Book 11: Chapter 14: Departure

Rick did not understand Linda’s intention, but he chose to trust the friendly girl.

Moreover, he had heard about Sif. If Sif’s companion had really been missing for a month in the Death Lands, he believed this task was practically over before it even started. Staying in the Death Lands for a long time, even with pay, might not be a good thing.

“Protect us for two weeks… a coincidence?” Qin Lun’s eyes gleamed. They had entered Toril yesterday morning, and now it was noon on the second day, almost a full natural day had passed. That meant they also had exactly two weeks left to stay.

Qin Lun automatically filtered out Rick’s statement about only staying in the Death Lands for one week. If they truly failed to find Iristin in the Death Lands and didn’t receive the Plot Mission, there was no need for him, Hill, and Rand to return to Baldur’s Gate. They could just let the others escort Sif back alone.

“Hill, what do you think?” Qin Lun quietly asked in the Team Channel.

“Haven’t we already decided? Whether it’s a coincidence or not, as long as they aren’t from Umberlee’s Church, they are the best choice.” Hill’s words finally helped Qin Lun make up his mind.

“Are there only three of you? When can we set off?” Qin Lun raised his head and smiled at the three.

“Yes, there are only three of us. If we sign the agreement, we can set off at any time. We have already drawn an advance of supplies from the Mercenary Guild.” Rick spoke cautiously. “However, it would be best if the employer, Sif Hulan, could personally confirm with us.”

“Of course, I’ll take you upstairs.” Qin Lun bowed slightly and gestured towards the stairs leading to the upper floor of the tavern.

…

“Winnie, do you sense any problems?” After leaving the Oak Barrel Tavern, the three young members of the Thornblood Mercenary Corps all had a trace of doubt on their faces.

The process of signing the employment contract with Sif had been very smooth. The young noble, known to the outside world as the Tethyr kid, finally showed the drive of a guild leader, quickly inspected the contract, and completed the formalities with them.

What felt off to them was that the three people around Sif didn’t seem like the guards from Sif’s hometown in Tethyr that the mercenaries rumored about. It was clear that Sif did not carry the authority of a family head in front of them.

“It’s still unknown, but I don’t see any problems.” The hooded female Mage, no longer her previously playful self, said thoughtfully. “Sif Hulan doesn’t appear to be held hostage by those three. Furthermore, the contract only requires us to protect the employer’s personal safety and search for their missing companion. There are no word traps.”

“Regardless, we only recognize Sif as the employer. If those three act suspiciously, at most we immediately escort Sif back to Baldur’s Gate.” The tall Knight gave the final summary to his two companions.

The three members of the Thornblood Mercenary Corps were very efficient. After depositing the contract with the Mercenary Guild for safekeeping, they returned with the supplies to the Oak Barrel Tavern.

Ten sturdy hippogriffs were now at the tavern’s entrance. These creatures were docile, had a varied diet, and wouldn’t need special feeding in the wild if they could find some roots. Compared to horses raised by humans, they were somewhat slower but had better endurance and could carry more weight, making them the best companions for long journeys.

Seven of the ten hippogriffs were for them to ride. Another two pulled a large wagon containing the supplies for this adventure. The last hippogriff was a spare.

The supplies included two weeks’ worth of food and water for seven people, tents, two cans of lamp oil, simple cooking utensils, insect repellent, and a small amount of medicine. Real wilderness exploration was different from what many imagined. The more prepared you were, the smoother the journey.

Sometimes, adventurers encountered stretches of hundreds of miles with no people, along with harassment from various wild creatures. At such times, even gathering dry firewood for a campfire at night could be problematic. Carrying a little lamp oil could help deter wild beasts.

Seemingly bulky cooking utensils and tents were absolutely essential. Adventurers in the Toril World often had to travel thousands of kilometers. Apart from Apostles like Qin Lun and his group, no one could claim to be immune to all diseases or unaffected by raw or cold food.

When the God of Plague exerted his power, even deities of great power would steer clear, not to mention ordinary people on the ground. Especially for adventurers with strong combat abilities, if they really fell ill, it would perfectly illustrate the saying: sickness comes like a landslide, but goes away slowly like reeling silk.

Eating cooked food and getting good sleep were the two most important skills for adventurers and mercenaries surviving in the wild.

Seeing the Thornblood Mercenary Corps so efficient made Qin Lun and the others very happy, as it saved them a lot of time. After inviting the mercenary corps to have lunch, they set off directly in the afternoon. It took them about half an hour to pass through the East Gate of Baldur’s Gate and begin their journey to the Death Lands.

“You seem to have some doubts. Since we’ve become temporary partners, I think you can ask me frankly and openly!” Qin Lun urged his hippogriff closer behind Rick and spoke sincerely.

After leaving Baldur’s Gate, Qin Lun and the others truly relaxed. A formidable force like Umberlee’s Church had put some pressure on them.

Rick exchanged glances with his two companions and fell silent. Their female Mage, Winnie, wasn’t riding a hippogriff but sat on the seat of the large wagon. She now looked up at Qin Lun.

“You don’t look like Mr. Sif’s bodyguards.”

Because the wind in the wilderness was strong, the female Mage no longer wore her veil. She had an oval face, a small cherry mouth, and a pair of large, peach-blossom eyes, making her naturally charming. However, her nose was small and delicate, with the tip slightly upturned into a sharp curve, inexplicably giving her originally charming and attractive face a childlike quality, utterly destroying the enchanting aura. She looked like a forever youthful, mischievous beauty.

“Firal and the others are indeed not my bodyguards, but friends I have cooperated with once before.” Sif, hearing the conversation, came up from behind. Questions concerning mutual trust were better answered by him.

“Your relationship doesn’t seem very close. Why are you funding Mr. Sif’s trip to the Death Lands to search for his companion? Or do you have other plans in the Death Lands?” Lago, the Rogue among the mercenaries, posed a sharp question.

“We have no other plans in the Death Lands. As shown in the mercenary contract, we are searching for our missing companion.” Qin Lun shook his head with a bitter smile. “Sif mentioned we had a cooperative relationship with him before. In fact, in the expedition team Sif originally organized to go to the Death Lands, two of the members were our shared partners.”

“You mean the companion Sif is missing is also your partner?” Knight Rick and his two companions looked at each other in surprise. This conclusion was something they hadn’t expected.

“Yes, the people we truly need to find are only three: one is the Old Butler Mason of the Hulan family, and the other two are our and Sif’s mutual friends – an Elven Druid, and another… is a temple knight of Lady Loviatar.” Qin Lun decided to lay all the cards on the table.

The three mercenaries in front of him were quite capable. Rather than causing misunderstandings and delays later, it was better to explain clearly now. After all, this didn’t conflict with their mercenary contract.

“An Elven Druid and a follower of Lady Loviatar? This combination… how amusing!” Rogue Lago showed a strange expression and said with a grin, “You’re going to so much trouble to find them; those two must be great beauties, right?”

“None of your business?” Seeing her companion’s lecherous expression, the female Mage covered her face and thumped him on the head with her staff.

“We believe you. However, you should know that regardless of any internal circumstances, the Thornblood Mercenary Corps will only act according to the contract.” Rick, ignoring the horseplay between his two companions, said seriously. “We will help you find your missing companions, but the person we protect is only the employer.”

“Of course, apart from Sif, the three of us don’t need your protection.” Qin Lun showed a bright, sunny smile. Paired with the Moon Elf’s exceptionally handsome appearance, it made the three mercenaries stare for a moment.

Qin Lun’s words were just politeness. In reality, their goals were the same. As long as they didn’t split into two teams, if a fight broke out, the Thornblood Mercenary Corps couldn’t possibly just stand by and watch. Otherwise, if word got out, they really wouldn’t be able to continue in the mercenary business.

“Ooh, blushing, blushing.” Lago suddenly pointed at his female companion and shouted loudly. Everyone turned to look and indeed saw two blushes appearing on Mage Winnie’s face.

“You’re dead!” Winnie’s face flushed red, and she gritted her teeth, casting a Flight spell on herself and floating up from the wagon.

“Yikes, you’re serious!” Lago’s expression changed. He rolled off his hippogriff’s back and scurried away into the distance. For a moment, his speed was actually slightly faster than a galloping hippogriff.

“Please forgive my two companions.” Seeing such an embarrassing internal conflict, even the steady Knight felt somewhat awkward. But he quickly composed himself and asked, “If that’s the case, why didn’t you explain it clearly back in Baldur’s Gate?”

Hearing Rick’s question, Qin Lun and the other two had a gleam in their eyes. This Thornblood Mercenary Corps, though small in number, was full of capable people. Especially the leading Knight, Rick, who was thoughtful and meticulous, asking sharp questions that hit the mark.

“That’s because my identity is somewhat special and not suitable to be publicly advertised in Baldur’s Gate.” Qin Lun said thoughtfully. “The only thing I can guarantee is that my identity won’t hinder this commission. As for the future… that has little to do with you.”

Rick nodded, wisely refraining from pressing further about Qin Lun’s identity. As long as it was unrelated to the task, inquiring further about their background would be inappropriate, especially since the employer hadn’t questioned the three members of the Thornblood Mercenary Corps about their origins and identities either.

Seeing that Rick’s doubts were mostly dispelled, Qin Lun said no more.

“Hmm?” Just as he was about to ride back to Hill and the other, he suddenly frowned, looked up at the sky, and a barely noticeable silver-white light flashed in his right eye.

“What’s wrong?” Rick, who was beside him, was very perceptive and immediately looked up. He saw a small black dot in the sky but soon relaxed and said to Qin Lun with a smile, “Its size is too small; it doesn’t look like a tracker’s ‘eye’.”