As Melinda let that last word hang between them, the fish returned. They somehow carried out a large bowl and a mug. They swam down and through the sandbar, setting down the bowl and mug as they went.

“So are you going to threaten, blackmail, or gloat over this information?”

Jaeger took the spoon that was in the bowl and started eating the stew. It was fishy, spicy, and full of crunchy vegetables; it was one of the best stews he'd ever had.

Melinda’s smile turned to a sneer.

“I'll do what I want with it. You think you're the first lawman to get past those stupid guards. Of course not, that's why I'm here.” She waved her hand, and Jaeger heard the sound of chairs sliding back. “Why don't you tell me why you're really here, and then I can decide whether to have you beaten or killed.”

Jaeger put down his spoon and took a sip from the mug in front of him. The liquor inside was smooth and almost tasteless, except for the freezing cold ice. He'd certainly never had grog like this before.

“Ain't no law man, I'm just a bounty hunter, and I’m after the Swords of Greenwood. I have bounties on them and they took some people they shouldn't have.”

Melinda shook her head in mock sorrow.

“Those boys are true patriots and are doing good work.”

“I imagine they've also paid whatever protection fee this town requires.”

“A protection fee? How diabolical and criminal of you. The Swords of Greenwood simply paid their dues to the club.”

Jaeger raised an eyebrow at that.

“I reckon I know what club you're talking about, but why don't you enlighten me anyway.”

“The Forced Redistribution Club, of course.” She smiled, her teeth serrated and sharp. “The FRC welcomes all who wish to make money and gain power outside of the established guild tyranny.”

He took another sip from the mug.

“Money and power, huh? What will it cost me?”

She tapped the bar with her now clawed fingers.

“No threats, no condemnation, no declaration of the defeat of evil? How about something about the corruption of greed and power? Or how power for power's sake is useless?”

“Good, evil, greed, or how others gain power are not things I care about. I care about bounties and upholding my creed.”

“Hmmm. Yes, I can see my first assumption was mistaken.” She waved her hand, and the people behind him sat back down, the tension easing. “Though your soul is clear, untouched by doubt, I can see that it's not aligned with good or evil. One such as you is rarely seen.”

“Are we doing business or not?”

She huffed and threw her arms up dramatically.

“They are just not fun. Fine, fine. Yes, I know where the Swords of Greenwood are, but I was not lying when I said that they had paid. For me to give you that information would be treason of the highest order. I could be censored by our club president.”

Jaeger went back to eating his stew, ignoring her overly dramatic acting. She had no problem carrying on without him.

“Why, for me to even consider something like that, I'd have to be guaranteed something worth more than what they're paying us. And of course it would have to be enough to make me happy.”

Jaeger finished his stew and sipped his drink. He didn't feel like playing whatever game she was about to start. He really didn't care what she or the FRC were doing here. Unless there was a bounty on their heads or they got in his way, they weren't his problem. Maybe if he was a lawman or a paladin he would care, but he wasn't. He was a bounty hunter, and he didn't hunt for free.

“I will accept bounties from your organization, the first five at a discounted rate.”

“Oh, my very own hunter. Why the things I could have you hunt down for me. Tell me bounty hunter are you good at taking down your targets?”

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“The best you’ll find.”

She licked her lips lasciviously before pouting.

“But I can't just take your word for it, no matter how much I want to believe you.” She tapped a clawed finger to her lips in thought before snapping it. “Ah, how about you prove you're a good hunter by catching the Swords. That will prove your skill. Of course, I will need proof of both your ability and your willingness to get your hands dirty, so bring me their heads. Oh, and any valuable booty they may have. I hear they captured a simply scrumptious group of adventurers.”

Jaeger set down the mug he'd been sipping from.

“No. I won't deliver any adventurers. I'll bring you their heads and any loot they have, but not the adventurers.”

She frowned, an expression of utter disappointment, but her eyes were ice-cold and calculating.

“It's just not going to work. I didn't know you were so squeamish, I'm not sure this relationship is going to work out.”

“No hunter shall refuse aid to another hunter. These adventurers are with me, and that is the end of it. I'll kill everyone in this town before I ignore the oath.”

Her expression flashed to one of shock before returning to a frown and more slowly changing to something more neutral. A pensive look came and went before her eyes flashed again.

“Interesting. You mean that in a much deeper way than I could have ever imagined, and you believe it completely. Very interesting. Fine, keep your adventurers. In fact, keep all the prisoners they have, I've always found slave trading to be blasé anyway. But in exchange, you will take our first job for next to nothing, no questions asked.”

“One job, lowest pay, no questions asked. Every other job I can pick or choose, and I expect good pay.”

“Hmm. Fine, but you can't ignore too many jobs, say three in a row, without a clear explanation of why. And they better not be moral hangups.”

“As long as I'm not sent after literal children or escaped slaves, you have very little to worry about.”

He offered his hand.

“Noted.”

She shook his hand and a flash appeared in his vision. As soon as he let go of her hand, a scroll unfolded before his eyes.

Skill Contract Hunter has evolved to Contract Huntsman

Contract Huntsman - Bounty hunting isn't just about finding someone and bringing them in. Bounties come with requirements, and as a Bounty Hunter Captain, you need to know what they are. Not every contract is a bounty, some simply create the opportunity to earn bounties, and these informal contracts can be made verbally.

You can read or write a binding document and fully understand what it means and whether it is beneficial, neutral, or malicious. You also know how to amend a contract for beneficial, neutral, or malicious purposes. This skill also applies to oral contracts.

Your class Bounty Hunter has leveled up.

Keeping his expression neutral, Jaeger willed the scroll away.

“Here's how it's going to work. I'll give you the information, you'll deal with the Swords, and you'll come back to me before you go back to whatever home guild you work from.”

“Fine.”

She rolled her eyes.

“The Swords of Greenwood are located along one of the hearts of Greenwood. I've got some directions here I can give you, the idiots wanted me to deliver to them, who do they think I am, their grocer? They tried to go deeper, but were turned away, because of course they were. They are about twenty now, having lost a few members to that group of adventurers, but they did manage to corrupt a treant, which should be fun for you. Well, that's all I know, now when do you leave?”

Jaeger sat back and finished his drink.

“Best to leave now, no telling if they heard I was in town or not.”

“Oh, they have, but for now all they know is that a mysterious stranger rode in asking for good places to hunt beasts.” She smiled at his expression and held up her hands. “It wasn't me, the guards here are more corrupt than the Bankers' Guild. They would have sent word the moment you rode by.”

Shaking his head, Jaeger gathered the instructions she had and left to ready Ventress. When he stepped outside, he found her surrounded by three bodies, obviously dead. Each lay near her hindquarters and, coincidentally, his saddlebags. He stepped over the bodies as he tightened the saddle and checked her feet.

“Well, looks like one of us couldn't talk their way out of a fight. We got our instructions, girl, let me roll these bodies and we'll hit the road.”

Ventress whined at him. It didn't take long to get through the men, they had ten silver between them, when he was done he just rolled the bodies towards the tavern. Melinda, or whatever her real name was, could handle that. With that done, he climbed into the saddle and rode out of town, following the directions he had. He was just out of sight of the town when Mischief appeared, this time on Ventress.

“Dear Contractor, I have a question, if I may.”

Jaeger narrowed his eyes, unused to Mischief doing anything politely.

“Go ahead.”

“From what I understand, you stopped here to get directions and information about the Swords of Greenwood, right?”

“Yes.”

“I understand information, knowing they now have a corrupted treant is useful, but why did you ask for directions?”

Mischief had asked the question in a disgustingly sweet tone.

“Because all I know is that they were somewhere in the Greenwood. How else would I have…”

He trailed off, realizing his mistake as he spoke.

“Ah, I see my dear Dum Dum understands. How could he indeed?”

Then, with a cackling laugh, the cat turned into smoke that blew into his face. He began to cough as he waved the smoke away. Jaeger was embarrassed by his lapse, he was so used to doing footwork. A decade of searching for information, talking to shady people and dealing with criminal contacts that he forgot the difference between this world and his old one: magic.

Here, he had a skill that would have helped him track down the bandit group: Bluthund. He activated the skill and watched as a thick golden trail appeared before him, leading him along the directions he had. He told himself that at least he knew about the treant the bandits had, so he hadn't completely wasted his time.