Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

"Then, can I use your sword?" Angelita rolled her eyes and stared at the sword on Leslaufer's table. "You can also use the big one."

"I don't carry two weapons to inflict pain on myself or to show off," the mercenary shook his head. "No, and you can't use my sword. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to find a novice's weapon and get you some clothes. If you're dressed like this, Amantha won't be able to wield a sword."

After spending these days together, Angelita already knew who Amantha was - a female elf who was a mercenary in the empire, and her skills were extraordinary, almost on par with Leslaufer.

The escaped princess accepted Reslaufer's arrangement very smoothly. Apart from the mercenary's "mental illness", she would not question any of his choices.

Even if he is a madman, he is an intelligent madman.

For the sake of Angritas' grandfathers (Gold Coin of Henry III), the tavern owner had prepared a room upstairs for them. However, it was hard to expect the wooden floor to be very soundproof. Even though Angritas had closed the door as tightly as possible, the noise from the drinkers downstairs still came in unhindered.

"Give up, it's useless. You have to get used to this. It's a skill you need to live alone." Reslaufer had already taken off his armor, and the metal, stained with wolf blood, had been cleaned by the innkeepers. "You can't always travel alone. You will have travel companions, whether they are pre-selected or met along the way."

"They might just be with you for one night to keep each other warm, or they might be with you for years, and they have all sorts of habits, some harmless, some unbearable, like loud snoring or teeth grinding."

"If you can't stand the noise now, you'll go crazy."

"...You have encountered it, right?" The only response to Angelita was silence, but the girl already knew the answer and fell silent as well.

Even this madman would only mess around for the first half of the night at best! And we have to take into account the time when the pack of wild wolves were lurking nearby and couldn't come forward!

Perhaps recalling the night that had given her a series of nightmares, or perhaps exhausted from the two days of carrying heavy loads, Angelita soon fell asleep amid the noise. Leslaufer leaned against the bed, gazing out at the still-lit town of Kilanda, unconsciously polishing his sword.

Was the appearance and approach of the half-elf, Buddy Antich, a coincidence? Was it really just, as he said, that they seemed like the right match?

According to his account, he didn't even see how many people were inside. How could he be so sure that a mercenary who had just retired from the battlefield could complete this commission?

Something doesn't feel right.

Leslaufer couldn't fall asleep any more, so he turned over and sat up. After confirming that Angelita was asleep, he quietly changed into his usual clothes, put on the gray-white cloak, opened the door and walked out.

The number of customers on the first floor of the tavern had dwindled by half, but the increasingly brazen and loud voices made up for the lack of noise, and the streets outside were deserted. Leslaufer walked slowly along the walls, paying special attention to the base of the walls around the corners, and soon he found some unique traces.

Mercenaries in towns often use this method to direct their companions to their gathering places so that they can provide assistance to each other. According to Amantha, these sword-shaped patterns pointing in different directions are the symbols commonly used by mercenaries in the central empire.

Leslaufer followed the instructions step by step. He needed to find someone to ask, and the local tyrants were of course the best choice. Perhaps among those "friends" he had never met there were people who had taken over the other party's commission, and there might even be some of the robbers that Buddy Antich mentioned.

But that's just right, isn't it?

The cool night breeze blew up the left side of Leslaufer's cloak. The mercenary pulled the cloth over and covered his entire left arm. He looked up at the sign of the tavern at the end of the dead end, walked forward, pushed the door open, and walked in.

Chapter 23 Gathering Point

This tavern was obviously different from the one where Leslaufer and Angelita stayed. The stairs leading to the upper floor were blocked by debris. It was a real "tavern".

However, at the end of this dead-end alley, late at night, a place like this clearly wouldn't be doing very well. Leslaufer looked up and saw only a handful of customers. The security guards maintaining order outnumbered the drinkers. Regardless of their roles, they all looked quite old; Leslaufer was surprisingly considered a junior here.

"Oh, what a damned world! Even barbarians have started pretending to be Magpares."

A bearded man in his forties or fifties sneered, looked away, and drank the wine in front of him.

"Elves can serve the Empire for decades, and barbarians are at least still human." Reslaufer stopped in front of the man's table and looked at the shifty-looking boss behind the counter without changing his expression. "What's your name?"

"Everyone calls me 'Rat,' that's all." The boss glanced at Leslaufer. Perhaps because of the mercenary's words, his attitude was still quite cold. "Which elf are you talking about?"

"The one who beat you up. In fact, she told me that she has beaten up almost all the people in charge of mercenary gathering points in various places."

The mouse knew immediately who he was talking about.

"I was only seven years old then," the mouse snorted. "Tell me, what did she ask you about? I heard she's in the Emperor's Army under Marquis Marek, which isn't very close to here."

"She's fine, and she might even go on to beat up your son and grandson. I'm here for myself."

"Have you heard of Buddy Antich?"

"I heard something about it." After hearing that it wasn't Amantha's business, the mouse lowered its head again and said in a muffled voice, "Half-elf, you unlucky little bastard."

The growth cycle of half-elves is not much different from that of humans, but their lifespan is about twice as long. Buddy looks to be in his twenties, which is his actual age.

"He said his grandmother left behind a manor outside of town, which might have been occupied recently. Are you from the same business as me?"

As soon as Leslaufer said this, there was a slight commotion in the tavern.

"No, I've never heard of it." The mouse, like Ratloff, listened carefully to the guests' discussion and finally came to a conclusion based on his own sources. "Even if he became a robber, he would have to come here and pay his respects to the old brothers at the dock. But no."

If someone really occupied that place, they were either mercenaries who took advantage of the war to "run a side business" or they were young and ignorant people who knew nothing.

Those who know the rules will come here to pay a fee and get a share of the future "harvest". As long as the trouble is not serious in the future, these old guys will help out a little. If they don't come, they will be left alone.

I never coveted your wealth when I was prosperous, and I won’t come to worship God when I am about to die - how about going to find the true God?

"Then I'm relieved," Leslaufer nodded, indicating that he understood. "By the way, has anyone here been invited by him?"

"By whom? Buddy Antich?" The middle-aged veteran who had caused Reslaufer to stop refilled his glass. "He's never done anything like this before. You're not talking about the Antich Winery, are you? It's been abandoned for more than ten or twenty years, and no one's been there anymore."

"But I haven't heard of any murders or ghost stories, so there shouldn't be any risk—probably just a bunch of ignorant people occupying the place."

What the veteran meant by "unreasonable" was that they did not come to recognize the organization. As for occupying the manor, it was such a large piece of land and no one was living there, so why couldn't they live there?

Raslaufer thanked the locals and, before leaving, placed two new coins on the counter, declaring that he was offering everyone a drink—which was also the custom.

He was an outsider and didn't plan to stay long term, so the consultation was naturally not free.

Although the town of Kilanda was a major trading hub, it was located in the heart of the empire and was the domain of a marquis. Therefore, even in the middle of the night, the city was relatively peaceful. After leaving the tavern, the mercenary carefully hid in the shadows, avoiding the patrolling guards and sneaking back to his residence without encountering any unexpected situations. When he returned to bed, Angrita was also sleeping soundly in the bed next to him.

Reslaufer had no intention of sharing his nighttime experiences with the young girl, who was trying to learn from him and stay away from him. Mercenaries were a highly random group, their professionalism, skill, and moral integrity completely determined by the outside world. They could fight holy wars against extremist sects like fanatics, or just turn around and plunder a monastery's silverware and monks and nuns. Even someone like Reslaufer had to identify a sufficiently intimidating "predecessor" to avoid conflict.

As for Angelita, even if she went up and announced the name of Richard VII or Henry III (in the name of her grandfather rather than the gold coin), there was no guarantee that she would come out satisfied.

There was always a chance of winning, but what was the point? Winning against a bunch of old guys who couldn't even, or even dared, fight on the battlefield wouldn't show how powerful they were. Besides, they were all known for being soft-hearted, so even if they were killed, it wouldn't help.

Therefore, Reslaufer himself rarely went to such gathering places. There, even if one had great abilities, he could not display them. Only status, qualifications and gold coins could serve as the capital for speaking.

"Good morning, Raslaufer...Uncle?"

Perhaps it was the running around these days that made Angritta develop a habit, or perhaps life in the palace was not as free as outsiders thought. In short, even after a hearty meal and a few drinks, Angritta still woke up early when she slept on the soft bed again. She greeted Leslaufer, who was also used to getting up early, and made a little joke.

"Are you sure you want to take a lunatic as your uncle?" Unaware of his sudden friendship with Richard VII, Reslough laughed and asked, "I thought you were eager to get away from me right away."

"I do want to, but who has made me have such a bunch of relatives? A crazy uncle, an uncle who's crazy, it's all the same," the princess sighed. "It's better to go with a crazy uncle than to be caught by my devil father."

"Demon? Then you should go find the Orthodox Church instead of running off on your own." Reslaufer knew there were some issues with the current emperor, but this was the first time he'd heard such a specific description. "They definitely wouldn't allow a demon believer to rule the empire."

Chapter 24 Laoshan

"Of course I know more about this kind of thing than you, 'Uncle'," Angelita rolled her eyes at Leslaufer. "My etiquette teacher is Sune's pastor. She's a devout believer who can even resurrect the dead!"

"If only things were that simple, you wouldn't be fighting a war between the Imperial Faction and the Emperor's Army. Rather, this is where the problem lies!"

"No matter which sect! From the Order camp to the Chaos camp, no one can see that there is anything wrong with my father - but I am sure and certain that he does!"

Leslough looked at the girl strangely, and his eyes were enough to make his question "why" clear.

"Because I saw it with my own eyes!" Angelita took a deep breath and held it for a long time before slowly exhaling, "I saw it with my own eyes, it's absolutely true."

"But... I'm actually not quite sure what he's dealing with. Neither it nor my father noticed me, and I didn't notice it either, so I can only call it a demon. I think only the Abyss would be happy to see the empire in such chaos right now."

"That's not necessarily true. I guess some gods don't like you very much," Leslaufer shrugged. "But if that's all, there's no need for you to run away, right? A demon who wants to seduce your father must be very ambitious. You're just his daughter—how many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"Two older brothers and a baby sister."

"Look, whether it's from the beginning or the end, it's not your turn to go first."

Angelita looked at Reslaufer with contempt. "But one of my two brothers will become the next emperor, and the unsuccessful one will serve as the new leader of the Imperial Knights to assist his brother. And my little sister is my aunt, my mother's sister, and the daughter of his favorite princess. Uncle Reslaufer, guess who's going to be in big trouble now?"

"Um……"

"It's me! Is there any need to think about it? If he really is a follower of the devil, if that evil being wants him to sacrifice his relatives in blood, who will be the first one? It must be me!"

"I don't know martial arts, nor do I have the talent for learning magic. The rebellious Grand Duke has only one daughter who's not married or engaged. Neither of us likes girls, so we can't have a traditional marriage or a natural union. I'm the most worthless one!"

Angelita had considered many things. If there was any way to solve the problem without leaving the palace or even Magopares, she would never take that path. But there was no way! As long as she was under the nose of her emperor father, she could not think of a way to escape!

But she couldn't explain all this in detail to Grandin or Paul, as that would only make things worse. However, today, she finally found someone who was willing to listen to her.

But unfortunately, Reslaufer had obviously never considered these things, so he could only give a very basic reaction.

"what?"

"What does 'ah' mean?" Angelita slapped her forehead.

"But I still don't understand. Like I said just now, if, if there really is a demon that seduced your father and wants to plunge the empire into chaos, it would definitely look down on you, right?"

"I had roast lamb chops yesterday, but I still asked for a rose candy—would you give up a little dessert that's so readily available?"

Leslaufer thought about it from his own perspective: if he were on the battlefield, he would have had a great time, but there was an enemy who had lost his ability to fight at his feet, but he was still alive and conscious.

As expected...it's better to just chop it off, it's just a matter of convenience.

"I think I understand," Reslaufer and Angarita agreed on different channels. "Well, it seems you do need to stay away, but it's not that urgent, right? At least your father isn't so anxious as to search the entire empire for you."

"We can't expect him to remain sane for long," Angelita said somewhat sadly. "But you're right. It's not that urgent for now. At least it's enough for me to learn some survival strategies from you. Where are we going today?"

"Weapons merchants, protective gear merchants," Reslaufer said, waiting for Angarita to finish washing up before walking with her to the bustling streets of Kilanda Town. "My personal suggestion is a set of leather armor and a short sword. Over-equipped weapons will only hinder your already inflexible movements and will be more harmful than helpful in battle."

"How about a spear? I've heard that most mercenaries use spears or halberds, and anyone can learn them quickly. Even though you use a greatsword, you must be familiar with those too, right?"

"I'm familiar with it, but now it's your turn to learn." The mercenary asked passersby for directions before choosing a direction and leading Angrita down the road to Kiranda. "You want to act on your own, not with my colleagues. You won't have shieldmen protecting you, no doppelgangers like me in front of you, no cavalry on your flanks, and no large groups of crossbowmen and longbowmen behind you..."

"I have nothing," Angelita waved her hand in frustration. "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you. I don't want to argue with you about this."

Leslaufer turned and glanced at her. "There's really no point in arguing. What matters is which one you're more comfortable using. If you truly have a talent for long-handled weapons, I wouldn't object."

He certainly wouldn't object. Mercenaries weren't like the guards funded by the lords. They had to provide everything from weapons and equipment to rations and food. Of course, they would use whatever was useful. Then, when the mercenary groups were recruiting, he could see if there was a suitable position for him.

Forcing mercenaries to use weapons they are not proficient with will not increase their chances of survival.

Following the guidance of passersby, Reslaufer quickly found the shop called "Old Mountain Forge." Its owner was a merchant and craftsman, with two apprentices. When Reslaufer and Angarita pushed open the door, they saw a ridiculously strong, tall dwarf, his hands on his hips, berating the two young men inside. His scorched yellow beard trembled rhythmically as he unleashed his highly aggressive words.

"Hurry! Hurry! Quick hands and quick minds! You two lothbeasts (a kind of domesticated animal similar to a bull but with darkvision) are smarter than even real lothbeasts! Get it out! Get it out! It's about to break!"

A violent clatter echoed through the air, accompanied by the dwarf's shouts. The bewildered apprentice held up the tongs, only a scrap of scrap remaining, irretrievable. The dwarf blew two streams of white air from his large nostrils, then turned with a sullen expression to look at the first couple of customers since the shop opened today.

"Well... I've tried many times, but there are some people who just can't be taught no matter what, right? I'm Vondar Halfhill, you can also call me Old Mountain. The Imperial language you humans pronounce is always a little... ambiguous."

"Want to buy something?"

Chapter 25 Owlbear Head Warhammer

"Dwarves are so rare in the human empire," Leslaufer said, raising his hand in a slight greeting to Vondar. "I've had some dealings with members of the Zhakot clan in the east of the sea, and I heard there's a dwarf craftsman here, so I decided to come here and take a look."

Like elves, they were extremely rare in the human-dominated empire. If they possessed special skills, they could often live better than the locals. Elven longbowmen, as mercenaries, could earn around forty Imperial gold coins, 20% to 30% more than human longbowmen. A dwarven artisan's pay was also typically higher than that of a human artisan.

But it is worth it. Few people would spend extra money just for the title of "product of a certain race".

"It's the right choice. Even without the dwarf's craftsmanship, I am better than other craftsmen in Kiranda. Old Vondar never exaggerates!" The dwarf was obviously very pleased. He stroked his burnt yellow beard and let the two men into the shop. His two apprentices rolled and crawled to hide behind, fearing that the tall dwarf master would hit them on the buttocks with his heavy boots.

"Have you been to Haidong? My clan is also nearby. But the people of the Zhakot clan are not easy to deal with, right?"

"Just like their name, a bunch of stubborn people." Leslaufer winked at the dwarf, who immediately laughed happily with him.

Zhakot means "stubborn" in the Dwarven language of Haidong. Leslaufer said this, which shows that he does know something about the Dwarven people of Haidong.

"Ah, it's been ages since I've met a customer like you! Just take a look around. What do you want? Repair something? Buy some ready-made gadgets? Custom-made goods? Or do you want to see...something truly good?"

The Haidong dwarves squinted their eyes playfully and lowered their voices happily. Every craftsman had some "really good things" in his hands that were not easy to show to others. The dwarf craftsmen from clans had even more good things. They were either top-notch items handed down by the elders, or rare things collected from adventurers. Even if these short and stocky guys took out one or two legendary weapons and equipment, there was no need to be too surprised.

Of course, not everyone can see these things. Dwarves never trust other races easily. When interacting with humans, they often wait until the humans are about to die before they consider them their close friends. However, this often gives the human family a solid ally spanning centuries, and those descendants who resemble their deceased ancestors will receive special favor from the dwarves.

Leslaufer didn't think he could impress the other party with just a few words. What was more likely was that this Haidong dwarf really had a lot of good things in his hands, so much so that they could be divided into multiple levels and shown to different guests.

"I quite like my current weapon," Leslaufer smiled, lifting his cloak and showing Vondar the sword at his waist. He couldn't possibly walk around with a huge sword on his back; that would be too conspicuous. "She needs a little help, and something ready-made will do. She doesn't need custom equipment yet."

"Ah, apprentice, just like my two disappointing Los beasts, but perhaps more noble." Vondar's eyes were not attracted by Reslaufer's fighting sword. Just by looking at the scabbard, the dwarf knew that its only advantage over his own craftsmanship was that it was bought not long ago. He put away his smile, looked at Angrita with an experienced look, and muttered to himself.

If you don't look closely, it's hard to find anything wrong with Angritsa, but if you look closely like this, it doesn't really matter whether Angritsa is dressed like a princess or a peasant girl - those hands can't be faked.

"This isn't a hand for farm work, much less a hand for holding a sword. Hmm..." The dwarf glanced at Reslaufer. "Don't worry, I won't say anything nonsense. Some nobles do like to pretend to be commoners, don't they? But I'm a little confused about what kind of weapon she can use. Perhaps a dagger is enough for self-defense?"

"She needs to fight," said Rathlough, looking around at the metalwork covering the walls and shelves. "My idea is to get her used to the short sword first."

"It's certainly fine as a novice's weapon," Vondar muttered, "It looks like she's having trouble using the longsword now, so she needs to go lighter."

"Hand axe? No, no, no, I've seen novices use the axe blade towards themselves. It's ridiculous. Funny and deadly..."

The dwarf's eyes also began to search his shop, and finally stopped at a row of inconspicuous weapons.

"Ah, friend, what do you think of this?" The dwarf placed his hand on a wooden handle. One end of the handle was wrapped with iron sheets to form a hand guard and twisted into a spike at the end. The metal part on the other end was swollen into a pear shape. The owl-bear head sculpture on it looked ferocious and hideous, and the eagle-like sharp beak became the most deadly part of it.

"Owlbear-headed warhammer, made from the finest walnut in Marric's territory, and forged from fine iron myself, using dwarven craftsmanship! Weighing just over a kilogram, it's heavier than a short sword and requires no maintenance. It can easily penetrate armor, and even if that doesn't work, it can still deliver a powerful blow thanks to its weight. It's also not likely to cut you—but it's also not likely to injure the enemy either."

The dwarf picked it up and swung it. Angrita looked at the dazzling metal tracks and subconsciously took two steps back. However, the dwarf's hand was very steady. After the last seemingly harmless feint, the owl bear's sharp beak smashed through a piece of unfinished armor next to it, causing a large dent in the not-quite-mature metal.