Azure Scepter

Seres' eyes darted around, and he quickly glanced at the priest. He then noticed that the priest, who had been quite arrogant just moments before, was now sitting up straight without realizing it.

“Fodia, it’s me, Jesmin!” Seres heard his wife say anxiously.

“Alright.” A female elf wrapped in a green cloak limped out from the shadows and nodded to Cyrus’s wife.

For some reason, Cyrus detected a hint of coldness in this brief greeting, and he couldn't help but take a closer look at the other person—

Fythia's face beneath her cloak was extremely pale. Through the shadow of the hood, Cyrus could only vaguely glimpse her fair chin, soft lips, and high, straight nose.

“Ceres, this is Futia. I told you about her a few days ago. She was my classmate at the public school and is now serving the eldest princess of the Kingdom of Orco.”

Jasmine introduced herself smugly, raising her eyebrows before giving the pastor a defiant look.

She deliberately emphasized it again: "Fodia serves Princess Edith."

Seres noticed that Frythia had unconsciously frowned, and he couldn't help but feel that something was wrong—it seemed that his wife's relationship with the other man wasn't so harmonious after all...

At that moment, the man who had been silent behind Futia slowly walked out.

It was a human male, wearing an old chainmail that appeared to have been soaked in blood, with each iron ring showing an unsettling dark red rust—he looked like a seasoned and frugal adventurer.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened.

Seres saw the Radiant Acanthus emblem on the adventurer's chest.

His mind raced, and he immediately realized that the other person was a paladin.

As is well known, in the human kingdoms, paladins and mages are generally of noble birth. It is obviously impossible for nobles to wear such unremarkable chainmail because of poverty. Therefore, a reasonable inference is that this paladin should be a high-ranking paladin within the church who values ​​asceticism.

Upon realizing this, Seres straightened his back and the smile he always wore when doing business returned to his face.

The key to successfully collecting the debt lies with this mysterious high-ranking paladin; he must seize the opportunity!

But the next moment, Cyrus felt his heart skip a beat.

He noticed that his wife, Jasmine, gave a disdainful sneer upon seeing the paladin; she made no attempt to conceal her contempt for him!

Seres couldn't help but lament his wife's shameful arrogance and poor observation skills.

From the first day he met Jasmine, he knew that his wife was a foolish, frivolous, simple-minded, vulgar, and superficial elf. Yet, Seres still loved her deeply—even at the cost of his comfortable life, his family's honor, and the land his ancestors had protected for generations.

Hearing Jasmine's cold snort, Furdia frowned even more, pursed her lips, and glared coldly at Jasmine.

Jasmine blinked, looking rather bewildered; she seemed completely unaware of her mistake...

At that moment, Seres' heart was pounding in his throat. He knew he should say something to salvage the situation, but he couldn't think of anything to say.

However, the next moment, he breathed a long sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the paladin didn't seem to mind Jasmine's offense. He calmly pulled out two chairs and sat down opposite Cyrus.

Although the other party appeared very easygoing on the surface, when Seres looked directly into the other party's deep, ocean-like eyes, he inexplicably felt a sense of oppression, as if he were facing a high-ranking demon from the bottomless abyss in the Demon Rift.

In his oppressive state, an idea flashed through his mind. He inexplicably felt that the person sitting opposite him was not human, but some kind of evil monster wearing human skin and filled with sticky malice.

“Human, shouldn’t you help Futia up?” Seres heard his wife say with considerable dissatisfaction. “She’s injured.”

The paladin opposite him was slightly taken aback, then surprisingly nodded. He stood up again, gently took Fythea's arm, and slowly helped her to a chair.

A smile suddenly bloomed on Futia's icy face. She gripped the paladin's hand and then slowly sat down in the chair.

—Her gaze toward Jesmin seemed much gentler.

Seeing the paladin's gentle actions, Seres was stunned, and he couldn't help but doubt his usually accurate intuition.

"Enough, elf! Do you know who you're talking to?" the pale-faced priest suddenly stood up and shouted, slamming his hand on the table.

Jasmine was clearly startled by the pastor; her pointed ears suddenly stood up, and her face turned pale.

The next moment, the paladin waved his hand gently, and the furious priest immediately quieted down, then sat silently in his chair.

Jasmine covered her mouth in surprise. Only now did she realize that she seemed to have misjudged the paladin's identity, and her face grew even paler.

“Do you remember him, Lord Trier?” the priest asked expectantly.

“Of course I remember,” Trier replied with a smile. “You were the coachman that day.”

The priest, or rather the vampire coachman, nodded gratefully in thanks.

The room fell silent, quiet enough to hear one's own heartbeat. Seres knew that everyone was watching the mysterious Trier.

"Mr. Seres, it seems we've encountered some problems?" After a long pause, Trier spoke very slowly.

Seres lowered his eyes, pondering the other person's subtext, but before he could fully understand, the carefree Jesmin spoke again.

“That’s right! A huge problem!” Jasmine waved her hands excitedly. “Vicington owes my husband a huge sum of money! My husband led nearly a thousand good young men in a bloody battle against demons in the Demon Rift, eliminating countless evils, but what about our bishop? He’s defaulting on payment! He’s worse than a demon! Have you ever heard the cries of widows without pensions? Have you ever seen the cries of babies who have lost their fathers? Have you ever seen…”

"It's not that I don't want to pay, it's just that I'm paying in installments," the vampire priest explained in a low voice. "The entire parish isn't doing too well financially right now."

“Do you know that you humans are stingier than bearded dwarves, more cunning than horned demons, and more fond of glittering gold coins than harpies? Even dragons are generous and benevolent philanthropists compared to you. You are all vampires! You are more ferocious than the man-eating troll witch doctors of Suar Island, and more…” Jasmine continued her incessant accusations.

Trier listened silently for five minutes without interrupting, and he was astonished to find that Jasmine's insults were not repeated at all.

Although he was usually calm, Jasmine's incessant chatter was still unbearable for him. He felt his head buzzing, and every nerve fiber was breaking down in a shrill scream.

He couldn't help but glance at the expressionless vampire priest and the mercenary leader Seres, and a sense of admiration rose in his heart for their ability to endure.

"Shut up, Jasmine!" Finally, Fythia lost all patience and snapped at her.

Jasmine froze, glancing at Feuerdia in disbelief.

Fatiah glared back defiantly.

In her distant student days, Jasmine was her nightmare, but now, she is no longer afraid of her at all.

Under Furdia's angry gaze, Jasmine was completely stunned, and she awkwardly shut her mouth.

"How much gold dragon hasn't been paid to you yet?" Trier rubbed his forehead and asked softly.

Seres hesitated for a moment, then truthfully stated an astronomical figure.

Trier nodded slightly, knowing that the other party was not exaggerating the numbers, and then looked at the vampire priest.

The vampire priest looked distressed.

“Your Excellency, there are far too many refugees in Eraf City right now. Without the Church’s relief, none of them will survive. By the grace of God, we truly have no money left.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay,” Trier said calmly.

His voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to have a strange, silent effect, plunging the entire tavern into a deathly stillness, like the dead of winter.

The commission that Seres mentioned was about the same as his original budget for buying food, and he could easily pay it in full.

P.S.: I recommend a book called "The Wheel of Lesulei". The author, Seres, is a reader of this book and is also the prototype of Seres' character.

Chapter 205 Employment Negotiation (Part 1)

Seres stared wide-eyed in disbelief. He first felt a light, unreal sensation, and subconsciously thought that Trier had no idea about the purchasing power of the Golden Dragon.

However, when a large bag of Golden Dragon cigarettes slammed onto the table with a "bang," he was completely speechless.

The usually carefree Jasmine fell completely silent. She covered her mouth with both hands, glanced cautiously at the large bag of golden dragons on the table, and then at the calm paladin across the table.

Half a breath later, Jasmine took the initiative. She stood up and anxiously opened the bag. Under the midday sun, the golden dragon reflected a dazzling golden light, and the "green-headed" King Masson engraved on the thick surface of the gold coin shone brightly.

Gold coins from the reign of King Massen ("Green Head") were all full-weight gold coins, with a gold content of at least 90%! Their value far exceeds that of newly minted gold coins today.

This large bag of gold coins was indeed enough to pay off Vercingetorie's debt.

Jasmine's breathing quickened, and she unconsciously revealed a twisted smile that mixed surprise, feigned modesty, and a hint of flattery.

Futia instinctively pulled her cloak tighter around herself, lowered her head, and refused to look at her old classmate's impolite behavior.

Upon seeing the gold coins, Seres did not smile. He took a deep breath, barely calming his emotions, and then asked, "Lord Trier, what is the price?"

As the saying goes, benefits and dangers go hand in hand. If the other party is generous, it must be because they have great demands.

"Tap...tap...tap..." Trier tapped the table lightly with his knuckles, staring intently at Seres with a friendly smile on his face.

"How many men do you have left?" Trier asked softly.

Seres was silent for a moment, then understood the implication—a new job had come his way, and this time the employer was a very generous person.

The half-elf military contractor's mind raced with calculations, and after a moment, he looked up again, clearly stating his conclusion.

“Around 3000 people, all experienced and well-equipped veterans who have fought demons for years.” He paused for a moment. “However, it will take some time to regroup. The regrouping time may be quite long. I can only recruit about half of the people within two weeks. We can provide our own supplies and weapons, but we need you to provide maps and a certain level of logistical support.”

After speaking, Seres unconsciously licked his lips. As an experienced military contractor, he knew that the next step was for the other party to make a price offer.

He couldn't help but give Trier a deep look—a young and generous man like him was someone who could be negotiated to a great extent.

We must seize this opportunity!

However, Trier neither nodded nor shook his head; he didn't even speak. He looked calmly at Cyrus, his dark eyes devoid of any emotion.

After a long pause, Trier held up one finger.

"Give me 5 gold dragons, and we'll reach a contract."

Seres was completely dumbfounded.

Jinlong's purchasing power is truly astounding.

If the unpaid debt of Vercingetori was an astronomical figure, then the 5 gold coins that Trier mentioned were even more outrageous. It didn't sound like something a normal person would say; rather, it sounded like a drunkard who had been drinking heavily and was making a random offer after taking a swig of fake alcohol. It was a truly outrageous figure; 5 gold coins would barely be enough to support a massive holy war in the kingdom!

Fatiah wrapped herself tightly in her cloak and huddled in a corner.

Although Fythia was used to being amazed by Trier's amazing feats, at this moment, she still doubted that she had heard correctly.

This is just too outrageous!

—Her mother, a legendary mage who travels to various planes year-round, has only about 5 gold dragons of liquid assets on hand, not counting her various real estates. And Trier's offer of 5 gold dragons is simply insane!

Furthermore, what does it mean that a mercenary gives his employer 5 gold dragons? Isn't that backwards?!

Fythia glanced at Jesmin, who had always bullied her, and then realized that Jesmin hadn't understood Trier's words at all. Instead, Jesmin stood up with a bright smile on her face.

It took Jasmine a long time to react; she was instantly stunned.

After realizing what was happening, she immediately slammed her hand on the table and demanded, "Human, are you saying that my husband not only has to fight wars, but also has to pay you? Why?! Just because you paid off Vercingetorie's debts earlier? Are you out of your mind?"

Trier completely ignored the ferocious female elf and quietly stared at Seres.

Seres licked his lips.

As a professional mercenary, he knew that Trier was not crazy at all; on the contrary, the 5 gold dragons that the other party had asked for were exactly all the money he had right now.

—Ceres Schwartz was the last member of the Schwartz family. Before being exiled by the king, he mortgaged all the land and sold all the family's treasures. He then used this wealth as capital and loyal subjects as his core to start a business as a military contractor.

For so many years, Seres had hoped to raise more money, train more reliable companions, and finally gather a powerful force to overthrow the tyrant who had exiled him and reclaim his family's land and honor.

5 gold dragons is indeed outrageous, but Cyrus... can certainly afford it.

Over the years, no one knew the total amount of his wealth except himself; even his beloved wife only knew that he had been saving money.

Unlike his wife's shallowness, Seres could tell from Trier's outrageous quote that the other party knew him very well.

This is an extremely dangerous negotiating partner.

Seres immediately became extremely alert and looked up at Trier.

The two of them made eye contact.

Trier maintained his smile and calmly said, "As far as I know, you provide this kind of service."

A sneer came from Jasmine beside Cyrus. He quickly grabbed his wife's shoulder and stopped her before she could lose her temper due to her stupidity.

He took a deep breath and replied, “Indeed, I can provide military loans with an annual interest rate of 20%, but I must make it clear beforehand that this money will only be used for our own salaries, equipment, and supplies, and will not be used for any other purpose—Sir, someone as knowledgeable about military contracting as you must know very well that once a contract is signed, we are a community of shared interests—let’s get straight to the point and talk about the core objectives of the contract.”

Futia blinked in confusion, feeling as if her worldview had been completely shattered. Mercenaries actually paid to fight?!

She couldn't help but glance at Trier with a complicated expression.

Why does Trier know everything?

“It’s a long-term contract,” Trier said slowly. “Our first step is to open up a road to the northwest of Erlav.”

Chapter 206 Employment Negotiation (Part Two)

“From a purely military perspective, opening up the northwest route through Eraf is probably not realistic.” Seres pushed up his glasses. “And even if we did manage to open up the northwest route, based on my experience, a large number of people who have been forcibly gathered here will flee, and the number of people we can mobilize will decrease further.”

Trier spoke sincerely and confidently: “I have my own methods, you don’t need to fight a tough battle; as for the impact of opening up the passage, you don’t need to consider that either, I have other considerations as well.”

Seres remained unmoved, feeling that the other party's words were essentially equivalent to "there's no way out."

But the next moment, Trier said in a low voice, "Think about it, Cyrus, why can't you be the one who succeeds?"

Seres was stunned.