Chapter 65
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: 14. Crisis, and Cooperation. (4)
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Fortunately, the city had passed the night without incident. Of course, Allen hadn't spent a particularly comfortable night.
......
At least I'm still alive......
He counted himself lucky that he hadn't woken up in the afterlife and groaned as he dragged himself upright. Perhaps because some of the tension had eased off, he'd tossed and turned all night with a mild fever. ......An early morning where he strangely craved a sip of bitterly strong coffee.
He stepped out onto the terrace and flung open the window. The cool air, chilled overnight atop the cold sands, stabbed straight into his lungs. That chased away the sticky drowsiness clinging to him, sharpening his mind once more.
A short while later, a servant knocked on his door with word that breakfast was ready. The mercenary leader splashed water on his face from the washbasin and headed to the dining hall.
The dining hall was already packed with rowdy mercenaries. When Allen showed up, everyone made a show of knowing him. He exchanged light morning greetings with the crowd before heading to the table where his squad members sat huddled together. The table groaned under platters of hearty food.
"Did you sleep well through the night?"
"Honestly, I was too anxious to get much rest. Those bastards tormented us good."
"Kehhehe, you got that right."
Allen scooped food onto his plate and started spearing bites with his fork when Aiden, seated beside him, leaned in and whispered quietly.
"What do we do now?"
"...Well, for starters, sticking with Leader Rudra looks like the best bet. She seems to have some real pull out here in the west."
The captain tilted his head slightly toward Allen and murmured even more softly.
"I looked into it—she's the daughter of His Excellency the Marquis. ...His Excellency's second wife is her birth mother."
"...Marquis?"
That jogged a memory in Allen's mind. The lord governing the great city of Behimluod near the Magic Tower was a marquis, which meant Rudra must hail from that bloodline. ...She was even bigger than he'd figured.
"Smells like money, doesn't it? We could make a killing."
True to form for a money-hungry mercenary, Captain Aiden had already caught the whiff of gold. Holding a marquisate on the continent meant you were loaded—inescapably so. Just the taxes pouring in from that sprawling territory—what a fortune!
"I'll look into it."
"If you squeeze 'em good and generous, toss us some pocket change."
Allen nodded as if to say no worries and kept on eating. All the while, his eyes scanned for Leader Rudra.
...The marquis's little girl, huh....
Allen finished his breakfast amid the noisy clamor and spotted Leader Rudra waiting for him in the corridor outside the dining hall. His squad members, emerging with him, flashed knowing smirks, said they'd head out first, and left the leader behind before vanishing in a flash. ...Only the redhead mage lingered, glancing back with evident reluctance, but even she eventually disappeared....
"Did you have a peaceful night?"
"...Yeah, it beat sleeping on a ship."
She nodded lightly, ran her tongue over her lips, and stole a quick glance at him.
"We're about to head out now."
"...I see."
"All the leaders agreed to go with me. To Behimluod. ......You might not know since you're not from the west, but I'm actually the marquis's daughter."
"I see."
Rudra's face soured a bit at Allen's utter lack of surprise. ...The daughter of a marquis ought to warrant some shock, right?
"...You knew? You're not even fazed. ......Not that I'm demanding you be."
"I had a hunch from your mannerisms and speech. A fine lady, as expected."
"...Oh, really?"
Allen's gentle smile as he said it sent an odd tickle through Rudra's chest, her breath growing faintly hot. She fussed with her bangs for no reason.
"Naturally, we'll follow you too, Leader Rudra. We already decided to stick together, didn't we?"
"...Someone might've wanted to stay behind."
"Don't worry. I'm no westerner, but even I break out in chills at the thought of necromancers. ...We're mercenaries chasing coin, sure, but not so selfish as to ignore a crisis on the continent."
Allen laid it on thick, driven by the irresistible scent of money. As he'd told the blind saint, bluffing and bravado were essential for any mercenary captain. If you could do the same job and get paid more, why wouldn't you?
Rudra fell hook, line, and sinker for his polished words, her sharp-eyed glare melting into softness.
"Hearing you say that... it really means a lot. ...I figured anyone not from the west was just a barbarian. But you, Leader Allen—you've got this refined air about you. I can just tell."
Refined air, even? Score!
Allen chuckled with cultured poise at Rudra, who was eating it up.
"Haha, refined? You're too kind."
"...Anyway, that's settled then. Oh, and we'll be taking a ship again. Safest option, all things considered. And we'll set off as soon as possible today, even if it's late."
"Understood. I'll have us ready to depart anytime."
"Right. ...See you."
Allen rounded up his squad in his lodging room. Time for a mid-mission payout and to lay out the next steps.
Arms crossed, he swept his gaze over the crew—huddled together, sipping cheap booze—and opened with a solemn tone.
"First off.... Ah, no long-term contracts, so nothing to worry about there. For you short-term folks, I'm giving you first dibs on a choice."
He plunked small pouches of coin down in front of the bald one-eyed Billy, jittery Christopher, and tattooed Arnold, who he'd hired short-term.
"Pay for services up to now. Should've handed it over in Hegel, but... things got messy. Bear with me."
"Yeah, sure. Can't be helped."
The mercenaries perked up at the sight of cash, grins splitting their faces.
"If you want, you're free to leave. Can't force you to stay. Or we can sign fresh contracts if you're game."
"Contracts for what?"
Tattooed Arnold, keen to stick around, asked about the terms.
Allen nodded with a faint smile.
"As you all probably guessed—hunting necromancers. What else is there to do out west? That's why we're here, right?"
"......Isn't that pretty dangerous?"
The bald one-eyed one, who'd already tasted a necromancer's terror, looked worried.
"Of course it's dangerous. Where's the safe money in this world? Especially for mercenaries. ......That said, I'm not dragging us to certain death. The spot we're headed—Behimluod, one of the west's top-tier cities."
Ooh.
Relief washed over their faces at last.
Then Allen flashed a wicked grin.
"...But don't celebrate yet. One big headache left."
"What's that?"
"There's a Magic Tower not far from Behimluod."
Magic Tower—the wizards' lair, right?
"...Isn't that a good thing? We can count on the mages for help—!"
"Nope. They won't lift a finger. Magic Tower folk don't care about outsiders. Their own skins come first."
"What a bunch of assholes."
"Yeah, total assholes. That's why the necromancers have them in their sights."
"......Pardon?"
The leader paused for breath before continuing.
"Everyone knows black mages start out as regular wizards, right? Then they pact with demons and turn."
The crew nodded—it was common knowledge.
"Bet they're Magic Tower alumni. Every mage out west is. Those guys took in demonic black mana, became necromancers, swept through villages to build power.... You can picture it, yeah?"
The dim bulbs looked blank. Then the sharp redhead mage piped up knowingly.
"Revenge... maybe?"
"Bingo—revenge."
"Target: the Magic Tower."
Aha! The mercenaries finally nodded along.
"So the black mage scum are pulling this crap to get back at the Magic Tower bastards?"
"Exactly. ...And if you mark the attacked villages on a west map and connect the dots..."
Allen scrawled X's for the raided spots on a regional map, then drew a wiggly line linking them like a crooked dick hair. The lines converged at one point.
The Magic Tower, right by mighty Behimluod.
The leader thumped his fist lightly on it with utter conviction.
"Proof they're heading straight for the Magic Tower."
Of course, he framed it like deduction from clues and context. Truth was, having devoured the [Guild Master] storyline, Allen had known the full plot ages ago.
The black mages' rampage? A revenge spree against the Magic Tower. ...In the end, the Tower fell apart, so yeah—they won.
"Then Behimluod's risky too, right? It's right by the Tower."
"Not risk-free, sure. But safer than anywhere else. I value my neck. No matter the payday, I don't wade into death traps. ...Their goal's the Tower. No point hitting a big city and thinning their own ranks. Even if they do strike Behimluod, it's got armies to defend it. Walls tall as mountains. ...Takes at least ten thousand troops to even dream of breaching."
That was the stature of continental megacities—impregnable fortresses. Leagues beyond your run-of-the-mill mid-tier towns.
...In the story, the necromancers hit the Tower, then lunged at Behimluod. Most had turned lich by then, hating the living, so they devoured the nearest city post-revenge. Their assault was brutal, but Behimluod held.
"Big fights mean big bucks. We're mercenaries. If we just wanted to play it safe, why head west? Hell, why be mercenaries? We came for money and glory, didn't we? We already lost out on Hegel pay—massive hit. This? Can't pass it up. Low death risk, high reward in cash and fame!"
Allen swept a manic, money-mad glare over them and bellowed fiercely.
"Hate it? Piss off. I don't work with cowards."
The squad exchanged glances. Then bald one-eyed Billy slammed the table with a fist.
"Fuck it, die once, die twice—same diff. I'm in. Let's rake it in!"
Jittery Christopher and tattooed Arnold jumped aboard. Hooked by the cash, naturally. A marquis would pay top dollar. And in a crisis like this!
Crisis meant opportunity.
Allen steeled himself to gouge the marquis for all he was worth.
...Nah,
Rudra screamed "money pit" from a mile away. The senses of Pomwell Baron's youngest—money-obsessed Allen—were screaming it.
Imagining the haul made his tip twitch and his hips buck involuntarily.
...Ah, yeah. This is the thrill.
And right then, the money pit herself—Leader Rudra—was humming cheerfully, convinced Allen was into her.