Time to Grab the Money

"We can talk about whether there's a problem in a moment. For now, tell me your second point, and we'll settle both at once," Rukta said, shaking his head.

Guligus paused. He clearly could not understand how Rukta could still be so relaxed at a time like this.

"As for my second point: removing me from my post? Forgive my bluntness, but who do you think you are, Rukta? Have you lost your mind? You know who's backing me, don't you?" Guligus raised an eyebrow. Rukta could not possibly have failed to consider that.

Besides, Guligus had received no bad news. That meant his backer was safe, and that alone was enough to set his mind at ease.

"I know. I know everything I should know, and I have ways of learning what I shouldn't. You, on the other hand, seem to have missed the heart of the matter." Rukta pulled out a chair and sat down comfortably. He was the only one in the hall to do so.

Apart from the people who had already been sitting at their desks, no one dared take a seat—not Guligus, Kana's Squad, or Yue Sisi.

Guligus had thought the news was merely a few hours late. That happened sometimes. The daily reports usually covered trivial matters that had little to do with him, so he had never minded reading the confidential dispatches late.

"Something big happened in Giant Python City yesterday. It was so sudden that even I had trouble taking it in," Rukta said. "Oh, and the boy who delivered your messages is finished. I dealt with him myself. Don't worry—I don't make a habit of leaving witnesses alive!"

Guligus took a step back. His golden cane wavered in his hand, and his face went pale. He was not yet an old man, though he would reach retirement age in a few years. Even so, the fear on his face was plain.

"Do you know who that boy was? You've overreached, and you may pay for it dearly," Guligus said viciously.

"That boy... he must have come from money. He had more than a dozen Magic Talismans on him, though they were all low-level ones." Rukta sounded puzzled. The boy had only been level one, yet he had been that wealthy.

At the mention of a dozen Magic Talismans, Dean nearly drooled. As a Mage, he knew just how valuable they were—far more valuable than most people imagined.

"Dean, what's a Magic Talisman? Do you know?" Kana asked. When he did not answer, she turned to look at him and found his eyes shining.

Blue Town was a tiny place. There were no Magic Talismans to be found there, much less anyone who would bring them into town.

Though Kana's background was unusual, she had spent all her time with Dean and the other two since entering the world of adventuring. She knew little more than they did.

Magic Talismans had never been sold in Blue Town, so none of them knew about them. Dean had only heard of them because he was a Mage.

"Magic Talismans cost a fortune to make. You need to be at least a level-three Mage to have the ability. But do you know what the most basic material is?" Dean asked, sounding pained.

"Devil Beast hide. It has to bear an enormous amount of magical power for the talisman to be made. And the hide has to meet special requirements. How could something like that be cheap?" Dean had only described the basics, but that was enough. Any Devil Beast was hard to deal with, and one of the same level was especially difficult to kill.

The higher a Devil Beast's level, the more valuable its hide. A complete Level Two Magic Beast Hide was worth nearly one Gold Coin, and it was only one of the required materials.

"Then wouldn't a dozen Magic Talismans be worth dozens of Gold Coins?" Kana's heart began to race. If she had known someone that rich was walking around, she would have robbed him of a few. No—a few would not have been enough. She would not have left him a single one.

"Ordinary minor spells aren't worth turning into Magic Talismans. Even low-level talismans are made with rare, valuable spells. My teacher said the cheapest Magic Talisman on the market costs at least ten Gold Coins," Dean said with a sigh.

"Of course, someone could turn Small Fireball or Basic Illumination into a Magic Talisman if they wanted. They'd lose a fortune doing it, but I suppose the rich can do as they please." Dean's last remark struck everyone hard.

Meanwhile, Guligus almost burst out laughing. Rukta's brainless way of handling things was exactly what he would expect from a Berserker.

"I'll tell you who that boy was. He was the nephew of the City Lord of Giant Python City. His uncle didn't favor him and sent him here as a liaison between Blue Town and Giant Python City, but he was still the City Lord's nephew. Hahaha!" Guligus was beside himself with delight.

Once he reported this, he might bear some responsibility, but his part in it would be minor. Rukta, on the other hand, would be in serious trouble. Giant Python City was nothing like this backwater town.

Its strongest fighters could reach level five or even level six. Blue Town? It could barely scrape together a few level-three fighters.

"That's no longer your concern. Everything has changed in Giant Python City. The person behind you must be one of the City Lord's wives, is that right?" Rukta had wondered who Guligus's backer was. Now that he knew, he was unimpressed.

"What... what are you talking about?" Guligus could hardly believe it. No intelligence had reached him, and he did not believe what Rukta said. He did not want to.

"Enough. That no longer matters. Let's discuss the first issue: how much of the task Kana's Squad completed." Rukta smiled easily. His one remaining uncertainty had been the identity of the wealthy boy he had killed. Now he knew, and the boy's connections were not much to worry about.

At the mention of their squad, all four members turned their attention to him. After the Goblin invasion, they desperately wanted a fair assessment, not one of Guligus's arbitrary judgments.

"I object! Without proof, I won't pay a single Copper Coin! Those lazy mercenaries, those greedy adventurers—I refuse to accept their claim without proof. Dream on, Kana's Squad! Hmph!" The crooked merchant did not dare direct those last remarks at Rukta, so he aimed them at Kana's Squad instead.

The four ignored the fat merchant. Rukta was in charge now, and no amount of bluster from the merchant would change that.

Rukta seemed to remember something and looked at the merchant with amusement. "Merchant, you seem to have forgotten something. Didn't you hear the Bounty Mission I announced myself?" Just then, the Bounty Mission was posted, exactly as Rukta had described it.

"What mission? That has nothing to do with me. Honorable Guild Master, I demand fairness!" The crooked merchant had already forgotten the Bounty Mission Rukta had announced—or rather, he had not listened in the first place.

"Oh, you poor merchant. I suggest you hurry back to your farmland. You might still be able to save something." With that, Rukta paid him no further attention.

"Kana's Squad, what are you waiting for? Go clear out those Goblins! A major Guild bounty like this comes along only once every ten years. In other words, hunting Goblins is like grabbing money. Get moving! And don't forget, the Guild will have another reward for you when this is over!" Rukta said with a smile.