Mercenary Association

After arriving at Deepstone City, Mace finally bid his farewells. Perhaps because they had reached their destination, he had to put away the smiles he wore during the journey and put on a bitter, long-suffering expression. After all, having lost so much cargo, Mace's mood could hardly be good at the thought of having to face his creditors.

However, before leaving, Rhode warned him not to reveal the truth about the shipwreck. After all, they had been tracked by spies previously, and if the other party was still searching for them, speaking of this incident would not be a good choice. Although Rhode already understood most of the situation, he did not share his deductions with Mace. For one, it was unnecessary, and for another, even if he told Mace, it wouldn't change anything. Mace naturally agreed readily; having been in business for so many years, he certainly knew the pros and cons of the situation. Even if Rhode hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't have gone around talking about it.

After parting ways with Mace, Rhode followed Lize to the Mercenary Association in Deepstone City.

As a transcontinental organization, the Mercenary Association had branches in every prosperous city. They were responsible for issuing missions to mercenaries, recording completion statuses, and even handling the recruitment and hiring of mercenaries. Naturally, the promotion and demotion of mercenary groups and the association itself were also up to them.

The Deepstone City Mercenary Association was located on the first level of the mines. From afar, one could see the sword and shield emblem representing the Mercenary Association carved into the wall. The crude marble door frame and the flags outside were exceptionally eye-catching, and even the heavy wooden door carved with complex patterns could not block the noisy sounds from within.

When Rhode and Lize walked into the Mercenary Association, the first thing they saw was a wide, arched hall. Sunlight poured down from an opening in the center, shining on the white stone floor. At the wooden round tables nearby, mercenaries could be seen sitting and either talking in low voices or whispering to one another. Others remained hidden in the corners, silent.

The appearance of the two did not attract much attention; most people just looked up, glanced at them, and quickly looked away. However, not everyone was like that. Soon, at a table nearby, a woman wearing leather armor and carrying a longbow raised her hand.

"Hey, Lize, long time no see!"

"Sister Shana."

Hearing the woman's greeting, Lize looked up, a smile appearing on her face as she hurried to the woman's side.

"Long time no see, how have you been?"

"Not bad. We were clearing out some Gnoll earlier and got quite a bit of loot; everyone is discussing how to split it now."

Speaking of this, Shana revealed a hearty smile. At her greeting, the others sitting at the table also smiled and nodded at Lize. It seemed that the people here were very familiar with Lize.

"Congratulations to you all..."

Looking at this scene, Lize's heart twinged, and the smile on her face stiffened. She was no stranger to this scene; every time Captain Carter led everyone to complete a mission, they would sit together like this, joking and laughing. This had once been the most ordinary life for Lize, but now, those who had once been with her had left her forever.

"What's wrong, Lize? You don't seem very happy?"

Although Shana appeared to be a carefree person on the surface, it was clear she also had a sensitive side. She quickly noticed that Lize's mood was off. She frowned, looking at Lize in confusion, and then cast a scrutinizing gaze at Rhode, who was standing behind her.

"What happened? Who is that guy behind you? Where is Captain Carter? Why don't I see him?"

"Captain, he..."

Mentioning Carter, Lize's face turned pale. She opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again. After several seconds, Lize seemed to make up her mind and spoke.

"The mission we took earlier failed. Except for me... everyone died."

Hearing this, the round table, which had been full of laughter, fell silent instantly. Even Shana wiped the smile from her face.

"Failed?"

"Yes, we encountered an accident..."

Lize shook her head, clearly not wanting to say more, so she quickly moved past the topic and turned to introduce Rhode to the group.

"This is Mr. Rhode Alante. It was he who saved my life in a moment of crisis; otherwise, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to return alive."

"I see..."

Hearing Lize's explanation, Shana curiously and carefully scrutinized Rhode, who was wrapped in a cloak from head to toe, and then reached out her hand.

"Hello, I am Shana, leader of the Red Hawk Mercenary Group. Thank you for saving my friend."

"You're welcome, I just happened to be there."

Rhode reached out, shook Shana's hand, and replied calmly. This made Shana even more curious. She stared intently at the half of Rhode's face, seemingly wanting to see what he actually looked like. However, since Rhode had no intention of lowering his hood, Shana found it difficult to press the issue, so she quickly refocused her attention on Lize.

"So, you came this time to..."

"Yes, I am here to report the mission failure to the Association, and also... about the Captain and the others..."

"I understand."

Shana's expression became much more serious. She sighed and patted Lize on the head.

"Don't be too sad. In this line of work, we all have a day like this sooner or later. That you are still alive is the greatest comfort to them. Remember, if you have any difficulties, you can come to us at any time. Although our Red Hawk Mercenary Group is just a small group, we will never refuse if there is anything we can help with."

"Thank you."

Hearing Shana's words, Lize finally revealed a faint smile again. Just then, a young swordsman sitting next to Shana suddenly jumped up.

"Exactly, Lize, don't be too sad. By the way, why don't you join our mercenary group? We are just missing a..."

"Barney!"

Shana shouted coldly, interrupting the young swordsman.

"What are you saying? Is now the time for such talk? Shut up and sit down!"

"But Big Sister..."

"Shut up!"

Under Shana's sharp rebuke, the young swordsman sat down with a hint of reluctance. Shana turned her head back to look at Lize.

"Lize, don't mind what Barney said. You know your own path best."

"It's fine, Sister Shana."

Lize didn't take the young swordsman's words to heart at all.

"I have already decided. I will absolutely not let the mercenary group disband."

"Lize?"

Hearing the young girl's reply, Shana couldn't help but freeze. She wanted to say something more, but Rhode and Lize had already turned and walked toward the depths of the hall. This left Shana looking rather awkward. She watched their retreating figures with a complex expression, sat down after a long moment, and sighed, before shooting a fierce glare at the young swordsman beside her.

"You talk too much! If you can't keep your mouth shut in the future, watch out, or I'll tear it off!"

In the center of the Mercenary Association hall, a crowd surrounded a massive stone tablet, which was the source of the clamor. This was where the Mercenary Association posted missions, and many mercenaries were shouting and waving their arms, either clamoring to secure a job or fighting over one. Others who had already accepted missions were nearby, negotiating terms and rewards with their employers.

Led by Lize, Rhode arrived at a counter in a corner. It was deserted, save for a man in his fifties who was dozing off on the tabletop. To look at him, one would think the high-decibel noise surrounding him was nothing more than a lullaby.

"Uncle Hank?"

Lize walked up to the man and called out softly, but her voice was clearly no match for the surrounding din. She had to raise her voice and knock on the desk to get his attention.

Only then did the man snap out of it. He rubbed his bleary eyes, lifted his head, and scrutinized the visitors before him.

"Who is it? Can't you see I was sleeping comfortably... What a pity, I just found a good woman in my dream..."

Mid-sentence, the man caught sight of Lize standing before him, immediately shut his mouth, and offered an awkward smile.

"Ah, I wondered who it was. Isn't this Lize? What brings you here today? Is there something you need?"

"Yes, I have something I'd like to discuss with the Guild Master regarding the mercenary group..."

"The mercenary group?"

Hearing Lize's reply, Hank was stunned.

"What's wrong with the mercenary group? Where's that kid Carter?"

Lize did not answer Hank's question. She remained silent for a moment before pulling a silver badge from her pocket. Upon seeing the badge, the sleepiness on Hank's face vanished instantly, replaced by gravity and tension.

"I will go inform the Guild Master immediately."

With that, Hank scrambled toward the back, stumbling as he ran.