Roland City, which was located in the northwest of the Breezy Plains, was also known as the City of Abundance. There were hundreds of farms on the fertile land, and the annual production of food here was more than enough to feed the entire Breezy Plains. Every autumn, there would be a long queue of carriages waiting outside Roland City. Even the neighboring human kingdoms, as well as the elves and dwarves, would secretly send people to receive them.
As the carriages of food were transported out, huge amounts of money and resources flowed into the City of Abundance like water. This had been the case since the Dark Ages. No one knew how much wealth the City of Abundance had accumulated over the past 1,300 years.
Arathor had inherited the position of the castellan at the age of 24, and it had been more than 20 years since then. In the past 20 years, Arathor had managed the City of Abundance neatly with his shrewd mind. This was an incredible feat to many people. When Arathor had inherited the position of the castellan, the entire City of Abundance was in chaos. The previous castellan, Old Arathor, had just passed away, and his subordinates were busy fighting for power. The City of Abundance was like a plate of loose sand. At the same time, the surrounding forces were eyeing this fertile land covetously.
At that time, almost everyone was waiting to see Arathor make a fool of himself. The surrounding castellans even made a bet on whether Arathor could last a month in his position. At that time, perhaps no one would have thought that not only did Arathor last a month, but he even did it beautifully. After becoming the castellan, Arathor only did one thing, and that was to open the city gates and welcome a strong elven army. This elven army only took 10 days to wipe out the rebellion in Roland City. In the next 20 years or so, they still deterred the surrounding forces that were ready to make trouble.
No one knew where this elven army came from, and no one knew how Arathor could control them. In short, it was with this elven army that Arathor secured his position as the castellan of Roland City, and in the next 20 years or so, he firmly controlled the City of Abundance.
Lin Li had heard these stories from Sienna while he was on his way here …
More than 10 carriages entered Roland City in a grandiose manner, and headed straight for the mercenary corps' encampment. It was only then that Lin Li realized that Sienna's mercenary corps had only been established for two weeks, and did not even have a proper name. As for the encampment, there were a few rooms in the northwest corner of Roland City. The most spacious room in the middle was used as a meeting room and reception room, while the other two rooms were allocated for the members to rest in. Of course, it was bound to be cramped. Usually, it was good enough for four to five members to share a room. Even Sienna, the leader of the mercenary corps, had to share a room with others.
However, Sienna was very confident that he would be able to get out of this predicament in no time …
This was because when he entered the room just now, Sienna had heard the young mage say, "Sienna, if you are free in the afternoon, find a time to send these two siblings back to the Castellan's Mansion. Remember, do it in the name of your mercenary corps. As for the request, you can decide it yourself. But don't forget to help me get a million gold coins worth of food. I need it to exchange for something."
The moment he heard this, Sienna's first reaction was — did I hear it wrong?
How could this be …
As a Roland citizen, how could Sienna not know what Castellan Arathor's reward meant? It meant almost everything — be it money or power — as long as you could think of it, Castellan Arathor would be able to do it for you. Sienna could not believe that there was someone in this world who would reject such an opportunity. This was an opportunity that everyone dreamed of, and no normal person would reject it …
However, Sienna had clearly heard that the young mage named Felic had easily given this opportunity to him. Even though Felic's request was a million gold coins worth of food, to Sienna, this was not a request at all. After all, he was rescuing the son of the castellan of Roland City. Roland City was also known as the City of Abundance, and had always been famous for its food production. A million gold coins worth of food would only be enough to fill 1,000 carriages at most, which was equivalent to the annual production of 10 farms. Furthermore, there were hundreds of such farms in Roland City!
After hearing this, Sienna was in a daze. It was as if he had been bewitched. His expression was blank, and his eyes glazed over. At the same time, he was inexplicably excited. It was like a beggar who had suddenly received a large sum of money, and was worried that the money would suddenly fly away. At the same time, he was having a headache on how to spend it.
"Actually, I have a suggestion, but I'm not sure if you would like to hear it …"
"Huh?" This voice gave Sienna a fright. When he looked up and saw that it was the young mage who had given the opportunity to him, he hurriedly nodded his head awkwardly. "How would Sienna dare to disobey Mage Felic's orders …"
"No, no, no. This is not an order, just a small suggestion. Actually, I think it's best if you don't ask for money. Although money is important to Adventurers, and can indeed help you develop your mercenary corps, money is just icing on the cake most of the time. It does not have a decisive meaning. If possible, it's best if you ask for some privileges, such as the right to recruit members from retired soldiers, or the right to ask for help from the army when completing missions. Oh, yes, it's actually not a bad idea to let the castellan send a group of instructors to help you train your mercenary corps. Anyway, try your best to make your mercenary corps stronger …"
Sienna listened quietly as Lin Li spoke. He did not follow up with more than three sentences of flattery like before.
"I'll say something that you might not like to hear, but your subordinates gave me a terrible feeling when we went to the ruins of Syer Town this time. They could not handle the real danger. If you really ask Castellan Roland for a huge sum of money, then you will not be far from disaster, because you will not be able to handle those who covet your wealth. The Breezy Plains is a world where the strong preys on the weak, and only those who are strong enough can win the respect of others. I don't want to talk too much about it, but look at Jason. It's not an exaggeration to say that even if Jason did not have a single copper coin on him, he would still be able to live a carefree life in Doland. Why is that? It's because he has the ability. He and his two companions are one of the most outstanding Adventurers in Doland. No one dares to ignore their existence, not even the castellan of Doland. I say, Captain Sienna, do you really not want to have a position like Jason's? "
"I think I understand, Mage Felic …" Sienna stood there in a daze for a full minute before he slowly raised his head. At this time, his expression was surprisingly sincere. "Thank you for your advice."
"Hehe, I don't deserve advice. This is just a small suggestion. As for what you should do, it's still up to you." After saying what he wanted to say, Lin Li seemed to have forgotten about the matter, and did not mention it again from the beginning to the end.
Of course, Lin Li could forget about it, but Sienna did not dare to.
What the young mage had said just now had made his heart tremble. Before this, he had thought about using this request to exchange for a huge sum of money and power, but he had never thought about how he would protect it after he obtained it. After all, this was the Breezy Plains, and even Arathor's father, the castellan of Roland, had died mysteriously in his home, let alone himself.
Lin Li glanced at Sienna, who was deep in thought, and smiled with satisfaction. He had already pointed out the path for him, and it was up to his luck whether he could walk it or not.
Anyway, to him, it was just a matter of moving his lips. Even if Sienna could not walk this path, he would not lose anything. However, if he really did, and built a strong mercenary corps, it would be of great help to him. After all, a Guild of Magic was a Guild of Magic, and there were many things that could not be done personally. Hence, almost every Guild of Magic would maintain a good relationship with a mercenary corps. It was the same for the Jarrosus Guild of Magic and the Alanna Guild of Magic. Since they had to maintain a good relationship with a mercenary corps, it was naturally better for them to be familiar with it …
Sienna was familiar with his subordinates, but unfortunately, they were too weak. It was still a problem if a group of Adventurers around level-10 could protect him, let alone work for him. Lin Li thought about it, and decided to just give the reward to them. After all, to him, apart from the batch of food, everything else was dispensable. The castellan of Roland could not provide what he wanted, and the things that he could provide were mostly things that he did not want. It was better to give it to Sienna as a favor, giving him a chance to develop and strengthen himself, and at the same time, build up his reputation. If he were to look for Sienna in the future, would he have the cheek to reject him?
This was a true win-win situation, especially for Sienna. After getting Lin Li's promise, Sienna was grinning from ear to ear. He had a creepy smile on his face for the entire morning. After lunch, Lin Li could not stand it anymore. He coughed, and said, "Captain Sienna, shouldn't you be getting down to business?" "That's right, Captain Sienna." Sienna's eyes lit up, and he looked at Lin Li, "Captain Sienna, shouldn't you be getting down to business?"
"Oh, yes, yes, yes …" Hearing Lin Li's words, Sienna, who had been grinning all morning, suddenly came to his senses. He hurriedly changed his clothes, hailed a carriage, and brought the two siblings to the castellan's mansion.
After Sienna left, Lin Li started to feel bored. It could not be helped. There were only a few people in the mercenary corps' encampment, but they were all scared to death when they saw him. They would either stammer or tremble in fear when they saw him. Those who did not know better would think that he had done something to them. The only person who dared to speak to him, Jason, also had a weird expression, which annoyed Lin Li to no end. After walking around the encampment, he called Norfeller and Ujfalusi over.
"You two, if you have nothing to do, accompany me for a walk."
"Oh …" What could two Undead creatures do? Of course, it was up to him …
Just like that, Lin Li brought a high-level Vampire and a Lich, and called someone from the encampment to lead the way. The four of them swaggered out onto the streets of Roland City. From the streets, Roland City did not look any different from Doland. They were all buildings left from the Dark Age, and had a strong High Elven aura. Even the districts were mostly similar. About 200 meters south of the encampment was the Adventurers Guild, where countless Adventurers were entering and exiting. The street was directly opposite the entrance of the Adventurers Guild, and there were all sorts of shops on both sides of the street. Some sold weapons, some sold armor, some sold magical items, and some sold poisons and hidden weapons … In short, anything that an Adventurer would need could be found on this street.
"Gilded Rose?" Just as he turned the corner, Lin Li saw the familiar name, and couldn't help but laugh. It seemed like Ysera's business was really big. Even Roland City, which was far away in the Breezy Plains, couldn't escape from the Mannes Family.
"Mage Felic, you have a good eye …" Barov, a level-10 Bandit who was called out by Lin Li to lead the way, was probably the one who was the least afraid of Lin Li among all the Adventurers in the mercenary corps. His name was Barov, and he was a level-10 Bandit. But strangely enough, as a Bandit, he did not have the slightest trace of a Bandit's wretched temperament. Instead, he pointed and introduced things along the way like a qualified tour guide. Now that they had reached the entrance of the Gilded Rose, Barov started to brag. "The Gilded Rose is the best magical equipment store in Roland City. Although the prices are a little expensive, the things they sell are really good. How about it, Mage Felic? Do you want to go in and take a look? Don't worry about the price, Captain Sienna knows the boss here. If there's anything you like, just mention Captain Sienna's name, and we'll definitely give you the best price …"
"…" Lin Li rubbed his nose. He was too embarrassed to tell Barov that he actually had a little bit of a friendship with the boss of the Gilded Rose …
Of course, there was no need to look at the things in the Gilded Rose. No one here knew better than Lin Li that their best things were all left in Jarrosus, and Lin Li was one of their biggest customers …
"Oh, yes, Barov, other than the Gilded Rose, are there any other places in Roland City that sell magical equipment?"
"That's hard to say …" Barov hesitated for a moment. "We can only try our luck …"
"Oh?"
"It's like this, Mage Felic. Not far from here, there is a consignment shop that has been in business for hundreds of years. Many Adventurers who are short of money like to put their things there for consignment. Over time, it has become a big market. Oh, yes, if Adventurers are willing, you can even sell your things to them, and they will be responsible for selling them …"
"…" Lin Li rubbed his nose again. Wasn't this the rumored business that would definitely be profitable as long as one had good foresight — a pawnshop?
"Come, let's go take a look!"
Lin Li had never seen a pawnshop after coming to Anril for such a long time. He could not help but be interested in it. He brought two Undead creatures and a Bandit, and hurriedly walked towards the opposite side of the road.
The place that Barov mentioned was not too far away. After the four of them turned two streets, they soon saw a low building. This building was located at the corner of the street, and the entrance was a three-way junction with a lot of people. Most of the passersby would take a look inside. From where Lin Li was, he could see a row of marble steps and two open doors. From time to time, there would be Adventurers in twos and threes coming in and out of the door. There were even a few powerhouses with extraordinary strength. At least from Lin Li's perspective, these people were mostly around level-15. Although they were not as strong as Jason, they were definitely considered rare talents among ordinary Adventurers.
The group had just entered the door when someone greeted them warmly. It was a middle-aged man in his forties.
"Good afternoon, my four esteemed guests. Is there anything I can do for you? Oh yes, before that, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Brook, one of the people in charge of the Time Consignment Store. You four should be Adventurers, right? If you four are here to increase your strength, then you must have come to the right place. Our Time Consignment Store provides all kinds of weapons, armor, and magical equipment … "
"I don't need magical equipment for the time being, but my companion here is lacking a weapon …" Lin Li pointed at Norfeller. "I wonder if Mr Brook has anything to recommend?"
"Weapon? Yes, yes, yes … Yes! " The smile on Brook's face became exaggerated. As he led everyone in, he started talking incessantly. "We've just shipped a batch of weapons over the past few days. Oh yes, I'm sure the four of you have heard of the Marathon Forging Workshop? These weapons are produced by the Marathon Smithy. How about it, do you want me to bring you four over to take a look? "
"Marathon Smithy?" Lin Li stopped in his tracks upon hearing this name. His face darkened. "Mr Brook, are you joking with me? It's fine to use the things from the Marathon Smithy for the soldiers guarding the city, but isn't it too perfunctory to use them on my companion? Can the equipment they forge be used by the magical beasts? Can it withstand magical attacks? "
"This …" The middle-aged man was embarrassed by Lin Li's question. He knew that he had met an expert this time. Although the weapons and armor of the Marathon Smithy were famous in the Felan Kingdom, only a few people knew that their real elite equipment was only provided to the three imperial guards. Usually, they would only sell second-rate equipment. Although it was not as bad as what the middle-aged man said, which was only suitable for the soldiers guarding the city, in the hands of Adventurers above level-10, it would not be able to unleash its potential …
However, the middle-aged man was experienced, after all. Although his trick was exposed on the spot, he did not look flustered, and merely smiled apologetically with some awkwardness. As the saying went, one should not hit a smiling person. Since the middle-aged man's smile was considered an apology, Lin Li naturally would not pursue the matter any further. Just as he was about to listen to the middle-aged man's explanation, an unusually ear-piercing voice came from behind him.
"F * ck, which bastard is so arrogant? Even the equipment produced by the Marathon Smithy can only be used by the soldiers guarding the city. I really don't know what kind of equipment is worthy of you guys. Why don't you show it to me and broaden my horizons? "
"…" Lin Li stood there in a daze for a good ten seconds. He did not know if he should be angry or amused at the same time. He had been in Anril for almost a year, and had made many enemies and conflicts. Yet, this was the first time he had met someone who would stand up for justice in front of him …
No … It was not the first time …
Lin Li knew he was wrong the moment he turned around.
The person standing behind him was a young man in his twenties. He looked round, short, and fat. He was wearing a shiny silver armor. He had taken off his helmet, and was hugging it with his right hand. From afar, it looked like a big winter melon was taking a small winter melon out for a walk …
"F * ck, so it's you, bastard!" Before Lin Li could say anything, Lasorick, who was standing opposite him, started yelling like a pig being slaughtered. "Well, well, I was wondering why I couldn't find you in Doland. Turns out you're hiding in Roland City. Why, do you know how powerful I am, Lasorick, and know to hide first? Let me tell you, there's no use hiding. You … you guys, capture this bastard! "
Lasorick yelled at his followers as he quietly took a few steps back …
Unfortunately, the followers were not fools. They had heard Master Garza say that the black-cloaked guy was at least level-17. What a joke! You're asking us to die against a level-17 monster? Why don't you f * cking do it yourself?
"F * ck, forget it, I'll let you off this time …" Lasorick shouted for a long time, but his followers did not move. Even the dumbest person could tell that something was wrong. He could only yell and withdraw his order to capture Lasorick …
"Shut up …" Lin Li muttered as he looked at Lasorick from afar. He was no longer interested in the shiny winter melon. He smiled and apologized to Brook, who was beside him. "I'm sorry to have been delayed by this fella. How about it, Mr Brook, do you have any suitable equipment to introduce to my companion?"
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