Chapter 30
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: New Companion?
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Jun headed to the Mercenary Guild with Aiden in tow.
It was to check if there were any requests related to the potion recipe that Cloi had commissioned earlier.
"The Mercenary Guild... It feels like it's been forever since I last came here."
The last time Jun and Aiden had visited the Mercenary Guild was about two months ago, when Jun had absorbed the White Whale Mercenary Corps.
'There's still about nine months left in this year's Blackout activity period.'
"But didn't we get a commission from the Gilenoi Merchant Guild? Is there a reason to take on requests from the Mercenary Guild?"
"Building fame is important, but maintaining it is just as crucial."
"Hmm... I think I get what you mean."
"And we need to renew our mercenary badges anyway."
"Oh, right!"
Was it thanks to their exploits in the Goblin Lord subjugation and the strategy battle's hidden stage?
The Mercenary Guild had sent a letter to Jun and Aiden.
The contents stated that the White Whale Mercenary Corps had been promoted to Silver rank, so they needed to renew their mercenary badges.
"Let me see..."
With that, Jun scanned the request board.
The requests weren't limited to the Black Forest.
"The Barren Rock Zone. Here it is."
"The Barren Rock Zone..."
"It's famous for its mines. It's managed under the Imperial Family's name too. Not exactly popular with folks like us, though."
As Jun said, unlike the other boards, hardly anyone was paying attention to the Barren Rock Zone board.
"The reason you picked this place... Ah! Is it because of the second layer?"
"Exactly. It's got a layer passage leading to the second layer."
The Black Forest had a layer passage to the second layer too, but it led to a region far from the one Jun was aiming for.
After selecting a few collection requests from the board, Jun grabbed the request forms and headed to the counter.
"Taking on requests?"
"Yeah. And renew our mercenary badges too."
When he handed over the request forms and badges, the staff member looked them over briefly before widening her eyes in surprise.
"Wh-White Whale Mercenary Corps?"
"That's us."
"Hold on! Wait here!"
"...?"
The staff member made a fuss and hurried into the room behind the counter, leaving Jun with a puzzled expression.
"S-Senior, it seems we're more famous than we thought."
"You think so...?"
Of course, Jun was confident he'd handled the strategy battle exploits pretty well.
His fame had probably risen quite a bit because of it... but enough to make the counter staff freak out like that?
In the game, high fame didn't bring big changes, so Jun found the staff's overreaction bewildering.
Just then, the staff member burst back out from the room.
"Come on in! The branch manager wants to talk to you."
Braden, the branch manager of the Black Forest Mercenary Guild, stared at his calloused hands.
It had been five years since his retirement.
It didn't feel like that long, yet time flowed on like running water.
'My name's already faded from the industry.'
And the mercenary world was flooding with new talents.
It was bittersweet, but there was a certain enjoyment in watching these fresh faces emerge.
And right before his eyes were the very ones who'd been stirring up the most noise in the industry lately.
"So, you two are the White Whale Mercenary Corps?"
"That's right."
"Kukuku. I wondered what kind of hotshots you were, but you're just greenhorns!"
It might sound like he was picking a fight, but it was just the rough talk of an old mercenary.
"And yet you've racked up achievements like this already. That's why I sit in this chair. Sorry for the late intro. I'm Braden, in charge of the Black Forest branch."
"I'm Jun, leading the White Whale Mercenary Corps."
"I'm Aiden, a member of the corps."
"Hm! Welcome again. It's surreal seeing famous folks with my own eyes."
At Braden's quite friendly response, Aiden cautiously raised his hand. He'd heard this was an industry senior.
"Um, are we really that famous?"
"Huh?"
Braden looked at Aiden like he'd spotted some exotic creature.
His gaze soon shifted to Jun.
Jun shrugged, and Braden slammed the desk, bursting into laughter.
"Hahahaha!! Unbelievable idiots! Of course you are! No need to ask twice!"
Having spent years in the industry, Braden had never met fools this clueless about their own accomplishments.
Setting aside Aiden, who looked like some noble's kid, one of them was a mage, wasn't he?
Mages had egos like no one else, yet this reaction? It was hilariously irresistible from his position.
"You really thought that? Well, as a senior in the biz, no harm in filling you in."
The Goblin Lord's irregular event and the strategy battle's hidden stage went without saying.
But what Braden considered their greatest feat was something else.
"Didn't you bring back those mercenary badges!"
Before the Goblin Lord subjugation began.
Jun and Aiden had raided a goblin village to clear Commander Jinovan's disgrace, collecting dozens of mercenary badges.
But at Jun's following question, Braden's eyes went wide.
"...How did you know that?"
"Eh? You didn't know? Oh, wait. Right... That's how it went down."
Only then did Braden realize why they were acting this way.
"You planned to hand all the credit to Commander Jinovan from the start?"
It was obvious.
Back then, Jun needed Jinovan's attention more than the mercenaries'.
Jinovan's fame mattered more than their own, so all the credit went to him.
The industry had only heard that Jinovan had utilized his forces.
"Commander Jinovan spread the word."
"Exactly. He came by not long ago and sang your praises."
"Ah... So that's it."
Now Jun understood Braden's warm reception.
It made sense.
Returning others' mercenary badges to the guild was hugely inspiring to mercenaries.
Dozens of them, no less—it wasn't surprising to get this reaction.
"Kuku, interesting. A fallen noble—and a fortress commander at that—looking out for your fame."
"Hm."
That part, Jun hadn't anticipated.
'I should send Commander Jinovan a letter later.'
This was probably how you maintained connections.
"Anyway, that's why I wanted to see you in person. Plenty of other things to chat about too."
"Renewing the mercenary badges."
"Right. Congratulations. You're a veteran mercenary corps now."
Veteran status in just under two months.
A position that Bronze corps had to grind an entire season of requests to achieve.
"Thank you."
"More nonchalant than I expected. Others act like they own the world at Silver rank."
"It's just the beginning. So, is that all?"
"Kuku... Like I said, we've got plenty to talk about."
This time, Jun took the initiative.
"It's about the ancient book, right?"
"Ahem! You knew?"
"I'm grateful for the welcome, but the branch manager doesn't need to handle this personally."
"Sharp for a mage. Right. Lately, a lot of big shots have been sniffing around that ancient book's whereabouts."
"Sorry, but I can't say anything about that. We've got our reasons."
Braden was probably tied to some political faction, prompting the question.
But Jun had declared political neutrality to Count Mordena in Bizho City.
So no matter what Braden said here, Jun wouldn't share info on the ancient book.
"I see. That's a shame!"
But Braden gave up more easily than expected.
Or so it seemed.
"Still, I've got one question."
"Go ahead."
"Shouldn't you start expanding your mercenary corps soon?"
"... "
Jun fell silent at Braden's words, gauging the intent behind them.
'Ah. He's pointing out the ghost member?'
A mercenary corps needed at least three members to stay active.
Jun had filled one slot with a withdrawal... no, the ghost member Charles.
If Braden poked at that, their hard-earned Silver corps could be disbanded.
As Jun's contemplation deepened, Braden spoke up.
"No idea what you're thinking, but it's not as heavy as you imagine. If you're expanding, I'd like to recommend someone."
"...You?"
Jun eyed him like, "Why would you do that?" A flicker of emotion crossed Braden's eyes.
"Got a kid under my temporary care. Can't keep them forever."
"Why us?"
"You seem pretty eager for talent."
Spot on.
Bronze corps usually prioritized quantity over quality.
Quality at Bronze was middling anyway, and good finds jumped ship quickly.
So they banded similar talents together, brute-forcing requests with numbers.
But Jun hadn't recruited anyone yet.
'A nameless, small corps is ripe for mutiny.'
There were plenty of such cases, and Jun's basic distrust of people made it inevitable.
'But I already have someone in mind.'
Someone probably wandering the Barren Rock Zone by now. Not confirmed, but still.
Even so, he couldn't refuse outright, so Jun continued.
"What about us makes you think we'd take them?"
"So suspicious. Makes sense from your position, though."
Braden then explained.
"Of course, your feats in the Lord subjugation and strategy battle caught my eye. But what I like most is your composure. Heard some things from Colton, that prickly guy."
"...Colton?"
The mercenary captain who'd teamed up with Jun during the strategy battle.
"That punk was singing your praises."
"Hm."
Hearing it firsthand made his face heat up, but Jun met Braden's eyes steadily.
"The anomaly in that strategy battle—my last failure's so far back I barely remember it. When everyone was caught in fear and rage, only you stayed rational."
Braden had survived 25 years in the mercenary world.
He'd seen countless talents shine.
But those who later made names for themselves weren't the gifted ones—they were the scrappers from the bottom.
And they all shared one trait: rational assessment of situations.
Jun would surely survive.
Jun swallowed a hollow laugh.
"This is embarrassing. Can't even look up."
"Heh, humble too. So, what's your answer?"
Jun replied as if he'd been waiting.
The decision was already made.
"Picking without seeing their face? That's too much."
"Oh? Right! Hahahaha! I got carried away talking about myself."
He slammed the desk again, laughing, then shouted.
"Maya! Come in!"
"...?!"
Jun's eyes shook violently at the name.
He'd never dreamed of hearing it here.