them seemed to grow colder despite the climbing sun.

"So what is the reason for such a request?"

"I have no idea. He seemed desperate to meet you when he spoke to me." Breeze's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "After I delivered the beauty salve he approached me secretly."

"Huh? Why would he?"

"All he said is that he'd send a formal letter tomorrow requesting an audience."

Jasper's eyes narrowed. "Let's hope this isn't the start of some nonsense. Anyway—Ivar, keep training hard. All of you. Breeze will inspect your progress in a few weeks, and our next mission?" He grinned. "It's going to be insane."

Upon returning to the guild, Jasper's boots echoed through the main hall as he strode across stone floor. He immediately sought out Lysandra, finding her in the medical wing organizing supplies. "Prepare a medical guide for the stronghold," he said with a soft tone. "They need basic field medicine—at least one of them should learn it properly."

"Yes, master." Her response was immediate.

The afternoon sun slanted through the guild's windows when Richard finally arrived, his horse's hooves clattering on the cobblestones outside. Jasper met him personally at the entrance, handing over two items:

The medical notes.A sealed parchment.

"Richard, this is a medical note for the guys there. They must develop medical expertise—at least one of them should study medicine. Now, take this parchment and deliver it to Franco. Listen carefully: if you lose it, if it's stolen, or if its contents are leaked, be prepared for severe consequences. Warn Franco of the same. If such a thing happens, it would be wiser for you to flee the continent altogether. Do you understand?"

Richard's hands trembled as he took the parchment. "I'll burn it if things go wrong."

"You better." Jasper clapped him on the shoulder—a gesture that felt more like a threat than encouragement. "Safe travels."

"Th-thank you, Boss." Richard's voice caught slightly, betraying the fear that coursed through his veins.

The next morning dawned cheerful and blooming, with spring opening its arms. A letter arrived with the dawn courier, the parchment bearing Heinrich's personal seal—a golden merchant's scale embossed in red wax. Jasper accepted the formal request for an audience, his curiosity overriding his natural caution. If nothing else, he needed to understand the sudden interest this successful merchant had taken in his fledgling guild.

Days passed in their usual rhythm of training, planning, and the countless small tasks that kept a guild functioning. Then, precisely as scheduled, a finely adorned carriage pulled up to the guild's gates. The vehicle was a masterwork of craftsmanship—polished mahogany with brass fittings that gleamed like captured sunlight, drawn by four matched bay horses.

Falcon, having been notified in advance, swung open the heavy iron gates with practiced efficiency. The metal hinges groaned softly as they moved, and his boots clicked against the stones as he escorted the visitor through the courtyard. The sound of their footsteps echoed off the walls, creating a formal cadence that matched the gravity of the occasion.

In his office, Jasper sat behind his desk—a solid oak piece that had seen better days but carried the weight of authority nonetheless. Scattered across its surface were ledgers, maps, and various documents that spoke to the complex web of responsibilities that came with guild leadership. The afternoon light streaming through the windows cast everything in warm, golden hues.

"Welcome, Mister Heinrich." Jasper's voice carried genuine courtesy as he gestured to the cluttered workspace between them. "Forgive the modest reception—as you can see, I'm still finding my footing as a guild master, and business keeps me occupied."

"Oh ho ho! Don't sell yourself short, Mister Jasper." Heinrich's chuckle was polished, refined by years of high-stakes negotiations, but his eyes held the sharp intelligence of a man who had built his fortune through careful observation and calculated risks. "You're the talk of every high-end merchant circle these days."

'I'm not selling myself short—I'm warning you not to expect anything from me.' Jasper said inwardly.

"It's really pleasing my heart listening to your kind words, Mister Heinrich. I have a capable Merchant, he's the one elevating our fledgling guild's reputation, I'm more or less a corpse sitting on a chair."

"I must admit, this particular member of your guild is truly capable—not only as a merchant but also as a gladiator!" Heinrich's smile carried the confidence of a man who had done his homework thoroughly. "Still, I'm inclined to believe that this guild's master is the real reason behind its fame. Selling two successful products and knowing when to step back—now that's the mark of a veteran businessman."

'Crap! To get busted so quickly is really embarrassing,' Jasper thought, feeling heat rise beneath his hood despite his efforts to maintain composure.

"Oh ho ho!" / "Ha ha ha!" Their laughter rang out in perfect sync—then cut off abruptly, both faces snapping to seriousness like flipped switches..

"So," Jasper interlaced his fingers. "How can I help you, Mister Heinrich?"

"Straight to business! I admire that." Heinrich beamed. "I've come to propose a marriage alliance—my daughter's hand, for your own."

"Huh?" Jasper's mind went into loading mode, the question hitting him with the force of a physical blow.

"My daughter. Marriage. You." Heinrich enunciated each word slowly, clearly, as if speaking to someone who had suddenly lost the ability to understand common speech..

"…" Jasper's mind shifted from the loading mode into error.

"Mister Jasper?" Heinrich waved a hand before his frozen face, concern creeping into his voice.

(…)

"Mister Jasper!"

"What?" The word emerged as if from a great distance.

"I kept calling you like five times and you were ignoring me, as If I were talking to a statue." Heinrich's voice carried a mixture of amusement and worry.

"Sorry, Mr. Heinrich, I wasn't ignoring you. I… It's just that when I go into deep thinking mode, I sometimes lose awareness of my surroundings. Sorry about that."

"So, what's your answer?"

"I don't believe in forced marriage." The words came out firmly, "If your daughter isn't willing, I must politely decline."

"No, no, not at all, my daughter is always obedient, she is really gentle. I raised her properly." Heinrich's response was immediate,

'Of course she has to be obedient and gentle, as all the daughters out there or their lives will turn upside down.' Jasper thought bitterly.

"One last thing to consider—let's see if you still hold to your request after seeing this." Jasper's voice carried a warning that made the very air seem to thicken.

As Jasper drew back his hood, Heinrich gasped—a sharp, involuntary sound—and his body locked rigid, every muscle tensing as his eyes took in the full extent of Jasper's disfigurement. The veins that crossed his face looked eerily poisonous, but it was his eyes that truly unsettled—dark voids that seemed to contain depths that the human mind wasn't meant to contemplate.

For a heartbeat that stretched into eternity, Heinrich felt himself teetering on the edge of an abyss that yawned behind those dilated pupils. The room seemed to grow cold.

"Expected reaction." Jasper whispered, "Surely, you don't want your precious daughter waking to this every morning?"

Heinrich's hands clenched into fists so tight that his knuckles cracked audibly. His mind raced through calculations, weighing risks and benefits with the speed of a man whose life had been built on such assessments.

"If you know what's best for your daughter, don't—" Jasper continued speaking but was cut off.

"My daughter will accept!"

"Hey—hey, Mister Heinrich! You can't be serious. You can't speak for your daughter!" Jasper's voice carried genuine concern, the carefully maintained composure cracking under the weight of this unexpected turn

"If that's the case, why don't you meet her yourself?"

Heat flooded Jasper's cheeks, a burning embarrassment that he hadn't felt in years. His hands moved with desperate speed, yanking the hood back over his head as if it could somehow undo what had been seen. The shadows were suddenly welcome, familiar friends that helped him hide from the world's judgment.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, struggling to regain his composure. "I'll send you a letter requesting a visit in a few days."

"I'll be waiting for you, Mr. Jasper." Heinrich stood up extending his hand across the desk.. Jasper rose as well, his movements careful and controlled. Their handshake was firm, a meeting of two men who understood the weight of the agreement they had just made, even if neither fully understood its implications.

As they descended the stairs together, Heinrich's experienced eyes traced every corner of the building. The guild had indeed been transformed—what had once been a crumbling relic was now a thriving center of activity. The stone walls were polished, the floors gleamed with regular care, and the very air seemed to hum with energy.

"I must admit," Heinrich said, his voice carrying genuine admiration, "you've transformed not just this place, but the entire district."

Through the windows, the evidence was clear. Streets that had once been havens for cutthroats and beggars now bustled with cheerful people. Buildings that had stood empty and rotting were being repaired and reopened. The very character of the slums had shifted, as if Jasper's presence had been a catalyst for change that extended far beyond the guild's walls.

Jasper waved his hand dismissively. "You're giving me too much credit. I merely extended a helping hand—the people here are the ones who wanted to change their lives."

Creeeak!

The heavy oak door opened, revealing the afternoon sunlight that painted the courtyard in golden hues. Heinrich's carriage waited patiently, the horses stamping softly and the driver maintaining his professional posture despite the long wait.

"Thank you for your kind hospitality, Mr. Jasper."

"You're welcome to visit anytime. My letter will arrive in a few days."

With a final nod and a smile that carried complex emotions, Heinrich climbed into his carriage. The vehicle pulled away with the soft clatter of hooves on stone, leaving behind only the lingering scent of leather and the subtle perfume of expensive fabrics.

Stepping back into the guild's building, Jasper found his path blocked by his companions.

"What did he want from you, Master?" Lysandra asked, her voice sharp with curiosity.

Jasper clenched one fist at his side while the other rubbed his hooded forehead. "He... proposed an alliance. Through marriage."

"What? Marriage!" Ivar shouted but got Ignored

"Would this alliance benefit us?" Mina pressed.

Before Jasper could respond, Ivar cut in, "More importantly—can we trust this old man?"

"Truthfully? He's reliable." Jasper exhaled. "No ties to scheming merchants or nobles. I assume he seeks mutual protection—a partnership where we guard each other. As a single fish can't survive in the ocean alone."

Everyone was thrilled by the news—especially hearing Jasper speak so positively about it. Yet beneath his composed demeanor, conflicting emotions warred within him. Once free of such naive hopes, he now found himself torn: one part of him longed for genuine acceptance, while another, for some reasons, ached at the sight of Lysandra's radiant smile over the marriage proposal.

Sigh!!!!

With a heavy exhale, he turned and strode toward his room, leaving the others stunned by his abrupt departure.

Lying on his bed, Jasper stared blankly at the ceiling. "Will I ever find a partner who could love me with this monstrous face?" he wondered. "Maybe I should just take a slave as a wife—but no, that's not what I truly want." He lingered in the thought for a long moment before suddenly slapping his own cheek. "Enough! This isn't me. Forget tomorrow—focus on today. Power on."

Shaking off his doubts, he threw himself into his alchemy studies in his master's room. The game had shifted into 3D Mode, rendering every detail with insane precision—proof that this virtual world took its standards seriously. His mentor, Hugo, drilled him relentlessly:

"What's the optimal refinement process for this potion?"

"Which part of the herb holds the most potency?"

"How do you balance the ingredients at each stage?"

"When should the flame be high? When should it simmer?"

For days now, Jasper had been hunched over the Alchemy Panel, memorizing formulas, testing reactions, and perfecting his timing. One wrong move—a second too early or a degree too hot—could ruin everything.

And today was the day. As Jasper finished his training, a soft Ding! emerged from the ArmBrace, followed by a glowing notification:

Congratulations! You have acquired the craftsmanship skill [Alchemy].

"Finally!" he exhaled, a grin spreading across his face.

Hugo approached, his usual cunning expression shifted into pride. "You've turned out to be a fine apprentice. I may not be the greatest alchemist, but having a student like you… it's something."

[Talk]

Jasper smirked. "Heh, I told you from the start—my skills are top-notch."

Hugo let out a booming laugh. "Ha! That you did."

"So, Master," Jasper pressed, leaning forward. "About that 'best alchemist' you promised to tell me about…"

Hugo sighed, rubbing his chin. "Right, a deal's a deal. Listen closely—this won't be simple." He crossed his arms. "First, you'll need to travel to Tacaps, the capital of the Luminara Kingdom. At the Alchemy Guild there, you'll find an alchemist known as 'K' or Mr. K. He's the second-best—but more importantly, he's the only one who knows where to find the best alchemy master in the continent. If you want to meet the best, you'll have to extract the information from the second best."

[Mute]

Jasper exhaled deeply, the tension of the day melting from his shoulders as he stretched across his comfortable bed. The mattress creaked beneath him as he settled into a more comfortable position, one arm tucked behind his head. "This is going to be a long journey," he muttered to the ceiling. "How long will it take for me to reach Luminara in the game?"

No worries, dear user. The distance in the game isn't that great. But if you want to reach your destination quickly, you can request an escort mission from the mercenary guild and you'll instantly find yourself there. However, I advise you to go on your own - who knows, you might find a good opportunity along the way.

"Good."

[Unmute]

"Thank you, master, I'll be sure to find him and become the best alchemist, and you will be the master of the best alchemist."

"Ha ha, have a safe trip, my good apprentice."