As the curfew time approaches, there are fewer and fewer guests in the tavern. The blood-whistle mercenaries come to "my house" in twos and threes. It seems that they are going to get drunk tonight.

Dante's swordsmen came down from upstairs one after another. Louisa and Old Hammer said hello to Thales and left. Seaman and McGee ignored him and walked straight out of the tavern.

When Dean went downstairs, he was stopped by the blood whistler.

"Hey, Dean," Ricky snapped his fingers and raised his glass to the bald mercenary: "I heard you guys are in trouble outside?"

These words attracted everyone's attention.

"In normal times, I would probably say that we are 'okay,'" Dean said as he walked down the stone stairs step by step, looking quite solemn: "But now... I guess denying it doesn't make much sense."

He glanced at the two serious mercenaries beside Ricky.

"Yes," Dean said calmly, "We are in trouble."

The mercenaries in the tavern were silent. They looked at each other worriedly or doubtfully.

Ricky frowned.

"So the rumors are true?"

"Williams and his vicious dogs are out again... What is it this time, the second purge campaign? Go north to fight the Exeters? Support the Free Alliance? Or is the King of the Stars displeased with the Tower of the End?

Determined to take them out? Do you think they might hire the Centurion to fight? Or just capture the death squads in the Bone Cage?"

When Thales listened to Ricky's description of the Baron and the Stardust Guards, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

Obviously, the mercenaries have limited affection for the Baron of the Blade Tooth Camp.

"I don't know, but if I tell you," Dean shook his head, "they are serious this time."

"As for hiring...I don't think they're short of major generals, Ricky."

With a warning on his face, Dean looked around at his colleagues with blood whistles: "Even the 'Blood Whistle' can't withstand the charge of just ten armed cavalry, and I think they have at least a thousand cavalry as fast as a horse.

When it comes to it, they don't care which side you're on."

Ricky was silent for a while and looked at each other with his friends.

"One Thousand Riders..."

"I'll keep it in mind that we've all been having a bad time recently," Ricky shook his head and pointed at the bar: "What to drink? Rye? Old beer? Blood grapes? Don't tell me it's Chaka..."

But Dean just waved his hand and refused: "No, we have experienced enough these days."

Ricky lowered his finger.

"Dean, you know, if you feel..." He looked at Dean seriously and raised the corners of his mouth: "The blood whistle welcomes you at any time, we are about to move, and we are lacking someone who can be the captain... maybe

Higher?"

Dean spread his hands, and it could be seen that this was not the first time he encountered this kind of conversation: "Thank you, but... I have a captain."

Ricky chuckled.

"Taking orders from a woman, Dean," the blood-honking mercenary smiled and took a sip of wine: "You will die in her hands one day."

The mercenaries nearby cheered one after another: "Maybe he died 'on top' of her?"

"Or 'inside'?"

People in the whole tavern burst out laughing.

Dean just shook his head indifferently, waved goodbye to Ricky, and came to Thales.

"Is it over?" Thales put down his wine glass and raised his head and asked.

Dean sighed and nodded.

"Probably, it's not a happy team conversation. We've lost too much."

"What about you, Huaiya?" the mercenary asked: "Do you have any clues about your family?"

"Probably," Thales exhaled and answered him in the same tone, "I'll familiarize myself with the environment, deal with some things, and set out to find them tomorrow."

"Handling things... sounds good," Dean raised his eyebrows: "What about tonight?"

"I don't know yet, maybe I can ask Tampa for a bed," Thales said, giving Tampa a sharp look: "As long as I have enough money."

Tampa bares her teeth happily.

Dean laughed too.

"You heard it too, the blood whistle filled the entire tavern," the bald mercenary looked at the people in "my house": "Come with me, we rented a small house nearby, which used to be the team's temporary residence.

It’s a station, but...it will at least allow you to survive for one night."

Looking at Dean's expression, Thales' heart moved.

His fists slowly clenched and then unclenched.

Thales smiled: "That sounds good. Anyway, I don't have anywhere to go?"

Dean raised his hand, indicating that they could leave.

Thales walked down from the bar and picked up his luggage.

"Hey, Dean," Thales shook his head towards Tampa, turned back and said seriously: "Thank you."

"For...everything from the desert to here."

Dean looked at him for a few seconds.

"You're welcome, I'm planning for myself," Dean looked at him and said in a joking tone: "You are a nobleman, maybe quite rich, right?"

Thales smiled.

"But before that..."

Dean frowned and looked to the other side of the pub: "Why did he drink so much?"

Thales followed his line of sight: Quick Rope was walking staggeringly and stumbled down on a table, attracting unkind looks from the guests.

"We have encountered too many deserts." Thales sighed slightly.

"Yeah," Dean frowned more and more, "for a newbie who is joining the tour for the second time."

When the group of guests were about to roll up their sleeves and give Quick Rope an unforgettable night, Dean turned and walked towards him.

"Come on, help me."

"Can't leave him here."

Thales shrugged and walked forward.

A few hours later, Thales was lying upright in the cabin belonging to Dante's sword, feeling the comfort of the hard bed and staring blankly at the moonlight outside the window.

The mercenaries' station is indeed not very good. There are four beds in a small room, clay walls, thatched roofs, sand and dust cobwebs everywhere, and the fence door seems to fall apart when pushed and pulled, even outside the house.

The simple toilet reminded Thales of the time in the abandoned house.

But at least it's better than sleeping in the wild.

Ten meters away, the sound of the fast rope's heavy breathing could be heard slowly, mixed with some drunken talk and sleep talking from time to time.

Dean was sleeping in another room next door. Old Hammer went to find his old buddies whom he hadn't seen for a long time. He was probably going to drink until dawn. McGee never liked being in crowds. There were only a few desolate bones in the camp and they were highly hostile.

People have their own places to go, and as for Louisa, according to Dean, she went back to live with her mother and stepfather.

Thales took a deep breath.

Unbelievably, he escaped from Longxiao City and passed through the great desert. Although it was only a short section on the outer edge, he experienced the black path, the meteorites, the dead crows, and even hunger, loneliness, heat, cold, orcs and mercenaries, and finally

Arriving at the territory of Star Kingdom.

He is back.

Thales looked at the desolate moonlight over the desert border and felt the rare tranquility of the Blade Tooth Camp during the curfew time.

Quick Rope turned over and fell to the bottom of the bed, but he still muttered something and did not wake up.

Thales let out a sigh of relief and sat up.

In the hell sense, Dean's breathing in the dream can be clearly heard next door.

In the darkness, he watched the outline of the fast rope spread out in a complicated "k" shape on the floor, smiled and shook his head.

This group of people.

Mercenaries.

What kind of life is that?

Thales thought blankly.

The prince took two slow breaths. In the next second, he grabbed the luggage and time crossbow by the wall and stood up gently.

He carefully stepped over Quick Rope's body, opened the door without making a sound, walked through the shabby little hall, and opened another door.

In front of him, a sturdy bald man crossed his arms and lay on his side on the bed, his chest rising and falling evenly, and his breathing making a slight sound.

He slept soundly, unlike the fast rope next door.

Thales closed the door and walked to this man's bed.
To be continued...