"Meow.."
Lucky lazily dozed on Ves' shoulder after his sumptuous meal. His tail flitted back and forth with contentment.
Ves sighed and booped his pet in the nose.
"Meow!"
"Maybe I should leave the search to you, Lucky."
Kelandra ignored the antics of her client and led the group to some of the outer halls. Not as many mercenaries and clients frequented these areas as they were usually taken up by less established mercenary corps. More foreign-owned outfits showed up as well, providing potential employers with more affordable alternatives.
It was at one of the outer halls that Lucky suddenly sniffed and raised his head.
"Meow!"
"Hmm? What is it, Lucky?"
"Meow meow!"
There is something remarkable about that pair of mercenaries?"
Lucky pointed him towards a pair of despondent-looking foreigners sitting by themselves in the corner of the hall they were in right now. The two, a man and a woman, looked fairly young and also shared an obvious family resemblance.
Nothing about their appearance appealed to potential clients. Their grumpy faces and haggard faces suggested they were part of a mercenary corps that was down on their luck.
Yet now that Lucky directed Ves to turn his attention on them, a couple of details stood out.
First, their clothes may have started to look like rags, but they used to be part of a military uniform. Ves could easily imagine the badges and insignia that used to adorn their outfits.
Second, though the two mercs looked despondent, they still possessed some steel in their spine. They must have enjoyed a very proud position in the past.
These weren't the first foreign mercenaries he'd seen on Bloodstone who fled in disgrace. In fact, such stories were actually the norm than the exception.
It was just that the losses the two mercenaries suffered must have been fairly recent. Otherwise, they wouldn't have looked so out of place compared to the other mercenaries who learned they needed to let go of their pasts in order to begin anew.
As Ves came nearer, he discreetly brushed them with his spiritual vision. Both happened to possess a mote of spirituality.
Did that instantly make them special? Not necessarily. Ves already encountered numerous mech pilots like them. Numerous Larkinsons shared the same condition.
Therefore, aside from the peculiarities he observed, Ves did not note anything else that caused Lucky to take interest in the pair.
It didn't hurt to talk, though.
"Looks like the two of you aren't exactly eager to enter the mercenary business." Ves started off on a strong note.
The male looked up with resentful eyes. "We did not choose to be mercenaries. It was forced upon us due to unforeseen circumstances."
"You can say that about half the foreigners in these halls. What makes you so special?"
The mercenary shrugged. "We competed for power and lost. Our noble house is in ruins and our titles are struck from the records. Are you happy now, or do you want to laugh at us some more?"
Ah. Fallen nobles. It always hurt more when you fell from a greater height.
"I do not mean to disparage the two of you." Ves gently raised his hands. "I'm just curious. Are the two of you in charge of a mercenary corps?"
"No." The woman shook her head and spoke up for the first time. "They cut and run on us when we arrived at Bloodstone! They took the mechs owned by our house and started their own outfit without us! We've appealed to the Kinner Tribe and the Mercenary Association but they aren't doing anything to return our stolen property!"
Well, that explained why the pair of foreigners looked so crushed. Ves became increasingly more interested in their story. What was it about them that attracted Lucky's notice?