Legendary Mercenary

Chapter 3: The Little Catgirl

After finishing his meal, Zhang Ye rented a room. Being new in town and without a permanent place to stay, he could only temporarily lodge at the mercenary tavern. The cleanliness of such places can be hit or miss, depending on how much the owner values hygiene. Fortunately, Yvlan seemed to take cleanliness seriously, as the rooms here were free from any strange odors thanks to regular cleaning.

After placing his belongings in the room and taking some equipment that might come in handy for the mission, Zhang Ye headed out. This mission was relatively simple—a straightforward escort task. It was somewhat similar to his previous life when he had to escort a nuclear bomb, but this time, he was escorting a cart of magical potions to Grilla City’s "Heidis Magic Academy,"located 135 kilometers away.

The employer was a shopkeeper specializing in magical potions. Apparently, this batch of potions was quite expensive, which is why the reward was high—a hefty 1,500 gold. After Yvlan, acting as the intermediary, took her commission and some security deposit, about 1,200 gold remained.

Given the high value of the goods and the frequent robberies near the port city, it typically required a large team to handle the escort. Yvlan had even suggested that Zhang Ye recruit a few people to join him for the mission. But Zhang Ye declined.

He reasoned that the more people involved, the less money he'd pocket. Zhang Ye had a sizable appetite—he wanted to keep all the 1,200 gold for himself. Yvlan didn’t push further. After all, mercenaries are often driven by greed. If you’re not, you’re not cut out to be a mercenary.

However, a large appetite also requires corresponding strength; otherwise, it’s uncertain if you can even stomach what you bite off. She was eager to see if Zhang Ye could complete the task on his own. If he failed, she’d lose some credibility. But if he succeeded, she’d gain a powerful asset under her wing, allowing her to take on more high-level missions. In a way, she was taking a gamble—common behavior for people in the port city, who tend to have a strong gambling streak.

The caravan was scheduled to depart in the afternoon. After finishing his meal, Zhang Ye arrived at the city gate, just as the caravan was ready to set off. The caravan had its own guard team, but it only consisted of five members, so additional manpower was necessary.

When the captain of the guard team, Geoff, saw that only Zhang Ye had shown up, he was taken aback.

"Just you?"

"Just me is enough," Zhang Ye replied with a grin.

Well, that was bold. Geoff, the captain, gave Zhang Ye a skeptical once-over, clearly doubting his capabilities. However, Zhang Ye’s massive build worked to his advantage here. Geoff figured that with a physique like Zhang Ye's, he couldn’t be a total novice. Moreover, while the area surrounding the port city was prone to robberies, Geoff had chosen a longer but safer route.

That route was newly established, with regular patrols from the Empire’s forces passing through. These patrols were not something that bandits would dare to mess with, so typically, bandits wouldn’t come near the new road. If they were lucky, they might not encounter any trouble at all.

Geoff had previously advised the potion shop owner that there was no need to hire additional help since his guard team was more than capable of handling the job. But the value of this particular batch of potions was high, and the shopkeeper was uneasy, so extra manpower was hired in the end. Geoff figured that having Zhang Ye along wouldn’t make much difference, just thinking it was a waste of money on the shopkeeper's part.

"Let's move out, then," Geoff said.

The convoy departed the city, making its way toward Grilla City along the road. Zhang Ye leisurely followed along, sitting atop the cart. The cart was pulled by a domesticated magical beast called a draught beast, known for its great strength and gentle temperament—perfect for pulling heavy loads.

Geoff, the captain of the guard team, was all business, gripping his longsword as he leaned against his shield, seated at the front of the convoy. He kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings, performing his duties with a serious demeanor.

Zhang Ye, on the other hand, sat beside the cargo on the second cart, leaning back and yawning. The area within a thirty-mile radius of the port city was a protected zone, regularly patrolled by military units, so the first stretch of the journey was calm. Zhang Ye planned to catch some sleep, as he hadn’t had much rest since arriving in the port city.

But someone had other plans.

"What’s your name, meow?" A clear, crisp voice interrupted him. Zhang Ye opened his eyes and looked up to see a petite figure perched on the cargo box. She was probably just over five feet tall, with two fluffy cat ears atop her head. She squatted there, her long, bushy cat tail swaying unconsciously behind her.

Zhang Ye recognized her immediately—a member of the catfolk, a branch of the beastkin race. In this world, outside of the Beastman Empire, beastkin generally didn’t hold high status.

The catgirl in front of him was, in a word, adorable. With her chestnut-colored short hair, fitted light armor, a small dagger at her waist, bright, large eyes, and fair, smooth skin, she exuded a lively and wild charm.

As Zhang Ye thought about this, he replied, "Zhang Ye."

"Strange name, meow." The catgirl tilted her head slightly before flashing a small, sharp-toothed grin. "My name’s Kiki, meow!"

Zhang Ye chuckled at the cute little girl. She even had a verbal tick at the end of her sentences. Before Zhang Ye could respond, the little catgirl carried on with the conversation.

"I’m the scout for the team, meow. I’ll be heading out for reconnaissance soon, meow."

"The big guy up front is our captain, Geoff, meow. He’s a skilled sword-and-shield warrior, meow."

"Those two over there are the Warren and Walter brothers, both swordsmen, meow."

"And that’s Martina—she’s a very accurate archer, meow.”

"What's your class, meow?" Kiki asked.

Zhang Ye thought for a moment before replying, "I'm a warrior-mage."

Kiki tilted her head in confusion. "What’s that, meow?"

"It’s a mage who fights like a warrior," Zhang Ye explained.

"So, you hit people with your staff, meow?" Kiki laughed, waving her arms around as if wielding an invisible staff.

"Well, you could put it that way," Zhang Ye nodded, picking up the hammer beside him. "This is my magic wand."

"I call her Angel."

"Because she sends people to heaven."

"Ha ha ha!" Kiki burst into laughter, rolling around on the cargo box, clearly amused.

Her laughter was infectious, and any drowsiness Zhang Ye had felt quickly faded away. This was another perk of having a giant's physique: boundless energy. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to cover over two thousand kilometers in just two weeks to get here.

"Big guy, you're pretty fun, meow," Kiki said after her laughter subsided. "I thought you'd be like those other big guys with skin as tough as stone—dumb and serious, meow..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a small bird flew by, and Kiki's ears immediately perked up. With a powerful leap, she jumped several meters into the air like a cat pouncing on prey. However, the bird was quick, making a sharp turn, and all Kiki managed to grab were a few feathers.

Landing lightly back on the cargo box, Kiki looked a bit disappointed. "It got away, meow..."

Watching the catgirl, Zhang Ye suddenly had an idea and decided to play a little trick on her.

He caught the falling feathers, then jumped off the cart and ran into the nearby bushes, pulling out a long blade of grass about the length of his arm. He tied the feathers to the end of the grass, creating a makeshift cat toy.

"Kiki, look here," Zhang Ye called out.

Kiki tilted her head curiously, and when she saw Zhang Ye waving the makeshift toy, her pupils instantly dilated, her ears stood up, and she crouched low, her tail wagging in anticipation. A moment later, she pounced directly at the toy.

"Meow!”