"Who else?" After inserting the Mo knife in his hand into the ground, Barrett pressed the handle of the knife and looked around at the people around him. And in the clearing in front of him, a man in ugly leather armor was lying on the ground gritting his teeth.

The armor, made of layers of soft leather and animal skins, was hard and bulky. It took a lot of effort for the adventurer lying on the ground to get back up.

He looked grimly at his companion behind him. But it's a pity that his comrades-in-arms are all looking at each other. No one dared to face his inquiry.

Knowing that he couldn't do anything, he was also a bachelor, so he walked directly to Barrett and said, "No need! None of us is your opponent, sir. We don't have an opinion on what follows. ”

"That's good!" As he spoke, Barrett waved his big hand and pulled out the long knife stuck in the ground and sheathed it. Immediately after that, he turned his gaze to the slightly rickety middle-aged man standing in the crowd.

"To be able to have a strong man like Mr. join our team. I'll be able to feel a lot more at ease for the rest of the journey. The man stroked his beard with considerable satisfaction.

After giving an OK gesture to his teammates behind him, Barrett immediately asked with a slightly flattering expression±∈ "Then Mr. Team Leader!" When do we depart? ”

"Meet tomorrow morning in the square. The exact departure time will be determined at that time. The rickety middle-aged man smiled, then waved his hand.

The two hardcover guards who were originally standing beside him immediately moved to drive the crowd away: "Disperse!" Scattered! The show is over, why do you want to ......"

At the same time, a system prompt sounded in the ears of the players: "Mercenaries commissioned, caravan escort begins." The task reward will be automatically settled after completion. ”

Barrett, who got the promise, turned around and returned to the team. But he was about to high-five his teammates to celebrate. Only then did I realize that the person standing at the front was actually the halfling man of Noodles. But it was only a slight pause in the pace under his feet. Barrett naturally leaned down and made peace with the wanderer.

There is a way that a few families are happy and a few are sad, and when the players are victorious, several aboriginal adventurers on the other side can be said to be gloomy. For them, the failure of this competition was not only a matter of face, but also affected their wallets. After staring at the player with a blank look on their faces, the adventurers left the town's small square under the leadership of Barrett's defeated men.

However, as long as you are a veteran adventurer, it is not once or twice that you have this kind of experience in your adventure career. Only stunned youths will continue to care about this kind of thing. Don't look at these old people in front of you who are scolding now, and immediately forget about them when you turn your head. Go look for the next opportunity.

"Finally I don't have to walk on two legs!" Claudia. Auditore patted Barrett on the shoulder with great satisfaction.

However, Rielly's expression was a little hesitant: "Do you guys remember what happened to us after we last joined the caravan?" ”

"It's only been less than half a year, how can I forget it. Those damn goblins! Recalling the experience of being chased around by the goblins, Noodle couldn't help but scold.

Seeing Rielly bring up the old story again, Barrett shook his head with a wry smile: "That time I encountered a goblin tide explosion!" There are even shadows of evil gods and lower planes behind it. It's not an ordinary event! Otherwise, who else would dare to go out and do business. ”

Regardless of the world, the profits of cross-border trade are often surprisingly large. However, the risks that come with it are not small. Whether it is a robber on the road, an insatiable official, a greedy lord, or a sudden celestial phenomenon, it may affect the final income.

If you are unlucky, you will encounter such irresistible factors as political turmoil in transit, confrontation between two countries, or dimensional invasion. After all, the caravan has no return, and even its name may be taken into it because of this.

Therefore, in this world, it will definitely not be ordinary people who can intervene in this kind of cross-border transaction. Because the common people dare to mix into this pool of troubled waters. They are too dead to die anymore.

They either have extremely hard backgrounds and have the support of major nobles and even the royal family behind them. Some are all subordinate bodies of the church. Or it's an independent city in its own right. Captive mercenary groups to protect themselves.

But no matter what kind of caravan it is, it must have at least the strength to protect itself after leaving the house—those trustworthy combat forces in your hands. Only after directly deterring others can we not be afraid of ordinary threats.

For example, the previous Boreham caravan belonged to a team with both background and strength, but unfortunately it suddenly encountered a goblin frenzy that has not been seen for decades. After all kinds of resistance, he finally had to abandon the goods and return to the wolf. Having had such an experience, Rielly would inevitably have some doubts about joining the caravan.

"That's right! According to what I heard. Most of the goblins I've encountered have been wiped out by the Norhan Kingdom and the Northland Federation. Saying that, Noodles looked at Rielly proudly, "And since that accident, there have been no similar large caravan distress incidents on the mainland." ”

Barrett also spoke up at this time: "That's right! Although since we players entered the game, there have been disasters on the continent. However, most of them are small and medium-sized contradictions that have been stimulated. It is also very rare for such a situation to have such a high impact. ”

On the other side, the caravan leader who had promised Barrett was supervising the loading by the wagon: "I hope it won't rain in a few days!" Otherwise, I really don't know if this truck can arrive in time! ”

If the trade routes of the northern country are the most deserted, it is the middle of winter when the snow is knee-high and the ports are frozen. The name is in the temperate, subtropical region of the kingdom of Etasia. Road turning in the spring has always been a long-standing problem that hinders the normal operation of business roads.

However, these difficulties and obstacles cannot stop the market's thirst for various commodities. Especially those from the northern country with various specialties. A winter has passed, and the inventory of southern customers has basically been consumed, and it is really a time to replenish it on a large scale.

Where there is market demand, there are sellers. Caravans from the north at the beginning of each year. They all set off on time for the last snowfall. The fleets of the major trading houses. It was also ready to travel before the port was unblocked.

They are going to foreign lands to exchange their special goods for gold coins. Later, they were exchanged for various specialties from the south and brought back to their hometowns on the return trip. In this way, it is often possible to make a few handsome profits at a time.

However, these northern caravans tend not to stay in the south for long, and their trades are often completed at the major trade nodes. The local chambers of commerce in the southern countries took over the burden of selling these sought-after specialties from the north to various places.

Therefore, even if the road is difficult, those caravans must grit their teeth and move forward. Because every spring is considered the golden time for caravans to make money. Although the loss on the road may be quite large, a slight increase in the price can make it back with interest.

Coupled with the huge demand for Northland goods in the hungry market. For trading firms that operate all year round, the profits on goods during this period are staggering, even more than half the average at other points in the year.

"Nope! Be sure to arrive before those guys. It's been 5 years! I finally jumped at my chance. We can't afford to fail! As he spoke, the leader looked at the goods in his carriage as if he were looking at a cart full of yellow gold coins.

Apparently he had more than just smooth trade in mind—he wanted to get the goods to their destination before the rest of the caravans.

The first batch of each year often makes even more staggering profits than the ones that followed, and more importantly, it will leave a strong mark on the caravan's resume. For the team leader, it can increase his seniority in the chamber of commerce, which can be said to be very important for future promotion. So for him, time can be said to be a race against time.

Just as the rickety middle-aged man was muttering in a low voice, a voice came from behind him: "Mr. Harkis! The news about the blood-stained Grey Flower Mercenary Group is eyebrow-raising. ”

"Oh! Did you hear the news? The middle-aged caravan leader immediately turned around. His stern expression made people feel that the information in front of him was very important.

After all, for the mercenary squad that is about to join the escort of their caravan. Unless they had worked together for a long time before, any caravan leader would have doubts about them. I'm afraid that there is some conspiracy hidden in this - such as the spies of the bandits. Or a spy from a competing chamber of commerce.

It's like a game where players compete against another team of adventurers who are about to join a caravan. It is the first test before joining the caravan. While selecting a more powerful employer, you can also check whether the other party is showing any weaknesses.

Since ancient times, there has been no first and no second. There is a way to go with peers. Since they all eat the same meal, competition for employment is inevitable. Players join a caravan as a guard in the guise of a mercenary group, naturally coming into conflict with adventurers who see this work as meat in their bowls.

Although the blood-stained Greyflower mercenary group with the endorsement of the independent city of Saxony naturally seems to be more trustworthy. But the number of players is so small that they are just a detachment in the eyes of the caravan. And this nameless adventuring group among Baron Bertwisel, although there are many people, but its strength and credibility need to be considered.

Therefore, this kind of mention of the decisive victory by force between mercenaries and adventurers does not seem abrupt at all. And in the end, it was Barrett who easily eliminated the strongest person in the adventure group by virtue of his superior strength, and got the job of caravan guard.

Of course, such a simple observation is not enough to completely reassure the caravan, so there is a further investigation in the future.

As for Barrett, when he entered the caravan of the Boreham Chamber of Commerce before, why didn't he pass this assessment. That's because the understanding of Barrett at the Boreham Chamber of Commerce began from the mother's womb. In their eyes, Barrett is completely his own person, and he is the most trustworthy central figure

The fellow, who was sweating profusely as he gasped, said, "Just the day before yesterday, they were seen entering the castle of Baron Bertwisel. And according to the guards on duty four days ago, when they appeared, they looked like wild people living in the jungle. If it weren't for the token of the Viscount of the "Golden Thorn Bird", it would have been beaten out by the guards a long time ago. ”

"Go to the Baron's Castle. There is also a token of the Viscount of the "Golden Thorn Bird". I finally know what's going on with these guys. They were going to pick up our convoy. Do you want to leave the kingdom of Aetasia together? The middle-aged team leader touched his weather-beaten cheek. It seems that I have learned the identities of the players.

Any successful businessman. They are often naturally sensitive to crises. After all, when there is a major turmoil in a country or region, there will naturally be economic problems.

Since that kind of tension is shì, they are looking at it in their eyes, but there is nothing they can do about it. Then gain insight into opportunities when the storm is coming, so as to avoid unnecessary risks in time. It has become the primary goal of various chambers of commerce.

Every year, they have to invest a lot of manpower and material resources in their own business areas. to ensure that you can get the news you want in time. And the previous conflicts between the Etasia royal family and the local nobles naturally can't escape their eyes.

Also as a participant in this turmoil, Barrett and his entourage naturally fell into the eyes of many people, but it was still limited to a few people.

The caravan leader in front of him was one of the few people who had access to this news. Although he didn't know the specific image of the players before. But combined with the news that the waiter inquired, the identity of Barrett and his party was not known.

As if sensing the doubts of the team leader, the guy figured out: "Sir! Do you dare them to go. We'll look for the right person. ”

"Nope! No, you don't. Keeping them in the team is the best option. These guys will definitely do their best when we get into trouble. The middle-aged team leader waved his hand as if he didn't care.

The fellow cautiously asked, "But are they going to cause us trouble?" ”

In the eyes of this waiter, since Barrett and his party were trying to escape from the Kingdom of Eetasia, they were naturally causing some serious trouble in the country. Hitting the road with such a person is a blessing and a curse for a caravan!

"Out of the way! No one has the strength to trouble them now. In the future, I'm afraid no one will remember them. Speaking of this, the middle-aged leader patted the guy on the shoulder: "These people have repelled the attack of the brown bear mercenary group before. Their strength is important for the rest of our journey. ”

The guy was so surprised that even his thick eyebrows were scattered: "Brown Bear Mercenary Group, sir, you mean the Brown Bear Mercenary Group from Alexandra." ”

Alexandra is one of the most important cities in the commercial republic of Tutkel. However, the country was originally a political union composed of independent cities in the south. So they have the same composition as other independent cities.

The straight-line distance between the merchant republic of Tutkel and the kingdom of Ethasia is not too far. The buffer zone in between was only separated by a duchy and two relatively independent counties.

Among the commercial republics of Tutkel. The closest independent city to the Kingdom of Etasias. Alexandra's mercenary regiments are quite numerous in these countries.

And the Brown Bear Mercenary Group, which has a tall berserker with amazing strength, is also a well-known Cunzài among these groups. These guys haven't done anything earth-shattering, though. But I've been in the tavern from time to time. Hear the news of what task they have accomplished.

That's why when that guy heard that Barrett and his party had repelled the Brown Bear Mercenary Group, he was so surprised - after all, the number of players was really small compared to the Brown Bear Mercenary Group.

"That's right, it's the Brown Bear Mercenary Regiment. However, since then, I am afraid that I will rarely hear from the Brown Bear Mercenary Group again. After all, the berserker in bear's skin among them died at the hands of the big man just now. "The leader of the caravan who was embarrassed was even more forgetful about his original clumsy back.

The expression of the thick-eyed guy in front of him was as if he was listening to some kind of fantasy: "You mean the one who went to the last game before, the berserker who killed the brown bear mercenary group." Oh, my God! The world is truly crazy. If they make their name if they achieve it, those adventurers will never dare to fight with them. ”

"This news came from someone from the Brown Bear Mercenary Group. I didn't get the first-hand information, but it was accurate. The strength of that big man, if not stronger than the berserkers of the Brown Bear Mercenary Group, is probably not much different. The caravan leader smiled and patted the cronie on the shoulder, "It's a pity that they only follow us to the next city." If I have the chance, I'd like to hire them until the trip is completed! ”

The fellow smiled and said, "Sir! It's not like we don't have a chance! Isn't the most important thing for mercenaries like them to be on the go is money? As long as there is money, I am afraid that they will not be able to solve them. ”

"In the future, you will know that with that kind of strength, it's not just about money. And I can feel that they should be going to accomplish something. Judging by their numbers, after separating from us, they should go to make peace with the main force of the mercenary group. It's not easy for us to keep people. The fixed thinking made the well-informed caravan leader in front of him suddenly think about it.

Not to mention that the caravan side is making all kinds of speculations about Barrett's group of mercenaries who suddenly appeared. And players are now in the midst of a big purchase before leaving.

"This gentleman! Look at the teeth, the hooves, and the spirit of this horse! "In the market on the east side of town, a mule and horse dealer is vigorously selling his goods to Barrett.

Reaching out and touching the mane on the back of the red horse, he pressed the muscles on his body. Barrett nodded: "It's a good pull horse indeed." It's really a good time to rush next. ”

"You can say that this is a horse! That's more than enough for a military horse. The bearded horse dealer pleaded.

Barrett, who was fooled as a layman, was about to laugh angrily: "Military horses? Are you sure your eyes are okay? Although the horse is muscular, the limbs are relatively short and the foreknees are underdeveloped. Add to that the fact that he has a wide chest, a round ribbed arch and a wide and slightly longer back, and you can tell which point meets the requirements of a war horse. And the most important thing for war horses is training, do you have this horse? ”

The horse dealer who found himself in the possession immediately changed his face and said, "Even if it is a horse, this little fellow is very good." It's not like any other guy. ”

As he spoke, the horse dealer gestured to the weak-looking horses behind him. Barrett wandered his gaze, and knew that he would not be able to find any decent horses in such a small place—in fact, if it weren't for the town's proximity to the border, and the commerce seemed good, there might not even be a horse dealer!

"You make an offer! If it's right, I'll buy it. Barrett said, and the horse dealer in front of him pulled out a cloth bag.

I saw him cover himself and Barrett's palms with a cloth bag. The two sides bargained with their fingers in the cloth pocket. This is done in order to trade harmoniously and avoid disputes. More importantly, in order to keep the transaction price confidential, so as not to be known by other people around the price.

In the "Crack! Sound! Syllable! Syllable! After the clash of hands, Barrett nodded. The horse dealer nodded and quickly pulled out the cloth bag. After weighing the money bag handed by Barrett twice, the other party satisfactorily handed the reins in his hand to Barrett - the money and goods were cleared, and the transaction between the two parties was completed.

In addition to Barrett, who was buying a mount, the remaining players were also shopping for other necessities. Since the caravan has found cover, everyone naturally wants to play a full set. You can't let people see too many flaws.

The next day, when the people came to the caravan in good spirits. Even the original guards in the caravan felt a little dwarfed in front of the players.

As a sign of his welcome to the players, the caravan leader has also prepared several positions in the freight wagon for several spellcasters of the blood-stained Ash Mercenary Regiment. Lest the rare casters get too tired along the way. Also for Clematis. Both, the priest of the goddess of wealth and business, is even more respectful.

They don't seem to be treating any ordinary mercenary or adventurer. However, the players seemed to be very happy. (To be continued......)