"How?" he asked in a low voice, walking over to Sid's bedside and reaching out to touch his forehead.

Ian replied, "It doesn't seem to be that hot." "Having cared for Flin and Andrew since childhood, he is still familiar with caring for patients.

"Well, it's much better. Babich smiled, "Come out for a moment." ”

As he spoke, he turned and walked out of the room. Ian hesitated, but followed.

Closing the door, Babich said, "The mercenaries who sent you back are a small mercenary group called Candle Ash, have you heard?"

Ian shook his head blankly.

"Well, I don't have a good reputation, and my hands and feet are not clean, but it's not a big crime in the Mercenary Guild. Babich said in a sarcastic tone.

"I'm with that old thing...... Well, I mean Captain Rodel, and I've already said that. You and Sid are our scarred men, and the forty gold coins that Candle Ash asked for will be recorded in the old ...... On Rodel's account, it will be deducted when the commission is paid. ”

"Thanks, Babich. ”

"You're welcome. “

"Did they mention compensation?" Ian remembered the mercenary captain's mention of the additional compensation.

"They're delaying a day's trip to get you back, right?" Babich laughed, "I've negotiated this with Candle Ash, and they don't want it." ”

"Don't want it?" Ian wondered why the mercenary captain was so greedy that he suddenly didn't want to make amends.

"I went to the caravan they escorted to confirm that they were going back to the oasis in the first place, so there was no delay. "I told them that you and Sid were scarred," and analyzed the situation with emotion and reason, ding-dong!" he tapped his index finger on his temple, "and they understood immediately." ”

Ian thanked him again and again, and watched as Babich went downstairs and left. He couldn't help but smile bitterly, the ghost believed that Babich would go to reason with the mercenaries of Candle Ash. On the first day of joining the group, what impressed him the most was that the people of this war scar mercenary group only talked about their own reasoning and never listened to others. Perhaps, except for the president of the Chamber of Commerce Victor.

In retrospect, everyone seemed to be in awe of Victor, and even more obedient than to their regimental leader, Rodel. What a strange mercenary group.

Ian returned to his room and stayed by the bedside for a while. When the day was bright, there was a bustling murmur outside the window, and the occasional sparse birdsong, which made him begin to fall asleep, and sit on a chair and nod his head as a woodpecker.

Half-asleep, he suddenly heard someone whispering to him. When I opened my eyes, it was Sid who woke up.

Sid smiled weakly and reluctantly, "You ...... Take care of the seriously wounded like that?"

"How are you feeling?" said Ian.

Sid swallowed, as if sensing the condition around him, and said:

"Hurt ......"

"Nonsense, you've got three long cuts in your chest!" Ian gestured.

"Thirsty ......"

Maggie came in and drove Ian to his guest room to rest. Seeing that Sid didn't seem to be in trouble, Ian's tense nerves were relaxed, and he fell asleep as soon as he entered the room. I don't know how long I slept before I was woken up by the noise in the hall downstairs.

He sat up and rubbed his swollen temples, still feeling groggy. I opened the window and looked at the sky, only to realize that it was already evening. When I walked out of the guest room, the lights were already lit in the hallway. Passing Sid's bedroom, he gently pushed the door open and looked in, only to open a crack and Sid's thunderous snoring came out. He carefully closed the door again, and walked up the stairs at the end of the hallway to the first floor.

As soon as he walked down the stairs to the small platform, the noise of the hall subsided. Ian felt his eyes converge.

"Say everybody!" Babich laughed.

"Ian!" called Giggs, "your girlfriend is coming for you!"

"This kid is a quick learner!" said Giggs, laughing, "I taught him the other day the virtues of finding a cat man as a wife...... Ouch!"

This time, he didn't dodge Maggie's knife from behind.

Standing in the center of the hall was none other than Leila of the Investigation Society, stiffly clubbed in the aisle, her hands not knowing where to put them. Her tail was a little thick and wagged uneasily behind her. Seeing Ian walking down the stairs, he hurriedly ran up and stuffed him with a small bag and a roll of paperwork.

"This is a confirmation of the completion of the commission, this time there was an accident, although I didn't run all the investigation points, but the sample was enough - and there was a reason for it, if you want to fight the manticore, this commission is far from enough...... So, we've added some extra gratuity, a thank you, though not much—ah, and this," Leila scrambled as she handed over another, smaller paper bag, which made a slight clanging sound, "It's a nutritional potion made by the investigators themselves, thanks to your ...... this time"

Without waiting for Ian to reply, she said, "Then I'll go back!" and then turned and walked briskly towards the door as if she were running away.

"Wait," Ian called out to Lyra, placing two bags on the bar and walking towards Layla, "I'll send you." ”

Giggs still whistled for fear of the world.

Seeing Ian and Leila leave the hall, Rodell said happily on the side: "I see this Leila, she is a good girl, I don't know if Sid will be jealous, hahaha!"

"Captain, why are you messing around with them!" Maggie reprimanded.

"Of course, it's to get closer to the members of the group......" Rodell said in a pitiful tone, "You see how hard I'm the head of the regiment, come on, bring me a special concoction!"

"No!" Maggie said angrily.

Ian accompanied Leila along the street in front of the Chamber of Commerce in the direction of the Investigative Committee.

"Giggs, they don't mean it, don't mind. Ian broke the silence first.

"Ah, I know," Lyra replied with some embarrassment, "I'm just not used to having so many mercenaries around, like something...... The lair of the bad guys. ”

The corners of Ian's mouth raised slightly, and he couldn't help but smile: "If President Victor hears this, I really don't know what his expression will be." ”

"I've almost forgotten that it's the Goldtail Chamber of Commerce...... Where like the Chamber of Commerce. Leila grumbled quietly.

"The manticore we met couldn't do anything with it, so we just cut off one of its tails. Ian changed the subject.

"You two are really powerful...... Layla sighed, "A mid-level magical beast like the Manticore usually requires a small team to have a chance to take it down. ”

"Really......" Ian said with a wry smile, "I don't know if we're lucky or bad right now." ”

"Of course, it's a miracle that you and Sid, as well as the rest of our investigation team, all survived. ”

"Except for Bazaar," Ian recalls the odd lizardman investigator, "why did she lure the manticore into attacking us? ”

"We don't have a clue about this," Lyra said apologetically, "As you know, over the years, the Magic Element has been in the doldrums, and our Investigation Society has maintained a minimum staffing. Recently, however, the situation changed suddenly, and in order to find out the situation as soon as possible, we had to recruit new researchers on an ad hoc basis. Bazaar is a newcomer to us, and everyone doesn't know much about her. ”

"Hmm......" Ian seemed a little absent-minded.

"I'm sorry that we made so many excuse......s to investigate the Guild's problem," Leila apologized to Ian.

Ian realized that the other party had misunderstood, and hurriedly said, "Ah, no, I just remembered the battle with that monster...... It can pick up where we are by hearing, its tail is like a scorpion, it can stretch, it has wings that can fly, and its head is actually human......"

Layla is much more familiar with magical beasts than Ian: "Most magical beasts can use magical energy, but the manticore uses it in a special way. Magic is infused in its tail, strengthening its strength and speed. Coupled with the telescopic structure of its tail, as well as its sharp and hard carapace, it becomes a signature weapon. And," Leila paused, "the manticore has three tails. ”

Ian knew she was talking about the monster's survival time, which Layla mentioned during the investigation.

"In fact, survival time is only a reference on one side, and it is fundamentally related to the accumulation of magic elements. Manticores usually have only one tail, and as they age, they will gradually accumulate magic in their bodies, and when they accumulate too much, they will begin to grow new tails. It's a long process, though, but it's much faster to devour a large number of other creatures that contain magic in them......" Lyra explained.

"And its three tails...... Is it because of the accumulation of survival time, or is it devouring?" asked Ian, surprised.

"It's hard to tell the age of a manticore by visual inspection, but if you want to know, you can analyze the hard carapace on the scorpion's tail. In this regard, it is clear that Leila is an expert, "but even if the age is known, it is not certain how much it will devour to grow a new tail." The question is, where did it find so many creatures containing magic essences......" Lyra seemed to shudder, and she didn't know what terrifying scenario she had in mind.

Humans and subhumans also have a demonic energy in their bodies - psychics. However, judging from the decline of his psychic power over the years, the manticore has to eat people to obtain magic essence, and I am afraid that it will have to eat the population of several cities to be enough.

"Is your body alright?"

"Me?" Ian paused, "I'm fine, just a little tired." Ian turned his somewhat stiff neck and noticed that the muscles in his shoulders, lower back, and entire back were aching.

"It's okay, I came yesterday and they said you've been asleep. ”

Ian was stunned again and continued to question Layla, only to find out that he had fallen asleep until the evening of the next day.

"By the way," Ian said of the manticore's tail, remembering the severed tail he brought back, "Do you know what the manticore's carapace can be made of?"

"Ah, you collected its carapace, didn't you?" Leila, who had been explaining monsters to Ian like an encyclopedia, suddenly became excited.

"Yes, bring back the severed tail. ”

Lyra exclaimed in surprise, "Great!" and immediately began to chatter, "Its carapace is very hard, but at the same time it is light and sharp, and it is not reflective, so it is good to make into weapons or armor." ”

After hesitating for a moment, she asked embarrassedly, "Well, can you give me a piece of carapace?" I have been collecting materials for various magical beasts and brute beasts for research and collection. It's really hard to get materials for a beast like a manticore......" As soon as the conversation changed, she added anxiously: "Of course, I won't let you send me for nothing! I can share my knowledge and research results with you to provide you with references, so that you can integrate them into processing knowledge!"