Chapter 30
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 30
The mercenaries fell into a collective silence as they watched Lucian keep his word without a moment's hesitation.
A whirlwind of emotions—jealousy, lamentation, regret, and greed—swirled through the room.
Ignoring the heavy stares boring into him from all sides, Lucian spoke with a faint smile.
“That’s a lot of money, so you might feel a bit uneasy. If you’d like, I can arrange an escort for you to your next destination.”
“No, that’s quite alright. I prefer moving alone.”
“Is that so? Well, I suppose I can’t force you.”
As Lucian stepped aside, Aiden bolted out the door like a shot from a bow. Judging by his haste, he likely intended to buy a horse and leave the area immediately.
At the same time, the other mercenaries began to rise from their seats with a clatter.
They’re planning to hunt him down, kill him, and take the money.
Typical mercenaries.
Even though they had been his peers in his past life, seeing such behavior never failed to bring a bitter smile to his face.
Clap, clap.
“Now, I’m not finished yet, so everyone take your seats.”
Before the mercenaries could make their move, Lucian clapped his hands to draw their attention.
Most flinched and hesitated at his words, but a few continued to move as if they hadn't heard a thing. One group of mercenaries even walked right up to the entrance Lucian was blocking.
“Young Master, move aside for a moment. Nature calls, and it’s urgent.”
“We’ll be back before you know it. We’ll even write you a formal pledge if that’s what you want.”
There were always those who failed to read the room.
Even after seeing a life snuffed out right before their eyes, it seemed these fools had learned nothing.
Lucian let out a short laugh and reached into the pouch of platinum coins.
“Sven received a price for his life that was far beyond his worth. I wonder, how much are your lives worth?”
“...!”
“Go back and sit down. Or would you like me to swear another oath?”
Realizing the gravity of the situation far too late, the mercenaries scrambled backward, their faces turning pale.
When no one answered, Lucian slammed a few platinum coins onto the table and shouted.
“By the Eight Gods of Heaven—!”
“We’re sitting! We’re sitting right now! Look! We’re in our seats!”
“Please, give us a break! We weren't trying to disrespect you, Young Master!”
The mercenaries who had crowded the entrance shrieked in terror and dove back into their seats.
Seeing this, the rest of the mercenaries froze in unison. They realized that if they continued to ignore Lucian, they might become the target of his next oath.
Once the mercenaries were settled back in their seats, albeit hesitantly, Lucian spoke.
“Lately, those rats from the Empire Liberation Front have been scurrying around this area. Normally, you lot should have been the ones to catch them. But thanks to your pathetic slacking, they’re running wild as if they own the place.”
“...”
“Let me be clear about why I came here. I want you to fulfill your contracts. Starting tomorrow, you will work exactly as much as you’ve been paid by my brother. I will not tolerate any more laziness. Is that understood?”
At those words, the mercenaries’ faces twisted with discontent.
It was true that they had been overplaying their hand, believing they held the advantage. However, it was also true that House Valdek had forced them into contracts at standard rates even when their market value was at an all-time high.
No matter their past transgressions, this was a point the mercenaries found difficult to accept quietly.
“Young Master, please don’t misunderstand. It’s not that we’re being greedy, it’s just...”
“For every member of the Empire Liberation Front you capture, I will pay you one platinum coin.”
“...!?”
The mercenaries’ eyes nearly popped out of their heads at Lucian’s addendum.
While it was significantly less than the amount used in the previous oath, it was still a staggering sum for a bonus. A single platinum coin, even when split among an entire mercenary company, was equivalent to the pay from four or five average jobs.
“And for any mercenary company that captures five or more members of the Empire Liberation Front, I’ll add another platinum coin as a bonus. How does that sound?”
Gulp.
The sound of people swallowing hard echoed through the room.
If they caught just five, that was six platinum coins. That was enough to dream of retirement after splitting the pay.
As everyone hesitated, glancing at one another while weighing the incredibly tempting offer, a voice broke the silence.
“Fine! There’s no reason to refuse a deal like that!”
A mercenary company in the corner stood up and shouted.
The others flinched for a moment, but only for a moment. Once the dam broke, mercenaries began standing up all over the room.
“We’ll work under those terms as well!”
“Where do we go? Just tell us where to deploy!”
“Lads, grab your gear! It’s time to work!”
Lucian smirked at the sudden transformation of the mercenaries who, until moments ago, had been lounging about.
He raised a hand to quiet the room and shouted once more.
“It’s already late, so get some rest! I’ll announce the deployment locations tomorrow morning! But mark my words: if you slack off again using some pathetic excuse, I’ll make sure you cough up every single bit of the advance payment you’ve already received!”
*
Lucian and his party left the inn after concluding the negotiations.
He had issued a few more warnings, but unlike before, not a single person dared to protest.
“That went well enough. I’m sure my eldest brother will be satisfied, so let’s head back and let him know.”
Raymond swallowed hard as he watched Lucian speak so nonchalantly. In reality, the achievement was anything but light.
To think he completely overturned a stagnant situation with a single oath.
To an outsider, it might look like he had spent a fortune just to get rid of one piece of trash. But a few platinum coins were a pittance compared to the gains Lucian had secured.
He flaunted the platinum coins to prove he had the means to pay massive rewards, and then used the oath to eliminate any distrust. He broke their solidarity by making them kill one of their own, then instilled the fear that they could be next.
It was easy to explain, but incredibly difficult to execute.
Interest groups that grow too large eventually become blinded by their own perceived power. Often, trying to put them in their place results in a bloodbath because their egos have grown alongside their strength.
Yet, Lucian had slapped them into reality and forced them to get their acts together with nothing but a few words.
As a result, the mercenaries lost their focal point and were dragged along by the Third Young Master’s intentions throughout the negotiation. If that man Sven had lived—or at least, if their solidarity hadn't been shattered—there would have been those who refused the terms and revolted.
It wasn't just the process leading up to the negotiation. Even the terms he presented were flawless.
He kept the base pay the same while offering an almost excessive performance bonus. It looked like a delicate balance, but in reality, it was an overwhelmingly favorable deal for House Valdek.
The reason the Empire Liberation Front is acting so boldly is because they believe the surveillance is lax. The moment mercenaries, blinded by the prospect of bonuses, start hunting them, those rats will have no choice but to lay low.
As a secret organization, they were experts at covert operations. Once they truly started hiding, it would be difficult for even mercenaries to find them. They might catch one or two at first, but for the remainder of the contract, the mercenaries likely wouldn't even see their shadows.
Conversely, the Empire Liberation Front would be miserable, their freedom of movement severely restricted as they tried to avoid the mercenaries. It was the ultimate move: restricting the enemy's movements while minimizing expenditures.
If there was one thing lacking in this whole affair...
“Young Master, that was truly magnificent work. However, wasn't that first pouch of platinum coins a bit too much? What would you have done if someone had actually killed that mercenary on the first try?”
Raymond found himself nodding at Hugo’s words, which mirrored his own thoughts.
Though it had passed without incident, that had been the one unstable element of the plan. If a mercenary, blinded by greed, had killed Sven during the first oath, the cost would have far outweighed the benefit.
It’s good to have confidence in one’s plans. But excessive confidence at a young age can easily turn into arrogance later on.
Raymond intended to offer some stern advice depending on Lucian’s answer.
However, Lucian simply smirked and tossed the pouch of platinum coins to Hugo.
“See for yourself.”
“Gah!”
Startled by the sudden flight of such a massive sum, Hugo scrambled to catch it with both hands. It would be a catastrophe if even a single coin fell and went missing.
“Young Master, please don’t give me a heart attack! What if I’d dropped it!”
“It’s fine if you drop a few. There aren't any platinum coins in there anyway.”
“Pardon?”
“I moved them earlier. This is the real pouch of platinum coins.”
Clink.
A small pouch appeared from inside Lucian’s coat. It was a modest thing, not even a quarter of the size of the large pouch Hugo was holding.
“Th-then this pouch is...?”
Dazed, Hugo quickly pulled open the large pouch. As the contents were revealed, Hugo’s face turned into a mask of shock.
“It’s all silver!?”
“Think about it. Would my father really give me that many platinum coins? Even if he’s supporting me, there’s a limit.”
“Then the pouch you threw earlier was...!”
“Except for the ones I layered on top, they were all silver coins. The colors are barely different, so as long as you hide the engravings, it’s easy to fool the eye. The only time I actually used real platinum coins was for the final oath.”
The nonchalant answer left not only Hugo but also Raymond and the Black Lions speechless.
So the entire "pouch of platinum" had been a bluff?
“W-wait a moment, Third Young Master. What about the Oath of the Pantheon? You clearly said you would give him the platinum coins.”
“When did I say that? I said I would give him the pouch during the oath. I never said a word about giving him platinum coins.”
Raymond and the Black Lions all looked at each other.
Vincent, who had an exceptional memory, nodded in response to their silent questioning.
“He did indeed say that. He mentioned platinum coins when he first made the proposal to the mercenaries, but when he swore the Oath of the Pantheon, he only said he would transfer ownership of everything in the pouch.”
“S-so the proposal and the oath were different?”
“Strictly speaking, the first proposal wasn't a lie either. He spoke while holding out the pouch, but he never explicitly stated that everything inside the pouch was platinum.”
“...”
It was a bit of a stretch, but it wasn't illogical. Contracts were often rife with deception, and the mercenaries themselves had been making unreasonable demands until now.
Most importantly, even if the first proposal was ambiguous, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the Oath of the Pantheon itself. He had simply promised to give whatever was in the pouch, not a specific item.
“What if you’d been caught? Like I said, if someone had killed him right after the first proposal...”
“I would have snatched it up and tucked it away. If they had any sense at all, would they really unravel the pouch right there with their greedy peers watching them like hawks? At most, they’d check the color and close it back up.”
“Even so, it would have cost you much more. The platinum coins you recovered when you rescinded the oath weren't a small amount.”
“At the same time, the person who took that pouch would have been marked for death by everyone else. With that kind of money, everyone’s eyes would have turned red with greed. Even if they checked inside later and realized it was silver, no one would have believed them.”
To be blunt, it was doubtful whether the man who had walked away with a few real platinum coins would even make it back to his hometown safely. Even with the bonuses and warnings keeping them in check, there were always fools who chose the easy, dangerous path.
In my past life, I saw plenty of people spend years hunting each other down for far less money. If he’s lucky, he’ll evade pursuit and live out his days in comfort. If he’s unlucky, he’ll be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life.
If that was the case for the current, much smaller amount, what would have happened if someone had taken that entire large pouch? If they managed to stay alive for more than twelve hours after leaving the inn, it would be nothing short of a divine miracle.
“And if the rightful owner of the reward dies, there’s no reason I can’t just take it back, right? It’s not exactly unusual for a knight to make some extra income by taking down a few murderous bandits.”
“...!”