Chapter 131
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: 29. Northern Region (6)
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Leader Ingmar had a very long dream. The beautiful woman with whom he was passionately making love suddenly began pleading with him.
- A monster has appeared. Please... help me...!
For the sake of his beloved woman, the leader was fully prepared to sacrifice his body. He fearlessly charged at the horde of monsters that had suddenly appeared.
Ingmar was no slouch in combat, but the monsters were too strong. He died and came back to life over and over, charging at them relentlessly. ...Until eventually, he even forgot why he was fighting in the first place...!
At that moment, he jolted awake with an excruciating headache. No matter how tough he was, he couldn't endure the pain of his brain being gouged out with an awl while fully conscious.
"Aaaagh—!!"
The leader's scream drew two nearby members who had been keeping watch over him rushing to his side in alarm.
"L-Leader! Are you okay? Leader!"
But his screams showed no sign of stopping. Clutching his head, he rolled wildly on the bed before finally tumbling to the floor with a thud.
"Kughhh—."
The agony was so intense it wouldn't even let him pass out. He might have been able to bear being stabbed with a knife or burned by fire, but this brain-rending torment was beyond human endurance.
Just as he was on the verge of suffocating, something like a tap on the back of his head made everything suddenly feel at ease. So much so that he wondered if this was death.
"Huff... huff."
"Leader!"
One member had already rushed off to fetch a healer. The remaining one supported the leader as he struggled to prop himself up.
"Don't worry. Now... I'm fine...."
Even that usual unpleasant aura he carried had completely vanished. It felt like he'd returned to his healthy days of old.
Ah—.
That was when Leader Ingmar realized that Allen had truly cured his demon plague. To actually heal an incurable disease he'd thought as eternal as an unfading ice flower—!
For Leader Ingmar, who had been steadily drained of vitality and simply awaiting death, this was a stroke of heavenly luck that would never come again in his lifetime.
I'm alive. Ah. I've survived. Truly.
As he closed his eyes, a single hot tear trickled down his cheek.
Leader Ingmar's chest swelled with the overwhelming joy of survival.
As morning broke, the mid-sized city of Varnamo erupted in chaos. Rumors spread like wildfire throughout the city that something massive had happened at the inner castle overnight.
Who could have known that a demonic beast was lurking in the mansion of the lord's son—!
And the names of the Allen Mercenary Corps and Ingmar Mercenary Corps, who had slain that vile and wicked beast, were on everyone's lips.
The newly arrived Allen Mercenary Corps in the north, especially, was talked about alongside the top-ten powerhouse Viola Leader for quite some time.
In any case, having safely completed their mission, the Allen Mercenary Corps returned triumphantly to the Ingmar outpost.
Leader Ingmar, now completely freed from the demon plague by slaying the dream demon's minion, welcomed Leader Allen as if he were his life savior.
"Ooh, my comrade."
For a Northerner to call someone "comrade" meant he truly acknowledged him as a friend. Especially coming from Ingmar, the epitome of a Northerner, it was astonishing.
"I don't know what to say for all you've done. You truly... truly saved my life. You've freed me from this cursed demon plague...!"
Even someone as money-obsessed as Allen wouldn't be tone-deaf enough to say it was all for the cash in this atmosphere. Money had a way of slipping away if you handled it clumsily.
"How could I stand by and watch the honorable Leader Ingmar dying? Of course I had to lend a hand...!"
"Ah, my comrade—!"
The tiger of the north embraced Allen fiercely, sharing their hot emotions. The other Northerners watching the touching scene felt their eyes grow misty.
How could they not be moved that their revered Leader Ingmar now had a true comrade to share his bond with—!
"If you ever need anything, call on me anytime. I'll drop everything and come running."
"...I'll etch those words deep in my heart, Leader Ingmar."
Haha, heh heh.
The two leaders' laughter spread contagiously, soon filling the entire hall.
"How can I stay still on this joyous day! ...Booze! Bring the booze! The strongest stuff from the north! Let's drink till our noses twist!"
The northern liquor, drunk often to fend off the cold, was notoriously potent. And Northerners were the heaviest drinkers on the continent.
Of course, Allen was a total lightweight who got tipsy off a couple beers. One sip of northern brew might knock him flat.
But on this golden day when he'd earned two thousand gold coins, how could he pass it up—!
Even if he passed out, it had to be after sharing a glass to bond with Leader Ingmar.
And so, Allen clinked glasses vigorously with Leader Ingmar, gulped down one shot,
and then his memory cut off.
......When he opened his eyes, it was the next morning.
No matter how renowned the Ingmar Mercenary Corps was in the north, they couldn't whip up two thousand gold coins overnight. Excluding about a thousand from emergency funds, the rest had to be borrowed from a northern trading company. ...Still, with Leader Ingmar now up and about instead of bedridden, they could pay it back in a few months.
While the money was being gathered, the Allen Mercenary Corps enjoyed some free time in this frigid city. Bundled in warm blankets indoors, watching the snow whirl outside every day was a blissful treat unavailable elsewhere. ......Truth be told, that was probably the only entertainment in this northern city.
While his members holed up at the Ingmar outpost, sipping booze and watching the snow, Leader Allen went around checking out local specialties. Which, of course, meant booze.
Even so, the fiercely potent northern liquor was quite popular back in Vermandua. Buy it cheap here and haul it back, and he could multiply his investment several times over. Sure, transporting heavy barrels was an issue, but prices here were low enough that even with shipping costs, it'd be hugely profitable.
As Allen finalized a contract with a trading company to transport the booze to Vermandua, a messenger from His Excellency the Count arrived at the Ingmar outpost. He bore an invitation from the Count to host Leader Allen as a guest for his excellent handling of the incident.
Of course, a mere mercenary leader couldn't refuse a Count's invitation, so that evening, Allen dressed sharply and headed to the Count's castle.
Though his youngest son had become a eunuch, the Count's face showed no trace of worry. To a valiant Northerner, losing a dick was no big deal—! Far more important was honor.
"Your Excellency, I trust you've been well."
"Ooh, Leader Allen, you've come."
Though Leader Allen was weak in raw power, the Count liked his spirit. In the end, mental fortitude trumped brute strength.
The two headed to the dining hall together. ...But someone was standing in front of it.
"It's my daughter. She wanted to hear your tales, so I brought her along. She'll just sit beside you, no need to mind her."
"Ah..., I see."
Of course, she took after her burly, muscular father—a big, muscular female warrior type. She looked strong at first glance.
......She'd probably crush my dick if she squeezed...
Bringing his daughter here made his intentions obvious. He was clearly scheming a match... Unfortunately, Allen's heart was as clear and unshakable as a mirror lake.
No matter how lustful Allen was, he didn't pick up just anything off the street. ...This wasn't picking her up; it'd be getting devoured.
But she seemed to fancy the refined-looking Allen.
"Hehe, just as the rumors say—a real manly man."
"...Haha, manly? I'm still sorely lacking."
"That's how it looks to my eyes."
The Count chuckled approvingly. Allen found nothing more terrifying. It felt scarier than facing the demonic beast.
Before Allen's seat in the dining hall sat a leather pouch. The Count explained.
"As thanks for your hard work, I've put some hazard pay inside."
"No, no, this is too much...! Truly, thank you."
With money incoming, his unease vanished comically. ...Now he could play the fool proper.
Allen and the Count's conversation was brief. Once dinner ended, the three moved to the drawing room. But the Count soon excused himself for business, leaving the two alone.
Allen tried to leave quickly, claiming he had matters too, but the Count's daughter grabbed his chin, pinning him in place!
"Stay a bit longer."
"Ah, miss, I...!"
"You've got a cute side too, hehe."
Northerners were remarkably free-spirited about sex. Even northern nobles were no exception.
She pressed even closer and eventually stole his lips with brute force.
Aah.
But having received hazard pay too, he couldn't bring himself to refuse her greedy kiss.
It's just lips, not my dick...
As she sucked and nibbled his tongue, she protested that she wasn't usually like this. ...She was damn good at it for someone claiming that...
Thankfully, she let him go after just the kiss.
......He felt like he needed to hurry their departure as much as possible.