Recruiting the Newbie Cutter
"Gasp...!"
Keil, who had been snoring on the carriage seat just a moment ago, snapped his eyes open. He bolted upright, warily scanning his surroundings.
"Are you awake?" I asked, looking down at him with a stiff, upright posture.
Keil seemed utterly unable to process his current situation.
"...What... what on earth happened?" Keil's face was a map of confusion, his pupils trembling.
"You said it yourself. Mercenaries prove themselves through strength, so I should try to persuade you."
I had caught him off guard with a cowardly surprise attack, but someone of Keil's caliber should have been able to react to almost any ambush. After all, excluding myself and the Transcendental Mage, he was one of the three strongest individuals in the Empire. Therefore, my actions weren't cowardly at all. Probably.
"...Did we fight? I don't remember."
I must have hit him too hard. Should I not have infused my strike with Aura? Regardless, I had judged that it would take at least that much to bring Keil down.
"Yes. Though you collapsed in an instant, so it wasn't much fun."
I looked out the window with a bored, disappointed expression. To recruit someone like Keil, this kind of performance was necessary. A man of his temperament would never respect someone who groveled.
"...Astonishing. To think there was such a vast difference between us." Keil stared blankly at the carriage floor, looking utterly defeated.
"Don't make that face. Let me tell you what you'll be doing from now on."
I was about to get down to business, but Keil furrowed his brow and glared at me.
"I'm afraid the Mercenary King does not serve under anyone. It is arrogant of you to assume that money can move me."
Was this really the same bastard who had just been knocked out cold with a single blow? I narrowed my eyes and glared back at him.
"It seems you haven't been beaten enough."
"...What?"
"I will beat you until you accept."
"..."
Keil's jaw dropped, and he couldn't seem to close it. His eyes seemed to ask: What the hell is wrong with this guy?
I tilted my head to the side, adopting the most authoritative posture I could muster. I had learned this trick from Seldas.
"Join us, and you won't regret it. You'll live a far better life than you do now."
Perhaps because of my near-death threat just moments ago, Keil only blinked, keeping his mouth shut.
"Anyway, think it over."
I turned back to the window with a look of sheer boredom. Wow, the scenery out here is actually quite beautiful.
"...Are you not going to tell me why you're recruiting me?"
So he was finally ready to have a proper conversation.
"Are you considering joining us?"
"I should at least hear what you have to say."
"Fine, I'll tell you."
I explained the plans I had laid out, the things I had accomplished so far, and the role Keil would need to play.
"...You're talking nonsense. A single individual becoming a power that threatens the Emperor's authority and the two great ducal families that form the twin pillars of the Empire? That is the grandest bluff I've ever heard."
His reaction was only natural. To any ordinary person, it would sound completely absurd.
"Who is the man standing right in front of you?"
"The monster, Jin Barenberg."
"With me, nothing is impossible."
When I narrowed my eyes and snapped at him fiercely, Keil slowly averted his gaze. I continued.
"Anyway, all you have to do is protect the young lady and eliminate any threats to her. Just those two things. Of course, your employment fee will be paid in full."
Keil looked at me with suspicious eyes.
"...Just to be sure, you're not planning a rebellion or anything, are you?"
What was this guy talking about? Rebellion? Like hell I would.
"Why would I do something so troublesome?"
"Because the Empire destroyed your kingdom."
I had heard that line so many times I was sick of it.
"I hear that every single day, and I'm too tired to explain it to you. Just know that it's not a rebellion."
I crossed my legs and leaned my head back. I had so much on my mind lately that I felt constantly exhausted.
"But I have one question."
"What is it?"
"If you're already here, why do you need me?"
"I'll tell you later."
I left him with his curiosity. I was going to tell him once we arrived anyway.
"You certainly have a talent for keeping people guessing. Though your persuasion skills leave much to be desired."
I ignored his jab. What did I care about my talents? As long as I survived and lived well, that was all that mattered.
The day is slowly drawing near.
The day I would part ways with Franche was not far off. When that time came, would I really be able to leave without hesitation? I had already grown so attached to her. Though it had been a short time, she had truly become like family to me.
"..."
I shouldn't dwell on useless thoughts. Such trivial emotions only served to dull a man's resolve.
Well, whatever.
Just as I had brought Keil here today, I simply needed to fill the void I would leave behind, step by step. If I built trust with others like this, Franche's stability wouldn't be shattered. Even though I wouldn't be there when that time came.
We arrived at the Descartes Duchy. I stood before the main gate with Keil.
"Halt. We cannot allow an outsider to enter."
As expected, the knights guarding the main gate blocked our path.
"He is my assistant, brought here by order of the young lady."
The knight frowned.
"An assistant for a slave? I've never heard of such nonsense."
This bastard. I glared deeply at him, my gaze dripping with bloodlust.
"...?"
The knight flinched and took a step back. I approached him slowly and spoke.
"It is the young lady's private matter. I will report it to the Duke, but I see no reason to explain it to the likes of you."
Displeased by my attitude, the knight barked at me.
"You mere slave, do you really think you're above us!"
Shring!
He drew the sword at his hip. A foolish decision.
"Keil, this is a test. Subdue him without taking his life."
Keil muttered, "How did I end up in this state?" as he stepped forward.
Crack, crack.
He cracked his stiff joints and glared at the knight.
"Are you planning to bring in an outsider to oppose us?"
"You were the ones who ignored the young lady's orders first."
"We are also merely following the orders we were given."
Well, when put that way, I didn't have much of an argument. But the Duke would surely understand. After all, I had brought Keil, the White Ghost, to bolster our forces. It would be stranger if they didn't welcome him.
"Keil, begin."
Sliiiide.
Keil dragged his foot along the ground and took a stance. It was the exact pattern I had seen in the game. The infamous 'newbie cutter' technique that launched him forward in an instant, leaving no time to react.
It took me quite a while to get used to dodging that with a roll.
Yet, a strange sense of dissonance washed over me. I clearly knew this, so why couldn't I remember what it looked like back then?
"..."
The fact that I couldn't recall my past life in the modern world meant that the synchronization was quietly deepening.
"Tsk."
I had to finish my work before I lost any more of myself.
"Keil, wrap this up quickly."
"I know."
Whoosh!
A dark red Aura enveloped Keil's lower body. The knights found themselves unable to move easily, as if caught in a heavy gravitational field.
"W-What is this...?"
"What is this pressure...!"
Keil's movement was like the wind. He didn't just push forward with raw strength; it felt as if he were riding the air currents.
Swish!
"Gah!"
"Ugh!"
Thud. Thud.
In the blink of an eye, the two knights groaned and slammed face-first onto the ground. I wondered if their noses were bleeding.
"Is this enough?"
"Yes. It's a fascinating movement, no matter how many times I see it."
"...Have you seen my movements before?"
"We fought earlier, didn't we?"
"I have no memory of that."
In truth, this was the first time I had actually seen it. Since he had been knocked out in a single blow. And I couldn't exactly tell him I had seen it in a game.
"Anyway, let's go in."
Creeeak.
The massive iron gates parted, revealing the estate. Going through the front door would only cause a scene, so I decided we should slip in through the window.
"That window over there. I'll go first, so follow me immediately."
Keil nodded silently. I leaped up and hooked my foot onto the windowsill.
"Young lady?"
"Ah, you're back."
"I have brought the talent I mentioned."
"It took you four days."
Thud.
Franche closed the grimoire she was reading. Checking the title, I saw it was labeled The Essence of Dark Magic.
"So, where is this talent you brought?"
"He should be right behind me."
As soon as I stepped down from the sill, Keil climbed up. He wasn't called the White Ghost for nothing. There was neither a presence nor a sound to his movements. With his snow-white hair, he truly looked like a specter.
"This is the man. Keil, introduce yourself."
Keil scratched the back of his head, his lips twisting into a smirk.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Keil."
Smack!
I smacked the back of his head for his utterly disrespectful greeting.
"Greet her properly."
Rubbing the back of his head, he glanced at me before bowing his head.
"...I am Keil. I am known as the Mercenary King and the White Ghost."
Yes, now he was showing some manners. At Keil's proper introduction, Franche asked with an intrigued look in her eyes.
"Hmm, so you are the mercenary known as the Guardian of the East?"
The Guardian of the East? I hadn't known he had such an alias.
"...Is that what the noble lords call me?"
"Yes. Since you hold back the magical beasts of the East all by yourself."
Huh? I only had titles like 'Monster' or the tacky 'Greatest Swordsman on the Continent,' but this guy had 'White Ghost,' 'Mercenary King,' and 'Guardian of the East.' He was loaded with cool titles. Why did Jin only have weird ones?
"So, he is now a member of France Corporation as well?"
I nodded, clasping my hands behind my back. Keil looked back and forth between Franche and me, his face full of confusion.
"France Corporation...? What is that? What a tacky name."
So you think so too. Honestly, was France Corporation really that tacky? I couldn't understand.
"It just turned out that way. It certainly isn't a great name, but it has successfully spread throughout the Empire."
...I wondered why she had been so quiet about it lately; she had simply accepted it.
"Well, whatever the name is. Are you going to pay my employment fee properly?"
"Yes. And you won't be directly under me; you will serve under Jin."
As if she had said all she wanted to say, Franche opened her grimoire, The Essence of Dark Magic, once more. On the table lay a check with the amount to be paid to Keil, placed there at some point.
"Then I will go and explain Keil's duties to him."
"Yes, go ahead. Ah, but make sure to come to my room later, and don't be too late."
I didn't know why I had to go to her room, but I nodded for now and gestured to Keil. Perhaps because of his long years of living in the wild, he understood my intention instantly. We climbed back out the window, leaving Franche's room, and I brought Keil to my quarters.
"...Do you really live in a place like this?"
"Yes. This is my room."
"You said I would live a better life than I do now..."
Keil's face was painted with shock as he looked around my room, which resembled a dilapidated storehouse. I shook my head and continued.
"It will be different for you. I am merely a slave."
Keil looked highly displeased, but he eventually nodded.
"Ah, and now that you're with us, I'll tell you the real reason I brought you here."
I sat down across from Keil. There were no luxuries like sofas or chairs, so we sat directly on the wooden floor.
"The reason I brought you..."
"Wait, isn't this situation a bit too pathetic?"
"..."
"I mean, given our reputations, sitting in a place like this..."
Keil seemed to be experiencing a severe existential crisis. Having already adapted to this lifestyle, I pressed on without being discouraged.
"...Anyway. I actually have a different reason for bringing you here."
Keil tilted his head.
"Was it not simply because you needed an assistant?"
"No. Listen carefully to what I have to say from now on."
Now that I was about to say it, my chest ached with a heavy, bitter feeling. But it couldn't be helped.
"Before long, you will take my place. Because I plan to disappear from this place."