A Mercenary's Story

Chen Mo had no idea that Commandery Princess Liushuang, suffocated by her tedious studies, had secretly spent a good deal of time admiring his Skeleton Xiaobai.

Although the two sides had barely spoken throughout the journey, both Lady Linda and Master Locke had reached nearly identical conclusions: he was definitely an impoverished scion of a noble family's collateral branch, stranded far from home for some particular reason.

"Why do you say that? I can't tell at all. Auntie Linda, please tell me."

Lady Linda had always taught the young lady to learn the ways of the world, so the young lady naturally classified subjects like this that she didn't understand as part of those ways.

This was also a perfect chance to openly slack off for a while.

Lady Linda saw Commandery Princess Liushuang crowding up to the cabin window again, sneaking peeks down through the curtain. She forced down her displeasure and reminded her in as even a voice as she could, "Your Highness, please mind your posture!"

"All right, all right, but Auntie Linda, why do you think he's a noble?"

Linda walked helplessly over to Liushuang and gave the young lady a gentle pat on the back, making her straighten up before slowly explaining.

"He shows very typical signs of a good upbringing. He speaks clearly, minds his manners, and offers sincere thanks even for the smallest kindness."

"But the servants at our estate can do that too!"

"That was only part of it." Lady Linda shook her head helplessly and carefully smoothed Commandery Princess Liushuang's slightly disheveled long hair, fastening it back in place with a clip. "Pay attention to his habits. There are little things that can't be faked. For example, he gets water to wash his hands before every meal. A habit like that can only be cultivated over a long time."

"Even you, Your Highness, often need me to remind you. But this young fellow hasn't made a single exception."

A little embarrassed, Liushuang fiddled with the front of her clothes and tried to change the subject. "Then why do you say he's from a collateral branch?"

"I haven't finished yet!" After taking the opportunity to give the young lady that little reminder, Linda continued, "There's another reason to believe he's descended from nobility. We have the most beautiful pearl of Cloudmist Territory right here. No one can ignore Your Highness's charm, and this young fellow is no exception."

"But although his gaze shows that he's struck by your beauty and admires it, he clearly knows how to restrain himself. He has none of the sordid desire a lecher would be too timid to show yet unable to suppress. Master Locke and I both think he must have seen quite a bit of the world."

"As for why we say he's from a collateral branch? His bearing doesn't meet the standards expected of a noble heir."

"Just as I've told you again and again, Your Highness, every heir of a noble family's main line must follow a strict set of rules in how they move, stand, sit, and lie down. They must display the dignity of a high-ranking noble at all times. This young fellow's posture is loose and slouching. Look, he's actually sitting right on the ground like some crude country bumpkin."

"Clearly, he's the sort of collateral descendant of a noble family who was born without inheritance rights. He received some basic instruction in proper habits, but as for etiquette, he picked it all up from what he saw and heard in his family."

"He knows his manners, but lacks bearing."

The young lady suddenly understood. "Oh, that really does seem to be the case."

Commandery Princess Liushuang looked out past the curtain again at Chen Mo on the first deck, his legs dangling over the railing as he leisurely enjoyed the scenery, and a hint of envy appeared on her face.

But noble etiquette is so annoying...

The young lady naturally didn't dare say that in front of the lady-in-waiting.

She cast another reluctant look at the person outside the window and the scenery beyond. By the time the young lady turned back around, she had resumed her obedient, well-behaved expression. She sat down at her desk again and resignedly picked up Noble Etiquette, her little face nearly buried in its pages.

Behind her, Lady Linda looked at the girl's rather slight figure and the hefty tome, then let out an almost inaudible sigh. Sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains, casting scattered flecks of light across the polished floor.

Commoners had their hardships, and nobles had their troubles. Like a person drinking water, only they knew whether it was cold or warm.

Unlike the worried young lady, Chen Mo was quite happy now.

The Cloudmist Territory guards kept their distance from him, a stranger, but beside him was a guide hired by Cloudmist Territory who knew the local area.

The middle-aged mercenary was named Luke. The first time Chen Mo saw him, he knew the man was definitely experienced.

His hair was streaked with gray, and the lines on his face were etched with the marks of hardship. Though only in his forties, he looked even older than the old man Locke.

Luke, however, was quite easygoing. "In our line of work, living to my age with my bones still in one piece and being able to scrape together a living running errands for the lords-heh, that means the gods are watching over me!"

Luke deftly opened his worn leather armor, which was covered in crude patches and so faded its original color was almost impossible to make out. He carefully unfastened the short blade he carried and set it aside to show he had disarmed himself. Only then did he move closer and accept the bottle of wine Chen Mo had prepared earlier. He took a delighted swig, loosened his tongue, and continued telling Chen Mo about the overt and hidden rules for survival on this continent.

"If you want an identity, registering as a mercenary is definitely the easiest way. But if you can avoid becoming one, you're better off doing that."

"When I was young, some penniless minstrels fooled me into thinking adventurers had such carefree lives: crossing mountains and traveling the continent, seeing beautiful sights, embracing beautiful girls, completing commissions for kingdoms, and basking in everyone's cheers."

"Only when I actually did it did I find out it was a damn sight harsher than farming, more exhausting than mining, and more dangerous than working in the mountains. Every few coppers you earned, you fucking risked your life for."

"Don't believe me?"

Chen Mo quickly waved his hands. "Of course not. I definitely believe you. I just haven't seen much of the world, so please tell me more!"

He raised a hand to summon a gnome attendant. "Another bottle of wine, the kind that costs forty copper coins."

At that, Luke's cloudy eyes lit up instantly. His Adam's apple bobbed visibly, and a smile spread across his weather-beaten face.

He rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Oh my! Young brother, you're too kind! Didn't you... didn't you already give me today's wine? I couldn't possibly! Heh heh, heh heh..."

Though he said he couldn't accept it, his body honestly inched toward the bottle.

Chapter 19: A Mercenary's Story

Drinks aboard the airship were naturally quite expensive.

Fortunately, Luke wasn't demanding. A bottle of cheap wine costing fifteen copper coins was enough to leave him perfectly satisfied.

Chen Mo hadn't dared taste that wine. The pungent smell alone, released when the cork was pulled, was enough to put him off.

As for the mid-grade wine at forty copper coins a bottle, Luke's excited expression made it clear that it already counted as a luxury to him.

For Luke, accepting Cloudmist Territory's commission to guide them meant he certainly couldn't take on other jobs in the meantime. But chatting for a bit and receiving wine in return was almost like picking up an extra income for free.

Naturally, he told Chen Mo everything he knew, holding nothing back.

"When I was young, I spent some time in the Silver Alliance. Now that's a real paradise on earth!"

"Take a guess. How many registered mercenaries do you think are native to the Silver Alliance?"

"Nope, guess again!"

With such a good chance to show off his knowledge, Luke laughed heartily.

"Ha ha, you'd never guess! In the entire Silver Alliance, not a single local is a mercenary. Every last person running errands and risking their life for the mercenary guilds is a poor outsider!"

He took a swig of wine, his envy plain in his voice. "They've got mines! They're what people mean when they talk about a country built on a mountain of silver. The silver jewelry hung around a baby's neck the moment it's born is worth more than everything I've saved in over half a lifetime!"

"Envious? Heh, envy won't get you anywhere!"

Luke came from the Mirror Lake Kingdom, the nominal ruler of the land where Black Raven Castle stood. It was called a kingdom, but it wasn't even as large as a duchy in the neighboring Moonrest Dynasty.

The Mirror Lake Kingdom's once-fertile lands had long since been ceded away through successive wars. Now all that remained were barren mountains, treacherous waters, deep marshes, and fierce beasts. What else could people do but risk their lives as mercenaries?

"Look at the kingdoms with the most registered mercenaries. Which of them isn't constantly at war, with hardly a few peaceful years?" Luke wiped the wine from his mouth, his voice growing low. "The more precious grain is in a place, the cheaper... human life becomes."

At some point, Chen Mo had taken out a little notebook. He quietly jotted down a few notes, then looked up and asked, "I heard someone say a mercenary without a company is worse than a dog. What does that mean?"

Luke slapped his thigh with a smack. "You-oh, man... Good thing you ran into me. Never say that in front of a mercenary again, or you'll get beaten up."

He glanced nervously around and lowered his voice. "That doesn't just insult mercenaries, it insults mercenary companies too. Whoever told you that must be looking to die."

Chen Mo calmly pointed in the direction they had come from when boarding the ship. "A centaur said it."

"...Never mind, then!"

Shaking his head helplessly, Luke began to explain.

"What it means is, first, that mercenary companies are the various kingdoms' dogs, and second, that mercenaries who haven't joined a company are worse than dogs."

"See? How could that not make people mad?"

Seeing the eager look on Chen Mo's face, Luke couldn't resist opening the bottle again and taking a little sip. Breathing out a strong whiff of alcohol, he explained it all carefully to the young mage.

"Mercenary companies do the dirty work for the various kingdoms."

"You think anyone can just post a job at the mercenary guild? Not a chance! Every job has to be approved by the local guild's inspector lords."

"Otherwise, what if some idiot posted a job to assassinate a noble? Wouldn't that be outright rebellion?"

"When a noble lord takes a dislike to someone, mercenaries come in handy. He doesn't even have to lift a finger himself. He just posts a job, and mercenaries fight over the chance to take it."

Luke's account was jumbled, but drawing on the theories he had learned in the modern world, Chen Mo quickly came to a general understanding of the logic behind it.

What was a state? It was a tool the ruling class used to maintain its rule.

To ensure that this tool could be wielded effectively, it would inevitably keep strict control over the various instruments of violence.

On the Starry Continent, the mercenary guilds were a collection of such civilian armed forces. They would inevitably be subject to strict state control; no ruler would stand by and allow such a force to remain outside their control.

To put it bluntly, if mercenary companies became a military force the state could no longer control, then the master of that state would probably have to change as well.

From that perspective, the mercenary guild could generally be understood as a security industry association supervised and guided by the state.

The association's first main function was to issue jobs, meeting the special needs of the state, or certain members of its ruling class, in cases where it was inappropriate to use state power but civilian armed forces could be deployed.

Its second function was to manage individual mercenaries' registration, advancement, class changes, and so on. While generating revenue, this also gave it strong oversight of this civilian armed force.

Finally, when necessary, the state could directly requisition the mercenaries' military strength.

The rule on the continent was that mercenaries could travel freely and need not take a national stance, but mercenary companies had to have a place of registration and a clearly defined nationality, binding them closely to a state.

A mercenary from Firmament might serve Frostfire, but a mercenary company from Firmament could never turn its weapons against its own homeland.

Otherwise, the mercenary company credentials they had worked so hard to obtain, their professional reputation, and their expensive job deposits would vanish in an instant.

In that respect, there was no doubt that mercenary companies were dogs.

Then why was a mercenary without a company worse than a dog?

If you didn't join a mercenary company and clearly declare your allegiance, sorry, you weren't allowed to take well-paying jobs.

There were always some rebellious types, adventurers who longed for freedom and didn't want to be bound by a mercenary company. What were they to do?

"Rely on mercenary companies to hand us work, of course."

Luke patted his chest. "Me and a few old buddies of mine, we're that kind of independent mercenary team. We've got no backing. Even if we joined a company, we'd just be doing the hard labor and serving as cannon fodder."

"So we might as well work for ourselves, even if it's a little more tiring. There are always jobs mercenary companies take but don't want to do. Big companies pass them to small companies, small companies pass them to unqualified adventurer groups, and those groups pass them on to individual adventurers like us."

This... now that's subcontracting at every level...

Chen Mo quickly scribbled it down and raised another question. "Uncle Luke, there's still something I don't understand. Why do mercenary companies take jobs they don't want to do? Can't they just turn them down?"

The question seemed to strike a nerve. Luke suddenly took a large gulp of wine, then turned and stared blankly at Chen Mo.

"You... how can you be so stupid..."

"Didn't I tell you? Mercenary companies... are dogs. How can a dog choose what it does and doesn't do?"

"If they give you a plate to lick, you have to lick the plate. If they tell you to lick their ass, you have to lick their ass!"

He shook the bottle hard, then brought its base down against the deck with a dull thud. "Take our Mirror Lake Kingdom. Every mercenary company has a quota of supply deliveries to make every year. They're exhausting and pay a pitiful amount, so none of the big companies like doing them."

"But would you dare refuse? Turn them down and you can wait to get dealt with! So those hot potatoes get passed down from one level to the next, until they land on the heads of poor sods like us at the very bottom, don't they?"

All right, Chen Mo understood completely now. So jobs were assigned by quota too.