The remuneration awarded to the guards by the Chamber of Commerce is one Ella silver coin per day.
They are said to be silver coins, but in fact only those old farmers in the countryside with little knowledge will think that they are made of pure silver. There is a famous joke in Inznil, an agricultural province in neighboring Sivalier and close to the Ecasta Plain. I told a story about a "warm-hearted and honest" farmer who dug up silver nuggets in the field and stubbornly demanded to be paid only the equivalent weight of silver coins.
This joke is often told in the village of Avenella, which is closer to Inznil, and the word for "honest" in the local dialect also means "stupid". So the next time an Avenella guy tells you that you're a good, honest guy, you'd better check your pockets first to make sure you haven't just been ripped off by him - we're digressing.
There are many kinds of coins circulating in the market, most of them are issued by the church or the state. Depending on the creditworthiness and the content of precious metals such as gold and silver mixed in the iron currency, the value of the two currencies is different even if they are both silver coins.
For the convenience of statistical value, the countries on the West Coast have a unit of measurement that has the same pronunciation and meaning in any language: Danno.
The word "tax" in the northern language, which comes from the days when the pirates were raging, spread throughout every inch of the west coast of Mobigas due to the plundering of those berserker warriors. Even though the vast majority of people are illiterate, When someone puts a sword on your neck every day and asks you to hand over 'Dano', you will still understand and remember the meaning of this word.
The word Danno has become a standard value measurement tool in modern countries, and the Ella silver coin is judged by its 'Dano value', which can be regarded as a relatively stable and excellent currency with an above-average value.
Take the most common hotel in Avenella as an example: a general double room costs 8 Dannos a night, a large glass of malt wine costs 1.5 Dannos, and a piece of black bread that can satisfy you for a full meal costs 3.5 Dannos. No, a large plate of the cheapest but appallingly hygienic free-range pork costs 6 Danno. Even if you add honey, about 10 to 15 Danno is enough to meet the needs of a normal adult for a meal.
And one Ella silver coin is equivalent to 150 Dannos - that is, you can eat at least ten meals with wine and meat in a cheap hotel, if you are not worried about death from diarrhea.
Although 15 Ella silver coins in 15 days is not particularly high, the money earned is enough for the two of them to live for a while. You must know that before this, Mira's savings that she had worked hard for many years were only 3.5 Ella silver coins, and after this period of expenditure, there was not much left.
So passing the test is more or less a clue to where you will be in your life for the next period of time. And due to Henry's relatively outstanding performance on the test field and the care of the bald middle-aged man for some reason, the two were not only paid 1.5 Ella silver coins per day, but also received two silver coins directly after the end. The advance payment before the caravan departs, and the source of living expenses during these three days.
Looking at the profile of a beautiful girl on a silver coin with a metallic color, the white-haired Luoan girl sighed that it was great to have money. At the same time, she looked at her nominal current teacher again and again with disdain.
"If you can make so much money from the beginning, why are you still so poor? Mr. Sage is really the worst adult." There are two small sheets placed inside the medium-sized wooden hotel room. The human bed, a mattress made of linen and wool, had a strange smell that lingered because it had been laid on by an unknown number of people. Mira sat next to the open wooden window and breathed in the fresh air, while Henry Lying on it without a care in the world with a leisurely look on his face.
"Because it's troublesome." Henry threw his silver coin over with a "ding" sound. The girl hurriedly got down from the window sill and quickly stretched out her hand to catch it.
"If you have something to eat and a place to sleep, you can live. Everything else is external." The sage turned his back and said, while the white-haired loli looked at him with contempt again: " Is this what someone who wants to eat someone else’s soft food should say?”
She said this, while Henry, who seemed to be very tired, turned his back to her quietly, and soon the sound of even breathing began.
"..." Mira looked at the back of the sage who was sleeping unprepared. She often felt that this person was like a child in many places.
But his rich knowledge and powerful fighting power are incompatible with these. The girl had not seen many warriors, but even a layman like her could tell that he was not an ordinary warrior with his concise and decisive fighting style.
At the same time, the weapon he chose... Mira looked at the super long sword leaning casually aside.
Only when you get really close enough to take a closer look will you discover the beauty of this sword.
Its scabbard is very unique. A short half-sheath made of hard leather is placed on the tip of the sword. Near the guard of the sword, where it is connected to the belt on its back, there is a simple metal hook.
Mira didn't need to be a combat expert to figure out that this design was to make it easier to pull out the sword on her back. She just needed to lift it up, and the handguard was detached from the metal hook and it could be quickly removed. Unplug.
Simple and efficient, just like the user of the weapon itself - but these thought-provoking designs are not worth mentioning compared to the greatsword itself.
During the more than a week of traveling together, Tou Mira did not pay too much attention to this sword, perhaps because she deliberately avoided it because of the blood she witnessed at that time. But when Prince Edward mentioned the sword and Henry, she inevitably began to seriously observe this man she didn't know much about.
Henry's sword is very beautiful.
At first glance, I thought it was very ordinary. But when you get up close and take a closer look, you will find that it is really beautiful.
The hilt is longer than an ordinary one-and-a-half-handed sword that can be grasped by both hands. It is about the same length as a two-handed sword and can hold three hands. The slender hilt is wrapped with a delicate animal skin. Looking down, unlike the straight guard used by ordinary one-handed swords, one-and-a-half-handed swords and two-handed swords, Henry's sword chooses a standardized and exquisite inverted V-shape.
Made of the same fine steel as the hammer-shaped weighted ball at the end, it reflects the light coming from the window and looks so mesmerizing - but even more beautiful than that is the blade of this great sword.
It was a material that Mira had never seen before. She had been working as a waiter in a hotel for a long time. The highest level of mercenaries she had seen in these years was already an orange card. The girl had been listening and watching when they had been bragging and comparing each other's weapons all year round - but even so, she had never heard of it, let alone seen a weapon made of this material.
There are layers of wavy-like patterns on the blade with a delicate luster - but they don't look like they were painted or carved.
——It is more like a natural existence, or it is forged by a superb craftsman... Mira thought, and once again looked at the back of the sage who was sleeping peacefully.
…
…
Time flew by, and on the morning of the third day of the appointment, the two of them, who had fully rested, arrived at the Fountain Square in Dongcheng District.
This is where the joint carriage convoy of the Chamber of Commerce is gathered. The mighty convoy will start from here, follow the main road of Ecasta out of the city gate, go all the way north, pass by Fort Ellen and then pass through Inznil. Varsha, the largest port exchange on the West Coast, completed transactions for the quarter.
Mira has probably never seen so many people belonging to the same team at the same time in her life.
All kinds of horses and carriages, mercenaries, travelers, merchants, and guards lined up in a long queue. It extends from the vegetable market in Dongcheng District to Fountain Square. If you stand on a high place, you can still see that the leading team has already left the city gate at this moment.
"So many..." the girl sighed as she widened her light blue eyes. The entire team, including the mercenary guards, had already exceeded a thousand people. Such a huge team could see thieves, beasts and even monsters. Everyone will avoid it, no wonder it is such a beautiful job that countless people are trying to get.
You only need to walk to get the reward. It's really good to have strength - the girl sighed, and the next moment she felt a pulling force coming from her back collar - Henry pulled her back Some.
"...What are you doing?" The girl turned around. The sage's voice was a little cold, but she immediately realized that it was not directed at her.
"Tsk, didn't you step on it?" The voice that answered him sounded frivolous and young. The girl turned her head, and a young man about 20 years old with blond semi-long curly hair sat on a horse and looked down at them and said.
"Hey, are you still angry, poor guy?" Facing Henry's question, he showed a clear smile on his face, and then said in a frivolous voice: "Do you know who I am? I just want to step on you with a horse. Poor Luoan slave, what's going on, if you don't want to let me go, I'll buy her now?"
"How much do you want?" He took out a heavy and exquisite animal skin bag from his clothes, then opened the bag and showed it to Henry.
"One hundred Ella silver coins? Or two hundred? Although this thing may only be worth two silver coins, I am happy to buy it and let the horses trample it, hahahahaha." The blond young man turned to look at the horse riding next to him. There were two other young men with agreeable smiles on their faces. They were obviously this man's followers.
"How are you, poor guard?" The young man with blond hair asked Henry with a smile, and the sage lowered his head in silence.
"Let's go," he said to Mira, and the white-haired girl nodded sensibly and left together with Henry.
"Hey, let's go now. How about I increase the number to 300? How about buying your Luoan slave for 500 silver coins! Poor guy! This is money you will never earn in your lifetime!" The two of them got through. The gap between the carriages moved toward the front of the team, and the blond man behind him shouted in a voice that everyone could hear.
"..." Henry seemed a little silent. He lowered his head and looked at Mira, but it happened that he met those pure light eyes at this time - the girl was also looking at him.
"I'm fine, I've long been used to this kind of situation." The 11-year-old Lolita showed a gentle smile to Henry. The sage remained silent for a while, then reached out and touched her little head.
"You actually comforted me in turn." Henry shook his head and showed a wry smile, and then continued walking forward with Mira.
"Hey!" When they almost reached the other side of the market, the two of them were noticed by Adela who was assigning tasks to her subordinates. The red-haired female mercenary waved towards the two of them, signaling Henry and the two to come closer.
"I heard that guy's cry. It was a wise decision for you not to have a conflict with him. He is the son of a more influential Chamber of Commerce Director in the Chamber of Commerce Federation. Although because of his incompetent appearance, we often talk in private Call him an illegitimate child, but this can only be discussed in private." Adela seemed a little helpless, she looked at Henry and then at Mira, and then nodded as if she suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, why don't you come and follow our Ford."
"Ordinary free mercenaries usually don't have any arrangements and they all act independently. Although I know that there is no problem for you alone. But if you follow us, you will have more care, and... some things about girls will be better if someone of the same sex takes care of them. Take some." Adela said as she looked at Mira, and Henry also looked at her. Although he didn't speak, he was obviously asking the Luoan girl for her opinion.
"Thank you, but I don't think I need it." Mira replied in a very formal tone, and the red-haired female mercenary did not insist. Luoan people are now mostly known as bandits and bandits in society. As a professional guard, the Ford Mercenary Group has naturally had to deal with them during their many years of missions.
If there is fighting, there will be casualties and hatred. Considering those guys in the mercenary group who are hostile to the Luoans, the two of them may just feel uncomfortable coming here.
The girl must have considered this and chose to refuse because she didn't want to create more conflicts. Adela thought this, then shook her head and nodded: "Then I will go and get ready. If anything happens, remember to come to me and look for the green maple leaf logo of the Ford Mercenary Group. We will be there The middle of the line, protecting important assets.”
She said, and Henry and Mira nodded together, and then walked forward a little further.
"Just stay here. You should be able to avoid that guy here." The two stopped next to an open-air carriage. There were dozens of carriages in the front of the convoy, all carrying light and heavy loads. A large amount of materials such as cloth and wool, and further back are heavier tobacco, salt and spices that need to be sealed in containers, while the most precious magic materials and minerals are the most closely guarded and protected. center of the team.
This combination has two purposes: one is that after the light carriage passes, the road can be continued to be used by the subsequent heavy carriage. And if it were the other way around, the wheels carrying heavy loads would run deeply through the completely deformed road, which would no longer be able to accommodate other carriages.
Another reason is that these inexpensive goods can be quickly abandoned if they encounter bandits, and the carriage can be overturned and used as an obstacle to create a favorable fighting environment.
The vanguard team is cheap and disposable, so apart from the coachman and some necessary guards, the only people who will come here are free mercenaries.
If they were here, Henry and Mira could avoid the harassment of the arrogant young master and spend the past half month quietly.
The two of them were thinking this, and then there came one long horn after another from the direction of the city gate in front.
"Woo——"
"Woo——"
"Woo——"
The horn sound from far away was far louder than anyone's shout, and the whole long motorcade cheered up.
It's time to go.
