Realm Wars

"Sixteen gold bars."

All quieted when a baritone voice overpowered the crowd's murmurs.

The nobles shot a look at the bulky man sitting near the stage. His face was chiseled, and his muscles were boulders, harden with battles. Beside her was a gentle beauty with long green hair and soft eyes of jade.

"Isn't that the leader of the mercenary group Earth Guard, Marcus?"

"Really? I thought that he's almost away."

"I guess the rumors are true about him asking the hand of Jane Éclair of House Éclair. It's said that they'll enter the scavenger hunt for Éclair's house. That's the agreement for him to marry a noble's daughter."

"I guess Marcus's status as a Rank-A merc isn't enough."

"It's not uncommon. Usually, mercenaries within-group marry each other. It's just became complicated if the other is a noble."

"Seventeen gold bars."

All attention was drawn to a raspy voice of a woman with dark skin and white hair. Males marbled her lean muscles showing from her armor, and women were jealous of her ethereal beauty.

"Seventeen gold bars to the leader of the mercenary group Griffin Wing's, Morgan. Going once. . .!"

"There's a lot of mercenaries today, huh?"

"It's only natural since the scavenger hunt is almost upon us. Griffin wings were offered a huge sum from house Ludwig."

The hammer was raised from the battering ram. "Going twice. . .!"

"Twenty Gold bar."

The hammer stopped midway at the gloomy voice of a man.

All attention flickered at a lean youth with dark bags under his eyes, almost skin, and bones. He would be handsome with his white hair and youthful appearance, but the gloominess shrouded him repelled everyone away.

"Twenty gold bars to the leader of Lethal Poison, Vein!"

"Another mercenary group."

"They're hired by House Burton this year."

"I heard they use any means to acquire rare items. Even killing competitors."

Everyone grunted when the hammer strike two. Marcus was grimacing, but fifteen gold bars was already his limit. They have Theodore in their group, so they'll be fine even without a greater potion.

"Sorry," Marcus said under his breath.

Jane giggled. "It's fine. We really don't need that potion, and my little brother is already a healer."

Marcus raffled his black hair. "I wanted to give it to you just in case."

On the other side, Marsha grunted, and her cheeks puffed. "Damn that pale twig." She then looked at Morgan. "Big Sis, let's just ambush that jerk."

Morgan threw a pointed look at Marsh, and the latter shut up.

"Fighting against Lethal Poison for just twenty gold bar isn't worth it. House Ludwig will provide us a healer, so a greater potion isn't really a necessity. We can live without it."

Marsha slumped on her seat and grumbled to herself.

Though Morgan said those words, her heart was constricting. That greater potion could literally save their life in case they were separated from their healer.

In the vast seas, anything could happen in ninety days. Hundreds already died exploring its deep. Before the Four Moons are up and the ocean froze, they must acquire rare items or even artifacts. Then. .. Morgan's eyes shone.

The hammer was about to strike the wooden ram and. . .

"Thirty gold bar."

.. .

.. .

Utter silence descended before the hall erupted in uproars.

All eyes went to a young man with side sweep greenish hair and a carefree smile. Their attention drew to the unique badge on his upper breast pocket. A metal that shone silver and blue carved in bird's head and wings with a dazzling azure stone on its center.

"That's. . ."

"Isn't that. .. Cid? The leader of the third platoon from the Human Protection Federation Unit?"

"Even the HPFU are going to the scavenger hunt?"

"Idiot. .. don't you know? A lot of humans died in the previous hunt, that the HPFU has to intervene this year. They're probably going to enter to make sure that everyone doesn't kill each other."

"Human Protection. . ." Ryu mumbled the words in his mouth and poked Ferris' bald head.

Ferris swat his hand away and arranged her gentleman feathery hat to cover her baldness. "They're an organization led by one of the legendary five heroes. Their goal is to maintain order by punishing the humans who misused their powers. They alley with the Empire, but they don't middle with each other's internal affairs."

Ryu looked over at the lopsided grin on Cid's face. Then the grimacing expression of the others.

I guess the greater potion will belong to HPFU then, Ryu thought. If he had money, he would acquire that greater Potion for Cecily. I think I have to start making money now.

He couldn't possibly live off of Ferris forever. He had to start taking control of his life and make decisions for himself.

Ferris wanted to acquire the potion too, but since she didn't expect that some big shots were present, acquiring the potion was more trouble than its worth.

Ferris sighed, "What a waste of time."