Pale Emblem

Chapter 1 The Mysterious Visitor
Another year of spring, the warm and humid air flow over the solid and thick terracotta walls of Braun Town, bringing a signal of the recovery of all things, and awakening this adventurer town built deep in the forest from its hibernation.

The town of Braun belongs to the Fallen City of the Dissa Alliance, and is named after the proximity of Lake Braun.She is far away from the main city, more than 300 kilometers in a straight line, and there is an 80-kilometer-wide virgin forest in the middle.The distance is long and the danger is high, and even the armed caravans of the famous highlands rarely visit here.The City Council of Fallen Leaves turned a blind eye to Braun Town. Except for the guards regularly dispatched by the City Hall, only large and small adventure groups entered and exited this remote town.

In fact, Braun Town is a typical adventurer's autonomous stronghold. It is governed by the Adventurer's Guild of Fallen Leaf City. It does not need to pay any taxes to the city-state council, but it undertakes the task of guarding the edge of the main city and provides adventurers with essential services. little logistical support.

More than 1000 years ago, the half-elves of the Disa City-State Alliance, the barbarians of the Blackfire Tribe, and the orcs of the Ulu Goblin Kingdom signed the Cangqing Contract under the witness of the Dragon King Hall, recognizing the Dragon King Feilumat. Lord, establish the kingdom of dragons, divide their respective territories, and agree not to infringe on each other's core territories.The forces of the three ethnic groups thus ended the more than 400 years of war.

However, in order to satisfy the endless thirst for treasures of the Dragon King Fei Lumat, and expand his sphere of influence by the way, the three major forces of the Dragon Kingdom sent a small group of troops to the fringes to explore, collect various resources, and try to Encroach on the opponent's territory.

The half-elf adventurers of the Dissa Alliance, the barbarian looters of the Blackfire Tribe, and the orc bone collectors of the Goblin Kingdom came into being.They fight on the fringes for wealth and status.

The Adventurer's House is the only hotel in Braun Town. The living room of Nuoda is empty and there are not many customers.Bartom, the innkeeper, sat behind the bar, wiping the empty wine glass weakly with a dark rag.

He looked in his 40s, but he was probably older, with thick short red hair mixed with frosty whites, a greasy face with traces of wind and snow grinding, and drowsy brown eyes that occasionally revealed horrific expressions. of brilliance.An old cloth robe looked ill-fitting, even comical, because of his broad shoulders and strong chest.

No one would laugh at Bartom, no one who had the right to laugh at him liked to laugh at him, and no one who was glib would dare laugh at him.In Braun, at least, the innkeeper Bartom was the first big shot.

The adventurers of the Disa Alliance are all rebellious outlaws, but no adventurer will offend the guild leader of the outpost.Boss Bartom is the head of the Braun Town Adventurer's Guild, and his current status is obtained by his own ability.

As the head of the Adventurers Guild in Braun Town, Bartom has a complete monopoly on the hotel business in the town.Over the years, he has made a lot of money and has his own business experience.

Spring is a season of hope, as the weather warms up, the snow melts, and food is easy and plentiful.But the wild beasts of the Black Forest also awoke from hibernation, hungry and fierce.Adventurers must leave the permanent stronghold before the ice and snow completely melt, either go to the wild to search for treasure, or return to the Fallen City with the spoils in exchange for the wealth and status they deserve.

Spring is undoubtedly the bleakest time of the year for hotels in Braun.Bartom began to think about dismissing some of the guys in the hotel and introducing them to temporarily serve as guides for the adventure group.Although the guide's commission is personally owned by the buddy, he saves a fortune in wages.

The two-way wooden door of the hotel was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and three figures dressed as adventurers appeared at the door against the light.The young and clever shop assistant Pilu was the first to meet him and said earnestly: "Guest, are you here to hire a guide? My name is Pilu, the best scout hunter in Braun Town..."

"Piru, get out of your way, and brag when you're an adult. Maybe some fools believe you're the best scout hunter in Braun Town... Can't you see that these guests need medical attention?" Barto Mu walked out from behind the bar, pushed aside Pilu, who had a green face, and quickly looked at the three uninvited guests, feeling suspicious in his heart.

There are at least two women among the three adventurers, one of them is tall and tall, with brown-green hair in a single ponytail, gray-green eyes, facial features like a knife and axe, wearing a battle dress, showing long legs and arms with obvious muscular outlines, With four barbed throwing spears hanging from his back, and two short blades tied to the outside of his thighs, his whole person was sturdy, wild and ruthless.

Her appearance features and fierce temperament all indicate that this is a female warrior of the Hemer tribe.

The Hemers are a minority of the Dissa half-elves, but they are very common in the adventure group, and they are also the main force of the adventure group.

That's right, the Hemers are all women. They are brave and good at fighting, with wild temperaments. They don't give birth or raise children. They love fighting and plundering, and they especially discriminate against half-elf males.

It is said that the Hemer tribe is a half-elf race favored by the Mother Earth. Every year in the water season, after the female warriors of the Hemer hold a life sacrifice ceremony, the Mother Earth will heal the injuries they suffered during the year. The female warriors of the order Hemo even possess the terrifying power of ice.

Bartom had never seen a high-ranking Hemo female warrior, and he didn't know whether the rumor was true or not.But he has participated in the life sacrifice of the Hemer tribe, and more than once, it is a strange experience that cannot be described in words.

There are scars on the legs and arms of this Hemer female warrior, indicating that she has been in the wild for the past year and has experienced many battles.

The other adventurer was a young female half-elf, wearing a cotton robe of animal skin to keep out the cold, with a leather armor showing at the neckline. She was average in height, with short brown hair and lake green eyes. Ugly and looks ordinary.

It is the ordinary that makes it different.The adventure group includes female warriors of the Hemer tribe, as well as male half-elf men, but ordinary half-elf females are rare.Bartom also noticed that the young lady had calm eyes, a calm temperament, and a gentle charm, which is what is called upbringing in the women of the Fallen City Heights.

Well-educated highland women will not appear in the adventure group. Bartom estimates that she has a highland background and may be a servant maid of a famous highland family.However, the adventurer's stronghold and the city-state are two completely different worlds. Even if she has a background in a famous highland, she has to follow the rules of an adventurer in Braun Town.

The lady was not armed, but hung from her belt a pair of battered sickle-shaped bone blades, perhaps a trophy seized from some orc bone-gatherer or barbarian raider.Bartom only glanced at them, and didn't think they had any value, and then moved his sharp eyes to the last guest.

The No.3 adventurer was covered from head to toe by a thick leather robe, making it impossible to tell his gender.His limbs were limp and weak, and it was only because his two companions supported him with their shoulders that he did not fall down.Bartom's eyes were sharp, and he immediately saw that the adventurer was injured and lost consciousness.

"There is a good room upstairs, let's go up and talk." Bartom casually led the three adventurers to the stairs in the hotel, without attracting the attention of other guests.

There must be something odd about these strange adventurers, maybe a bad thing, maybe a good thing, but Bartom is confident that in Braun Town, he can turn most bad things into good things, or at least not make them worse.

When he came to the innermost room on the fourth floor of the hotel, Bartom took out the key, opened the door, and let the guests in first. He glanced around secretly to make sure that no one was watching, and then walked into the room and turned to close the door.

The house is very clean. The stone floor is covered with a carpet of soft grass. A large wooden bed is placed in the middle, with a thick bearskin mattress on it. A pottery stone is placed on the long table opposite the bed. The vase also has a bunch of red peach branches inserted in it. Although there are no gorgeous flowers, the buds have been pulled out, adding a touch of greenery to this bedroom.The window on the south side is wide open, and standing in front of the window can see the forest scenery outside the town of Braun.

The female adventurer who was suspected of being a Highlander was obviously more satisfied with this room. She looked around several times before turning around and saying to Bartom: "Dear Red Lion, my name is Lina, this is my sister Yin. , we are adventurers of the White Horn Adventure Group, there is something I would like to ask for your help."

Compared with her ordinary appearance, her voice is mellow and sweet, very gentle, which makes people feel good when they hear it.Boss Bartom laughed and asked, "You know me?"

The female adventurer who called herself Lina nodded slightly and said sincerely: "There are very few adventure groups who have not heard of the reputation of Bartom the Red Lion. You are a generous person, value credibility, and are an adventurer worthy of respect."

Bartom didn't take Lina's compliments to heart, he smiled and said: "There is definitely no reputation for generosity, but it is true to pay attention to credibility... Come on, you need my help if you have any difficulties, as long as the price makes me satisfied, I will I will try my best to satisfy you.”

Lina leaned her back against the window sill and said with a smile: "A few months ago, our companion was injured in the battle and could not continue the adventure, so we want to leave him in the Braun Town Adventure Union, please take care of him for a while. , when we finish this adventure, we will send someone to pick him up."

"No problem, taking in and taking care of wounded adventurers is a duty of the stronghold guild." Bartom patted his chest boldly, a hint of cunning flashed in his eyes, and turned to say: "Then, according to the adventurer stronghold Rules, I have to ask you a few questions, and you have to prepare a fee."

"You ask... As for the cost of caring for the wounded, we can talk about it last."

"Okay." Bartom put away his smile, first glanced back at the female soldier Hemo who put the wounded and sick on the bed, and turned to Lina and asked, "Miss Lina, you seem to be a Highland lady?"

The half-elf female adventurer shook her head and said: "The real Highland lady is beautiful, elegant, erudite and intelligent, I am obviously not, but I once served a Highland lady in the Highland of Rapids City. For some inconvenient reason, I Leave the Highlands of Riptide and join the Whitehorn Adventures as Physician and Apothecary."

"Oh? Miss Lina is still a physician and pharmacist?" Bartom raised his thick eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes, I am a third-order physician and third-order pharmacist, and I have been certified by Torin College in Torrent City."

Bartom is in awe, but ordinary adventure groups do not need doctors, because adventurers more or less know some medical first aid methods, and as long as the female warriors of the Hemer tribe are not disabled with broken hands and feet, they will wait until every winter. , After completing the life sacrifice ceremony, the injury will be healed automatically, and there will be no sequelae.

There is only one situation where the adventure group will invite doctors to join the team, and that is the mobile village of the Hemer tribe.They are the Alliance Adventure Group in name, but they are actually a gang of Hemer tribes that wander around and make a living by hunting and robbery.

This kind of adventure group has a ferocious style, and it is very close to the adventurer's union. Sometimes it will even attack the alliance-registered adventure group, forcibly absorb the female warriors of the Hemer tribe, squeeze out the male adventurers, and then sell them as slaves. to certain powers.

In short, the homeless villages of the Hemer tribe are not easy to mess with, and the White Horn Adventure Group is obviously a big trouble. Maybe there is an adventure group in Braun Town that has suffered their losses.

After thinking about it carefully, Bartom didn't notice that the entire adventure group had been wiped out in the past two years. He breathed a sigh of relief and asked thoughtfully, "Doctor Lina, where did you set out from?"

He asked "you", not "you".

Lina understood the hotel owner's worries and replied, "I joined the White Horn at the introduction of Mayor Robert in Carwin Town. That was four years ago."

The time, place, and person's name are all right... Bartom nodded first, stroked the beard on his lower jaw, and said with a smile: "Robert Towner of Carwin Town? I saw him a few times a long time ago. Old friends. However, Kawen Town is north of Braun Town, more than 600 kilometers away from here... You guys run a little far, did you encounter something?"

"Our information is very valuable!"

The female warrior of the Hemo tribe placed her injured companion, strode over, put her hands on the short-edged hilt on the outside of her thigh, her eyes were fierce, and she said provocatively, "Male, I don't care if you are a red lion or a red rabbit, You have to pay for information!"

Boss Bartom often dealt with the female warriors of the Hemer tribe, and had long been accustomed to their domineering style.Facing Yin's threat, he folded his arms across his chest and smiled indifferently: "It's up to me to decide how much information is worth. This is also the rule of Braun Town."

Physician Lina shook her head at the eager Hemer female warrior, and said, "How much does Lord Red Lion think it is worth about the information on the migration of shadow lurkers?"

The old adventurer's pupils shrank suddenly, and after a moment of silence, he said in a slightly hoarse voice: "If you show evidence of Shadow Lurkers, I am willing to pay 10 to 15 gold towers for this information."

The two adventurers looked at each other, and the female warrior Hemo named Yin took out a palm-sized shuttle-shaped scale from a small leather bag hanging around her waist and handed it to the innkeeper.

Bartom took the scale with a dignified expression, put it under his nose and sniffed, nodded and said, "It's very fresh, it's the scale of the shadow beast, yes, then, what about the specific information?"

Lina introduced: "Last fall last year, we were camping in the Black Forest on the west bank of the lower Krill River, preparing for winter, and accidentally found a group of bone collectors near the Whitehorn camp. We originally planned to hunt them, but they were already Targeted by an adult shadow lurker. The terrifying monster seems to have been invaded by a dragon species and had to migrate, just in time to bump into the orc bone gatherer. The furious shadow beast slayed the bone gatherer gang , and was deliberately led to the Whitehorn Camp by the damned orcs.... Then, we were chased and killed by it all the way, until last year's freezing rain fell, and we got rid of the monster. It should now establish a territory north of Braun Town, a distance from It's about 220 kilometers here."

Bartom narrowed his eyes and asked dubiously, "Dragon seed? What kind of dragon seed can drive an adult shadow lurker away?"

Lina pursed her lips and smiled and said, "It should be a dragon-veined monitor lizard. We heard its roar, but we couldn't come up with concrete evidence, so this information is free."

"Okay, the information about the shadow beasts, I'll count your 12 gold towers." Bartom shook his head, looked at the unconscious adventurer lying on the wooden bed, and said, "Let's talk about the care of the wounded now. ."

Yin, the female warrior of the Hemer tribe, had already unbuttoned her companion's clothes. The innkeeper walked over to the bed and was stunned when she saw his face.

This half-elf adventurer with his eyes closed and in a coma state has a delicate appearance, like a sculpture art collected by a top famous family.Bartom could have sworn to the Mother Earth that this was the only beauty he had ever seen.If it weren't for the short brown hair with male characteristics, the well-informed old adventurer even suspected that this was a young lady from a famous highland family.

Bartom still asked uncertainly: "Is this... a woman, or a man?"

"He's my brother, his name is Vertok." Lina sat down beside the bed and held his palm with a very gentle expression.

younger brother?I'm afraid it's a couple... Boss Bartom secretly slandered, he suffered the visual impact and found some unusual places.For example, this Vertoc's eyebrows are slender, which is obviously different from the thick eyebrows of the Desa half-elf.In addition, he is slender and well-proportioned, at nearly 1.9 meters tall, taller than most adult half-elf males, but his chin is smooth and delicate, without the stubble that marks half-elf male adulthood.So much so that Bartom couldn't tell his specific age.

Lina explained as if unintentionally: "Vertok is 16 years old this year, his bloodline has mutated, and he looks a little different from others.

"16 years old... that means you're almost an adult?" Bartom said with a half-smile, he didn't bother to dispel the excuse of the female doctor.

Lina nodded vigorously and continued: "Vill accidentally hit his head during the evacuation and was in a coma for several days. After that, he would wake up from time to time to eat and drink, but he completely lost his memory. We couldn't take him with us. Going on the adventure, I want to leave him in Braun to recuperate. We'll pick him up next spring at the latest."

"Head injury is the most troublesome situation...Poor little Will, may the merciful Mother Earth have mercy on him." The hotel owner showed cheap sympathy, but immediately put on the face of a profiteer, rubbed his hands and said, "Look , this is the best guest room in the Adventurer's House, Xiaoweier will get the best care if he lives here, and I will send a gentle, kind, ingenious and beautiful waitress to serve him specially, from morning to night, never leave! , Dr. Cole from Braun Town is also my old friend. For my sake, he will provide medical help on a regular basis, and he only charges half of the cost... Accommodation, meals, service fees for waitresses, doctor's diagnosis and treatment fees , there may be pharmaceutical costs... I will calculate, add up these costs, subtract the fraction, and then deduct the information costs that I need to pay, a total of 200 gold towers."

Boss Bartom looked at the pockets of the two female adventurers and determined that they did not carry so much gold, so he changed his words and said: "The Adventurer's House also purchases other property, gems, animal horns, animal skins, amber, weapons, medicinal materials, Finished medicines, slaves...As long as you have what you have, I will accept everything, and I guarantee that within a radius of 500 miles, I will pay the most fair price."

He didn't lie. There was only Braun Town, a permanent stronghold of the Dissa Alliance, within a radius of 500. In Braun Town, only the Adventurer's Home Hotel could purchase the property obtained by the adventurer.

Seeing that the two female adventurers were silent, Bartom's enthusiasm was like hot water poured into a snowdrift, and instantly condensed into ice, he said coldly: "Of course, if you don't have enough money, the Adventurer's Home still has The public housing for taking care of the wounded is a bit poor, but the price is also cheap. However, I have to explain some rules in advance, and some adventure groups will take the opportunity to abandon the wounded. As the head of the Braun Town Adventure Union, I am qualified to take care of the wounded and sick. staff to keep the belongings they deserve.”

"Vertok is now delirious and suffering from amnesia. Only you know how much personal property he has in the White Horn. If you don't leave him even a copper, I can't keep the property for him... ...Well, I will arrange for him to live in public housing, and you will give me 60 gold pagodas, or the equivalent, as the cost of fostering the wounded."

"Besides, let me make one more point, beauty is a curse for the weak. Little Ver is so beautiful that he will cause trouble for himself, especially when he is about to come of age. When this winter, Homer of Braun Township will bring trouble to him. The female warriors of the tribe will hold a life sacrifice ceremony, and they will definitely fight to snatch Xiao Wei. I don't want to offend the Temple of the Earth Mother in Braun Town... So, I will take care of him until this autumn, you must be in the first freezing rain. Send someone to pick him up before he falls. Otherwise, I may choose to drive Vertoc out of the Adventurer's House."

Hearing this, there was a sneering smile on the corner of the mouth of the female warrior Yin of Homer. She was about to speak, but was stopped by her companion with a look.

Physician Lina said softly, "Dear Red Lion, we have no money and nothing to exchange..."

"Then there's nothing to talk about... The three-silver pagoda's rent will be deducted from your intelligence fee. You can live until this time tomorrow. The Adventurer's Home will also provide a free breakfast... I wish you a good day. ,goodbye."

The innkeeper was about to leave the room with his legs raised, but was stopped by the doctor Lina, "Wait, Lord Red Lion, although I have no money to pay you, you owe Mayor Robert of Calvin Town a favor, and Mayor Roth Give me this favor, otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to ask you for help, would I?"

Bartom turned slowly and said with a sneer, "I owe Robert a favor? Why don't I remember this?"

Without saying a word, Lina took out an opal and a letter from the bag she was carrying, and handed them over.Bartom took the opal, unfolded the letterhead and looked at it carefully, the expression on his face gradually became serious, after a moment of silence, he put on a sweet smile again, and said: "Oh, look at my memory, I almost made this happen. Forget... If Miss Lina has any request, feel free to mention it, and I will try my best to do it."

"Take care of my brother, I will come to pick him up in the spring of next year. Lord Red Lion, can you do it?" Lina asked indifferently.

"No problem, Vertok will get the best care here." Bartom patted his strong chest and assured.

Lina leaned down, stared at Vertok's full and clean forehead, couldn't help but pressed a kiss, and said without turning her head: "Also, you can send a kind, gentle and ingenious waitress to take care of Will, and the beautiful and moving waitress can take care of Will. No need."

She faintly showed the habit of speaking in a bossy manner, but the veteran adventurer who had experienced hundreds of battles didn't care, just nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Lina reluctantly looked at Vertok who was asleep, and said to her companion, "Let's go back."

The ordinary-looking, gentle-looking female doctor declined the hospitality of the hotel owner and left the Adventurer's Home with the Hemer female warrior.

They came abruptly and walked swiftly. Except for Bartom, the red lion, no extra people were disturbed.

Through the window of the hotel, watching the two mysterious female adventurers disappear into the parapet gate of Braun Town, Bartom frowned, holding the opal and letterhead for a while in deep thought.

He had opened up to Lina Lion before asking for high foster care fees, and had the idea of ​​blackmailing the other party, but it was more to test their details.

This Lina didn't tell the truth, even her appearance and name were fake, but she was by no means an ordinary person, maybe she was a lady from a famous highland family, and she was also a powerful and famous family in the famous Disa family.

A noble girl from a powerful and famous family hides her head and shows her tail, full of lies, and also brings a young man with amnesia who has a mysterious identity and an extremely beautiful appearance. No matter how you look at it, it is a big trouble.However, no matter how big the trouble, Bartom didn't want to take over, and now he has to take over.

In fact, Bartom didn't owe the favor of Mayor Robert of Calvin Town at all, and things like favors should be divided into objects. The favors of the lower-ranking people would not be owed if they didn't owe them, while the favors of the high-ranking people would rather be reversed.The favor Lina offered was the kind that Bartom was reluctant to refuse.

The opal is artificially polished, broken from the middle, and the smooth section is engraved with the markings of the palace stone pillars, one side is raised and the other side is concave, which is just perfect and difficult to imitate.

This is the token of the Xiduo family, a top-level famous family in Fallen Leaves City, and the letterhead is an anonymous recommendation letter written by the Xiduo family.Anyone who uses the opal token and this letter of recommendation can qualify for a vocational trial at the Coral Academy in Fallen Leaf City.

Red Lion Bartom has been an adventurer for so many years, his hands are covered with blood, he has many enemies, and he has a wide network of contacts, so there is no shortage of this letter of recommendation.The problem is, his most important grandson is at Coral College.

How did Dr. Lina know?
If she knows Bartom's incognito grandson like the back of her hand, how terrible is her background?
So, it's a favor and a silent threat.

From another point of view, the doctor Lina did not hesitate to reveal traces, but also arranged for her "brother", the trouble that Virtok brought was not so big.

However, Lina thinks she can coerce the hotel owner in Braun Township, and she underestimates Bartom the Red Lion too!
The old adventurer looked savage, put away the famous letter and letterhead, walked to the door, stuck his head out and shouted downstairs: "Sarah, Sarah, you damn fat pig, come up quickly, I have something to look for. you!"

The whole hotel fell silent in an instant, and then the footsteps of "dong", "dong" and "dong" sounded, and the floor groaned overwhelmed. The pottery stone rolling pin charged aggressively towards the room where Bartom was.

She roared: "Who are you calling a fat pig? See if I don't smash your face, you bloody red cat!"

I didn't call you fat pig, you didn't come up so quickly... Bartom slandered inwardly, ran back with skillful movements, and said with an apologetic smile: "Don't be angry, don't be angry, there is a poor patient here."

When Sarah the cook found Vertok lying on the bed, her small eyes suddenly lit up and she said in surprise, "Oh, this is such a beautiful little guy, what's wrong with her?"

"He's a boy." Bartom took the opportunity to wipe off his cold sweat and said, "His name is Vertok. He broke his brain and suffered from amnesia. He was abandoned by the adventure group and stayed with us to recover."

"It's so pitiful, such a delicate little guy was so cruel that someone left him." The distressed tears of the fat cook at the hotel were about to fall.

The red lion Bartom sighed and said, "Who said it wasn't? The guests who brought him didn't even leave him a single penny. I think he needs a gentle, kind, ingenious person to take care of him, and he will be able to recover. In the whole of Braun Town, only our big sister Sarah can be called kind, gentle, and ingenious. And, did you find out, does he look like your sacrificed son, Maester? Well, about the same age, without a beard... "

The more Sarah looked at Will, the more she felt that he was like her own son who died, both young, handsome and endearing.The fat cook wiped her tears and said, "Okay, I'll take care of this poor child, and leave the kitchen to others."

"No, no, no." Boss Bartom said quickly: "I mean, he can't stay in this room. You think, he looks as beautiful as Meister, and the Hemer female warriors in Braun Town are Like a she-wolf, after hearing his reputation, he didn't steal him? So, we can't make it public. The best way is to take him to the small room next to the kitchen, and when he wakes up, you teach him to do things , but also to exercise his hands and feet and help him regain control of his body."

Sarah thought for a while, then nodded her head and said, "Well, you're right, I'll take him down. With me, see that she-wolf who doesn't have long eyes dares to take my poor little Will away!"

(End of this chapter)