Red Hat and Red Nose (1)
Red Hat and Red Nose (1)
The quiet atmosphere of the guild office area.
Heading toward the largest counter at its center, Daygan was sitting there.
"Oh, it's you? Good to see you after a few weeks."
"Good to see you too, Daygan."
We exchanged greetings with bright faces.
Since sharing a drink together, our relationship felt even closer.
It was what you might call true friendship, regardless of gender or age.
"Wait a moment. I have a mountain of paperwork to process with you."
Indeed, there must be plenty to handle.
Daygan, who had been rummaging through documents and boxes in the back, returned to the counter.
"First, let's settle the outstanding payments. Sales from the dire wolf materials, excluding some of the hides. 9 denar."
Nine shiny gold coins were placed before me.
The dire wolf I had hunted almost a month ago had finally returned to me as money.
Come to think of it, the armor I commissioned from Meister Heinrich should be nearly complete by now.
I decided to visit him soon to check on the progress.
"This is the bounty for the wanted criminal Archibald, whom you eliminated. 8 denar."
Archibald, the leader of the bandits.
Even now, thinking about him makes my blood boil.
If I hadn't ambushed him with Agony's Ecstasy, I would never have been able to defeat him.
"And the sales from the spoils of war you entrusted to us for sale amount to 26 denar. The plate armor was particularly expensive."
The loot from the bandits was the biggest income.
The expensive plate armor he mentioned was probably Archibald's equipment.
"So that's 43 denar total. Heh, I feel like I've become rich in an instant."
43 gold coins. That's a whopping 4,300 arshen in silver.
It was an amount on a completely different level from the money I'd handled until now.
"That's not all. Take these 5 denar as well."
"What's this for?"
"Compensation for the Fragment of Curse. Even though it was evidence in the case, it was technically your property, so the City Council paid its proper value."
I thought I'd get a few silver coins at most, but they gave me five gold coins.
The Fragment of Curse must indeed be quite a significant item.
"Here, finally 4 denar. Though you went through many hardships, you did complete your original objective of kobold subjugation, didn't you? This includes the subjugation payment, a separate reward from the City Council, and our mercenary guild's bonus."
"...Thank you."
It seemed the council and guild had specially taken care of me, recognizing my efforts in this incident.
Being rewarded like this gave me a strange feeling. This must be what they call a sense of belonging and loyalty.
"Now that the settlements are done, let's talk about the aftermath."
"About the subjugation force?"
"Yes. We found the remains of the subjugation force members at the location you told us about. We identified them using their Mercenary Badges and returned them to their families' embrace as much as possible."
That was much better than being buried in an unmarked grave in foreign land.
The souls of the mercenaries, including Tir, must be more at peace now.
"And regarding the personal effects you requested. We sorted through what we could and delivered them to the families. Of course, there wasn't much. Only items that were clearly identifiable, like Ashekh's sword or Waldo's mace."
"I'm grateful even for that much. You've really worked hard."
I was thankful that he readily agreed to what was somewhat of an unreasonable request.
At my sincere thanks, Daygan just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, it wasn't that difficult. It's not something you need to thank me for anyway. Follow-up measures are part of the guild's proper duties."
"But I'm still grateful for it."
At my stubborn attitude, Daygan raised both hands as if conceding.
"Alright, alright. You're quite stubborn. More importantly, I have more news about the subjugation force incident."
"Has the mage's identity been confirmed?"
"I don't know about that either. What I want to tell you is that this matter has now completely left our hands."
I nodded silently.
The situation had indeed become too big.
The Fragment of Curse, presumed to be a product of black magic.
Even if it could only command lower-level monsters, its ability itself was too sinister.
Because of that, it became a matter not for mere mercenaries but for knights, nobles, and clergy to handle.
"Given the nature of the case, it was reported through the council to the magistrate. Since it smelled of black magic, the church also showed interest."
"So now it's no longer a matter for the mercenary guild to be involved in."
"Exactly. There's no reason to be concerned about it anymore."
The development was as expected.
Though I was curious about what would happen next, part of me felt relieved.
I wouldn't have to bother worrying about mages and such, and could just return to my daily life.
"More importantly, I'm planning to start mercenary work again. Are there any requests like bandit extermination?"
"Bandits, huh. Murderous robbers have been swarming around the eastern crossroads area of the city lately. I remember the owner of the coachman's inn there posted a bounty too."
After looking through some documents, he handed me a piece of paper.
It was a bounty notice for a bandit called 'Red Hat Jack'.
"It's a bounty posted by an individual, not the council. That's why the reward is only 5 arshen. Still want to take it?"
"Yes. I'll take it."
"Alright. Let me draw you a rough map just in case. Ask the client for details."
The bounty was pitiful, but that didn't matter much.
If I could gain combat experience and earn plenty of pain points, that would be enough.
"Here, take it. It's still early morning, so you should be able to arrive before sunset."
"Thank you."
After exchanging farewells with him, I left the guild building.
I came here wanting to use my sword, but somehow ended up talking too much.
At least I finished all the settlements, which was good.
The pouch full of gold coins pulled heavily at my belt.
A total of 52 denar. It was an enormous sum of money I'd never handled before in my life.
I hadn't yet decided how to use this pile of gold.
Originally, I had planned to save money to commission plate armor.
But after facing Ashekh and Archibald, I realized something.
That steel armor is meaningless against opponents several levels stronger.
Even if I armored my entire body, I'd only be able to withstand a few more blows from an Aura Expert's fierce attacks at best.
Ultimately, I wouldn't be able to change the outcome of defeat.
Therefore, what I need is a means to turn the tide of battle regardless of skill level.
Things like magic artifacts inscribed with spells or special weapons made from rare metals would be examples.
In that case, 52 denar might not be enough.
For now, I returned to Rose's Grace and stored the pouch of gold coins in the chest in my room.
I planned to safely save it until I could find time to research my options.
With all my backlog cleared, it was time to become mercenary Rene again.
I passed through the eastern city walls and began moving according to the rough map Daygan had given me.
I could have taken a carriage, but trusting my own two legs, I simply ran along the road.
With my Aura user-level physical abilities and infinite stamina.
This method allowed me to significantly reduce travel time.
Sometime around 2 or 3 PM, well past noon.
After running for what felt like ages, I finally arrived at my destination, the crossroads coachman's inn.
Seeing it in person, it was more like a small village than just a coachman's inn.
A large wooden lodging house the size of a mansion and a carriage storage.
There was also a blacksmith shop for shoeing horses and maintaining equipment, and a bathhouse that doubled as a brothel.
The crowds were bustling as much as in a village.
Mostly merchants and their workers, along with mercenaries hired as guards.
With this many people coming and going through the crossroads, it's no wonder bands of thieves are running rampant.
After briefly surveying the surroundings, I spotted a man who was clearly the innkeeper.
Without hesitation, I approached him directly.
"Are you the owner of this inn? I came about the bounty for Red Hat Jack."
"Hmm? Are you a mercenary from the city?"
Instead of answering, I nodded while showing my Silver Badge.
He then welcomed me with a pleased expression.
"I thought no one would come! Finally, God is helping us!"
"Yes. I suppose so. Do you know where Red Hat is?"
Even bandits who roam forests and mountains usually have their own hideouts.
To find its location, I needed to grasp at least some basic clues like direction or terrain.
"I'm not certain, but if you go straight east from here until you reach a fork in the road, then go south. That gang of his appears frequently around that area."
East then south.
I could start my search from there.
"You said 'gang' just now. About how many are there?"
"Maybe four or five? But they're just a ragtag bunch, so don't worry. I heard they only target traveling merchants who are alone. They'd be no match for a Silver Badge mercenary."
The reward for finding and eliminating four or five murderous bandits was only 5 arshen.
The amount was miserly compared to the effort required.
I understood why no one had taken the request until now.
Since I had more questions, I asked him again.
"I heard there are quite a few bandits in this area. Is there a particular reason you specifically requested this Red Hat Jack? Is his crimes especially heinous or something?"
"Ah, that's because. Jack, that bastard, once ran off without paying his bar tab here."
"...I see."
So it wasn't for public safety but simple personal grudge.
A bar tab probably wouldn't even amount to much.
Between the small reward and this, he seems quite the miser.
"Will his head work as proof?"
"Ah, instead of his head, bring me his hat. That bastard treasures his hat immensely and always wears it. Besides, you wouldn't be able to bring it if you don't kill him anyway."
I liked this one thing.
No matter how worthless the criminal, cutting off a human head and bringing it back was quite unpleasant.
I'd learned everything I needed to know.
Leaving the innkeeper's encouragement behind, I set off toward the eastern road.
The sun was still far from setting, so I planned to search as long as time allowed.
After heading east for a while, the promised fork in the road appeared.
South from here, he said.
Since they only attack people traveling alone, the chances of them attacking me were high.
I kept my hand inside my cloak, ready to draw my sword at any moment, and tensed my body.
With the bright sunlight and birds chirping as background, I continued southward.
It was only after walking for over an hour that I finally removed my hand from the sword.
As if today was their day off, there was no sign of anyone the entire way.
At this rate, it might be better to search through the forest directly.
Since he said they wear red hats, they should be easy to spot.
Changing plans, I entered the forest.
A dense woodland filled with thickly grown trees and lush bushes.
With visibility immediately limited, it was the perfect place for bandits to hide.
I continued searching while looking around.
The surroundings were all identical scenery, making it difficult to gauge direction.
Just when I thought I might get lost, something finally caught my eye.
A simply arranged campsite.
Animal hides were spread out drying in the sun, and a split-open roe deer carcass hung from a wooden frame.
"Huh?"
As I watched quietly, my eyes met with a man at the campsite.
He was the one skinning a weasel pelt with a blood-stained knife in one hand.
"Hey, who are you?"
Ignoring the question, I examined the surroundings more carefully.
Three people total, including this man.
No one was wearing a red hat.
A bust.
"I said who are you! Are you ignoring us now!"
It felt more like a hunting hideout than a bandit den.
Judging by their shabby appearance, they were more likely illegal poachers than forest keepers or hunters.
"Don't worry. I don't plan to cause any trouble."
Having been caught poaching, it was understandable they'd be sensitive.
I calmly tried to reassure them.
Though poaching was illegal, it wasn't really any of my business.
The forests and mountains in this area were probably royal or noble family lands.
I had no intention of picking a fight over stealing from the property of the well-fed.
They weren't harming people like murderous bandits, and besides, I was a thief myself in the past.
Neither I nor the poachers had clean hands, so to speak.
"I'm looking for a bandit called Red Hat Jack. Do you happen to know anything?"
As poachers, I expected them to be knowledgeable about the local geography.
With their help, finding the Red Hat gang would be much easier.
"Red Hat? Don't know him."
"...Is that so. My apologies."
But the answer I received was different from my expectations.
Hiding my disappointment, I had no choice but to turn my back.
Just when I thought things would be easy, I was back to square one.
"Wait. Stop."
Just as I was about to take another step, the voice of another poacher came from behind.
We should have cleared up the misunderstanding, yet strangely, his tone still carried hostility.
"Trying to sneak away, are you? Can't let you go just like that."
"What do you mean?"
I frowned in disbelief.
The two poachers who had been quietly listening until now were aiming arrows at me.
The man with the knife at the front also shouted at me while spitting.
"Shut up! Red Hat my ass. You're planning to run off and report us, aren't you? You noble's lackey bitch!"
"Huh?"
This was taking misunderstanding too far. In all my life, this was the first time I'd been called a noble's lackey.
While targeted by bows, I drew my bastard sword.
At this point, bloodshed had become unavoidable.
"Y-you dare draw your sword? Stop fooling around and surrender! If you do, we'll just have some fun and let you go nicely!"
I wondered what they meant by that, but then I noticed their expressions.
Their lust-filled eyes were openly scanning my body.
The poaching report worry was just an excuse - they actually just wanted to assault me.
They must have thought me an easy target, being a woman alone in the deep forest.
Nothing ever goes smoothly.
Might as well use what I've learned on this opportunity.
Further conversation was meaningless.
I unleashed the footwork I'd become proficient with and thrust my sword at the bastards.