BXBX NOVEL Chapter 70: Mercenary Card
Chapter 70: Mercenary Card
It was moving slowly as cityfolk walked on both sides, on the sidewalk, and went about their daily businesses.
The driver peeked underneath the hood, pulled the reins tightly, and forced the carriage to stop. The horses, with a powerful neigh, kicked their front legs up in the air and then stopped.
"This is as far as we can go." The driver said to people inside the carriage. "You must walk from here onward."
The carriage opened, and Ron stepped outside, looking around the bustling streets. Since it was still quite cool, the pedestrians wore warm jackets and scarves to protect themselves from the chilly weather.
A few ladies with waistcoats and hats passed by, chatting and laughing as they walked. After seeing Ron, they saw the sign of Grandeur on his shoulder. They respectfully curtsied and continued on their way.
"Dawnwatch..." Ron inhaled the cool air into his lungs, feeling rejuvenated.
It had been only slightly over a month since he left Dawnwatch, but he still missed it every day.
"Alright, step out!" He shouted sternly.
The players followed his stern orders and stepped outside into the cool air. They looked amazed at the bustling city around them.
Lastly, Adam stepped out of the carriage and looked around with a deep look. This place was also his home in his previous life. He felt a sense of nostalgia wash over him as memories flooded his mind.
"We have to walk over to the Mercenary Guild from here onwards." Ron said sternly. "Carriages aren't allowed to enter the Guild Grounds."
The carriage had stopped beside a sidewalk, and from here onwards, it was a fully cobblestone road leading deeper into the city, surrounded by buildings that were bustling with activity.
From here on, they would enter a place called the Guild Grounds. It was a part of the city that was habitated by guild buildings and everything mercenary related, such as shops selling weapons and armor, training facilities, and recruitment centers.
"Stay close to me." Ron said, and then, with nearly ten players in tow, he entered Guild Grounds.
The players looked around the streets and saw all sorts of mercenaries chatting and doing their business in the bustling area.
In front of each building, there was a guild banner flapping against the cool breeze. Occasionally, a few mercenaries threw glances in their direction and recognized them as new recruits. There was a mix of emotions, such as disdain, nonchalance, and curiosity.
After some walking, they finally arrived at the front steps of the Mercenary Guild. It was very alive, with mercenaries of all kinds going about their business.
While some mercenaries lined up in front of the counter, some were hanging around on the second floor's stairs, and some were discussing something around some tables.
There was also a board with different quests nailed on it, and some wanted posters of notorious criminals.
"Start lining up at the front desk; y'all are getting your very own mercenary cards." Ron said and checked the time on his timepiece. "This is the last time I am giving you any orders. After you receive your cards, you're officially mercenaries."
The players nodded and hesitantly joined the line. They saw all sorts of gazes coming from the tables and stairs. They felt extremely small in comparison to the other mercenaries in the
room.
Adam joined the line as the last person, and with his arms crossed, he waited for others to finish their business first.
At that moment, he felt a powerful squeeze on his shoulder.
"Yo, squirt, mind letting me pass?"
Adam turned around and saw a tall, nearly two-meter-tall mercenary with a square-shaped face and piercing eyes staring down at him. He was donning heavy armor that hugged against his muscular frame, making him look even more intimidating.
Seeing that, Ron frowned in displeasure, but then he caught sight of the insignia on his shoulder pad. He clicked his tongue and decided to do nothing.
'An insignia of a sword stuck in a rock...' Adam nodded to the scary-looking man and allowed him to pass. 'He is Archwarrior, how unlucky of me.'
The Archwarrior scoffed and stepped past, then continued pushing other recruits aside as he made his way through the line. The new players looked very dissatisfied, but were intimated by his tall frame.
Soon, the Archwarrior pushed him through the whole line, talked something with the front clerk, and then moved to the second floor to continue his business.
"What an asshole..." The players whispered between themselves after the Archwarrior was out of sight.
'If you can't handle this, you should just quit now.' Adam thought to himself. 'He is stronger, so he has every right to act that way.'
At the front, as soon as players said their names to the clerk, she showed uninterested looks and gave them their mercenary cards.
The mercenary card had the name, current level, affiliation, rank that one received from the tutorial, and the current mercenary rank.
The players in front of Adam all had C or D ranks, which were very average, with D being even below that. They would most likely only reach Grandeur, maybe Archwarrior with good
enough luck.
In most cases, those kinds of people would never become important. Therefore, those with that rank were mostly ignored.
In Adam's past life, he only received a C-rank because he had to help Liam and Lisa. It stopped many of his opportunities, but in the end, he proved that his tutorial rank wasn't reflecting his real talent level.
After the player in front of him received the mercenary card, Adam stepped forward and faced the clerk. The clerk had a round face with small lips, nose, and large glasses that made her look like a mouse.
She was quite adorable-looking, but so far, she had worn only a blank expression during her conversation with other recruits. It was different when she interacted with Archwarrior, when she actually smiled.
It was a sign of the difference in current status between them.
"Name?" The clerk said with a hint of annoyance.
"Adam Palestar," Adam said.
As she was about to grab his card, she remembered that name and froze for a moment, her eyes widening behind the glasses. She turned to Ron, saw him nodding, and then turned back
to Adam with a look of recognition on her face.
She wasn't the only one who heard that name.
Countless mercenaries inside the guild building turned around in surprise and stared straight at Adam, as if they were engraving his face inside their minds.
"That's Adam?" On the second floor, the Archwarrior said in surprise.
He finished doing a quick errand to the Mercenary Guild's leader and was about to leave until
he heard that name.
"Here's your card... sir." The clerk handed over the card to Adam, using both of her hands, looking very respectful doing so.
She felt quite weird to act respectfully toward someone who was only Mercenaryman rank, but S-rankers were special. They were all monsters in their own right.
This one had already done some incredible achievements, such as defeating Grandeur while
only being Coinfeeder. That was unheard of!
Adam checked out the card and chuckled.
***
[Name: Adam Palestar]
[Level: 1]
[Affiliation: None]
[Recruit: S]
[Rank: Mercenaryman]
***