Thales' brain was in chaos, and he was wrapped in a blanket. He had just regained some energy and felt as if he had just been fished out of ice water.
Sword seller...
what is that?
He stared blankly at the triumphant fast rope.
At this moment, a loud and powerful female voice came from behind Thales: "Mercenary."
"We are mercenaries. As for 'sellsword', that's what some people call us. It may be intuitive, vivid, and easy to understand, but except for newcomers who have just entered the industry, we generally don't call ourselves that, just like businessmen.
They won’t call themselves ‘those who want money’, apprentices won’t call themselves ‘fools’, and women who can’t find men and men who can’t find women won’t call themselves ‘unwanted’.”
Kuai Rope, a rookie who had just joined the industry, suddenly looked droopy and made a face at Thales.
Thales couldn't help but notice that although the other party spoke Common Tongue, his pronunciation was difficult and his pronunciation was high-pitched. Many of the accents and accents were very different from the Common Tongue of the North that he was familiar with, and it did not match the accent of Yongxing City in his impression.
Number.
He turned his head.
Three lightly-armed warriors with their heads covered and quick movements appeared in his field of vision, stepping on the gravel under their feet, dusty and dusty. Others saw their figures and gave way.
They walked into the bonfire and one by one took off their masks and hoods to protect themselves from the wind and sand:
A young man with slightly darker skin, his entire face painted with black lines of unknown meaning, carrying two criss-crossed scimitars on his back, with a handle exposed from each shoulder, looking at Thales with eyes full of
Be alert; a gray-haired and somewhat mature warrior put down a scary war hammer with a hammer head and spikes, and looked at the warm bonfire comfortably between his beard.
Finally, there is the owner of the loud female voice.
She is a chestnut-haired female warrior of medium height, with straight and simple features but a bit of weather. Her back is straight while holding a bow and arrow, and her bandaged arm is always pressed on the sword at her waist.
The three of them walked into the small camp together, and each found a comfortable seat next to the campfire and sat down. The middle-aged warrior from Zhongchui happily touched Kuaisheng's hair, which made the latter protest with dissatisfaction.
"By the way, I'm Luisa Dent."
The female warrior Louisa who spoke put down her long bow, untied the sword from her waist, and grinned gently at the weak Thales: "I'm glad to see you woke up, kid. You're lucky that you're not alone.
Anyone can survive in the desert."
Her smile is bright and gentle, which makes people feel good.
Thales was stunned for a moment, then gave her a grateful smile.
mercenary.
He has heard of these people. In fact, he has encountered similar people. Six years ago, when he first arrived at Mindis Hall, there was a small team of people who were instructed (or deceived) by the Duke of Iris to test the king's late night.
The royal family and property they visited all died.
But that's it.
There are many people in the messy lower town of Yongxing City who are willing to sell their unusual labor in unusual and often illegal forms for a few silver coins: debt collectors, prostitutes, pickpockets, killers, liars, bounty hunters, as long as
It does not affect the protection fee and does not cause trouble. The Underworld Brotherhood often turns a blind eye to their own people taking private jobs. Even the sixth house where Thales is located once took over the job of heckling in the street for a few copper coins.
.
But within the high walls of the majestic royal capital, Thales had never seen the pinnacle of this profession, those who sold violence purely for money, full-time mercenaries who only appeared in bards and rumors.
It is said that they generally only run around and take risks in remote rural areas far away from the king's law, in unstable border areas, or in war-torn countries where war is in full swing, looking for employers, pointing their swords at those who have no grievances and no enmity, and then
Take bloody rewards from the powerful.
In Longxiao City, where the folk customs are strong and martial, there are even fewer mercenaries: in a place where almost all men in their prime have served in the military and are proud of killing enemies and fighting, even an old man in his seventies can wield a big ax fiercely.
Who would be willing to rely on a stranger's weapon if he wields it for ten rounds?
Yongxing City, which is the political center, does not need mercenaries, and Longxiao City, which does its own work, does not need mercenaries either.
But here...
Thales stared at the equipment of these people, which were of all lengths and suitable for both near and far. They were completely different from the professional or conscripted soldiers who pursued a single function.
He slowly turned his head and looked at the dangerous desert under the howling cold wind, at the several bonfires with people in the distance, at the unknown darkness outside his field of vision, and at the camels knelt and resting in a circle outside the camp.
Team, suddenly understood something.
"So?" The female warrior took off her sword, patted the sand on her body, and looked at him expectantly.
Thales came back to his senses and looked at the other party politely: "So what?"
"I told you my name, boy, as a courtesy and in return..."
Louisa smiled as usual.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
"I am"
Only then did Thales react. He hurriedly pushed himself to the ground and tried to sit up, but his eyesight went dark and his arms went limp.
"Whoa, whoa, take it easy," Kuaisheng quickly caught Thales who was about to fall, put him down gently, and said with a fuss:
"You can't stand up yet. When you were found, you were lying face down in the middle of the road. Half of your body was buried in the yellow sand. You looked like an inconspicuous piece of sandstone. If Dean hadn't had sharp eyes, a
There are twenty-three Bactrian camels in the team, each weighing **100 pounds, and they will almost trample over you!"
"Relax, kid," the old hammer-wielding warrior stroked his beard, "you're out of danger, and we have all night to hear you introduce yourself."
Thales glanced at him gratefully, then turned to Louisa: "I am...my name..."
The prince couldn't help but be stunned.
It's been a long time since he introduced himself to a stranger in a serious manner. In fact, he didn't need to introduce himself whether it was his time as a beggar or his time as a prince: in the former, no one cared about his name, and in the latter, he didn't need to introduce himself.
No one knows his name.
Looking at the curious eyes of several other people, as well as their strange and alienated looks, Thales couldn't help but feel a strange sense of absurdity.
"Waiya," his voice sounded weakly beside the campfire:
"My name is Wyatt."
Several other people looked at each other.
"So, Waia," Louisa stared at him intently: "How did you end up in the desert?"
Thales tried his best to look credible.
"I...I have bad luck, in fact, very bad luck."
Thales sighed: "My father, when he was still alive, he was a somewhat powerful man. Unfortunately, he made enemies in the North. When he could no longer protect me, the enemies
Several thugs with bad tempers and sharp knives were sent to look for me one after another, so I had no choice but to run away and flee south."
"They forced me all the way into the desert."
Thales knew that he looked bad, but he also knew that the other party must have seen his luggage. He must have a good reason to explain why a fourteen-year-old boy would enter alone with a crossbow and a dagger.
Great desert.
What's more, they saved their own lives.
Luisa looked at the warrior with the hammer and nodded to each other.
"Wow, it can make you so scared that you run away to the desert," Kuaisheng's eyes lit up: "Your enemies, they must hate you very much."
Thales nodded silently and said sadly: "I didn't expect life in the desert to be so difficult. I couldn't survive even four or five days."
"enemy."
Thales raised his head curiously and found that the interjection was the young warrior with black lines all over his face. He was sitting by the fire, staring coldly at the prince and wiping his blade.
"So you have enemies chasing you, of course, and trouble always follows." He said softly, expressionless.
Thales didn't know how to answer for a moment.
"You can put away your fierce face, Mikey." Louisa glanced at the black-striped man named Mikey dissatisfiedly, seeming to have a problem with his attitude: "I know what you are worried about. This child is not good.
He will be an undercover agent or a spy for the Sand Bandits."
Thales was shocked.
The man wiping his scimitar paused slightly.
"No, you don't know my worries," McGee's face became serious: "If you knew, we wouldn't be hired by that profiteer and we wouldn't come here."
"Dean knows, but he doesn't listen to me."
Louisa raised her lips.
Thales watched their argument curiously.
The bearded warrior in his prime laughed and raised his hands to smooth things over: "Relax, man, there's no need to keep a sullen face all day long."
He turned to Mikey and pointed at the weak Thales.
"But you saw it, McGee, he almost died there. No band of sand pirates would let a kid who was dying of thirst be a spy. There's nothing to rob in Tomdin's caravan. We'll be safe."
In fact, we didn’t meet any Sand Bandits or Exiles along the way, and you know why.”
Thales smiled weakly.
Mikey snorted.
"That's what I'm worried about."
"Mortals try to use their power to interfere in the desert, but the desert god never forgives." Mikey's eyes became more and more solemn, and he glanced at the sky: "This means: we are in trouble."
Thales made a move.
The old warrior laughed loudly.
"Ignore McGee, he's just like that. The locals always have some prejudice against travelers and they are always nagging." The bearded warrior snorted nonchalantly and turned to Thales: "Let's talk about other interesting things.
Something about..."
Thales was stunned.
He glanced at McGee.
native?
At this moment.
"So, you are a noble from the North, and you were forced to flee to the desert?" Louisa said calmly.
"You know, your accent is very Northern."
"Um, that's right?" Thales answered carefully.
Yes, that was all he could say, and his six years of experience in Longxiao City allowed him to master the Northern accent easily without even trying to imitate it.
The old warrior on one side laughed: "Very good, Northlanders, I like Northlanders the most... Maybe we should let Dean come and talk to his fellow Northlanders..."
At this moment, Kuaisheng slapped his thigh!
"noble!"
Kuaisheng rubbed his hands excitedly, his eyes shining.
"Very good! We can talk about remuneration now," he looked at Thales happily, with a smile on his face: "You know, Mr. Huai Ya, I saved your life from being buried in the sand.
"
Thales was slightly startled.
"Yes, thank you."
But at the same time, he noticed that Louisa, the middle-aged warrior, including the young man with black stripes on his face, all rolled their eyes outward.
I saw Kuaisheng straightening up with a proud look on his face.
"So, according to the rules in the desert, I saved you."
"That is to say, I will automatically own all your property, including your personal ownership," Kuaisheng coughed, put his hands on his hips and said seriously: "So, Huaiya, you are mine now."
Thales was stunned for a moment.
"do you understand?"
The next moment, a palm as big as a pot lid violently slapped the back of Kuaisheng's head from behind!
Snapped!
"Ah!" Kuai Rope's scream even startled a camel in the distance.
Seeing the howling of the fast rope, Louisa and the strong-aged warrior all laughed, and even the sullen McGee raised the corners of his mouth.
Thales looked at the person who appeared behind the fast rope in surprise.
"If this brat continues to talk such nonsense, you will be right to deal with him like this."
A familiar and experienced voice joined the conversation.
The bald man whom he had met before returned to the camp with a cold face and sat down next to Louisa. Following him was a strong man with a mustache, carrying a big sword with both hands on his back, and silent.
The rest of the people made room for them, obviously they were all on the same team.
Kuaisheng raised his head with tears in his eyes: "Dean! What I said is not wrong. The rescuer has the right..."
Bald Dean snorted from his nose and interrupted him: "But this is a desert, not the sea, and you are not the one who saved him."
"Ignore him," Louisa sighed, retracting her gaze from the painful fast rope, and shaking her head apologetically to Thales: "This rookie was a sailor before he entered the industry. That's why we like to call him fast.
He doesn't know anything about ropes, but he always likes to bring the rules of the sea here."
Quick Rope raised his hands in protest.
"But... the sea made of sand can be considered a kind of sea, right?"
Quick Rope, who looked aggrieved, received a piece of bread thrown in his face by the warrior with the hammer.
Thales watched the fight of this group of people blankly.
The old warrior wielding a hammer showed yellow teeth in his beard and smiled at Thales: "Hello, strange Huai Ya... you can call me Old Hammer, because I am responsible for swinging the hammer in the team."
Thales nodded.
"The one with the stinky face is Mikey. You should see the way he wields his two swords. He is our clairvoyant and guide." Mikey, the man with black stripes snorted softly.
"And I believe you have seen Quick Rope. This Camus sailor is responsible for telling jokes..."
"Hey!" Kuai Rope tried hard to break away from Old Hammer's big hand and protested:
"Jokes are also important, okay!"
Old Hammer ignored it and pressed the bread into Kuaisheng's mouth.
"You know Dean, the silent man sitting next to Dean is 'Hearthfire', a strong man from the thorny land, who is responsible for killing people." Hearthfire, the man carrying a two-handed sword on his back, nodded to him.
Thales greeted them friendly.
"There are five other guys on duty outside, and this lively girl in front of me..."
The poor Quick Rope pulled the bread out of his mouth with all his strength, took the old hammer's words, threw his arms towards Louisa, and said vividly:
"Louisa Dent!"
"We are beautiful, cute, capable of fighting, and charming. Unfortunately, we have a captain with a bad temper!"
Louisa's face blushed slightly.
Thales raised his eyebrows.
Kuaisheng looked at his somewhat embarrassed captain, then turned to the bald man, his eyes rolling:
"And Big Dean, we are beautiful, cute, good at fighting, and charming. Unfortunately, the captain with a bad temper wants to marry him in his dreams!"
The next second.
"ah!"
Luisa's wrist guard hit Quick Rope's forehead hard.
"Shut up." Luisa twisted her face fiercely, gritted her teeth and stared at the fast rope.
Thales saw that everyone else lowered their heads and did their own work as if they had not heard this: the old hammer started picking at his beard again, the fire continued to drink his water, and McGee finished wiping the second knife and started again.
He went back to wipe the first one, and Bald Dean, one of the protagonists of the dispute, coughed awkwardly.
"Did I said wrong thing?"
Quick Rope raised his head dissatisfied: "You are our leader and captain, the beloved Louisa."
"No one can deny that you formed this team, and Dean never objected to carrying 'Dante's Great Sword'."
Louisa's face turned darker.
"You know, that's not what I'm talking about."
"Then which one do you think I'm talking about?"
Flying from the air in response to the quick rope was another wrist guard from Louisa.
Thales stared at their interaction.
He suddenly felt that the great desert was not all that terrible.
Dante's great sword.
Thales nodded, chewing on the name of this mercenary team.
Therefore, that female warrior is the leader of these mercenaries, named after her.
But……
During the commotion, Dean coughed again and his eyes returned to Thales.
"Eat something, you have just recovered," he handed a piece of bread and a water bag to Thales: "Water can extend life, but it cannot fill the stomach."
Thales took the food thoughtfully and reluctantly showed a grateful smile: "Thank you."
The man looked at Thales and smiled: "Don't worry, Huaiya, we have kept your things well. There is a certain profiteer in our luggage who really wants to swallow your wallet and crossbow."
, but we stopped him."
Dean pouted at another bonfire. Beside the fire, a man dressed in a rustic style was haggling with others with a fierce look on his face.
Thales hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"thank you all."
"You saved my life, I will repay you."
"I swear I will."
Kuaisheng's face lit up: "Ah, I knew you were a good friend, Huaiya, Lisuo and I..."
His mouth was stuffed with bread again by the old hammer.
"But where are you going?"
Thales took a bite of bread and looked at the faces of these people, feeling wary: "Actually, can I hire you?"
The mercenaries looked at each other.
The prince tentatively said: "I mean, I have several relatives in the Kingdom of Stars, and they are very rich..."
The mercenaries looked at each other again, and this time, Thales saw worry in their eyes.
Only Kuaisheng's expression changed, and he hesitated in the bread in surprise.
Mikey stretched out his hand expressionlessly and stuffed the bread in his mouth tighter.
"Stars?" The man with black stripes snorted.
Louisa moved her eyebrows and smiled: "You know, Huaiya, we have taken over a business and want to send this caravan to..."
But the bald Dean raised his hand gently, and Louisa immediately stopped talking.
Thales noticed this detail.
Dean sighed and looked at Thales calmly and shrewdly.
"Listen, Wyatt, I can see that you have concerns."
He was straightforward: "Don't worry, we won't touch your property or endanger your life."
Thales was shocked.
"This is a big desert, so I won't ask about your last name and origin, including how you made enemies. We are not interested in those, and they can't chase you here. It's just a duty in the desert to save you," Dean
Touching the stubble on his face:
"So you can rest assured."
Thales frowned slightly.
Dean's words obviously had a lot of authority in the team. As soon as he said this, even McGee, who was quite hostile to him, said nothing more.
With only a quick rope, he finally pulled out the bread and raised his hands with a sad face:
"What about our reward?"
No one paid attention to him.
"I just want to ask about a few other things," Dean said seriously: "Waiya, you came down from the north."
Thales was a little confused and nervous:
"right?"
Dean was seen pondering, pressing his fingers on his knees, while the others patiently waited for his questions.
"And you didn't encounter the army of stars along the way?"
Thales frowned.
"No."
Dean's face changed slightly: "Exter and Xingchen... didn't fight in the desert?"
"No," Thales said lightly, "At least I didn't see it."
"Didn't you meet the Sand Bandit?"
"No."
As soon as these words came out, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"It looks like the road ahead is smooth," Luisa said happily: "Guys, we are lucky to be on the right track."
Kuai Sheng smiled and punched Old Hammer, but was pushed around by the latter's force.
Thales looked at them doubtfully, not quite understanding.
But Dean seemed very cautious, and he continued to ask: "But you...haven't encountered the tribe gathering in the oasis?"
"I didn't see many oases or tribes."
"No trace of the exiles?"
"What is an exile?"
"I haven't met Grayskin either? I mean the orcs."
"No, I'm the only one from beginning to end."
Faced with Thales' question, Dean said nothing.
"Strange, the desert shouldn't be so peaceful," Dean murmured, "I have to discuss it with Tomdin again..."
"What's wrong?" Louisa asked with concern.
Dean shook his head: "It's okay, I hope it's just my unnecessary worry."
He seemed to have finally finished asking and nodded to the others.
"So, can you...send me to the stars?" The prince looked at Dean, knowing that he was the backbone of this team: "It doesn't have to be too far, just to the Western Wilderness, to Blade Tooth Sand Dunes."
"As I said, I have relatives there..."
Others laughed.
"What a coincidence, poor Huai Ya," Old Hammer smiled slightly: "We just came out of the Blade Tooth Sand Dunes a few days ago, and that is the territory of the stars."
"Obviously, we won't be going back so soon."
Thales's heart was heavy: "Even if... I promise you a high salary? The Casso family can..."
Dean shook his head.
This time, it was Louisa who answered Thales.
The female captain sighed: "You have to talk to Tomdin about this. He is our employer, and this is also his caravan, and I guarantee that he will not agree, no matter how much money is spent, just like us."
"Why?"
"Well, let's put it this way," the female captain shrugged, tilted her head, and looked around: "The day before our departure, the Star Talents had just issued a ban at the Blade Ya Camp: Within a month, no one is allowed to
Entering the great desert.”
Thales was startled.
Ban of the Stars.
So that’s…
Louisa shook her head: "Obviously, they want to send troops into the desert to fight, no matter who they fight, just like the desert war nine years ago, and the purge battles from time to time after that."
"Anyone?" Thales thought about the words: "But you still came in?"
"Yes," Louisa coughed, "and do you know why?"
Thales responded with a confused look.
"Business, Huaiya, business!" Kuaisheng rushed to answer, beaming:
"Sep Tomdin, that damn profiteer wants to take advantage of the ban to secretly make a fortune in the desert. The blocked trade routes mean higher prices for goods and more profitable long-distance business!"
McGee, who remained silent, raised his head: "There are greater risks."
Thales narrowed his eyes in confusion.
Dean sighed and explained: "I know you want to see your relatives quickly and escape the threat, Wyatt, but..."
The bald man touched his stubble and sighed:
"Once you encounter the army of the stars, Tomdin will no longer want to keep his goods, and he himself will go to jail. And we who are hired by him, 'Dante's Great Sword', no matter how lucky we are, we will have a lot of money."
A fine will be imposed, and if you are unlucky, you will be kicked out of the Blade Tooth Camp, and you will no longer have to accept business there, nor will you need to accept business related to there."
Thales couldn't help but frown.
so……
"So," Dean said calmly: "Do you think, whether we are employers or our team, we will still be willing to return to the stars before the ban is lifted, and even deal with the officials of the stars?"
Thales figured it out and sighed.
"Then... you, where are you going?"
Dean and Louisa looked at each other.
A second later, Dean lowered his head and smiled:
"Now, apart from the increasingly tense Freedom Alliance and Qiyuan City, there is only one place left. It is the place where caravans who venture across the desert from the stars can make the most profits."