The sun was gradually sinking, and the medium-sized camp began to buzz with activity.
Small merchants lined the edges of the camp, peddling all sorts of trinkets.
"Sir! Come take a look! This is the hide that was cut from the Saint's own flesh! Carry it with you, and you'll be blessed by the Saint, free from disease and misfortune!"
A plump merchant shouted, gripping the arm of a mercenary and enthusiastically promoting his wares.
"Is it true?" The mercenary, smelling of alcohol, seemed a bit tempted.
"Of course it's true! I swear on my grandmother's name!" The merchant patted his chest, his round face full of sincerity.
Having just received his pay, the mercenary waved his hand dismissively and went over to a nearby wagon with the so-called "holy relic."
"Strong warrior, want to experience a thrilling night? I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
From the wagon, a lady in a white gown leaned forward slowly, revealing a stunningly smooth expanse of skin, her eyes filled with teasing allure.
The other ladies inside the wagon laughed lasciviously and swayed their bodies, flaunting their curves to catch the mercenary's attention.
The mercenary leered without restraint, his eager gaze seemingly trying to see through the tattered clothes to the flesh beneath. After a long, shameless look, he grabbed one of the women, and with a sharp cry, marched towards a nearby tent.
The remaining women were visibly disappointed, one muttering curses under her breath before quickly flashing a flirtatious smile and calling out to other potential customers.
Mike Bai sat on a patch of grass, watching the camp, which seemed more like a marketplace than a military base. He sighed deeply.
"What a joke..."
In Mike Bai's mind, a powerful army should have soldiers in sharp, well-maintained armor, their morale high, with junior officers eager for action and senior officers masterminding tactics.
But now, Mike Bai could only watch as his reckless commander, Captain Wolf, and the neatly dressed nobles wandered into nearby tents, heading straight for raggedly dressed, poverty-stricken women.
A third of the mercenaries were drinking, another third were elsewhere, and the final third remained in the camp—not because they didn't want to go, but because their poverty restricted them.
"Ugh…"
Even after nearly six years in this era, Mike Bai still found the common army of the time deeply frustrating, especially when he was forced to be a part of it.
"Hey! Did you hear?" Two mercenaries walked past, their arms draped over each other's shoulders. One of them spoke with the kind of knowing tone men always use. "A new girl showed up at Gillna's place. Her looks, her skin… tsk, tsk, tsk…"
"I bet she's better than any princess, even."
"Gillna," "Princess," "New girl"—these words immediately caught Mike Bai's attention.
"I heard Anna's staying at Gillna's place!"
"What?!" Mike Bai froze in shock, then a wave of anger surged within him, his eyes hardening with cold fury. He instinctively reached for the dagger at his side.
"Anna! Please be safe!"
Angry thoughts raced through his mind. Driven by a desperate need to find Gillna, the only one who knew Anna's whereabouts, he rushed toward the opposite side of the camp.
Ignoring the merchants and women calling to him, Mike Bai made his way through the twisting pathways, finally arriving at a green tent. It was Gillna's tent.
But the writhing figures around it and the screams coming from inside made it clear that Gillna was "working" at the moment.
Just as Mike Bai took a step forward, a rough hand grabbed his arm.
"Kid! Get in line!"
Mike Bai turned to see five or six men standing in line outside Gillna's tent, glaring at him for trying to cut in.
"I need to see Gillna, it's urgent!"
"We all have urgent matters with her," the leader of the group, a large man, said with an annoyed scowl. The others nodded in agreement.
"I'm not here for that…" Before Mike Bai could finish, the big man interrupted, "Doesn't matter what your reason is, kid. You have to wait your turn!"
"The line over there is long enough, so what's your problem, huh?"
Mike Bai was startled and turned his head, only to see a long line of over thirty men waiting in front of a white tent.
Inside the white tent, a petite figure flickered in the shadows, casting an ominous silhouette.
Fury exploded like a volcano inside Mike Bai. His eyes turned bloodshot as his right hand slowly moved to the hilt of his dagger.
"You'll all regret this…"
"Mike Bai?"
A voice, full of doubt, stopped Mike Bai in his tracks.
He turned mechanically to find Anna, dressed neatly, staring at him with a puzzled expression.
"Mike Bai, is that really you? What are you doing here at this hour?"
At first skeptical, Anna's gaze quickly turned sharp.
"I heard a new girl showed up at Gillna's place…"
Before Mike Bai could finish his explanation, Anna's eyes narrowed with cold fury.
"Hmph!" Anna flicked her hair and turned to leave.
"I was just worried about you!" Mike Bai quickly caught her arm, finishing his sentence.
Just then, a few of the men in line saw Anna's reaction and their eyes lit up.
"Didn't come to an agreement on the price?" A bald, drunken man blocked Anna's way with a lewd grin. "Little sister, name your price. I've got plenty of money."
"Get lost!" Anna glared, her face cold as ice.
"Looks like you've got some fire in you!" The bald man leered, reaching out to grab a handful.
Mike Bai immediately stepped in front of Anna, using his own body to shield her.
The drunk man hesitated for a moment, but his anger flared up.
"Who do you think you are, punk?" He reached for Mike Bai, intending to teach him a lesson.
"Bald bastard!!"
A sharp, enraged cry came from behind Mike Bai. Then, a graceful figure stepped out from behind him—it was Gillna, just finishing her work.
"Drinking piss, and you dare cause trouble here?"
Gillna stood in front of Mike Bai and Anna, her clothes slightly disheveled.
"You really want to try it? If I say the word, no one here will do business with you!"
Seeing Gillna, the bald man faltered, but still tried to press on. "Who do you think you are…"
Before he could finish, a massive figure stepped out from the tent.
"What did you say?"
The huge figure nearly swallowed the bald man in its shadow.
Mike Bai's eyes focused and he recognized the man—his mercenary leader, Wolf.
The bald man instantly softened, a forced smile spreading across his face. "Wolf, it's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! No one's causing trouble, just negotiating prices."
Wolf, his bare torso covered only by a vest, shot a contemptuous glance at the bald man, his eyes predatory as a wolf's.
"Scram."
His light words were like a mountain crushing the bald man's heart. The man immediately nodded and scampered off.
Wolf turned to Mike Bai, gave a drunken burp, and mumbled, "Take care of her." Then, with a grin, he pulled Gillna back into the tent.
Mike Bai stood there, watching them disappear, deep in thought.