Chapter 77. The Mercenary.
Roku. City of Kahal.
That same day, at a small banquet hosted by the city governor, we learned that the Rhino Gang had been wreaking havoc here for a long time. However, due to their unpredictability and agility, no one had managed to catch them yet.
"But I think I know someone who can help you," he said thoughtfully. "If she's still in the city, of course," he muttered. "In the nearby provinces, there's a famous mercenary named June. She owns a rare shirshu, which helps her track down people, even if they're miles away. As long as there's a scent, she'll find them."
"I've heard of her," I said. "Quite a few people want to hire her permanently. I even caught a glimpse of her once, but I had other concerns back then."
"You can't buy her with gold," the mayor of Kahal said with a crooked smile, clearly knowing how much June left at the tavern each time. "For one serious job, she can earn almost a year's salary of a mid-level official, or even more. Besides, no matter the value of a person, the main criterion is their loyalty." He continued, "But June takes orders from the Fire Nation too." He shrugged. "Thanks to her ability to control such a rare creature, neither side bothers her much, recognizing her usefulness. Plus, with her reputation, she's never short on jobs, so she gets to choose which ones to take."
The shirshu itself is a unique creature, and there have never been many of them. Taming one is the next challenge—these animals are extremely difficult to train, requiring years of systematic instruction. You can only admire June's perseverance in this difficult task. Now, she's reaping the rewards of her labor, being the only mercenary with a trained shirshu.
"I've already sent people to find out where she is," he said, pouring jasmine tea for us. "You can leave your daughter here," he added quietly, noticing Toph's eyes drooping. It was late, after all. We'd spent several hours at the shelter earlier, and now it was already the twelfth hour.
"No, I'll come with you," Toph declared, shaking off her sleepiness and displaying her "energy," earning skeptical glances from us. "I've never been to a tavern, please?" she pleaded, pressing her palms together.
"Alright," Lao agreed easily. "You'll see everything yourself..." he said mysteriously. I hoped Toph wouldn't be too disappointed. Many people romanticize taverns, giving them an adventurous aura. But in reality, a tavern is just a place where all sorts of riffraff gorge on cheap booze, spending their last coins.
From the information we received, June was at a tavern called "Chasing Fortune," so we quickly gathered and headed there.
The closer we got to the building, the clearer we heard drunken shouts and other noise. Near the entrance, a shirshu was tied to a post, curiously turning its head and sniffing at passersby.