While the players and Wagner were equally disdainful toward each other, Lakeside Village, two kiloters away, was in disarray.
"What in the world are these creatures? How can there be so many undead here?"
In the makeshift camp surrounded by huge wagons pulled by six-legged lizards, the owner of this caravan, a dark-skinned and portly Sokrian man, cursed.
The captain of the Sea Lions rcenary group, a man with a stern face, kept silent, allowing the employer to vent his frustration before stepping forward to advise, "Mr. Ilik, sothing is seriously wrong here. We need to leave as soon as possible."
"Leave? That sounds great!" The rchant Ilik's round, black Sokrian eyes widened even further. "Your n still haven't brought back any information from Weisshem Town. Where do you expect my caravan to go? Do you think we can fly directly to Indahl?"
The Sea Lions group's captain was silent for a mont before saying, "Mr. Ilik, we can exit this area to the east and take a longer route that will still get us to Indahl."
rchant Ilik's dark face turned bright red, and he pointed at the rcenary leader, berating him, "What do you an by that, Kenn? Is this the attitude of the Sea Lions rcenaries? Did I hire you to teach how to do business?"
rcenary Kenn had no choice but to lower his head. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Ilik. That's not what I ant."
However, Ilik wouldn't let it go and continued ranting, angrily instructing Kenn to arrange for night watchn and demanding he send more people to Weisshem Town at first lightdue to the recent influx of mysterious undead, it was too dangerous to send anyone out at night, and he needed extra manpower to protect the caravan.
Rubbing his aching head, Kenn watched his employer enter a spacious box wagon.
Professional rcenaries would not let minor details delay their mission. If his capable squad leader went on a scouting mission with two n and had gone missing, it could only an one thing: the three scouts had encountered an opponent they couldn't escape from.
The Sea Lions rcenary group leader knew the abilities of his squad leader very well. If even he had been captured, then certainly it would be foolish to continue sending n into the sa predicantcurrent personnel took precedence over lost comrades.
Kenn wanted to "cut losses promptly," but the employer disagreed.
Those fabrics were just too tempting. Even if obtained twice no, three tis the price, it could still easily make at least five tis the profit once it was transported back.
A profit margin of twofold was enough to make anyone envious, let alone several tis that amount. Kenn knew all too well that convincing the employer to give up this "gold mine" would be a daunting task.
"Kenn!"
Adam, Kenn's burly deputy, waved him over from across from the rcenaries gathered around the campfire, where they were busy roasting at.
Kenn pushed through a few idiots fighting for at and made his way over, asking, "Did you find out anything?"
"I did." Adam, looking sowhat pale-faced as if spooked by sothing, glanced around before leaning closer to Kenn and whispering, "Kenn, we've got a big problem. Those village hicks deceived us!"
Kenn's face tensed up. "I'll go take a look."
Outside the camp, in a cowshed belonging to the village head's family, which was now commandeered by Kenn's trusted n, Kenn found his interrogation subject.
The young man curled up on a pile of straw, raised his swollen eyelids, and shrank back, trembling as Kenn entered.
When the undead ca to the village, Kenn knew that the villagers hadn't told the truth about the Weisshem's situation, or at least not the whole truth. When the older villagers couldn't provide answers, the rcenaries turned to the younger generation, and it was evident that they had made a breakthrough with the village head's son.
After giving this timid young man a scrutinizing look, Kenn wasted no ti in delivering a swift kick, knocking him to the ground.
"Don't don't beat , sir! I've told you everything, sir!" The village head's son, terrified, clutched his chest and sobbed.
"Speak! What's the situation in Westham Town?" Kenn demanded.
"The new lord, Rex, has the backing of a black mage. The forr mayor was captured by the undead sent by that black mage and imprisoned in militia headquarters!" The village head's son cried out in fear. "When my father and I went to the town, we saw undead walking in the streets!"
Kenn couldn't prevent the apprehension from showing on his face when he heard the term "black mage"
No one would willingly provoke spellcasters, especially illusionists and black mages. Even regular military forces would go out of their way to avoid them if they could.
Just thinking about the undead that had openly entered the village not long ago, roaming around everywhere and even boldly observing their camp, made Kenn's scalp tingle.
"M-my father said no one should tell you guys about the black mage and the undead in the town, or else or else none of us would be saved" The village head's son continued to cry, not noticing Kenn's pale face. "My father said Lord Rex is the kindest lord. As long as we don't betray him, he will definitely save us"
Kenn couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. "Dream on! You expect nobles to save you hillbillies? Does he even know who you people are?"
The frightened youngster lowered his head.
With a grim look on his face, Kenn left the cowshed and imdiately went to report the information to their employer.
The rchant Ilik nearly fell off his soft, high-backed chair when he heard that there was indeed a black mage in Weisshem Town.
"No wonder the actions of those undead were so peculiar They're indeed being controlled by a black mage!" Ilik was both shocked and terrified. "Damn it, all we did was send scouts, and we've already offended that black mage? Are these spellcasters that petty?"
"Mr. Ilik, we should leave here as soon as possible," Kenn advised. "Let's bypass Weisshem town, and when we reach Indahl, given your relationship with the Bartalis family you should give so face to what the black mage says."
Ilik didn't agree imdiately, instead pacing anxiously in the box car.
This Sokrian rchant did have a good relationship with the Bartalis family, the ruling lords of Indahl. The Sokri Empire was a tropical powerhouse in the southern part of the Navalon continent, known for its production of spices like chili, pepper, garlic, ginger, dried passion fruit, and other food flavorings. Before the Age of Discovery, it had once had a renowned reputation as the "Land of Spices." Sokrian traders from the empire were once known as the "Spice Ships of the Land."
However, after the Age of Exploration, the Kenyan Empire in the north brought back not only cheap orc slaves but also vast quantities of spices from beyond the seas. This caused a severe impact on the Sokrian spice trade.
Today, Sokrian spices could no longer be sold to the north, and they could only be traded overland to so central and western nations, with much less influence than before.
Nevertheless, Sokrian rchants specializing in local spices still held a higher status than ordinary traders, especially those like Ilik, with a quarter of Sokrian noble blood in his veins. Although he had not been officially recognized as a noble, as long as he ntioned his family na, he could still receive VIP treatnt in a small nation like the Rhine Kingdom.
Just that When he saw the exquisitely cut square piece of fabric lying on the small round table, Ilik couldn't help but feel unwilling.
Ilik had received a certain degree of noble education from his father. He could accurately deduce that the Bartalis family did not have access to the source of this fabric. Otherwise, this piece of fabric cut so neatly, which could be used as a tablecloth in any decent place, wouldn't have ended up in the hands of bumpkins in a remote village.
If he rushed off in a hurry to seek the protection of the Bartalis family, those fabrics would no longer be within his grasp And even if he could get his hands on them, the lion's share would still belong to soone else.
Ilik clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly.
"Wait Why should we consider that black mage as an enemy?" Ilik suddenly said. "After all, we only sent scouts, and we haven't done anything disrespectful, have we?"
Kenn: ""
He wanted to say that sending scouts was already considered an offense but he also knew that if he pointed this out, Ilik would definitely shift the bla onto him, the rcenary group captain, for not stopping it at the ti.
The weight of the Ilik na was significant, and if he offended this employer, the Sea Lions rcenaries would have a hard ti in the Sokri Empire. Captain Kenn had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.
"That's right, we don't need to confront that black mage head-on," Ilik continued enthusiastically, clearly convinced of his own idea. "We used to do business with Baron Markus, and now we can do business with Rex Seems like that guy doesn't have a title yet, right? No problem, he will get his title conferred sooner or later, and we can still do business with this nobleman!"
"That's it!" Ilik clapped his hands excitedly as he continued, "Kenn, send an emissary with gifts and the Ilik family's business card to the town as soon as the day breaks! We need to establish a good relationship with this noble!"
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