[Vol. 9] Chapter 98: I Was Supposed to Play Along, But I Looked Away Instead
After hearing her words, Veranica’s gloomy expression finally eased a little. She took a deep breath and nodded slightly.
“The Ice Wolf Guards are indeed bad people. They twist right and wrong. I still remember, back then, I only tried to stop a nobleman who was beating someone in the street. I didn’t even touch him and yet this group of bastards accused me of trying to assassinate an important official of the kingdom.”
“A whole bunch of false charges came one after another. I didn’t even get a chance to explain before they threw me into prison and later exiled me to Icefang Island. Those wolves, they ignore real criminals and only bully the weak and powerless commoners... It’s because of people like them that this country has become so rotten.”
“Sigh... who doesn’t agree? That organization was originally meant to supervise officials and punish corruption, but now they openly work together with those very same people. Too much peace makes a nation weak. Preston has lived too comfortably for too long. It may look beautiful on the surface, but underneath, it’s already rotting from the roots.”
While the others passionately discussed the state of the kingdom, venting their anger and resentment, the priestess didn’t say anything. She only looked thoughtfully at the Ice Wolf Guards, who were still causing chaos along the street but were already fading into the distance.
Once their figures disappeared at the end of the road, she shook her head lightly and turned back calmly.
“All right, let’s keep moving.”
Violet and her group were heading to the Mercenary Guild of Salzburg.
Mercenaries and adventurers exist in almost every country in the world. They handle personal matters that normal people can’t solve and that officials can’t interfere with. In fact, even governments sometimes rely on these independent forces to take care of special problems. So their existence is quite necessary.
Although the Preston Kingdom generally follows the lead of the Snow Empire, it’s a bit different in this regard. Because of the endless frozen plains, adventurers thrive in the Snow Empire. But since Preston is inland, it faces fewer outside threats, so its policies focus more on mercenary work.
That’s why, after arriving in the northern region, the Silver Claw group didn’t rush to the Snow Empire to carry out their main mission. Instead, they chose to stay in Salzburg for a while to rest and gather information through the Mercenary Guild before deciding their next move.
As one of Salzburg’s most famous landmarks, the guild was easy to find.
The northern Mercenary Guilds weren’t very different from those in the south. In fact, judging by its grand exterior and wide grounds, this Salzburg branch was even more imposing than the main Mercenary Guild in the Frederick City, capital of the Austre Empire. It clearly showed how prosperous the mercenary business was in this city.
Crowds came and went before the main entrance. Most of them were mercenaries dressed for battle, carrying weapons. Sometimes, clients could also be seen delivering job requests. More than ten uniformed staff members stood outside, guiding visitors and maintaining order, but they were still so busy that they barely had time to breathe. It was quite a lively sight.
One couldn’t help but notice the cultural differences between north and south. For example, in the southern Austre Empire, even in its most battle-hardened places, this kind of front-desk welcoming job would always be handled by young, pretty girls. But here in Salzburg’s guild, all the receptionists were huge, muscular men, some even carrying unsheathed weapons at their waists. They looked strong and intimidating.
Clearly, the way they received guests depended on the type of visitor.
Since Violet and her group were quite a large and eye-catching bunch, they immediately drew attention. Before long, a staff member hurried over, folded his hands in greeting, and bowed slightly.
“Welcome. May I ask if you already have an appointment, or would you like to register?”
A mercenary group must have at least five members. Each group chooses a unique emblem on the day it is founded, something that represents them, and registers it with the Guild. When registered mercenaries come to take or hand over a mission, they always wear their emblem somewhere clearly visible. An unspoken rule in the trade that every guild staff member can recognize at a glance.
However, the priestess and her companions weren’t wearing any such emblem, so the staff naturally assumed they were clients rather than mercenaries.
There were two main ways to post or accept missions in the Mercenary Guild.
The first method is similar to the way adventurers do it. The client posts a job at the guild, the guild makes it public, and then mercenaries freely choose whether to accept it.
This method is simple and convenient; the client just pays the commission fee, explains the task, and waits for results. The downside is that it takes longer, and the mercenaries who accept the job can vary greatly in skill and reliability. Such tasks are usually for clients who don’t have much money or influence, or for relatively simple jobs.
The second method is through appointments. In this case, the guild acts as an intermediary: after the client submits a request, the guild recommends a few suitable mercenary groups or allows the client to directly name a specific one. Then both sides meet at a set time and place to negotiate face-to-face, this is what’s called making an appointment.
This method is faster and gives better results, but it’s also more expensive. Most well-known or high-ranking mercenary groups take jobs this way. After all, it brings more money and fame. Unless someone lacks the strength or reputation, who wouldn’t prefer it?
Although Violet’s group wasn’t dressed luxuriously, their presence and manner clearly stood out. Behind them were a few armed attendants who looked like bodyguards. They obviously weren’t ordinary townsfolk. That was why the staff member had approached them so politely.
Hearing the man’s words, the priestess’s eyes moved slightly, and she gave Tina a small look.
“Yes, we do have an appointment. This is the token they gave us. Are they here yet?”
The mercenary girl understood right away. She took out a square-shaped seal from her pocket, on it was carved a silver beast claw with four fingers, though the creature itself was unrecognizable. The emblem looked fierce, and a sharp, imposing aura seemed to flow faintly from it.
“?!”
When Tina showed the seal to the staff member, his face instantly changed. His eyes flickered with shock and respect, and after a quick glance at the group, his tone turned nervous and reverent.
“Oh... yes, yes! They’ve already arrived! Please, this way, my lords! I’ll take you there immediately!”
Violet raised an eyebrow slightly, a bit surprised by how cooperative the man was, then cast a brief glance at Tina. The latter proudly puffed out her chest, her earlier frustration seemingly gone as her nose almost pointed to the sky.
The black-haired girl could only shake her head helplessly, saying nothing more.
Silver Claw… it seemed this mercenary group’s influence in Salzburg was even stronger than she had expected.
As she thought, any force daring to dip its hands into this kind of mess was definitely not simple. It looked like coming here had been the right choice after all.