Research on the history of the southeastern region is scarce, mainly because the entire history spans only a hundred years. For the most part, it’s about leveraging geographic location for natural developmental advantages... Most historical records depict its rise and prosperity, repeatedly extolling the region’s abundance. Seeing this kind of history, Sean instinctively felt it had been deliberately polished, with no glimpse of the true reality.
After chatting with Harry for a while, the other seemed eager to connect with him... but for now, Sean felt the man’s abilities fell short—at least not enough to warrant sharing the fruits of his work in Rietis. His loyalty also remained to be seen... The current Count of Wallop already had it out for him, so Sean naturally needed to observe this member of the same family more before deciding whether to engage further.
Leaving the Scholar’s Library, Sean found a carriage stop not far away... “Where to, guest?” The driver was a woman. Women working the roads weren’t necessarily weaker than men; under her dark skin, the muscles in her arms were clearly visible. “The Mercenary Guild.” She hesitated for a moment before nodding and setting off.
The Mercenary Guild wasn’t in the northern part of the city but in the south, likely because most missions came from the southern regions, making it convenient for mercenaries to head out. After all, Rietis was enormous. From north to south, if traffic was heavy, it could take an hour or two—a distance that, in an otherworldly city, would take half a day on foot.
“Guest, are you going to the guild to post a mission?” the carriage woman suddenly asked. Sean had found most drivers talkative; as businessmen, they liked to get to know more patrons to secure their business. Their chats always started with asking where you were from, followed by polite small talk. He remembered the old driver from Taylemian who had taken him to their usual hangout, where they exchanged information... So sometimes, asking them about local matters gave clearer answers. “No,” Sean replied, then recalled something. “Do I look like someone posting a mission?”
The carriage woman chuckled. “Guest, you’re joking. Someone dressed like you wouldn’t be taking missions. I heard the Grand Duke and the Prince recently announced this year’s highest bounty mission, calling for people to scout the southeastern region... Strange, too—I haven’t seen a caravan from Takoma City in a long time.” When a region faced a collective incident, even caravans couldn’t escape it. “How long has it been?” Sean asked tentatively. “About half a month, I think. The last caravan I saw came from the northern area; none from Takoma City in a while,” the driver recalled.
So every trade had sensed something was wrong... This was probably why the Prince and Grand Duke were so open about it—rather than suppressing the news until it spiraled out of control, they directly issued a mission to show they were also in the dark. Sean glanced around the carriage; behind it were several bundles, with leather armor peeking out. “Are you selling that gear?” “Ah!” She turned back in surprise. “Guest, that’s a delivery—fresh from the master leatherworker, headed to an armor shop.” Sean pulled a stack of gold coins from his pouch... “This set, I’ll take it all for 500.”
A decent leather armor set could cost a hundred gold at most, depending on the materials for the accessories. The one before him was leather, with bracers and such, reinforced with iron plates on key parts like the chest, and ring-like closures that gave it a chainmail feel. “500?! Guest, you really want to buy it?” “Of course.” 500 could almost buy two or three similar sets—such generosity was hard to refuse. “Alright then, I’m quite familiar with the shop owner! I’ll let him know and have him wait a bit longer...” the driver said perfunctorily. Actually, the moment Sean offered to buy, her status had shifted to 【Eager!】—likely the armor shop was her home, and the owner might even be her husband. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have reacted that way. “Fine,” Sean said casually. He’d play along...
She then rambled on about the craftsmanship of the leather armor, hyping it up as top-notch. A steal, a great deal—which only reinforced Sean’s suspicion that her family ran the armor shop, with carriage driving as a side gig! As he left, she even asked for his address, saying she could bring new designs for him to see... “The Sky-Covering Wings headquarters,” Sean said, and walked off. Anyone living in Rietis surely knew of the Sky-Covering Wings!
On the carriage, Sean put on the leather armor... Since arriving in this world, he’d always worn noble attire. Though his clothes in Taylemian were a bit worn, after reaching Koga City, Igunia had picked out many suitable styles for him. He wasn’t bad-looking, so dressing up gave him some flair. But this was his first time in leather armor—it felt like something was cinching his body tight. Especially the leg guards and bracers...
Outside the Mercenary Guild, crowds were thick, people carrying greatswords and bows. Even Sean had strapped his pistol to the outside, trying to look a bit battle-ready. “Did you hear? Ugg and his crew are going on this mission too...” “Knew it ages ago. With that bounty, of course they’d go! Aren’t you?” “No way, I’m definitely going...”
Before he even stepped inside, he could hear the chatter outside. Unlike the mercenaries he’d seen in Taylemian, this lot was a mixed bag, including some noticeably sturdier Edac people. The Rietis Mercenary Guild was a hall shaped like a church—a wide, square building with doors everywhere, and the center was where missions were handled. It wasn’t raining today... so the place was packed, with even entry requiring a queue. Sean wanted to see how the mercenaries viewed the southeastern situation...
Following the crowd inside, the first thing that caught his eye was a large board at the front with a curtain. The top mission was reconnaissance in the Takoma region... Below was a list of requirements, and at the end, the reward amount. 5 million gold coins!! Holy crap. That was probably money he’d need 500 years to earn—these princes and dukes were way too rich. With such a massive bounty, the thousands or hundreds below paled in comparison, and most people around were discussing the southeastern Takoma region. Sean found a nearby spot and sat down.