Chapter 9
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: 2. First Expedition. (4)
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Charlotte opened her eyes. Not on the fluffy sheepskin rug, but on a leather mat that reeked of mildew.
…Ugh….
Propping herself up, she clutched her throbbing head and squeezed her eyes shut. A metallic tang of blood swept through her mouth, followed by a foul stench that stabbed straight into her nostrils. …It felt like her brain was being crushed.
It was still the faint light of dawn. Clutching her aching head, she quickly scanned her surroundings. In front of the crackling campfire sat a mercenary gnawing on jerky without even wiping the blood from his face. He was the morning watchman.
“Ah, you're awake. You must be tired—why not sleep more…”
“…It's f-fine, ahem, f-fine.”
Charlotte's voice cracked harshly. Probably from screaming her lungs out all night.
Her eyes soon adjusted to the darkness. Then the gruesome scene inside the fortress slammed into her retinas.
Scattered chunks of flesh, entrails, bone fragments…. Half-eaten corpses, and motionless monster carcasses strewn about—.
Urp.
She'd been fine before bed, but seeing that horrific sight again nearly made her vomit up her stomach contents. The mercenary noticed and let out a strange chuckle. A twisted laugh.
She turned her head away. Breathing raggedly, she recalled the events from earlier.
…Pathetic….
Revisiting her own disgrace was torture for her prideful self. Last night's behavior had been utter disgrace.
Honestly, she'd panicked back then. And been terrified. She'd seen monsters from afar before, but nothing as gruesome as that. The moment she laid eyes on it, her mind went blank—no thoughts at all. …Then Allen arrived. She got chewed out. And then… slapped.
Ah—.
The memory hitting her late, Charlotte touched her slapped cheek. Ow. The swollen flesh sent a sharp sting through her.
She'd never even been scolded in her life, let alone struck, so she couldn't shake that blinding shock.
Strangely, everything before was hazy, but Allen's voice as he screamed after hitting her echoed crystal clear in her ears.
- Get the fuck out of here, you bitch—?! Go kill those goddamn bastards now—!!
…Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn iiiit…!
Shame and rage welled up so fiercely she thought she'd cry. Getting yelled at by that coward. How badly must she have screwed up.
She was too embarrassed to even face people. Her pride kicked in with a defensive mechanism. She had no choice but to….
…It couldn't be helped. Yeah. Anyone would panic the first time. I prepared meticulously. It was just so sudden…. And the monster was so hideous. Anyone would freak out. Everyone does at first. It's normal to be scared…. I'm a delicate woman. Noble blood, no less. Of course I'd panic. I didn't do that badly. I pulled it together in the end. I did it—!
Rationalizing her actions, Charlotte stood and headed toward the scattered corpses and carcasses.
The gruesome sight made her want to hurl immediately, but right now, she had to protect something far more important than her stomach.
Her cracked pride—.
She forced a calm facade. Like she'd adapted now. She'd just been a little rattled then, but it was nothing now. She'd do much better next time.
As dawn broke soon after, people began waking one by one. After circling the fortress once, she issued orders to them with a nonchalant expression, as if nothing had happened.
“Collect the bodies as best you can. Limbs if no torso. Personal effects if nothing else.”
It looked like honoring the dead, but it was really theater to bury her pathetic past.
Respect in their gazes toward her had faded, but she acted even more composed. Admitting the mistake while insisting she wasn't really like that…. At least she'd snapped out of it and given orders in the end—!
Leaving body collection to her subordinates, she gathered the subjugation force's officers. Six assembled around her, excluding one badly injured captain.
“…Sorry for the shameful display yesterday. I apologize.”
“No, Leader. First time's bound to rattle anyone. Of course.”
The two interim leaders—who'd been even more disgraceful—raised their voices exaggeratedly. The captains, crisis past, fawned over power again, forgetting yesterday. Win or lose, the count's territory backed her. Only Allen nodded silently.
His timid attitude irked her most, but she ignored it and addressed the officers.
“We've repelled the monsters, so they won't approach for a while. Mission accomplished, so how about returning quickly? Lots of wounded.”
“Wise words.”
All agreed with Charlotte. With full officer consensus, preparations proceeded smoothly.
…I got too carried away.
That was Allen's first self-assessment.
Overcoming death's terror in his first battle to command from the rear deserved applause, but the excessive abuse from overexcitement was clearly a problem.
A true leader should stay cool to the end, calming excited mercenaries….
But Allen Mercenary Corps members held different views from their leader's cool evaluation.
“Man, never thought it'd happen. True colors shine in crisis—spot on!”
Who'd imagine the cowardly noble brat pulling that off? Even well-read Aiden followed orders without discomfort. Style debatable, but content flawless. First expedition? A new star's birth.
Thanks to that, despite a severed arm, Allen Mercenary Corps was the only unit without fatalities.
“True colors? Just doing my duty as leader. Thanks to you all following well.”
Allen didn't gild his face. He'd felt his shortcomings keenly.
Anyway.
His unexpected rep soared, while hyped Charlotte's plummeted.
She'd recovered at the end, but that mid-battle disgrace lingered. Her cronies hushed talk, but couldn't fully silence gossip.
[Prodigy] [Efficiency] [Composure] [Self-love] [Ambition] [Masochism]
(She wants to hide her disgrace. Legs shaking. Throat stings. Ankle hurts. …)
…Not terrible for a first time. No need to whisper that much.
Sure, her trembling pissed him off enough to slap her, but she did well after. Allen had panicked briefly seeing his first monster too. Unless exceptionally brave, everyone does at first.
Definitely…, monster battles far exceeded imagination.
Not just monitor views or simple text lists.
Amid gore and blood, conquer fear, think nonstop, judge fast, scream till voice breaks.
Allen realized leadership wasn't just owning a mercenary corps.
“Preparations complete.”
“…Ah, good?”
The subjugation force finished prepping to leave the mine fortress. Soon after, they roughly tidied up and departed.
The returning mood differed sharply from arrival. Charlotte's brimming confidence gone.
Allen considered consoling her but gave up.
…Rookie like me, consoling? Worry about my own path.
Besides, self-lovers like her could take clumsy comfort as insult. Especially hiding her shame—better not poke.
Allen entered the dense woods. The felled open sky vanished under thick leaves.
Hoo—.
He exhaled long. Relief at leaving, regret at not doing better.
His first rite of passage here.
This taught him the Guild Master world was no joke.
Heavy resolve and firm conviction needed.
To survive here—.