Chapter 133: Act 65 – The Mercenary Code (Part Two)
Brendel was well-versed in the background knowledge of the game. If Antinna’s understanding of this world was limited to what she had read in books, then he was a seasoned veteran. He stared into the eyes of the team leader, who had clearly tried to go easy on them earlier, but Brendel still discerned the degree of his strength from the details of his strikes.
It was about mid to upper silver tier.
He thought this power was almost at the level of the commander of the White Mane Legion, likely only a notch below the level of a captain, illustrating that this mercenary group was indeed formidable. On the other hand, Retao and his group were merely retired old mercenaries, yet each had the strength around the lower tier of black iron. Brendel guessed that in their prime, they wouldn’t have been much worse than the people before him.
He had privately inquired about Retao and his friends’ backgrounds once or twice, but the latter seemed reluctant to elaborate.
Meanwhile, Kaber caught the glance Brendel shot him and felt a strange premonition arise within him. This feeling was almost instinctive; as he looked into the young man’s dark, seemingly bottomless eyes—calm and profound—Kaber couldn’t help but recall that as a seasoned mercenary, he had been to many places and met numerous influential figures. He had encountered nobles from Erluin, wealthy merchants, and landowners, individuals from the North and South, mountain dwellers, people from the Tower Clan, and even some enigmatic wizards—but none had eyes like this young man, still and composed, with a hint of a smile, as if everything was under his control.
That was an expression filled with confidence, a sense of certainty.
For a moment, the seasoned mercenary felt an illusion that all his secrets were known to the other party. He frowned, shaking his head to cast away this absurd thought, unaware that it was indeed the truth; he certainly wouldn’t suspect that just a brief encounter allowed Brendel to gather so much information from a few details.
In this era, few knew of Imalia’s swordsmanship, and Kaber himself didn’t even know that his sword skills originated from that lineage; he had merely been taught by someone in his youth. Let alone the fact that after just two strikes, someone could see through his strength—such a claim would seem ridiculous unless this young man was a hidden swordmaster of a high caliber.
His gaze just shifted to the clothing worn by Brendel and his companions. They hailed from Bruglas, and although local fashions in Golan-Elsen were generally similar across the southern part of Erluin, they were far from the mountain people’s style. Noticing this, Kaber was just about to speak when Brendel preempted him.
“You must be outsiders, mercenaries?” Brendel’s gaze feigned interest in Kaber while landing on the mercenaries behind him.
As Brendel spoke, Antinna and Romaine stood quietly to his left and right. Being from a noble family, the maiden understood that this was not a time for her to interject. However, the future business lady seemed naturally adept at understanding such situations; she blinked innocently, shifting her gaze between Brendel and Kaber, not saying a word.
Kaber paused momentarily.
“Indeed, and you?”
“We pass through Shubli several times every year. Although we’re not locals, we at least know this place well. In fact, since I stepped into the town earlier, I was puzzled about when Shubli started seeing so many travelers.” Brendel spoke nonchalantly, fabricating an entirely nonexistent fact: “It only struck me upon seeing you that they were all mercenaries—”
Antinna’s eyes flickered briefly behind him, yet her expression remained unchanged. Young Romaine listened with a bright smile, almost as if Brendel’s words were genuine. One must admit that the business lady had a natural knack for this line of work, especially in the art of deception.
“We’ve been invited here to eliminate the lizardman bandits in the forest,” Brendel provided a well-reasoned answer, maintaining composure that made discovering any flaws impossible. The seasoned mercenaries had no need to doubt this and responded accordingly.
After all, their reasons for coming here were hardly a secret.
However, Kaber still instinctively remained cautious and did not pursue that topic further. Instead, he asked, “You come here several times a year? You must be a merchant. If there’s any way we mercenary group can assist you in the future, please don’t hesitate to call on us. We will surely provide the best service.”
He spoke while glancing back. “But apologies, we’ve encountered a minor issue, and I must leave soon. If you have time, I represent our captain in welcoming you to visit our mercenary group.”
Brendel smiled, realizing this guy was clearly impatient to be done with him, likely wanting to seek out the earlier young man in private. Yet he feigned ignorance, acting as if he had just realized: “I see.”
“What a coincidence,” he added promptly.
Kaber was just about to excuse himself but paused at Brendel’s remark. “How so?”
“This is the thing,” Brendel smiled, effortlessly following Kaber’s words: “Actually, I’m not here for business, but to find something.”
Kaber slightly tensed, furrowing his brow and stopping.
“What are you looking for?”
“Just a slate inscribed with ancient texts, something that exists in the Barlogon ruins, recorded by the Silver Elves. But Mr. Kaber, you know, the ruins were taken over by a group of lizardmen a year and a half ago.” Brendel answered calmly, as if this was indeed the case. “The last time I was in Shubli was three months ago; I was investigating the situation about those lizardman bandits in the forest. I brought some mercenaries this time, intending to sneak in and recover that slate, but I did not expect to run into you, Mr. Kaber, and your companions.”
Kaber was now completely stunned. “You mean…”
Brendel quickly nodded: “Yes, according to the rules, to avoid conflict, I suggest we interpret Article 314 from the Mercenary Code to reach an agreement—namely, my people and I temporarily join you, assisting in combat without endangering ourselves. After the operation concludes, we go our separate ways and take what we need, how does that sound?”
The rules of the mercenary world, while not explicitly defined, were usually understood among those in the trade, and these traditions could resolve typical disputes. However, regulations between mercenaries and employers were often adhered to strictly, whereas disputes among mercenaries could lead to disagreements. About a century ago, the Temple of Fire’s subordinate organization, the Adventurer’s Guild, had codified these customary rules into a legal text called the Mercenary Code, establishing a provisional resolution for future disputes.
This code had been modified and updated over the past century and was quite comprehensive and well-structured by today, though some archaic clauses still remained. For instance, the rule Brendel cited was popular in the northern highlands of Erluin a hundred and fifty years ago, but few mentioned it in this era.
Thus, when Kaber heard this proposal, he couldn’t help but pause for a moment.
“This code, it’s not that it has no issues, but…” Kaber looked at Brendel skeptically: “I don’t have decision-making authority. If you are interested, it’s best to meet our captain. His name is Makarolo, known as ‘Maned Wolf.’ He should be at the tavern; you ought to find him there.”
“No problem.” Brendel nodded: “Then I’ll take my leave for now, not to hinder Mr. Kaber’s business.”
At this point, Kaber had already regained his composure, responding with a nod.
Brendel, however, paid no mind to Kaber’s reaction. When he first saw these people, he had the impression that while the lizardmen in the Barlogon Forest were not the most heinous existence, entering alone was still a bit tricky. However, if he could leverage these mercenaries’ strength, the situation would be much easier.
A sage’s slate, in the eyes of most who couldn’t recognize its worth, was merely a slab of stone. In fact, this slate had only begun to gain value after the proliferation of cross-regional tasks in past games.
Therefore, Brendel believed he had the capability to convince them.
However, who was that captain Kaber mentioned? Maned Wolf Makarolo? Brendel was briefly taken aback, just realizing that he almost overlooked such important information—the Shanmulan Mercenary Group, it turned out to be them. They were among the twenty-two most renowned mercenary groups in the Southlands. But the young man suddenly recalled that didn’t the Shanmulan Mercenary Group only gain prominence in the Spring Dawn year?
That would be something that happened five years from now.
He rubbed his forehead, momentarily puzzled. Was this a mistake on his part, or had history changed somehow?
But unbeknownst to Brendel, as he pondered, Kaber was equally confused—
“Captain, who was that?” Kaber looked at his approaching subordinate and shook his head: “Not sure, seems to be a local merchant.”
“He seems very familiar with the Mercenary Code, Article 314. I’ve never heard the specific content of that clause. It shouldn’t be fake, right?” a mercenary inquired.
Kaber shook his head, knowing full well it wasn’t fabricated. However, he had only recalled that clause after Brendel mentioned it. This wasn’t an important matter, as the Mercenary Code has over seven hundred articles, making it impossible for anyone to remember all the details. Apart from the core thirteen articles, most are mere supplementary explanations, and in real mercenary life, they weren’t always strictly adhered to.
Yet the person Kaber found increasingly mysterious was Brendel himself.
He felt that the young man was not as straightforward as he seemed.
“More people are always better.” Someone immediately chimed in.
“That’s not necessarily the case; who knows if they’re spies from their side?”
“That could be—”
“Don’t worry, if he joins us, even if temporarily, according to the code, it still requires the captain’s evaluation.” a mercenary replied: “The captain will definitely send Gab to assess him—ah, it’s a shame that kid Aike has this issue right now; otherwise, it would have been his turn to shine this time.”
Upon mention of Aike, the young men couldn’t help but fall silent.
(PS: I initially wanted to write three chapters, but found myself a bit out of practice. Nonetheless, I finally feel a bit more settled. The writing during the New Year was sporadic, which made it hard to find my rhythm; only recently have I begun to regain it. I intend to recover and accelerate my pace, thank you for your patience, everyone.) (To be continued, for the next part, please log in, more chapters await, support the author, and support original reading!)
