8
Chapter 8
The Goblin subjugation was scheduled for tomorrow, and we decided to prepare our equipment in the meantime.
Our funds consisted entirely of the reporting reward and the money earned from hunting Goblins.
However, since their settlement hadn't been definitively located yet, we were only able to receive about half of it in advance under the pretext of preparing for the subjugation.
"One silver coin and twenty copper coins... It's an ambiguous amount."
Drek muttered, scratching his head.
Since we didn't have much money, we had to budget as tightly as possible.
"First, Preserved Food, a Whetstone and cloth, Oil, Torches... Do we have any Torches left? Then we need to buy those too. We can use the Canteen we have, and we do have a Blanket, but we might as well get a Tent too...."
Drek muttered as he compiled a shopping list on a piece of paper.
True to his Mercenary background, he seemed to know exactly what to buy.
"Let's buy the items on this list first, and then we can sort out our gear with the remaining money."
I briefly looked over the list he had written.
The messy charcoal scribbles on the paper were completely illegible.
"Yeah. Well, you know best."
Baldic said, skimming over it as if he couldn't read it either.
We headed to the Market. The Market was still lively and crowded with people.
Various goods were on display, and we browsed for what we needed one by one.
First, we visited several shops to choose Preserved Food.
Drek picked and chose, finally packing the Preserved Food he had barely selected.
To me, they all looked the same, but Drek seemed to have a clear criteria, only making his choice after looking around for a long time.
Next was the general store.
Here, we could find most basic travel supplies like a Whetstone, cloth, Oil, and Torches.
I thought we wouldn't need to think much this time since the items were simple, but Drek checked the necessary items by examining each one meticulously.
The Whetstone and Oil he ordered seemed to be of good quality, even though I didn't know much about them. He also picked out only the usable Torches.
"Torches are important too. They need to be well-coated with pine resin, because if you buy ones that aren't fully dried, they go out quickly and produce terrible smoke."
Drek explained.
Now all that was left were the Tent and gear. Drek planned to get a Tent as well, so we headed to another shop to choose one of at least minimum quality.
Following his words, "Since a Tent is a big part of traveling, it's better to buy a comfortable one," we chose a practical and sturdy Tent. Just buying these travel supplies cost us forty-five copper coins.
"Now it'll be perfect once we have our gear."
Drek said quietly. As he mentioned, what we needed right now were basic weapons.
The short Dagger we had was no different from a lump of scrap metal because it hadn't been properly maintained.
After purchasing most of the necessary items, we headed to the Blacksmith.
The Blacksmith was in a corner of the Market, and as soon as we entered the street, we could smell the heavy scent of metal.
Various weapons such as swords, blades, and Axes were displayed on the shelves.
Inside the shop, a few Mercenaries were talking while examining the weapons.
"Damn it, we can't even afford a single one of these?"
Baldic said, waving the short sword he was holding. I took a look as well. The listed price was a whopping one silver coin.
"...You're right. Let's put it down."
We looked through the entire Blacksmith after that, but the only weapons we could afford with our remaining money were throwing daggers at best.
We eventually decided to maintain and use the weapons we already had, and headed to the leather workshop.
The leather workshop was also located on one side of the Market. The interior was filled with the smell of leather, and various leather goods hung on the walls.
"What should we buy here?"
Baldic asked. Drek nodded as he examined some Leather Armor and gear.
"What we need is minimal protective gear and armor. And we should choose the cheap ones."
The Owner of the leather workshop, an older-looking man, saw us, nodded, and approached.
"Are you perhaps Mercenaries going on the Goblin subjugation tomorrow?"
Drek nodded and spoke.
"We're trying to get some gear needed for the Goblin subjugation."
"Even against Goblins, you need minimum protection. What's your budget?"
"We need it urgently, so could you give us a discount?"
"I can give it to you cheap, for people heading out to subjugate like yourselves."
Drek thought for a while before speaking.
"I think two sets of Leather Armor, one Shield, and three or four pairs of Gloves will do for now. Could we get all of that for about sixty copper coins?"
The Owner thought for a moment, then answered in a low voice.
"Sixty coins... That should be enough."
Drek agreed on the price with the Owner and started picking out the necessary items.
He purchased two sets of Leather Armor, a small Leather Shield, three pairs of wrist-length Gloves, and three small Leather Pouches.
They were all practical and fairly sturdily made equipment.
The total price came out to sixty-three coins, which was slightly over budget, but Drek said he had given us a good deal.
"Why aren't you giving me armor?"
"There's no way they'd have your size here. Besides, you'll be in the rear."
"Ugh."
Baldic looked full of complaints, perhaps displeased about being in the rear.
"Looks like we have everything. Now let's catch some Goblins and make some money."
Drek said with a faint smile.
Because of his vicious-looking face, I didn't even realize it was a smile at first.
We packed our gear and finally left the shop, completing our preparations for tomorrow's Goblin subjugation.
***
By the time we finished preparing for the Goblin subjugation, the sun was already setting.
We returned to the Inn and sat at a table to eat dinner.
With Dardan gone, we now had to pay for our own lodging.
Honestly, this was what made me the most angry at Dardan.
"By the way, you don't think a wanted poster will be issued before we leave, do you?"
Baldic brought it up cautiously.
That was something I had been worrying about as well.
Every second counted for us right now, but did we really have the leisure to carry out a subjugation?
However, since I couldn't think of any other options at the moment, I kept my mouth shut for now.
"They're probably too distracted by the Mimic. I don't know why they neglected a Mimic like that, but it wasn't an ordinary one."
Drek said in a low voice.
"I hope so. Then again, I don't remember committing a crime serious enough to be chased like that. Just petty stuff."
Baldic babbled nonsense while drinking his Beer.
However, there was no point in discussing this issue any further.
"The problem is how we're going to recruit people."
Drek brought up the main topic.
"We'll just have to find them ourselves now."
"Leave that to me. I'm an expert, despite how I look."
Baldic said confidently.
Drek was momentarily speechless at his words.
A former Priest claiming to be a crime expert.
I also couldn't help but chuckle at the absurd sight.
"Since we have to leave tomorrow, we should find them in advance tonight."
"What if there's no one who does that kind of work?"
At my question, Baldic looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.
"Mr. Magician, if we can't find anyone, it's not because there's no one doing that kind of work; it's simply because we failed to find them."
Baldic said in a voice full of conviction.
Are they really that common? I didn't know whether to be happy about this or not.
"Besides, when we went to the Port earlier, I already picked out some candidates."
"Really?"
"Of course, nothing gets past my eyes."
Was this the sharp eye of a former Bootlegger as expected?
Baldic skillfully rolled his Beer glass and continued speaking.
"I've got about two or three guys in mind for now. One was a guy carrying a Dagger, and the others were guys doing deals in the back alley."
"The back alley? You want to bring those kinds of guys into our business?"
Drek frowned.
"Hey, they're guys who do dangerous work anyway. We don't necessarily need to look for upstanding citizens, do we?"
"If we bring in someone too suspicious, it could put us in danger."
Drek had a point. It would be troublesome if we entrusted the job to someone untrustworthy and got betrayed halfway through.
"That's why I'm saying we should go and check them out ourselves right now."
"Right now?"
"Well then, do you want to meet them tomorrow morning?"
Baldic shrugged. Drek thought for a moment, but eventually nodded.
"Where should we go?"
"The back alley near the Port. Evening is right about the time they start their work."
Baldic stood up from his seat.
"Shall we go then?"
Drek and I looked at each other and followed him out.
***
The back alley near the Port had a completely different atmosphere from the daytime.
The streets where Merchants bustled about during the day had grown quiet, and instead, people making deals in the darkness could be seen.
People who seemed drunk, individuals with sharp gazes, and even guys openly scanning their surroundings.
Because it was close to the Port, the squelching ground and the strong fishy smell were quite striking.
"Alright, our first candidate is over there."
Where Baldic nodded towards, a man wearing shabby Leather Armor was sitting and leaning against the wall.
He had several Daggers strapped to his waist and kept his gaze fixed on the ground.
"Are you sure about him?"
Drek asked in a low voice.
"I'm sure. Even when I saw him during the day, he was stealthily keeping an eye on his surroundings. Though his expression is a mess, probably from losing some money gambling."
I let out a sigh. Was this really the right way to recruit someone?
"Let's go talk to him first."
Baldic took the lead and approached. We quietly followed behind him.
"...What?"
"We're looking for someone."
"Someone? Why look for them here? Do you think this is some Market?"
The man glared at us with fierce eyes.
"We're looking for someone to take the three of us on a boat."
"A boat? Then you should go find a Captain-"
"There's one more condition. They have to take us 'without anyone knowing'."
At those words, the man pondered for a moment before finally spitting out a reply.
"So that's what you meant. Go to the pub out back."
Baldic nodded at the man.
"A pub... Where are you talking about?"
The man nonchalantly gestured with his chin.
"Third alley toward the Port. There will be a place without a sign. Go to the Owner there and say, 'Preparing for a late voyage'."
I observed the man once more. His gaze was sharp, and his fingertips were calloused. He was clearly no simple gambler. It was highly likely he was either a Mercenary or someone who had spent a long time in the back alleys.
"You're not trying to lead us into a trap, are you?"
When I asked, the man chuckled and spoke.
"Why would I have any reason to do that? I get nothing out of you guys getting caught. I don't know your faces or your names, so I can't trust you either."
He had a point. We were strangers to each other, and there was no reason to trade on trust. But the important fact was that we were in a hurry.
"Let's go for now."
Baldic muttered, leading the way.
The place was far from a normal pub.
As the old wooden door creaked open, the stale air rushing out pierced my nose. Along with the strong smell of liquor, a damp, musty stench filled the space.
There were several tables inside where a faint oil lamp flickered, but not a single spot was clean.
The table surfaces gleamed with liquor stains and grease, and the floor crunched underfoot everywhere we stepped, a mixture of broken glass shards and dirt.
In the corner, a broken table was rolling on the floor, collapsed with its legs half smashed as if a fight had just broken out.
The faces of the patrons also reflected the atmosphere.
Men with rough beards and thick grease on their skin were clinking glasses and chatting loudly, while in one corner, a drunk man stumbled and dropped a bowl, causing liquor to spill onto the floor.
On one side of the wall, two hulking men yelled as they arm-wrestled, and on the opposite side, a man wearing a bandana spun a Dagger by his fingertips, inspecting the blade.
This wasn't a simple pub.
It didn't take long to realize that this was a gathering place for the outlaws of the back alleys.
"An atmosphere I'm quite familiar with."
Baldic muttered lowly.
Inside the bar, a rough-looking Owner was wiping an old glass with a cloth.
He shot us a quick glance the moment we walked in.
"Looking for a seat?"
We hesitated for a moment, but answered just as the man had told us to.
"Preparing for a late voyage."
As soon as those words ended, the Owner quietly set down the glass.
A few nearby patrons also glanced at us, but soon refocused on their conversations.
"Who sent you?"
"A man we met on the street, carrying a Dagger."
The Owner thought for a moment, then quietly nodded.
"I see. Follow me."
He turned his body past the bar and opened an inner door.
We looked at each other once, then silently followed him.
The inside was much quieter than the outside.
A small, flickering oil lamp faintly illuminated the narrow hallway.
Every time we took a step, the sound of the wooden floor creaking could be heard, but the Owner didn't seem to care.
As we followed the short hallway and entered a room, there was already someone sitting there.
He was wearing a faded brown Cloak, and his face was obscured by the darkness.
However, the hands resting on the table were soft yet nimble.
Like hands that signed contracts, rather than hands that swung swords.
A brief silence flowed.
He slowly opened his mouth.
"...It seems you want to go on a journey."
It was a low and quiet voice.
"That's right."
Baldic answered shortly.
"The destination?"
"First off, we need to cross the river."
He nodded.
"A boat is ready. But taking you on board without anyone knowing isn't easy. Even more so for those like you who hide your purpose."
I unconsciously held my breath.
It seemed he had somewhat guessed our situation.
"How much is it?"
Baldic got straight to the point.
"Five silver coins per person."
Drek frowned.
"That's absurdly expensive."
"Because it's that dangerous of a job."
The Broker replied calmly.
We pondered for a moment.
Five silver coins per person was an amount we couldn't afford with the money we had.
"It's too expensive. Is there no other way?"
The Broker remained silent for a moment.
Then soon, he slowly opened his mouth.
"There is one way."
We held our breath.
"A certain Captain is having a problem. If you solve that problem, I might be able to lower the price."
"What kind of problem?"
The Broker tapped the table lightly.
"Part of that Captain's cargo has disappeared. It's something he absolutely must find before leaving the Port, but it seems some guys smuggled it away."
"...Are you telling us to retrieve it?"
The Broker smiled.
"That's right. If you retrieve it, I'll cut the price in half. Otherwise, you have no choice but to pay the full amount."
We looked at each other.
"Well, what are you going to do?"
Drek stepped forward.
"What's the deadline?"
"As it happens, those guys are participating in the subjugation you're joining. It'd be best to handle it while you're at it."
!!
He knew we were participating in the Goblin subjugation?
Our group was momentarily shaken, but we soon calmly reassessed the situation.
Since it was an official request taken from the Mercenary Guild, there was no way this information was completely secret.
"In the subjugation? Is that guy a Mercenary too?"
"Yeah, his name is 'Arnold'. He's a nobody. But he has a group that follows him around."
"A group... An unregistered Mercenary Group. You'd place a request like this on a nobody?"
At the sharp observation, the Broker was momentarily left speechless.
Then he subtly curled up the corners of his mouth and spoke.
"You must be busy, yet you have so many questions."
This time, we were the ones at a loss for words.
"Anyway, just retrieve the Ring that guy is wearing, and I'll consider your mission complete."
"Does it matter if he's dead or alive?"
"Of course. I don't care whether he dies or not. I'm not that bad of a person, you see."
A strangely familiar vibe could be felt from the Broker's tone of voice.
I subtly looked down at Baldic.
At that, he suddenly lowered his head.
...Is he perhaps feeling guilty?
"Understood. We'll take the request. The mission is complete if we retrieve the Ring he's wearing. Right?"
"Yeah. Well... Do I need to draw up a Request Form for you?"
"What's the use of a Request Form in a place like this."
The two chuckled and exchanged jokes.
"Wait, what does the Ring look like?"
Baldic interrupted the two.
It was a reasonable question.
"Hmm, right. They definitely said it had a deep blue jewel set in it. You'll recognize it the moment you see it."
A deep blue jewel Ring... Just hearing about it makes it sound expensive.
"Alright. I'm counting on you then."
The Broker lightly waved his hand. We checked each other's faces one last time before quietly leaving the room.
The musty air of the pub pierced our lungs again. It was still noisy outside, but strangely, the atmosphere seemed different from just a moment ago.
"This is why I don't really like Broker bastards."
Baldic grumbled quietly.
"Didn't you do a similar job?"
When I asked slyly, he forced himself to avoid my gaze and shut his mouth.
"...Absolutely not."
"Is that so?"
I chuckled inwardly and slipped out of the pub.
Now all that was left was to find the man named 'Arnold' during the subjugation and retrieve the Ring.