The old man's dark brown leather armor had been weathered and had been repaired in several places, and at a glance he knew that his master had experienced many terrible battles. His waist knife was tucked away in an unadorned scabbard, and a cyan wine cup hung beside it.

A seasoned warrior, the girl thought to herself. Are you a member of the "Briar"?

[That girl ......] Xiaowei's attention fell on the other person, [Look at her equipment. 】

The girl was slightly startled.

The girl with her flaxen hair in braids sat in the corner seat in the tavern. She wore a reddish-brown studded leather armor waistcoat with a short sword tied around her waist and a red gemstone shard on the hilt. A small round leather shield that clearly belonged to her rested on the table, to her left.

[Really? The girl frowned, "I can only look at her equipment as usual. The caravan guards she encountered in the French country seemed to be better equipped than her.

[That's not the case," Xiaowei said, opening up the conversation, "If I'm not mistaken, that short sword is a "spell-casting sword". This weapon can be used both as a sword for combat and as an "arcane focus", the effect of a staff. 】

[Hah! You mean, she's a mage? Are you convinced? 】

[I'm 90% sure. Arcane Focuses cause an enrichment of Arcane Energy when used. Let me take over the body, and use a basic spell of "detection magic" to determine it. 】

[Won't you be discovered by the other party?] 】

[This spell is a basic skill that every mage apprentice can master,] Xiao Wei said angrily, [I'm a blue sky level mage! 】

[In other words, you don't need to move and make a sound to cast this spell?] If someone just cast a "detection magic" on you, you wouldn't be able to find out, wouldn't you? 】

[No problem.] Xiaowei was puzzled, "What do you care about this?" 】

[I'm worried about whether our identities will be revealed. 】

[Why?] Xiaowei hasn't reacted yet.

[If that girl was really a mage, she might have secretly used "detection magic" on us several times while we were focusing on paying the bills.] We've got more than one magical item with us, Vicky. 】

……

Just as the girl and Xiaowei were secretly communicating, Lin Na had already been greeted by the old man to their table.

"Miss," said the old man, cheerfully, "won't you come?" Don't want to drink with me, a bad old man? ”

"Since it was the old gentleman's invitation," said the girl politely, "I will naturally not refuse." ”

So saying, the girl took the last seat around the square table.

"This eldest lady is happy enough," the old man narrowed his eyes, "could I ask your surname?" ”

"I'm sorry, I can't tell." The girl neatly refused.

"What about you?" The old man pointed at Linna.

"Me?" Linna raised her eyebrows, "Linna Clemens." ”

"Clemens" is the surname of Linna's adoptive mother, the Duke's wife, and Linna's favorite name when she concealed her identity.

The old man nodded. He picked up the wine bottle made of wood in front of him (not only the tables and chairs and barrels in this tavern were made of wood, but all the bottles and glasses were also made of wood) and poured the girl wine.

[Tell him I can't drink.] Xiaowei said in a panic.

[But I ......]

[No is no way!] Xiaowei said stubbornly.

The girl had no choice but to wave her hand again and again, indicating that she could not drink. The old man didn't mind, and poured Lin Na a full glass sideways, and poured himself a cyan wine cup. And the girl who was sitting opposite the old man, who was suspected of being a mage, also took out a small wine glass from the package. Instead of choosing the tavern's ale and cider, she removed the water bag she had with her and poured out a glass of dark red wine. The aroma of wine is overflowing.

[The sake brewing process in this world is better than I imagined.] Looking at the people who were drinking, the girl pitifully poured herself a sip of boiled water.

"My name is Burns," the old man introduced himself, "and this is Adele." ”

"Old man, Adele," Linna put down her glass, "it's a pleasure to meet you." Listen to your accent, you're not local, are you? ”

[They are Okadians,] Xiao Wei whispered to the girl, [Their lingua franca has an Okadian border accent. 】

Burns and Adele looked at each other.

"Yes, we do come from Okad." Burns said.

"You are the 'Wild Rose' of the Mercenary Guild?" Lin Na blinked, "Or a wandering adventurer with a free body?" ”

Most adventurers want the Mercenary Guild to register, but there are also many adventurers who either don't like to be regulated, or can't pass the mercenary guild's review, so as to maintain their free identity.

"We are free adventurers." Burns replied unhurriedly.

"That's ......," Lin Na didn't delve into.

"You came to the Empire for an adventure?" The girl asked.

"Not really," said Old Burns, "our adventure party used to operate near the 'Five Nations Alliance', but now it has been disbanded. Adele came to the empire to join her relatives, and I just accompanied her, old man. ”

If the four principalities in the north of the empire and the Longmian Mountains to the north were the buffer between the "Elrios Legacy" and the "Grektian Empire", the "Five Alliance" was the buffer between Elrios and the "Okad Federation". The "Five-Nation Alliance" consisted of three small kingdoms and two republics, and was traditionally considered a sphere of influence by the Elrios, and was greatly influenced by Okad over the years. It is only the largest "kingdom" in the "Five Nations Alliance", and its area is not as large as a duke of the empire.

"You're Okadian, but you have relatives in the Empire." The girl made a pensive expression. She couldn't trust the duo in front of her more and more.

"Adele has a brother who has been taken in as an apprentice by Master Aiken in Sunburn City," Burns said slowly, "Adele is going to congratulate him. Of course...... She is a girl, if she can stay in the Duchy of Yangyan City and don't have to venture outside, it would be good. ”

The girl and Lin Na glanced at each other. Mage Aiken was Duke Hywell's chief court mage.

"What about you, old man?" The girl gradually understood.

"I'm so old that I can't even swing a knife," Burns said, taking a sip of his wine and a lonely look in his eyes, "and I'm looking for a stable place to retire." I have been fighting horses all my life, and I have little savings, so I plan to live in the Duchy of Yangyan City. Bask in the sun every day, plant flowers and plants, teach children martial arts, and that's it. ”

"Don't you plan to go back to your hometown?"

"My relatives and friends in my hometown are gone, and it's useless to go back." The old man said, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to become deeper. He drank the remaining ale from his glass in one gulp.

"In other words, you two want to live in the Duchy of Yangyan City permanently." Lin Na gradually took on the appearance of a local nobleman.

"Yes."

"With your ability, old man, it's not difficult to find a job as a martial arts teacher." Lin Na said.

"It doesn't matter what I do, old man," Burns said with a sigh, "I'm worried about Adele." She is destined to settle in the Empire. ”

"Under the laws of the Empire, every woman over the age of sixteen must join the army and serve the Empire or the local lord like a man," Linna put her hands on her cheeks and looked at Adele, "unless she is a caster of mysteries, arcane, and divine magic, or pays an additional tax." Miss Adele has experience as an adventurer, and it would be a waste to be an ordinary soldier. ”

[There is such a thing? The girl listened with a confused expression.

[Huh? Xiao Weiqi said, "Don't you know? Yes, you're an otherworldly creature. But do we need to care about it? 】

[Of course you do!] Why didn't you say something so important earlier! Even on Earth, countries that dare to recruit women en masse are a minority of the few. Even if the physical difference between men and women in this world is not as big as on Earth, this is too ......

But the girl was immediately relieved: this is probably just a way to encourage childbirth in disguise. Raising taxes on overage, unmarried women, was not uncommon on the ancient earth.

"Adele really doesn't have a sweetheart yet," Old Man Burns mused, "but she just doesn't want to fight and kill anymore......"

"I have a proposal for the best of both worlds," Lyna laughs, "and there is a castle near Anseltown that is being renovated. ”

"Yes."

"In the next few days, a new baron will go there."

"Hey, Linna......" The girl suddenly understood what Linna wanted to do.

"You mean we can go to the new baron?" Old Man Burns' eyes lit up.

"This Miss Victoria is the new baron...... 's relatives," said Linna, determined to help the girl recruit the two, "and it is inevitable that ordinary soldiers of the Imperial Army will be assigned outside the principality, and they may be in danger." If you join the new baron's guard, you can stay in the principality, not only will you be safe, but you will also be able to see your family from time to time. Old man Burns can also be with him. ”

After saying that, Lin Na winked at the girl, obviously quite satisfied with what she had said on the spot.

And the girl couldn't laugh or cry. She watched the reaction of the old and the young. Their expressions of surprise and delight didn't seem to be fake, but there were obvious concerns between their eyebrows.

"I've heard that the empire now has some restrictions on the number of standing guards of all levels of nobility," Burns said cautiously, "and the lords prefer to choose those who are highly skilled in martial arts. With Adele's martial arts, I'm afraid it's ......"

"It's up to Miss Victoria," said Linna, with a wink, "it must be fine." She secretly stabbed the girl, why are her future subordinates so careless?

"Ah...... Yes," the girl was helpless, "if your identity is 'innocent', you will definitely ......"

This young lady doesn't even want to say that she is a mage, she is innocent, the girl thought resentfully. She didn't think that Xiaowei would misunderstand the other party's mage identity. Putting the court mage inappropriate, willing to be a small soldier? It's just that now when the girl is employing people, it hasn't been broken.

"I wonder if you two are going?" Linna asked.

"Adele also has several younger brothers who have been placed in Anseltown by Master Ayken," Burns said, "and we plan to stay in Anseltown for a few days before visiting Master Aiken in Sunburn City." ”

"It seems that we are destined for the same thing," said Linna, "Miss Victoria, how about letting these two go with us for the time being?" ”

"Okay." The girl hesitated for a moment but agreed. There was time on the way to test them, she thought. It's just that the plan to place the teleportation sign has been delayed.

Suddenly, Burns' face changed.

"Not good." He whispered, reminding Adele beside him.

And the girl and Lin Na immediately understood the reason why the old mercenary was nervous. It was from outside the tavern door, a cacophony of footsteps.

Boom!

The door was opened, so to speak, ripped open. More than a dozen heavily armed figures rushed in, filling half of the tavern.