Chapter 66: Bounty hunter Leo
After confirming their plans and new inn, Leo returned to Hilda's house to find Iris sulking. It appeared that Iris got her first ever scolding from her mother. Leo had a pretty good idea what it was about as both she and Hilda glared at him as walked in. He arched an eyebrow, and said,
"Why are you glaring at me? The one who always attacks is Iris, if she doesn't she does something to make me do it, all in all she always initiates." Iris went wide eyed at his "betrayal" while Hilda went wide eyed for a different reason. She planned to scold Leo for corrupting her daughter, but realized that she was the main perpetrator. It didn't help that she didn't argue. Leo wanted to laugh at their expressions, but instead started explaining the plan he, Thomas, and Felix decided on.
"Their moving inns so that we don't invade your house Hilda, and while they investigate what we came for I'm going to bounty hunt for income. I'm planning to go out for the first bounty today." As it wasn't even noon yet, if it wasn't far Leo had more than enough time to go out and collect a bounty. When they heard his plans Hilda and Iris had different reactions.
"Isn't that too dangerous?!"
"I'm coming right?!"
Hilda was terrified at the fact that her daughter wanted to fight bandits on a nearly daily basis. Leo however shook his head, and explained to Iris.
"It depends on the hideout. I want to gain experience fighting people, but if there's more than I might be able to handle then I'll have you sniping from the background. What you can do to help the most is learn the language of the dwarves from the books I plan to buy. I'm going to read them in the evenings, but it would be best to have someone else studying as well."
Iris was sulking again that he more or less sidelined her, but she also knew that was for her to spend more time with Hilda. The scolding she just received aside, she was actually starting to warm up to her mother. As for Shane (she would never admit to him being her father) she was quite glad when Leo said that chances were that he wouldn't be back until after they leave, if he even came back. So after kissing her goodbye, and saying farewell to Hilda, Leo left to check the bounty notice boards.
Unlike games or novels, there wasn't some kind of adventurers guild in Aletera. If a bandit group or monster was causing trouble, then a bounty would be posted in a tavern or around town. Then a bounty hunter, or soldier might take up the bounty to earn some extra coin. Most bounty hunters were just retired soldiers that wanted to keep fighting, or were random people that used self taught magic(as long as it didn't get past beginner level). Sadly the higher bounties were bandits in the same category.
He walked to the nearest board, and looked at the different bounties. The highest paying one was a group of fifty bandits with what seemed to be several self taught chi users, for one hundred gold coins. Leo took that poster so that he and Iris could get them tomorrow. He then looked and found a bounty that was nearby, a group of seemed like ten bandits in an abandoned mine shaft. 'Even if there no adventurer set up like the games, the hideouts were the same huh?' Leo couldn't help thinking to himself.
He took the poster, and swiftly left town towards the mine. After a little less than an hours travel at "Leo speed", he arrived at the mine. Leo watched the entrance and went over his equipment mentally. Sword, check. Bow and arrows, check. He checked the poster once more to confirm what he needed to confirm the bounty, and grimaced. He needed to cut off and return with the bandit Chiefs head. Leo shook his head to clear the distracting thoughts, and watched as the first bandit exited the mine.
The moment he cleared the entrance, an arrow sprouted from his neck. When a second one walked out to check the noise, Leo dashed forward and lopped off his head with his sword in a single strike. He looked sick at all the blood since he wasn't in beast mode, but knew he would have to get used to it anyways if the bounty required the heads. Leo also realized that this would be a good way to become more accustomed to killing. When the thought entered Leo's head, he shuddered at how casual it was.
Leo continued killing the bandits in a systematic way until there was only the chief left. The chief roared with fury as he bellowed at Leo,
"I'll make you pay for killing my men! Do you have any idea how hard it's going to be to replace them?!" He then charged at Leo, who felt like the charge was in slow motion. He simply sidestepped, and with a flick of his sword the Chiefs head went flying. Leo frowned at how easy it was to clear the bandit hole, perhaps he needs to target higher bounties from now on? Leo then went around the cave and searched for any loot that was taken from travelers.
All together he found about five gold coins, and some rings. After he wrapped up the head in one of the cloth bags he found in the hideout, Leo headed back to the city. He was stopped at the gate as usual, and upon asking about the process to receive a bounty the guard took the head for him. He returned with the five gold coin bounty, the same as what Leo found in the mine, and sent Leo on his way after confirming the ID.
As he reentered the city, Leo was thinking about how easy it was for him to earn money now. As he finished quicker than he planned, Leo spent some time wondering the market for book shops. After walking for a while, Leo found a shop with the name The Crooked Book. With ten gold coins burning a hole in his pocket, leo went in.
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