The City of Marronligar

If the Governor's Mansion controls the banks and chambers of commerce in Marenlica, the church controls the culture and religion in Marenlica, and the Torresso family controls ocean-going trade and entertainment venues, then the Bounty Hunters Association is the first other than them. Four forces.Before forming a trade association, they were originally desperadoes fighting on their own and running for their own interests.

Now, they have a common organization, a customary code of conduct, and extraordinary ambitions.The hunters' concept of good and evil seems to be quite vague: they don't flaunt their actions as "good", and they don't bother to cover up the "evil" revealed when they are eager for money.But is this a good thing or a bad thing?

——Miscellaneous Notes of Silver Bay Tower: Light and Darkness of the Bounty Hunters Association

Adrian looked around and found that Louis' room was very plain, which did not match his proper status.

Because of the river near the edge of the market, the wooden floors and windows are slightly damp, the grains on the wood have been polished so that they cannot be seen clearly, and the rough wooden thorns have also been smoothed after long-term use, which is obviously old.A bed, a round table, two chairs, two undecorated cabinets, the brazier in the center of the room is both a source of warmth and a light source, and there are a few empty wine bottles scattered in the corners, which have not yet fallen into ashes.Not to mention the Flying Lion Mansion, this overly ordinary residence is not even comparable to a slightly famous bounty hunter.

Louis is also like his residence.He obviously has a handsome appearance and a strong body, but he suddenly carries a sense of depression, as if the hustle and bustle outside the wall has nothing to do with him, and he is just a lonely person exiled to the edge of the downtown.

Probably guessing what Adrian was thinking, Louis smiled self-deprecatingly: "Why, does the place where I live look strange? Or is it because you are gifted that you can see 'those' things that ordinary people can't see?"

Adrian was a little embarrassed—unlike other clansmen who were competitive and outspoken, under the discipline of the elders, he was very sensitive about what to say and what not to say.Especially facing Louis, the honorary president of the Bounty Hunter Association, a friend of his uncle Samuel, and what his aunt Sophia called "excellent people", Adrian believed that he should maintain a humble and reserved attitude and avoid offending the other party.

"No...nothing," he shook his head slightly.In order to show respect, Adrian also added the official title. "Maestro."

Hearing this long-lost title, Louis couldn't help laughing: "'Master'? Are you calling me?"

Adrian immediately recognized the sarcasm in Louis's words.A few years ago, he might have blushed with embarrassment.But he told himself repeatedly, you are a mature Torreso, you must learn to control your mentality and expression.

So, he thought for a few seconds and responded seriously: "I'm sorry, did I offend you unintentionally? You are a friend of my uncle, and Aunt Sophia also said that you are an excellent bounty hunter. So, I think calling you that Just right." He tried to appear humble and respectful enough to hide his intense curiosity about who Louis was and what he did.

Louis shook his head: "No, it's just that no one has called me that for a long time, and I'm not used to it. But the name 'Master' is really overrated. I'm just braver and luckier. You can call me that if you like. , I don't care." He looked at the quietly burning fire, thoughtful.

The two fell into an awkward silence, even the sound of breathing was covered by the soft sound of cracking firewood in the brazier.

After a while, Louis asked again, "Are you Samuel's nephew?"

"Yes, my father is his cousin." Adrian replied truthfully, but did not elaborate on it. For example, he had a twin sister in his hometown, his parents had passed away long ago, and the siblings grew up under the shade of the elders. The parents of the class are short-sighted.He didn't want to reveal too many Torreso's secrets to outsiders, even if this "outsider" was a friend certified by Samuel and Sophia.Adrian couldn't afford the risk.

"No wonder you two look a bit alike." Louis folded his arms, smiling with a look of nostalgia. "It's also the same as when he was young. He doesn't like to walk through the front door and climbs through windows all day long."

——Uncle when you were young?Climb the window?

Adrian deliberately didn't have any special reaction to hide his little surprise.

Although he has always called Samuel "uncle" and has a good relationship with him, to Adrian, Samuel is actually quite unfamiliar.Before he came to Marunliga, he had only met his uncle a few times at the Heshan Manor from a distance, and he had also heard the elders discuss the patriarch, so naturally he couldn't say how deep his feelings were.What drives Adrian to obey the order is the responsibility brought by the identity of the Torresso family, as well as the respect for Samuel's ability and status.

To put it bluntly, within the Torresso family, even brothers and sisters may turn against each other, and the unity of the clan is more based on blood and common interests rather than family affection.Although Adrian himself has a deep brotherhood with his sister, and the brother and sister Samuel and Sophia also have a deep relationship, but when facing people who are not so close, all that remains is an instinctive high vigilance.

In retrospect, Louis had mentioned Samuel more than once.In addition to unconsciously imagining what the "uncle who doesn't go through the front door" would look like, Adrian also began to speculate on the relationship between the other party and Samuel.

The two of them are about the same age, and it is not impossible for them to get acquainted with each other gradually and become friends because of work.Of course, he would not open his mouth ignorantly and ask "How well do you know your uncle?" Doing so may offend Louis, Samuel, and put himself in a more embarrassing situation. At worst, it could damage Torreso's relationship with the Bounty Hunters Association.

Adrian will not do superfluous and ill-considered things.He chose to listen more and read more, and asked less or even no questions.

Seeing that the young man in front of him was still standing near the window, he was not talkative at all. He was obviously the kind of precocious person who had been educated by his elders. Louis pointed to the chair by the table and said, "Adrian, sit down Always sticking around like a scarecrow."

He picked up the pipe, glanced out of the corner of his eye at Adrian who was still standing there and didn't plan to sit down, and asked again: "Would you like a sip? It's fragrant and refreshing, and I'll let you have it right away." The real feeling of being promoted to an adult." Seeing the suspicion in the other party's eyes, he immediately added. "Don't worry, it's not Bliss Tobacco, I wouldn't touch that stuff."

But Adrian still shook his head: "No, master. I'm not used to this kind of thing."

——Not quite used to it?That's why I don't like it.

Louis nodded knowingly, knocked the pipe upside down on the edge of the brazier a few times, poured the unburned tobacco into the fire, and simply stopped smoking himself: "That's right, you Torresso family have always had excellent five senses, Sensitive to the pungent smell of smoke."

Adrian breathed a sigh of relief.The Cormac master, it seems, is not difficult to live with.

"Let's not talk about this. Come here, I have to explain some things in advance." Louis stood up and walked towards the stairs at the door.He beckoned to Adrian, motioning for him to follow.

Like the damp floor, the steep, narrow wooden staircase was slightly loose, creaking at the moment under the weight of two grown men.On the wall hung a smaller brazier with protruding iron nails, and the figures of the two swayed in the firelight.

As Louis walked down the wooden ladder, he turned around and asked, "Before we came, did Samuel or Sophia tell you what they were up to recently?"

Adrian swallowed the answer he almost blurted out.He pursed his lips, neither shaking his head nor nodding.

This reaction was also expected by Louis: "Do you not know, or do you not want to say?"

"...I don't know if I can say it."

Louis sarcastically said, "That's very honest." He walked to the corner of the first floor, pulled the metal ring hanging on the side of the cabinet, and the hidden door embedded in the floor opened, revealing the door leading to the basement. steps.Adrian followed Louis and walked into the hidden space under the ordinary small building.

The basement was more spacious than Adrian imagined, and there were more furnishings than the previous room.Although the air still smelled of dust and damp wood, it seemed less stagnant after Louis lit the torch.

Adrian looked around and felt that this basement was more in line with Louis Cormac's identity: there were weapon racks nailed to the three walls, except for the usual bows and arrows, crossbows, long knives, and swords, there were basically no Torresso people. The firearms that will be used; the curtain behind the weapon rack has faded, but the pattern of the Bounty Hunter Association is faintly visible; the dummy in the corner is covered with a set of heavy armor. The difference is not big.Letters, blueprints, and weapon parts are scattered on the long table with the best light, which should still be in the development stage.This made Adrian respect Louis a little more.

"Samuel asked me to teach you the skills and knowledge you need to master. For his sake, I will do so." Louis walked to the weapon rack and examined one of the old crossbows that had aged well. "Ask a question first: Do you know what a catastrophe is?"

—He was testing me.

Adrian quickly organized his language, and answered as he did when he was asked by an elder a few years ago: "It is a large-scale disaster that occurs every few centuries. It may be an earthquake, tsunami, drought, ice, or war, Famine and plague. The interval between catastrophes is uncertain, and the specific forms and scales are also different. The catastrophe we are facing now started from the last century, that is, when the extinct "Lightless Ones" reappeared."

It's the standard answer.

Louis nodded.He asked again, "Second question. Where do the Lightless come from?"

This time, Adrian thought for a longer time: "From the madness and despair of humans. As far as I know, the Lightless are humans who have been cursed and degenerated into aliens. The instant it was turned into ashes. I haven’t seen the Lightless in Heshan Manor, but some have appeared in big cities like Marunliga.”

He lowered his head and continued: "Some people think that ordinary people will become dull due to addiction to Bliss Tobacco, but I think this statement is not rigorous. It should be that people with weak hearts and irrational minds are more likely to touch that kind of thing, And this kind of person is easy to degenerate into a lightless person."

Louis raises an eyebrow—it's good to have your own judgment. "You probably aren't used to firearms, and this kind of thing is more practical." He picked out a dagger with a sheath from the weapon rack, and threw it into Adrian's hand as a greeting.

Adrian fastened at his waist the short sword Louis had given him.In order to show his respect for Louis' profession, he added a few more words: "I heard that the Bounty Hunter Association was also established based on the need to eliminate the Lightless. Before that, bounty hunters mostly acted alone; After the meeting, the cooperation and mutual assistance among peers became more convenient, and as an organization, it also gained a greater voice."

Louis was silent for a moment, without making any comments, and jumped to the last question as soon as the topic changed: "Who do you think our enemy is?"

This is not easy to answer, Adrian's voice is also a little softer than before: "Uncle said that the city guard is responsible for the peace and security on the surface, and the order in the dark needs the order, the Torresso family and the Bounty Hunters Association to maintain it together. Therefore, our enemy is the Lightless, and if it is bigger, it is the catastrophe in front of us-it should be like this."

This answer was obviously not to Louis' liking.He squinted his eyes, his face was calm, but his words were sharper: "Whether it's war, famine or plague, these disasters are obviously happening all the time, but we haven't seen it. The world itself is a catastrophe." , no one can escape from it. The church, the Torresso family, the Governor's Mansion, the Bounty Hunters Association, the ordinary residents living in this city-state, and those without light who have lost their human consciousness, we are all Pawns at the mercy of desire and panic. Will the Cataclysm really disappear? I doubt it."

"You are denying the sacrifices our family has made to eliminate the catastrophe." Before he had time to think about it, Adrian had already spoken out out of instinct to defend the family tradition.He immediately realized that this might constitute an offense to Louis, but there was no point in retracting his statement.

Louis was taken aback for a moment, then smiled wryly, and said, "It seems that some differences are unavoidable."

He waved his hand, turned this unpleasant conversation directly, and started another topic without warning: "Everyone in your family has the habits of nocturnal creatures, so it shouldn't be a problem even if you don't return all night."

Adrian didn't react for a while, and his thoughts were still stuck in the step of how to apologize.

And Louis had already extinguished the torch on the side of the stone wall with the lampshade, and the basement immediately returned to darkness.He took Adrian's shoulders slightly lower than his own, and pulled him towards the exit: "Come with me to the harbor area, and I will show you how bounty hunters work."

The author has something to say: Writing bgm: ForgottenHomeland-MarvinCopp (from Enderal)