booktalesy Chapter 125 Bounty 1
Chapter 125 Bounty 1
Chapter 125 First Place in Bounty Hunting (A Lucky Start to the New Year)
Around noon, the two teams finally emerged from the gray forest.
The sight at the edge of the forest made everyone stop in their tracks.
What was originally just a clearing in the woods has now been transformed into a temporary checkpoint.
A rough wooden fence stood at the forest's exit, behind which were dozens of tents, each bearing the Adventurers' Guild's sword and shield banners and the Summertown lord's family crest.
At least thirty fully armed soldiers patrolled around the checkpoint.
They were dressed in full armor, carrying spears and short swords at their waists, and each of them wore a wary expression.
At the entrance to the checkpoint, there was a long table. Behind the table sat several officials in association uniforms, busily taking notes.
A huge wooden sign stood beside the table, covered with dense writing. A crowd gathered around the sign, pointing and discussing it animatedly.
"This is..." Gareth narrowed his eyes, "a checkpoint set up by the Adventurers' Guild and the Lord of Summertown."
Cade nodded: "It's definitely to prevent the monsters from spreading, and also to tally the results of the battle."
As they approached the checkpoint, soldiers immediately came to greet them.
"Adventurers?" The soldier's gaze swept over the two groups, lingering on Ado for a moment, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "Please register over there."
Xiuqi led the team toward the long table.
The clerk behind the desk was a middle-aged man wearing round-framed glasses and a professional smile on his face.
"Welcome back, warriors," he said sincerely. "Please state your regimental and squad numbers, as well as your results over the past three days. We will tally the bounties and distribute them after the mission is completed."
Xiuqi spoke up: "11th Regiment, 33rd Squad."
The clerk picked up a quill pen, ready to take notes.
But just then, a sharp voice came from the side.
"Make way! Make way! Let us register first!"
A group of people squeezed in from behind, led by a bloated young man wearing flashy but impractical armor and a beautifully decorated longsword hanging at his waist.
He was followed by seven or eight people, all dressed in splendid attire, but with an arrogant expression on their faces.
"Who are you?" the soldier asked, frowning.
"We are the Seventh Squad!" the young man declared proudly. "We are a registered professional squad with the Summer Town Adventurers' Guild! Our captain is a Level 2 Swordsman! Let us register first, we have urgent business!"
The soldier looked at Xiuqi.
Xiuqi looked at the group of people calmly without saying a word.
The young man felt a little uncomfortable under Xiu Qi's gaze, but still maintained his composure: "What are you looking at? An apprentice without even decent equipment dares to stand in front of us?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ado took a step forward.
The ten-foot-tall ogre, its massive body like a moving fortress, stared down at the young man with its clear yellow eyes.
The young man's face turned pale instantly, and he staggered back two steps, almost falling.
"What...what do you want to do?" His voice trembled.
Ado didn't speak, he just kept staring at him.
That look in his eyes was like looking at a timid, ignorant insect.
"Ado, step back," Xiuqi said calmly.
Ado took a step back and returned to his original position.
Xiuqi looked at the young man, his voice still calm: "Queue up."
The young man's face flushed red. He wanted to retort, but when he saw Ado's clear yellow eyes, all the words stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them.
The people behind him looked at each other, but none of them dared to step forward.
Finally, they sheepishly retreated to the back and obediently lined up.
The clerk watched this scene with a hint of a smile in his eyes, but quickly suppressed it.
"Please continue," he said to Xiuqi.
Xiuqi began to count: "125 Primal Demons, 72 Fearful Demons, 57 Lesser Demons, and 4 Thorn Demons were hunted."
The clerk's pen froze in mid-air, his eyes wide open behind his glasses.
"How...how much?" He seemed to doubt that he had misheard.
Xiu Qi repeated it again, word by word, with perfect clarity.
The clerk took a deep breath and wrote down the numbers with trembling hands.
As he wrote the last number, he looked up and his gaze toward Xiuqi had completely changed.
There was a sense of awe, disbelief, and profound reverence in it.
"Please...please wait a moment," he said, his voice still trembling slightly. "I need...I need to check something."
He stood up and walked towards the largest tent at the back.
Inside the tent, several figures could be vaguely seen talking.
A few minutes later, the clerk returned.
Behind him followed a middle-aged mage dressed in a dark blue robe with silver runes embroidered on the cuffs and collar, who held a staff inlaid with sapphires.
The middle-aged mage walked up to Xiuqi, his gaze lingering on him for a moment before turning to Ado, then to Max, then to Link, and finally back to Xiuqi's face.
"Your name is Xiuqi?" The mage's voice was gentle, yet it carried a certain invisible pressure.
"Yes."
The middle-aged mage nodded: "President Airon mentioned you."
He paused, glanced at the pages of paper on which the clerk had made his notes, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.
"125 Primal Demons, 72 Fearful Demons, 57 Lesser Demons, and 4 Thorn Demons. Is this your squad's result?"
"Yes."
The middle-aged monk was silent for a moment, then smiled.
"Okay. Very good."
He didn't say much, just patted Xiuqi on the shoulder, then turned and left.
The clerk looked at the middle-aged monk's back, then at Xiu Qi, his expression filled with even greater awe.
"Captain Xiuqi," he said respectfully, "the results of your 33rd squad have been recorded. The bounty will be calculated over the next three days and distributed after the mission is completed."
He paused, then added, "You can either return to the city to rest or choose to stay and help defend the pass. The guild welcomes all adventurers who wish to stay; the daily wage will remain 5 silver coins, with additional rewards for each monster killed."
Xiu Qi didn't express his opinion, but simply nodded.
Silves stood alone on an open space next to the checkpoint.
The members of the 12th Regiment sat together, silently eating their dry rations. The three corpses were placed to one side, covered with blood-stained white sheets, waiting to be transported back to Summertown.
Frosttooth lay at its owner's feet, its icy blue eyes gazing into the distance.
Silves's gaze cut through the crowd and landed on Xiuqi.
The gray-robed youth was talking quietly with Cade and Allen, his expression calm and composed.
He recalled that yesterday on the battlefield, when he was unconscious, it was this boy who led his team to break through the demons' encirclement and save him and Frostfang.
Silves took a deep breath and strode toward Xiuqi.
Winter Wolf Frost Fang stood up and followed behind him.
The man and the wolf walked up to Xiu Qi and stopped.
The surrounding conversations stopped abruptly, and everyone turned to look in their direction.
Silves looked at Xiuqi, a complex emotion flashing in his deep purple eyes.
"Master Xiuqi," he said, his voice as cool as ever, but less distant, "I'm going back to the city."
Xiu Qi nodded: "Have a safe journey."
Silves paused for a moment, then continued, "I'll remember this favor. When we get back to the academy, I'll introduce you to some friends."
He took out an exquisite business card from his pocket and handed it to Xiu Qi.
The business card was silver, with intricate magical runes embroidered along the edges in deep purple thread. In the center was Sylvester's full name and an address—
Sormah Royal Academy, Second Year, Star and Moon Class.
"This is my business card," Silvers said. "Anytime, anything, if I can help, just let me know."
Xiu Qi took the business card and nodded slightly: "Okay."
Silves looked at him, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded and turned to leave.
Frost Fang followed behind its master for a few steps, then suddenly turned around, its icy blue eyes looking at Xiu Qi.
The winter wolf let out a low whimper, its voice filled with gratitude and a hint of intimacy.
Then, it turned around and followed its owner's steps.
The man and the wolf headed towards Summer Town.
Behind them, the members of the 12th Regiment carried the three corpses and followed silently.
Glenn stopped as he walked past Xiuqi, his cloudy blue eyes looking at him.
The dwarf captain didn't speak, but simply extended his right hand and patted Xiuqi's shoulder forcefully.
Then he turned and left.
As Alfred walked by, the paladin captain stopped in front of Hugh and solemnly gave a knightly salute.
"The god of justice will remember your good deeds," he said, his voice sincere and solemn.
Then he turned and left.
Old Jack, Lily... one by one they walked past Xiuqi.
No one speaks.
But everyone looked at Xiuqi with gratitude and respect.
They knew that if it weren't for this young man, they might not have made it out of the forest today.
The 12th Regiment gradually disappeared into the distance, eventually vanishing at the end of the road leading to Summertown.
Xiuqi withdrew his gaze and turned to look at his team.
The members of the 11th Regiment were all staring at him expectantly.
Cade, Allen, Selena, Blake, Lynn... the same light shone in everyone's eyes—
wait.
We await his decision.
"Captain Hugh," Cade stepped forward and asked earnestly, "Should we stay?"
Xiuqi did not answer immediately.
He looked at the forest he had just emerged from in the distance, at the adventure teams that were still returning to the city one after another, and at the figures that could be vaguely seen in the largest tent next to the checkpoint.
He was calculating the time.
There are five days left until the college's year-end evaluation.
If we stay here for another three days and then rush back to the Royal Academy, we'll have just enough time.
In these three days, he can acquire more cards, making his card deck even stronger.
He looked at his group's leader, Ado, a ten-foot-tall ogre who was standing quietly to the side, his clear yellow eyes showing no hesitation, only unconditional trust in him.
Max, an eight-foot-three-inch goblin warrior, stared calmly at him with his scarlet eyes, awaiting his command.
Link, the young hunter, has a firm and focused gaze, and the bulging bag at his waist carries a wealth of knowledge and confidence he has never had before.
Although the princess was hidden in the shadows, Xiu Qi could sense her presence; her clear eyes were looking at him through the void.
This team, with this lineup, is capable of handling the vast majority of challenges.
In addition, there is a daily wage of 5 silver coins, with extra rewards calculated for killing monsters.
This is a good deal.
Xiuqi raised his head and looked at Cade.
"Squad 33 will stay and hold out for another three days."
Cade's eyes lit up.
"Then we'll stay too," he said firmly. "Wherever you go, we'll follow."
Allen stepped forward and nodded earnestly: "Squad 32 is the same."
Blake, Lynn, Selena... everyone nodded in agreement.
A daily wage of 5 silver coins is a high salary that one would never dare to dream of under normal circumstances.
Moreover, following Captain Xiuqi guarantees safety and offers a high bounty.
Only a fool would miss such an opportunity.
Xiuqi looked at them and nodded slightly.
"Then go register."
In the afternoon, more and more adventure teams emerged from the gray forest.
Some of them were in high spirits, some looked exhausted, some were covered in wounds, and some... were carrying the bodies of their comrades.
Each team will pause briefly at the registration desk when passing through the checkpoint.
After each team finished registering, they would walk to the huge wooden sign and stop to look at it.
The wooden plaque recorded the battle records of all the regiments and squads that had returned to the city.
The two columns above show the rankings of all teams in the first column and the rankings of all squads in the second column.
The ranking is based on the total amount of the bounty.
Original Demon: 1 silver coin; Fearful Demon: 2 silver coins; Lesser Demon: 4 silver coins; Thorn Demon: calculated separately.
At this moment, the wooden sign was covered with numbers.
As evening fell, after the last group of returning teams had finished registering, the clerk stood up and walked to the wooden sign.
With his quill pen, he neatly wrote a number at the top of the team ranking column: First place, 11th team, 2148 silver.
Then, at the top of the squad ranking column, he wrote another number: First place, Squad 33, 1649 silver.
A crowd had gathered in front of the wooden sign.
Some people gasped, some gasped, some stared wide-eyed, and some rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
"2148 silver? This... how is this possible?"
"Earned 2148 silver in just three days? That's over 100 gold coins, isn't it?"
"Which regiment is the 11th Regiment? I've never heard of it."
"Which squad is Squad 33? They actually have 1649 silver coins? That's double the amount of the second-place team?"
Discussions rose and fell, and a mix of emotions—shock, doubt, jealousy, awe—spread among the crowd.
Just then, Gareth walked over with his squad.
His gaze fell on the wooden plaque, first looking at the third-ranked team in the regiment, his 3rd Regiment, with 1050 silver.
He smiled with satisfaction.
Then, his gaze moved upwards, looking at the second-place finisher—
1160 silver, 110 more than his team.
He nodded slightly; the difference wasn't significant.
Then, his gaze moved upwards, landing on the first-place winner—
Team 11, 2148 silver.
Gareth's smile froze on his face.
"This...how is this possible?" he murmured, his voice dry as if sandpaper were being rubbed.
Beside him, his vice-captain, Lia, also stared wide-eyed: "2148 silver? That's the combined total of second and third place?"
Gareth did not answer.
His eyes searched the wooden sign and found his team, ranked third, with 630 silver.
Second place, 810 silver.
First place, Team 33, 1649 silver.
Gareth was stunned.
He turned his head sharply and looked at Cade, who was smirking beside him.
"Cade!" His voice was shrill with excitement. "The 11th Regiment, is that your regiment?"
Cade nodded, his smile impossible to hide.
"Squad 33, is that the squad your battalion commander is in?" Gareth continued to ask.
Cade nodded again, his smile widening.
Gareth took a deep breath, then another.
Then, he punched Cade in the shoulder.
"You little brat!!!"
Cade laughed heartily, dodging his punch: "What? You're not convinced?"
"I'm convinced? Of course I'm convinced!" Gareth stared at him, but his eyes were filled with more shock and curiosity. "I just want to know, how exactly did your team's young captain manage to do that?"
Cade did not answer.
He simply looked into the distance at the gray-robed boy who was talking quietly with Captain Allen.
The setting sun shone on Xiuqi, casting a pale golden halo over his gray robe.
His expression remained calm, as if those shocking numbers had nothing to do with him.
Gareth followed Cade's gaze and saw the figure.
He was silent.
After a long silence, he murmured, "That... the mage apprentice who was appointed as the captain of the regiment by Guild Master Airon?"
"Yes," Cade replied with a smile, his tone full of pride. "Our captain's name is Xiuqi, and he is a noble mage."
He paused, then added, "It's not some kid."
Gareth remained silent.
He looked at Xiuqi's retreating figure and recalled the expressions of everyone waiting to see him make a fool of himself when Chairman Elon appointed this young man as the captain of the battalion three days ago in Summer Town Square.
Looking back now, they were the ones who were making a fool of themselves.
"Cade," Gareth suddenly said.
"Um?"
"Please introduce me to someone."
Cade looked at him and smiled.
"it is good."
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