Chapter 1248 - 613: Recruitment Order (2)

In contrast, the middle-aged man with graying hair, who looked like he might be the elder of the youth, was far more restrained.

He obviously had quite a bit of experience going out, and his look toward Xia Nan was almost indistinguishable from that of other adventurers beneath his disguise.

But on the other hand, as both were professionals with a level, he felt the unique aura of a senior that emanated from Xia Nan, honed through extensive training and real battle, realizing that the other’s strength was beyond his range of response, and he immediately withdrew his gaze.

Clap—

From next door, on two temporarily joined tables, a group of adventurers was discussing something over a few jugs of ale and half a chopped roasted lamb.

A burly man with a full beard slapped a wrinkled and yellowed piece of paper of unknown origin onto the table, his deep voice rumbling:

"Have you seen this?"

"A recruitment order from the border!"

He shook his few thick and short fingers at his companion beside him, making a gesture.

"Eighty Gold! And that’s just the settling-in allowance, just join and you can get it for sure. I’ve heard that once you officially join the army, the benefits are even better!"

"Hehe, I’ve been cutting lizards in the mine for three whole years and haven’t saved up that much. This time, I finally caught a good opportunity."

Though not as resource-rich as Mist Forest, adventurers active in Salt Rock Port could mostly maintain their daily expenses, comparable to that of a noble, by relying on the sea area nearby and the demons in the surrounding salt mines.

Eighty Gold, for someone like Xia Nan, a "rich man" with a wealth of over ten thousand, meant nothing.

In some sense, for most adventurers, saving for a while could gather such an amount.

But the culture of the adventurer industry on Aifala Continent meant that ninety-nine percent of low-level adventurers could not save any money at all.

They had no savings habit, spending as much as they earned, not taking another task until they squandered their mission earnings in taverns and on card tables.

Those who could plan a little, setting aside funds for equipment and supplies, were already very disciplined.

In such circumstances, eighty Gold was undoubtedly a fortune for the adventurers in the tavern now.

As soon as the bearded man’s words fell, several adventurers around him gathered with a tempted look:

"Is that true, eighty Gold, is the Kingdom really so generous?"

"But isn’t Sevia Kingdom rarely recruiting adventure mercenaries like us? Why is there suddenly news this time?"

"Are there any conditions for recruitment, and can they provide weapons and equipment?"

As the crowd was buzzing with discussion, a slightly thin adventurer seated not far at another table spoke sinisterly:

"Recruiting? Sometimes I really wonder if your brains have been licked clean by those lizards in the salt mine."

"The Kingdom doesn’t even have its regular army at full strength now. Several armies in the Northern Territory only cut three thousand soldiers a few months ago. This news was discussed in the tavern before, didn’t you forget?"

"In such a time, suddenly recruiting soldiers, recruiting adventurer mercenaries like us... Hehe, guess what for?"

The thin adventurer’s caustic words drew numerous curses and retorts, but at the same time, the question he posed made quite a few smarter adventurers, with some ability to think, realize the strangeness, and their emotions tempted by Gold receded.

The bearded man evidently hadn’t considered that far, initially finding the other’s voice too harsh, but upon thinking further, found it somewhat reasonable.

Not wanting to admit it but not backing down either, he just grimaced and grunted coldly, slapping the table:

"Then you tell me, the Kingdom issues a recruitment order at this time, for what?"

"Tsk, recruitment order, and it’s from the border," the thin man sneered, "Isn’t it just to fight another war, to recruit adventurers as cannon fodder, what else?"

Hearing this, the blond-haired youth, who had been shrinking in a corner, couldn’t hold back and joined the conversation:

"Our relations with the neighboring area, although not too good before, have clearly improved over the last two years!"

"Wasn’t it just last autumn that a delegation from the neighboring kingdom came, went all the way to the Imperial City, and the talks supposedly went well? I remember the ambassador’s fleet even passed through Salt Rock Port, didn’t they stay here for a few days?"

"If war were really imminent, they would have started preparations already, what purpose would these delegations serve then?"

One reasoning on the left, another on the right, both seemed reasonable, leaving the bearded man who started the topic puzzled, unsure whom to lean towards, instinctively retorting:

"Well...maybe it’s not with the neighbors, there could be pirates, bandits, or other chaotic things, right?"

Certainly, no one took his rambling seriously.

Listening to the blond youth’s rebuttal, the slender adventurer who initially objected realized the loophole in his own words.

He awkwardly turned away, assuming a "whatever" attitude, muttering:

"Anyway, I’m not going to die."

Seeing everyone silent, the blond youth, feeling victorious, raised his chin high, proud, wanting to say more, until he noticed the helpless expression in the middle-aged man’s eyes in front of him, finally realizing the situation.

Feeling somewhat guilty, he grinned weakly at the middle-aged man across the table and sat quietly, without saying another word.

Xia Nan observed the entire course of the adventurers’ argument, his acute hearing catching every word spoken.

"Recruitment? Border?"

The eighty Gold settling-in allowance didn’t attract him at all, having clear goals, he did not wish to be restrained within any fixed organization or area.

Therefore, the recruitment order from Sevia Kingdom didn’t interest him at all.

As per the habit he had developed since his transmigration, he memorized the stories he heard in the tavern, then headed towards the bar counter.

The owner and receptionist of Pickled Fish Tavern was a one-eyed man around forty years old.

There wasn’t any unexplained display of disdain, as Xia Nan’s fully armed attire was specifically to avoid these unnecessary troubles.

Experienced in judging people, with just a glance he determined the black-haired youth as a powerful senior adventurer, and even displayed a bit of eagerness.

As soon as Xia Nan sat down, a refreshing ale with ice cubes was promptly placed on the table before him by the tavern owner.

"Would you like something to eat? This one’s on me."

His gaze scanned the menu on the wall behind the owner, failing to find any familiar words, and feeling a tad disappointed, Xia Nan ordered a few of the pricier items.

Without wasting time, he went straight to the point:

"Have you recently served a barbarian adventurer, wearing a wolf skin fur cloak, possibly accompanied by..."

"Are you Mr. Xia Nan?"

Before he finished his sentence, the tavern owner interrupted.

This made Xia Nan pause, since he hadn’t yet introduced his name but then realized something.

With a calm face, he only nodded slightly to the owner.

"It is you, indeed!"

Upon Xia Nan confirming his identity, the tavern owner breathed a sigh of relief, then turned around and hurriedly headed toward the inner room, leaving behind only a remark:

"Right away, please wait a moment!"

In less than half a minute, the tavern owner returned from the inner room holding something that looked familiar to Xia Nan, an envelope with a familiar look.

Xia Nan reached out to take it.

The seal was one he had seen before at the adventurer association, from Barbarian Fugang, featuring a distinct frost-blue hue and an embossed Winter Wolf insignia.