'Selling swords?'
Thales' mind was in a mess. He was wrapped in a blanket and had just regained some of his energy, but he felt as if he had just been scooped out of ice water.
'Selling swords …
'What's that?'
He stared at the smug Quick Rope in a daze.
At this moment, a loud and powerful female voice came from behind Thales. "Mercenaries."
"We are mercenaries. As for 'selling swords', that's what some people call us. It might be intuitive, vivid, and easy to understand, but except for rookies who just entered the profession, we usually don't call ourselves that. It's just like how merchants don't call themselves' asking for money ', and apprentices don't call themselves' scroungers'. Women who can't find a man and men who can't find a woman won't call themselves' unwanted '."
The expression of the excited Quick Rope, who just entered the profession, instantly turned gloomy. He made a face at Thales.
Thales could not help but notice that even though the other party spoke the lingua franca, his pronunciation was difficult, and his pronunciation was high. Many of his accents and tones were very different from the Northland lingua franca he was familiar with. They also did not match the accent he had in Eternal Star City.
He turned his head around.
Three masked warriors who were dressed in light armor appeared in his field of vision as they stepped on the sand beneath their feet. They looked travel-worn. When the others saw them, they made way for them.
They walked into the bonfire, and one by one, they took off their masks and headscarves to block the wind and sand.
One of them was a young man with slightly darker skin. His entire face was painted with unknown black stripes. He carried two crossed scimitars on his back, and the hilts of the scimitars protruded from each of his shoulders. His gaze when he looked at Thales was filled with vigilance. The other was a gray-haired warrior in the prime of his life. He put down a frightening warhammer that had spikes on its head. He stared at the warm bonfire with a contented expression on his bearded face.
The last one was the owner of the loud female voice.
She was a female warrior with chestnut-colored hair of medium height. Her facial features were regular and plain, but there was a hint of weathering in them. Her back was straight, and her bandaged arm was always pressed against the sword at her waist.
The three of them walked into the small camp together and each found a comfortable spot by the bonfire to sit down. The hammer-wielding warrior even happily stroked Quick Rope's hair, causing the latter to protest in dissatisfaction.
"By the way, I'm Louisa Dante."
Louisa, the female warrior who spoke, put down her longbow and untied the saber at her waist. She grinned lightly at the weakened Thales. "I'm glad to see that you're awake, child. You're very lucky. Not every trapped loner can survive in the desert."
Her smile was bright and warm, giving people a good impression.
Thales was slightly stunned, but he immediately returned her a grateful smile.
Mercenaries.
He had heard of these people. In fact, he had encountered similar targets before. Six years ago, when he first arrived at Mindis Hall, there was a small team of people who were instructed (or deceived) by the Duke of Iris Flowers to probe the royal estate that was visited by the king in the middle of the night. In the end, all of them perished.
But that was all.
In the chaotic downtown area of Eternal Star City, there were many people who were willing to sell unusual labor in unusual and often illegal ways for a few silver coins: debt collectors, prostitutes, pickpockets, killers, swindlers, bounty hunters. As long as it did not affect the protection fees and did not cause trouble, the Black Street Brotherhood often turned a blind eye to their own people taking up private work. Even the Sixth House, where Thales was, had once taken up the work of making a ruckus on the street for a few copper coins.
But within the high walls of the towering capital, Thales had never seen the pinnacle of this trade. The people who sold violence purely for money were full-time mercenaries who only appeared in bardic poems and rumors.
It was said that they would usually only rush about in remote and desolate places far away from the law, in unstable borderlands, or in war-torn countries where the flames of war were raging. They would look for employers, point their blades at those who had no grudges against them, and then take the blood-stained rewards from the hands of those who had power and influence.
There were even fewer mercenaries in Dragon Clouds City, where the people were valiant and they worshiped martial arts and heroism. Almost all the men in their prime had served in the military, and killing enemies and fighting were their pride. Even old men in their seventies could swing their axes fiercely for more than ten rounds. Who would be willing to rely on a stranger's weapon?
As the political center of Eternal Star City, there was no need for mercenaries. Dragon Clouds City, which was self-reliant, did not need mercenaries either.
But here …
Thales stared at the long and short equipment these people wore. They were suitable for both long and short distances. They were completely different from the professional or conscripted soldiers who pursued a single function.
He turned his head slowly and looked at the dangerous desert under the howling cold wind. He looked at the few bonfires in the distance, at the unknown darkness beyond his field of vision, and at the camel team who were kneeling and resting in a circle outside the camp. He suddenly understood something.
"So?" The female warrior untied her sword and patted the sand off her body. She looked at him expectantly.
Thales snapped out of his daze and looked at her politely. "So what?"
"I told you my name, boy, and as a courtesy and a response …"
Louisa smiled as usual.
"Oh, I'm sorry!"
"I am …"
Thales only reacted then. He hurriedly pushed himself off the ground and tried to sit up, but he felt his vision go black and his arms go limp.
"Whoa, whoa, take it easy." Quick Rope quickly caught Thales, who was about to fall, and put him down gently. He made a fuss about nothing.
He made a fuss and said, "You can't stand up yet. When you were discovered, you were lying face down in the middle of the road. Half of your body was buried in the yellow sand, and you looked like an inconspicuous sandstone. If it weren't for Dean's sharp eyes, a team of twenty-three Bactrian camels, each weighing eight to nine hundred pounds, would have trampled over you! "
"Relax, boy." The hammer-wielding warrior stroked his beard. "You're out of danger, and we have the whole night to listen to your self-introduction."
Thales glanced at him gratefully, then turned to Louisa. "I am … My name …"
The prince could not help but be stunned.
It had been a long time since he formally introduced himself to a stranger. In fact, whether it was when he was a child beggar or when he was a prince, he did not need to introduce himself. In the former, no one cared about his name, but in the latter, everyone knew his name.
Thales could not help but feel a strange sense of absurdity as he looked at the other people's curious gazes and their unfamiliar and distant gazes.
"Wya." His voice rang weakly by the bonfire.
"My name is Wya."
The others looked at each other.
"So, Wya." Louisa stared at him intently. "How did you end up in the Great Desert?"
Thales tried his best to make himself look more believable.
"I … I was unlucky. In fact, very unlucky."
Thales sighed. "My father, when he was still alive, was a man with a bit of power. Unfortunately, he made enemies in the north. When he couldn't protect me anymore, the enemies sent a few bad-tempered thugs after me, the kind with sharp knives. I could only escape, to the south. "
"They forced me into the Great Desert all the way."
Thales knew that he looked terrible, but he also knew that the other party must have seen his luggage. He had to have a good reason to explain why a fourteen-year-old boy would carry a crossbow, a satchel of arrows, and a dagger into the Great Desert alone.
What's more, they had saved his life.
Louisa looked at the hammer-wielding warrior, and they nodded at each other.
Quick Rope's eyes lit up. "Wow, your enemies must hate you very much to be able to make you run to the Great Desert out of fear."
Thales nodded quietly and said dejectedly, "I didn't expect life in the Great Desert to be so difficult. I couldn't even last four or five days."
"Enemies."
Thales raised his head curiously and found that the person who interrupted was the young warrior with a face full of black tattoos. He sat by the fire and stared coldly at the prince while he wiped his blade.
"So you have enemies chasing after you. Of course, trouble always comes with it," he said softly with an expressionless face.
Thales did not know how to answer for a moment.
"You can put away your fierce face, Mickey." Louisa cast a displeased glance at the black-tattooed man named Mickey. She seemed to have a problem with his attitude. "I know what you're worried about. This child is not a desert bandit's undercover or spy."
Thales was shocked.
The man who was wiping his scimitar paused for a moment.
"No, you don't know what I'm worried about." Mickey's face became serious. "If you knew, we wouldn't have been hired by that profiteer, and we wouldn't have come here.
"Dean knows, but he doesn't listen to me."
Louisa curled her lips.
Thales watched their argument curiously.
The bearded warrior laughed and raised his hands to smooth things over. "Relax, buddy. There's no need to pull a long face all the time."
He turned to Mickey and pointed at the weak Thales.
"But you saw it too, Mickey. He almost died there. No desert bandit group would send a child who was dying of thirst to be a spy. There's nothing to rob in Tormorden's caravan. We'll be safe … In fact, we didn't run into any desert bandits or exiles along the way, and you know why."
Thales smiled weakly.
Mickey snorted.
"That's what I'm worried about.
"Mortals try to use their power to interfere in the desert, but the Desert God has never forgiven them." Mickey's gaze became more and more solemn. He glanced at the sky. "This means that we're in trouble."
Thales had a sudden thought.
The strong warrior laughed out loud.
"Ignore Mickey. He's just like that. Locals are always prejudiced against travelers, and they're also paranoid." The bearded warrior snorted nonchalantly and turned to Thales. "Let's talk about other interesting things …"
Thales was stunned.
He glanced at Mickey.
'Locals?'
At this moment …
"So, you're a Northland noble who was forced to flee to the Great Desert?" Louisa said faintly.
"You know, your accent is very much like a Northlander's."
"Uh, I guess so," Thales answered carefully.
Yes, he could only say that. His six years in Dragon Clouds City allowed him to easily imitate a Northland accent without even having to deliberately imitate it.
"Very good, Northlanders. I like Northlanders the most … Maybe we should let Dion come and talk to his fellow Northlanders …" The middle-aged warrior beside them laughed.
At this moment, Quick Rope slapped his thigh!
"Noble!"
Quick Rope rubbed his hands excitedly. His eyes sparkled.
"Very good! Now, we can talk about the issue of remuneration. "He looked at Thales happily and beamed." You know, young Mister Wya, I saved your life from being buried in the sand. "
Thales was slightly startled.
"Yes, thank you."
But at the same time, he noticed that Louisa, the strong warrior, and the young man with black tattoos all rolled their eyes towards the outside.
Quick Rope straightened his back with a proud look on his face.
"So, according to the rules of the desert, I saved you.
"In other words, I will automatically own all your property, including the ownership of your person." Quick Rope coughed, put his hands on his hips, and said seriously, "So, Wya, you're mine now."
Thales was completely stunned.
"Do you understand?"
In the next moment, a palm the size of a pot lid slammed into the back of Quick Rope's head from behind!
* Slap! *
"Ah!" Quick Rope's scream even startled a camel in the distance.
Watching Quick Rope's scream, Louisa and the strong warrior laughed. Even the gloomy Mickey curled up the corners of his lips.
Thales looked at the person who appeared behind Quick Rope in surprise.
"If this brat continues to talk nonsense like this, you'll definitely be right to deal with him like this."
A familiar and experienced voice joined the conversation.
The bald man, whom Thales had met once before, returned to the camp with a cold expression and sat down beside Louisa. Following him was a strong man with a handlebar mustache and a two-handed greatsword on his back. He did not say a word.
The others made way for them. It was obvious that they were all in the same team.
Quick Rope raised his head with tears in his eyes. "Dean! I'm not wrong, the person who saved him has the right — "
The bald Dean snorted and interrupted him. "But this is the desert, not the sea, and the person who saved him is not you."
"Just ignore him." Louisa sighed and averted her gaze from the pained Quick Rope. She shook her head apologetically at Thales. "This rookie used to be a sailor before he joined the profession. That's why we like to call him Quick Rope. He doesn't know anything, but he always likes to bring the rules of the sea here."
Quick Rope raised his hand in protest, agitated.
"But … a sea made of sand is also considered a type of sea, right?"
Quick Rope looked aggrieved, but the response he got was a piece of bread thrown at his face by the hammer-wielding warrior.
Thales watched the group of people fooling around with a dumbfounded expression.
The hammer-wielding warrior revealed a mouthful of yellow teeth under his beard and smiled at Thales. "Hello, unfamiliar Wya … You can call me Old Hammer, because I'm in charge of wielding the hammer in the team."
Thales nodded.
"The one with the stinky face is Mickey. You should see how he wields his twin blades. He's our clairvoyant and guide." Mickey, the man with black tattoos, snorted softly.
"And I believe you've already met Quick Rope. This Camian sailor is in charge of telling jokes —"
"Hey!" Quick Rope struggled to break free from Old Hammer's big hand and protested.
"Jokes are also very important, okay?!"
Old Hammer did not care. He stuffed the bread into Quick Rope's mouth.
"You know Dean. The silent one sitting next to Dean is' Furnace '. He's a strong man from the Land of Thorns, and he's in charge of killing." Furnace, the man with the two-handed greatsword, nodded at him.
Thales greeted them in a friendly manner.
"There are still five people on duty outside, and this lively girl in front of us …"
Poor Quick Rope pulled the bread out of his mouth with all his might. He took over Old Hammer's words and swung his arms at Louisa.
He said vividly, "Louisa Dante!
Our beautiful, adorable, good at fighting, charming captain, but unfortunately a little bad-tempered! "
Louisa's face turned slightly red.
Thales raised his eyebrows.
Quick Rope looked at his slightly embarrassed captain, then turned to the bald man. He rolled his eyes.
"And Big Dean, our beautiful, adorable, charming captain, but unfortunately a little bad-tempered captain, is the one who dreams of marrying him!"
In the next second …
"Ah!"
Louisa's gauntlet hit Quick Rope's forehead.
"Shut up." Louisa twisted her face fiercely and glared at Quick Rope with gritted teeth.
Thales saw that the others lowered their heads and continued with their work as if they did not hear him. Old Hammer began to pick at his beard again, Furnace continued to drink his water, Mickey finished wiping the second blade and went back to wiping the first one. The bald Dean, who was one of the protagonists of the dispute, coughed awkwardly.
"Did I say something wrong?"
Quick Rope raised his head in dissatisfaction. "You are our leader and captain, the much-loved Louisa.
"No one can deny that you formed this team and carried 'Dante's Greatsword' on your back. Dean never objected to this."
Louisa's face darkened even more.
"You know, I'm not talking about this.
Then, which one do you think I'm talking about? "
Another of Louisa's gauntlets flew from the air in response to Quick Rope.
Thales watched their interaction with widened eyes.
He suddenly felt that the Great Desolate Desert wasn't that terrifying.
'Dante's Greatsword.'
Thales nodded and mulled over the name of this mercenary team.
'So, the female warrior is the leader of these mercenaries, named after her surname.
'But …'
Dean coughed again in the midst of the noise. His gaze returned to Thales.
"Eat some. You've just recovered." He handed Thales a piece of bread and a waterskin. "Water can prolong life, but it can't fill your stomach."
Thales took the food with a heavy heart and forced a grateful smile. "Thank you."
The man looked at Thales and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Wya, we've kept your things well. They're in our luggage. A certain profiteer really wanted to take your money pouch and crossbow, but we stopped him."
Dean gestured at another bonfire with his chin. Next to the fire, a man dressed like a country bumpkin was bargaining fiercely with someone else.
Thales hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Thank you.
"You've saved my life. I'll repay you for that."
"I swear I will."
Quick Rope's face lit up. "Ah, I knew you were a good friend, Wya, I'm a coward …"
His mouth was stuffed with bread by Old Hammer again.
"But, where are you going?"
Thales took a bite of the bread and looked at these people's faces. It was difficult for him to let down his guard. "Actually, can I hire you?"
The mercenaries looked at each other.
The prince said tentatively, "I mean, I have a few relatives in Constellation. They're very rich …"
The mercenaries looked at each other again. This time, Thales saw worry in their eyes.
Only Quick Rope's expression changed. He stuttered in the bread in surprise.
Without any expression on his face, Mickey reached out and stuffed the bread in his mouth even tighter.
"Constellation?" The man with the black stripes snorted.
Louisa twitched her eyebrows and smiled. "You know, Wya, we've already accepted a business deal. We're going to send this merchant group to —"
But the bald Dean raised his hand gently, and Louisa immediately stopped talking.
Thales noticed this detail.
Dean sighed. He looked at Thales with a calm and shrewd gaze.
"Listen, Wya, I can see that you have concerns."
He went straight to the point. "Don't worry, we won't touch your belongings, and we won't endanger your life."
Thales felt a chill in his heart.
"This is the Great Desert, so I won't ask about your surname and origin, including how you offended your enemies. We're not interested in those things, and they won't be able to chase us here. Saving you is just an obligation in the desert." Dean stroked the stubble on his face.
"So you don't have to worry."
Thales frowned slightly.
Dean's words were obviously quite prestigious in the group. Once he said this, even Mickey, who was hostile towards him, did not say anything else.
Only Quick Rope, who pulled the bread out with great difficulty, raised his hand with a long face.
"What about our remuneration?"
No one paid attention to him.
"I just want to ask about a few other things," Dean said solemnly. "Wya, you came down from the north."
Thales was a little baffled and a little nervous.
"Right?"
Dean muttered to himself and pressed his fingers on his knees. The others waited patiently for his question.
"And you didn't run into Constellation's army along the way?"
Thales frowned.
"No."
Dean's expression changed slightly. "Eckstedt and Constellation … didn't fight in the desert?"
"No," Thales said flatly. "At least, I didn't see it."
"You didn't run into desert bandits?"
"No."
Once he said this, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Looks like the road ahead is smooth," Louisa said happily. "Guys, we're very lucky. We're on the right path."
Quick Rope chuckled and punched Old Hammer, but he was pushed back by the latter's great strength.
Thales looked at them in puzzlement. He did not quite understand.
But Dean seemed to be very cautious. He continued to ask, "But you … didn't run into any tribes that gathered at the oasis?"
"I didn't see many oases, and I didn't see any tribes."
"You didn't run into any exiles?"
"What are exiles?"
"You didn't run into Gray Skins either? I mean orcs. "
"No, I was alone from the beginning to the end."
Dean did not speak again in the face of Thales' question.
"Strange, the desert shouldn't be so calm," Dean muttered. "I have to discuss this with Tormorden again …"
"What's wrong?" Louisa asked in concern.
Dean shook his head. "It's nothing. Hopefully, I'm just worrying needlessly."
He seemed to have finally finished asking his question and nodded at the others.
"So, can you … send me to Constellation?" The prince looked at Dean, knowing that he was the backbone of this team. "It doesn't have to be too far. Just go to Western Desert, to Blade Fangs Dune.
"As I said, I have relatives there …"
The others laughed.
"How unfortunate, poor Wya." Old Hammer smiled faintly. "A few days ago, we just came out of Blade Fangs Dune, and that place is Constellation's territory.
"Obviously, we won't go back so soon."
Thales' heart sank. "Even if … I promise you a high reward? The Caso Family can … "
Dean shook his head.
This time, Louisa was the one who answered Thales.
The female captain sighed and said, "You have to talk to Tormorden about this. He's our employer, and this is also his merchant group. I guarantee that he won't agree, no matter how much money he offers, just like us."
"Why?"
"Hmm, let's put it this way." The female captain shrugged, tilted her head, and looked around. "The day before we departed, Constellation issued a ban in Blade Fangs Camp. Within a month, no one is allowed to enter the Great Desert."
Thales was stunned.
'Constellation's ban.
'So that's …'
Louisa shook her head. "Obviously, they want to send their army into the desert to fight, no matter who they fight. Just like the Desert War nine years ago, and the occasional purge campaigns after that."
"Anyone?" Thales thought about the word. "But all of you still came in?"
"Yes." Louisa coughed. "And do you know why?"
Thales gave her a puzzled look.
"Business, Wya, business!" Quick Rope rushed to answer, beaming with joy.
"Seth Tormorden, that damned profiteer, wanted to take advantage of the ban to secretly make a fortune in the desert. Blocked trade routes mean higher prices for goods, and more lucrative long-distance business!"
The silent Mickey raised his head. "There's an even greater risk."
Thales narrowed his eyes in puzzlement.
Dean sighed and explained, "I know that you want to meet your family as soon as possible and get rid of the threat, Wya, but …"
The bald man stroked his stubble and sighed.
"Once we run into Constellation's army, Tormorden will not be able to keep his goods. He will also go to prison. As for us, Dante's Greatsword, who he hired, no matter how lucky we are, we will still have to pay a huge fine. If we are unlucky, we will be chased out of Blade Fangs Camp. From then on, we will no longer have to take on any business there, nor will we have to take on any business related to that place."
Thales could not help but frown.
'So …'
"So," Dean said faintly, "do you think that our employer or our team will be willing to return to Constellation before the ban is lifted, and even deal with Constellation's officials?"
Thales understood, and he sighed as well.
"Then … where are you going?"
Dean and Louisa exchanged glances.
A second later, Dean lowered his head and smiled.
"Now, aside from the increasingly tense Alliance of Freedom and the City of Faraway Prayers, there is only one place left. It is a place where merchant groups who venture through the desert from Constellation can earn the most profits."
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