Chapter Fifty-Five. The Eagle of Roland Early the next morning, Leilin was led by the attendant to the mercenary market of Roland City.
The mercenary market was right next to the lord's manor, so the security was quite good — at least Leilin hadn't witnessed any brawls.
Along the way, quite a few people glanced at Leilin's party, particularly taking an interest in
"My lord! This is our Roland City's mercenary market. You can find any hands you need here, and you can also post various quests or tasks..." The attendant introduced the place to Leilin and his companions as they walked.
As for Fuleisa, Leilin had left him behind at the inn to watch over the carriage and the party's luggage.
Although Leilin carried all the important Magic Stones and materials on his person, losing some gold coins and the like would still be a bother.
Leilin surveyed the mercenary market before him.
What met his eyes was a large plaza, where coaches, drivers, and mercenaries squatted on the ground in scattered groups, waiting to be hired by employers.
Leilin knew there was certainly a slave market here as well, but it couldn't be set up in broad daylight — after all, even
However, according to Leilin's plan, the people he recruited here would all be peripheral hires, so he could afford to lower his standards a bit.
"Young my lord, is there anything this humble one can do for you?" As Leilin stepped into the market, a ring of merchants and hawkers swarmed around him. Their eyes were clearly dazzled by his expensive attire, and they clamored over one another, hawking their wares in hoarse voices.
"I need a squad of mercenaries to escort me to Polar Night City and guard my properties there for at least two years!" Leilin stated his requirements to the eager merchants.
It was only after arriving on this continent that Leilin realized the mercenary guilds and thief guilds from his previous world's novels were complete nonsense.
Setting aside the larger cities Leilin hadn't yet visited and couldn't speak for, in Roland and other smaller cities, there were no guilds of any kind.
All hiring, assassinations, and other tasks were taken on by local taverns or merchants, and the locations varied wildly.
"After all, you have to consider costs. If the income couldn't even sustain the guild, no fool would throw his gold coins into the water!"
"Then might I ask, what are your requirements for the number and strength of the guards?" A bald merchant with a shiny, greasy face shoved aside a thin man next to him and spoke loudly.
"Number? About ten to fifteen! Their strength only needs to meet the standard of average guards. My one and only requirement is loyalty and trustworthiness! Since the mission lasts over two years, I'll be signing a contract and paying a monthly salary!"
Lei Lin spoke calmly.
"Then as it happens, I have a mercenary group here that fits your criteria perfectly!" The bald merchant broke into a grin.
"The Roland Eagle Mercenary Group just finished their rest period, and they're all native Rolanders — their reputation is absolutely solid!" the bald merchant introduced.
Lei Lin noticed that the moment the bald man mentioned the Roland Eagle Mercenary Group, the surrounding crowd went quiet. A few people even had looks of admiration and respect in their eyes. It seemed the Roland Eagle held quite a reputation around here.
"Very well! Take me to meet them, and your commission won't be shortchanged!" Lei Lin said.
"This way, please!" The bald merchant took the lead, guiding Lei Lin and his group out of the market.
The inn's attendant had already taken his gold coins and departed long ago. Anna and Gelin followed closely behind Lei Lin. The four of them strolled along, and after roughly half an hour, they arrived in the southern district.
Here, the architectural style had subtly shifted. If the city center was modeled after the lord's manor — solemn and imposing — then the buildings in the southern district were colorful and eclectic, with a distinctly commoner feel to them.
"This should be the gathering area for the city's freemen," Lei Lin observed, glancing at the flagstone-paved ground, the small flowerbeds along the roadside, and the stone lampstands, muttering to himself.
"Your eyes are sharp, my lord! Most of the people living here are small merchants and freemen of Roland City. The captain of the Roland Eagle Mercenary Group also lives here!"
"Aren't you taking us to their training grounds or something?" Gelin suddenly asked from the side.
"My honored sir! The Roland Eagle is just a small mercenary group — never more than thirty members — and their fame only spreads around Roland City. It's really just a loose alliance started by the captain. The rental fees alone for a proper training ground would swallow an entire mission's earnings. Who'd be willing to do that?" the bald man replied with a bitter laugh.
"Normally, the members all go about their own business. They only gather when a mission comes in!" At this point, the bald man suddenly turned to Lei Lin and added with an ingratiating smile, "Although the Roland Eagle is rather small, most of them are retired veterans, and their captain once served as a mid-level company commander in the army. Their strength is quite respectable…"
Clearly, the bald man was worried that Lei Lin might develop some prejudice toward the mercenary group, but these facts couldn't be hidden, so he might as well say them upfront.
"A company commander? I'm starting to look forward to this." Lei Lin smiled. He didn't particularly care what he could recruit here in Roland City — these would just be errand-runners to bolster appearances down the line.
"We're here!" The bald merchant led Lei Lin and the others to a two-story villa. Inside a ring of mahogany railing, they could see a small pond and a garden filled with a type of white flower — tiny buds, but with a rich fragrance. A middle-aged woman was watering the flowers.
"Good day, Mrs. Navit! Is Felan around? I've brought him business!" the bald man called out to the watering woman.
"Of course he is! My dear friend!" Before the woman could answer, a hearty voice boomed from inside the house.
A burly man in a white shirt strode over and embraced the bald merchant.
"My dear Felan! Allow me to introduce — this is Lord Lei Lin from the central part of the Duchy. He wishes to hire your Roland Eagle Mercenary Group for a journey to Polar Night City!" the bald man explained to Felan.
"Hello! Respected sir, if you're looking to travel to Polar Night City, the Roland Eagle is absolutely your best choice. We've run this route no fewer than a hundred times — we know every stone on the road."
Felan gave Roland a slight bow and laughed heartily.
Roland noticed that the mercenary leader's eyes had been sizing up the three of them the entire time, lingering on Gelin for quite a while, clearly having noticed something, yet glossing over Roland himself.
"A man who looks rough on the outside but is sharp on the inside! And a Preliminary Knight!" Roland silently made his judgment as the Chip finished scanning all of Felan's information.
"Name: Felan. Strength: 1.8. Agility: 1.5. Constitution: 1.7. Spirit: 1.4."
These stats were merely average among Preliminary Knights, but looking at Felan's hands — covered in scars and calluses — it was clear he was an extremely experienced mercenary.
"All that can wait. Aren't you going to invite us inside to sit down?" Roland smiled and gestured toward the villa.
"Oh! Of course! Please, come in!" Felan slapped his own large head, stepped aside, bowed slightly, and extended his right hand in a welcoming gesture.
Past the garden lay the villa's main hall.
The floor was covered with red lacquered boards, and hanging on the surrounding walls was a rust-stained Cross Sword. Beside it sat a taxidermied elk head, its antlers twisted and gnarled, gleaming with a dark, lustrous sheen.
Felan enthusiastically invited Roland and his companions to sit on the sofa in the center of the room, then had Mrs. Navit serve them a cup of tea-like beverage before finally getting down to the matter at hand.
"I hear from Nazwill that this distinguished young master wishes to travel to Polar Night City? If it's not too much trouble, may I ask why? Please forgive the question — only by accurately assessing the danger can the mercenary group make proper preparations in advance..." Felan's tone was earnest.
Roland took a sip of the tea-like drink. It was sweet with a hint of salt, not really to his taste, so he set the cup back on the table.
"Regarding this operation, I simply want to set up some businesses in Polar Night City and need an escort. You don't need to worry about any other complications!" Roland looked directly at Felan until the man flushed slightly and lowered his head.
It was obvious that Felan had guessed Roland was some disgraced noble's bastard son, sent away after losing a power struggle.
"The reason I'm hiring you is that people from Roland City won't be easily bought off by certain parties in Polar Night City. Besides, I've received word that some rather interesting things have recently been happening in Polar Night City..." Roland said with a smile.
"Interesting things?" Captain Felan guessed. "Could it be the withering vegetation around Polar Night City?"
"Exactly! An entire forest the size of a village withered away all at once — it's truly alarming. That's precisely why I believe it's necessary to bolster our escort strength!"
"As for compensation, I can offer each guard a generous salary of one gold coin per month. However, you must sign a employment contract with me for at least two years!"
Roland interlaced his fingers and laid out his terms.
Feilun's expression shifted between light and shadow, clearly caught in deliberation. After a long silence, he finally spoke with some difficulty: "Everything else is negotiable, but the duration of the assignment — is that really necessary?"
"Two years is a bit long, I admit, but it doesn't mean they have to stay in Polar Night City the entire time. I promise that during their off-hours, they can take leave to visit their families. Furthermore, if they wish to bring their dependents to Polar Night City as well, I can arrange suitable positions for them as well…" Leilin's voice echoed through the parlor.
"I have already witnessed the Lord's sincerity. Next, I need to discuss this with some of my old brothers — after all, the mercenary group isn't mine alone to decide. I can give you my answer tomorrow, so please rest assured!" Feilun rose to his feet and gave a slight bow as he spoke.
"Very well! I'll be waiting for your good news!" As Feilun bowed, Leilin calmly rose and left the villa with his attendant and the bald merchant in tow.