Once they reached their destination, Darius exited the carriage with Gunner in tow. The carriage rode off on its own, probably to pick up another willing customer for its service.
As for the duo, they looked straight ahead to see a building that was styled almost perfectly like the Adventurers' Guild, only that it was about 5 times larger. Darius noted that the traffic here was even higher as well.
Smiling, he entered the building with his Branded Servant and inspected its layout. Just like the Adventurers' Guild, there were screens set up on both sides of the walls, only that while the Adventurers Guild had a select few, the Mercenary Guild had many of them.
What took up more than 60% of the room's space though, was the bar and lounge to the northeast. Instead of crowding the screens like in the Adventurers' Guild, the mercenaries here spent their time drinking and chatting at the lounge, and the entire area was almost full.
There was also a reception counter near the northwest, which Darius and Gunner walked towards after a cursory inspection. Unlike the Adventurers' Guild where a noble lad entering the building would lead many to pause whatever they were doing, hardly anyone paid attention to Darius here, as if he was an invisible bug.
It couldn't be helped, it was just the quality difference between mercenaries and adventurers in Faust. Adventurers were able-bodied fighters who fought dungeon monsters for resources, while mercenaries took on professional jobs like combat, protection, and extermination.
It was like comparing normal league football to the World Cup matches. They all kicked a ball, sure, but there was a quality gap in the players and expectations.
Darius reached the counter and was greeted by a chipper young lady who was respectful. "Greetings, Young Master. How may I help you?"
Darius had to admit, the Mercenary Guild was better than their counterpart in every way. Just the reception alone made him feel pleased and more likely to return.
"I'd like to talk to Mr. Carlton. I have an appointment today, in the name of Darius Stone." Darius replied.
The receptionist became even more respectful when she heard the name of the branch chairman being mentioned. She flipped through the list and nodded, raising her dainty head up.
"Lord Stone? Please follow me to the chairman's office, please."
Darius nodded and followed the girl through the stairs on the western end of the lobby, passing through the lounge area to head upwards. It had to be said that mercenaries, while seeming lazy, were quite keen.
Once they saw the receptionist leading Darius upwards, their eyes flashed as they realized that this lad must be some big fish. Many noted his face and his servant, carving it into memory.
Not to do him harm, they were not stupid. They mostly did so in order to make sure they did not cross him wrongly. After all, if they tried to kill him and succeeded, surviving or escaping was another story.
Darius climbed many flights of stairs with the receptionist, the young lady flagging slightly at the 5th floor. Luckily, this was their destination as she adroitly took them through some hallways, eventually reaching a large set of double doors.
Knocking lightly, the lady waited for approximately 30 seconds before she opened the door, leading Darius and Gunner into a large office. This one was carpeted with a tiger print flooring, with a large desk in the center.
There were no books here, only workout equipment that one would see at a gym, including some training dummies. The decoration was sparse, but meaningful, with various trophies from slain monsters hung up on the walls and a few plaques lined equidistantly.
Currently, the one who should be behind the desk was going at it with a nearby training dummy. Only stopping when he saw that Darius was waiting for him.
When Carlton turned around, Darius was privy to the man's height and stature, which were both quite… good. Standing at 6"3, Carlton was a well-built man with rough features.
He looked a lot like the main character from a game Darius had seen during his youth… what was his name again…? Right, Duke Nukem.
Unlike the fictional character though, Carlton had short curly hair that was matted with sweat, piercing brown eyes, and no cigar in his mouth. He was bare-chested with only a pair of loose shorts on, making the girl who led them here blush.
Carlton walked over to Darius and towered over him for a second before stretching out a hand. "Greetings, Darius Stone. I have been expecting you."
Darius unhesitatingly shook Carlton's hand, despite it being slightly sweaty, and all without a change of expression from his trademark soft smile.
"Greetings, Chairman Carlton. It's my pleasure to be in your presence today."
Being polite was usually the best way to get the respect of another person, and the situation did not change with Carlton. He nodded appreciatively towards Darius and gestured to a seat opposite his desk.
"Please sit, Lord. I'll clean myself up and be with you in a moment." Carlton suggested as he exited his office through a door on the left. From a quick glance, Darius could tell that it was some kind of living quarters.
It was quite minimalistic and very clean, but that was about all he could glean from such a quick and cursory glance. Once Carlton entered, the girl who had led them here bowed and retreated from the room, closing the door.
In the silence, Darius nodded to Gunner who came to stand behind his chair respectfully. The large lad seemed like a true bodyguard, though both parties knew who was technically stronger.
It didn't take Carlton long to get himself cleaned up. He seemed to have taken a quick shower and wore more presentable clothes, though it came in the form of some strangely exotic looking hide armor.
Carlton moved to his seat and slowly placed himself into it, glancing at Gunner for a split second before gazing at Darius.
With an amiable smile, Carlton spoke: "So, Bistro and Nicholas tell me you have a job for my guild?"
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺