Witch Hunter Rhapsody

Vitas Vitalius was not worried about being seen. Even though his height of nearly two meters was quite different from that of ordinary people, it was not uncommon in this country. There were nearly a thousand such people in this city, and they were mostly mercenaries.

Taller stature signifies a stronger physique, representing power and resilience. With at least a little nurturing and rigorous training, one can be born into an excellent warrior.

Moreover, the people of the Duchy of Vilan are generally very tall; in fact, to the dwarves, the people of the Duchy of Vilan are not much different from the real giants.

Most importantly, it was just a silhouette. Vitas didn't think he could be traced back to himself or prove his connection to Elizabeth, unless someone like the unlucky Oram recognized him as being with Elizabeth that day. Otherwise, Vitas couldn't be bothered to care.

He lay in his bed, deciding to ignore it, because a more troublesome problem had arrived.

Just now, while he was checking his luggage, he discovered something rather embarrassing.

He's about to go bankrupt.

About a year ago, he escaped from that dense forest and stumbled into a wizard's tower. At that time, he lacked travel money and harbored great malice towards the wizard, so he summoned the spirits of the dead to kill the man and set the tower on fire.

He had robbed the money for his journey there, which amounted to about fifty gold coins. This was extremely rare, as wizards did not have a habit of saving money. They needed money for more things than ordinary people.

This amount of money, if used solely for food, could feed a family for fifteen years.

Unfortunately, Vitas simply couldn't save money. He was heavily armored and could eat a silver coin every three days. His accommodations couldn't be too bad either, including his current one, which cost a gold coin a month.

Clothes cleaning and repair, armor maintenance, carriage hiring... Fortunately, he is now free from his family and does not need to attend noble balls.

They also took some from the two wizards they killed, but not much.

In terms of basic living expenses, I could probably make it for another year or two, but Elizabeth's place is too expensive.

Gifts, overnight fees, and other miscellaneous things...

Vitas seized the opportunity for revenge that presented itself.

Now, he has no more gold coins, only about a hundred silver coins and more than fifty copper coins. Maximus said he could introduce him to wizarding jobs, but these shrewd fellows might not offer a better price.

What's more, dealing with these guys costs even more money.

We need to find a way to raise more funds.

Are they going to try and get money from the wizard again?

The hut ring I took from Raymond, who was killed, had already been used. The hut that was summoned contained only some everyday necessities and was not worth anything.

That makes sense. These little huts are basically tents; who would put treasures inside a tent?

He thought about his formal job for a moment.

The pharmacist, who had become a regular client, and those important figures hadn't had much work lately, and he wasn't interested in being stationed or patrolling the village and castle.

If you're going to hunt wild animals to sell, you don't really know what's selling well lately.

While being alone offers freedom, it also significantly reduces the number of job options available.

Or should I become a mercenary's mercenary?

Vitas seriously considered the possibility of doing so.

In Vesta's hometown, the Knights were often a formal military organization. The leader of the Knights was the object of the oaths of allegiance sworn by the members, and was usually a nobleman. When meritorious service was awarded, it was usually the Grand Master of the Knights who did so, which was very different from mercenary groups.

However, these distinctions are less pronounced here.

Whether it's a mercenary group or a knightly order, it's just an armed force formed by a group of people. To put it nicely, they're free armed forces; to put it bluntly, they're just a bunch of rabble-out soldiers.

The Flying Eagle Knights are probably in the same situation. If it's just a business agreement rather than a vow of allegiance, it doesn't seem unacceptable to Vitas.

Vitas was thinking seriously.

He did not want to join a new group. There were many factors that influenced his decision. To put it more noblely, his most beloved knightly order, to which he had poured all his heart and soul, had disappeared, and he was unwilling to spend his time on a new one.

To put it bluntly, when Vitas saw Helena, the vulgarity about her was repulsive. If Vitas were still a noble knight, he could naturally tolerate it, but he wasn't now, and being around these impolite people only made him feel annoyed.

"Money, oh, money."

Vitas decided to try his luck again, so he went to the apothecary, who was also the owner, and his wife and children were his assistants.

"What kind of work do you have?"

"Vitas, you're still as rude as ever, but that has nothing to do with your attitude. We simply don't have any work available for you right now. Sorry, are you short of money?"

"Yes, but not now, but in the future. If you don't have a job here, could you introduce me to some people?"

"If you're asking for an introduction, how about the Flying Eagle Knights? Their vice-commander even asked me to persuade you to join them last time."

What on earth are these guys doing?

Vitas was puzzled as to what he had done to make Helena value him so much. Now that things had come to this, he could only swallow his pride and go over to ask.

Fortunately, I didn't make my stance too definitive when I declined the offer a couple of days ago.

Vitas felt he should perhaps choose some gifts as a gesture of respect for his former nobility, but gifts for mercenaries, namely combat supplies, were something Vitas couldn't afford now.

Ultimately, it's because this mercenary group needs its own expertise, and Vitas's appearance is a sign of respect for them; establishing a contract is a sacred ritual.

If it weren't for revenge, and if revenge didn't require money, Vitas wouldn't have so recklessly chosen to travel with these people.

Vitas only needed to make a few inquiries to find out where they lived. These mercenaries who stayed in one place for a long time would live together in a building or almost an entire small hotel, so it was practically impossible to hide their residence.

Black Sparrow Inn, a strange name, with green vines climbing the brick walls, an old place, but cheap.

Vitas was not wearing heavy armor. As he stepped through the gate, he felt gazes coming from all directions.

The inns were mostly frequented by regulars, and his face was somewhat recognizable among the mercenaries in the city.

"I'm looking for Miss Marlowe."

Helena is probably not married yet, so calling her "Miss" shouldn't be a problem.

"Okay, oh, it seems I don't need to go and call them."

The auntie at the counter looked towards the entrance, where Helena, dressed in casual clothes, appeared.

To be fair, Helena's appearance was not bad; she had the look of a simple country girl. Her skin was wheat-colored and somewhat rough, which was inseparable from the life of a mercenary exposed to the elements.

She was wearing a long dress that women usually wear, a stark contrast to her previous mercenary attire.

Beside her was a man with black curly hair, slightly taller than Helena. The two chatted and laughed until Helena noticed Vitas.

She waved excitedly, because what else could Vitas's appearance in front of her mean at this moment?

"Mr. Vitalius!"

"Just call me Vitas."

"Then please call me Helena too!"

The man next to him also walked over, extended his hand and said, "I've heard so much about you, Mr. Vitalius. I am Leon Warren, the captain of the Flying Eagle Knights."

"Well, I've given your proposal serious consideration. I'm open to working with you as an advisor or a relatively independent member."

Leon looked somewhat surprised.

"What are you saying?"

Vitas frowned, realizing something, and then turned to look at Helena.

"Excuse me, Vitas, Leon, come here for a second."

Helena pulled Leon aside, and Leon's expression kept changing, from surprise to anger, from anger to annoyance. Finally, he pushed Helena aside and walked up to Vitas.

"I'm sorry, my deputy commander approached you without consulting me, but this wasn't our shared idea..."

Vitas had already found a chair and sat down. He looked at Leon, who showed no remorse on his face, and spoke in an icy tone.

"Ah, I just realized that I used to try to see you as a formal, or seemingly formal, organization, but now I have to change my opinion of you."

Vitas felt like he had been fooled. Did this mercenary group not even have a unified opinion on external matters?

"Sorry to bother you."

Vitas didn't want to waste any more time, but Helena stopped him.

"Please wait!"

Then she said to Leon.

"We need a true knight. Look at us, we don't resemble real warriors at all! This can't go on. Besides, he can read!"

"That shouldn't be this wanderer! Who knows who he really is? You're assuming he's a professional just because of his armor? It might even be stolen..."

Leon's voice grew weaker as he noticed Vitas's gaze.

Ever since he discovered he was on the verge of bankruptcy, Vitas had been burning with resentment.

I finally convinced myself to work with these idiots to find more clients, only to discover that they were even more... amateurish than I had imagined.

He really wants to punch something right now.

"Are you questioning my surname, my bloodline, my honor?"

Leon quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant."

Vitas took off his gloves and threw them in front of Leon.

People gathered around.

"Pick it up. I challenge you to a duel, Mr. Leon Warren. You will pay for your words."