The Mercenary Guild was much busier than the last time I was here.
For the past few months, the capital branch of the Mercenary Guild had been nearly devoid of mercenaries, but recently, a wave of new recruits had flooded in.
There were all sorts—youngsters who looked like they had just left their rural villages, as well as veteran mercenaries from other regions.
They all mixed together, picking up missions.
And in one corner of the guild, there were those who exuded an aura that kept the other mercenaries from even approaching.
A mercenary group, reeking of blood, occupying a spot in the tavern with an air that made it clear they had no intention of being disturbed.
“Hey, long time no see.”
“Ah, Cain.”
Right, it was Jevan and his subordinate mercenaries.
“What have you been up to all this time?”
The atmosphere was intense.
They looked like they had just crawled out of a war zone.
“We were handling a territorial war down south.”
“Damn, that sounds rough.”
…So they really had been fighting in a war as mercenaries.
Well, at least they must have been paid handsomely.
A mercenary group of Jevan’s caliber could name their price.
“How’s the rookie been doing?”
I directed my question to the newcomer standing behind Jevan.
His outfit had changed.
He no longer wore a hood, and his armor had been replaced with something more fitting for this region.
“I’ve been doing well.”
“Huh? You’re speaking a lot better now.”
“I trained him.”
Wow… He’s really shaping up.
Still a bit awkward, but it’s a huge improvement.
“What happened to your old armor?”
“It broke in a fight. That bastard…”
“Huh?”
“…He also learned to swear.”
“Oh.”
Ugh, this crude bunch of mercenaries.
What kind of language do they use on a daily basis for him to pick up swearing so quickly?
“Can’t you repair it? It had a unique style.”
“I have some fragments left. If I make a lot of money, I’ll fix it.”
“Yeah. Be sure to repair it and wear it again.”
Saying that, I grabbed a chair nearby and sat down.
“Anyway, there are a lot of newcomers, huh?”
“Yes, seems like they all came because of some rumors.”
“Rumors?”
“There’s a rumor spreading that the Kaine Mountain Range is a goldmine right now.”
“It’s not that great.”
While there’s currently high demand, it does feel like too many mercenaries are flocking here.
Not that the Kaine Mountain Range is some small neighborhood hill—it won’t get overcrowded.
Still, when too many people gather, accidents are bound to happen, so we should be careful.
And beyond the highlands, the Imperial Investigation Team was stationed as well.
“Besides, things in other regions are getting tense, so many are flocking to the capital because it’s safer.”
“Tense? Tell me more.”
“Strange monsters have been appearing in some provinces, and mercenary casualties are no joke.”
…Strange monsters?
I had a guess about what he was referring to.
“You mean ones with multiple arms?”
“Yes, creatures like the Orc Champion we fought back then. It’s likely the work of devil worshippers.”
Since Jevan had fought alongside me against the Orc Champion before, he seemed to have a rough idea.
“So those things are appearing in other regions too?”
“They started showing up recently.”
“That’s bad news.”
Regular monsters and mutated ones are on a completely different level in terms of threat.
From what we learned investigating the mountain range, not all mutated monsters become as dramatically strong as that Orc Champion.
But at minimum, they’re about half a tier stronger.
For mercenaries who prioritize efficiency and survival above all else, such unpredictable threats are a nightmare.
“So that’s why they all came to the capital.”
“Oh, and there’s also a rumor that all the mutated monsters here have already been eradicated.”
“Well… That’s actually true.”
“Wait, really?”
“I took care of them before.”
Now I had a rough understanding of the situation.
At first, I thought mercenaries had gathered because of high mission demand, but it was also because of the problem with mutated monsters.
More importantly, those devil worshippers have been running rampant.
Monsters have their own ecosystems.
And the worshippers basically dumped poison into that ecosystem.
The kingdom must be on high alert.
“…So the rumors were true. That’s a relief.”
“Yeah. But back to the topic, where was this territorial war you were in?”
The rumors aside, I was more curious about the territorial war Jevan mentioned.
Judging by how battered they looked, it must have been intense.
Some of Jevan’s subordinates that I was familiar with were missing.
“There was a major conflict over a newly discovered ore vein in the south, between Viscount Brake and Baron Hite.”
“How major are we talking?”
“If you count both sides, over a hundred mercenaries participated.”
…Over a hundred? That’s quite a lot.
This world is wealthier and more populated than the medieval period in my past life, but even so, that’s an absurd amount of money for a baron or viscount to spend on a territorial war.
“Was the ore vein that valuable?”
“Yes, and apparently the two sides already had a long-standing feud.”
“So it was a personal grudge. Who won?”
“The side we fought for, Viscount Brake, came out victorious.”
“I see.”
I didn’t particularly care who won.
It was probably just a battle between mercenaries anyway.
Viscounts and barons wouldn’t have many knights.
At best, each might have one or two house knights.
“What usually happens to the losing side?”
“They’re forced to pay an enormous amount in reparations.”
“That must be crippling.”
Hiring so many mercenaries and then having to pay reparations on top of that…
Not to mention, since the war was over an ore vein,
they likely lost control of it entirely, so their losses would be catastrophic.
“So, you spent months just participating in that one war?”
“No, we also fought in other territorial wars.”
“Hm? Another one?”
“They’ve been happening frequently these days. That’s why there are so many mercenaries now.”
While devil worshippers were running rampant within the kingdom, the nobles were still busy fighting each other.
What a mess.
Could Lowell’s business trip have been related to this?
If it’s the Boyd family, they must have realized the kingdom’s state wasn’t normal and taken action.
“Well then, is everyone ready to take on missions?”
That was enough of a status update.
Looking at the mercenaries, who had become more refined after experiencing war, I asked.
I needed to head to the Kaine Mountain Range soon, as I was running low on materials for Gareth’s sword.
Though I had earned a lot from the previous investigation rewards, I had already decided to use that money solely for the sword’s materials.
Not that it mattered—most of that money was gone now.
I had commissioned an artifact through Terra last time.
She said she knew a skilled craftsman, so I put in the request… but damn, it was expensive.
“Yes, we came here to take on a mission as well.”
“Diligent as always.”
“We have to work hard while we’re still in one piece. Besides, it’s safer if we go with you, Lord Kaine.”
“A wise choice.”
It’s not a bad idea to stick with me.
Mercenaries like Jevan’s subordinates, who value their lives above all else, would naturally prefer to work alongside me.
“I’ll call for you soon, so get some rest and be ready.”
“Understood.”
Anyway.
Now that I’d confirmed Jevan had returned safely, I just needed to establish a way to stay in contact.
After that, I left the Mercenary Guild.
When I returned to the mansion, it was much more hectic than when I had left.
“What’s going on?”
Curious about the commotion, I stopped a passing maid and asked.
Her answer was unexpected.
“Sir Lowell has returned.”
“Lowell?”
That man came back without a word?
“Where is he?”
“He just finished inspecting the mansion and went to his office.”
“I see.”
…So that’s why the place was so busy.
The staff must have done their best to maintain the mansion, but I bet Lowell still had plenty of criticism.
Still, the moment he returned, he went straight to work.
What an extreme workaholic.
“Oh, and Sir Rain, he asked you to visit his office when you return.”
“Got it.”
Well, I figured he’d call for me.
I needed to report about the young lady anyway.
Before changing clothes, I decided to handle that first and headed to the office.
Knock knock—
– Come in.
Even though I hadn’t seen him for weeks, the voice was familiar and unshaken.
When I opened the door and stepped inside, I saw Lowell sitting at his desk, calmly reviewing documents.
Still as composed as ever, old man.
Just what kind of work—hm?
“You’re injured?”
As I observed him, I noticed the bandages wrapped beneath his shirt.
Lowell, injured?
The last time I saw him hurt was three years ago, during the mansion attack.
“There was some resistance during the apprehension of a criminal.”
“…I see.”
I wonder what kind of criminal managed to wound him.
Though I was curious about the details, I didn’t bother asking.
“How was the young lady in my absence?”
“She stirred up half the capital.”
“I heard a brief summary. Apparently, she went around showing off her ‘pet’.”
“…A bit large to be called a pet, though.”
Now that I think about it, it really was like that.
She took her dog for walks in places she didn’t even need to go, just to show off.
“Well, as long as nothing happened, that’s all that matters.”
“Right. Then I’ll leave you to your work.”
Now that Lowell was back, I could return to my semi-unemployed lifestyle.
Once I gathered the remaining materials for the sword, I could take my time training again.
“I’ll be going then.”
“Wait a moment.”
Just as I was about to slip away, Lowell stopped me.
“What is it?”
“You may have to visit the main estate soon.”
“The main estate…?”
The main estate?
This mansion, naturally, was more of a villa.
The main estate would be in the Boyd family’s territory.
“The Lord wishes to see you.”
“…Understood.”
So that’s what this was about.
I had been wondering when this call would come.
It looks like I’ll finally be meeting the famous Margrave Boyd.
