Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: With Water (4)
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Bruno returned to the estate and threw open every warehouse, hosting a grand banquet. Hundreds feasted and drank merrily, save for the unlucky few guards who drew the short straws.
This victory wasn't just any win. It was the resolution of decades-old grudges that had been drilled into his ears since childhood. No exaggeration—it fulfilled a lifelong wish, so his joy was boundless.
Bruno knew exactly who to thank, and with his hearty warrior's temperament, he had no intention of downplaying Galen's contributions.
"To the hero!"
"To Galen's feats!"
"Cheers!"
With the host and highest-ranking figure leading the praise for Galen, everyone below naturally joined in the chorus of adulation. The accolades poured in from all sides, leaving him quite dazed.
"Haha, thank you."
Still, Galen was a veteran of countless banquets, having trailed Jerbon through them all.
Though he'd attended as a servant, he knew well how a young master from a prestigious house handled crowds.
Adding a touch of humility to the mix earned rave reviews. Tales spread of the skilled mage with impeccable conduct.
One thing he avoided: getting sloshed and rowdy. After a few polite glasses, he gracefully declined more.
"I wouldn't want to cause trouble if I got drunk."
Everyone understood. It was common lore that mages, devoted solely to mental discipline, shunned mind-clouding vices like drink.
And it wasn't far off the mark. A drunken punch might just bruise a bystander, but drunken magic? Catastrophe. An uncontrollable disaster.
He abstained from liquor but indulged in the food, rising early as tongues around him began to slur.
The next morning, after a good night's sleep, he met Bruno privately in his study.
"Slept well? I hope the banquet pleased you."
"It was splendid. Though a bit less fanfare might've been more comfortable."
"I've thought since our first meeting—you're too humble, Lord Galen. You could afford some arrogance, and no one would bat an eye."
"What can I do? It's my nature. And you, Lord Bruno? You seemed to drink heavily last night."
"A hangover's a hangover, but Family Head duties don't wait. One night of revelry suffices."
He might look like a muscle-bound brute who only knew brute force, but Bruno was surprisingly astute. A man wielding half the city's power couldn't be a simpleton.
After wetting his throat with tea, Bruno spoke.
"Let's settle the commission first. You remember the terms?"
"Ten gold coins per battle participated in, plus bonuses for results."
Twenty silver made one gold, and one gold kept a family of five afloat for a tight month. A commoner's monthly living was pegged at about one and a half.
Galen had spent less than five gold on two months in Nijerte for lodging and meals—ten per fight was no small sum.
Incidentally, Elisa had given him exactly one hundred gold when he left the Oceanis Family. A truly heartwarming young lady.
"You've fought twice, so twenty gold by the contract. But... I never imagined the fights would end after just two. I've underpaid you badly."
Why the preamble? Galen listened quietly. Bruno continued.
"Mercenary guilds allow post-contract revisions for better terms. But the higher the payout, the bigger their cut."
"True."
"The guild offered invites from both us and the Gaud Family. Had the spiritist not been arrogant, you might've gone to them."
"Possible. But the guild can't play favorites."
"I know. Rationally. Emotions chafe, though. So I want to reward you 'personally.'"
"Bypassing the guild?"
"Exactly."
"My lips are sealed."
Fresh to mercenary life with no guild ties, and Bruno eager to spite them—they aligned effortlessly.
"Good. First question, then..."
"Ask away."
"Any thoughts of settling in Nijerte?"
Bruno asked hesitantly, cautiously. Galen grasped the intent at once.
"You're asking if I'd join the Narok Family?"
"Yes. Best treatment, full support for magic research, and if you wish... my daughter."
"The young lady from last night?"
"Not just fatherly bias—she's stunning, right? Nijerte's top beauty."
"She was, indeed."
They'd exchanged brief greetings at the banquet. Her mother's genes had hit the jackpot. With Bruno's hype, it was no surprise she showed him favor too.
A family rising to rule Nijerte promised a bright future; joining meant security.
If Galen were an ordinary mercenary mage.
"But... I'll gratefully decline. It's a kind offer, but I'm not ready to settle. I want to see more of the world for now."
He craved strength, and his power didn't grow through decades of solitary study like others.
Meeting mages to steal their spells, hunting fiends to level up—that was his path. He didn't know when he'd stop, but not now.
'Oceanis issues unresolved too.'
Nijerte wasn't Oceanis territory, but ties existed—ships linked them, letting him arrive.
Toppling a city's power alone? His fame would spread. If Oceanis dismissed it as coincidence, fine. But if they sent a familiar face to check?
They might rage about a slave stealing family magic to impersonate a mage. Could Narok protect him? Even if they backed him out of loyalty, the power gap was insurmountable.
So he had to leave. Delay any pursuit as long as possible.
"I see."
Bruno nodded. Galen hadn't mentioned Oceanis, but the refusal sufficed for understanding.
"You're refreshingly straightforward."
"Were you hoping I'd cling?"
"Not at all."
"I truly want to keep you. Just braced for rejection. Frankly, you're too promising to tie down. I floated it out of regret."
With a wry smile, Bruno rummaged in his desk drawer and handed over a crisp envelope.
"This is...?"
"The personal reward I mentioned."
Galen's eyes widened at the contents.
Promissory notes, each worth a hundred gold. Ten of them. One thousand total.
Issued by Kalia Merchant Company, with branches worldwide—near cash equivalent.
"Carrying a thousand gold coins would've been too heavy, so notes it is."
"Isn't this too much?"
"Not insignificant. But erasing the Gaud Family? Worth every coin. Take it. Keep it from Lord Terti too."
Bruno winked. Galen pocketed the envelope after a pause.
"I'll accept gratefully. Thank you."
"I'm the grateful one—you saved my family. Here's to the same camaraderie if paths cross again."
Pure gratitude for a thousand gold? Surely laced with alliance-building.
Knowing that didn't mean refusing a friendly gift.
"Same here, next time."
Galen smiled. Bruno grinned back, extending a hand. They shook firmly.
Galen and Terti stopped by the mercenary guild to formally close the commission, then left the Narok estate. Bruno offered extended stay, but they politely declined.
Back at Bron Brothers' Haven, Galen bid farewells to his acquaintances.
"Leaving?"
"Nearly three months here. Time to move on."
"Long stay for a merc. Thought you might settle."
Freeman expressed regret. Saker asked,
"Destination set?"
"Heading north from here."
"East, then?"
"Yes."
Oceanis's Sun Archipelago lay south; Nijerte southeast. North meant the east.
Mountains everywhere, human touch limited to coasts and mountain basins—a remote wild.
"Not chasing civilization, that's for sure. Training again?"
"Heard it's thick with mercenary mages. Bound to learn something."
"Dunno how many outshine you... but endless fiends mean combat galore."
Terti, fresh from eastern ops before Nijerte, chimed in. Regretted not considering travel together otherwise.
"Merc life— we'll cross paths."
"Wonder how strong you'll be next time. Gotta hit Gold myself."
Galen wouldn't mind reliable company, but dragging a just-returned man? No.
After Terti, someone else. Life worked that way.
That night at Bron's Haven, he gleaned useful tips from the veteran merc trio.
The next day, Galen left Nijerte northward.
Destination: Abaca.
The gateway city from southeast to east.