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What, fundamentally, is a porter?

To most people, they are like the pickled radish on a dinner table.

That's right. An extra.

Useless in combat.

A profession where one just follows the party around, providing support.

Or doing the menial chores.

That's what they think. But they're wrong.

Let's say there are four people in a party.

A knight, a mage, an archer, and me.

Even if we lowball the weight of each member's gear at 20kg, that's 80kg total.

Of course, if you factor in people like the knight or the mage who carry spare armor, magic tools, or grimoires...

It easily exceeds 80kg.

Why not just use a carriage, you ask?

That's a shallow way of thinking.

A carriage is a cart pulled by horses.

It's restricted by terrain and makes a lot of noise.

Plus, you have to maintain the horses regularly.

What if the carriage is destroyed in a monster ambush?

You'd have to abandon all your supplies.

Sure, most parties would bring guards, but that's another expense.

Even if you estimate a single mercenary's food and daily wage at 5 gold...

For four people, that's already 20 gold.

It would far exceed the quest reward.

Then why not just pack light?

Stop. This conversation will never end.

A porter's role is to support the party.

And to support them, porters inevitably had to become strong.

Carrying a backpack that weighs well over 90kg.

Climbing mountains, running, and even carrying wounded allies on their backs.

Abandoning the cargo to save only the allies and flee?

Maybe for an amateur, but for a professional porter, that is unthinkable.

...And this is my story.

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