Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: It's Not That Kind of Place
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Ian, clutching Lia's enlistment application, let out a small chuckle.
Snagging a solid C-rank mercenary this early wasn't easy.
And one with such a perfectly matched trait? That was rare luck.
Ian figured he should send a gift to Rebecca for introducing her.
"Looking forward to working with you."
"...Yeah."
"Feel free to talk to me like you did before."
Ian sighed inwardly with a smile, having poured effort into recruiting Lia these past few days.
It had been sudden, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity.
When Rebecca introduced her, Ian had spotted Lia's desire gauge nearly full. He'd deliberately wandered the park near her inn at night, aiming for that nighttime event.
'The trait worked well too.'
To boost negotiation success, he'd spent 2 potential points.
Upgrading [Authoritative Presence], which clicked perfectly with her type, had made Lia far more cooperative than at their first meeting.
It was points he'd started saving again after using some for Mika, but recruiting talent like this made it a worthwhile investment.
"Alright, let me introduce you to the team."
While chatting with Lia, Ian had asked the others to step out briefly. Now he called them back into the break room.
"This is Lia, joining our mercenary corps starting today."
Ian gathered everyone in the break room and introduced the new member.
Rin, Mika, Tanya.
The three clapped lightly, a bit thrown off by the sudden addition.
Lia bowed her head and calmly took in her new comrades once more.
She'd suspected as much, but this really was the entire corps.
The D-rank label was spot on.
"A C-rank mercenary?"
"Why would someone like that join us...?"
"Makes sense now, right? With this outpost and all."
The trio across from her whispered while eyeing Lia.
New member, huh.
They'd heard from Ian and figured more people would join eventually...
But they'd imagined a rookie trailing behind them, not a seasoned vet with more experience jumping in out of nowhere.
Anyway, with the newcomer aboard, the group in the break room began introductions one by one.
Lia memorized their names as each stepped up.
Rin. Frontline.
Longest-serving, but didn't seem all that experienced.
Same frontline role, so they'd sync positions mainly from now on.
Mika. Mage.
She stressed multiple times that she could use magic.
...Isn't that a given for a mage?
Tanya. Porter.
A dedicated porter for such a small corps...? The thought crossed her mind briefly.
But the captain footed the bill anyway. Anyone who lightened the load was a win.
Introductions wrapped up, and it was Lia's turn.
The three watched her with keen interest.
"I'm Lia. C-rank mercenary, frontline position. About two years of experience..."
They clapped to welcome her, but exchanged quick glances.
The newbie wasn't a junior—she was a full-on senior.
So... how did hierarchy work now?
Lia picked up on the awkward vibe. It was inevitable with any new joiner shaking things up.
Right after her intro, conversation stalled in the brief, uneasy silence.
Ian broke it first.
"Rin's our vice-captain, so when I'm out, just check with her."
"Me?"
Rin looked up in surprise at her name.
Only Lia grasped Ian's intent and nodded quietly.
Don't mess with the existing pecking order.
With her experience, Lia got the reluctance.
A big rock had just rolled in.
Snagging a top spot could upend the flow, so caution until they sized her up was natural.
This was why she'd avoided low-rank groups.
She sighed softly, wondering if the signing bonus had blinded her into rushing it.
"Um, Captain... so then..."
In the post-greeting lull, Tanya tentatively raised her hand.
As eyes turned to her, she shrank a bit before speaking.
"Should we... have a welcome party?"
A somewhat impromptu welcome party was set up on the first floor of the guild house where Ian's Mercenary Corps stayed.
"Rin! Take this."
"More already?"
Despite the sudden notice, Tanya's dishes piled up fast on the break room table.
With a big kitchen at her disposal, Tanya had gone wild buying ingredients and cooking up a storm with godly enthusiasm.
"Mika. This too."
"...Any more?"
"Like three..."
Mika took the new plate from the kitchen.
She recalled Tanya poring over cookbooks every night.
Lately, it'd been party recipes...
The welcome was just an excuse; Tanya had probably been itching for a chance to throw a feast.
Mika carted the plates to the table with that thought.
A small welcome party for Lia unfolded at the big first-floor table.
Tanya was thrilled most, but everyone hid their quiet excitement poorly.
In Labyrinth City, uninterrupted private space meant big bucks.
A modest party in their own quiet spot, away from rowdy taverns.
The dream every mercenary chased while earning coin...
It looked simple but was pure luxury, topping bucket lists with its hidden cost.
"Shall we toast?"
Clink.
Glasses met, launching the modest yet lavish welcome.
The evening feast stretched into the deep night.
Judging the time right, Ian stood first.
"I'll head up. Keep chatting and crash whenever."
"Sure!"
He'd covered what needed saying with Lia. Now it was about her bonding with the team.
Ian slipped upstairs to let them talk freely.
The three still kept some distance with Lia, but conversation eased the awkwardness bit by bit.
"Uh... Lia. More?"
"Nah, I'm good."
Calling each other by name felt a tad stiff still...
But at least they weren't dodging eyes or stumbling over words like before.
"Mika..."
"You two, ease up on the drinks."
Tanya scolded them while fetching the last dishes from the kitchen.
Lia observed from a slight remove.
These three were probably friends before.
In a strict corps, she'd have had to reset the hierarchy.
But Captain Ian didn't seem to want that from her.
He'd have assigned a role otherwise.
Having gauged the vibe, Lia decided to blend naturally into their friend group.
Best way to build teamwork: adapt to the standing rules.
"Lia, then what?"
"Oh... where were we?"
Tanya returned from her brief absence, and Mika prompted Lia.
Lia resumed the paused story, waiting for her.
Merc talk boiled down to spending sprees and mission highlights.
A higher-rank merc's tales? Instant hook for any crew.
Still D-rank with light experience, the three dove headfirst into Lia's stories.
"And there was this kobold pack..."
"Kobolds?"
"Oh, yeah. Those... cave monsters, I heard."
...D-rank and never seen a kobold?
Occasional head-tilts like that popped up mid-tale...
But their rapt attention felt good anyway.
Lia spun yarns and fielded their questions on merc life till dawn crept in.
...This vibe's been a while.
Lia leaned back into the sofa, sinking deep as the thought hit.
Rebecca must've pushed so hard to hook her up for this reason.
Solo habits had made her forget these joys for too long.
Comrades...
Drinks and chatter...
Everyday normalcy...
Lost in it, Lia's eyes snapped wide at a sudden realization.
...Wait.
Just a normal mercenary corps.
The question hit late: why she'd come here today.
Underground dungeon.
Collar.
Handcuffs...?