With complicated feelings, Thales left the ominous' Ghost Prince 'Tower.
The chaos and noise in Blade Fangs Camp suddenly returned to his ears.
"I'm guessing that the sudden lockdown caught quite a number of people off guard, and the soldiers …" Old Hammer exhaled. "The entire camp is more chaotic than usual. Of course, it's not usually peaceful either."
Thales shuttled behind Old Hammer and Quick Rope. He laboriously squeezed past three men who were arguing with each other in different accents, sent away a blacksmith who was trying to sell him a rusty combat sword, politely avoided a woman with heavy makeup who wanted to lift her skirt at his thighs, and cleverly avoided a group of ruffians who were hiding in a corner and observing in the dark. When they saw a newcomer approach, they would approach him in a drunken manner.
But when he saw a timid child beggar extend his hand to him and sigh as he tried to take out a few Northland copper coins, Old Hammer stopped him.
"Don't. If you show your sympathy now, there will be seven or eight people who will target you later. Blade Fangs Camp is no longer what it used to be." Old Hammer stuffed Thales' money bag back into his luggage and looked around warily. At the same time, he patted the weapon on his body.
"A few years ago, after Blood Bottle Gang withdrew their forces on a large scale and left Blade Fangs Camp as it pleased, the people in the gang no longer follow the rules. They have no bottom line in their actions. They will strip you naked and sell you off, and you won't even know who will be responsible."
Quick Rope's face paled. He seemed to have remembered something and mumbled a few words softly.
Old Hammer's words caused Thales to be slightly stunned.
"Blood Bottle Gang?"
Old Hammer nodded.
"When I was still in the army, this group of ruffians who called themselves Blood Bottle Gang controlled the underground here. They were very powerful. They colluded with the local nobles and were brothers with the higher-ups in the army. One-third of the people who lived in Blade Fangs Camp were under their protection, be it smuggling goods, black market transactions, street security, or prostitution. Many people who left the army and had no place to stay would go to Blood Bottle Gang to make ends meet."
"But two or three years ago, when we returned to Blade Fangs Camp, Blood Bottle Gang's power was not as great as before. At least, they restrained themselves a lot." Old Hammer snorted softly. "I heard that they were taught a lesson by an opponent who was fiercer than them in the mainland. They suffered great losses, and even their prestige here was affected."
Thales was deep in thought.
Accents from all over the continent mingled together, and even unfamiliar languages from afar would occasionally appear. All sorts of businesses and transactions came and went, and the currencies of many countries were used in a mixed manner, causing Thales to once again have a new impression of this' Desert Frontline '.
The three of them walked through the dusty streets. After passing by a fortress, a building with a strange style appeared in front of them.
From a distance, it looked like a huge bowl that was flipped upside down, but it took up a lot of space. It was comparable to Sunset Temple in Eternal Star City. It was like a giant had casually built a huge sandstone building block in the desert.
This semicircular building did not seem to have many connections to the outside world. The mottled and rough curved walls were covered with tiny holes that could only be seen clearly with a squint, allowing the sunlight to penetrate and the sand to invade.
From what Thales could see, there was only one narrow arched door on the wide outer wall, and it was guarded by a team of fully armed soldiers. The inside of the arched door was dark and indistinct, and he could not see clearly. It gave off a dark and ominous feeling.
Thales was puzzled.
Was this a bunker, or at least a military structure?
Or was it the commander's residence? Then, perhaps, he could see it here …
"Oh, do we really have to take this path?" Quick Rope's dejected voice rose. He covered his head and did not look at the building.
"Don't complain." Old Hammer did not even turn his head around. "This is the fastest path."
"What do you mean?"
Thales pointed at the semicircular bunker that looked like a colosseum in puzzlement. "That's …"
Quick Rope let out a strange sigh.
"The Prison of Bones.
The place you don't want to go the most in the world. "
As he stared at the group of guards, Thales froze. "The Prison of Bones?"
Old Hammer nodded. "The place where the felons of the entire Western Desert and even the kingdom are exiled."
Thales seemed to have understood something.
He knew this place.
When Constellation was first established, the unfamiliar wasteland that bordered Eckstedt in the north, the Great Desert in the middle, and the small countries in the south was a veritable nightmare. As a newly conquered border of Constellation, most of its territory was uninhabited, and the borders were filled with dangers. It was attacked by sandstorms all year round, and the terrain was not suitable for living. Aside from the fact that the Fakenhaz Family was conferred titles due to meritorious deeds, there were many historians who believed that the Fakenhaz Family was sealed in Western Desert as a form of punishment in disguise. In truth, it was a reflection of their terrible relationship with Tormond the First. Only the noble suzerains who were exiled to this place due to their crimes would unwillingly settle down there. Year after year, day after day, Western Desert Hill became what it was today.
During this period of time, the cruel Prison of Bones added color to Western Desert Hill's arduous journey and fierce reputation.
No one knew when it started, but when the usual sentences were no longer suitable for the criminals who had committed heinous crimes or were highly controversial, they would usually be exiled to Western Desert, to Blade Fangs Camp, and imprisoned in the infamous Prison of Bones. They would serve their sentences in a new way to atone for their crimes. This would not only save the judge and the local prison trouble, but also provide free labor to the difficult Western Desert and even Blade Fangs Camp, relieving the heavy pressure on the Western Frontlines.
"Do you see the parts on the ground? Those small windows? That's the White Prison in the Prison of Bones. "Old Hammer cast a sideways glance at the ominous building to avoid the guard's scrutinizing gaze." The people imprisoned there are those who have been convicted locally, and their crimes are light. At least they can see the sun, and they only need to do hard labor to atone for their crimes. "
Quick Rope did not interrupt, which was rare. He only stared at the oppressive Prison of Bones in disgust.
"But the White Prison is only a small part of the Prison of Bones. Most of it is the 'Black Prison' built underground. There are countless deep caves that never see the light of day, and they are specially prepared for the serious criminals who are exiled from various parts of the kingdom. The more serious their crimes are, the deeper they are imprisoned. As the Black Prison progresses downwards, the number of criminals will decrease, and it will become more dangerous.
"Once they enter Black Prison, there is no other way for them to leave other than joining the suicide squad, charging at the frontlines with their lives on the battlefield, or acting as bait."
Thales stared at the foundation outside the Prison of Bones and imagined the scene below.
Old Hammer sighed softly. "Of course, it's not easy to find a suicide squad. The slots are also very tight. After the Desert War ended, there are not many places that need suicide squads. Once they lose this chance, the remaining people in Black Prison can only wait to die of old age, leaving behind white bones for the unlucky ones to step on.
"That's how the Prison of Bones got its name."
"Let's go." Quick Rope frowned unnaturally. He looked a little uneasy. "This place makes me nervous."
Old Hammer patted his shoulder. "When Quick Rope first came here, he was once tricked and sent to White Prison. I guess he had a deep impression of it."
Thales looked at Quick Rope in surprise.
But Quick Rope only pursed his lips and did not answer.
Thales wisely stopped asking questions. He averted his gaze from the mysterious and deep Prison of Bones.
They left the area of the Prison of Bones and went around the corner of a square fortress.
"So, where are we going?"
Old Hammer shrugged. "My home."
Thales could not help but be stunned.
"Your home? I thought you said that your home is in the Ruins? "
Old Hammer chuckled and shook his head.
"Oh, I'm not talking about my home, but … Anyway, you'll know when we get there."
Quick Rope winked slyly, making the confused Thales even more perplexed.
But his puzzlement did not last long.
After crossing another dusty street, they squeezed their way through the crowd and arrived in front of a three-story oval-shaped fortress. The front door was wide enough for a carriage to enter.
"It's here." Quick Rope patted Thales' shoulder. "My home."
Thales raised his head curiously and noticed that there was a huge wooden sign hanging in front of the fortress. There was a vivid picture of a wine glass carved on the sign. Wine was spilling out of the glass, and it swayed slightly with the wind in the desert.
The moment he saw the sign clearly, the prince's eyebrows twitched involuntarily.
There were two big words carved in the center of the wine glass.
[My Home]
There was a row of small words carved under the sign.
[Humans will die, orcs will fall, the queen will pass away, but we will never close our doors. It began in Year 38 of the Calendar of Eradication, Queen Erica's Last Wine Glass.]
Thales did not know whether he should laugh or cry as he followed Old Hammer through the door.
What greeted his eyes were more than ten wooden round tables that were placed haphazardly. The place was filled with the sand and dust unique to the desert. All sorts of customers and tavern ladies came and went, toasting each other, and making a lot of noise. From toasting songs, to the sounds of dice games, to quarrels and angry shouts, almost all the sounds came at the same time, and it was very lively.
Old Hammer ignored Thales' surprised gaze. He pushed aside two drunk men who were about to fall under the table in a familiar manner and stuffed a copper coin into the chest of a waitress who blocked his way. Under her aggrieved gaze, he resolutely and resolutely pulled his hand out and went straight to the bar counter.
"I've always wanted to do this," Quick Rope whispered to Thales and cast a glance at the hot waitress. "But Louisa and the others said that I didn't have enough strength to pull my hand back."
'Maybe they have a point.'
Thales thought in his heart as he watched Quick Rope follow Old Hammer's gaze.
"Simon." Old Hammer sat at the bar counter and said to a gray-haired middle-aged man who was drinking by himself beside him, "We're back."
The middle-aged man turned his head around and revealed a face that had been through the vicissitudes of life.
"Someone said that a merchant group entered the camp despite the blockade order." Simon cast a faint glance at Quick Rope and Thales, who also sat down.
"I was worried that it was you."
Old Hammer shrugged. "Obviously, your worries have come true."
"How many?"
Simon said softly, "I mean … how many people did they lose?"
Thales noticed that he was already quite old.
This topic caused Old Hammer and Quick Rope to tremble at the same time.
"How did you —"
"I've been in this line of work for twenty years, Hammer. Before that, I was a soldier for ten years." Simon exhaled deeply and swirled the wine glass in his hand. "I know how people look when they lose their comrades."
His words seemed to have a magical power that isolated them from all the noise in the tavern beyond this corner.
Old Hammer and Quick Rope were silent for a long time.
Affected by them, Thales remembered his experience in the desert and the ending of the Greatswords he had spent a short time with. He felt a suffocating feeling in his heart.
The gray-haired Simon did not continue. He heaved a heavy sigh and turned to the bar counter. "Tampa, give this man a strong drink!"
A fierce-looking man with a knife mark on his neck responded and walked out from behind the bar counter. He grabbed three bottles of wine casually, and with a technique that Thales could not see clearly, he "gathered" a glass of wine in the blink of an eye and pushed it over. During the process, he automatically ignored Quick Rope's slightly expectant gaze and even glanced at Thales coldly.
Simon pushed the wine glass towards Old Hammer. "How many?"
Old Hammer gulped down a mouthful of wine and shook his head as he hissed. He slammed the wine glass on the table and exhaled indignantly.
Quick Rope answered gloomily by the side, "Six."
Simon sneered. "Who else survived?"
Old Hammer's expression became gloomy.
"Louisa, Mickey, and Dean."
Simon did not speak. His gaze was fixed on the wine glass.
"By the way, this is Wya …" As if to liven up the atmosphere, Quick Rope coughed.
"The lad we saved on the way back. Truth be told, he helped us a lot. He … Wya, this is Simon, one of the people who stayed behind in our group."
Thales, who was sizing up the magical tavern, took a deep breath and tried his best to force a smile.
But Simon clearly had no intention of exchanging pleasantries with him.
"We lose one, we replace another, one dies in battle, and a new one comes. It's always like this …" The person who stayed behind in the mercenary group stared at the almost empty wine glass and mumbled, "The fate of mercenaries, is it?"
Old Hammer shook his head. He was not in a good mood. "No, Simon, Wya isn't …"
But Simon did not let him continue.
"Come on, boy, it's time for an internal meeting." The person who stayed behind waved his hand and put away the fleeting sadness in his eyes. He held Old Hammer in his arms. "Tell me the details, and wait for Dean to come back … I think Dante's Greatsword will soon welcome a great change."
They left the bar counter.
Quick Rope's gaze moved. "Me too …"
"You stay here, Quick Rope." Old Hammer turned around and pointed. "Take care of Wya, it's his first time here."
"But …" Quick Rope spread his hands with an aggrieved expression. Thales, who was feeling awkward, smiled in return.
As he watched Old Hammer and Simon walk up the stone stairs, Quick Rope arched his shoulders and retracted his hand, which was halfway through his outstretched arm. He sat back in his seat in disappointment and said in a low voice, "Alright …"
Thales could not think of anything to comfort this newbie who had not been accepted by the core of the group. He could only sit uncomfortably on the spot and think about his next step in silence.
"Six?"
A hoarse voice came from the noisy tavern. Thales and Quick Rope looked up and saw the fierce-looking tavern owner wiping his wine glass. At some point in time, he had arrived in front of them.
His skin was dark, and it was obvious that he was a local who grew up under the scorching sun and sandstorms.
"You know, after the lockdown order was implemented, the number of soldiers who surged in was beyond imagination … At that time, I thought that maybe someone was going to learn a lesson …"
Quick Rope curled his lips. "Don't, Tampa.
Not now. "
Thales frowned a little. He had a vague impression of this name.
The tavern owner named Tampa snorted softly, but he did not shut up. "You have ten experienced, fully armed professional assassins, and a newbie who looks like he can at least make up the numbers to intimidate others …"
Tampa ignored Quick Rope's protest, and the speed at which he wiped the wine glasses became faster. "Those who can survive in the desert are very smart. As long as Tormorden is willing to pay some toll fees, the desert bandits and exiles won't pay such a high price to eat you …"
Quick Rope exhaled in pain and laid his face down on the bar counter, as if he had resigned himself to his fate.
"We met the gray bastards, Tampa.
Many, many gray bastards. "
Tampa's hand stopped wiping his wine glass.
A few seconds later, just when Thales thought he was going to say something, Tampa suddenly bent down. When he stood up again, there was a wine glass in front of Quick Rope.
"Drink it. It's the best Northland rye from the north." Tampa raised a bottle of wine and filled Quick Rope's glass with an expressionless face.
"Trust me, this is the only way."
"It's very effective."
Quick Rope stared at the wine in front of him in surprise.
But just a second later, the slightly dejected Quick Rope grabbed the wine glass and drank it in one gulp.
Just when Thales wanted to find an excuse to slip away, the tavern owner suddenly gestured at him with his chin.
"So, Quick Rope … Who is this pretty new girl? Your girlfriend? "
* Thud! *
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