Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Gathering Forces and Testing Steel
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“Then take care on your way back. I’m sorry I couldn’t see the commission through to the end.”
“It’s fine. After everything you’ve done for us in the meantime, what’s this? Prechella will understand too. Anyway, take care. May the gods’ blessings be with you.”
“May the gods’ blessings be with you.”
After exchanging farewells with Partek, Bilmore climbed up to the coachman’s seat.
The three mercenaries, having already said their goodbyes the night before, silently shook hands with Partek before departing with the carriage.
Once the carriage had fully crossed the drawbridge, Partek, Glad, and Raban approached Eugene.
“Let’s go, Lord Eugene.”
“Mm.”
Eugene headed to the main keep of Rose Castle with the three men.
“Oh, you’re here?”
Kamara, who had been waiting, greeted Eugene warmly.
His gaze swept over Partek and the two mercenaries, and as if realizing something, Kamara spoke with an excited expression.
“So, you’ve decided to go through with it?”
“That’s right. For now, we’ve hired these three.”
“Hahaha! Good thinking. So, what’s your price?”
The answer came not from Partek, but from Eugene.
“Lump us four together for a hundred silver coins. For success bonuses, pay everything in byproducts. Half the monster byproducts we capture, excluding mana stones.”
“Huh? You don’t need mana stones?”
“They’re a hassle to dispose of anyway. Byproducts are better.”
“Well, if that’s how you want it…….”
Kamara nodded in agreement, though tilting his head.
Excluding mana stones from success bonuses and taking everything in byproducts had been Partek’s suggestion.
Mana stones had to go through the church for purification no matter what, and if an individual rather than a merchant group requested it, the process was complicated and they took a thirty percent fee.
Better to just take byproducts and sell them to some merchant group.
Monster byproducts had plenty of uses too, so getting half wouldn’t be a loss.
‘Good thing I brought Partek on board.’
On top of that, Partek already had a plan for disposing of the byproducts.
The reason Bilmore, despite losing half his contracted six, returned to Maren without complaint.
He had made a verbal promise through Bilmore—who was worried about shortfalls—to sell all monster byproducts to the Feilin Merchant Group.
“But really, can you manage with just these three? You could hire two or three more.”
“Thanks, but we’re good. And aren’t you hiring more than ten, Lord Galpredic?”
“Since we’re short-handed, we’ll hire twenty. Tsk! Wouldn’t want to fall behind in accomplishments…….”
Kamara said as much, but he had no real choice.
Where was he supposed to find another proven knight who could take down five bandits single-handedly on the spot?
Galpredic was a rare case; skilled knights went to nobles with money and status long ago, not places like this.
‘If a knight or mercenary is too good, they might covet the territory.’
Better to fail the gate-opening subjugation and end up in debt than risk that worst-case scenario.
“Oh, and this is a meaningless condition, but anyway.”
“Hm?”
Eugene shrugged once up to his shoulders, speaking as if it truly meant nothing.
“If I happen to take down an upper-grade monster or higher in the dungeon, I get its mana stone.”
“Hahaha! Truly meaningless. Do as you like. Haha!”
Not just Kamara, but Partek and the mercenaries chuckled inwardly too.
Humans didn’t subjugate magic realms just for mana stones.
If left alone, monsters multiplied and eventually burst out, so they culled numbers in advance.
But upper-grade monsters and above, at the top of the magic realm food chain, rarely emerged.
So humans withdrew after taking out mid-grades if a few appeared.
Mucking with upper-grades deep in the heart could wipe out the entire subjugation force.
Yet here was an unknown knight, newly opening a dungeon, claiming he’d take one down.
Truly meaningless.
“Haha! Well, a knight needs that much confidence. Anyway, let’s do our best. Hahaha……!”
Kamara couldn’t stop laughing, utterly bemused.
* * *
“Lord Eugene, you say?”
“Yeah. Knights are always better in greater numbers, right? If the Feilin Merchant Group hired them, their skills shouldn’t be bad.”
“What are the contract terms?”
“Advance pay is a hundred silver for Lord Eugene and them combined. Success bonus is half the captured monster byproducts. They said no to mana stones.”
“I see……?”
Bertel eyed Eugene coldly.
He’d heard about Eugene over dinner with Pellid the night before.
Some exaggeration maybe, but sweeping five bandits with a single shortsword proved he was a knight.
‘The terms aren’t bad. But something feels off.’
If he’d been arrogant like most knights, it’d be easier, but that inscrutable gaze from within the helmet rubbed him the wrong way.
“Lord Galpredic’s fine with it too, right?”
In the meantime, Kamara addressed Galpredic.
“A skilled knight is always welcome. Pleased to meet you, my lord. I’m Crema Galpredic.”
Up close, Galpredic—bulkier than Partek—extended his hand.
“Pleased. Yan Eugene.”
The two knights clasped hands in gauntlets.
Crunch!
Eugene matched the strong grip he felt.
“……!”
For a split second, Galpredic’s thick, caterpillar-like eyebrows twitched.
“Impressive strength. I can look forward to your exploits, my lord.”
“You too.”
Releasing Eugene’s hand, Galpredic grinned at Bertel.
“Haven’t seen his swordplay yet, but his strength? I vouch for it.”
“Understood.”
With Galpredic—whom he’d directly recruited—saying that, Bertel had no grounds to refuse.
Plus, as Kamara said, more knights were always better.
‘Brother’s influence grows a bit, but it’s not bad. Above all… no guarantee that one survives.’
Bertel decided to accept Eugene.
“Welcome to the dungeon gate-opening, Lord Eugene.”
“Haha! Then we’ve got the personnel roughly assembled. Shall we discuss properly?”
At Kamara’s words, Eugene, Galpredic, and Bertel took seats at the square table.
“My lords, we’ll step out.”
“Yes.”
Partek’s group bowed their heads and left, and Bertel began.
“As you know, the knights are me, Lord Galpredic, and Lord Eugene. But I can’t join the subjugation. Someone has to guard the castle.”
It was news to Eugene, but Kamara and Galpredic nodded lightly, already aware.
“Mercenaries: the three with Lord Eugene, plus twenty we’ve gathered—twenty-three total. Advance and success pay as discussed. Minimum for gate-opening subjugation: seventy low-grades, three mid-grades. Beyond that, your on-site judgment.”
Minimums were just that—must-achieve numbers, no matter what.
But prideful knights never settled for minimums.
Convention was 1.5 times that.
Which covered hiring costs and left thirty to forty percent profit. If successful.
“Porters: six. Water and food for seven days. Mercenaries all here within two days at latest. Rest one day, then depart.”
Partek had said parties usually stayed inside dungeons or labyrinths three or four days.
Since this was gate-opening, they needed ample supplies for exploration and mapping.
“Any questions, my lords?”
“Dissectors? And porters seem few. Even low-grades yield plenty of byproducts.”
“Three porters are former hunters, so dissection’s fine. And…….”
After a moment’s thought at Galpredic’s words, Bertel said,
“We’ll add two more porters.”
“Severely wounded? Leave ’em. Lightly wounded?”
“Field judgment yours.”
“How about it, Lord Eugene? You’re not one of those philanthropists trending among city nobles in Kalsbaeg, are you?”
“Not my men, just mercenaries. Doesn’t matter. No fool joins without that resolve.”
Eugene spoke coldly.
Asking a vampire to show philanthropy to irrelevant humans? Laughable.
“Hahaha! Music to my ears!”
Galpredic’s hearty laugh ended the brief meeting.
“Then rest well and stay in form till departure, my lords.”
“Rest too much and you stiffen. Hunting grounds nearby? Nothing loosens like a hunt. I love hunting…….”
Mid-stride and chatter, Galpredic turned.
“Lord Eugene, care to loosen up together?”
“…….”
Unsure, Eugene stayed silent as Galpredic grinned.
“Sparring.”
* * *
“Lord Galpredic—the new knight from yesterday—challenges him!”
“Seriously? Duel?”
“They’re sparring now!”
Rose Castle folk gathered in the central courtyard.
Prime spots on walls and stairs were packed.
In the small castle’s courtyard, even sixty or seventy made it crowded—a large circle formed.
“Look at that build. That’s Lord Galpredic?”
“Who wins?”
With only Bertel as knight before, such spars were rare; castle folk watched Eugene and Galpredic eagerly.
“Galpredic! Lost lance semis but sword finals.”
“Hell of a strong guy.”
Especially high hopes for Galpredic, who’d reached sword finals in an earl’s tourney.
No one from the territory had placed since Lord Tiwin.
“Huh? Fighting like that?”
“No armor.”
“Well, then.”
Galpredic smirked, stretching with wooden swords matching his longsword’s length and shape at both ends.
Sparring with wood, yet he wore his helmet and plate mail on upper body like Eugene.
“One bout. Wouldn’t want to break your bones, so lightly.”
“I’ll try.”
“Kh! Liking you more by the minute? Ready?”
Galpredic swung the wooden swords in an X.
Whoosh!
Sharp whoosh unbelievable for wood.
He swung in circles, hands alternating after two-handing.
Eugene’s eyes narrowed watching.
‘Different from Yung Dirhit’s—another unique style.’
In his past fugitive days, he’d learned knights used similar-yet-distinct styles.
And Galpredic reached finals in an earl’s tourney, even from provinces.
He’d have his own potent, unique swordplay.
Swoosh!
No warning—Galpredic’s wooden sword thrust straight.
Eugene reflexively twisted, raising his shortsword-shaped wooden blade.
Clang! Whoosh!
Tip rising slightly, it slashed horizontally—aimed precisely at Eugene’s brow in follow-up.
Past self would’ve yielded forehead to that speed.
But with Black Scale Mail, daytime beast-or-better physique let him lean back.
Slash!
Instantly, Galpredic’s blade dropped perpendicular.
Boom!
Dull thud echoed.
“……!”
Gawkers flinched, mouths agape at true knights’ bout.
Unbelievable sight.
“Urgh…….”
Staggering back several steps, clutching helmet: Galpredic.
As Eugene leaned, he’d kicked up into Galpredic’s chin.
“Hah!”
Helmet off, Galpredic shook head fiercely side to side.
“Wow! Impressive! Where’d you learn that, my lord? I pride myself on fisticuffs, but never seen that move.”
Eugene faltered at the unexpected reaction.
Weren’t knights arrogant, prideful, victory-hungry?
“An elder from my house taught me as a kid.”
Vampire athleticism and improv, really—but prepared excuse.
“Yeah? Want to learn sometime. But y’know, that was my actual helmet—not practice. Wouldn’t have hurt much.”
Likely. Knight visored helmets protected the whole head.
“Still enough to disrupt stance. Wasn’t full power. Didn’t want your bones breaking.”
Dropping formal speech naturally, Eugene spoke sincerely.
“What? Uhahaha! Liking you more and more? Hahaha!”
Roaring with laughter, Galpredic tossed his wooden sword and strode over.
“Armored real fight? Maybe. But this round’s yours. Sorry for underestimating.”
Eugene clasped the hand shattering his knight prejudices.
Galpredic raised Eugene’s hand high.
“Not fancy tourney, but Eugene wins this spar! Applaud the victor, you lot!”
Waaaaaah!
Cheers and claps resounded.
(To be continued)