"I heard Tacoma City is in crisis. Not long ago, the Prince and Grand Duke secretly dispatched over five thousand Black Feather Knights there."
"Is that so? I heard it's nearly ten thousand... and another five thousand were ambushed on the road, wiped out completely!"
Pfft~
Sean couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Hey! You, the short one, what are you laughing at?" The surroundings were so noisy, yet the other party actually heard him!
He waved his hand...
"I thought of something happy."
"What happy thing?" Almost everyone at the table turned to look at him, their faces clearly showing a [Very Unhappy!] expression.
You're allowed to spout nonsense, but I can't have a laugh?
Their abilities weren't high either—most were Order Keepers at levels 2 to 3, with health around 2000 to 3000. If he got into a fight with them, Sean felt it would just be a waste of mana.
"I got a new set of gear."
Everyone stared wide-eyed, and sure enough, it was a newly made leather armor set.
This immediately sparked laughter from the people around...
In the past few days, many nearby mercenaries had flocked to the two major cities, Rietis and Sadea, all to check out the bounty for this mission.
5 million gold coins!
Not only was it a massive fortune for mercenaries, but even in Sean's eyes, it was an amount he'd never seen before!
His annual allowance plus taxes, even if he sold off everything the Empire gave him, would only amount to about twenty thousand coins... and that was being optimistic. Five million meant how many years?
But not everyone was willing to take the risk; many were just there to watch the spectacle.
Such a high price meant the mission was special, and if most people headed to the southeastern Tacoma region, other tasks would be left open.
Mercenaries were profit-driven groups. Instead of splitting 5 million gold coins among so many, it was better to use this chance to sweep up the smaller tasks nearby.
So Sean had been watching for a while. Though many people came and went, the number of mercenaries actually accepting the mission to the southeast wasn't as high as he'd imagined... And at the Mercenary Guild, discussions about Tacoma City came in all sorts of versions, each more mysterious than the last.
What those guys just said was a pretty tame version...
There were even more absurd claims about an enemy invasion, suggesting the Empire wanted the mercenary corps to hold the line first!
If Sean hadn't known mercenary habits well, he might have believed it. Those guys, holding the line?
They had no sense of national pride. If someone really attacked, it would be good enough if they didn't side with the enemy. Counting on them was out of the question.
Yet despite all these wild rumors flying around, plenty of people still chose this mission...
"Hello there, friend."
While Sean was still observing the mission board, a voice suddenly spoke from behind him.
Sean turned to look.
It was a young warrior dressed in plate armor.
Above his head was [5000/5000, Neutral] with a [Scrutinizing!] status.
"Hello," Sean replied.
In fact, ever since he sat down in the Mercenary Guild, he'd noticed many people watching him. The prompts showed no fewer than a dozen observers, but it was precisely because of this environment that Sean didn't bother paying them much attention.
Anyone who walked in and lingered would probably get noticed!
"Can I help you?"
He watched as the other person slowly sat down in front of him.
"I noticed you've been eyeing the mission board for a while. I was wondering if you've found a mission you're interested in," the man probed.
Seeing the status above his head, Sean immediately understood what this guy was up to.
He was trying to recruit him...
He'd heard about similar situations from Lucille—she was recruited by the archaeological team leader, Kerry, and that's how she ended up in Taylemian, wanting to check the tomb for something she needed.
"Not yet, I'm still looking," Sean answered.
"Great! I've already put together a five-man team. If you're willing, how about joining us? We've been missing a hunter who can use firearms."
Hearing this, Sean instinctively touched the flintlock at his waist.
So that's why!
The guy must have seen his gun and assumed he was a hunter.
"Are you interested?" the man asked again.
Only then did Sean seriously size up the person in front of him... He looked young, probably around Sean's age. Anyone who could wear plate armor had a decent build, and he carried a long sword on his back.
According to what Kerry, the archaeological team leader, once said, the biggest clue to telling a guard from a mercenary was where they hung their weapon. Carrying it on the back made running easier and allowed for more gear, so most mercenaries slung their long swords behind them...
"I..."
Sean hesitated.
Honestly, he hadn't thought about heading to the southeast through a different route before, but the man's words suddenly struck a chord.
He was curious about what was happening in the southeast, but Freya and her group had been directly assigned there, and in their eyes, he was still mainly a noble with limited ability. Sean himself often suppressed his skills in front of them to make it easier to practice his magic proficiency.
Plus, the Black Feather Knights and the wizard corps were regular army, meant to face the enemy head-on.
Mercenaries, on the other hand, focused on survival—knowing when to take gains and when to cut losses and run.
That fit Sean's cautious style perfectly!
"Can I meet your team first?" Sean didn't immediately refuse or agree, but asked to see the group first.
Even the strongest person could be dragged down by bad teammates, so he wanted to check them out.
The man stood up instantly.
"Right, I forgot about that. We should get acquainted first."
"I'm Jonathan, a mercenary warrior who usually operates around Rietis..." He extended his hand.
"Sean, a bounty hunter from Cliffpeak City."
Without his surname, Sean's name was pretty common—probably because his previous generation lived in the isolated town of Taylemian. His name was like 'Li Wei' or 'Zhang Qiang' from his past life.
In Rietis, he could probably find hundreds of people with the same name.
"A bounty hunter!"
Hearing that, the man shot him an [Amazed!] look.
The reason Sean called himself a bounty hunter was mainly because he actually had something in his bag to prove it...
It was the item that dropped from that thief girl he encountered on his first night out of Koga City, at the airship rest area. He'd kept it ever since.
And Freya had said it was a bounty hunter's badge!