Aiparak (1)
"Does the required number of members change depending on the mercenary band's rank?"
"No, it doesn't. The minimum to establish a band is five people regardless of rank. Anything above that is fine."
Since we only needed to meet the minimum headcount, I thought it would be easy. The capital's mercenary guild was packed with people, after all. But when I glanced at Sezanne beside me, I had the sinking feeling it wouldn't be that simple. It reminded me of the moment the mercenaries from the Golden Dawn band had walked out. Sure, the Golden Dawn had its own problems back then. Still, watching people abandon you the moment things got tough made me extremely cautious about who I let in.
"Once you recruit someone, you're responsible for their food, clothing, and shelter for the entire time they're with the band. The vice-leader usually handles that. You need someone with strong people skills, the kind who genuinely looks after others."
I looked at Yanne, then at Sezanne, but she shook her head.
"I don't want to take care of other people like that. You'd also have to divide profits and shares after every request. The vice-leader has too many headaches."
In the span of a few sentences I learned there would be endless responsibilities and fixed costs to pay every month. It finally hit me: a mercenary band was basically a business. Only now did I understand why these groups wandered from battlefield to battlefield chasing money.
To keep fixed expenses down for the moment, I decided to register Yanne as a mercenary.
"Hmm. Registration is allowed from age fifteen. Since the mage says she's fifteen, I'll take your word for it."
"Thank you."
Yanne had already turned fourteen, but she still looked young. The receptionist seemed used to this sort of thing and calmly registered her as an F-Rank mercenary.
"Hehe, now I have an identification tag too, Master! And I can read every letter now. Heehee."
"For now she's support, so Yanne will handle the horses and the collies. As for wages..."
"Just give me whatever you think is fair, Master. I trust you. Hehe."
Heh heh. Yanne, one day I'll have to teach you that the world runs on contracts.
I mentally checked off the future lesson on wage delinquency.
"Then we only need two more people. The role we need most right now is a warrior who can hold the front line, right?"
"Yeah. Let's watch the solo warrior-types in front of the request board."
The guild doubled as a tavern and inn, so we claimed a table and began observing the mercenaries. By the time dinner came and went, we had nothing to show for it. There were some tough-looking warriors, but most already had parties. The loners or fresh arrivals all had problems once you watched them long enough.
The biggest issue was alcohol. The burly, macho-looking mercenaries drank like they were trying to drown their livers. Once drunk, they had no brakes. Fights broke out constantly. Proper parties with a strong leader or reliable comrades could keep things under control, but the others ended up being restrained by guild staff.
I enjoyed good food with a drink or two, but getting blackout drunk and losing all self-control was a hard no. I couldn't see myself working with people like that. Of course I understood wanting to cut loose after finishing a job and reaching the capital. But with Yanne and Sezanne being women, I couldn't risk recruiting someone with zero restraint.
Thinking about it now, I felt genuine respect for the late Palchion, who had somehow managed nearly thirty members.
For three full days we observed people at the guild and approached a few promising candidates, but every decent one already had a party or companions. One axe-wielding warrior with a knightly air and possible noble background seemed interested at first, but eventually turned us down, saying we looked too weak. We even revealed that we had a mage, but after thinking it over he went to someone else.
"Hey! I've been watching you since yesterday. You're forming a party, right?"
An older mercenary missing three front teeth approached us with a drink in hand. It wasn't exactly what we wanted, but I nodded anyway.
"You don't know why no one's joining? It's because the only decent-looking person here is you. Who'd want to join a party with a scrawny woman and a girl who hasn't even finished growing? Anyone can see they'd end up doing all the chores. Even I wouldn't join!"
The words stung, but they were true, so I couldn't argue. Of course everything would change if they learned Sezanne was a mage, but after three days of sitting around I was too tired to explain.
"Novices like you should head to the Aiparak Dungeon up north. You'll gather newbies faster there. Fight for your lives, meet real mercenaries, and build proper parties."
I had assumed it was just a drunk old man's ramblings, but it was actually solid advice.
Right. Every RPG has dungeons.
If new mercenaries gathered there, I could sort the wheat from the chaff and recruit those with real potential. The growth buff would let me nurture them slowly but steadily.
"Are there that many rookie mercenaries in the Aiparak Dungeon?"
"Of course. It's only three floors deep, and the strongest monster on the third floor is an orc. A decent party can clear it without too much trouble."
The old mercenary's words convinced me. The dungeon was exactly what I needed. Forming temporary parties would also let me observe people's true personalities, which would help with final recruitment decisions. I'd get to see Sezanne's magic level in action too. My mind was made up.
"Let me buy you a mug of beer as thanks. We're heading to the Aiparak Dungeon in the northwest."
"This fellow's name is Er. In the old tongue it means something like 'wind.' There are many fine horses around here, so he might look ordinary, but he's an excellent steed."
When we mentioned we were heading to Aiparak Dungeon, Ryuk—Lord Berk's servant and bodyguard—brought us a horse.
"Are you sure I can accept this?"
The horse was pure white with a golden mane. Even at a glance it looked expensive.
"He was a gift, but if he stays here he'll spend the rest of his life in the stables. I'm giving him to you."
"Wait, you're just giving away Lord Berk's horse?"
"He gave it to me to ride, but I already have my own. Lord Berk prefers black-coated horses anyway. And if you say the mage Jinwoo took him, he won't complain."
"Hahaha. Thank you very much."
"Also, if you're planning to gain experience at Aiparak and the nearby border, watch out for the Rangers."
"Rangers? You mean hunters?"
"No. In that region, Rangers are the special soldiers who guard the border between our Shuzel Kingdom and the Redecup Kingdom. They're also called human hunters there."
"Human hunters?"
"Yes. They hunt anyone traveling through the border zones."
"So they hunt people crossing from Shuzel into Redecup?"
"The main roads are safe. But once you leave those roads to head toward other dungeons, assume the Rangers have begun their hunt."
"There are other dungeons besides Aiparak in that area? The guild never mentioned them."
"They're unofficial. Aiparak lies on Shuzel land, so villages have grown up around it and it's relatively safe. But the other two dungeons in the Numero Mountain Range sit right on the border. No villages are allowed. Civilians aren't permitted to live there, so safety isn't guaranteed."
"I see. So it might actually be more dangerous outside the dungeon than inside."
"Exactly. Mercenaries who gain some skill in Aiparak hear stories about the border dungeons and want to test themselves. Most never come back."
"Since it's the border, the Rangers kill them and then blame the other country?"
"That's right. That's why they're called human hunters. I recommend clearing only Aiparak and returning. Or, if you're feeling bold, head to the dungeons in the Orman Kingdom instead. Those are properly managed."
"I'll keep that in mind. Oh, here comes Lord Berk now."
Even after reaching the capital, Lord Berk had been busy attending noble gatherings. The more aristocrats who tasted Berk tomatoes, the more invitations he received, he said.
"Hmm? That horse looks familiar. It's Er. What! Why is he outside?"
"Since he mentioned heading to Aiparak, I decided to give Er to Mage Jinwoo. It pains me to watch him grow old in the stables."
"Hmm. True. It would be rather ungrateful if a prized horse given as a gift simply withered away in a stall. Since Mage Jinwoo has gifted me such busyness, I suppose it's all right. Give him the saddle and harness that came with Er as well."
Ryuk had brought the tack too. The saddle and harness were made of vibrant, high-quality leathers that practically screamed luxury.
"All right. These days I really wish I had two or three bodies. So you're heading to Aiparak? That's where the novices go."
"I have no real combat experience and I need to build a mercenary band, so I thought I'd recruit while gaining practical experience."
"I see. Then what about the pizza at my family estate? Won't it taste different if you aren't the one making it? Even Scolid of House Alfred joked that he wouldn't get sick if he ate your pizza."
"You don't need to worry about that. I've made separate arrangements."
"Really? Some kind of magical solution we wouldn't understand, I suppose. Then I can confidently invite the other nobles."
As Lord Berk said, I had indeed prepared something magical. I had given Michelle an ether bead and instructed her to place it in the water barrel used for pizza dough. According to Sezanne, ether beads were called all-purpose stones and produced effects comparable to potions. The mana they released wouldn't match my personal buffs, but it should still produce better results than ordinary pizza.
"I've also arranged for the earnings to be collected at the Booktoria mercenary guild and sent along, so there's nothing to worry about."
"That's a relief. Ryuk is looking for a house in the capital with a vegetable garden. When you return from Aiparak, we'll have it ready."
"Thank you. There's a merchant caravan we're traveling with, so we'll take our leave now."
"Hmm. I didn't realize the caravan heading to Aiparak was a slave trader."
I had joined because the guild said there was a caravan we could travel with. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a slave caravan. Seven cage wagons, each pulled by six horses, carried what looked like twenty to thirty people apiece.
"The people covered in blue paint are from the mountain tribes in the east. Those short ones are Mor people with dwarf blood mixed in."
I had heard there were other races besides humans, but actually seeing them left me with complicated feelings. Humans enslaving humans had existed until the twentieth century on Earth, and in this fantasy medieval world it was practically a cliché. Still, looking into the eyes of the people locked inside those cages made my chest feel heavy. The possibility that ordinary civilians could also be captured and sold into slavery kept me constantly on edge.
That's why I had ordered the collie we brought to bark at anyone who approached while we slept.
"Sezanne. The slave traders said they're going to Aiparak. Is there a large slave market there? I thought those were usually in the capital or other major cities."
"I've only ever passed through Aiparak, so I'm not sure."
"Mage, I can explain that for you. By the way, could you cast healing magic at a cheap rate? Hehehe."
It was the slave trader Chielrn. He claimed to be from the far southern continent. His skin was deeply tanned, but his white pupils were so striking they were all I remembered.
"If the injuries aren't severe, I can treat them. Bring the patients."
"Just a moment, please."
Chielrn hurried off and returned with three people. All three wore shackles on their wrists and ankles. I didn't need to ask what was wrong. All three were coughing without pause.
Flu? Or pneumonia?