Legendary Mercenary

Chapter 2: The Mercenary Tavern

**Mercenary Tavern—[Hailan No. 11].**

This was a branch of the Mercenary Tavern, a place also known by another widely recognized name: the Mercenary Guild!

Unlike traditional guilds, the Mercenary Tavern was specifically designed to serve mercenaries, so it operated as a tavern.

After all, mercenaries were mostly rough men who couldn’t do without their drink. They liked to drink, brag, and then pick up a job from the front desk or the notice board afterward. The tavern format naturally suited them best.

At this moment, the tavern was filled with countless veteran mercenaries drinking, eating, and talking loudly, creating a somewhat noisy atmosphere. The air carried a distinct smell of alcohol.

And a faint scent of blood.

Perhaps it came from the tooth embedded in the wooden counter at the front desk, or maybe from the bandaged and bloodstained mercenaries scattered around.

In any case, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant smell.

But Zhang Ye liked it—it felt like coming home.

Compared to the mixture of smoke, alcohol, and vomit that filled the bars in the wasteland gangs of his previous life, the air here was practically fresh.

At least it was clear that the tavern was cleaned regularly.

As he pushed open the door and stepped inside, the noisy sounds within the tavern quieted down noticeably.

Zhang Ye could feel countless eyes on him.

After all, with his size, he would stand out anywhere that wasn’t packed with massive creatures.

But he enjoyed this kind of attention.

In his previous life, he had always wanted to be a big guy but didn’t have the means. In the end, he could only manage to be a "medium-sized guy."

Ignoring the stares from those around him, he walked straight to the tavern’s front desk.

Everyone was watching him, with looks of curiosity, scrutiny, and the kind of challenge and contempt veteran mercenaries often directed at newcomers.

Tsk, that familiar feeling was back again.

Zhang Ye grinned, showing a simple, honest smile to the barmaid. “Hello, I’m here to register as a mercenary.”

“Well, well, a newcomer.” The barmaid was a voluptuous woman with tanned skin, a pretty face, and wavy hair, her figure was alluring.

She truly deserved the title of a beauty!

“My name is Yvlan, and I’m the owner of Hailan No. 11,” the woman introduced herself, her seductive eyes openly lingering on Zhang Ye’s chest muscles, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“Zhang Ye,” he replied concisely.

“An unusual name—are you from Dongzhou?” Yvlan asked.

“More or less,” Zhang Ye didn’t elaborate.

Yvlan continued, “There’s a tradition here. Newcomers have to treat everyone.”

Zhang Ye was taken aback. “Treat everyone? To drinks?”

“Mmm-hmm~,” Yvlan chuckled. “Of course, but if you’re willing to treat them to food as well, I’m sure they’d be more than happy.”

“Hahaha!” Laughter erupted throughout the tavern.

At that moment, Zhang Ye knew he was being teased.

But he didn’t care and laughed along, saying, “Well, I’ll treat everyone after I finish my first mission.”

Hearing this, the mercenaries around him widened their eyes and then burst into even louder laughter.

“Kid, are you serious about treating us?” A man with a bushy beard sitting nearby slapped his thigh, looking at Zhang Ye with interest.

Zhang Ye sat on the barstool, turned to face everyone, and said, “Of course, it’s just a round of drinks!”

“Don’t underestimate it. There are quite a few people here. Even if it’s just the cheapest black ale, it’ll cost you at least fifty gold coins.”

In this world, the currency is in gold, silver, and copper coins, with an exchange rate of 1-10-100.

The tavern was not small, with a second and third floor, holding about six hundred people. A cup of black ale cost eight copper coins, so indeed, it would cost over fifty gold coins.

Zhang Ye did have quite a few gold coins on him, an inheritance from the old man, plus what he got from selling the blacksmith shop and the money he had saved over the years.

But he didn’t plan to spend it here.

However, on the surface, he acted nonchalantly, saying, “A mere fifty gold coins? I’m going to become a legendary mercenary one day, earning millions in no time at all.”

“Treating the whole tavern, or even the entire city, won’t be an issue!”

As soon as he said this, the tavern roared with laughter.

Though the laughter was harsh, it was merely the sound of people enjoying the joke.

Zhang Ye knew exactly how to get along with these hardened mercenaries.

After this round of laughter, the hostile glances directed at him lessened considerably.

After all, a new mercenary meant more competition for jobs, and not many would welcome that.

But Zhang Ye’s joke made many of them lose interest, and the way they looked at him was more dismissive and less hostile.

In their eyes, he was just a greenhorn who hadn’t been beaten down by reality yet, and he might not last long before dying on some mission. Naturally, they didn’t see him as a real competitor.

Moreover, how does one blend into a new mercenary environment?

It’s simple—join them in bragging!

Sure enough, the bearded man who had laughed the loudest now found Zhang Ye much more likable and invited him over for a drink.

So, with this move, Zhang Ye avoided a lot of unnecessary hostility, broke the ice as a newcomer, and brought the tavern back to life.

And who knows, someone might even see him as an inexperienced rookie and try to con him later on. That would be a chance for Zhang Ye to make some easy money.

It’s a win-win, right?

“Interesting,” Yvlan thought as she watched Zhang Ye banter with the bearded man. Then, she pushed a piece of paper and a card toward him.

“This is the mercenary contract. Sign it, and you’ll officially become a mercenary.”

“You’ll start as a low-rank Bronze Mercenary. You must accept at least three Bronze missions every month, or you’ll lose your mercenary status.”

“This is your guild ID card. Just drop some blood on it and write your name. You can use it to enter other Mercenary Taverns and take on missions.”

Zhang Ye nodded, took the contract and the card, and started filling them out while asking,

“So how do I advance to a higher-ranked mercenary?”

“It seems you really want to become a legendary mercenary,” Yvlan said, resting her chin on her hand as she leaned on the bar, her low-cut neckline revealing a deep cleavage. It was unclear if this was intentional or not.

“Of course. Did you really think I was joking earlier?” Zhang Ye replied with a smile.

His rugged face and honest smile were quite disarming, making him seem like someone who wouldn’t lie.

Yvlan raised an eyebrow and then said, “Once you’ve completed enough Bronze-level missions, you can apply for a promotion challenge. After completing at least three advancement missions, you’ll be promoted.”

“It’s pretty much the same for the higher ranks.”

“Got it,” Zhang Ye nodded, handing the completed form back to Yvlan.

Yvlan glanced at it, then took out a security seal from the Mercenary Guild and stamped it on Zhang Ye’s card.

After that, Zhang Ye pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the card. The card briefly glowed, and the blood mark was absorbed.

This magic would allow the card’s owner to be verified through the blood, much like a magical version of an ID card.

“Eighteen copper coins,” Yvlan said as soon as Zhang Ye put away the card.

Zhang Ye paused, “Wasn’t it ten copper coins?”

Yvlan blinked and asked, “Don’t you want to buy a drink for your beautiful boss here?”

Zhang Ye chuckled and pulled out a few silver coins, “I’d be more than happy to!”

Yvlan happily accepted them. She was quite willing to get on good terms with this handsome, muscular guy—after all, his strong physique suggested he might have some real potential.

“Boss, I’ll also have an extra-large smoked chicken meal, a seaweed salad, and three pork shank steaks,” Zhang Ye added, handing over five more silver coins.

These were enough to feed at least three people, but seeing Zhang Ye’s size, Yvlan wisely kept silent, quickly serving up a whole table of food.

“Aren’t you drinking?” Yvlan asked curiously as she sipped her drink. The big guy had bought her a drink but didn’t seem to be having any himself.

“I don’t drink before missions,” Zhang Ye said before starting to eat heartily.

While eating, he gruffly asked, “By the way, Boss, any mission recommendations? The kind that pays well.”

“There’s no such thing as a high-paying mission at the Bronze level—they’re all about the same, and not much,” Yvlan replied.

“That’s why I’m asking someone as beautiful and kind as you,” Zhang Ye smiled.

Yvlan immediately rolled her eyes.

It seemed this big guy wasn’t as straightforward as he appeared—a drink and a bit of flattery, and he was already trying to get information out of her.

Usually, this kind of information would cost at least dozens, if not hundreds, of gold coins.

After all, these kinds of missions are considered "good jobs." They're either high-paying, low-effort, or both, and mercenaries compete fiercely for them. Such tasks are never posted on the bulletin board; instead, they’re held by intermediaries like her. If a mercenary wants one, they either have to pay up or build some goodwill.

But she found Zhang Ye quite likable, and besides... it’s better if he’s not too straightforward.

Don’t get the wrong idea—being sly is an asset in the mercenary business. If you’re too honest, you’ll get taken advantage of and won’t make it far.

Yvlan saw potential in Zhang Ye, so she decided to test him with this "good job" to see whether he was just a muscle-bound brute or someone with a firm grasp on things.

She didn’t respond verbally but discreetly handed Zhang Ye a piece of paper when no one was watching.

Zhang Ye looked down and scanned the paper.

Wow, it really was a good job!