Two Gold Coins
Two Gold Coins
***
Everyone except Rob, who had lost his two eyes, saw the crow magical beast falling.
"...He hit that?"
Throwing a spear is a high-difficulty skill, contrary to how it looks. Even more so if one has to throw an unfamiliar spear instead of the one they usually handle.
"What in the world... No, never mind."
However, thanks to the acrobatics Elbridge had shown before throwing the spear being even more impressive, people were able to just accept it and move on.
"He said his name was Elbridge. Is he a mercenary who was active in the west or the south? With that level of skill, his name would have to be known."
At Magnus's muttering, Charlie answered.
"I heard he's not a mercenary, but a paladin of the Order of the Rusted Shield."
There was only one thing Charlie could tell them. That Elbridge was a paladin.
However, it was not very helpful information. Because there was no clear causal relationship between the status of a paladin and Elbridge's skill. Weren't the paladins of the Order of the Golden Tray the best counterexample?
While people were murmuring, Elbridge ran towards the falling crow magical beast.
Distortion-type magical beasts sometimes do all sorts of unexpected things when one's guard is down, so one must end their life when the opportunity arises.
The crow magical beast that had fallen to the ground looked at Elbridge with its eight red eyes.
Kkaak—
It felt as if it had something it wanted to say.
However, it was not of Elbridge's concern. Elbridge swung his sword without hesitation and cut off the crow magical beast's head.
Seogeok.
Since it was not an enhancement-type magical beast, the crow magical beast's feathers and skin were not much different from an ordinary bird's. Its head fell off in a single stroke, and blood splattered.
"Phew..."
Along with the relief of having eliminated the magical beast, Elbridge was seized by an immense sense of elation.
Magical beasts possess a kind of holy power called fragments of the Evil God.
As the crow magical beast's holy power seeped into Elbridge, Elbridge tasted an intense sense of elation he was feeling for the first time in his life.
A sensation as if a thirst that had plagued him for hundreds of years was finally quenched with cool water.
The situation was different from when he hunted the wolf magical beast last time.
At that time, in order to recover his arm, he could not properly absorb the holy power and had to offer the magical beast's heart and the fragments of the Evil God to the Goddess.
He had absorbed the holy power left over after the offering, but that was like sprinkling a little mist on parched, cracked earth.
But it was different now. The holy power left by the crow magical beast was entirely Elbridge's to claim.
Moreover, it was not an unripe magical beast that had only recently begun its transformation. Since it was a magical beast transitioning from mid-stage to late-stage, its rank was reasonably high, and its holy power was also not small.
This much was more than enough to be a moist spring rain rather than a mist.
Elbridge habitually clenched and unclenched his two fists. Power overflowed from his whole body.
The memory of a moment he had felt during his days as an apprentice paladin in the distant past, a moment of surpassing ordinary humans, came to mind.
'I still have a long way to go, but... this is a good start.'
At that moment, the Goddess's oracle descended.
- Elbridge. My most cherished paladin. It was a wonderful performance. But since that performance is stained with the power of another god, a small worry blooms in your Goddess's heart...
Since waking up from the seal, this was the second time Elbridge had utilized the power of a god.
However, both times it was not power bestowed by the Rusted Shield Goddess. The first was the power of healing bestowed by the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss, and the second was the power bestowed by the God of the Golden Tray.
The first power was directly connected by the Rusted Shield Goddess herself, so the Goddess did not feel sad. But this time the situation was different.
'Don't tell me, is the Goddess angry?'
No. The Goddess's voice contained no displeasure or anger. It was something that happened often in the past for paladins to pool their power together.
'...Then why?'
Elbridge quickly realized the reason.
It was closer to self-reproach, or perhaps anxiety. The self-reproach of not being able to properly bestow power on her only follower, and the anxiety that Elbridge might leave for another order.
'How should I answer?'
Elbridge finished his judgment at an incredibly fast speed.
"I am also frustrated by this situation. My Goddess."
The Goddess's voice was not heard. However, Elbridge could instinctively tell that the Goddess's anxiety had deepened.
Elbridge naturally continued his words.
"My own inadequacy is truly frustrating. If only I could revive the order as soon as possible, there would be no need to rely on the power of other gods... I feel a great sense of apology towards you, my Goddess."
A speaking technique of making the Goddess tense as if he would apostatize at any moment, and then reassuring the Goddess with a natural twist. After all, a sharp drop leaves a dramatic impression.
Furthermore, he had clearly expressed that he had no dissatisfaction with the Rusted Shield Goddess, so this was the best answer Elbridge could come up with.
As expected, the Goddess's voice noticeably brightened.
- Elbridge. Your efforts are not lacking in the slightest. Also, as I have said time and time again, your Goddess considers it enough if you lead a peaceful life, so there is no need to feel burdened.
"My Goddess. I am a paladin, archbishop, and chief cardinal. I have no intention of neglecting my duties in the slightest. I will definitely return your power to you, my Goddess. For now, with the goal of regaining even one seat in this year-end vote and returning to the council..."
Because Elbridge's tone was specific and firm, the Goddess naturally took a step back.
- If you intend to do so, your Goddess will also help with all her might.
After finishing his conversation with the Goddess, Elbridge approached the paladins of the Order of the Golden Tray.
The paladins who had treated Elbridge like an invisible man until now naturally took a step back one by one.
Elbridge, carrying Rob, who had lost both his eyes, on his back, said.
"Let's go."
<><><>
Since the place where they discovered the crow magical beast was not far from the Holy City Solenion, they were able to arrive at the Holy City before evening.
"Sir Rob, his eyes...!"
The priests of the Order of the Golden Tray immediately put Rob on a stretcher and took him to the temple of the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss. The urgent matters were all settled.
The paladins of the Order of the Golden Tray who had accompanied him approached Elbridge.
And the red-haired paladin, Magnus, said to Elbridge.
"We received great help. I don't know how to repay you."
Repayment.
Since the opponent was the Order of the Golden Tray, rumored to be wealthy, the first thing that came to mind was monetary compensation. It was also a desperate compensation. Wasn't the current financial situation of the Order of the Rusted Shield just a few gold coins?
However, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"That..."
Elbridge had rarely thought that there was something he was not good at.
Of course, since Elbridge was human too, he was not omnipotent, but he thought he possessed at least above-average capabilities in whatever was required of a paladin.
And now, Elbridge realized that there was one thing he could not do. That was talking about money.
Demanding monetary compensation was really more difficult than he thought. Words would not come out as if his throat were blocked. It was a different problem from any other negotiation.
He couldn't tell if it was because he wasn't used to demanding compensation, or if his nature was just like that.
As a result, the words that came out of Elbridge's mouth were too cliché.
"Well... I don't need any repayment. It is something I ought to do. Whether as a paladin or as a hired person."
At that moment, Marcus interjected into the conversation.
"Ehey, really!"
Marcus could not fight as well as Elbridge.
However, naturally, there were also things Marcus was better at than Elbridge. Among them was a talent needed right now, which was negotiating pay.
Since mercenaries often experience unexpected situations, there are many cases where they have to do more work than originally promised.
In such situations, how much more pay one can get depends entirely on individual capability. Since Marcus was a reasonably seasoned mercenary, he had no choice but to get used to negotiating pay.
"No, well, it's true it was our mission, as Sir Elbridge said. But the request was just to help out a little with the magical beast hunt. These people wouldn't have expected this level of performance either... Am I wrong?"
The paladins of the Order of the Golden Tray, who were listening to Marcus's story, nodded.
"Then naturally, a pay negotiation must follow! Sir Elbridge seems unaccustomed to counting money, but I am not. There's no way you folks from the Order of the Golden Tray, of all orders, wouldn't know that there's a beautiful culture called performance bonuses in the world."
Marcus said so, then curled his thumb and index finger into a circle.
"Now, let's lay it all out on the table. How much can you give?"
At that, Magnus made a sour face.
"...But why are you cutting in? We were talking about Sir Elbridge."
"Uh-huh, who said I was asking for my pay? I'm talking about Sir Elbridge's pay too. I'm just... The promised pay is enough for me."
The paladins of the Order of the Golden Tray looked at Marcus with eyes full of suspicion.
Because no matter how they looked at it, it seemed like Marcus was going to insert himself between Elbridge and the Order of the Golden Tray and take a commission.
However, Marcus was not intimidated even in front of people's gazes.
"Now, let's get back to the main point. The way I see it, if it weren't for Sir Elbridge, you folks would be dead."
At that, one knight who had been quiet until now asked. Was his name Abe?
"Putting other things aside, let's get that straight. Didn't Sir Elbridge say that that magical beast couldn't pierce armor either? We wouldn't have died."
Hearing Abe's story, Marcus snorted.
"I don't think that's something someone who was walking around with his helmet off because it was stuffy should say. It's the same for the rest of you. Do you think you would have survived if that crow's beak had been stuck in your foreheads? At the very least, three people would have died."
"That crow magical beast didn't even charge at us. Only Sir Rob would have been attacked."
"It doesn't matter that the magical beast didn't charge. Because you folks would have charged at the crow bastard to save Sir Rob. Then you would have been in the same danger. Am I wrong?"
Abe faltered.
He couldn't possibly spout nonsense like 'I had no intention of saving Sir Rob' here just to refute Marcus's story, could he?
To make matters worse, everyone knew that the only person who had tried to save Rob was the knight-errant Richard.
If Marcus blabbed the story that the paladins of the Order of the Golden Tray had hesitated and abandoned Rob, their reputation would surely plummet severely. Both the order's reputation and their individual reputations.
Not only Abe but also the other paladins knew well how important reputation was. Because they were merchants before they were paladins.
A merchant without money can earn money, but a merchant who has lost their reputation can do nothing.
Now it was time for someone to step forward and present a standard.
While everyone was gauging the mood, Charlie, the youngest, stepped forward.
"First... I would like to offer twenty gold coins as a token of gratitude. That's all I have on me right now. I will offer more later if the opportunity arises."
Twenty gold coins meant four hundred silver coins. It was a considerable sum.
Since the pay of an experienced mercenary was about half a silver coin a day, with twenty gold coins, one could hire two experienced mercenaries for about a year.
However, Marcus was not satisfied.
"I think the gold coins Sir Charlie offered when fighting the deer magical beast were more than that... Isn't that lacking in sincerity?"
"That money didn't come out of my pocket. It's an offering supported by the order. It's a quite burdensome amount for me too."
"Is that so... Good. Then what about the others? It would be a truly desirable ending if our poor Sir Elbridge could afford a decent suit of armor as the price of his devotion."
Since Charlie, the youngest, had mentioned twenty gold coins, the others could not state an amount less than that.
"I will also give twenty. But I don't have the money on me right now... I will deliver the gold coins to the Order of the Rusted Shield by tomorrow."
"I will also give twenty. No, I will give forty, including Sir Rob's share. Sir Rob will also be willing to pay that much."
Elbridge did not join the conversation and only gauged the mood.
He had thought it would be fortunate if he could just get the five gold coins originally promised as pay, but Marcus interjected, and in an instant, he was promised a hundred gold coins.
'A hundred gold coins is two thousand silver coins...'
It was an enormous amount of money. More than enough money to hire ten experienced mercenaries for a whole year.
Furthermore, it did not end with a hundred gold coins.
"I didn't really do anything either, so... I will give half of my pay. Please take it."
Richard, and the knight-errant whose name he still did not know, each handed five gold coins to Elbridge. It seemed the two knight-errants had been offered ten gold coins as pay.
Following that, a priest of the Golden Tray appeared and handed five gold coins each to Elbridge and Marcus.
"You two said you were promised five gold coins each, right? Here is your pay."
Elbridge became bewildered.
'What is this...'
The five gold coins that were the promised pay were on the verge of being blown on Charlie's treatment costs, but the money in his hand right now was fifteen gold coins.
Elbridge had never held this much money in his entire life.
It was the same even excluding the hundred gold coins he was promised to be given soon.
Marcus said to the paladins of the Order of the Golden Tray in a deliberately cheerful voice.
"Alright, everyone worked hard. If you have a good request next time, please look for Marcus."
Marcus patted Elbridge's back. Elbridge left the temple of the Order of the Golden Tray together with Marcus.
Elbridge remained silent even after leaving the temple. Because he still had something to worry about.
'...How much should I share with Marcus?'
A hundred and fifteen gold coins.
This was the money Elbridge had received in return for his performance, but it was also money he would not have received if Marcus had not stepped forward.
No matter how little, he would have to give ten percent, and to not disappoint Marcus, he might have to give twenty or thirty percent.
'If I say I'll give him about twenty percent, I'll first give him all the fifteen gold coins I have on me and give the rest tomorrow or the day after...'
However, something Elbridge had not expected happened. Marcus, who was walking by Elbridge's side, thrust his hand into Elbridge's left pocket.
It was a pocket where he hadn't put anything. However, when Elbridge put his hand in his pocket, he felt two gold coins in his hand.
When Elbridge looked at Marcus, Marcus grinned.
"I said I'd give you two gold coins. I'm a person who settles money matters cleanly."
If Marcus had demanded money, Elbridge would have shared whatever amount it was.
But Marcus did not demand gold coins.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?"
At Elbridge's question, Marcus replied.
"It's not like I did anything amazing. My luck is satisfied with three gold coins' worth."
Only then did Elbridge realize.
Marcus was a person who wished for luck.
He liked luck so much that he decided to follow the God of Sunshowers, who was said to bring luck, instead of the God of the Golden Tray, who symbolized wealth.
Marcus was a person who liked money.
He liked money so much that as soon as he was promised five gold coins, he eagerly followed a request to hunt a magical beast. Even knowing that he couldn't hunt a single magical beast with his own capabilities.
But at the same time, Marcus was not so greedy as to try and cram all the overflowing luck into his own pocket.
The tips of Marcus's toes changed direction.
"Let's meet next time. I have a feeling we'll meet again soon... I hope I can benefit from you then too."
Marcus waved his hand towards Elbridge, then disappeared into the crowd of Solenion. It was a step without a single trace of regret.
Elbridge waved his hand towards Marcus with a slightly dumbfounded expression. For a long time even after Marcus was out of sight.
An emotion he didn't know how to express surged in Elbridge's chest.
In this unfamiliar world, and in front of the utterly daunting goal of rebuilding the order.
The feeling that he might be able to accomplish something now.
Elbridge himself did not know why he felt such an emotion now.
As Elbridge stood still among the crowd for a long time, the Goddess's voice was heard.
- Elbridge?
"Yes. My Goddess."
Elbridge answered like that and fiddled with the gold coins in his pocket.
The fifteen gold coins in his right pocket. And the two gold coins in his left pocket.
Elbridge spoke again.
"My Goddess. I think I will be able to offer about five bottles of the highest quality perfumed oil today."
- There is no need to overdo it. Of course, the perfumed oil from last time was highly satisfactory, but it is not only perfumed oil that can please your Goddess...
For someone declining, her voice revealed her anticipation too transparently.
Elbridge smiled faintly.
"I know. But shouldn't there be days like this sometimes."
And Elbridge also directed his steps into the crowd of Solenion.
Soon, the figure of the young paladin was hidden among the people and could no longer be seen.