Chapter 61: Giaris Mercenary Guild

"If you need help, come to RA-02 Police Station and look for me. I'll do my best to help you, kid." Kyler said solemnly.

"Okay." Raven nodded quietly and took the leather pouch. Then, he put the documents, leather pouch, and tablets in a separate Gladstone bag and kept it in his hand. After that, he turned around and began walking toward the exit.

"Do you need me to accompany you until you reach Bristol Street?" Kyler asked, his eyes showing visible concern.

"No, sir. I have other plans before going home." Raven deliberated for a moment and asked.

"Do you know where the Giaris Mercenary Guild is located?"

Kyler's eyes widened at his question.

"Don't tell me you plan on hiring a Mercenary Squad to protect you?"

"I'm a powerless boy in the eyes of other nobles, Sir Kyler. I need a strong mercenary team to protect myself and my property. I can't let myself get kidnapped again by some thugs." Raven said with a worried tone.

Meanwhile, Kyler was impressed by his decision and nodded in approval.

"Then, you should go to the Halberd Alley in Eastmine Borough. I suggest you look for Jose at the Guild and tell him my name. He will help you get acquainted with the 'Sepoy Mercenaries.' The Sepoy Mercenaries were originally a Guard Unit of the Red Sepoys Army and had a high reputation. However, after some conflict with the vice-commander of Red Sepoys, they resigned from the army and started doing private mercenary work. The Sepoy Mercenary leader is a Peak Rank Radiant Walker with a Type-1 Aether Rifle Artifact in his possession. As long as you have him by your side, even an Expert Walker will find it hard to capture you."

"Type-1 Aether Rifle? Expert Walker?" Raven tilted his head in confusion.

"Ah, I forgot you lost your memories. The Type-1 Aether Rifle is like a 'Rare' Artifact and can kill a Radiant Walker in a single shot. There are rumors that Jacob actually managed to wound an Expert Walker during his mission to infiltrate the Shadow Nation and even earned the title of 'Scarlet Wolf.'" Kyler paused for a moment and added.

"But if you want to hire them even for a month, you need more than 1000 gold coins."

"Oh! Although it's quite expensive, I'll think of a way to get more money later." Raven nodded.

"You can check your family account balance at Zenith Royal Bank. I heard that some funds are still left in the savings account," Kyler added.

Meanwhile, Raven nodded and quietly bid farewell to the Head Constable Kyler before leaving the hospital.

As soon as he walked out of the hospital compound, he found a four-wheeled hackney carriage standing on the opposite and raised his hand.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged carriage driver also noticed his signal, turned the carriage around, and soon drove it towards him.

“Halberd Alley, Eastmine.” Raven said.

"That would be 3 silvers, Sir."

"That's quite expensive, isn't it?" Raven said before taking out money from the inventory. He was about to give it to him but paused.

At that moment, he noticed something sticky in his hand and froze.

'I forgot Thomas' corpse is still in my inventory!'

"Do you have some water?" He asked.

"There is a leather water pouch within the carriage, sir." The carriage driver noticed him standing in a daze and asked.

"Are you getting in, sir?"

"Of course," Raven nodded before opening the wooden door and stepping into it.

The hackney carriage, a common sight in the bustling streets of Giaris City, was a four-wheeled vehicle designed for urban transport. It was pulled by a single sturdy horse and enclosed and protected from the elements. Inside, there was seating for two passengers, with a small window on each side providing a view of the passing streets. The interior was simple but functional, with cushioned seats covered in worn leather.

The driver, seated high at the front, expertly maneuvered through the busy roads. The rhythmic clatter of hooves on cobblestone echoed as they made their way toward Eastmine Borough.

As Raven sat comfortably on the seat, he slowly moved his hand from his pocket and saw red liquid all over his palm.

After a swift scan, Raven found a leather pouch in the corner.

After that, he opened the window and washed his hands and silver coins.

'I shouldn't take anything from the inventory before clearing the corpse!' He suddenly realized something and asked.

'Zera, will his corpse be in rotten condition already?'

[No. The inventory has no air, so Thomas's corpse will remain fresh. But I advise you to burn his corpse in some forest or woodlands.] Zera said in his mind.

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"I understand." Raven nodded and patiently waited for the carriage to reach its destination.

After more than an hour of traveling, the Hackney Carriage reached the Halberd Alley and soon stopped before the Giaris Mercenary Guild.

The Giaris Mercenary Guild was a tall structure at the heart of Halberd Alley. It was made of dark stone, with tall, narrow windows and a large wooden door reinforced with iron bands. A heavy, wrought iron sign hung above the entrance, emblazoned with the guild's emblem—a pair of crossed swords behind a shield.

Raven opened the carriage door and stepped down from the carriage.

"Three silvers." He gave the carriage driver the money and shifted his gaze towards the building's entrance. Two guards in brown uniforms stood on both sides of the tall, enclosed wooden door and carried long rifles in their hands.

'They look strong.' Raven stepped on the Perron staircase and walked up to the main entrance.

Although the guards looked at him suspiciously, they didn't stop him and let him walk into the building.

Raven opened the heavy wooden door and stepped inside the Giaris Mercenary Guild. The interior was as imposing as the exterior, with high vaulted ceilings and walls adorned with tapestries depicting battles. The air was thick with the smell of burning wood from a large fireplace at one end of the room.

A grand chandelier hung from the ceiling, its crystals catching the flickering light of the candles. The main hall was bustling with activity. Mercenaries of all kinds gathered around long wooden tables, discussing contracts and swapping stories.

The floor was made of polished stone, and Raven's footsteps echoed as he made his way through the room. A large notice board with posters and job requests also stood near the entrance. Clinking glasses and low conversations filled the air, creating a lively yet tense atmosphere.

Raven scanned the room, searching for a suitable target to gather information. He spotted a group of mercenaries gathered around a table at the far end of the hall and decided to approach them. As he neared, he could see that they were all seasoned fighters, their faces marked by scars and their eyes sharp with experience.

"Excuse me," Raven said, trying to make himself heard above the din. "I'm looking for Jose. Can you tell me where to find him?"

A burly man with a thick beard looked up from his drink and studied Raven briefly before nodding towards a side door. "He's in the back office, dealing with some contracts. Just knock, and he'll let you in."

"Thank you," Raven replied, giving a polite nod before heading towards the indicated door.

As Raven approached the door, he took a deep breath, steeling himself for the task ahead. He knocked firmly and waited for a response.

"Come in," a deep voice came from the other side.

Raven opened the door and stepped into a smaller, more private room. The office was cluttered with papers, books, and maps, and a large wooden desk dominated the center of the space. Behind the desk sat a man with a rugged appearance, his hair streaked with gray and his eyes sharp and calculating. He appeared to be around 40 years old and had olive skin, sharp elongated eyebrows, and a celestial nose. This was Jose, Kyler had mentioned.

"Who are you?" Jose asked, motioning for him to take a seat.

"Head Constable Kyler told me to look for you."

Raven sat across from Jose, carefully setting his Gladstone bag on the floor beside him.

"I need to hire a mercenary squad for protection," he began, meeting Jose's gaze. "Kyler suggested the Sepoy Mercenaries."

Jose leaned back in his chair, assessing Raven with a keen eye.

"Oh? The Sepoy Mercenaries, huh?" he said slowly. "They're experienced and well-equipped, but their services don't come cheap. Are you sure you're prepared for the cost?"

His eyes scanned the poor-quality shirt he was wearing.

"Hmm? Have I seen you before?" Jose vaguely felt that he had seen this kid's face before and showed a confused look.

"Oh, pardon me for not introducing myself. I'm Thomas Holmes, the one who has been in the news for the past week." Raven said with an awkward smile.

"Oh! No wonder I felt I'd seen you before. By the way, how are you now? I read in an article that you've lost some of your memories and didn't even remember your neighbors' faces." Jose asked while scanning him up and down.

"Although some memories are still unclear, I can recall familiar faces, Mister. And I urgently need to hire strong people to protect myself," Raven said firmly.

"Okay. With the wealth your household holds in the Royal Bank, I don't think it will be a problem for you to hire them for a year," Jose said while starting to write in the ledger.

"How do you know that?" Raven was startled.

'How did he know the savings stored in the royal account were enough? Now that I think about it, Kyler also said something similar.'

"Oh! After you had disappeared for more than six months, the Council of Spade members submitted your death certificate a month ago at the Zenith Royal Bank and requested the bank to announce the worth of your Family property publicly." As he spoke, Jose searched for a newspaper in the nearby cupboard and soon took out a newspaper.

"Legacy News, July 28th… Found it. Take a look at the seventh page's left corner." He gave the newspaper to Raven.

Meanwhile, Raven opened the newspaper, flipped the pages, and soon looked at the left corner of the seventh page.

"Holmes Household properties are going to be auctioned soon! Council Leader made an official announcement: Once the auction ends, all the money will be shared evenly among the Council of Spade members and used well for orphans' education…." Raven continued to read the news and soon saw the Holmes Household's net worth at the bottom.

"Holmes Household's Savings in Royal Bank: 12,340 Gold Coins.

Château Holmes Wine Factory: 280,000 Gold Coins to 350,000 Gold Coins

Holmes Household Mansion: 13,000 to 16,000 Gold Coins

Holmes Apothecary- Managed by Benjamin and Sons: 8,000 Gold Coins

Thomas Book Emporium- Managed by Sarah Wills: 7,000 Gold Coins

The Velvet Millinery- Managed by Amell Family: 11,000 Gold Coins.

Dorthey's Confectionary- Managed by Amell Family: 7,500 Gold Coins.

Abandoned Azmar Town: It is not for auction; the Council of Spade will decide whom the territory belongs to after notifying the Royal Family."

As Raven read out loud, Jose leaned on his chair and spoke coldly.

"Not for auction? That abandoned town is worth more than millions of Gold Coins. Once all these matters were settled, they must have planned a secret auction among the Council members. Unfortunately, your return foiled everyone's plan."

On the other hand, Raven's mind completely went blank.

'T-This is too much for me. But one thing that confuses me more is why the thugs kidnap Thomas instead of killing him. Also, why torture him to his death?' Although he didn't understand the situation, he decided to find out the truth slowly.

"My decision to come here was right. I want to make a long-term contract with Sepoy Mercenaries," Raven said firmly.

"How long?" Jose asked.

"One year. Tell them to come to Holmes Mansion; we will negotiate there," Raven replied.

"Hmm, I'll notify Jacob when he returns from the mission." Jose wrote down something in the ledger and asked.

"Is there anything else?"

Raven paused for a moment, considering his options, then nodded.

"I'm planning to hire some servants and a reliable butler. Sir Kyler mentioned that the staff at my mansion either died or vanished, so I need some help managing the house."

"Oh? You should visit the Giaris Employment Office and post a job notice there. However, the kidnapping incident and the deaths of the previous servants might deter some candidates. Still, if you offer a good salary, I'm sure some people will be willing to work for you."