Sword sellers?

Tails' brain was in a mess, wrapped in a blanket, and he felt like he had just been scooped out of the icy water.

The ...... of the Sword Seller

What is that?

He looked at the triumphant fast rope in confusion.

At this moment, a loud and powerful female voice came from behind Tails: "Mercenary." ”

"We're mercenaries – as for 'Sellsord', that's what some people call us, maybe it's vivid and easy to understand, but we don't usually call ourselves that, except for the newcomers, just as businessmen don't call themselves 'money-seekers', apprentices don't call themselves 'bastards', women who can't find a man and men who can't find a woman don't call themselves 'nobody wants.'" ”

The rookie who has just entered the industry, the elated fast rope, instantly drooped and grimaced at Tails.

Tails couldn't help but notice that although the other party spoke the lingua franca, his words were difficult to pronounce and his pronunciation was high-pitched, and many of his accents and tones were very different from the Northland lingua franca he was familiar with, and they did not match the accent of Yongxing City in his impression.

He turned his head away.

Three lightly armed warriors with their heads covered and moving quickly were stepping on the sand under their feet, and they appeared in his field of vision, and others saw their figures and avoided them.

They walked into the campfire and, one by one, removed their masks and bandanas to shield them from the wind and sand:

A slightly darker-skinned young man, with black lines of unknown meaning on his face, carrying two criss-crossed scimitars, one hilt peeking out from each shoulder, looked at Tails with a wary look in his eyes, and a gray-haired warrior of some age, put down a terrifying warhammer with a head and spikes, and looked comfortably at the warm campfire between his full beard.

Finally, there is the owner of the loud female voice.

She was a medium-sized, chestnut-haired warrior with simple but slightly weathered features, her back straight with a bow and arrows, and her bandaged arms always pressed against the sword at her waist.

The three of them walked into the small camp together, and each found a comfortable place to sit down by the campfire, so that the middle-aged warrior of the hammer also touched the hair of the fast rope happily, and the latter protested dissatisfied.

"By the way, I'm Louisa Dante. ”

The female warrior who spoke—Louisa lowered her longbow, unsheathed the saber at her waist, and grinned softly at the weakened Tails: "It's good to see you wake up, child, you're lucky - not every trapped lone wanderer survives in the desert." ”

Her smile is bright and gentle, which makes people feel good.

Tails was stunned for a moment, then gave her a grateful smile back.

Mercenary.

He'd heard of these people, and in fact he had encountered similar objects - six years ago, when he first arrived at Mindeis Hall, a small group of people had been instructed (or tricked) by Duke Iris to come and test the royal property that the King had visited late at night, and they all died.

But that's all.

There are many people in the chaotic lower town of Yongxing City who are willing to sell unusual labor in uncommon and often illegal forms for a few silver coins: debt collectors, prostitutes, pickpockets, killers, liars, bounty hunters, as long as it doesn't affect protection money and cause trouble, the Brotherhood of the Dark Street tends to turn a blind eye to their own people's private work, and even the Sixth House, where Tails is located, once took over the work of heckling the streets for a few copper coins.

But within the walls of the majestic royal capital, Tails had never seen the extremes of this profession - those who betrayed violence purely for money, full-time mercenaries who only appeared in bards and rumors.

It is said that they would only venture out into the wilderness far from the royal law, in the precarious frontiers, or in war-torn countries, looking for employers, pointing their swords at those who have no grievances, and then taking the bloody rewards from the powerful.

And in Longxiao City, where the people are fierce and martial, there are even fewer mercenaries: where almost all men in the prime of life have served in the military and take pride in killing enemies and fighting, even a seventy-year-old man can swing a big axe ferociously for ten rounds, and who would want to fake the other and rely on the weapons of strangers?

Yongxing City, as the political center, does not need mercenaries, and Longxiao City, which serves itself, does not need mercenaries.

But here......

Tails stared at these people, who were all short and long, far and near, and very different from the single-function classes of the profession or conscription.

He turned his head slowly, looking at the dangerous desert under the howling cold wind, at the several campfires in the distance, at the unknown darkness beyond his vision, at the camel caravan lying on his knees outside the camp, and suddenly understood something.

"So?" the female warrior unsheathed her saber and patted the sand off her body, looking at him expectantly.

Tails came back to his senses and looked at the other party politely, "So what?"

"I told you my name, boy, and as a polite and reacting ......"

Luisa smiled.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"I'm—"

Tails reacted at this time, he hurriedly pushed the ground, trying to sit up, but he felt a darkness in front of his eyes and a weakness in his arms.

"Wow, wow, take it easy," Quickrope quickly caught Tails, who was about to fall, put him down gently, and said in a fuss:

"You can't stand up yet. When you were found, face down in the middle of the road, half of your body buried in the yellow sand, and it looked like an inconspicuous piece of sandstone, and had it not been for Dean's sharp eyes, a team of Bactrian camels—twenty-three, eight or nine hundred pounds each—would have nearly trampled over you!"

"Relax, boy," the hammer-making warrior stroked his beard, "you're out of danger, and we've been listening to you introduce yourself all night." ”

Tails gave him a grateful look, then turned to Luisa, "I'm ...... My name ......"

The prince couldn't help but be stunned.

It had been a long time since he had introduced himself to a stranger, and in fact, he did not need to introduce himself, whether it was a beggar or a prince: in the former, no one cared about his name, and in the latter, no one knew his name.

Looking at the curious gazes of the other people, as well as their strange and detached eyes, Tails couldn't help but feel a strange sense of absurdity.

"Wya," his voice sounded weakly around the campfire:

"My name is Wya. ”

The others looked at each other.

"So, Waiya," Louisa stared at him intently, "how did you end up in the Great Desert?"

Tails did his best to look believable.

"I ...... I was unlucky, in fact, very bad. ”

Tails sighed, "My father, he was a little powerful when he was still alive. Unfortunately, he had a feud with the people in the north, and when he could no longer protect me, the enemies sent a few thugs one after another—the kind with a bad temper and a sharp knife—to me, and I had no choice but to flee, to the south. ”

"They drove me all the way into the desert. ”

Tails knew he looked terrible, but he also knew that the other man must have seen his bag, and he had to have a good reason why a fourteen-year-old boy would go into the desert alone with a crossbow and a dagger.

What's more, they also saved their own lives.

Luisa looked at the warrior with the hammer and nodded to each other.

"Wow, it can make you so scared that you flee to the Great Desert," Kuai's eyes lit up: "Your enemies, they must hate you." ”

Tails nodded silently and said gloomily: "I didn't expect life in the Great Desert to be so difficult, I couldn't even survive for four or five days. ”

"Enemies. ”

Tails looked up curiously, and saw that it was the young warrior with black tattoos on his face who had interjected, sitting by the fire and staring coldly at the prince, wiping his blade.

"So you have enemies to chase behind – and of course, there's always trouble that comes with it. He said softly, expressionless.

Tails didn't know how to answer for a moment.

"You can put away your murderous face, McGee," Louisa glanced disapprovingly at the black-striped man named McGee, who seemed to have a problem with his attitude, "I know what you're worried about - this kid won't be an undercover agent or spy for the sand thieves." ”

Tails was shocked.

The man's hand as he wiped the scimitar paused slightly.

"No, you don't know my concerns," McGee's face became serious, "If you knew, we wouldn't have been hired by that profiteer, and we wouldn't have come here." ”

"Dean knows, but he doesn't listen to me. ”

Louisa pursed her lips.

Tails watched their argument curiously.

The bearded warrior laughed and raised his hands to make a round: "Take it easy, man, there's no need to keep your face tight all day long. ”

He turned to McGee and pointed at the weakened Tails.

"But you saw it, McGee, he almost died there, and no sand pirate gang would let a dying kid be a spy—there's nothing to rob Tomdine's caravan, and we'll be safe...... In fact, we didn't run into sand pirates or exiles along the way, and you know why. ”

Tails smiled weakly.

McGee snorted.

"That's what I'm worried about. ”

"Mortals try to interfere with the desert with power, but the desert gods never forgive," McGee's eyes grew more and more solemn, and he glanced at the sky, "It means: we are in trouble." ”

Tails moved.

The warrior in the prime of life burst out laughing.

"Ignore McGee, he's like that, the natives are always a little prejudiced against the travelers, and they are chattering," the bearded warrior snorted nonchalantly, turning to Tails, "Let's talk about something else interesting......

Tails was stunned.

He glanced at McGee.

Native?

Right now.

"So, you are a nobleman from the Northlands, and you have been forced to flee to the Great Desert?" Luisa said lightly.

"You know, your accent is a lot like that of the Northlanders. ”

"Well, right?" replied Tails carefully.

Yes, he could only say that, and his six-year experience in Longxiao City allowed him to even deliberately imitate it, and the Northland accent was easy to capture.

The middle-aged warrior on the side laughed: "Very good, Northlanders, I like Northlanders the most...... Maybe we should let Dean talk to his fellow Northlanders......"

At this moment, the fast rope slapped his thigh!

"Aristocrats!"

Fast Rope rubbed his hands excitedly, his eyes lit up.

"Very well, we can talk about pay," he said, looking at Tails with a smile on his face, "You know, little Mr. Wya, I saved your life—from being buried in the sand." ”

Tails was slightly stunned.

"Yes, thank you. ”

But at the same time, he noticed that Luisa, the prime warrior, including the young man with black stripes, rolled her eyes to the outside.

I saw the fast rope straighten up with a look of anger.

"So, according to the rules of the desert, I saved you. ”

"That is, I will automatically own all of your possessions, including your personal ownership," Fastrope coughed and said solemnly, "So, Wya—you're mine now." ”

Tails was stunned.

"Got it?"

The next moment, a slap with a big pot lid slammed the back of the fast rope's head from behind!

Syllable!

"Ahh

Seeing the howl of the fast rope, Luisa and the middle-aged warrior all laughed, and even McGee, who had a gloomy face, curled the corners of her mouth.

Tails looked at the person who appeared behind the fastrope in surprise.

"If this stinky boy continues to talk this nonsense, you will deal with him like this, you must be right. ”

A familiar and sophisticated voice joins the conversation.

The bald man he had seen before returned to the camp with a cold face, and sat down beside Luisa, followed by a strong man with a mustache and a two-handed sword on his back, and a muffled voice.

The rest of the people made way for them, and it was clear that they were all on a team.

Fast rope raised his head with tears in his eyes: "Dean, what I said is not wrong, the rescuer has the right to ......"

The bald Dean snorted through his nose and interrupted him: "But this is the desert, not the sea, and you are not the one who saved him." ”

"Ignore him," Luisa sighed, pulling her gaze away from the painful Fastrope and shaking her head apologetically at Tails, "This rookie used to be a sailor before he entered the trade - that's why we like to call him Fastrope - he doesn't understand anything, but he always likes to bring the rules of the sea here." ”

Fast Rope excitedly raised his hand in protest.

"But...... A sea of sand is a type of sea, isn't it?"

The aggrieved fast rope was responded to by a piece of bread thrown in his face by a warrior with a hammer.

Tails stared blankly at the gang's fight.

The hammer-wielding warrior bared a mouthful of yellow teeth in his beard and smiled at Tails, "Hello, strange Wya...... You can call me Old Hammer because I'm in charge of picking hammers in the team. ”

Tails nodded.

"It's McGee with a stinking face, you should see him wielding his twin knives, it's our clairvoyant and guide. McGee, the man with the black stripes snorted softly.

"And I'm sure you've seen the fast rope, this Comas sailor specializes in telling jokes......"

"Hey!" Fastrope protested, struggling to break free of the old hammer's big hand.

"Jokes are important, okay?"

The old hammer ignored it and pressed the bread into the fast rope's mouth.

"You know Dean, and the one sitting next to Dean who doesn't speak is 'Hearth', a strong man from a thorny ground who specializes in killing people. The man with the two-handed sword on his back nodded to him.

Tails greeted them in a friendly manner.

"There are still five guys on duty outside, and this lively girl in front of you ......"

The poor quickrope pulled the bread out of his mouth with all his might, took the words of the old hammer, threw his arms at Louisa, and painted:

"Louisa Dante!"

"We are beautiful and cute, and we can fight and charm, but it's a pity that we are the captain with a bad temper!"

Luisa's face flushed slightly.

Tails raised an eyebrow.

Fast Rope looked at his somewhat embarrassed captain, turned to the bald man, and rolled his eyes:

"And Big Dean - we are beautiful and cute and can fight and charm, but it's a pity that the captain who has a bad temper wants to marry him in his dreams!"

The next second.

"Ahh

Luisa's bracer slammed into Fastrope's forehead.

"Shut up. Luisa twisted her face fiercely, staring at the fast rope through gritted teeth.

Tails saw that the others were all bowing their heads as if they hadn't heard this: the old hammer began to pick his beard again, the stove continued to drink his water, McGee finished wiping the second knife and went back to wiping the first, and the bald Dean, one of the protagonists of the dispute, coughed awkwardly.

"Am I wrong?"

Fast Rope looked up dissatisfied: "You are our leader and captain, the beloved Louisa. ”

"No one can deny that you have assembled this team and are carrying the 'Great Sword of Dante' – and Dean has never objected to that. ”

Luisa's face darkened

"You know, that's not what I'm talking about. ”

"Which do you think I'm talking about?"

Flying in response to the fastrope from the air was Luisa's other bracer.

Tails stared at their interaction.

He suddenly felt that the Great Desert was not entirely terrifying.

Dante's greatsword.

Tails nodded, chewing on the name of the mercenary team.

So, that female warrior was the leader of these mercenaries, named after her last name.

But......

In the midst of the noise, Dean coughed again, his eyes returning to Tails' body.

"Eat some, you've just recovered," he handed Tails a loaf of bread and a water bag, "Water can sustain life, but it can't fill your stomach." ”

Tails took the food with a heavy heart, and reluctantly smiled gratefully, "Thank you." ”

The man looked at Tails and smiled, "Don't worry, Wya, we've got all your stuff in our bag—some profiteer wanted to swallow your purse and crossbow, but we stopped him." ”

Dean pouted at another campfire, and by the firelight, a man dressed in rustic clothes was haggling fiercely with others.

Tails hesitated slightly, then nodded.

"Thank you. ”

"You saved my life, and I will repay you. ”

"I swear I will. ”

Fast Rope's face was happy: "Ah, I knew you were a good friend, Huaiya, I shrank ...... with you"

His mouth was stuffed back into the bread by the old hammer.

"But, where are you going?"

Tails took a bite of bread, looking at the faces of these people, and his heart was wary: "In fact, can I hire you?"

The mercenaries glanced at each other.

The prince said tentatively, "I mean, I have a few relatives in the Kingdom of Stars, and they are very rich......"

The mercenaries looked at each other again, and this time, Tails saw worry in their eyes.

Only the fast rope moved his face and was surprised to stumble in the bread.

McGee reached out with a blank face and stuffed the bread in his mouth tighter.

"Stars?" the man with the black stripes snorted.

Luisa moved her eyebrows and smiled: "You know, Waiya, we have taken a deal to send this caravan to ......"

But the bald-headed Dean raised his hand gently, and Louisa suddenly stopped talking.

Tails noticed the detail.

Dean sighed, and he looked at Tails calmly and shrewdly.

"Listen, Waiya, I can see that you have concerns. ”

He was straightforward: "Rest assured, we will not touch your belongings and will not endanger your life." ”

Tails' heart sank.

"This is the Great Desert, so I won't ask you for your last name and origin, including how you got into the enemy, we are not interested in those people, and they can't chase them here - it's just an obligation in the desert to save you," Dean touched the stubble on his face:

"So you can rest assured. ”

Tails frowned slightly.

Dean's words were clearly quite authoritative in the team, and as soon as they came out, even McGee, who was quite hostile to him, said no more.

Only with a fast rope, he finally pulled out the bread, and raised his hand with a sad face:

"And what about our pay?"

No one paid any attention to him.

"I just want to ask a few other things," Dean said solemnly, "Waiya, you're coming down from the north." ”

Tails was a little inexplicable and a little nervous:

"Right?"

Dean groaned, his fingers pressed on his knees, and the others waited patiently for his question.

"And along the way, you didn't meet the army of the stars?"

Tails frowned.

"Nope. ”

Dean's face moved slightly: "Exeter and the stars...... Didn't you fight in the desert?"

"No," Tails said lightly, "at least I didn't see it." ”

"Didn't meet the sand pirates?"

"Nope. ”

As soon as these words came out, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"It seems that the road ahead is smooth," Luisa said happily, "and we are lucky to be on the right track, guys." ”

Fast Rope smiled and punched the old hammer, but was pushed by the latter's force.

Tails looked at them suspiciously, a little confused.

But Dean seemed very cautious, and he continued: "But you ...... Didn't you meet the tribes that gathered in the oasis?"

"I haven't seen many oases, and I don't have any tribes. ”

"No trace of the exiles?"

"What is an exile?"

"Didn't meet Grayskin? I mean orcs. ”

"No, I was the only one from start to finish. ”

In the face of Tails' question, Dean did not speak again.

"Strange, the desert shouldn't be so peaceful," Dean muttered, "I'll have to talk to Tomding again......"

"What's wrong?" Luisa asked with concern.

Dean shook his head, "It's okay, I hope it's my extra worry." ”

He seemed to have finally finished his question, and nodded to the others.

"So, you can ...... Send me to the stars?" the prince looked at Dean, knowing that he was the backbone of the team, "It doesn't have to be too far, just go to the Western Wilderness, to the Bladetooth Dunes." ”

"As I said, I have relatives there......"

Others laughed.

"It's unfortunate, poor Waiya," the old hammer smiled slightly, "we just came out of the Bladefang Dunes a few days ago, and it was the territory of the stars. ”

"Obviously, we won't go back so soon. ”

Tails was heavy in his heart: "Even if ...... I promise you a good pay, and the Casso family can ......."

Dean shook his head.

This time, it was Louisa who answered Tails.

The captain sighed, "Now you have to talk to Tom Ding, he is our employer, this is his caravan, and I promise he will not agree, no matter how much - just like us." ”

"Why?"

"Well, let's put it this way," the female captain shrugged her shoulders, tilted her head, and looked around, "The day before we set off, the Star Talent had just issued an injunction at the Blade Tooth Camp: for a month, no one would be allowed to enter the Great Desert. ”

Tails was stunned.

The ban of the stars.

So that's ......

Luisa shook her head: "Obviously, they are going to send troops into the desert to fight, no matter who they fight - just like the desert war nine years ago, and the purge campaigns from time to time after that. ”

"Anyone?" Tails pondered, "but you came in anyway?"

"Yes," Luisa coughed, "and do you know why?"

Tails gave a puzzled look.

"Business, Wya, business!" quickly replied, his eyebrows fluttering:

"Sep Tomding, that damn profiteer wants to take advantage of the ban to sneak a fortune in the desert - blocked trade routes mean higher prices for goods and more lucrative long-distance business!"

McGee, who was silent, looked up: "There is a greater risk. ”

Tails squinted.

Dean sighed and explained, "I know you'd love to meet your loved ones and get out of threat, Wya, but ......"

The bald man touched his stubble and sighed:

"As soon as he encounters the army of the stars, Tomding will not want to keep his goods behind, and he himself will go to jail - and we who have been hired by him, 'Dante's Greatsword', will be fined a lot if we are lucky, and if we are unlucky, we will be kicked out of the Bladetooth camp, and we will never have to take business there or any business related there. ”

Tails couldn't help but frown.

So......

"So," Dean said lightly, "do you think we, both the employer and our team, will be happy to return to the stars and even deal with the officials of the stars before the ban is lifted?"

Tails figured it out, and he sighed as well.

"That'...... You, where are you going?"

Dean and Luisa looked at each other.

After a second, Dean lowered his head and smiled:

"Now, apart from the increasingly tense Freedom Alliance and the city of Qiyuan, there is only one place left, a place where caravans that venture through the desert from the stars are the most profitable. ”

"The Tower of End. ”

(End of chapter)