Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: Corin's Shadow (4)
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As agreed with Lewis, starting the next day, Lloyd would keep watch near the exit of the secret passage. The exit was hidden in the outskirts, quite a distance from the castle, near the Sequoia Forest where orcs roamed.
‘Smart, or reckless...?’
Certainly, if a life-threatening danger arose, fleeing into the Sequoia Forest infested with orcs would drastically lower the chances of dying at the enemy's hands. Pursuing someone while fending off orcs wasn't easy, after all.
Whoever designed Corin's castle had made a bold move. As expected of a family that dominated the continent—nothing ordinary about them.
"Doesn't seem like anything will happen, but still, be careful."
"Got it."
"Isla, you too."
-Woof!
Even for Lloyd, sending him alone into an orc-infested forest felt uneasy, so it was decided Isla would go along. Even if it was a trap, with talk of subjugation underway, no one knew what state the Sequoia Forest orcs were in. Better to be cautious in advance. Lloyd was one of our key assets. If he got injured, it would cause major setbacks moving forward. That absolutely could not happen.
"Master, what about me...?"
"No. You'll investigate the city with me."
El had grown a lot, but not enough to send into an orc forest. He'd never faced orcs before. Fighting 'intelligent' monsters that used 'weapons' was vastly different from ordinary beasts. That's why Isla, who could crush foes on instinct, was the right choice.
‘Can't be helped if he's upset.’
It was all for El's safety. Once he gained enough experience, El could handle orcs just fine. But not yet.
"......Okay."
El pouted, clearly unhappy with my decision, and answered in a sullen tone. I chuckled softly and whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
"Cheer up. We'll go eat something delicious, just us."
Only then did El stop pouting and nod. Still just a kid, after all. A kid.
"See you tomorrow, then."
"Yes. No need for the lunchbox, really?"
Lloyd nodded and mounted his horse. Man, that guy was tough. We were in the city anyway—eating something tasty wouldn't hurt. I set the lunchbox back on the table. The innkeeper had prepared it specially: not flashy, but packed full. Lloyd refused it, taking only jerky and biscuits. The scent of spiced food could alert enemies, he said. He wasn't wrong, but...
"Have a big dinner when you get back, then."
"Sure."
Lloyd gave a small smile and left. I waved to Isla, who looked back once before dashing off.
"This'll be our lunch."
"Yay!"
Lunch was still hours away, but El joyfully threw his hands up.
El and I roamed the city pretending to be ordinary mercenaries. We hit the mercenary guild—where mercs came and went like home—the monster byproduct shops, and the square plastered with mercenary recruitment notices and requests.
"Wow, Master! So many requests!"
"Oh, yeah?"
"Sheep stolen from a farm on the mountain. Oh, this one's kidnapping! Kidnapping! And... a request for escorts to the capital!"
"Hmm."
"You're right, there are tons of requests! Even the super simple ones pay big!"
El was spot on. Even the easiest, trivial requests offered double or triple the usual pay. They should've been snatched up by now, but the board was overflowing.
"Probably because of the subjugation..."
Lewis's brother Dawood was recruiting mercenaries with generous upfront payments, so the ones who weren't hurting for cash were just lounging, waiting for the subjugation.
Having already pocketed the money, they had no reason to take other jobs. Veterans avoided side gigs that might sideline them for the main event, while rookies and riffraff were too lazy to bother now that they had cash in hand.
‘Doling out money before the subjugation even starts—they're probably expecting even bigger rewards afterward...’
Word spread that Corin was gathering mercenaries for a subjugation, flooding the city with veterans dreaming of a quick fortune and lazy, clueless newbies. Meanwhile, the vital requests keeping the city running were being ignored.
-Tack.
-Tack.
-Tack.
Tsk tsk. I was shaking my head at the board when—
"Huh...?"
Someone was ripping requests off with nimble fingers. So fast, I could barely make out the motion.
-Tack.
-Tack.
-Tack.
"Whoa...!"
And get this.
On closer look, the hand was cherry-picking only the 'honey requests'—easy money ones. One, two, three, four... seven, eight, nine, ten...! Ten at once?! Even honey requests, ten of them?!
I whipped around in shock. There stood an elf, face blank, ignoring my stare, still snatching papers at top speed.
‘...An elf!’
As elves went, this one was stunningly beautiful. Mystical light purple hair, eyes a deeper violet. Porcelain skin, sleek and elongated build. Even androgynously feminine features. I'd seen plenty in Luthset, grown numb to their allure, but... elves were elves. Their vibe was worlds apart from humans.
‘No, that's not the point.’
Looks weren't the issue. What puzzled me was why an 'elite' like an elf was hoarding random easy requests, honey or not.
"Hey."
"You're in the way. Move."
Before I could finish, the elf shoved me aside. El bristled first, lunging toward the elf, but I held him back with a hand and called out again.
"I have questions. Mind sparing a moment...?"
"One silver coin."
"Pardon?"
"One silver coin."
"......"
Whoa, greedier than she looks?
Quirky elf. Not just a mercenary, but money-obsessed too. Most elves prized honor over coin...
‘Eh, one silver's nothing.’
I pulled a silver from my pouch. Only then did the elf turn from the board to face me properly. I flashed my most harmless smile and handed it over.
"What's the deal?"
She sounded utterly bored.
"Why collect requests like that?"
"To complete them."
She replied in a pitying tone, like it was the dumbest question.
"Planning to join the orc subjugation?"
"Nope."
"Heard it pays really well."
I glanced at the stack in her arms. She tucked it away and shot me a side-eye.
"Orcs are boring."
"......Boring?"
"Yeah. I've killed plenty already."
‘Plenty already...’
Elves were naturally several or dozens of times stronger than humans, but this one seemed exceptional. Which made it even weirder. Why live as a mercenary? Not even a dark elf...
"That all?"
"Wait, hold on."
"What now?"
"So, no matter what, you're not joining the orc subjugation? The lord would pay top coin for someone like you."
"Nope."
No hesitation. She turned away.
‘Jackpot.’
A mercenary uninterested in orc subjugation! An apparently skilled 'elf' at that!
I'd worried we lacked firepower against Dawood and the Crows, but she could change everything.
"I have a request you might like. Want to hear it?"
She snorted and glanced back.
"Let's hear it."
"Can't say here. It's confidential. But I promise generous pay—more than all those requests combined. Sound good?"
"No thanks."
"Name your price."
"Confidential means dangerous. Dangerous means hassle."
"......"
"These alone will make me rich."
Oops, my mistake.
Money wasn't her only priority. Should've realized from her honey-picking.
‘What now...?’
Too good to let slip. But she showed no patience, grabbing a few more and turning to flee the 'annoyances.'
"Hey!"
Desperate not to lose her, I grabbed her arm—and instant regret!
-Pah!
Like any elf, she recoiled in disgust at a 'human' touching her, slapping my hand away unfiltered. Caught off guard, her strength sent me tumbling backward. Luckily, El caught me, sparing a humiliating roll on the ground.
"Hey!"
"It's fine, El. Calm down."
I soothed El, whose eyes blazed at the elf, dusted myself off, and stood. No apology from that arrogant elf, no interest in my pitch. Time to back off today...
"......Wait!"
Then, the elf's vivid purple eyes widened as she shouted.
"No way... you...!"