Under the protection of the shield, the vengeful spirits in the white mist had no way to pass through the barrier to affect the carriage. After driving at full power for about ten minutes, the carriage successfully passed through the white mist.
'Boss, what do we do now? The plan is completely ruined!'
Outside the carriage, Mogis watched this outcome and wrote rapidly on a piece of paper, his handwriting revealing a sense of irritability and anxiety.
As Cole looked at the note handed to him, his facial muscles contorted and his eyes seethed with rage. He slammed a fist onto his thigh, letting out a dull thud.
'What else can we do?! We can only take them to Falling Leaf Town first!'
He grabbed the notebook and wrote back with a force that seemed like a vent for his frustration, 'I will notify those guys when the time comes. They will definitely make a move!'
'Then... won't a huge chunk of the money have to be shared?'
Seeing this, a look of pain appeared on Mogis's face.
'Bakayaro! It's better than getting nothing and losing the beast-taming mount too! There was too little room for maneuver this time. Who knew that woman was actually a high-level priest? She was completely immune to the attacks of the vengeful spirits, that made it impossible for us to restrain them here temporarily.'
After Cole finished writing, he irritably hurled the note and the notebook back at Mogis. The force was so great that Mogis almost failed to catch it.
Immediately after, he took a deep breath, deliberately restoring his voice to its usual loud volume, and bellowed:
"Lads! The white mist is gone! Full speed ahead, destination: Falling Leaf Town!"
...
"Sister Hyacine! Look, we've reached a town!"
After the carriage had traveled for about an hour, Hong Guoguo leaned against the carriage window, pointing into the distance and shouting with excitement.
Outside the window, at the end of the boundless plains, the silhouette of a town surrounded by stone walls gradually grew clear in the twilight. Dots of lamplight lit up like stars.
Hyacine also looked toward the town and murmured to herself:
"Hmm, a typical fortress town... I hope the sanitary conditions aren't as bad as medieval Europe. It is a fantasy world, after all."
The carriage rumbled across the plains, getting closer and closer to the town.
The tall stone city gates were in sight. After a simple inspection, the guards waved them through.
Soon, the carriage entered the cobblestone streets of Falling Leaf Town.
"Miss Hyacinthia, Miss Hong Guoguo, we have arrived at Falling Leaf Town."
As soon as the carriage came to a steady stop, Cole pulled back the curtain. He had a smile plastered on his face as he spoke to the two, though a subtle gloom was hidden deep within that smile.
"Alright, thank you for your trouble," Hyacine responded calmly, then led Hong Guoguo off the carriage.
"Captain Cole," Hong Guoguo asked impatiently as soon as she stepped down, "do you know where the adventurer guild is here? We have urgent business there."
"What a coincidence!" Cole clapped his hands and pointed toward a corner not far away. "We happen to be going to the adventurer guild to hand in a quest as well. It's just up ahead, follow me!"
After speaking, he turned around to direct his subordinates to park the carriage properly and had them carry several heavy bags off the vehicle.
"Come along."
After finishing all this, he made an inviting gesture to the two of them.
Seeing this, Hyacine and Hong Guoguo exchanged a knowing look and followed silently.
Just as Cole had said, after turning a street corner, a building with a prominent signboard appeared before their eyes—the Falling Leaf Town Adventurer Guild.
"Please wait a moment, you two. We'll go in first to deliver the quest. Once it's finished, we will present the reward immediately."
As Cole spoke, he led his subordinates and was the first to push open the heavy doors of the guild.
Hyacine and Hong Guoguo followed closely behind and stepped into the guild hall.
A bustling heatwave mixed with the scents of roasted bread, stewed meat, low-quality tobacco, and ale hit them in the face.
The spacious hall was teeming with people. Adventurers of all descriptions were gathered in groups of three or five, either sitting around wooden tables feasting and drinking or crowding in front of the bulletin board arguing over quests. Rough laughter, curses, and conversations rose and fell.
When Hyacine and Hong Guoguo walked in, many gazes were instantly drawn toward them.
Hyacine's attire and appearance, along with Hong Guoguo's rare white-haired catgirl features, were exceptionally dazzling in the crowd.
"The atmosphere... feels similar to the Mercenary Association in the Pit Bottom District... though it looks a bit more 'civilized' here."
Hyacine looked around and muttered softly to herself.
Because here, at least, it wasn't permeated by that pungent smell of low-quality alcohol.
The two ignored the curious and ill-intentioned gazes and walked straight toward the service counter at the inner part of the hall.
Behind the counter, a young female receptionist wearing a guild uniform and possessing delicate features immediately showed a professional smile upon seeing them:
"Welcome to the adventurer guild! Two esteemed adventurers, how may I help you?"
"I want to post a missing person commission," Hyacine said, getting straight to the point.
"A missing person commission, is it?" The receptionist skillfully took out a standard form and a quill. "Very well, please provide the target's physical characteristics, or preferably a portrait."
"I have a portrait," Hyacine said, directly pulling out her personal terminal from her system inventory.
Although she couldn't connect to the internet in this world, the terminal's battery was sufficient and its functions were intact.
"This is..." The receptionist was clearly stunned when she saw the smooth tablet and the clear image on it, evidently having never seen such a "magic item" before.
"A special magical item with the ability to record images," Hyacine explained briefly.
"Oh! I understand!" The receptionist came to a sudden realization, her eyes lighting up. "Like a recording orb, right? Please wait a moment."
After saying that, she immediately bent down and took out a crystal ball the size of a fist from under the counter.
This was a standard magical recording orb.
The receptionist carefully held the recording orb and chanted something while facing the photo of Lu Zhaoran displayed on Hyacine's terminal.
Light flowed inside the crystal ball, and it soon perfectly replicated and stored Lu Zhaoran's clear face and figure.
"The image has been recorded." The receptionist placed the recording orb back onto its special base and looked up to ask, "Now, regarding the type of missing person commission, do you require a standard 'information release commission' or a more efficient 'bounty commission'?"
"Please explain the difference in detail," Hyacine signaled.
"Certainly." The receptionist explained patiently, "'Information release commissions' primarily involve us posting the missing person information onto the guild's information network, covering specific regions. You only need to pay the corresponding regional information release fee. The reward for the commission is negotiated between you and the person providing valid clues. The fee depends on the size of the release area, usually ranging from a few copper coins to a few silver coins. It is relatively affordable, but this type of commission is better suited for cases where the location of disappearance is known."
"And if I have no idea where the target disappeared?" Hyacine pressed.
"Then I strongly recommend a 'bounty commission'." As the receptionist spoke, she took out several pieces of parchment printed with complex crests. "Bounty commissions are directly guaranteed and posted by the guild, with a starting price of at least 1 gold coin. We will proactively contact and screen veteran adventurers or teams whose strength matches the bounty amount you set to take on the task. The advantage is high efficiency and professionalism, but accordingly, the release handling fee and guarantee commission charged by the guild will also be higher."
"In other words, the higher the bounty, the faster the person might be found?"
After hearing all this, Hyacine asked the receptionist directly.
"Theoretically, yes. A high bounty can attract more top-tier trackers and information brokers."
The receptionist nodded in confirmation.
Upon hearing this, Hyacine opened her system inventory without any hesitation.
Then, under the stunned gazes of the receptionist and several curious adventurers nearby, she directly pulled out several heavy gold bricks!
They let out a "thud" as they were casually placed on the counter.
(A/N: These are the remaining "souvenirs" Cipher earned at Apex Entertainment.)
"Then I want to ask more clearly," Hyacine's voice was calm without a hint of emotion, as if the items placed on the counter were just a few stones. "If I use these gold bricks as the base bounty, how soon is the fastest you can find the person I'm looking for?"
"Eh—?!" The receptionist was completely dumbfounded. Her mouth hung open slightly and her eyes went wide. It took her a full two seconds to react.
She suddenly gasped, her voice changing pitch slightly:
"Es... Esteemed lady! Ple-please put these valuables away first! This... this is too conspicuous! I will go fetch our president immediately! Please, you must wait here!"
She spoke somewhat incoherently, then almost jumping up, she frantically shouted "Watch this place! Maintain order!" to the guild guards on duty at the door. Then, she lifted her skirt and dashed toward the wooden stairs leading to the second floor at her maximum speed, her shoes tapping out a series of rapid "thud-thud-thud" sounds on the wooden floor.