Final Lord

Chapter 366 Edward

"Cash on delivery. That's only fair."

Wang Bufu's voice was calm and unhurried, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

He gave a look to Mair beside him, who immediately understood and took out a spatial money bag embroidered with gold thread emblems from his pocket.

Meyer walked up to the weathered-looking middle-aged man and presented the money bag with both hands: "Commander, this is the agreed-upon final payment—twenty thousand gold coins."

She paused, then lightly tapped the purse with her fingertip, dispelling the magical seal on its opening. "Including the initial deposit of ten thousand, that makes a total of thirty thousand gold coins. Please check it."

The middle-aged man's calloused hands trembled almost imperceptibly as he took the money bag.

He took a deep breath and probed his spatial bag with his consciousness to carefully verify—piles of gold coins were stacked into a dazzling little mountain within the magical space.

“A total of thirty thousand gold coins.” His Adam’s apple bobbed, his voice hoarse as if sanded, “Exactly one coin.”

The man suddenly twitched the corners of his mouth into a bitter smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes revealing untold vicissitudes: "To be honest, I never dreamed that the name of a third-rate mercenary group like 'Little Mercenary Group' would be worth this much."

When we took on that mission six months ago, there were 255 people in the whole team... In the end, less than 20 of them came back alive.

I couldn't borrow their compensation money from the entire Chamber of Commerce; it dragged on for over half a year.

Wang Bufu noticed that the other man's knuckles had turned white from the force. When the middle-aged man looked up again, a hint of moisture welled up in his cloudy eyes:

"Thank you for your generosity."

This money... will finally pay off the brothers' compensation payments.

His voice grew softer and softer, and the last few words were almost squeezed out between his teeth.
"Their widows will finally be able to stop suffering so much. Lord, the small mercenary group is entrusted to you."

"Wait a minute," Wang Bufu suddenly raised his hand to interrupt the middle-aged man.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked:
"If you use all the gold coins for relief, what will you do with your debts?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man burst into laughter, his laughter revealing a deranged, reckless madness: "At worst, I'll give my life for them! My worthless life will die with my brothers when they die."

"Ha. Absurd."

Wang Bufu's cold snort was like a bucket of ice water being poured over him.

That won't do. You're a transcendent rank 6, a half-step epic magic swordsman, and you're not shining on the battlefield, but instead holed up in the slums as a piece of trash? That's a waste of talent.

According to the questline from my previous life, to recruit the Demon Swordsman Edward, I need to complete some rather troublesome quests to reignite Edward's fighting spirit.

But Wang didn't want to go through all that trouble. He had another way.

“Listen,” Wang Bufu said to Edward, “I bought the small mercenary group only to have the shell of a mercenary group; I have no interest in managing the ordinary mercenaries.”

"How about this—I'll settle your debts, and you can continue as the regimental commander for the next two years."

what?
Edward's pupils contracted.

"Are you serious? My debt is a whopping 260,000 gold coins! I couldn't pay it back even if I sold myself."

Seeing the other person's pupils suddenly contract, Wang Bufu's lips curled into a dangerous smile: "Of course, it's only 260,000 gold coins, I'll return it to you. In exchange, you won't receive any salary or bonuses for the next two years. Of course, I can provide you with room and board."

"This—" Edward gasped, his Adam's apple bobbing violently. The young man before him uttered the number so casually, as if discussing the price of cabbage at a market.

Two hundred and sixty thousand gold coins is enough to buy shops on the entire commercial street, or even to build a small manor with a private dock in Yungang District!
The other party's financial resources are probably far beyond my imagination!
Edward was very tempted and almost agreed. But just then, memories flooded back. The blood-red dawn half a year ago, the black vortex that suddenly surged in the sea of ​​clouds, the monsters that blotted out the sky, the shrill screams of his companions as they were torn apart... Edward's right hand began to tremble uncontrollably, and the bronze badge that symbolized his status as captain jingled between his fingers.

“I’m sorry,” his voice was dry and hoarse, like sandpaper scraping, “I’ve lost the courage to continue fighting.”

Ah.

Before Edward could finish speaking, Wang Bufu suddenly chuckled. The chuckle carried an infuriating composure, causing Edward's brows to furrow instantly.

“That was a good refusal,” Wang Bufu said casually. “To be honest, I have very little to say about your ability to manage a mercenary group.”

"What?!" Edward looked up abruptly, his bronze face turning bright red.

He single-handedly developed the small mercenary group. If it weren't for the unexpected events, the small mercenary group would still be one of the top mercenary groups in Vast Cloud City.

Back when he led his small mercenary group to complete the "Extermination of the Void Cloud Whale," even a general from the Dawn Empire personally delivered a commendation order! How dare this young upstart say that his talent is lacking?

"Tomorrow at dawn, at berth number 7 in Yungang, if you're interested, come find me."

Before Edward could react, Wang Bufu had already taken the badge from his hand, stood up and straightened his cloak, the sunlight casting a cold shadow on his sharply defined profile.

"Let me show you what the strongest mercenary group really is."

The last sentence pierced Edward's heart like a sharp sword. Those passionate memories that he had deliberately forgotten suddenly surged up.

"The strongest mercenary group! We will build our small mercenary group into the strongest mercenary group!"

The exhilaration of the mercenary group riding their small boats through the Cloud Feather Sea at dawn, the cheers of their companions when the deck was piled high with spoils, and the joy of receiving commendations.

Everything was pricking his nerves.

When Edward came to his senses, Wang Bufu and the caravan had already disappeared into the shadows of the city gate. Only the heavy bag of gold coins and the renewed burning sensation in his chest reminded him that this was not an illusion.

……

dusk.

Edward's knuckles unconsciously traced the patterns on the money pouch, the sharp edges of the gold coins sending a slight sting through the leather. The twilight stretched his shadow long, like a hesitant crack across the cobblestone path.

Talented people shine wherever they go.

Today, the entire Vast Cloud City is filled with the legend of the Lord.

He spent a fortune to book the most expensive King's Room at the Yungang Hotel, bought the unsold Yuanzi boat at the dock, and purchased a large quantity of whale-hunting cannons at the market.

He did a quick calculation and found that the lord had spent nearly a million gold coins in just one day.

Such wealth is truly unimaginable; even a tiny bit of it slipping through their fingers would be enough to pay off their loans.

"Are you going?"

This simple question kept churning in his chest.

The sea breeze blowing from the direction of Yungang carried a salty, fishy smell, and in a daze, he heard the screams from that day again.

(End of this chapter)