Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Demonic Energy
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With Innon joining us,
a solution to the problem I'd been agonizing over finally appeared.
'If I make good use of Innon... I might even be able to control the mercenaries.'
Even if the Mercenary Guild branch chief was on my side, reining in the mercenaries wouldn't be easy.
'But what if I had a mercenary band that followed me?'
I sorted out my thoughts and lifted my gaze.
But...
"Innon, what's with that look on your face?"
When I'd asked him to join us,
Innon had been overjoyed, like he'd conquered the world.
Now, though, his face was clouded with deep worry.
"I'm wondering how to explain it to my comrades."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm quitting the mercenary life, but I can't be sure they will too."
I grabbed Innon's shoulders with both hands.
"Quitting the mercenaries? Why all of a sudden?"
"Obviously, to follow you, Heir, I'd have to become a knight or a soldier..."
I gave his arms a shake.
Or at least, I tried to.
Because of our difference in build and strength, I ended up staggering instead.
"No way!"
Innon himself was certainly talented.
But what I needed wasn't just Innon—it was 'mercenary' Innon.
If only for efficiently controlling the mercenaries.
"Heir?"
"You're staying a mercenary. Stay a mercenary and help me."
Innon looked utterly confused.
I gripped his shoulders tightly, putting strength into my hands.
"You said you'd follow me, right?"
"Of course."
"I've got plans for everything. First, let's grow the mercenary band."
"No, that's..."
I went with Innon to find Simon.
"Elwin. Welcome."
Simon greeted me with utmost courtesy.
He saw me as his lifesaver.
After all, I'd rescued them from the Sweeper Mercenary Band's ambush and healed their wounded with potions.
Even if it had been on credit.
"Ahem. I've got something to say. Got time?"
"Of course!"
I sat the two of them side by side.
And got straight to the point.
"Merge together."
"Out of the blue!?"
"Wha!?"
Of course, technically it would be Simon's group joining the Innocent Mercenary Band.
But a merge was a merge.
"I looked into it. Simon and your crew mostly took monster subjugation requests. No bad records either."
I explained first to Innon, then turned to Simon.
"You know it too—the Innocent Mercenary Band is decent. Even when they split from the mercenaries, they stayed good people."
"I know. Especially that Twin-Headed Ogre incident..."
Simon hurriedly clamped his mouth shut.
The Twin-Headed Ogre incident wasn't a good memory for Innon.
He glanced at Innon's expression, then spoke again.
"But I don't understand why you're telling us to merge."
"I plan to make the Innocent Mercenary Band the number one band on the island."
"Out of nowhere?"
"Number one mercenary band!?"
I raised a hand to silence them both.
"So, you doing it or not?"
Simon's face was conflicted, but Innon looked relieved, almost enlightened.
"We'll do it. My liege."
"My liege?"
That word made Simon's expression even more complicated.
And I reacted the same way.
'My liege...'
Since coming to this world, people had called me by two names.
Elwin. And Heir.
Those connected to Frontier territory called me Heir.
The others called me Elwin.
Of course, Brilda's people were the exception—they didn't acknowledge me as Heir.
'It's different from 'Master' too.'
'Master' implied a monetary relationship more than trust.
But 'my liege' was clearly the bond between lord and vassal.
And it had nothing to do with Frontier territory—it was purely mine.
Someone who wouldn't abandon me, even if I never became lord.
"Elwin? Elwin?"
Simon's voice snapped me out of my reverie.
"Ah, right. So, you in or out?"
"If you're asking, Elwin, then yes. You saved our lives, after all. But I can't force anyone who doesn't want to join."
His positive response prompted me to pull out the prepared gift.
It was potion debt forgiveness.
"Work for the Innocent Mercenary Band for three months. If you don't like it, you can leave."
"And the potion debt gets wiped even if we quit?"
"Of course."
Simon shot to his feet.
"Thank you so much. With terms like that, my whole crew will join the Innocent Mercenary Band."
Then he dashed off toward his comrades.
"My liege, we just need to bulk up the numbers?"
"Precisely, hunt monsters. More overwhelmingly than any other band on the island."
I'd put in requests through the West River Mercenary Guild.
And those results were recorded at the guild.
I wanted the Innocent Mercenary Band to dominate the top spot there.
That was why we were expanding the size.
"Understood. Leave it to me."
After finishing with Innon, I returned to my spot.
To remove the demonic energy from the mana stones.
.
.
It took a full ten days just to purge the demonic energy from the mana stones.
The moment I removed the last trace,
"Skills can change like that too?"
Earth Restoration, which purified corrupted land, and Demonic Energy Removal, which purified demonic energy, seemed similar yet different.
The Earth Restoration skill purified corrupted land.
I'd mainly used it for demonic energy, but it could remove other sources of corruption too.
In other words, it was perfect for farming on tainted soil.
Demonic Energy Removal, on the other hand, only purified demonic energy.
Simply put, it had specialized into a demonic energy-exclusive skill.
"Eh, doesn't matter much."
I'd only ever used Earth Restoration for demonic energy anyway.
It handled other corruptions as a bonus, but not doing so wouldn't cause issues.
"Might even be better. Specialization means better efficiency."
The system was pretty reasonable.
Like how active skills that consumed mana outperformed passives.
Specialized skills outperformed general ones.
I stood, brushed off my hands,
and shouted loudly.
"Everyone, gather up! We're heading back to River Village!"
As soon as we arrived at West River, Russell came running out.
"Master! You found mana stones?"
He was even happier about them than I was.
"Look in the back."
Russell pulled off the cloth, revealing a mana stone the size of a torso.
"Heave-ho. This is..."
Russell was stunned.
And his shock meant joy for me.
Expensive stuff.
"What do you think? Super pricey, right?"
"Yes. But..."
"But?"
"The bigger the mana stone, the lower the density tends to be."
That was news to me.
The price might end up lower than expected.
"Well, expensive is expensive. I can leave the sale to you, right?"
"Of course, Master."
I left the mana stone sale to Russell
and wrote a letter to my father.
I needed his permission for the next step.
Time passed like that,
and Russell returned.
Before Father's reply.
"Master, I'm back."
"Good work."
"Where should I deploy the slaves?"
"About that..."
I couldn't decide until Father's reply came.
As I hesitated,
the letter finally arrived.
"Oh! Russell, hold on. Letter just came."
I unfolded it and read quickly.
Seeing the final line—'I specially grant permission'—I clenched my fist.
Father had approved, so I could proceed as planned.
"Send the slaves to the outpost."
"Pardon!?"
"Not just the slaves. The retired mercenaries who joined us go to the outpost too."
Aine, who'd come along, looked shocked.
"Retired mercenaries? But they..."
"Elite ones as instructors. Some to Mercenary Street. The rest to farming, like we said."
"Right."
"Exactly. They're heading to the outpost. We're building a new large farm there."
Aine's expression turned grave.
I got it.
The decision to move the retired mercenaries to the outpost was brand new.
She probably hadn't seen it coming.
"We took on the retired mercenaries. But assigning their jobs is my call. If they don't like it, they can leave."
"...Understood. I'll let them know."
Aine spoke in a deflated voice.
Her face looked drained too.
She trudged off toward where the retired mercenaries were staying.
"Must've been a shock."
"A shock?"
"To Aine. Look how listless she is."
"Isn't that normal for her?"
"Russell, you're a merchant—don't you notice emotional shifts?"
"That's... sorry. But are you planning to build a village at the outpost?"
Russell changed the subject.
I understood his doubt.
West River's population was around 5,000.
Slaves and Mercenary Street included.
With all the surrounding land, it could easily hold 10,000.
So building a separate village seemed odd.
Especially a dangerous outpost.
"To control the mercenaries."
"Control... them?"
"Send the new slaves to the outpost. Ask Isaac to recommend someone to manage the outpost farm too."
"Got it."
Russell bowed and left to handle the tasks.
Alone now, I unfolded the letter again.
[...I read the letter you sent...]
[...The empire is upheld by the emperor, nobles, knights, and the common folk...]
[...Your words are novel yet align with the empire's core principles. Thus, I specially grant permission.]