READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 25
A few days after getting the new sword.
“Here’s your ID card.”
“How is it? Is it solid?”
“Yes, it seems there are no issues.”
The ID card that Jeven had made and asked Lowell to inspect on the same day came back with no problems.
“You did a good job with the post-processing.”
“That’s a relief.”
If there had been an issue, things could have gotten messy, so it’s a good thing.
“By the way….”
“Huh?”
As I carefully tucked the ID card into my pocket, Lowell sharply looked at me and spoke.
“Stop wrecking the scarecrows. Do you really like the sword that much?”
Ah, the scarecrows.
Now that I think about it, I’ve been having a lot of fun with them these past few days.
“Deduct the cost of the scarecrows from my salary. I want to keep using it.”
“By the way, it’s unusual for that stingy guy to lend you a sword without any conditions.”
“Well, I still have to pay for it if I lose it.”
“That’s obvious.”
True, but…
Judging from Lowell’s reaction, it seems lending the sword this way was a huge privilege.
“I think I know why he did it.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, he probably considered me a long-term customer and gave me a service.”
“He said his swords have never broken before….”
Can someone who buys an unbreakable sword become a long-term customer?
Usually, people stick with what they’re used to.
“Is that true? I’ve replaced my personal weapon several times.”
…Well.
Where would you find an unbreakable sword?
They’re all made thin and sharp, so of course they’d break.
“Anyway, now that you have a mercenary status, are you going to gather materials?”
“Yes, I plan to take a light trip around the mountain range.”
With a D-rank mercenary badge, leaving the city is no big deal.
I plan to go with Jeven’s mercenary group and look around.
“Hmm, be careful.”
“Don’t worry. Monsters are my specialty.”
Actually, hunting monsters is more my thing than dealing with people.
Well, I haven’t seen many in recent years, but when I was the Coliseum champion, I piled up mountains of monster corpses.
“Highland monsters are dangerous, but… we’ve found some suspicious evidence.”
“Evidence?”
“Yes, remember the underground sewer you investigated last time?”
“Ah, yes. What happened with that?”
Now that I think about it, I only heard that the Royal Knights were dispatched, but I never heard the outcome.
What happened?
“To put it simply, the demon worshippers hiding underground were wiped out.”
“Oh, did they catch them all?”
The Royal Knights’ reputation, which had taken a hit, has risen again.
Considering how they were ambushed underground, those guys must have been no pushovers.
“Yes, most were killed, and a few high-ranking demon worshippers were captured.”
“That’s impressive. How strong are the high-ranking ones?”
High-ranking demon worshippers… what kind of vibe do they have?
Curious, I asked, but Lowell looked at me strangely.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Didn’t you catch one yourself?”
“Me? Ah, you mean that guy?”
After a moment of thought, I remembered that one guy.
The one who gave me a hard time in the sewer.
“Yes, he was one of the high-ranking ones.”
“Ah….”
No wonder he was tough.
Well, that’s what you’d expect from a high-ranking member.
“His hand came out of his hood—is that a characteristic?”
“Well, probably. The abilities of worshippers usually depend on the demon they’ve contracted with.”
“I see….”
“Luckily, he hadn’t been a high-ranking member for long. He probably wasn’t used to his demonic abilities.”
“No wonder he only used his sword.”
If it was an ability gained through worship, he only showed it once, right?
He must have been inexperienced and didn’t use it much.
“Even so, he was that strong? That’s insane.”
“Well, he was also a remnant of the Luger Kingdom.”
“Huh?”
“He was a knight who survived the war. The cleanup squad confirmed his identity.”
“So the remnants of the Luger Kingdom teamed up with demon worshippers….”
“Yes, you could say they united forces.”
Wow, so the remnants turned into demon worshippers?
To be precise, they worshipped demons for revenge.
“By the way… do high-ranking members come with extra rewards?”
Now that I know, he was a pretty big deal, right?
Plus, if he had more time, he could have become even more troublesome as he got used to his demonic abilities, but we stopped him early.
I feel like there should be some extra reward.
“Hmm, well, Lorentz will handle that.”
“Lorentz?”
“Yes, I heard he’s planning to give you a separate reward once your treatment is done.”
“Ah.”
Right, now that I think about it.
I’ve been so busy training with the new sword that I forgot about it.
“Go see him soon.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll visit him when I go to the Mercenary Guild in a few days.”
Well, I can drop by when I go to the Mercenary Guild this time too.
After talking with Lowell, a few days later.
I headed straight to the Astra Trading Company where Lorentz was.
“Welcome.”
“Ah, yes. I’m here to see Lorentz.”
“Go inside.”
Guided by the red-haired woman from before, I went downstairs and found Lorentz sitting in the reception room, just like last time.
The only difference was that he was holding a newspaper.
Does he just sit here all the time?
“You’re late.”
“I’ve been busy with things.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Lorentz, wearing a suit with only the color changed from last time, spoke dryly and stood up.
Then, he picked up a box from one side of the room and placed it in front of me.
“Open it.”
“Ah, yes.”
Following Lorentz’s words, I opened the box and saw a stylish black leather coat inside.
“This is….”
“It’s a buff coat made from monster leather obtained from the last trade.”
“…Do you actually trade here?”
“Even if it’s just a front, we do what we have to.”
Ah, I see.
So the employees outside are all legitimately handling trade business.
By the way.
I took the leather coat out of the box and held it.
It looks like a well-designed coat, but… touching it, it feels quite sturdy and heavy.
“Which monster’s leather is this?”
“It’s from a Highland Bull. They live in highlands, so their leather is flexible and tough.”
Highland Bull… yeah, I know that monster.
It’s a mid-to-high-level monster, and I’ve heard its leather is popular.
Seeing it processed into clothing like this is impressive.
“The design is nice too. Can I wear it as is?”
“Try it on. It should fit perfectly.”
Perfectly? How did he know my size?
Well, it’s a gift, so I tried it on right away.
“It’s a bit big.”
“…I made it to fit your growth.”
“Ah, I see.”
Well, I can just tighten the straps.
But still, I’m already pretty big, and he made it even bigger.
It must have taken a lot of leather.
“It’s a bit heavy, but it’s much better than chainmail. The defense is better too.”
“This is a great gift.”
Honestly, it’s a really good gift.
It doesn’t hinder movement and looks this good.
I’ll probably wear it often from now on.
“Thank the second young master, not me.”
“The second young master?”
“Yes, he’s the one who awarded you this.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll thank him.”
Wow, I’ve never even met him, but I’ve received such a generous reward.
With the sword I borrowed from Garrett and this armor, I feel like I could take on that guy from before without much trouble.
Combat really is about the gear, huh?
Anyway.
“I’ll take my leave then.”
“Alright, take care of it. It’s expensive.”
Having received the gift, I left the Astra Trading Company after saying my goodbyes.
Then, with light steps, I headed to the Mercenary Guild.
I’ve been there a few times now, so the path is familiar.
Ding-
Upon arriving at the Mercenary Guild, I opened the door without hesitation.
“Hey….”
“…Is that him?”
I immediately felt all eyes on me.
“Got business?”
As soon as I spoke, the gazes quickly shifted away.
Has the rumor spread already?
Well, Jeven is quite famous.
So rumors about me making Jeven sweat must have spread too.
Anyway.
Ignoring the atmosphere of people watching me, I headed to the tavern in one corner of the Mercenary Guild.
“Everyone’s here?”
“Yes….”
Jeven and his subordinates were sitting there, and they looked at me nervously, fully armed with armor and a sword.
“You look like you’re about to eat someone.”
Saying that, I casually placed the gold mercenary badge on the table.
“This is….”
“Take it. The identity verification is done.”
“Thank you….”
Jeven, who had been bothered by not having a mercenary badge, quickly took it and tucked it into his pocket.
“Did you bring the mission sheet?”
“Ah, yes. Here it is.”
I had asked Jeven to bring a mission sheet last time. Let’s see what he got.
Looking at the mission sheet Jeven handed me, I saw a simple mission written in words and pictures.
Let’s see….
[Capture the leader of the werewolf pack]
“Werewolf pack?”
Honestly, I expected a high-level monster hunt.
But the words on the mission sheet were a bit different from what I expected.
“Do they even form packs?”
Usually, they’re solitary.
I’ve never heard of them forming packs.
“Ah, yes. Normally, they don’t.”
“But now they’re moving in packs?”
“That’s why the Magic Tower wants us to capture the pack leader.”
“I see.”
So it’s a special case, and they want us to capture it?
Well, those shady Magic Tower guys are always doing biological experiments.
“When do we leave?”
“We’re ready, so we can go now.”
Wow, you’re already prepared?
Glancing behind, I saw the mercenaries’ bags were packed full.
As expected of veterans, they’re thorough.
“By the way… what about Fleet….”
But when I suggested we leave right away, Jeven hesitated and asked.
He must have thought I’d teach him Fleet before leaving.
“I’ll teach you during the mission.”
“Huh?”
“We’re not going to chase werewolves the whole time, right? I’ll teach you when we have time.”
There’s no proper place to teach here anyway.
We’ll be camping in the mountains, so I’ll teach him while the others prepare.
“Ah, yes….”
Jeven’s eyes twitched as if he was thinking something, but…
“…Alright, let’s go.”
He eventually nodded as if there was no other choice.
“Alright, let’s head out.”
And so.
Not as the slave Rain, but as the mercenary Kane, I embarked on my first mission.