Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Black Wolf Mercenary Group - 1
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“What do you mean, you can’t pay our wages?”
The subordinates began to rage at the words of the Black Wolf Mercenary Group’s leader.
“Earl, is this bastard cutting us out because we lost the war?”
“Fucking prick.”
“We need to hit back right now.”
It was common for nobles to stiff mercenaries they’d hired out of their rightful pay. But that usually happened to no-name groups.
Who were the Black Wolf Mercenary Group?
One of the most famous mercenary bands in the Astyren Empire, and their leader Wolf was a knight to boot.
A knight.
Considering it was accepted wisdom that their combat power equaled a hundred soldiers, the Black Wolf Mercenary Group—numbering around that same figure—couldn’t be dismissed lightly.
Yet Anitul Earl was stiffing a group like that.
After working them harder than anyone else in the war.
“Hit back? Against the Earl? Come on, kids, don’t joke around.”
But that didn’t mean the mercenaries could take revenge on the Earl.
No matter that Wolf was knight-class, the Earl always had three or four knights at his side, and the commanders scattered across the war fronts were knights too.
They weren’t in a position to pick a fight.
“Still, Leader, if we head back like this, the losses will be massive. And with winter coming soon, there won’t be any wars for a while.”
One of the vice-leaders spoke up, and Wolf fell into thought.
Just swallowing the loss and leaving didn’t sit right with his temperament, as the subordinate had pointed out.
That was when the same vice-leader who’d spoken earlier dangled a tempting idea.
“How about we raid Hippo Baron’s territory?”
“Hippo Baron?”
“Yes. He’s a vassal the Anitul Earl has turned his back on, and he’s got no real military strength, so he wouldn’t dream of retaliation.”
“Hmm… But from what I know, Hippo Baron’s territory is pretty worthless.”
Hippo Baron was a pathetic man with no knack for reading the bigger picture and none of a noble’s grit.
A guy like that couldn’t have been granted decent land by a greed-filled Earl.
Especially since much of it bordered the Dark Forest and wasn’t properly managed.
If anything, raiding a place like that might end up costing them more.
One War Bear wandering out of the Dark Forest could spell big trouble for the mercenary group.
“Um…”
As Wolf grew frustrated, one of the squad leaders gathered there spoke up.
“What?”
“From what I’ve heard, one of Hippo Baron’s villages has a lot of beautiful women.”
“A lot of beauties?”
“Yes. Do you know the soldier named Leon among Hippo Baron’s troops?”
It was a ridiculous question. Mercenary leaders didn’t usually remember individual grunts. They had enough trouble keeping track of their own men, let alone someone else’s.
But Wolf did remember the soldier named Leon.
Not just because he was skilled for a regular soldier, but because of his striking looks.
“I know him too. The soldiers from Lugeron Village always brag that the women in their village are the prettiest.”
“What a joke. Near the Dark Forest? One War Bear shows up and they’re all dead.”
“Well, maybe only the pretty ones survived?”
Wolf mulled over his men’s opinions and made his decision.
“Fine. There’s no war to fight anyway, so let’s raid that Lugeron Village or whatever it’s called.”
The subordinates cheered at their leader’s call.
There was nothing mercenaries enjoyed more than a good raid.
...
We’d built it, but we still needed the Village Chief’s permission, so we showed him the watermill first and gave it a test run.
Watching the mill outperform even the windmill, the chief teared up.
“You’re this village’s treasure!”
“Why are you getting like this? It’s embarrassing.”
Anyway, we got his approval, and since everyone had struggled with the war this year, he let us use the watermill free of charge just for this season.
“I’ll handle it for a while. I’ve been bored lately with no work coming in.”
“Won’t that be tough? Winter’s almost here.”
“It’s fine. Blacksmiths have it harder starving to death.”
Only Tom and I knew how to operate it, but Tom volunteered to take charge for the time being.
What a grateful guy.
‘I hope this keeps that idiot from cozying up to Sylvia.’
As the mill owner, he’d been skimming plenty, so aside from his cronies, everyone else was still grinding grain by hand on millstones.
Seeing him try to get fat while everyone else suffered in these times—it was so infuriating I wanted to kill him.
“Well, the chief will handle that.”
Next up for me was…
“What’s that?”
I’d been thinking of heading to the Dark Forest for a hunt when a group of traveling merchants approached the village.
I hurried home to discuss with my family, then went to meet the merchants.
“Come on in~ This isn’t a sale we have every day! Potions you need to stock for emergencies, magic tools to protect against monsters—all at bargain prices! Cheap!”
A girl with short hair, cat ears, and a tail was boldly hawking her wares.
Her pitch didn’t sound cheap at all, and I felt my energy drain.
“Oh ho~ If it isn’t our regular customer, Sian!”
“Pina, do all the Catkit Merchant Company traders have as much energy as you to come to a backwater village like this so often?”
“Nyahaha, no way. I’m probably the only peddler who comes to a remote place like this.”
As you can see, Pina was a catkin with pink cat ears and tail. The Catkit Merchant Company was founded by catkin, after all.
“But Pina here doesn’t shy away from tough territories if it means getting rich.”
“And yet you jack up the prices.”
“Nyahaha, just pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“Wanna die?”
“Kidding! Kidding! Nyahaha.”
When I glared at her, Pina curled her tail and averted her eyes. True to her beastkin nature, she turned weak before the strong.
“Right, Sian, do you know about that thing?”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“Figured you wouldn’t. It’s top-secret info. Just for you. Anitul Earl lost to Sahad Duke.”
“What?”
“Anitul Earl paid reparations to Sahad Duke, so the war’s over for now, but the mood suggests it could flare up again anytime.”
Pina’s tip had good news and bad.
The good was that the war’s end meant some fathers, husbands, or sons who’d gone off to fight would return to the village.
The bad was that Anitul Earl would squeeze the farmers dry to pay those reparations.
“So that’s why you showed up earlier than expected.”
“Nyahaha, if not now, I wouldn’t get to sell anything here.”
Her merchant’s petty scheming soured my mood, but it worked in my favor too.
With winter coming and the Earl out for blood, preparations were needed.
“Since it’s you, Sian, I won’t overcharge. Sell me all your hides and byproducts. It’ll be the best deal for you.”
“Ten high-quality War Bear pelts.”
“Pardon?”
“Claws too—the good stuff, in bulk. And five fresh bear gallbladders.”
“Eek?”
“Finally, a hundred pounds of rock salt.”
“Y-You’ve been hoarding this much?”
Hoarding?
I’d hunted and gathered non-stop for nearly two months straight to provide for my family.
“It’s too much—I can’t convert it all to gold coins. Anything you need?”
“Three or four potions, a long sword, bow and arrows, perfume and oil. And finally, those fruits I asked for last time.”
“W-Wait a sec.”
Pina frantically worked her abacus and flipped through her ledger at my order.
“Ugh… So, with this, my profit margin would be…”
“We’ll be here all day if you nickel-and-dime it.”
“Money is a merchant’s lifeline.”
“Sigh… You’re still coming out ahead.”
According to my father, War Bears were among the stronger monsters and caused a lot of trouble for civilians, so nobles and knights liked to display their pelts at home like tiger skins in Joseon to flaunt their power and prowess.
Especially nobles numb to money—they’d buy no matter the price. It was practically name your own.
But I lacked distribution channels and it was a hassle, so I dumped it all on Pina whenever she came to the village.
“Calculations done. Here’s five gold coins in change.”
“And take this.”
“Eek? Why give the gold back? Don’t tell me you’re thinking—? No offense, but I don’t sell my body.”
“It’s not that. It’s a down payment.”
“Down payment? For stuff you need?”
“Next time you come, bring these items listed here.”
Pina looked troubled at the writing on the tree bark.
“These are all hard to source.”
“That’s why it’s a down payment. I’ll cover any shortfall when you arrive.”
“Got it. A merchant’s credit is their trust—I’ll handle it.”
With that, I checked the goods bought from the peddler Pina and headed home.
Then, as I inspected the long sword and bow, I considered the worst-case scenario.
‘Just in case, I shouldn’t hunt for a while. Better stay in the village.’
According to Pina, Anitul Earl had lost the war and paid reparations.
High chance he’d stiffed the mercenaries he’d hired.
And mercenaries denied pay had one predictable response.
Raiding the territory of the noble who’d cheated them.
‘Our village is remote, so low odds they’d hit us.’
But if worst came to worst, preparing didn’t hurt at all.