The Red Hat and the Red Nose (Part 5)
Two women with their entire bodies bound.
They were looking up at me with eyes soaked in terror.
They must have been frightened after hearing the bandits' desperate screams.
I immediately approached and untied their ropes and gags.
"Please rest assured. I've taken down all the bandits."
"Th-thank you. Might you be...?"
"Just a mercenary passing by."
They seemed to be survivors of the attacked carriage party.
The men were all killed, and only the women were kept alive and brought here.
The reason for that needed no explanation.
"You don't appear to be injured. Let's get down first."
I came down from the carriage's cargo compartment with them.
Only when the sunlight poured down could I properly examine their appearances.
A blonde woman wearing high-quality travel clothes and a girl in plain everyday attire.
They looked like an active noble lady and her attendant.
"Let me introduce ourselves properly. I am Etiya, executive of the Bluear Merchant Group. This is my maid, Mary."
"I'm Rene."
Etiya introduced themselves with an elegant voice and dignified gestures.
The Bluear Merchant Group. I hadn't heard of it before, but an executive would be one of the managerial ranks.
As expected, she appeared to be the daughter of a wealthy family.
"Ah, Sir Rene. Thank you once again for rescuing us..."
Etiya couldn't continue her words.
She just covered her mouth with a horrified expression.
It was because she had seen the bloody massacre spread outside.
"M-my goodness..."
A field of corpses with the heads and limbs of over thirty bandits scattered about.
It wasn't exactly a pleasant sight to behold.
Etiya, her complexion pale, cautiously asked me.
"...By any chance, did Sir Rene do this alone?"
I nodded.
Though the Red Nose faction was quite formidable, they weren't enough to surpass me.
An ordinary Silver Badge mercenary would have had no chance of winning.
It was only possible because I possessed demonic power.
"Y-you said you're a mercenary. Are you perhaps a Gold Badge?"
"No. I'm a Silver Badge. But I'm somewhat exceptional among Silver Badges."
I should at least be in the mid-tier of Silver Badges.
If I go all out using recovery too, I could probably challenge the upper tier.
However, Gold Badge was still an insurmountable wall for me.
Didn't Asheke, who was scheduled for promotion to Gold Badge, subdue me in just a few exchanges?
Of course, unlike then, I've now learned some footwork and swordsmanship, even if just a little.
But I didn't think the result would be much different.
My limit would just be enduring a few seconds longer.
"...You're amazing. I've hired many mercenaries over time, but your skills are on a completely different level from anyone I've seen so far."
Etiya looked at me with eyes full of admiration and awe, forgetting her fear.
After Anessa, receiving such treatment from another young lady around my age.
An awkward feeling blossomed within me for no reason.
"Not at all. You must be quite shocked, so please rest for a while. I have some things to organize."
These women had just escaped the danger of becoming sex slaves for the bandits.
They would need time to compose themselves.
Leaving the two behind, I moved deeper into the campsite.
I hadn't yet looted the corpses and searched for spoils.
The first looting target was Red Nose, the bandits' leader.
I collected the steel greatsword he used, various brass accessories, and a heavy pouch of silver coins.
Next, I gathered about a handful of copper and silver coins from the remaining underlings.
Finally, I checked the loot piled up in a corner of the campsite.
Three chests containing ingots of unknown metal (perhaps iron or tin) and five sacks of dried medicinal herbs.
After clearing away other worthless junk, only those ingots and herbs were the main income.
Disposing of them would be troublesome, but I should be able to get a decent price for this much.
While proudly organizing the items, I sensed a presence nearby.
"Um, Sir Rene."
"Miss Etiya?"
Etiya approached, paying no mind to the puddles of blood around.
She seemed nervous, fidgeting as she spoke while gauging my reaction.
"...It's truly shameful to ask this when you've saved our lives. But may I boldly make one request?"
"Yes. Please go ahead."
I wondered what request would make her approach me so humbly.
As long as it wasn't like demanding my belongings after saving her from water, it would be fine.
"I want to show Sir Rene proper sincerity, not just empty words of gratitude. But contrary to my intentions, my current situation isn't favorable."
I immediately understood what she meant.
She was indirectly saying she was penniless.
Naturally, that would be the case.
The reason Red Nose's silver coin pouch was particularly heavy was thanks to her.
Actually, since I now possessed that, I had already received sufficient repayment.
"Sincerity? There's no need for that. I've already taken my share."
"No. That is the compensation you rightfully deserve. It's utterly insufficient as repayment for saving our lives."
It was a firm and clear response.
If she wanted to give me more, there was no need to refuse.
I quietly listened to her story.
"If you would just help us return to the city, I will repay Sir Rene with all my heart and sincerity so you won't be disappointed."
"Which city are you referring to?"
"Our original destination was Dunas Barony, but nearby Rivaid would also be fine. If Sir Rene would just accompany us..."
Etiya trailed off with a somewhat lost expression.
She seemed anxious since I didn't immediately give a definite answer.
"Alright. I'll accompany you to Rivaid. I need to go that way anyway."
"R-really? Thank you!"
I had originally planned to escort them to a safe place even if she hadn't begged. That's the proper way between people.
"Ah, there are some ingots and medicinal herbs the bandits collected. Could we load them onto the carriage?"
"Yes! Of course."
Perhaps pleased with my acceptance, Etiya answered energetically.
Now all problems were solved.
After moving the ingot chests and herb sacks to the cargo compartment, we departed immediately.
Etiya and Mary sat in the driver's seat pulling the carriage, while I walked alongside keeping watch.
Since it was still only noon, we should arrive at the city by evening.
We continued our journey peacefully, occasionally exchanging casual chatter.
Eventually, as the sunset turned crimson, we reached Rivaid.
Now it was time to part ways.
"Sir Rene. Thank you for the kindness you showed us today. I will definitely repay the debt of our lives at a later time."
Etiya bowed her head to me once more, showing me her beautiful crown.
I accepted her gratitude without refusing.
"Yes. I look forward to it. While we're at it, could you also handle the sale of those ingots and herbs we loaded earlier?"
"Of course. Leave it to me!"
She answered confidently.
Since she worked in commerce, she would know the market prices better than me.
I was glad she readily agreed to help.
"If anything comes up, look for me at the mercenary guild. I'll gladly lend my strength."
I extended my hand to Etiya as I spoke.
Reaching an executive position at a young age couldn't be just due to family influence.
It wouldn't hurt to maintain this connection.
"Etiya of the Bluear Merchant Group also swears to reciprocate Sir Rene's kindness whenever needed."
We shook hands.
Her hand was soft yet contained definite strength.
With that farewell, we parted. We'll likely meet again someday.
I decided to stop by the shopping district before returning to Rose's Grace.
After two days of bandit subjugation, I had accumulated quite a lot of loot.
I went around shops and completed selling everything: Jack's longsword, Red Nose's greatsword, and various accessories.
The total profit added up to a whopping 1 Denar and 80 Arshen.
It was a very profitable venture for two days of work.
What was even more surprising was that this wasn't even the end.
The feathered hat that Red Hat Jack cherished so dearly.
Even to my untrained eye, this item looked precious, and it was the final piece of loot.
Selling such a top-quality item carelessly would be a loss.
Only by taking it to a merchant who properly understands its value can it be truly appreciated.
Fortunately, I knew someone suitable among my acquaintances.
Exactly: Meister Heinrich.
I went straight to his shop, also to check on the progress of the Dire Wolf armor production.
"Oh, Lady Rene? Long time no see."
"Good to see you."
Heinrich, the arms craftsman with his still intimidating mustache.
Though we hadn't parted on the best terms last time, we still exchanged warm greetings.
"You've come at just the right time. The leather armor you ordered previously has recently been completed. Would you like to check it now?"
"Sure. Ah, before that, could I ask you to appraise this hat's market value first?"
"Hmm? Certainly."
I took out the red feathered hat from my belongings and handed it to him.
Heinrich meticulously examined the hat from all angles.
But the atmosphere felt somewhat unusual.
For some reason, his face gradually hardened, and he soon spoke in a serious voice.
"...Lady Rene. Where exactly did you obtain this?"