Even in these relatively peaceful times, the defense of Luminea never slackened. A specially reinforced elite garrison of five thousand soldiers was permanently stationed in the city, always ready to respond to any potential emergency.
Rayne stared up at the giant city, which towered like a mountain range, lost in a daze. His clear eyes were filled with an indescribable shock.
From the remote, impoverished mountain village where he was born to the simple, dilapidated beastman camp where he had been held captive, he had never seen such a magnificent structure.
The members of the Salt Blade were clearly regulars here. Led by Dario, they didn't queue with the common folk but walked straight to a fast-track lane reserved for mercenaries and nobles.
"Well, if it isn't Captain Dario! You're looking radiant. Must've had another successful mission, eh?" The captain of the city guard was obviously well-acquainted with Dario. Upon seeing them, he didn't move to inspect them but approached with a broad smile and a warm greeting.
"Haha, just got lucky. Nabbed a few clueless beastman cubs to trade for some wine money," Dario laughed heartily. He grabbed a handful of glittering gold coins from his pouch and tossed them casually to the guard captain like stones. "A little something for you and your men to have a drink and unwind!"
This generous act was immediately met with even more enthusiastic compliments and flattery from the surrounding soldiers. In the Kingdom of O'Bryen, and indeed across all of Solmara, while the social status of mercenaries was not as high as that of true nobles or fabulously wealthy merchants, it was far above that of the common people.
Especially in a border city like this, where mercenaries had the important duty of assisting in the city's defense during wartime, powerful mercenary legions were highly welcomed. Some top-tier legions had enough elite warriors and combat power to rival an entire division of the kingdom's regular army, making them a force that no power dared to underestimate.
In times of peace, Luminea was exceptionally prosperous. The perilous Orlando Mountains outside the city held endless treasures—rare ores, precious herbs, monster materials, and even goods smuggled from deep within the beastman wilderness. If you had enough gold, you could find almost anything in this city.
The wide streets within the city were lined with a dazzling array of shops, their banners fluttering in the wind. The cries of vendors hawking their wares were endless, and the bustling crowds jostled shoulder to shoulder.
Rayne followed behind the group, his head turning left and right, completely mesmerized.
Because their group was escorting a line of weeping, peculiar-looking little beastman slaves, they immediately attracted a crowd of curious and even hostile onlookers upon entering the city. Some mischievous human children picked up stones and clumps of mud from the roadside and threw them at the bound cubs, shouting vile obscenities in their young voices.
The deep-seated conflict and hatred between humans and beastmen were already ingrained in the hearts of these children who had yet to fully understand the world.
When the group arrived at a massive courtyard enclosed by a bluestone wall in the southern corner of Luminea, a tall, fat man was standing there.
His face was cold, his jowls heavy, and his belly protruded. He had only one good arm; the sleeve on the other side was neatly cut off at the shoulder, hanging limply.
As the Salt Blade mercenaries approached, a smile cracked the one-armed fat man's tense face. "Brothers, you've worked hard! Welcome home!"
This was the headquarters of the Salt Blade Mercenary Legion. As one of the three most powerful Class-B legions in Luminea, the Salt Blade had over a hundred elite mercenaries.
Their headquarters occupied a large, independent courtyard in the southern district, with nearly a hundred rooms.
The one-armed man strode forward and gave Dario a bear hug with his good arm. "My old friend, welcome back alive again!"
Dario unceremoniously pushed him away, then punched Victor's chest, which was as thick as a city wall, and laughingly cursed, "Victor, you old jinx! I'll be alive and well long after you're dead! Cut the crap and come see the extra prize I brought back this time!" He pointed proudly at the dejected little beastman slaves being led by ropes.
"Oh? These little ones aren't bad. But..." Victor's gaze swept over the cubs, but then he noticed Rayne standing at the front of the group, looking somewhat out of place. He raised an eyebrow. "Is this scrawny little guy one of your 'extra prizes' too?"
Dario waved Rayne over. "This kid's name is Rayne. He's a human slave we rescued in the mountains. I saw he had nowhere to go, poor thing, so I brought him back. Don't let his age fool you, he's very clever. Maybe... he could be a helper for you, run some errands."
The hint of a smile on Victor's face vanished. His one eye flashed with displeasure as he said gravely, "Dario, I may have lost an arm, but I'm not so useless that I need someone to take care of me!"
An awkward smile appeared on Dario's face. He quickly waved his hands to explain. "Hey, old brother, you misunderstood me. I didn't mean someone to take care of you. I just see you handling all the legion's affairs by yourself, it's too much work. I thought he could run some errands to lighten your load, make things easier for you."
"Hmph, compared to you lot who live on the edge of a blade and could lose your lives at any moment, managing logistics and balancing accounts is hardly what I'd call hard work," Victor snorted, seemingly ungrateful. "Besides, we don't have spare money to hire a kid who looks like he couldn't even truss a chicken."
"Uncle Victor, please, let me stay!" Rayne, who had been silent, summoned his courage and stepped forward, his tone sincere. "I can do lots of things. Chop wood, carry water, clean... I can do anything! I don't need wages, just a meal is enough!"
His days trekking with the mercenaries had sparked a deep interest in this life of adventure and uncertainty. He had grown to like this group of rough but forthright men.
Hearing Rayne's plea, many of the Salt Blade mercenaries turned their gazes to Victor. Along the way, aside from the perpetually caustic Jason, most of them had taken a liking to this always-smiling, hardworking, and sensible boy.
Victor, feeling a bit uncomfortable under everyone's stare, mulled it over for a moment. "Alright, since you have nowhere else to go, the Salt Blade will take you in for now. But, even though you said you don't want wages, our legion has always believed in the principle of fair exchange. There's no such thing as a free meal. How about this: your monthly pay will be... one silver coin."
A chorus of derisive "Boooo!"s immediately erupted from the surrounding mercenaries.
In the human kingdoms, copper and silver coins were the most common currency, followed by the more valuable gold coins and the extremely rare crystal coins. The exchange rate between them was one to a hundred.
The mercenaries were, of course, mocking Victor's stinginess. Even the cheapest laborer in the kingdom usually earned no less than ten silver coins a month.
Members of a Class-B legion like the Salt Blade received a fixed monthly salary of fifty silver coins, and that was just a small part of their income. The real money came from the generous commissions for completing dangerous missions.
Victor had just hired what seemed to be a clever worker for a tenth of the normal price. His calculations were truly shrewd.
"Thank you! Thank you, Uncle Victor! You're such a good person!" However, Rayne, who had no concept of money, beamed with gratitude upon hearing he would receive even a single silver coin. He bowed deeply to Victor again.
His heartfelt thanks was met with an even louder roar of laughter from the mercenaries.