Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales It was only after the Earth Dragon incident that Laurist's opinion of Ayer changed. In the next few adventures, the two worked well together. As they got to know each other better, Laurist and Ayer became good friends who could talk about anything.
Time passed so quickly. Back then, he was only nineteen years old, and now he was twenty-four. Five years was enough for Laurist to grow from a newbie who often made fools of himself and made mistakes into an experienced and calm veteran mercenary.
What was wrong with him tonight? Why did he keep thinking about the past? Perhaps it was because of Winna's carefree departure and tonight's destined breakup that made him feel so emotional. After all, it was a relationship of four years. No matter how determined he was, he could not let go of the feelings in his heart. Perhaps only with the passage of time would he gradually forget about her. He hoped that when the sun rose tomorrow, it would be a brand new beginning.
"Why are you here? Did you want to watch me make a scene?" Laurist touched his face. Fortunately, he did not cry. Otherwise, Ayer would laugh at him again.
"I heard from the fruit seller, Giro, that you were back. Of course, I came to see you. I originally thought that it would be an inseparable parting of life and death. No matter what, it would be a rekindling of old love, a mutual confession, and finally a passionate love affair. Who would have thought that the man would be so heartless and the woman would be so straightforward. They just broke up like that. How disappointing. "Ayer was still the same as before, full of nonsense.
"Hehe, I'm sorry to disappoint you." Laurist chuckled.
"It's fine. I know you don't have the talent to be a singer. It's understandable that you can't perform. Right, what's with the duel notices that have been posted everywhere these past two days? I was thinking of going to the academy tomorrow to find Fatty Shi and ask him about it. "Ayer asked.
"It's nothing big. It's just that that damned old man, Dean Levins, made a bet with all the other academies in the academy district. He bet on whether I could defeat the silver instructors of those academies. Then, that damn old man wanted to earn some extra money and improve the academy's reputation, so he asked Fatty Shi to put up duel notices everywhere. "Loriste gave a brief explanation of how he had been pushed into the pit by Dean Levins.
Aire did not sympathize with his younger brother's predicament. On the contrary, he was a little excited. "In that case, this is a good opportunity to earn money. Why don't we set up a table and bet on how many rounds you can win? I'm sure you'll be rolling in money."
Loriste smiled bitterly. What kind of bad friends did he have? Not only did they not say a word of comfort, but they were also thinking of how to make a fortune out of this matter. Really. So he poured a bucket of cold water on Ell, "Don't even think about the academy district. Dean Levins, that old fox, must have already made arrangements. He's more thoughtful than you. There's no way he would let go of such a good opportunity to make money. Maybe the entire Morent City is within his calculations. If you want to set up a table, the most you can do is open a small tavern. Adding on the profits and the management, there won't be as much profit as you think. "
"Taverns are fine too. Morent City has 48 streets, plus the three newly established communities. There are 27 bosses. I just want a tavern to set up a table in every street and community. If those bosses are easy to talk to, then I'll give them ten percent. If they don't give me face, then I'll teach them a lesson. Old bro wants to make all his brothers independent, and I'm still worried about not having a place to arrange for them. As for that old fox, no matter how scheming he is, he still has to follow the rules. Old bro, if you raise the prize money for the table, how can he compete with me on the surface? When the time comes, we'll see whose table is more attractive. "As Ell spoke, he began to get excited. He could not wait to do something big.
Loriste sighed inwardly. Five years ago, Ell was so frivolous. Although he was the boss of the underworld, he did not care about anything. He only wanted to go out and adventure and become a famous mercenary legend. Now, he was imposing, steady, and good at seizing opportunities. He was becoming more and more like a real underworld boss. It seemed that he was not the only one who had changed in these five years. These friends of his had more or less changed as well.
"If you do this, you will really be able to cut a big piece out of this pie. But didn't you think about my feelings when I said that? I was forced to go to a duel. If I'm not in a good mood and let go, then it will be hard to say who will win or lose. "
"Hehe, other people are unreliable, but how can I not understand my own brothers? Brother, if you lose, then it will be a huge joke. Old bro's dark dou qi is a little hard to train, and I only reached 2-star Silver rank in these few years. I can't compare to Fatty, who is already 3-star Silver rank. Not to mention anything else, in Morent City, there are not many Silver-ranked mercenaries and swordsmen in our eyes. But under your hands, the two of us have not won a single battle. Also, that time when the two of us joined hands to compete with you, we could only last a hundred moves. Brother, you will lose to a Silver-ranked. Even if you beat me to death, I won't believe it. "Ell was even more confident than Loriste himself.
Loriste rolled his eyes.
"Alright, brother. Old bro will not let you work hard for nothing. How about this, I'll give you 10 percent of the plate, how about that? That 15 percent, and you're still shaking your head? At most 20 percent, no more, brother. Old bro still has to go make arrangements, and there are so many people under me who need to eat. "Ell said.
"Alright, deal." Loriste lazily stretched out a hand: "Tomorrow, go find Fatty Shi yourself and ask him for the schedule of the duel and the information of the challengers. These can all be used to attract people to place bets. Also, don't forget that Fatty Shi will also have a share. "
"I know, I'll give him at most 10 percent, plus you 20 percent. Bribe everyone else, 10 to 20 percent, the bosses, and 10 percent for the staff in the tavern. This way, old bro will still have 30 to 40 percent of the income, and it won't be for nothing." Ell fiercely slapped Loriste's hand. Thinking about the large amount of gold coins that was about to fall into his pocket, his mood became cheerful.
"En, Loke, old bro forgot two other things. What did I come to find you for? I told you I forgot about the plate just now. That's right, I found you a disciple. "Ell frowned and thought for a long time before remembering.
"What? You said you found me a disciple? You're not joking, are you? " Loriste was shocked by Ell's words. Please, can't you see how old I am? Isn't it a joke to be someone's master?
"Well …" Ell hesitated for a moment and grabbed his hair in distress. "He's not really a master. Just let him stay by your side and give him some pointers when you have time. Just treat it as a follower or servant. Let him do all the dirty work. He's tall and strong, so it won't be hard for him to do it. "
Hearing that, Loriste's interest was piqued. "Tell me, what's going on?"
"Alright, Brother Loke, you know the situation with those brothers of mine. It's like this …"
Loriste knew how Ell's gang leader came to be a few years ago. More than 20 years ago, Ell's parents were both golden-colored swordsmen and were the leaders of a famous mercenary band. But 20 years ago, Ell's parents led the band to participate in the battle of Whitestag. That battle resulted in the death of the only swordsaint in the empire, but Forde Commercial Alliance also paid a heavy price and suffered heavy casualties. The band led by Ell's parents was almost completely wiped out. Ell's mother died on the battlefield while his father was bedridden from his injuries and passed away a few years later. The band was left with Ell's uncle, Gariland, the only golden-colored swordsman and a few silver-ranked mercenaries. Gariland became a cripple due to the injury to his thigh and would never be able to advance to two-star gold rank again.
With only those few remaining in the band, they naturally couldn't keep it going and could only disband. Fortunately, Ell's parents had considered the worst-case scenario before the battle and made careful arrangements for the families of the brothers in the band to live in the same street. Even though the band was no more, the families of those who lost loved ones took care of each other. On the other hand, Moronte gave generous compensation to the mercenaries who died in battle, so they didn't have to worry about food or clothing.
Gariland opened Red Raven Tavern to make it easier for him to take care of and teach the children of his brothers in the band. He placed his hopes on the children and hoped that they could raise the banner of the band again when they grew up. Of the children, Ell was truly the eldest. That was because he was the oldest and was also the strongest. He also knew how to take care of his younger siblings. After all, they had grown up with him.
Seeing that the children were getting older and that Ell was about to graduate from Dawn Academy, Gariland was filled with joy. It seemed that the day to rebuild the band wasn't too far off. In the end, man proposes, God disposes. Something happened that pushed Aire to the position of mafia boss.
Forde Commercial Alliance handed the management of the street to the underground organizations. That was a strange policy. Although this policy gave most of the gang leaders of the underground organizations a chance to whitewash themselves and reduce the occurrence of various criminal cases and conflicts between the underground organizations, not all the gang leaders followed the rules and did things according to the agreement. There was such a gang leader in the street where Ell and the others lived.
Not to mention the fact that the usual taxes and management fees were much higher than the other streets, this mafia boss even came up with ingenious excuses, such as a laundry fee, land occupation fee, road depreciation fee, and so on. As a result, the entire street protested, and it almost led to a riot. And the large area where Ell and the others lived was the most united. Not only did they reject the gang leader's unreasonable apportionment, they even beat up the members of the organizations who came to collect fees and sent them to the hospital. They were all young people, so it was understandable that they were more impulsive.
But the gang leader didn't think so. He thought that the street where Ell and the others lived was a model for the entire street. It was Ell and the others who took the lead that turned everyone against him. This made the gang leader see Ell and the others as a thorn in his side, and he couldn't wait to get rid of them. At this time, one of his underlings brought him a piece of news that made the gang leader even more furious. It was said that the people of the entire street were already preparing to launch a petition and protest at the end of the year's Neighborhood Review Assembly, forcing the city hall to remove the management rights of this community organization.
This was unacceptable. The gang leader jumped up. In order to obtain the management rights of this street, he had spent so much on public relations, and now he hadn't even recovered the cost. How could this be? Sometimes the brains of the underworld weren't very bright, and the gang leader thought about it for a long time before coming up with an idea, which was to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys. As for the chicken, Ell and the others deserved it.
But the gang leader's underlings alone weren't a match for Ell and the others, not to mention that Ell and the others had a golden swordsman behind them. The gang leader couldn't bear to spend a lot of money to hire people, so he had his underlings bring barrels of oil to the residential area in the middle of the night to set it on fire, intending to burn Ell and the others to death and then push the blame onto the fire.
Not to mention how bad this idea was, the problem was that the gang leader's underlings were discovered as soon as they arrived at Ell's place. First they were beaten up, then threatened, and the underling spilled everything. This caused an uproar in the entire street, and the people surrounded the gang leader's house that night. The gang leader couldn't even escape, and even after he was caught by Ell and the others, he still refused to admit his mistake. As a result, the angry residents swarmed him, and before Ell and the others could react, the gang leader was already finished.
Without the gang leader's organization, what about the management of the street? Dozens of the more reputable old people in the street discussed and agreed that it was Ell's turn, so Ell lived up to everyone's expectations and became the gang leader.
Since he couldn't help but become the gang leader, Ell was naturally unwilling and didn't want to care about anything. However, he didn't want to care about those brothers who couldn't stop him. They were all passionate and talented, handling everything steadily and appropriately, to the point where Aire didn't even have to worry about them. Only after the New Year did Aire discover that he was even in charge of the two neighboring streets. Just like this, the future mercenary group that the golden swordsman Galilando had high hopes for became a community organization in the street, and it was the most dynamic and promising one in Moriente City.
When the mercenary group was disbanded, there was a silver swordsman who was good friends with Galilando. He came from the Romon Empire, and after surviving on the battlefield, he was ready to return to his hometown. When he saw him off, Galilando told him about his plans, and hoped that in the future, the children of his brothers could once again raise the flag of the mercenary group. Three months ago, a little beggar from the Romon Empire came to find Galilando. After asking, the old man found out that he was the son of his good friend, the silver swordsman.
Only then did Galilando know that the silver swordsman passed away last year. His good friend's hometown was a remote small village. After returning home, the silver swordsman became the captain of the village's garrison, and after two years, he got married, and then had the little beggar in front of the old man. Two years ago, there was an epidemic in the village, and the little beggar's parents could not avoid it. First, the mother passed away, and the silver swordsman lived for another six months. Before he died, he told the child to find Galilando and join the mercenary group.
It took the child half a year to walk from the Romon Empire to Moriente City. In fact, it would have taken less than half a month if he had taken a long-distance carriage. However, the child did not know this, and walked all the way with his two feet. When he ran out of money, he would do some odd jobs to eat, and at night, he would sleep outside the hotel or in the haystack. It was not easy for him to not be caught by those black-hearted slave owners and become a slave. When he arrived at Moriente City, he asked where the neighborhood where the family of the mercenary was, and when he arrived at the neighborhood, he asked Galilando about it. Only then was he brought to the old man.
After listening to the little beggar's experience, the old man was in tears. Not only did he treat the child well, but he also told Ell to treat the child as his own brother. However, when the child learned that Ell and the others did not establish a mercenary group, but a community organization, he began to be displeased and refused to follow Ell and the others. Then he should go to school. Yep, he came back again tonight, and he even brought back the expulsion notice from the academy because he beat up all the students in the class.
"This is already the third elementary academy. We were still hoping that he would apply for the Dawn Academy in a year's time. However, it seems that it is impossible now. The old man asked him what he wanted to learn, and he said he wanted to learn swordsmanship. In the future, he would become a great mercenary and go on adventures all over the world. However, the problem is not whether he wants to learn or not, but whether he has the talent or not … "
Ell kept complaining, "This kid grew up in a mountain village, playing in the forest all day long. His parents also let him go, but his temperament is too wild and very stubborn. Sometimes, his brain just has a one-track mind, and once he has decided, he will not look back. Let's talk about swordsmanship. I think that giving him a wooden stick would be more threatening than a big iron sword. He is only sixteen this year, and his dou qi is already 2-star bronze rank. He is also very tall, and looks like he is in his twenties. He is also very strong, so he should be good material for martial arts. However, you definitely did not expect that this kid is so stupid with a sword. You taught him a move, and in less than ten minutes, he can completely forget the move he just learned. He holds the sword like it is a wooden stick, and randomly smashes it. You will die of anger. "
"Now, even the old man can't do anything to him, so I thought of you. If there is anyone who can teach him how to use a sword, I think there is no one else but you." Ell said.
Laurist chuckled, "Old Carl is a Gold-ranked swordsman, and even he can't teach that kid swordsmanship. What can I do as a Steel-ranked swordsman?"
"You are different, Brother Locke. Your swordsmanship is much better than that damn old uncle of mine. Can you do me a favor? If he follows you for a while and you find that he is not suitable to learn swordsmanship, then you can let him come back. "Ell pleaded.
Laurist thought for a while, then nodded and said, "Alright, if he is not suitable to learn swordsmanship, then I will let him find you."
Note: In Moront City, a big academy like Dawn Academy is not something that can be enrolled just by registering. Students also have to pass some simple entrance exams to confirm that they have a certain cultural foundation before they can go to school. Therefore, Moront City has many one-year elementary academies, just like the college entrance exam cram schools in Laurist's previous life. They specialize in strengthening the students' cultural foundation so that they can successfully pass the entrance exams and enter a big academy.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
