Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: On the Way to the East (3)
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The merchant's name was Doni.
He was the de facto leader of a group made up of three peddlers and seventeen mercenaries. Two of the four wagons were his, and he'd covered half the cost of hiring the mercenaries.
The Doris Merchant Association was the largest outfit in Abaca, and Doni was a mid-tier peddler within it. At least, that's what he claimed, but the reactions from the others suggested it wasn't much of an exaggeration.
"Of course, a mage of your caliber wouldn't run into any real trouble, but whether you can handle things smoothly is a different matter altogether, isn't it?"
"True enough. I don't exactly have connections in Abaca."
"If you go through the Doris Merchant Association, we can take care of whatever you need in no time flat!"
"If that's true, I couldn't ask for more."
If a merchant company was like a corporation, a merchant association was more like a loose alliance of small-time traders who couldn't form their own company.
They couldn't match the specialization of a dedicated company handling just a few key goods, but what they lacked in focus, they made up for with overwhelming variety. Befriend an association, and you could score deals from merchants in every field under their umbrella.
If Doni really held mid-tier status there, it would come in handy somewhere. Compared to the value of his life, the minor conveniences Galen wanted were trivial.
"Shall we head out together, then?"
"Yes! I'll serve you to the best of my ability!"
And so, Galen decided to travel with Doni's group.
It would naturally take longer than going solo, but Galen had bought the horse for comfort, not speed. The distance covered by a brisk walker versus a leisurely horse wasn't as different as one might think.
They were already more than halfway to the destination, so even if it dragged on, it would only add a few days. The conveniences of group travel more than made up for it.
Meals appeared on their own at mealtimes, and he was exempt from watch duty or other chores. The merchants and mercenaries still kept their distance from the intimidating Galen, so it wasn't a hassle, and most conversations happened when Galen got bored and struck them up himself.
His main interlocutor was Doni. Galen had gleaned plenty from Terti, but more info was always better, and merchants and mercenaries saw things from different angles.
"The Doris Merchant Association is the biggest in Abaca?"
"That's right. Over half the merchants operating in the city are members. At the very least."
"Impressive scale."
"It's the oldest association around—been there since before Abaca was even called a city. The others don't hold a candle to it in history or size."
"What do they mainly deal in?"
"Hard to say. It's so diverse you'd save time listing what they don't handle. Everything needed for eastern frontier development, pretty much."
The east was mostly mountains, and in this world, mountains were synonymous with wicked beast habitats. That was why it was considered the boonies.
But the basins nestled between the ranges were surprisingly fertile, with water easy to come by. If you could hold them, they were prime real estate, which was why ambitious folks were steadily claiming them from the outermost inward.
Abaca served as the gateway city to those frontier zones.
Not all the mountains ringing the basins were impassable. There were relatively navigable routes treated as entry paths, and Abaca sat right at the start of one. The borders weren't sharply defined, but generally, the area below Abaca was called the southeast, and above it, the east.
"Um... Lord Galen, didn't you mention earlier that you were looking for transport out of Abaca?"
"I did. I heard you can't just head to the frontier zones on your own."
"Ah, yes. Most folks use the regular convoys that run every fortnight."
To be precise, you could go whenever. It was just too dangerous, so people didn't. The vast majority waited for the city's fortnightly expeditions, traveling in groups of hundreds. Even that wasn't entirely safe.
"Is there a problem with that?"
"Oh, no, not at all."
"Speak freely."
"It's... not really a problem. I was just surprised. Mages don't usually head to the frontier zones, so..."
"Is that so?"
Galen tilted his head at Doni's hesitant words.
"From what I know, the frontier is the one place you're most likely to spot a mercenary mage."
"That's true, but mercenary mages are rare to begin with, aren't they? Sure, there are relatively more of them there compared to other places, but..."
"Still, that means plenty show up."
"They pay top coin. But it's still a death trap, so most mages don't stick around long. Once they've banked enough money or experience, they bail."
Warriors and mages might be evenly matched one-on-one, but they were never treated the same. Bronze warriors were a dime a dozen, but bronze mages were rare and versatile. One with frontier combat experience was welcome anywhere.
No need to mention silver-ranks, who could retire to glory and riches anywhere.
"Honestly, you're the most impressive mage I've ever seen, Lord Galen. Hearing you were heading to the frontier on purpose made me wonder if there was some story behind it. Sorry if that's overstepping."
"No story—just curiosity. Wanted to see what it's like."
"You might be disappointed. Nothing there but wicked beasts."
That's exactly why I'm going, Galen muttered inwardly.
He'd confirmed it wiping out those bandits. Killing people gave better progress than solo training. Just as trolls yielded more experience than noils, the bandit leader was far more valuable than his underlings.
But he couldn't just go around murdering folks willy-nilly. A battlefield might be different.
So instead, he was off to the east to hunt wicked beasts, where slaughtering them would earn praise. Experience points galore? Music to his ears.
Of course, he had no intention of voicing that and earning a reputation as a bloodthirsty maniac.
"Guess I'll find out when I get there."
Galen just shrugged lightly.
It took nineteen days to reach Abaca after joining Doni's group.
Not a bad trip overall. They ran into wicked beasts now and then, but they were all weaklings that posed no threat.
Galen didn't even need to step in, but he did anyway—for the scraps of experience. His proactive attitude earned him praise as a model mage.
Scraping together experience from bandit hunts, wicked beast kills, and a bit of self-study, he'd leveled up Water Flow Manipulation once.
The minor issue was Spirit Creation's leveling stalling out.
He'd seen this with Water Flow Manipulation before, so no real worry. It was just stalling at 35 instead of 39 that nagged a bit.
'Different patterns for each spell. My aptitude? Comprehension gap? Definitely feels less hands-on with Spirit Creation than Water Flow Manipulation.'
Maybe picking up a third or fourth spell would give him a feel for it.
He knew the fix regardless of the cause, so no big deal.
"Cleared!"
Abaca's walls were far taller and sturdier than Nijerte's, but getting through the gates was a breeze. With every sort of person coming and going, the guards seemed fed up with inspections.
Galen's first impression upon entering the city was chaos.
He knew the population was smaller than Nijerte's, but where Nijerte buzzed with port-city energy, Abaca's buzz tipped into outright disorder. Frenetic was the word.
Somehow reading Galen's mood, Doni spoke cautiously.
"A bit noisy, huh? It's worse today because the convoy's in."
"Convoy day? Oh, the one from the frontier?"
"Yes. If nothing went wrong, it arrived a little while ago. Mercenaries fresh from the front lines tasting city air—you can imagine how wild they get. Hundreds of them..."
"I get it."
Understanding didn't make it any less grating.
Spotting Galen's subtle grimace, Doni fidgeted, then had a bright idea. If noise was the issue, head somewhere quiet.
"By the way, Lord Galen, have you picked a place to stay?"
"First time here—no idea."
"Let me show you a good spot, then. This way."
"Now?"
"We're already in the city—the rest is just wrapping up."
The rest of the group would handle themselves to the Doris warehouse, and Doni would catch up after showing Galen to an inn.
After a quick word with the other two peddlers, Doni split off. Galen bade the group a somewhat abrupt farewell and followed.
They arrived at a high-end inn. Not the likes of Bron Brothers' Haven, which was decent value but no frills. This place looked grand from the outside alone.
"Hey, Doni?"
The staff recognized him. Doni excused himself to Galen, chatted with them briefly, and returned.
"Next convoy's in five days. I've booked you through then."
"Booked?"
"A deluxe suite. Make yourself at home."
"What? No, why..."
"You've been saving my skin, and I haven't properly repaid you. Take this much at least."
Same-association discount made it feasible, Doni said with a hearty laugh. Galen, flustered, finally accepted the gesture.
"I'll go finish up business, then. I'll put in a word at the association, so drop by anytime!"
"Got it. Thanks for the room."
Doni hurried off to rejoin the group, and Galen followed the staff's lavish guidance to his suite.
It was nice enough to make Galen—a guy with cash but not the mindset—feel a twinge of unease.
'Stayed in places like this on the young master's dime, but with my own money... Oh, wait, not my money this time either.'
He scrubbed off the road grime in the spacious bathtub, handed over his dust-caked clothes for laundering. Far better than the average traveler rationing water, but nothing beat a proper high-end inn service over rough camping wipe-downs and hand-washing.
Too early for dinner, so he decided to scout a bit. Galen called for a carriage.
"To the mercenary guild, please."
"Right away, sir."
Abaca's mercenary guild was smaller than expected. Smaller city than Nijerte, yet more mercenaries overall. Most were probably out on the frontier, leaving the guild idle.
Galen scanned the board, then paused at one notice.
It stood out—bigger paper, bigger text. He read it slowly.
What kind of cult promo was this?
But at the bottom of the lengthy text was a familiar seal. The church's mark. Legit faith.
Why was the church recruiting mages? Not exactly a natural pairing.
Galen was lost in thought when—
"Interested?"
Someone sidled up and whispered. Startled, Galen turned.
A woman in clerical robes sparkled—literally, her eyes glowing faintly.
"Are you a mage by any chance?"