NOVEL WEB 54
Chapter 54: Mercenary guild
The next day, Xi Tian unusually stayed in bed a little longer, snuggling with his partner for a while.
After breakfast, he showed great interest in the place and hired a local to be their guide.
This local, named Buma, was a somewhat shy fourteen-year-old sub-female. He had a dark complexion, two braided pigtails, and eyes that sparkled like carbon crystals.
Buma was very skilled at explaining things. His voice was soft and quiet when discussing prices, but it became loud and clear when talking about the place.
“Don’t be fooled by this being just a secondary planet. The famous Interstellar Mercenary Guild was founded right here.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely true, no doubt about it!”
“But I heard the Mercenary Guild was established in the capital of the fourth-level planet, Kotada?”
“Ha,” Buma scoffed. “You must have read that in a novel! Those are just made-up stories by writers. How could a place as advanced as Kotada spawn the largest guild in the universe? The Mercenary Guild values ‘equality for all, no high or low.’ How could such a discriminatory high-level planet foster that?!”
Buma’s eyes sparkled with a conviction that Xi Tian found captivating.
“So, the Mercenary Guild was established on this planet? Where is it located?”
“Of course, it’s here. I just told you, and you weren’t paying attention. The guild is just up ahead!”
Xi Tian casually observed the surrounding buildings. “What’s so interesting about the guild? Isn’t it just about delivering and receiving shipments, essentially just a courier service?”
“You can’t say that. The Mercenary Guild is the place with the highest traffic and the fastest flow of information. It’s beloved by everyone on our small aristocratic planet.”
“You called this a ‘small aristocratic planet’? I’ve never heard that term before.”
As they walked, Xi Tian noticed the scenery: guild workshops with wooden signs, towering ancient castles, statues of knights, and stained glass churches, all exuding a strong medieval atmosphere.
“In the past, this place was the interstellar fiefdom of nobles from various planets. They brought carriages, servants, knights, and castles. Over time, as the nobility declined, what they brought remained, preserving a planet supported by aristocrats…”
Ellis, walking beside them, wished he could block his ears. Last night’s passionate activities left him exhausted, and he was dragged out for sightseeing when he just wanted to sleep.
He specifically chose a guide who seemed quiet, hoping for a peaceful walk, only to find out he was a chatterbox. Two chatterboxes filled the quiet path with their conversation.
Not wanting to complain to his master, Ellis waited until Xi Tian was occupied and quietly pulled Buma aside, slipping him a few silver coins and asking him to be quieter.
Buma’s big eyes lit up immediately upon seeing the silver coins in his hand, nodding rapidly like a pecking chicken.
Ellis finally enjoyed a moment of peace, but unexpectedly, they arrived in front of a shabby little tavern. The wooden sign, hanging outside for years, was already overgrown with grass. The large, crooked characters read ‘Sefer Tavern,’ and the small, neat characters in the lower right corner read ‘Mercenary Guild No. 1.’
Seeing the tavern, Xi Tian was intrigued, “Is this the origin place? I didn’t expect it to be so shabby.”
“It’s not shabby at all; it’s full of historical flavor!” Buma then launched into a textbook-style introduction.
Ellis sighed, thinking his money was wasted.
Entering the tavern, they were greeted by warm air. The first thing that caught their eyes was the red brick wall opposite them, where a coarse hemp rope fishing net was hung, adorned with various small items. At the center of the net was engraved the phrase Buma had just mentioned.
The room had a dozen or so tables, each occupied.
At the bar, waiters moved back and forth, delivering beer or task notes.
Buma led them to a table, then ran off to bring them two large mugs of beer, froth nearly spilling over the top.
“Hey, would you like to join the Mercenary Guild?” Buma asked.
Having had bad experiences with drinking, Xi Tian only tasted the froth before passing the beer to Ellis.
Ellis, unfazed, drank it down in one go. Xi Tian pushed the other mug to Buma.
“Why should I join the guild? I’m just here to look around.”
“Most tourists who come here end up joining. The Mercenary Guild is interstellar; whenever you need materials or anything, you can just post a message on the guild board.”
“I don’t need that,” Xi Tian refused.
“Think about it, everyone faces difficulties sometimes. The Mercenary Guild members are everywhere in the universe; you can post any problem or trouble on the guild board. Need a confidant? Short of a nanny? Can’t cook and need one-on-one guidance? Need help tutoring young ones with homework? Whatever you can think of, the guild can handle it!”
“Wow, isn’t this just a large offline forum?” Xi Tian exclaimed in surprise at the latter points.
When Ellis heard “find a confidant,” he gave Buma a sharp look, scaring him into a momentary hiccup, and he quickly changed his wording from needing a bedmate.
“A forum can’t come to your side for personal guidance. The guild has a large, strong community, free from such troubles. Join now and get a limited edition exquisite member badge. Miss this chance, and it’s gone!”
Xi Tian, intrigued, dragged Ellis to the bar, found a waiter, paid the membership fee, and registered as a member. They received two shiny badges depicting a dove with an olive branch.
When Xi Tian was about to pin one on Ellis, Ellis pointed behind him.
As Xi Tian turned, he saw the waiter who had just registered them swiftly hand Buma two silver coins.
Seeing Xi Tian watching him, Buma calmly flashed a white-toothed smile and waved, saying, “Another beer, make it cold!”
“Did I see correctly? Is he taking a bribe?”
Ellis covered his mouth, stifling a yawn.
“No wonder that kid kept urging us to join the guild; turns out there’s a kickback,” Xi Tian raised an eyebrow. “Are you tired? You’ve been exhausted since this morning?”
The male finally realized the truth, after an entire morning. Ellis glanced at him with some grievance.
“My fault, my fault. I shouldn’t have kept you up so late last night,” Xi Tian quickly admitted his mistake, “But, did you have fun last night?” he asked in a low voice.
Ellis instantly recalled the events of the previous night, during which he had cried out in pleasure multiple times, completely abandoning the strong demeanor expected of a male.
Ellis blushed, thankful that his mid-length hair could help hide his face for a moment.
“You haven’t given me an answer yet!” Xi Tian pressed on.
Ellis glared at his master in embarrassment. This was still a public place, so why was he being so flirtatious?
“Hmm? Tell me,” Xi Tian persisted, unusually insistent.
“Yes,” Ellis nodded.