Chapter 27: This is the Best. (1)
“Ugh, why are we gathering so early in the morning?”
“I heard the employer is a total newbie. That fool prince from Perdium Territory, right?”
Mercenaries had gathered in droves from the break of dawn, even before the sun had fully risen.
They were the ones recruited through Ghislaine’s mercenary guild.
They huddled together in the spacious open space behind the guild building, chattering away about their employer.
“What a rookie. This should be easy.”
“Yeah, the clueless brat thinks he can show off his prowess, but let’s teach him how scary the world can be.”
“How about we pretend to fight a bit and just take the money?”
They all looked down on Ghislaine, planning to feign some effort.
Not every mercenary knew Ghislaine, but some had certainly heard the rumors about this pathetic prince.
And those rumors spread quickly among the mercenaries.
“I heard the lord of Perdium is often absent?”
“Good! Do you think that rookie can handle mercenaries properly?”
“I’ve heard he’s the type to cause accidents—should we show him what an accident really means?”
While the mercenaries were chuckling and chatting, a bald giant with muscles proudly stepped forward and shouted.
“Hey, everyone, listen up. To deal with this rookie employer more comfortably, we need a representative, right?”
The bald giant’s name was Gordon.
He was known around here as a mercenary with quite a bit of strength.
He was always working out so hard that they called him ‘Gordon the Muscle Man.’
He was so obsessive about exercising that he refused to drink alcohol and never shed a tear, fearing muscle loss.
He was a man solely focused on growing his muscles bigger and tougher.
Flexing his chest muscles for all to see, Gordon said, “To tame the employer easily, we need to have a unified opinion. If we all do our own thing, we’ll be divided. How about I take the lead and you all lend me your strength? The pay will be up to you to decide after the job is done.”
In mercenary slang, a ‘lead’ refers to someone who represents the group and pressures the employer.
Thanks to that, if the work became easier, it was customary for the other mercenaries to give a little extra money.
At Gordon’s words, the mercenaries nodded in agreement, casting their votes.
“Hm, not bad if it’s ‘Gordon the Muscle Man.’”
“I’m on board. If he’s a rookie, he’ll probably be trembling in fear just from looking at Gordon’s muscles, right?”
“How about we ask for a bit more money too?”
“Sounds good! Let’s show the rookie employer some harsh realities of the world!”
“Ha ha ha, exactly. Since we’re giving him a lesson about the world, we should collect a tuition fee.”
The mercenaries clapped excitedly among themselves.
“Take that.”
Some mercenaries frowned at this behavior, but most had already agreed to elect Gordon as their representative.
The leaders of the small mercenary groups subtly supported Gordon, thinking that it wouldn’t hurt them.
Gordon laughed confidently as the people began to back him up.
“With this many people, the employer won’t be able to act recklessly.”
There were about 160 mercenaries gathered.
If they collectively rebelled, it would surely give the employer quite a headache.
In such cases, the employer usually ends up paying more or easing the contract terms reluctantly.
For example, they might allow them to escape without a penalty if they deem it too dangerous.
Such things happen often in this business. The more the employer is not formidable, the worse it gets.
Mercenaries also don’t go all out every time, as their trust and reputation would drop, so they typically engage in a bit of psychological warfare.
“Well, let’s definitely get the termination of contract details sorted.”
“Yeah, if it really gets dangerous, we need to bolt.”
“But isn’t that really nothing? No one has actually seen a monster there; it’s just all rumors, right?”
Despite the rumors of danger in the Forest of Monsters, no one really knew the truth.
Some mercenaries thought it would be just a monster hunt, while others gathered with the mindset of fleeing if things got dangerous.
There were also those who just came for the money without a thought.
While the mercenaries were rallying amongst themselves, two figures on horseback began approaching through the dawn mist.
“Oh, finally, the rookie employer has appeared. Is it because they’re nobility that they can stroll leisurely? I think it’s time to show them what’s what. Hahaha.”
At Gordon’s words, the mercenaries burst into laughter.
They were also starting to eagerly anticipate how Gordon would handle the employer.
Behind the two figures, about thirty more figures on foot appeared.
Upon seeing this, Gordon whistled.
“Is it because they’re nobility? They’re bringing quite a few soldiers with them.”
“But we’re still more in number.”
“Heh, should we surround them and give them a scare?”
The mercenaries began inching forward, wanting to intimidate with ominous expressions.
Gordon smiled and waved his hands.
“Hey now, everyone calm down. If we frighten them too much from the start, it won’t work. Let me…”
However, as Gordon confidently rambled, he fell silent upon seeing the faces of the approaching people through the mist.
He rubbed his eyes and examined the figures closely again, but he hadn’t misjudged.
A shocked voice escaped his lips.
“Gh-Ghoul Hounds?”
All the mercenaries froze in place, becoming stone statues.
Clip-clop.
Ghislaine approached leisurely on his horse and smirked down at Gordon.
“Are you the bait?”
“Huh? Wh-what?”
“What’s your name?”
“Gordon….”
“Truly a simpleton, aren’t you?”
Ghislaine chuckled and passed by Gordon.
Just looking at where the mercenaries were standing made it clear what the situation was. He was no stranger to such antics from his past life.
Now, in the position of being the one on the receiving end, it felt utterly childish, but he couldn’t help but feel nostalgic, so he wasn’t angry.
Following Ghislaine, Kaor glared at Gordon with chilling eyes as he passed.
Just as Gordon began to sweat profusely and feel flustered, a mercenary from Cerberus who was following his lead spoke up.
“Gordon, it’s been a while. Not going to lower your eyes?”
“It’s been a while. Why aren’t you looking down?”
Gordon finally bowed his head deeply.
If it came down to skills, he was confident he could take on at least one member of the Cerberus Mercenary Group.
But the Mad Hounds fought like rabid dogs, and messing with them would be like poking a hornet’s nest.
Other mercenaries, upon seeing the Cerberus Mercenary Group, were quickly avoiding their gaze and whispering among themselves.
“Why is the Mad Hounds with the employer?”
“Who knows? Why is Gordon just standing there?”
“What’s Gordon supposed to do? If those crazy dogs come at him, it’s going to be a headache.”
The mercenaries who had planned to take Ghislaine down were cautiously observing the Cerberus Mercenary Group.
It wouldn’t be too late to make a move after figuring out why they were following the employer.
Gordon, not daring to speak up, retreated to his spot.
As Ghislaine sat cross-legged in a chair set up in the open space, the Cerberus Mercenary Group stood guard behind her like a fortress.
That alone was a rare sight, but the atmosphere from the Cerberus members felt odd as well.
“What’s up with the Mad Hounds… Why are they acting so cautious?”
“Could it be that they’re scared of the employer?”
Indeed, all members of the Cerberus Mercenary Group were warily glancing at Ghislaine.
Especially their leader, Kaor, flinched visibly whenever Ghislaine gestured.
“Looks like the Mad Hounds are lying flat before the employer…”
“Is the employer really that powerful? Was Perdium like that?”
Either way, now that the Mad Hounds were siding with the employer, they couldn’t touch them. It would only complicate matters.
Seeing that, the mercenaries realized they had no chance against Ghislaine.
If they stirred up trouble out of nowhere… sure, the other side wouldn’t come out unscathed, but their own losses would be much greater.
As if waiting for Ghislaine’s arrival, the guild manager came out of the building and distributed contracts to the mercenaries.
“Here, this is His Highness, Grand Duke Perdium. Everyone, make sure to check the contract carefully before proceeding.”
The mercenaries hesitated to finalize the contracts.
With the notorious reputation of the Cerberus Mercenary Group, teaming up with them felt a bit uneasy.
Not long after they stood around exchanging glances, Gordon puffed out his cheeks and stepped forward first.
He didn’t want to admit that he was nervous about the Mad Hounds.
“I’m Gordon. Nice to meet you.”
He bowed to Ghislaine and hastily stamped the contract.
Ghislaine tilted her head and asked Gordon.
“Are you not going to read the content?”
The manager beside her chuckled and answered in his place.
“That guy can’t read. His brain is all muscles. He just believes whatever you tell him about what’s going on and how much you’re paying.”
“Studying makes you lose muscle! You lose one for every one you gain, that’s just the way of the world!”
The manager looked at Gordon, who glared at him in frustration, as if he were an idiot.
“Come on, what do you lose by studying? Look at him trying to avoid it because he doesn’t want to study.”
“I don’t care! That’s just how it is for me!”
Since he couldn’t read, Gordon had often been swindled.
He always thought he should study, but he was too busy training and resting to ever find the time.
Ghislaine chuckled softly as she watched Gordon.
He reminded her of the ignorant followers he had in his past life who couldn’t read either.
Seeing Gordon’s foolishness felt oddly relatable, so she said something.
“I’ll arrange for someone to teach you if the opportunity arises after the job is done.”
“Thank you!”
Gordon cheerfully shouted, returning to his spot as the anxious mercenaries began to step forward one by one to proceed with the contract.
The mercenaries who had been watching stepped out one by one to finalize the contracts.
They knew they were about to fight monsters anyway.
If it was the Cerberus Mercenary Group, they had the skills, so as long as the employer could keep them in check, it would actually be safer.
It was just a bit disappointing that the employer wouldn’t be able to exploit them as they pleased.
After a small mercenary group that had a rocky relationship with the Cerberus Mercenary Group stepped away, the contracts were wrapped up.
The office manager organized the contracts and handed them to Ghislaine.
“There are a total of 148 people.”
Adding the Cerberus Mercenary Group, the total came to over 180.
This was a number you would expect to see in a territorial war, so the mercenaries felt somewhat relieved.
The more allies, the better.
After confirming all the contracts, Ghislaine looked around at the mercenaries.
“I am Ghislaine, the Grand Duke of Perdium. As mentioned by the office manager, we plan to explore the Forest of Monsters. I’ll explain the tasks one by one once we reach the territory. I look forward to working with you.”
He immediately started preparing the mercenaries for departure.
For the silent mercenaries, he bought and loaned them horses, and stocked up on supplies necessary for camping.
As soon as preparations were completed, they set off toward the Perdium Territory.
People who saw the fearsome group of mercenaries from the morning hurriedly stepped aside in fright.
‘This brings back memories.’
Watching the boisterous mercenaries following behind, Ghislaine briefly reminisced.
He had led mercenaries like this while wandering the continent back then.
‘I hope to meet them again.’
Having returned to the past, his old followers must be living their own lives.
If he had the chance, finding them again was one of Ghislaine’s goals.
*
The group soon reached the border of the Perdium Territory, but the mercenaries had to stay nearby.
Leading an unauthorized armed force into the territory would likely result in a clash with the retainers, so there was no choice.
After keeping the mercenaries on standby, Ghislaine went to find Belinda with Gillian.
“Belinda, how’s the preparation going?”
“You’ve come later than expected. But I’ve prepared everything you mentioned.”
“That’s our Belinda.”
Belinda beamed with pride, but then her expression turned worried.
“However, we’ve already spent more than half of the money we received from Raybold. Considering the future costs for maintaining troops and additional materials, I think the remaining money won’t be enough; is that alright?”
“We can’t avoid high initial costs. We need to start quickly.”
Twenty thousand gold was a considerable amount for an individual to live comfortably for a lifetime, but it was woefully insufficient for launching a large-scale operation in a territory.
Ghislaine also expected that most of the funds he had wrangled from Amelia would be consumed by the initial preparations.
He needed to generate revenue as quickly as possible to sustain the business.
“Just let the laborers know. We’re starting construction right away from tomorrow.”
“Young Master, we need to stop now. The remaining money should be spent elsewhere. At this rate, we won’t be able to do anything. Starting construction will mean the money will just keep flowing out.”
“No, we absolutely cannot halt this work. It’s essential for our territory.”
No matter how much she thought about it, Belinda believed that with the remaining funds, developing the Forest of Monsters would be impossible.
Seeing Ghislaine’s stubbornness, she finally lost her temper.
“We’ve already spent over ten thousand gold just preparing the people and materials! I honestly think developing it is impossible!”
At Belinda’s words, Ghislaine wore a peculiar smile.
“That’s fine. We’re not going to develop it anyway.”
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