Mercenary Wars

Chapter 154 Scapegoat

This is not a stone statue, at least it never was, but a goat that drank a fossil-infused solution.

These goats are special animals domesticated by humans specifically to create guardian stones. They have short lifespans and their purpose in life is to consume fossilizing agents and then die in a petrified state, transforming into a goat-shaped guardian stone worth thousands of times more than in life, thus achieving a leap in the value of the goat's life.

Since the uses of the Guardian Stone are mostly related to "protection," whenever one of these goats dies, it means that someone will be protected, as if their death is some kind of sacrifice or someone else's fault.

So they got a name that was originally just a nickname—scapegoat.

With the death of Master Yemen and the fall of the Guardian Stone, the protective barrier naturally dissipated, and the yellow light curtain surrounding the watchtower quickly dissipated.

The battle outside is also nearing its end.

After all, the time from breaching the watchtower to the opening of the defensive barrier is actually very short. Most of the raiders did not manage to rush into the watchtower in time, but remained outside. With their huge numerical advantage, they fought against the sentries outside the watchtower and quickly won the battle.

Therefore, it can be said that the raiders achieved a resounding victory in this sentry battle.

Without a doubt, Jarrell deserves the greatest credit for this victory.

Without his swift and decisive attack, there would have been no eighteen raiders who stormed the watchtower; perhaps only ten or even fewer, or perhaps no one dared to charge at all.

Surprisingly, Jarrell was still alive and retained some consciousness.

So when the commander arrived beside him with a group of raiders, he hurriedly tried to lift his head slightly, blood still spilling from his mouth, and said, "Commander... my son will become a knight... won't he?"

The commander solemnly declared, "In the name of Mosa, I assure you that your son will be a glorious knight with his own fief, serving the Duke of Nordanron."

“I won my bet… finally…” Jarrell’s bloodied and mangled face revealed a barely perceptible smile, his voice gradually fading until it disappeared into silence.

The air also fell silent.

People almost uniformly held their weapons in front of them—like solemn tombstones, heads bowed in silence, expressing their mourning.

After a while, the commander ordered, "Give Jarell's body a quick wash and wrap it up. We will bury him with knightly honors."

Several raiders nearby stepped forward and lifted Jarel's body.

This is not an easy task.

Not to mention Jarel's enormous size, his body was severely damaged due to the intense battle and the side effects of those potent drugs, covered in bloody cracks that stained the surrounding ground with blood.

Therefore, the group worked together for half a day to complete the initial cleaning of the body and wrap it in a shroud.

During this process, several vials of medicine fell from Jarell's body, attracting everyone's attention.

The medicine comes in three colors: yellow, red, and cyan.

"Huh, what are these medicines?" a soldier asked as he bent down to pick them up.

"do you know?"

"do not know."

"I know, it's called 'Cystron Potion', a potion that can make people stronger quickly."

"Sythlon? A strange name." People murmured. "Can it really make people stronger quickly?" "I'm not entirely sure either, why don't you give it a try?"

"Try it if you want, but this isn't a potion. Even if it really makes someone stronger, it will definitely have serious side effects. My friend Chris told me about a similar potion that turns people into monsters with sharp horns on their heads, makes their voices sound like awful croaks, and can even make someone as stupid as an ogre. It's terrifying!"

“These Sithron potions are said to be made by a mysterious ‘alien apothecary,’ and they’re very popular in places like the black market.” The speaker suddenly remembered something and turned to continue, “By the way, Gao Jiano, I remember you’re an apothecary, right?”

"Yes, that's right..."

"Have you ever heard of this alien pharmacist?"

“Never heard of it.” Gao Jiano shook his head, his face expressionless. “I’m a pharmacist in the mercenary group. I just complete my tasks routinely every day. I know very little about this kind of thing.”

The crowd continued their discussion.

Gao Jiano fell silent for a moment, his gaze lingering on the bottles of Sislon potion for a brief instant.

Others may have limited knowledge of this stuff, but he knows it all too well. In fact, it's almost fair to say that no one understands Cisalpine better than him.

Therefore, the moment he saw several bottles of Syslon, he understood Jarrell's strange behavior.

Jarrell has undoubtedly used the Sithron serum, and not just one or two bottles, which is why his strength is so outstanding among those of the same level.

It was precisely because he had used so many Sithron drugs that his lifespan was running out, which made him eager to die in battle and drive him to fight desperately.

After all, since I'm going to die anyway, a glorious death is better than a silent one.

Besides, there's the chance to win a knighthood for his son; anyone would do that.

Jarel's plan had succeeded; he had died a glorious death in the battle against the heretics, and his son had become a nobleman as a result. It was foreseeable that young Jarel would no longer have to struggle for a living, as his father had already taken care of everything for him.

Looking at Jarrell wrapped in a shroud, Gaugano couldn't help but wonder if he should continue making the Sithron potion.

The reason he initially wanted to create the Cisron potion can be summarized in a simple way—poverty.

But he has now completed his initial accumulation of wealth, earned his first pot of gold, and transformed from a poor boy from the countryside into a middle-class person in Southsea Town, and a relatively wealthy one at that. Even in Lidman City, he wouldn't be considered poor.

So he started to consider quitting.

After all, Sithlon potions are not only unclassified, but also have huge side effects, and their source is suspected to be forbidden blood magic, so they are ultimately quite risky.

As more and more people pay attention, the Pharmacist Guild will eventually intervene and issue relevant regulations—most likely a direct ban.

The intervention of the Apothecaries' Guild was relatively good; after all, they are a group of businessmen, and at most they would only impose fines or confiscate badges.

If it attracts the attention of the church, things could get complicated, since faith can drive people to do anything.

Especially during this war, the "purists" have clearly gained a lot of influence within the church. It's hard to say whether these people are strict with themselves, but they are certainly strict with others. Who knows what will happen in the future?

"Stop it..." Gao Jiano thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)