Mercenary's Motto: Getting Paid to Do Things

"Miss Scarpe!"

Fang Heng found Scarpe in the crowd. The camp was in complete chaos. Once the battle began, Silverwood Spear fired two flares toward the forest on the southern bank of the river, lighting the entire area as brightly as day.

Scarpe had been tightening the nuts on the metal casing of her gloves with her head lowered. She looked up only when she heard him call. The moment she saw Fang Heng approaching from afar, she hurriedly waved him over. "Perfect timing. I was looking for you."

"For me?"

"The mission has been assigned. We're leaving immediately. You, Quilod, and I will be moving together."

"A mission? Me? I'm going to the front line too?" Fang Heng's eyes lit up, and he looked eager to try.

Scarpe hurriedly held a finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet, then tilted her chin toward one side. Fang Heng looked over and saw Quilod bracing his greatsword with one hand while pressing the other against a map spread across a stump. He was midway through his briefing. "...Blade of Tara will be deployed somewhere within this area. There is an alchemical maze lock of unknown nature in the Elven Ruins. According to our intelligence, at least one of its abilities will prevent Blade of Tara from activating on its own. Therefore, our task is to enter this area, manually ignite Blade of Tara, and hold the position for at least half an hour with Blade of Tara's support, until reinforcements arrive."

"This mission has two phases: A and B. The Phase A objective is to reach Blade of Tara and ignite it successfully. The Phase B objective is to hold the position until reinforcements arrive. We will therefore split into two groups. During Phase A, Group A will take the offensive while Group B provides support. We switch roles in Phase B. Group A consists of Miss Miya and all members of Squads Two and Three. Group B consists of myself, Scarpe, Ed the accompanying alchemist, and all members of Squad One. Miss Miya will command Group A, while Group B will follow my orders."

After finishing, Quilod silently swept his gaze across the group and repeated, "Does everyone understand?"

"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.

"Anyone who dies will resurrect at Milera Temple near Hidden Spring. Any objections?"

"No objections!"

Fang Heng could not help but praise the sight. "Mr. Quilod really is quite imposing." Scarpe stood beside him with her arms folded and snorted. "Otherwise, how could he have tricked me into being his?" Her tone was filled with disdain. Fang Heng turned back to look at her with some amusement. Miss Scarpe was clearly putting on a brave face. The way she looked at him was obviously full of infatuation.

"Blade of Tara..." Fang Heng suddenly remembered what it was. "It's Jefflit's Dragon Knight?"

Scarpe nodded. "The Jefflitte Redcoats have spent a fortune, which is why they brought you along. Do you know how to ignite a campaign-grade Magic Device?"

"If it's just starting it up, what alchemist wouldn't know how?" Fang Heng finally understood. "But a Dragon Knight... I've never seen one before."

"My pet chipmunk had more knowledge than you. Sadly, it died of illness during our last adventure. So don't go dying the moment you reach the battlefield. You people are nothing but trouble." Scarpe scoffed at his words.

"Wait, didn't Miss Scarpe keep a Serval?"

"That was Miss Serval. She got lost. That was the adventure before last."

"..."

Yet Fang Heng was not afraid of the coming operation at all. If anything, he was faintly excited. Watching Quilod speak with such confidence, he suddenly felt an impulse. "By the way, Miss Scarpe, how exactly did the captain trick you into being with him?"

Scarpe glared at him. "That has nothing to do with you, you wet-behind-the-ears brat."

A burst of snickering rose from the people around them. Fang Heng laughed along, while Scarpe glared furiously at the lot of them before giving Fang Heng a particularly vicious look. Still, Fang Heng was somewhat envious of the pair's relationship. Feeling a stir in his heart, he looked in another direction—after finishing his speech, Quilod sheathed his greatsword and looked toward Miya.

The liaison officer had arrived before Fang Heng. She had stood quietly to one side the entire time, and only now gave a faint nod. But she seemed to notice something. Looking puzzled, she turned toward Fang Heng, scaring him into guiltily lowering his head at once.

"Tsk, tsk." Scarpe clicked her tongue as she watched this coward who had the nerve but not the guts.

Thus, the mission objectives were settled.

The groups filed out in order. Though Fang Heng still had no clear idea what was going on beyond his own assignment, Scarpe had already grabbed him and dragged him along with the main force. Fang Heng carried an enormous backpack that was practically dead weight, stuffed full of useful alchemical tools.

The light from the flares overhead gradually faded, and darkness began to reclaim the surroundings. Stars once more glittered across the night sky. The forest was entering its safest hours.

The party quickly ventured deep into the forest.

The tangled woody roots and sprawling, drooping branches formed maze-like tunnels between the trunks, their ends forever hidden in the gloom. Occasionally, a low bush rustled and startled Fang Heng, but it was only ground birds such as dwarf pheasants nesting in the undergrowth. In the distance, two luminous mushrooms poked their heads out. The cute, black-bean-like eyes on their stems were not light-sensitive organs at all, but highly sensitive vibration detectors.

Clearly, the party's passage had disturbed most of the forest's "residents."

Fang Heng also spotted several enormous Terror Birds. These giant carnivorous ground birds stood more than twice the height of a man and seemed like giants strolling through the forest. Even from afar, they made his scalp tingle. Even Quilod took the greatsword from his back, but the creatures apparently had no desire to provoke these equally troublesome bipedal primates, which were not part of their usual diet.

Bang! The third flare shot into the sky, and its brilliant glow once again illuminated every detail of the forest. Fang Heng raised his head, breathing unevenly, but suddenly felt the burden on his back lighten. Quilod had passed by him and casually lifted away his backpack.

"Ah, thank you..."

"Focus," Scarpe said as she came over and slapped him across the back, nearly knocking him off balance. "What are you looking at? Stay close to the others. There's a Withered Treant habitat nearby. Even we find those Level Thirty or Forty creatures troublesome. If you get lost and wander in there, you'll definitely die."

Fang Heng truly wanted to see what a Withered Treant looked like. He had not seen many magical creatures since coming to this world. He had only seen an enormous griffin once in Kapuka, and it had left a deep impression on him. After that came the Terror Birds he had seen earlier. Even such prehistoric creatures struck him as incredibly novel. He had heard they had been extinct on Earth for tens of thousands of years, and even biologists came to the New World to see them.

But he did not dare act too recklessly now. After thanking Quilod, he obediently followed the party.

After the flare rose into the sky, the party changed its route. Rather than crossing the open, sparse woodland and grasslands, they plunged deeper into the dense forest. They wound their way onward for about fifteen minutes, with Fang Heng occasionally sending his Clockwork Sprite into the air to correct their direction. At last, he saw the distant semicircular dome of the temple again.

This was Fang Heng's first close look at elven architecture in this world. It was very different from ruins elsewhere. The structures favored graceful, airy ornamentation, with long, exquisite rows of columns. The main buildings commonly used groin vaults and rib vaults, their decorations full of hollow, continuous arching patterns. It was an exceptionally delicate beauty, perfectly blending solemnity and intricacy.

Had he not seen it with his own eyes, Fang Heng would have found it hard to believe such refined architecture could have survived for so long. Of course, the ruins had still inevitably suffered the erosion of time. Nature had almost completely reclaimed the territory of civilization. Vines covered every building, and apart from the occasional patch of white stone wall reflecting moonlight, the entire ruin was a mass of strange green shadows.

Fang Heng was so absorbed that he unconsciously took two steps forward, only to be abruptly yanked back by a powerful hand. He turned around in confusion and found Scarpe looking at him irritably. "What are you spacing out for? Look ahead."

Only then did Fang Heng notice that Quilod had somehow moved to the very front of the party. He was staring in one direction, so Fang Heng looked there as well, but he could see nothing except a pitch-black forest. He instinctively reached into his pocket and pulled out a Clockwork Sprite, but Scarpe reached out from behind and pressed his hand down, shaking her head.

"Follow orders," she said. "Someone's coming."

"Really? How come I can't see anyone?"

When Scarpe rolled her eyes at him in irritation, Fang Heng realized he had asked a stupid question. A moment later, he indeed saw several people emerge from the woods in that direction.

They wore silver clothing, clearly visible beneath the flare's light. They marched out of the forest in disciplined formation and formed a three-rank line several hundred meters away, blocking the path of the Dawnstar adventuring party.

"They spotted us too?"

Quilod nodded and casually tossed Fang Heng's backpack back to him. Fang Heng caught it, while Scarpe took the Magic Musket hanging behind her back and tossed that over as well. Fang Heng hurriedly caught the long gun with both hands while still supporting the backpack, and felt his center of gravity sink.

"Ishurian Type 7 Flintlock. Take it for self-defense. Can you use it?"

Fang Heng looked at the silver-clad people in the distance. "A little." He nodded instinctively.

"It's fine. Try it a few more times and you'll get the hang of it. It's much simpler than a Clockwork Sprite." Scarpe took out a metal component as thick as a dictionary and waved it before him. "This is the water-cooling component. I removed it for you, because with it installed, you wouldn't even be able to hold the gun steady with your strength. But there are consequences without it. You'd better keep it to one shot per minute. If you fire two shots in a minute, the Attribute-less Crystal inside will overheat and damage the mechanism. Fire three, and it'll definitely burst. Your choice."

Fang Heng nodded like a pecking chick.

Magic Muskets powered by Attribute-less Crystals began to be issued to the armies of various nations after the Lion War. Like Clockwork Sprites, these alchemical products lay somewhere between Artificer Tools and Battle Gear. They were created in response to the nations of Aethelria seeking to expand their military manpower, though they were not particularly successful. First, Attribute-less Crystals were too weak to threaten chosen ones above Level Seven. Second, their water-cooling systems were bulky and complicated, and ordinary people had no way to carry such heavy equipment into battle.

Thus, they eventually only became widespread among low-level adventurers.

Unlike early muzzle-loading smoothbore guns, this Magic Musket had rifling. Rifling was technology brought by humanity. Just as the New World had brought tremendous changes to Earth, humanity's influence on this world extended into every aspect as well.

"Oh, right," Fang Heng suddenly remembered something. "Where are Miya and the others?"

Scarpe glanced at him, unconcerned. "What, worried about your little girlfriend?"

Fang Heng's face instantly flushed red. Fortunately, the flare's light faded again just then, and no one noticed in the darkness. His tongue tied itself in knots as he tried to explain. "Miss Miya, she, she, she... I, I, I..."

"Enough, enough." Scarpe impatiently waved him off. As she helped Quilod unfasten the metal clasp on his sword sheath, she said, "I'm not interested in your excuses. Everyone already knows what you're thinking. But let me remind you, kid. She isn't right for you—"

"She's on the other side," Quilod interrupted. He glared at her, then removed his greatsword and answered calmly, "Group A is taking the offensive in this battle. Our task is to provide support. If the situation changes, remember that our primary objective is to enter the ruins, find the Magic Device, and activate it."

Fang Heng rubbed his stiff cheeks before finally calming down. "Then what about us now? Aren't we doing anything?"

"Of course we have something to do," Scarpe said. "We're waiting to get paid."

"Huh?"

"Newbie, let me teach you your second lesson." Scarpe explained in a solemn, instructive tone. "In Aethelria, the Mercenary's Motto is: getting paid to do things. Generally, that rule can be further interpreted as: how much money you get determines how much work you do. Which then gave rise to a third basic principle: mercenaries only do things after they get paid."

Fang Heng stared at her, dumbfounded.

For once, Quilod did not refute his girlfriend. He looked at Fang Heng and explained, "Among chosen ones, every rule in Aethelria is an unwritten convention. The same is true between adventuring parties and Major Guilds. Don't put too much faith in the propaganda you see in reality. Every rule here was formed after countless struggles and compromises."

"Simply put, we don't trust anyone too much. I suggest you do the same." Scarpe waved a hand through the air, opening a page of light. To everyone else, however, it merely looked like a jumble of light hanging in the air.

Then her eyes curved into crescents. Beaming, she reached into the air and grabbed a jingling money pouch, tossing it into Fang Heng's arms with a rustle. "The money's here. This is your share."

"I get some too?" Fang Heng was stunned, wondering whether the Miss Scarpe before him was an impostor. He opened the pouch slightly and could not help drawing in a sharp breath. There were more than 2,700 Liselle inside, enough for him to make three more Clockwork Sprites.

Thinking of the tight-fisted days he had spent alone in Kapuka, this money felt like a dream. Fang Heng carefully tucked the pouch away, feeling the weight of the coins in his clothes. A tremendous sense of satisfaction suddenly filled his heart.

This should be enough for me to become a proper alchemist.

"Digitize the money." Scarpe glared at him. "Don't tell me you plan on carrying that whole bag around during the operation?"

A fine layer of cold sweat immediately broke out across Fang Heng's forehead.

He looked at his bulging money pouch and said guiltily, "Well, I just like the feeling of something tangible."

Fortunately, Scarpe did not press the matter. She merely snorted. "Little miser." Perhaps because like repelled like, she looked at him with utter disdain and explained, "Remember this. It's called a Combat Subsidy."

Fang Heng could not help grinning happily. "...Then can I fight every time?"

"In your dreams, deadweight." Scarpe irritably poked the foolish child in the forehead. "Do you think there's always this much? This time it's because our mission is important, and because we might run into some real tough opponents."

Hearing Scarpe's words, Fang Heng could not help looking toward those "tough opponents" in the distance.

He recognized them—or rather, he recognized their silver uniforms. Silverwood Spear's parent guild was a very famous guild in the Second World, called Crown of Silverwood. It was one of the country's ten most renowned guilds. Silverwood Spear's uniform was nearly identical to Crown of Silverwood's, so Fang Heng recognized it at a glance.

He simply had not expected Silverwood Spear to be on the Rainbow Alliance's side. Silverwood Spear... Fang Heng thought. He wondered whether they were as formidable as Crown of Silverwood. He knew quite a few of that guild's star chosen ones.

For instance, All-Seer KUN.

"The money arrived?"

"It did. Not a single coin short." Scarpe even rarely gave their employer some praise. "I didn't expect Jefflit's people to be this decent. They're not like those pretentious bastards from the Rainbow Alliance."

Quilod nodded. Only then did he pull a crystal necklace out from beneath his collar and grip it in his hand until the crystal began to glow red. Then he gave a quiet order. "Group A, begin."

Meanwhile, the members of Silverwood Spear in the distance were hesitating. The people from Dawnstar had caught their attention, but Quilod's group had remained motionless for so long that they had no idea what they were doing, leaving them thoroughly confused.

Five hundred meters was already far beyond normal engagement range in the First World. Since this side did not move, Silverwood Spear's people did not seem particularly eager to launch an attack either.

Still, they were members of a well-trained Major Guild. Once they formed their lines, the people in the rear began applying buffs to those in front, keeping themselves in a constant state of battle readiness. Fang Heng could not help feeling a little anxious. He was not worried about himself, but about Miya behind them.

At that very moment, he saw a flash flicker in the woods behind Silverwood Spear's flank.

Fang Heng almost thought he had imagined it. It was a fleeting flash of light. Then fire suddenly erupted among Silverwood Spear's rear ranks. The intense brightness nearly made Fang Heng shut his eyes on instinct, but before he could, at least three or four figures had already been blasted through the air.

Seeing that the time had come, Quilod gripped his greatsword with both hands. His chest expanded slightly before he suddenly roared:

"Everyone, charge with me!"

His tall figure surged forward at the head of the charge, and everyone immediately followed. Only Fang Heng had not yet reacted. The earlier flash had dazzled his eyes. But someone shoved him from behind—without question, it was Scarpe. Fang Heng lost his footing and stumbled after them.

Bang! The fourth flare shot into the night sky.

A series of dull booms suddenly sounded from deep in the forest, echoing from far and near.