vstars Chapter 614 Become famous
Chapter 614 Become famous
After trekking for a while, the Eagle Group finally arrived at a small town.
From a distance, the town walls were low, but they stood out because of the densely packed shop signs. The signs of taverns, brothels, casinos, and opium dens fluttered in the wind. In front of one of the shops with a sign in Isu, a few ragged mercenaries were squatting on the steps, puffing away.
Griffith threw the reins to the approaching groom, turned around, and raised his chin to the mercenaries lined up behind him.
"Accommodation and meals will be arranged as previously agreed. We will be dismissed in half an hour."
"Oh, really, that Griffith guy..."
Gorkas squatted on the shaft of the carriage, picking at the dirt in the cracks in the wood with his rough fingers.
"Why did you invite in the man who killed our companion?"
His cheeks were puffed up like a toad, and he glanced at Guts who was whispering with Griffith not far away.
"But the mercenary group will be better if stronger people join in."
A boy with a blond mushroom head said this while fiddling with a brass gear crossbow in his hand.
"Rickett, you little brat, what do you know!"
Gorkas kicked the crossbow in Rickett's hand hard.
"I absolutely cannot let this man who killed our teammates live!"
He finished shouting at the top of his lungs and turned to look at the silent Bibin.
"What do you think, Bibin?"
Bibin adjusted the shoulder buckles of his leather armor expressionlessly, his eyes passing over Gorkas's shoulder and landing on Griffith and Guts who were walking side by side towards the town center in the distance.
"Where are you taking me?"
Gus's voice was hoarse and tired amidst the clamor of the street.
He followed Griffith into a narrow alley, where the smell of cheap ale from the taverns on both sides mixed with the stench of sweat hit him in the face.
"To relax, of course."
Griffith kept walking, with a faint smile on his face.
"There's a pub here, and the drinks are just what I like."
He pushed open the creaking wooden door, and the smell of mold and cheap perfume immediately came out.
The boss behind the counter was wiping the wine glass with a dirty rag. He looked up and saw Griffith's handsome face, and paused.
"Hey, Griffith, is the war over?"
The boss greeted me with a smile and took two glasses from the wine rack.
"Give me a glass of orange juice, and one for this person too..."
Griffith sat down against the counter and turned to look at Guts.
"water."
Gus was concise and to the point.
"Give him a glass of water."
Griffith added helplessly, slapping a few copper coins on the counter.
When the boss turned around to get his drink, he lowered his voice and asked:
"Do you have the latest copy of the Helderland Military News?"
"Yes, the Helderland newspaper in the city prints it on time every week. It's quite popular among mercenaries, so I arranged for someone to order a copy there. Of course, I saved one for you."
The boss pulled out a crumpled newspaper from the counter drawer, with oil stains on the edges of the paper.
Gus stared at the densely packed text on the newspaper, his brows knitted into knots:
"what is this?"
"The newspaper, don't you know?"
Griffith took the newspaper and unfolded it. The front page was printed with the words "Helderland Military News" in large letters.
"It contains reports on the surrounding battles. For mercenaries, it will clearly show which areas have advantages, so that we can fight against the right country and win the battle."
"I can't read very well, so this newspaper is of no use to me."
Guts reached out to push the newspaper back, but Griffith held him down.
"I can teach you. While you're recovering, you can learn to read and write in our mercenary group's literacy class."
Griffith flipped to the foreign section and pointed to the title of the foreign section, "Mitran-Yuda War".
"Look, it says here..."
Gus took a closer look, and the ant-like words on the page made his temples throb.
Griffith quickly scanned the key points and handed the newspaper back to the boss:
"Do you know what's going on in Rona Territory?"
"Lona Territory?"
The boss paused as he wiped the wine glass.
"The war over there has never stopped. I've hosted mercenaries who retreated there before, and they all said it was hell on earth. Mitlan and Yoda killed people there in a bloody massacre, and the blood even dyed the river red."
"Then do you know which side has the upper hand right now?"
"I don't know. Those mercenaries are just temporary workers. How would they understand these things?"
The boss shook his head, folded the newspaper carefully and put it back in the drawer.
"Okay, thanks."
Griffith left the copper coins on the counter and dragged Guts out.
"Go back to camp."
The next morning, the tent in the center of the camp was packed with leaders. Griffith spread out a yellowed sheepskin map and pointed at the area marked "Rhôna Territory":
"There's no war here for now, and the commissions are enough. We've completed the accumulation phase, and the next step is to become famous."
"So I suggest going to Rona!"
"Then we follow that country."
Jiedu asked.
"Yoda, of course."
Gorkas spoke first.
"The Yoda people are gaining momentum right now. We will definitely reap benefits by following them."
Griffith shook his head and ran his finger across the winding battle lines on the map:
"I choose Mitlan. Yoda and Mitlan are currently locked in a stalemate in Rona Territory. Mitlan has built a fortress, and Yoda lacks artillery to break through the defenses."
"And now, we are trying to make a name for ourselves by defeating the strong with the weak and with the few. Only by doing so can we gain a reputation and be respected by the Midland officers and nobles."
"Besides that, most of us here are from Midland. We can serve as mercenaries and volunteers under the pretext of defending Midland. The people will also favor us. With this two-pronged approach, the Windam executives who are paying attention to the war here will sooner or later notice us."
The tent fell silent. Guts stared at the crisscrossing arrows on the map. Although he couldn't understand the strategic terms, Griffith's words about "building a reputation" and "popular favor" sounded much more reliable than the boasts of his former captain, "Follow me and you'll have a good time."
"So, I decided to go to Rona Territory immediately."
Griffith looked around at everyone.
"Any comments?"
Seeing that no one objected, Griffith immediately gave the order for everyone to set off. Half an hour later, the Eagle Regiment packed up and set off.
Two days later, they passed through the war zone and entered Rona Territory. Rotting corpses and the smell of blood filled every inch of the air. Griffith led his men around the core of the war zone and headed straight for the small town behind the Midland occupied area.
After entering the city, Griffith took Guts and others into the busiest tavern.
As soon as I pushed open the door, the turbid air mixed with the sour smell of beer and sweat hit me in the face. Mercenaries were shouting in groups of three or five, some were snoring on the table, and some were cursing over the wins and losses of the dice.
"Boss, do you have a mercenary contract?"
Griffith walked up to the counter.
The boss looked him up and down:
"You're late. All the good contracts have been snatched up by the big mercenary groups. Come back next week."
Griffith took out a few silver coins:
"I just want a contract to go to the front line. The salary doesn't matter to me."
"There are still people like this?"
The boss lowered his voice after taking the money.
"I remind you, everything I'm going to say next is true... Many nobles in the castles ahead are almost unable to hold on. Yoda's army is about to attack with artillery, and the Midlan army hasn't arrived yet. Whoever accepts this commission will be courting death."
Griffith's expression remained unchanged:
"Exactly where?"
……
"I've already told you, sir, no mercenary group will come at this price."
In the dark night, on a castle in Rona's territory, a noble was walking back and forth on the city wall. The butler beside him tried to persuade him:
"How about you add some more money?"
"Then I have to have money too!"
The nobleman said angrily:
"These guys chose to fight near me when there were so many other places to go. The Yoda army plundered once, then the mercenaries came again, and then the Midlan army showed up too. I can't even collect taxes!"
"Then, sir, if it's really impossible, you should pack up and leave immediately. Didn't the Midlan army warn us earlier that the Yoda army will attack in the next two days, and they have a lot of artillery. I'm afraid we can't hold it."
"Damn it!"
The noble slapped the battlement with his hand, and the pain made him jump up and shake his hand off.
"Even when Yoda's million-strong army was approaching, I never gave up. Now I have to flee from the castle that has been passed down for hundreds of years. It's really..."
"master!"
At this moment, an attendant climbed up the city wall and said:
"A mercenary group has arrived, saying they want to take on the commission you posted."