Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Mercenary
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Bang!!!
"Lord Elwin, what on earth are you thinking!?"
The overseer from the corner of the banquet hall slammed the table and shot to her feet.
All eyes turned to her.
Inon looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Uh... so, she's the overseer dispatched from the Central Mercenary Guild. Her name is..."
Come to think of it, I still didn't know her name.
"What's your name, Overseer?"
"I'm Aine. Lord. El. Win."
"Right, Aine. What do you mean, what am I thinking? What exactly?"
"The recommender system!? I've never even heard of such a thing!"
"And?"
Aine faltered for a moment.
Probably because I spoke so calmly.
"From what I know, as long as we follow the manual provided by the Central Mercenary Guild, that's all that's required, right? The rest is up to each branch's autonomy, isn't it?"
"But the recommender system poaches mercenaries from other branches. That's..."
I shook my head.
What I had to say was clear.
"So? Does it violate the manual?"
"Well, no, but..."
Bang!!
This time, I slammed the table hard and stood up.
"Are you saying the Mercenary Guild branches shouldn't compete with each other!? How can there be any progress like that!"
I pointed toward the mercenaries.
"The Mercenary Guild has a duty to provide better service! We must do our utmost to help mercenaries focus on their commissions!"
The mercenaries looked moved.
I ignored their gazes as best I could and looked at Aine.
"But what is the Mercenary Guild doing now!? Just handling paperwork in a tiny building! Do you know why? Because there's no competition, there's no progress!"
Aine wore a complicated expression.
She seemed angry,
and flustered.
A moment later, Aine sat back down.
And so the day passed.
The next day.
I introduced the Innocent Mercenary Unit members to the guild facilities.
First, the Mercenary Guild at the center.
"This is the Mercenary Guild."
It was built much larger than a standard guild.
As we entered, a spacious interior came into view.
Plenty of chairs for mercenaries to rest.
A massive map taking up one wall.
A commission board of equal size.
"Ahem."
I cleared my throat and quickly skipped over introducing the commission board.
There were only two commissions on the vast board.
Monster subjugation and the recommender system.
"That's the Mercenary Guild for you. Now, let's head outside."
Various buildings surrounded the guild.
"That place is the restaurant where we had the banquet yesterday. Next to it is the inn where you all stayed."
Starting with the restaurant and inn, I introduced the other locations.
"Can we get treatment at the clinic?"
"That's right. Especially there, you get treated first and pay later. Human life comes first, doesn't it?"
Inon's expression grew strange.
He had actually gone through something similar.
Getting potions upfront and paying later...
A structure that tied you down with debt.
I read Inon's thoughts and continued immediately.
"I know what you're thinking, but life comes first. You've got to survive before anything else."
Inon nodded deeply.
Debt might seem negative, but if you thought about it differently, it was a huge benefit.
You could avoid the worst-case scenario of dying because you couldn't afford treatment.
"This is the training ground. You can use it for a small fee as much as you want."
Mercenaries weren't finished products.
On the contrary, they were people who had rolled and tumbled from nothing to get here.
They always needed a place to train.
"And this is the lecture hall."
"Lecture hall? What do you mean by that...?"
"We teach monster hunting methods, basic swordsmanship training, and so on."
The eyes of the Innocent mercenaries sparkled.
Especially the younger ones.
"You're going to teach us swordsmanship?"
"There are swordsmanship instructors at the nearby school. I plan to invite them. Plus, we have one knight who can teach as well."
"Why go to such lengths?"
"Well..."
To secure the troll territory.
And ultimately, to become the lord of Frontier.
But there was no need to tell the mercenaries that.
As I pondered how to deflect, a young mercenary stepped forward.
"Obviously to provide better service! To help mercenaries focus on their commissions!"
The young mercenary shouted loudly and looked at me.
With an expression expecting praise.
"Ahem, yeah, you could say that."
Perhaps because of what I'd said at the banquet yesterday, everyone accepted it without question.
Even Aine, following behind us, nodded.
After that, I introduced the blacksmith and the shop.
Essential spots for mercenaries, selling and repairing all sorts of gear.
Sure enough, the mercenaries bombarded the blacksmith and shop staff with questions.
After touring those two places, we stepped outside.
Inon's expression looked complicated.
"What are you thinking so deeply about?"
"I thought prices on the island were higher than on the mainland. But that's not entirely true."
"Exactly. Food is expensive, but items produced on the island itself aren't priced high."
We returned to the entrance of the central Mercenary Guild.
"What do you think after the tour?"
I asked Inon casually.
And his answer was positive.
I forcibly held back the smile tugging at my lips.
"Don't worry, bring your mercenaries here. I'll take responsibility and provide better service than the mainland. I'll even help you earn more money!"
The mercenaries bowed and entered the guild.
'This should be enough, right?'
I'd explained firsthand how great this place was.
Doing all this must have eased their mental burden.
The worry that maybe they'd recommended a bad place and led them astray.
"Lord Elwin."
"Huh? Why didn't you go in?"
Aine had stayed in front of the guild.
"I misunderstood about the recommender system. I'm sorry."
"It happens. No need to apologize."
If anything, Aine was right.
The recommender system was meant to poach mercenaries from other regions.
What I'd said yesterday was just a nice way of packaging it.
"You're right, Lord Elwin. The Mercenary Guild hasn't progressed. No, it's regressed."
Aine spoke with such sincerity that
I unwittingly took a step back.
"The Mercenary Guild needs new vitality. Someone like you, Lord Elwin!"
"Uh... uh, yeah, thanks. I'll be going now..."
The conversation was veering strangely.
So I hurriedly tried to greet and leave.
"There are people in the Mercenary Guild advocating for reform."
"Wait, do I really need to know about that?"
"Of course! Until now, the Mercenary Guild has just collected fees from mercenaries to fatten up the higher-ups. Meanwhile, they've ignored injured and dying mercenaries!"
What on earth was Aine talking about?
People advocating reform?
And why bring up the higher-ups?
"Aine, calm down first. I'm just..."
I just needed to conquer the troll territory.
I had zero interest in Mercenary Guild reform.
I couldn't voice the rest.
Words were already out.
"After hearing you yesterday, Lord Elwin, I thought: let's create a utopia for mercenaries here."
Aine delivered her passionate speech and returned to her usual expression.
But her face was flushed, like she was embarrassed.
"What? Why are you embarrassed?"
"Me? You're mistaken."
"Nah, you're totally embarrassed."
"I said it's a misunderstanding."
Aine turned her face away to dodge.
Hiding her reddened cheeks—it was cute.
Especially since she was usually expressionless and cold.
"Aine, how old are you again?"
"Twenty."
Twenty.
Like a college freshman.
'Reminds me of when I first started university.'
After finishing the marathon of entrance exams,
before the military,
that one year.
Some might call it the golden age for men.
A golden age where you could truly enjoy life.
The fresh vibe I felt from first-year college girls was there in Aine too.
"You're cute."
"W-what!? How am I cute? And I'm older than you, Lord Elwin."
I clasped my hands behind my back and gazed at the sunset.
"Tsk tsk, looks aren't what matter. It's how mature your heart is."
Step.
Aine stood beside me and looked up at the sunset.
Just like me.
"Aine, I get what you're thinking. But reforming the Mercenary Guild isn't something I can do."
It might be harder than becoming Frontier Viscount.
I had neither the spare time nor the will for it.
"I know. You don't have the power to confront the guild's higher-ups."
I turned to look at Aine.
Was it the sunset's red light?
She seemed more vibrant than usual.
"That's why I'd given up too. Until I met you, Lord Elwin."
Aine turned to me.
Our eyes met.
I saw her moist, sparkling eyes.
Clear and pure irises.
"We don't need to fight the higher-ups. Like you said, just make the branches compete. Then they'll work harder to keep their local mercenaries from being poached. In other words, become a Mercenary Guild that truly cares for its mercenaries."
I smiled.
Aine smiled back.
If that's what she had in mind, there was no problem.
Competition between guild branches.
That's what I wanted too.
And that competition would benefit me.
While other mercenary branches chased profits,
I planned to operate at a loss.
My goal wasn't simple money, but something more.
"Do you have anyone in mind for branch manager?"
"Nope?"
"May I make a recommendation?"