In the northern part of the Commonwealth of Gold Coins, there was a small city called "Double-headed Stork".
The name of the city came from a famous silver coin of the Eagle Kingdom. This silver coin had a relief of a double-headed stork on the back, so it was called "Double-headed Stork".
Including this "Double-headed Stork", the coins of the Eagle Kingdom had always been known for their exquisite craftsmanship. Not only were they famous on the continent, but they were also quite famous in many other worlds. When the pioneers of the Commonwealth of Gold Coins named their cities, they liked to use various coins as their names, and the "Double-headed Stork" was one of them.
This city was almost the trading hub between the Commonwealth of Gold Coins and the four northwestern towns. Food, daily necessities, and luxury goods were continuously transported to the north, while ore, metal ingots, various gems, and materials from magical beasts were transported from the canyon.
Although the Commonwealth of Gold Coins was founded on commerce, apart from developing territories, most areas within the country were managed strictly. In particular, the restrictions on the size and type of business in each city were extremely strict. Merchants, regardless of their size, were not allowed to operate without approval. In this way, a more orderly distribution and arrangement of the overall resources was achieved, and the whole country was in good order.
The main business of the Double-headed Stork City was transportation, especially the transportation of bulk commodities, which was of utmost importance. Naturally, there was an endless stream of bandits. According to the private statistics of the Thieves' Guild, there were currently 46 bandit organizations that used this city as their main stronghold or frequented it. At its peak, there were 75 of them. As for the specific number of bandits, a conservative estimate was more than 2,000 people.
2,000 people was not a small number. If they were a whole group, the Commonwealth would have long sent out troops to annihilate them. However, these bandits were organized into groups of various sizes, scattered in a large area with the city as the center. They came and went unpredictably, and the army often scratched their heads and could not figure out the pattern of their movements. There were so many of them that they were like weeds in the yard after a summer rain.
Therefore, the entire Commonwealth of Gold Coins, including the Double-headed Stork City, attached great importance to the pursuit and bounties of bandits. Thus, a famous profession, "Bounty Hunter", was born.
These powerful adventurers preyed on bandits and earned their bounties, just like hunting magical beasts. They were the most popular guests of the caravans in the Commonwealth of Gold Coins, and they were also widely respected rangers.
However, recently, the income of the Bounty Hunters in the Double-headed Stork City had plummeted.
It was not because the bounties had decreased, but because of the emergence of super strong competitors.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Someone encountered a group of bandits on the west trade route. The leader, Iron Claw, was quite strong. His head seemed to be worth 500 gold coins! " When the sky was about to turn dark, the tavern's door was suddenly pushed open. A fully armed adventurer rushed in and shouted at his companions sitting in the corner, "We haven't been able to get anything for almost half a month. We must get it this time!"
His companions, who were drinking in low spirits, jumped up one after another, grabbed their weapons and ran out the door. The leader, who seemed to be the more steady one, shouted at the boss, "Same old rules! We'll pay for the drinks and we'll talk about it when we come back with the bounty! "
Their strength was not ordinary, and their movements were also very experienced. As they spoke, they had already mounted the horses that were tied outside the door, and went far away in the sound of hooves. The boss smiled and waved at them from behind the counter. He said to a big guy sitting next to the counter, "Stud, why don't you go and try?"
The "stallion" was an extremely muscular Northlander. He was also commonly known as a "barbarian". But unlike ordinary barbarians, he was quite handsome. His white hair and red eyes did not give him a strange feeling. Instead, it weakened the sense of danger brought by his burly physique. His strong muscles did not show off his granite-like strength like the other barbarians. Instead, they seemed to be unusually well-proportioned and coordinated. He was obviously very tall. Even though he was sitting there, he was still a lot taller than the customers nearby. But the gentle smile on his face and the handsome little beard made him seem very approachable. He did not have the rough temperament of a barbarian at all. Even the scars on his body did not give off a ferocious feeling. They seemed to be unusually appropriate.
The only thing that made people feel "like a barbarian" was the tattoo on his upper right arm. From his shoulder to his upper arm, there was a ferocious snow bear tattooed. The bear's eyes glowed with a ferocious green light. Anyone in the know could see that it was not a simple tattoo. It really had the soul of a powerful magical beast sealed in it.
Other than that, he did not have the slightest bit of a barbarian temperament. Perhaps the harpoon on the ground and the short axe on his belt could also be counted? But he rarely used them. Under normal circumstances, he actually preferred to use the bundle of rope that was slung over his shoulder.
This man was called Josh. He was a very powerful adventurer. He was especially good at using ropes. He could ride on the back of a galloping horse and use a noose to steal an apple from a roadside window. He could also use a noose to strangle four or five enemies who were shouting and shouting as they charged at him. He could strangle them just enough to leave them half dead in exchange for the highest bounty.
But he was even more famous for his romantic personality and his brilliant skills in the field of love. He had been in the Double-headed Stork City for almost two years. In these two years, almost all the loose women in the city had slept with him. There was even an incident where two female adventurers dueled over him. That duel was stopped by him. The method he used was to drag both of them to his bed.
This was the reason why he was called a "stud horse".
Of course, Josh also had a great advantage, which was that he was wise. He did not provoke the women of good families. He also did not linger after a woman had lost interest in him. This made him even more popular among the loose women, and he became the best bed partner.
To be honest, if a man had his abilities, he could totally live off a woman. There were adventurers who did that, but Josh always insisted on his identity as an adventurer. He was passionate about building a good relationship with everyone, and often went to the taverns to have fun.
He was the most welcome guest in the tavern, bar none.
Hearing the owner's question, Josh put down his glass and smiled. "I'll set off after this."
"Eh? Shouldn't you be rushing for this kind of thing? "A young adventurer nearby asked curiously.
Josh shook his head. "It's fine if it's the bandits nearby, but the ones on the west trade route … By the time they get there, they'll probably just be there to watch the show. Some powerful people have already gone there. "
Another adventurer came to a sudden realization. "Is it that group of people who are not picky with their food?"
"Who else could it be? Of course it's them." Josh stroked his mustache, which was considered sexy by countless women, and nodded with a smile. "When I returned to the city, I saw them hurriedly heading west. The one leading them was that big baldy. Since he's already gone, how can there be any profit for the others? They're just there to watch the show. "
Everyone immediately became discouraged and began to complain.
Ever since that baldy had brought a group of strong men to the Two-headed Stork City, they had been snatching business everywhere. Just like their nickname, these fellows were not picky at all. As long as there was something to do, even if the profit was small, they would happily move out. They were like a swarm of locusts, sweeping away all the bandits wherever they went and bringing back a large pile of spoils of war, whether dead or alive, to claim their reward.
Thanks to them, the security of the city was very good. The number of bandits on the trade routes had decreased significantly, and the merchants and residents were very satisfied.
The only ones who complained were the bounty hunters who had their business stolen.
But facing that ridiculously strong baldy, they couldn't complain too much. Stealing business was the natural right of the strong, and it had always been so in the world of adventurers.
Fortunately, that baldy didn't go overboard. He didn't usually fight, and seemed to be training his subordinates. This allowed everyone to have business to do, and they wouldn't have to cut off their source of income.
The adventurers chatted as they ate, and time passed quickly. Josh finished his food and wine in front of him and paid the bill. He picked up the harpoon on the ground and carried it out of the door.
He didn't ride a horse, but walked quickly on foot. In a short while, he was out of the city, heading west along the main road.
About two hundred miles west of the Two-headed Stork City was the Iron Elephant City. Its name came from an ancient coin that was very famous among collectors. The Iron Elephant City's main business was the smelting of ores and the rough processing of metals. The refined metal ingots and weapon prototypes that they produced were famous throughout the continent, and they were always in short supply.
Hence, this trade route that connected the two cities had become a fat piece of meat in the eyes of the bandits. Not only were there many bandit groups of all sizes, but there had also been more than one internal strife over it.
"That's why I don't understand. Everyone is living a good life, eating, sleeping, and having a bunch of children … Why are there people who aren't willing to live such a life?"
Josh didn't even slow down as he kicked away two goblins who jumped out of the bushes to rob him. He sighed as he ran along the tracks on the road.
He walked faster than a galloping horse, and by the time the sun had set, he had already caught up with those who had set off earlier. He could see their long shadows under the setting sun from afar.
By the time he had caught up with them, there was only a smear of red in the sky.
"Do you think we'll get anything this time?" the leader of the team of bounty hunters asked with a smile as he was on good terms with him.
Josh shrugged and pointed to the front. "Isn't the outcome obvious over there?"
Those bounty hunters didn't have eyes as sharp as an eagle's, and it took them a while to see the situation over there.
They saw a bald giant that looked like a god carrying a giant axe the size of a door. He led a group of strong men that seemed to have shrunk him by a few sizes, tying up a bunch of dejected bandits with ropes and throwing them onto a large cart at the side.
As for the bandit leader who was called "Iron Claw", there was a huge pit on the ground with a mess of bright red blood. This was the last trace left behind by this rather famous fellow whose head was worth five hundred gold coins.
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