People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

But time has passed, and the city has long since vanished. Whether the empire founded by Tikkaz actually existed has been a subject of ongoing debate among Terran historians. The first "empire" in the broad sense on Terra that can truly be traced and is supported by ample archaeological evidence is the Sargon Empire, established by Luga Sargus who unified the various Sargon tribes.

The Sarkaz, their cities, their country, their civilization, were all destroyed in one war after another, one betrayal after another, and one wave of attacks after another.

The Kazdel we know so far is the one that was destroyed in the 9th century of the Terran calendar by an unnamed green lynx that formed an alliance.

However, few people know, or rather, some know but are not acknowledged, that there is a mobile city called New Kazdel, which now roams the wastelands of western Yan Kingdom, eastern Syracuse, and southern Ursus.

Although the coalition forces organized by Kal'tsit suffered a tactical defeat—failing to eliminate the Sarkaz radicals and even losing their own commander to enemy general—they achieved a significant strategic victory. Kazdel was destroyed, and the displaced Sarkaz were forced to begin another period of reconstruction under the leadership of the new Demon Lord Theresia.

This time, Kal'tsit, who had betrayed her, offered a solution. To prevent Kazdel from being destroyed by the alliance she had created again, and to strengthen her future self, she suggested that Theresa convert Kazdel into a mobile city.

The Demon King granted the suggestion, and the newly established Kazdel Military Government—the Kazdel Military Council—under the leadership of Theresis, the Demon King Theresia's brother, began a large-scale scavenging campaign throughout Terra.

Scavenging discarded building materials, secretly mining others' mines, robbing Sakota's caravans for money, and sourcing various necessities for construction from unscrupulous merchants—after struggling like this for several years, New Kazdel, the prototype of a mobile city, was finally built.

Then, the powder keg exploded.

To this day, the reasons for the outbreak of the Kazdel Civil War remain a subject of much debate. Some support Theresa, claiming that Theresis overstepped her bounds by declaring herself regent, which aroused the Demon King's displeasure and suspicion, leading to conflict between the two sides and ultimately escalating into war.

Some support Theresis, believing that the Demon King was surrounded by treacherous officials, and that the country was in chaos despite the presence of loyal ministers. General Theresis, leading these loyal ministers, intended to confront the Demon King directly, but accidentally missed and was killed by the Demon King. Thus, he was forced to become regent and lead the country, suffering greatly at the hands of his subordinates.

These rumors all have some merit, but none of them can withstand closer scrutiny. As for the Sarkaz, they don't really care anymore.

War is commonplace for the Sarkaz. For a race where over 90% of the population works as mercenaries, it's not surprising that war breaks out anytime.

Is it strange that the Demon King was overthrown by his subordinates? Not at all.

[The Sun Renewer] has made a good start. The instigator, will he have no descendants? Looking back at the demon kings of all ages, it's hard to say who died more or less from internal rebellion and who died from external invasion.

The war was fierce and intense, with the two factions irreconcilable, and unsurprisingly, it ended in a lose-lose situation.

Sarkaz didn't feel anything either.

got used to.

The only thing that made them feel a little regretful was that the newly built [New Kazdel], this mobile city, had become a pile of broken-down scrap metal before it even had a proper test run.

Many Sarkaz who had just begun to see a glimmer of hope during the Six Heroes and Theresia eras felt extreme disappointment once again and left. Theresis, too, did not place his center of power in this destroyed ruin. He led the victorious military council, accepted the Duke of Caesar's "edict," and, disguised as Dong Zhuo, went to the capital to punish the traitor.

This abandoned city just rotted away here.

For every person who leaves, there is someone who stays. A group of Sarkaz who were nostalgic for that era chose to remain in the ruins that once held their hopes. Most of them were old men, unable to walk or fight, and weary of war and revenge.

After the outbreak of the civil war, in order to make a living, these people who did not want to take sides built a new market in the ruins of the former market and named it "Scar".

This is a scar on the Sarkaz; even after it heals, it will leave an indelible mark.

There are too many things in the world that are beyond our control, and this is one of them. Even though it was built by a weary, war-weary faction, the Scarred Market is mostly populated by mercenaries. After all, in a civil war, other trades are generally unprofitable; only mercenaries can earn a small profit.

Hedre's squad once took on missions and made a living here, becoming a legendary mercenary squad in those years. Ersula also grew up in the Scarred Market and knew Hedre since childhood. Now, she has answered Theresis's call and joined the Military Council to seek a way out for the Sarkaz.

She didn't really want to go to Mudstone.

She wasn't particularly fond of fighting, but being born a Sarkaz, it was difficult to survive without learning some fighting skills. Therefore, her mercenary squad was quite well-known in the Scar Market.

Normally, she and her men lived a tough but manageable life. The nations of Terra weren't exactly clean, and some organizations could hardly afford to maintain a separate force for nefarious activities. Sarkaz mercenaries were their best option.

Cheap, bad reputation, and easy to shift blame are all advantages of Sarkaz mercenaries. Kidnapping, robbery, and assassination are all within the scope of Sarkaz mercenaries' business. Compared to well-known international mercenary companies like Blacksteel International, Sarkaz doesn't even need to sign a contract, making it impossible to hold anyone accountable.

With these conditions in place, Sarkaz mercenaries shouldn't have trouble finding work.

But that was before.

This is all Therese's fault.

Therese was acting under the guise of a mercenary to help the Duke deal with the steam knights, but these "mercenaries" turned against him and occupied Londinium, which had a bad influence.

The Terrans, accustomed to using Sarkaz mercenaries, suddenly discovered, "Good heavens, the Fanged Beasts dare to bite!"

While this example is unique, as the saying goes, one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. For those Sarkaz who are simply mercenaries, they've been severely harmed by Theresis!

Orders in the scar treatment market have plummeted, leaving many mercenaries struggling to make ends meet for over two weeks. The few orders they do receive are being snapped up even at low prices, and the already meager profits of the Sarkaz mercenaries have been further squeezed by fierce competition!

Mudstone is also helpless.

Some might ask, why not join the Wang Ting army?

Because Theresis wouldn't pay.

Theresis never recruits Ansarkaz mercenaries. He knows very well that if he does, the mercenaries will definitely face the predicament of having difficulty finding employment. At that time, without spending a single coin, he will naturally have a large number of Sarkaz mercenaries come to join him, so why should he waste that money?

As he predicted, many Sarkaz were forced to join the Military Commission and accept the reorganization of the Royal Army.

But Niyan has not yet made up his mind.

She was hungry too.

Hunger is a formidable enemy, especially for those suffering from Oripathy. If she couldn't find a job today, she would really have to consider seeking a living elsewhere.

But she had other options.

He heard that Colombia was relatively tolerant of Sarkaz and infected people, and Letania seemed willing to accept some Sarkaz who practiced witchcraft, as well as the recently famous Sherag.

Their city architect was said to be a Sarkaz, and a learned banshee at that. She even organized the construction of a massive laboratory atop the highest mountain in all of Terra!

Mudstone didn't know what a laboratory was, but she knew what building a city meant.

That was a gene flowing in her blood.

She is the [Child of Earth and Stone], or rather, the [Stone-Winged Demon]!

Although she is of mixed race, her ancestors were once quite wealthy. They built a city with the Demon King Godu and established the second generation of Kazdel!

If she could, she'd like to build something too. As for mercenaries? If given a choice, who would want to fight and kill?

Unfortunately, Sherag was too far away from him. Moreover, the learned banshee was indeed a learned banshee; the banshee race differed from other Sarkaz, as they consistently fared well due to certain racial talents, while the Son of Earth and Stone…

At least I haven't heard of any of my compatriots making a name for themselves in Niyan.

She had never actually met any of the other Children of Earth and Stone besides herself.

In Kazdel, orphans are a common occurrence.

Without connections, going to other countries is just a pipe dream. Mudstone was hungry, but she needed to focus on the present, finding an order to fill her stomach.

She wandered through the winding streets until she reached a long-established mercenary tavern deep within the Scarred Market. This place was said to be a regular base for the legendary mercenary squad, the Hedley Squad. The owner had connections with Hedley, and although no one had ever seen the red-haired, greatsword-wielding mercenary here, the jobs assigned here were indeed of high quality.

Of course, high quality also means high difficulty.

Mudrock walked to the front desk, where an old Sarkaz man, whose face looked like it was covered with a broom, was standing with his back to her, hanging a new sign on the task board.

This is a carrion eater, said to have once been a warrior of the Carrion Eater Royal Court, who single-handedly slaughtered hundreds of enemies in a war, her entire body reeking of blood. But now, the strips of cloth covering her are scented, so naturally, there's no smell at all.

Now is certainly not the time to dwell on the taste.

Mudrock stood on tiptoe, barely managing to look over the tall scavenger's shoulder to see the contents of the sign.

Anyone who can fight, build things, read and write, or has a skill (meeting one of these is enough, but multiple qualifications are better), come to Sherag. Meals provided.

[Posted by: Hedley]

[Note: By the way, it would be best to give yourself a name.]

[Note 2: Those with bad tempers need not come, lest I beat you up. Those who are cooperative and friendly should come.]

Mudstone: "?"

Why don't you just call my name directly?

Chapter 353: Stamp Collecting Progress at the Ten Royal Courts Increases by Two

Kazdel, the scar market.

The scavenger hung the sign on the quest board, turned around, and met the eyes of Mudrock, who was standing on tiptoe in front of the bar...

Okay, it's a mask.

They were all regular customers, and scavengers are exceptionally sensitive to smells, so naturally she wouldn't fail to recognize who this Sarkaz, wrapped in power armor, was. She greeted him warmly:

"Mudstone, long time no see. What's wrong, are you struggling to afford food again?"

The corner of the mouth inside the mudstone armor twitched, thinking to himself, "You old man, you really know how to talk."

But she had also grown accustomed to the way the old folks at Scars Mall did things. She was unwilling to join Theresis's military council, nor was she willing to leave the ruins of Kazdel to seek a living in other countries. It was only natural that the people living in this pile of rubble would have eccentric temperaments.

Compared to other business owners who run mercenary brokerage businesses, the Carrion Eater's character is quite good. At least her commission is very low; while other business owners take 30% per deal, she only takes 20%.

Of course, this also includes the commissions she makes, which are mostly extremely dangerous and might not be accepted by anyone for half a year or even several years.

I glanced at the top few quests on the quest board: assassinate Theresis, insult the Blood Lord in front of him, and answer the Shapeshifter's question, "What is the meaning of life?"...

These are all commissions that are practically the store's prized possessions.

I doubt any Sarkaz would dare to accept these kinds of requests even a few hundred years from now.

Business is tough for everyone.

Are you looking at these requests?

A slight smile appeared on the face beneath the carrion eater's cloth mask.

"interested in?"

“No.” Mudstone quickly shook his head. “I was just wondering if anyone could actually complete this kind of request?”

The carrion eater thought for a moment, then shook his head: "I don't know about now. But it has happened in history."

"Huh?" Mudrock stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

The scavenger nodded solemnly:

"How long do you think I've been in this line of work? I've seen all sorts of strange things."

"Most of the people who post these commissions with me are just joking. Mercenaries live a short life, always looking for some fun. Once the first Sarkaz dares to post a commission, the rest of the Sarkaz will follow suit. The bounty accumulates day by day, and that's how it got to what it is now."

"But the prize pool has been emptied before. The last time... hehe, it wasn't that long ago. Less than five years have passed in the blink of an eye."

Five years?

Mudstone was a little stunned and didn't react for a moment.

She looked at the carrion eater in front of her through a small window in the armor's chest. The carrion eater gave her a mysterious smile, bent down, and took out a small wooden board from under the bar.

This is also a power of attorney, but it's covered in dust.

The carrion eater placed her on the bar and pushed her in front of Mudrock. As the words on the commission card became clear in her vision, Mudrock's heart seemed to freeze for a moment.

Assassination of Theresa

Assassinate the Demon King.

Rumors had long circulated in Kazdel that Theresa did not die in the main battle against Theresis during the Civil War, but rather from a despicable assassination.

However, Theresis has always kept this matter a secret, and Babel Tower, as Theresa's command center, collapsed far too quickly and has never released any information to the outside world.

This matter has thus become a historical mystery.

Unfortunately, for the Sarkaz, there are simply too many unsolved mysteries in history. No one could possibly solve them all.

But the Request Card here from the Carrion Eater... Mudrock looked at the Carrion Eater in disbelief. A hint of a smile appeared in her silver-gray eyes behind the cloth strip, and she put the Request Card back on the table.

"Just kidding. Who would take on a request like that?"

Mudstone swallowed hard: "Then why did you take it off?"

The Carrion Eater rolled its eyes: "Because Theresa is dead. Of course I have to withdraw any requests related to her. What else? Are we supposed to leave them hanging there, waiting for someone to dig up her grave?"

She licked her lips, seemingly with a hint of anticipation and excitement: "If we really do that, why would we need anyone else? I can go myself."

"What does the Demon King's remains taste like?"

Mudstone couldn't help but take a half step back.

She had to admit that she was indeed frightened by the stench of the carrion.

But as soon as she came to her senses, the scavenger behind the bar had already returned to his serene smile, as if the dangerous words he had just spoken were merely a hallucination of Mudrock.

She was also somewhat unsure which of the scavenger's words were true and which were a joke...

"Let's not talk about that. You're here to see the commission, right? Which target are you eyeing?"