Chapter 870: A Funeral Procession
The horses neighed, and the carriage wheels rumbled on.
The city of Lube was a small border town. Beyond its walls lay endless wilderness and a sea of beasts. The very air of the city was thick with the scent of war and decay.
The people here spent their lives aiming to become mercenaries, because only mercenaries could hunt beasts, and only by hunting beasts could one acquire status and wealth.
Because life revolved around the mercenary trade, blades were often drawn, and life-and-death struggles were a common sight.
Orion gazed through the carriage curtain at the tall stone walls drawing ever closer. The walls were covered in scars; the claw marks of unknown monsters and the scorched traces of fire were still clearly visible.
"So, to find the dragon, we first have to deal with a dragonkin tribe?" Orion asked, pulling his gaze back inside and looking at the gentle, beautiful cat-woman, Yala.
Under his direct gaze, her own eyes darted away slightly. Facing Orion’s stare, Yala felt as if she were being stripped bare.
"Yes, Sir Orion. That is why our commander organized a medium-sized team of three hundred," she said.
Despite her discomfort, she looked at Orion and Leonidas and relayed the intelligence she had. "According to our information, the dragonkin tribe guarding the canyon numbers around one thousand."
"What is their strength?" Leonidas asked. "Are the people you organized up to the task?"
To be honest, the question sounded somewhat offensive to both Yala and Alilien.
"Sirs, please rest assured," Yala said confidently. "All the mercenaries participating in this quest have been strictly screened. Most of them are elite-class mercenaries with more than enough combat experience and wilderness survival skills."