"Things change every day these days. I really can't understand it. Yesterday, I heard that the Sala Duchy is at war again, and the price of food is going to skyrocket. Today, I heard that the Druil invented a new crop, and the price of food plummeted. I had Carlo go to the neighboring town and pull a cart full of food, but he sold it before it even reached the warehouse. "
Behind the bar, Old Man Barton was wiping the plates while complaining that the world was changing so quickly that he, a retired warrior, could no longer understand it.
It was already night, and it was raining cats and dogs outside. The raindrops pattered against the wooden windows and roof, and the heavy rain hit against the wine barrel sign of the bar, causing it to sway. The dim yellow oil lamp inside slightly illuminated the lobby of the Rhino Tavern. The half-elf bard was softly reciting a new war epic from a remote area, and the adventurers were quietly listening.
Not only did this terrible weather make them have no plans to go out, but they also didn't have the mood to be as noisy as they used to be. Warming themselves by the fire, listening to music, and playing Gwent cards was already the most extravagant enjoyment.
"Ha, Old Barton, it's not that I want to criticize you, but it's fine if you can't afford that machine that makes a sound just by shaking it. Nowadays, magic lamps are sold everywhere, and they only cost two energy coins a month. Why are you still using kerosene lamps that use up so much fuel and aren't bright? Are you still lacking these few coins in your coffin? Or, are you planning to take advantage of Catalina's future husband? "
Even though Catalina was the bar girl, she was also the boss's precious adopted daughter, and she was the fuse that could be lit at any time.
If anyone else had said this in front of Old Barton, he would have taught them a lesson a long time ago. This old dog still had some teeth.
At this moment, the person who was joking casually was an old mercenary with gray eyebrows and hair. His silver emblem was engraved with a pair of wings. This was the emblem of a Silver Emblem mercenary. Only warriors who had made great contributions to the Duchy had the chance to obtain it, and it was also proof of being an ace mercenary. It was clearly a waste of talent to be in a small town like this.
His expensive magic spear was casually leaning against the bar counter, and on his arm, which was toasting to his heart's content, was the latest "Explorer X4" Hero's Gauntlet, and on his waist were several of the latest miniature energy barrels. These were the standard equipment of Winston, the strongest mercenary in Anton. And the reason why he was able to joke around with Old Barton like this and not get thrown out by the hot-tempered old warrior was that the two of them used to be partners in the same mercenary group.
"Hmph, I see that these engineers and mages aren't reliable. Can their things be trusted? Especially Gnomes! "
"Hey, hey, hey, you can't be. Do you still remember how you were screwed over by the Goblin Engineer? The other party sold you out, that, that … "
"Mechanical alarm clock!"
"Oh right! That's right, it's that mechanical clock. Hmm, I still remember its auspicious name. It's called, what's it called again? "
"Safe … the Beyar Brothers' safe alarm clock."
Old Barton spat out these names one at a time. He still remembered the name of the producer, and it was obvious that he held a grudge … His memory was exceptionally deep.
"Pfft, I remember again. That day, the alarm clock rang for almost half an hour, and we were all woken up. You were still hugging your pillow and drooling while saying 'let me sleep for five more minutes,' and then … pfft."
Seeing Old Barton's deathly pale face and seeing the red-haired waitress eavesdrop by wiping the table, Old Winston decided to save his old friend some face, considering that this bar was the only one in town that served dwarven spirits.
* Crack. *
Alright, the old baldy crushed the plate himself. It was obvious that he remembered what happened that morning, and he lost control of the strength in his hand. Old Winston laughed so hard that he slumped over the table.
At the end of the alarm clock's ringing, it gave a warning. It was a hoarse and ear-piercing recording. Even now, Old Barton could still clearly remember that it was the sharp voice of a gnome.
"Alright, you don't want to get up, but you actually look down on the safe alarm clock, the Beyar Brothers' goblin product. This alarm clock is angry, this alarm clock is about to explode! Fifty, four, nine … "
The fifty-second countdown was more than enough for the muddle-headed old warrior. Considering the gnomes' reputation, if they said they would blow up a hole, they definitely wouldn't just blow up a hole. They could only blow up a dozen holes or even a canyon. The old warrior didn't hesitate to get out of bed and press the stop button on the alarm clock, and then …
"… four, two, four, one …"
Obviously, this wasn't the stop button for the alarm clock bomb, and even after Old Barton thoroughly searched through the alarm clock, he still couldn't find a second button to press.
"… three, two …"
Then, helpless, Barton could only painfully throw out the "crappy thing I bought with a month's salary" that was about to turn into a bomb. In the end, when the countdown ended, what he waited for wasn't an explosion, but another music recording.
"Ha, did you fall for it? You're finally awake, aren't you? Don't listen to those rumors. Our safe alarm clock is sturdy and reliable. We stopped making bombs a long time ago. "
Alright, if this was the end of the matter, then so be it. After all this ruckus, he didn't need to sleep anymore. Perhaps Old Barton would even appreciate the other party's sense of humor. The alarm clock really did work.
Just as he took back the alarm clock, he discovered that a small crack had been smashed open on the alarm clock, and the hidden mechanism had been activated once again.
"Ha, you actually dared to pry into the Beyar Brothers' trade secrets. Taste the gnomes' wrath!"
Barton still remembered that the high-pitched scream was filled with undisguised malice, and the wings of misfortune had already covered his head.
* Boom! *
Alright, there was no need to describe this familiar plot. The explosion wasn't that powerful, and Old Barton wasn't that weak, but since the source of the explosion was right in front of him, the last few strands of hair and eyebrows of poor Old Barton dissipated in the explosion.
Then, he angrily ran over to question those "green misers with no professional ethics." However, the gnome contract specialist received him in a refined manner, and then "chatted with him in a friendly and cordial manner."
And so, first, he was confused by the large number of disclaimers hidden in the sales contract, and then he inexplicably had to pay some "liquidated damages" and "fines for prying into trade secrets." In the end, the more he thought about it, the more he went to the gnome's door. Instead, he was inexplicably tricked into buying a large number of hair growth products.
"Pfft, you don't say. Those hair growth products of yours are really effective."
* Crack. *
This was the second time that Old Man Barton had crushed a plate. He was already considering whether or not he should properly settle the score with his old friend. At the very least, when he woke up the next day and turned into a hairy ball, this old bastard was also smiling just as happily, and even dragged his friend to see the hairy gorilla.
Alright, it was no wonder that Barton hated gnome products so much. Back in the day, he bought a new toy for the sake of novelty. In the end, he didn't even pay for it, and he was tormented quite badly. His hair did grow back, but it was too frightening. In the end, he even had to spend money to buy the gnome's permanent hair loss agent … It was as if he had stepped into a pit one after another.
In the end, he, the "Rock Heavy Hammer", retired early. It was unknown whether it was because he was really old and weak like he said, or because he couldn't stand the ridicule of his brothers and the strange gazes of others. After all, not everyone could remain calm on a face that was as clean as an egg. Every time the people in front of him inexplicably burst into laughter, his old face couldn't stay there any longer.
"Right, has the permanent hair loss agent lost its effectiveness? How did your eyebrows grow? Pfft. No way, fake eyebrows? Isn't that another goblin product? Old friend, don't you hate goblin products? "
* Boom! *
Alright, this time, the old friend directly pulled out the war hammer that he had placed under the bar counter. He waved the silver weapon around and chased the blabbermouthed Silver Emblem mercenary all over the bar.
As for the regular customers of the bar, they were already used to this daily clamor. They cheered the boss on while requesting the bard to change to a fast-paced song.
Those who stayed in a bar instead of a warm home in this horrible weather were either adventurers or mercenaries who had no fixed abode, or old drunkards who were hopelessly poisoned by alcohol.
Unfortunately, unlike the previous times when the boss won a complete victory, this time, Old Barton panted heavily as he chased Winston for a dozen or so laps. He suddenly stopped and looked thoughtfully at Winston, who was completely fine.
"You old bastard? You've reached the threshold of the Legend rank? "
"Yeah, I just touched it two days ago. I came all the way here just to show off to you."
Hearing this, Barton was stunned at first, but his tightly clenched fists relaxed once more. They had been brothers for so many years, so there was no need to take him seriously. It was just an effective way of provoking him.
And even though his old friend took the opportunity to invite him to come out of retirement again, he still gave the same answer.
"… Hmph, even this guy can become a Legend. This damn world, this old bastard can't understand it anymore. It's easier to just stay here and run a bar."
It seemed that Winston's persuasion had failed again. The old mercenary shrugged. This was to be expected. Barton the Stubborn Rock was a nickname that said he was as stubborn as a rock.
"You old bastard, you're only forty-five years old. Don't call me an old bastard. Did you hear? The wood spirits have started selling their Holy Water of Youth. It only costs 100 Justice Points, and that's two years of youth! Who knows, you might even become a Legend. "
"Hmph, not interested. If you say such nonsense again, next time your Dwarven Thunder Spirit will only have water and no wine."
This was obviously not empty talk, but a real threat. Sensing that his old friend was really angry, Winston shook his head and lowered his head to focus on drinking.
It was no wonder that Old Barton was so resistant to new magical equipment. This world was changing too quickly. There were many people like him who couldn't adapt. In fact, if it weren't for certain reasons, Winston would have already reached the age of retirement according to past practice.
Old Winston was already over forty-eight years old. Under normal circumstances, a human warrior would be at their peak around thirty-five years old. After forty or so, all aspects of the body would rapidly deteriorate. If they couldn't enter the Gold rank by then, they could forget about it for the rest of their lives. But with the arrival of the great era, with the help of the crazily rising Elemental Tide and all sorts of precious resources obtained from the Contract Hero System, not only did he enter the Gold rank in just two years, he even reached the threshold of Legend in his seventh year.
And so, while he was pleasantly surprised, the old man was also tempted. He ambitiously hoped to pull his old friend out of retirement again. But unfortunately, while some people were happy because of the arrival of the great era, others always faced changes in their worldview and were unable to adapt.
Yes, the great era, the new Dawn Era (FT). Although most people were still used to using the old calendar AD1905, as the Church of Law and the Church of Hades expanded day by day, the Dawn Era they advocated was accepted by more and more people.
And now, it was already the seventh year of the new era, FT7. The people of Aichy were getting more and more used to this new world that constantly refreshed their worldview. That's right, even the term "worldview" was spread by the Church of Law. In the past few years, there had been too many such new concepts and terms.
In the past few years, as the Elemental Tide rose, the number of spellcaster talents that were rarely seen in the past had increased tenfold. Even a pure warrior like Winston had inexplicably learned a few magical sword techniques. He had even considered selling off the antiques in his house and replacing them with a real magical longspear.
In the past few years, the Silver rank, which was the limit for mortals in the past, had been broken. Gold-rank masters suddenly became worthless. In fact, even the number of Legends had become so numerous that the people of the world were thinking of reconsidering how they should be addressed. Of course, these new powerhouses who didn't even know their own path and didn't even have a Soul Imprint were far weaker than the veteran powerhouses. But enough numbers could make up for everything.
In the past few years, the map could be rewritten three times a week. Dimensional invaders and dimensional cracks were as common as cockroaches. It was disgusting. The entire plane could be said to have sunk into the chaos of war. If it wasn't for the fact that the population of the mortal plane had greatly increased, this world might have already been beyond salvation.
In the past few years, the technological revolution that had started in the Northlands had become more and more intense. Magical engineering technology had already changed the lives of mortals and the normal state of war. Ordinary families now had magical lamps, and mortal warriors had begun experimenting with magical swords and magic spears. New transportation equipment made trading of goods easier and faster. Armies and armies had even begun a magical mechanization revolution. Winston, who had adapted to the changes of the times, had already gone further and further. If he still insisted on his old lifestyle like Old Barton, he was probably destined to be eliminated.
In the past few years, there had been countless changes. No one could be sure if this was a good or bad thing. But no matter what the changes were, life had to continue. Gold had to be earned, land had to be farmed, and wine had to be drunk. Some things were gone forever, but some things were still the same as before …
* Ding. *
* Crack! *
The sudden sound of the doorbell interrupted Old Barton's reminiscence. The three cloaked figures who entered attracted his attention. Their soaked cloaks caused rainwater to drip onto the floor, and their heavy anti-skid rain boots made clacking noises as they stepped on the floor. Traveling in this kind of weather wasn't something most people wanted to do.
The owner glanced at them, then lowered his head and focused on his work. No matter what, they were just new customers. As long as they didn't cause trouble, he would still welcome them.
"Hey, hey, hey, look! That black skin and the inverted cross emblem — it's the Anti-Holy Knight!"
"Silver scales and black skulls' holy emblem? And there's an important figure from the Church of Law? What are they doing in our rural area? "
"Wow, a silver cross sword? Three holes in the magic box! That should be the newest model of magic swords, right? Didn't they say that they weren't for sale for the Northlands' military use? Could it be those fellows from the Northlands? "
But after taking off their waterproof cloaks, they attracted the attention of all the customers.
A combination of a dark elf, a human, and a gnome wasn't common. The instant the owner saw the gnome, he decided to add 50% water to the wine and double the price of the dishes. Then, he arranged for the gnome to stay in the empty room where the person who died two days ago had died. Perhaps it could even exorcise evil.
But the three new customers didn't seem to have any intention of ordering food. Instead, they walked directly to the notice board in the middle of the bar. That was the place where mercenaries in the town were issued employment missions.
The gnome from the Church of Law tiptoed and tore down one of the wanted posters, only to paste another one on it.
At first, the others were looking on with interest, looking forward to the mission of these "important figures". But when they saw the new wanted poster, they all shook their heads and went back to what they were doing.
After all, no matter how attractive the reward was, a mission that was impossible to complete was meaningless. This mission had been on the wanted list from FT5 to FT7. Not only was there no news at all, but if they had only found him based on the vague information on the wanted poster, they would have long since become the world's top detective.
"Wanted poster: Roland."
"Gender: Male, age: 5 to 60 years old. Hair color: blonde (possibly dyed). Height: uncertain. No obvious characteristics on the body. Appearance: unknown (usually looks weak, but could be in disguise). Immune to all detection spells. Might have a black cat or other ghostly things by his side. Might be a Warrior, or a Holy Knight. There's also the possibility of a Law job, Necromancer, Ice Mage … Of course, he could also be in disguise as another job. That guy could do it. Strength rating: unknown. Please form a team with any job class below Legend rank. As long as he's alive, we'll be troubled if he dies again. Right, he doesn't have a sense of humor at all. He only knows how to tell cold jokes. "
Alright then, so people could die again after they died. It would be a miracle if they could find Roland on this wanted poster that incited everyone's desire to comment. Still, many people were tempted and took action. After all, the rewards were far too tempting.
"Reward: two million gold coins, 50,000 Justice Points, friendship with the Mist Alliance, the Church of Law and Hades, the Absolute Gentlemen mercenary group, and a request that doesn't violate basic morals."
Gold coins and Justice Points could only be used to move powerful individuals, but the current Mist Alliance had already transformed from a small border country into a mega mega empire. The Church of Law and Hades was the Mist Alliance's official religion, as well as one of the strongest churches in the world. And after the Absolute Gentlemen mercenary group's core members suddenly returned two years ago, they were now unquestionably the number one mercenary group in the world. Their friendship and one request was more than enough to move an entire country!
Obviously, these three "esteemed guests" weren't here to look for Roland. After all, "Finding Roland" had mysteriously become one of the ten most difficult Epic-ranked quests to complete in the world by the fairies. They were simply here to update this wanted poster that had already been posted all over the world.
This time, apart from increasing the reward from two million to three million and increasing the amount of Justice Points from 50,000 to 80,000, there was also a new sentence added at the end of the wanted poster.
"Roland, if you don't voluntarily turn yourself in within one year, we'll publicize all the treasures on the A17 bookshelf in your underground library. The fairies will prepare a special issue just for you!"
Everyone else glanced at the wanted poster and immediately left. However, a drunkard named Karo, who lived in a bar for a long time, was shocked awake. He was so shocked that his signature beard almost fell to the ground.
“A17？ Isn't that an erotic novel that I wrote based on real people? There's even my special hardcore pointillist drawings! Marguerite, Eliza, Harloys, they … they'll kill me! "
"Bastard! There's even one for me! You even dared to do something to a banshee back in the day! "
"Cough, a ghost story is a classic theme. There's plenty of ways to play it … Let go, don't bite me."
[Actually, there are almost all the beautiful female Goddesses on the list. You're going to be hunted down by the Goddesses after the list is publicized, right? Hmph, I'm not angry because the Goddess of Order isn't on the list.]
"Hey, hey, hey! It's not appropriate for you to act like a tsundere at such a time!"
[Ptui, don't talk to me, you old virgin! Harloys, let me tell you, an old virgin who's been holding back for too long can be quite perverted. Roland has lived for more than three hundred years and has long since reached the point of no stoop. His story about you is quite a classic. Even I can't understand how he came up with such a story. It's a combination of sadomasochism, hardcore, and icy love, surpassing any other work of his …]
"My dear Astrya. Are you hungry? I'll cook some noodles for you. "
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