V10 - Chapter 119 Two Tales

                                    

                                          
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--- Trading town of Populis, between Italica and Rondel, Appia Highway, Prance Palace Tavern --- 
Date: December 20th, 2025

"Another day under the sun..." Milhay Anem said to himself. 
He lifts this barrel of beer and hauls it up the stairs to his bar. Once there he hears all his customers talking and partying inside the tavern. 
He takes the barrel and puts it on the table and then grabs some glasses and begins pouring. "Who was next for the three beers?" 
He turns around and sees three hands go up at this table. 
He sees them and knows them well. Five people are at the table, heavily armed. Not wearing standard Imperial weapons but custom weapons. They are not soldiering of the Empire or part of some Knighthood but Adventures. 
Populis is a medium-sized town but a major stop on the Appia Highway, which links up to the Orgo Highway down south. From here you either go to Bellnahgo, Rondel, Italica, Valtris, and Etlia. But the Adventure Guild has a decent outpost here because of its location. Very profitable and easy to get to major cities.
He walks over to the table and sees five adventures. The party leader Karther Jagith, swordswomen Lillie Hauroth. He sees the High Elf Vauo Durgu and a rare sight a lizardman with a name that he can never figure out how to say so he calls him Liz. He is the party mage and unlike the others, he is from the Magic Guild. The last one but the oldest is the paladin, Gorgth Braoen.
"About time Milhay," Lillie yells as she jumps up. 
But she is forced back down as Gorgth grabs her by the belt and forces her back to her seat. "Calm down. Thank you very much Milhay."
"No problem, you all are my most interesting customers," He said as he passes their drinks. "Just not my best-paying customers. By the way, where is Harthdru?"
Hearing that they all laugh at that and cheer.
"You know him, enjoying your upstairs brothel," Karther replies with a chuckle.
In his time traveling around Falmart, he has grown to dislike the Adventures as a whole. Soldiers fight for their country; Knights fight and protect their Counts and Kings houses. Adventures fight just for their own personal profit. 
Yes, he has given them quests at the local Adventure Guild Post, you must if you have a job you can't handle. He has been able to put them into three groups. The good honest ones who actually want to do good but didn't want to do that through the Army. The middle ground where they just do it for personal glory and wealth. The last group is more like bandits. 
Not like Mercenaries though. While they fight for the highest bidder and usually fight in wars, the Adventure Guild is more of a civil institution, like the other seven main guilds. They do the petty tastes for money like clearing out goblin dens, killing bandits or protecting trade routes. 
Since the Empire cannot be everyplace at once, they allowed civil-military to be established four hundred years ago to act as a self-contained policing force. They do the basic chores of keeping the peace so the Imperial Army can focus on high-intensity threats.
"We are sorry that we haven't been paying our taps. Work has been hard in recent days." Karther says with a chuckle.
"I have noticed," He responds as he collects their dirty dishes.
He has noticed in recent weeks. Since these so-called Other Worlders invaded Alnus and Elies, trade and travel to the south have become risky. Many businesses have seen their profits driven down sense Italica and Elies was cut off from the rest of the Empire. Since he is thinking about it, both Adventure and Mercantile Guilds are not pleased by the recent drop in business and have publicly supported the Empire in the war. That loyalty sounds great in public but its more about the money.