The west gate of the Grand Natural Academy was where the carriages and carts were stationed.
As the gathering place of the Grand Duchy's noble scholars, the academy's transportation options had expanded beyond carriages with sufficient gold spending. Carriages drawn by low-level Magical Beasts had also been developed, and they were faster.
To satisfy the special needs of high-spending scholars, the major trading companies had even developed long-distance transport services using flying Magical Beasts and balloon airships. However, the corresponding service fees were beyond what ordinary people could afford.
Reilo looked up at the balloon airship gradually flying into the distance. Imagining the beautiful view of the land from the sky, he yearned for it inwardly and arrived in front of a trading company called "Tels' Journey."
He was a frail boy in his twenties, dressed in a light gray coarse-linen shirt.
Bobby was skilled at reading people's expressions. When he saw the black-robed mage slowly stop in front of him, he immediately knew that business had arrived. He hurriedly put down the feed in his hands and greeted him with a smile.
"Honored Mage, where would you like to go?"
Reilo looked at the eager boy in front of him, who was about the same age as himself. A few months ago, he had been the one kneeling beneath the steps of the Lake Onyx church, begging the priest for mercy. How was he any better than this boy?
"Knowledge changes fate."
Without realizing it, Reilo became even more determined to pursue knowledge. He calmly said, "I want to go to the Mercenary Association."
Generally speaking, scholars would not discuss academic matters in front of believers. This further enhanced the mysterious image of mages in people's eyes. That was how Reilo appeared in Bobby's eyes at that moment: young, noble, and mysterious.
"All right!"
Bobby answered before saying, "There are two prices for going to the Mercenary Association. Two silver coins and three silver coins. The faster one only takes one hourglass of time, while the slower one takes about one and a half. Which one would you like?"
When he heard the price, Reilo's heart bled.
Pretending not to care, Reilo calmly said, "The one that takes one and a half hourglasses. I came out to get some fresh air."
A poor mage. There won't be much profit this time.
Bobby sighed inwardly, but his enthusiasm did not diminish as he said, "Very well. Please wait a moment. I'll harness the carriage and take you to the Mercenary Association."
A moment later.
Reilo boarded the carriage. Under Bobby's practiced driving, it traveled along the bluestone road toward the Mercenary Association in Saint Grand Fort.
Inside the carriage.
Reilo took out the books he had borrowed from the library. In the enormous library of the Grand Natural Sciences Academy, there were only a few books concerning the celestial bodies of the universe because of the Church. Moreover, they were all little more than unfounded conjectures by low-level scholars, written in the form of academic papers.
Even so, Reilo continued reading seriously, beginning his own rudimentary understanding of Cosmology.
After about one and a half hourglasses, Bobby's voice came from outside the carriage.
"Honored Mage, we've arrived at the Mercenary Association!"
The outside was filled with noise. After tidying his appearance, Reilo stepped out of the carriage and looked at the imposing red building in the distance. It resembled a slumbering Ancient Creature, its savage aura rushing toward him.
Roar!
Mercenaries came and went without end. The atmosphere of iron and blood, adventure and wealth filled the air. Huge Magical Beast mounts thundered past, their roars rising one after another. The passing mercenaries turned their heads one after another, swearing that their own mercenary groups would also grow powerful someday, and then departed amid boisterous laughter, boasting about some thrilling adventure they had once experienced.
"Sir, you'll have to walk over yourself. The aura of those Magical Beasts is too strong. The carriage can't get through."
Reilo came back to himself. After glancing at the nervous horses, he nodded at Bobby, took out two silver coins, and handed them over. He then jumped down from the carriage and headed toward the Mercenary Association's hall.
"As expected, there wasn't much profit."
Bobby weighed the silver coins in his hand. Having received none of the tip he had hoped for, he shook his head and drove the carriage away.
Reilo looked left and right, observing the mercenaries lingering in front of the Mercenary Association's hall.
Several formal mercenary groups were waiting outside. It seemed they were waiting for their group leaders to enter the hall and accept missions. They whispered and socialized with one another.
In comparison, the numerous lone mercenaries were much more relaxed. They often sat down wherever they pleased, using their weapons as pillows while chatting and laughing with acquaintances beside them.
There were also several Elves, Half-Elves, and Dwarves among the crowd.
Reilo glanced several more times at the heavily bearded Dwarf not far away. He could not help marveling inwardly. What an unbelievably strong fellow!
Although this fellow was only about a meter tall, he was astonishingly sturdy. His legs were very short, while his arms were nearly thicker than his thighs. Leaning beside the leg of a woolly mammoth, he did not seem worried that the three- or four-meter-tall mammoth might accidentally step on him. Two rough great axes lay beside him, each almost as tall as he was.
Gulp, gulp, ah-ma-ma-ma...
His beard was stained with alcohol. The Dwarf immediately began tearing meat from a leg bone, displaying an astonishing appetite.
Perhaps because he was a mage, wherever Reilo went, the people around him would make way slightly. He soon arrived at the entrance to the Mercenary Association's hall.
Reilo was about to enter when someone inside was coming out. A wild-looking man carrying a black axe passed by Reilo, a beast-hide contract scroll in his hand. In front of the hall, he shouted, "The Charge Battleaxe Mercenary Group is recruiting five temporary teammates! After passing the assessment, you can officially join the group!"
The unattached mercenaries in front of the hall immediately stood up and swarmed around him.
Reilo entered the hall. After scrutinizing him, the guardian maintaining order at the entrance did not question him as he did the others.
Countless people stood around. Various levels of missions hung high on the marble walls, though most of them were D-rank missions: escorting merchant caravans, finding certain low-level specimens, hunting designated Magical Beast specimens, and so on. They often required the cooperation of multiple people.
Curious, Reilo took a brief look at the S-rank mission scroll at the very top.
S-rank Mission: Find clues to the ruins of the Gulan Civilization in the Furnace Desert. Mission Reward: 7.5 million gold coins or an equivalent amount of energy magic crystals, plus 100 grams of Star Crystal.
"Uh, this should be a mission issued by the Royal Academician Committee, right?"
Reilo guessed, "Finding the ruins of the Gulan Civilization is practically every scholar's dream. Also, Self-Control mentioned this vanished ancient civilization as well..."
Reilo shook his head and looked at the other S-rank missions.
S-rank Mission: Find the complete remains of an Ancient Creature in the Death Abyss. Mission Reward: 6 million gold coins or an equivalent amount of energy magic crystals, plus a lifelong honorary elder seat in the Saint Grand Fort Arena and one Huangquan Bird mount.
Afterward, Reilo arrived at the mercenary mission counter.
The person there was a sweet-looking blonde girl in her twenties. Her lips were very full, and her eyes resembled deep-blue amber. When she looked at Reilo, she immediately revealed a sweet smile.
"Honored Mage, is there anything I can help you with?"
A moment later, Reilo paid the silver coins and accepted the mission scroll. After confirming that everything was correct, he turned and left.
Unaffiliated mercenaries who had not joined a mercenary group were commonly known as E-rank mercenaries. Although these mercenaries also paid a certain deposit to the association to guarantee the validity of their employers' mission contracts, their reliability was undoubtedly much lower than that of formal mercenary groups. Cases of them abandoning their employers in dangerous situations occurred from time to time.
Fortunately, Reilo's trip was not dangerous.