Compared to three months ago, many things were now completely different.
Back then, Rorschach had just arrived in the Mage Country and was dressed like a beggar. No wonder he wasn't well-liked, and it was incredibly difficult for him to even become a level 5 spellcaster.
However, the current Rorschach no one would doubt his identity as an archmage.
His pale white robe was inlaid with blue and red gemstones. His dragon-skin riding boots were flashing with the silver radiance of speed and agility. The short sword at his waist was faintly flowing with flames. It was a rather high-grade magic sword.
The two emblems on his chest were the symbol of an archmage. The bracelet on his right hand was filled with the power of life. The large tome on his waist didn't have any magical waves, but it was the most valuable item on his body.
Apart from his unchanging height, Roxia now had the aura of an archmage … Perhaps it was also because of his youthful appearance, which made him seem more like an unaging magical demon in the eyes of the world.
To be honest, Rorschach had been working hard to solve his size problem. This time, he was truly in a hurry.
He had received a piece of information from the archmage. If nothing unexpected happened, his appearance would probably be completely fixed once he reached level 7 and became undying.
A youthful youth for the rest of his life? That sounded nice, and was suitable for the entertainment industry. However, it would be difficult for him to accept such a title.
Rorschach had had enough of explaining to bars, hotels, government departments, customs, and so on that he was already an adult. He also didn't want to be treated as an underling who was brought out by his older sister when he went out with Isabella.
However, judging from how things were developing, this nightmare still wasn't over yet.
"… Little brother, this isn't a place where you should be … My apologies, archmage."
What could Rorschach say when he saw the security guard hurriedly apologizing?
He had already done his best to wear clothes and bring magical items. However, the first impression that his youthful appearance gave others was truly terrible.
What gave Rorschach the biggest headache was the news he got from Rosa. It was likely that he would come to an even worse conclusion — he would never reach adulthood in this lifetime.
Wood spirits were essentially plant lifeforms. The highest-level wood spirits were a collection of plants in forests and communities. Their cute outer appearances were more like a humanoid form of communication with the outside world. Naturally, they didn't need to grow.
Ordinary wood spirit hybrids still had the chance to grow (due to the fact that there were far too few of them, Rorschach had never seen a single wood spirit hybrid in his entire life). However, unlucky fellows like Rorschach, who had already awakened their wood spirit bloodline with a high density, might also suffer the misfortune of being a youth for the rest of their lives.
If he surpassed the Immortal Realm, then this "high probability" would become "certain".
While I might be able to tolerate other things, there were some things that I truly couldn't tolerate. After all, even a mixed-blood wood spirit wouldn't be able to accept using pollination or grafting to obtain a descendant.
Unfortunately, even when I asked Rosa and the other wood spirits for help, they still couldn't give me an answer … The wood spirits had no experience in this area either.
Typically speaking, the so-called mixed-blood wood spirits were mostly mixed-blood humans. Although they were mixed-blood, they were unable to inherit the wood spirit's essence. For someone like Rorschach who chose the path of nature to further excavate his wood spirit bloodline … Perhaps it should be said that Rorschach was the one who brought this upon himself.
Alright then, I could only toss these unsolvable problems to the back of my mind.
The most important thing right now was the future.
"… So, what do you think of my invitation? To be honest, this should be a pretty good treatment. "
This was Hanan's Mom's Bar, a club cum bar with a thirty-year-old membership system.
Judging from the fierce-looking faces of most of the customers around him and their weapons, this really wasn't a place that could be entered casually. The most obvious thing was that an ordinary club wouldn't crazily set up a shooting range in the main hall. There were even people practicing throwing knives and shooting.
Actually, this was a civilian club, a club for retired soldiers.
Rorschach finally managed to endure the gazes of "Are you kidding me?" and "What are you doing here, little brat?". He wasn't in a good mood right now.
The reason? It was the big sister sitting across from him.
"We've read Isabella's recommendation letter. Your conditions are indeed tempting, but many of us can't afford medical expenses. Our daily maintenance costs are also quite high, and we also have our own concerns …"
She had blood-red hair, orange-red snake eyes, and a knife scar on her oval face. She had weathered many hardships but still had a resolute expression on her face. If it weren't for the fact that her right arm was missing from her shoulder and the scar on her face, as well as the walking stick beside her chair, she really would have been an attractive big sister.
"Quick Blade" Bonnie Stanford, the former captain and ace of the ace marine squadron, Fatal Blades. She was a half-elf and one of the managers of the retired soldiers' club.
However, she was different from the woman who was described as sharp as a blade back then. Now, her face was filled with fatigue and hesitation. Her lips, which were always described as having an embarrassing sneer, now squeezed out a fawning smile.
This wasn't the first time that someone had invited these old fellows to come out of retirement. However, since everyone had retired, they obviously had their own reasons for doing so. Her crippled body wasn't even the worst of it. If she were really hired out of retirement, she might not be able to last until the day she retired.
And if she were to reject … Bonnie had already rejected the offer four or five times. However, the more she rejected, the more she regretted it.
It wasn't that she had a warrior's heart and desired to return to glory. Instead, it was a more practical reason.
"… I personally feel that the remuneration you are offering is alright. My old friend Isabella's character is also trustworthy (Rorschach frowned). However, our additional expenses are too high. For example, if I want to go onto the battlefield, I have to get a set of high-quality artificial limbs or above. Can you add some points to it …"
When old soldiers retired, they would usually receive a large sum of money. However, those who truly turned it into a pension or a stable and profitable investment would be less than one in ten.
They were used to drinking and getting drunk every day. Usually, they would squander all of their pension within two to three years. Then, they would borrow here and there to gradually cut off all of their connections. They would become the violent fathers in the eyes of their children and the crazy people in the eyes of their neighbors.
Even if they had some brains to think about the future and invest in their businesses … How many soldiers would enter a "battlefield" that they didn't understand without knowing anything about it? They would still be able to earn money instead of losing everything and being cheated.
It was true that Bonnie was an ace. It was also true that she used to have many connections and brothers. However, it didn't mean that she would still be able to do well after losing an arm and a leg.
After all, this was a magical world. Healing technology had even reached the level of cloning and biological regeneration in a technological civilization. If such a disability couldn't be cured, then how severe the injury would be.
The curse of the Evil God, the complete collapse of the physical body, and wounds created through special methods could still cause permanent damage.
She seemed to be in good spirits now, but she knew that what was truly injured was her soul, magic core, internal body, and life force. Her entire physical body was still broken. Even if she found a Priest and spent a large sum of money to regenerate her limbs, it would still be necrotic in less than two months.
As for hiring someone like her, other than being able to say a few words, it would be better to just find a few new recruits. At the very least, if they could survive a few battles and become old soldiers, they wouldn't be much worse than a crippled old soldier like her.
While bargaining, Bonnie's face was flushed red. She was too embarrassed to look at the other party. She knew that the other party's price was already very good. She wasn't worth this price at all. However, she had no choice. She lacked money. Even if she had to sell her life, she had to sell it for a good price to solve some of her worries.
Hearing that the other party was going to increase the price, Rorschach was stunned.
"Isabella didn't explain it clearly to you … Oh, I understand."
After confirming the future development path, Rorschach's Land of Dreams would become a true frontline fortress.
And a fortress would require soldiers. It would be best if they were elite old soldiers with rich combat experience and strong individual strength.
This was the Mage Country. There were countless magic societies and powerful battle groups. Rather than returning to Saul to recruit new recruits, Rorschach felt that it would be more effective to recruit locally.
And so, he had asked Isabella to help him write letters to his old friends. After all, from a certain standpoint, Isabella was also a retired old soldier. There should be many people in her circle who were in similar situations as her.
And now, what surprised Rorschach was that Isabella didn't mention all the conditions that she promised.
But when he turned around, Rorschach understood.
"She wanted me to do the other party a favor so that it would be easier to get along with them in the future. Isabella actually has such foresight …"
And so, he smiled.
"Let's put aside the issue of salary for now …"
"Then our medical expenses …"
The other party instantly became anxious. It seemed that they really needed money.
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