Bastion, faced with the young noble's declaration in the middle of the market, didn't hesitate to answer.
"A thousand magic crystals should be enough."
"What!? That's impossible! No merchant could carry that much on them. You're trying to take advantage of me! Guards! Arrest these con artists!" the young noble shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Bastion.
The surrounding crowd shook their heads at Bastion's answer, clearly siding with the young noble. There was no way his inventory could be that impressive, despite his Rank 2 strength.
"Young Master," called the head of the guards at the side, a late Rank 1 Knight. "Do you remember your father's lessons regarding who you should and shouldn't offend?"
"Yes, but we're in the city. There's no way this peasant can do anything to me," the young noble replied with full confidence.
"As it stands, Young Master, there aren't any Rank 2 guards in the vicinity. Do you think we are strong enough to protect you from him if he chooses to kill you where you stand and escape immediately?"
"You're not strong enough?" the young noble asked in shock.
"I'm afraid not," the knight said, shaking his head. "If he so desires, he could kill us here and make his way out of the city. Most Rank 2 combatants are far from the open market, so we would have to rely on random Rank 2 adventurers to save us. Do you think, given your spoiled actions just now, they would intervene or simply watch us die?"
"I…" the young noble hesitated, then looked around at the crowd turning away from him before quickly bowing to Bastion. "I apologize for my rude behavior, sir."
Bastion raised a brow at the scene he was witnessing. This was some next-level young master nonsense. Clearly, he had missed this particular nobility lesson growing up. Then again, his parents had known he was mature enough to pick his fights, so Sibelle had never taught him this.
"That's fine," Bastion said, waving his hand.
"I must ask, though," the knight said, the gleam in his eyes visible through his helmet. "Do you truly own a thousand magic crystals' worth of inventory?"
That was a loaded question Bastion shouldn't answer on a whim. Saying yes would lead to him having to prove it and reveal his secrets. Refusing outright would damage his reputation. He needed to answer carefully.
"The carriage your young master wanted to buy from me is my home. Selling it would prevent me and my companions from continuing our journey. The same goes for our supplies and personal equipment. We would have to stop and remain in this kingdom, forced to resupply, rearm, and find an alternative means of travel. I am personally willing to delay our growth and progress for the price of a thousand magic crystals."
The knight nodded, along with everyone within earshot. It was a solid answer that placed the value on his time rather than the goods he carried.
"Very well," the knight said, satisfied. "Come, Young Master. Let us avoid bothering these people any further."
"Hold on!" Bastion called out. "I have forgiven your young master's transgression. The issue is water under the bridge. Perhaps the young master might be willing to peruse our wares. No doubt the price will be more than fair this time."
"Very well," the boy agreed, a hint of excitement in his tone.
With the little debacle behind them, Bastion and the girls went to work opening up the Wanderer's Trove and began selling their wares while keeping the prices high. They needed to maintain the image of a luxurious goods store to gain the most from their visits. They hadn't acquired much from this kingdom apart from samples of spores, so it was best to overcharge for their inventory for now, since they didn't need the extra space yet.
Meanwhile, Ariel left and headed for the Adventurers Guild to gather information on the ongoing war. She needed to find out exactly how they could prove they were worth their pay, as well as scout out the best opportunities to earn the most. Given their strength, it was best to aim for the highest-paying tasks to maximize their time and limited ammunition.
Similar to the Adventurers Guild in Aurenthal, which was the size of a fort, the Adventurers Guild here in Mycelora was equally impressive. It was a gigantic building with plenty of office space for guild workers to coordinate the different branches throughout the kingdom, as well as a large bar, a bulletin board filled with requests, and multiple counters to serve adventurers. Only, unlike what she had seen in Aurenthal, the place was deserted, with only the clerks standing behind counters, bored out of their minds.
"Welcome to the Adventurers Guild," a female clerk who approached Ariel said. "I take it you're interested in information regarding the ongoing war?"
"Yes," Ariel answered.
"As it stands, the kingdom is in a deadlock with the neighboring kobold clans directly beneath us. They continuously send hordes of up to Rank 2 kobolds by the thousands to try and take our cities, while we struggle to push them back since their clans are controlled by multiple Rank 3 kobold sorcerers. There are even rumors of a Rank 4 dragon leading them, but we haven't managed to confirm this information."
"Right now, the most the kingdom's forces can do is fend off their armies, while the adventurers are mostly carrying out unorganized subterfuge and guerrilla operations. Currently, there is a standing bounty placed on any kobold's head. 10 silver coins for each Apprentice Rank, 10 gold coins for each Rank 1, 10 platinum coins for each Rank 2, and 1 magic crystal for each Rank 3. The payout is tax free and will be doubled if received through a tax exemption."
After a bit of quick math, Ariel figured out that they would need to kill over 1,000,000 Rank 1 kobolds, 10,000 Rank 2 kobolds, or 10 Rank 3 kobolds to pay off all the taxes they had accrued throughout the journey. That wasn't bad, given their track record in the swamps of the Great Forest. They could probably pull it off in a week, depending on travel time.
"As a bonus, you may also receive 10 mithril coins for each kobold camp you destroy. There are currently over 100 known camps that have been scouted, so the more chaos you manage to cause for them, the greater the reward. Lastly, if for some reason your actions are proven to have scared away the horde and ended this war, you will be paid 100 magic crystals."
Ariel nodded along, accepting the information. There was a lot to take in but essentially, they should aim to take down over a million assorted creatures. It was a large amount for them to hunt down which would go a long way into increasing their levels. They could probably reach level 50 if they pulled it off.
As for stopping the war, that would depend on whether the rumors regarding the dragon were true. Dragons were terrifying creatures. They had everything from high talent for magic to overpowered physiques and toughness that would require someone of a higher rank to penetrate. There would be no stopping this war if that rumor were true.
"I'm assuming the proof of a kill is a kobold's head?" Ariel asked, just to make sure.
"That is correct. You can bring it here for your tax-free bounty, or take it to the Merchants Guild for the tax exemption."
"Are there any limitations, orders, or rules we would have to follow if we were to head out?"
"While in any fortified city, all of the commanding knight's orders must be followed without question. Outside of the city, however, only basic party rules apply. No stealing, keep conflict to a minimum, and focus on killing as many enemies as possible."
"Wouldn't that mean the commanding knight would have the right to take all our belongings if we entered a fortified city?" Ariel asked with concern.
"Sadly, yes. They're supposed to give you a receipt for all the items taken, which you can hand over to the Merchants Guild for reimbursement, but between you and me," the clerk said, leaning in and whispering, "there have been rumors of adventurers being thrown out of a fortified city without it. I'd be careful if I were you."
"Thanks for the warning," Ariel whispered back before asking, "Lastly, do you have an updated strategic map of the ongoing war, as well as any ongoing operations that we should avoid interfering with?"
"Do you have an adventurer's journey map?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"You don't look like someone who has been in this kingdom long, so I just guessed. Anyway, your map should update once you get close to the warzone. As for any information on ongoing operations, we don't have that information. That's something you'll have to find out from the forts and cities once you arrive."
"Got it. Thanks for the information," Ariel said, passing over a gold coin as thanks.
"You're very welcome," the clerk said with a smile as she stepped back behind the counter.
After gathering all the crucial information, Ariel returned to the carriages at the open market just in time to see the annoying brat from earlier, thanking Bastion and Seraphina profusely. He grinned from ear to ear as he admired his new Rank 2 flaming longsword, while the knight stood at his side with a stoic expression, a brand new Rank 2 shield strapped to his back. It seemed they had managed to score big from what had been an otherwise threatening situation.
Once Ariel informed Bastion and the girls about what she had learned, they decided to move forward with their plans to earn back their taxes before settling matters with the Merchants Guild. Tomorrow, they would head out and fight in this bloody war with Subterra.
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