Thud!
Three carriages carrying members of the Pleasure Lord expedition set off in the distance.
And watching over them, a low-ranking man reported to Sara Cervantes, the manager of Crow Pay.
“Out of the total number, 12 are bribed.”
“Any other specifics?”
“Among them, there are some criminals mixed in. Rumor has it that, from the perspective of regular folks, they are all trying to keep their loyalties. So, there was no helping it.”
“Right. Those filthy gutter rats are all the same.”
“Also, I should mention… Although a 30-member raid is recommended, we set out with 25. The members just wouldn’t gather right away.”
Perhaps they all know they’ll just get ripped off if they join the raid.
It’s definitely fewer members than before.
And yet, they’re still going ahead with it.
Well, their lives are their own to judge.
After all, there’s a clause for taking out insurance, so it doesn’t particularly matter whether they succeed or not.
From Crow Pay’s perspective, it’s a transaction that won’t incur losses.
“Cough. I’m sorry… Cough.”
The man who was coughing from the scent of tobacco continued after a moment.
“I, uh, hastily filled the rest with mercenaries. Street mercenaries are desperate for contracts.”
Just by glancing at the members in the carriage, Sara could see that many looked like the bottom of the barrel.
Hah.
Has she been thoroughly beaten down by Rezilus?
Sara didn’t particularly want to deal with those guys.
They lacked skill and talent, just living day by day like pathetic hogs…
Whether they lived or died was of no concern to her.
Such pitiful characters…
Soon to be promoted, Sara saw this as busy work, plain and simple.
I’ll shake them off soon enough.
She extinguished the tobacco on the sole of her shoe and ordered,
“Wrap things up properly without any backlash from the criminals.”
“Yes.”
“Make sure not to miss a single item, excluding junk.”
“Understood.”
As Sara needed to check on Caeran’s situation, she headed to the Magic Tower that led to the Academy.
—
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage I was on moved toward its destination.
Even though we had set off in the morning, it was already getting dark.
Being a war hero has its perks.
I must have hired a ridiculously cheap coachman, as the ride was incredibly uncomfortable.
The difference was huge compared to when I set off with Dustin and Scarlet.
Still, my luck wasn’t bad.
The raid I was dragged into by Crow Pay involved mid-level monsters,
Pleasure Lord.
Even if the rank is low, due to monster characteristics, I couldn’t take it down alone.
Firstly, unlike named mobs or bosses, monsters generally have excessive health and rapid regeneration, making it impossible to finish them off in one hit.
Thus, a long battle requires front liners and division of roles in the raid.
Going solo and cherry-picking them would be impossible.
Instead, it was a monster that I had experienced in the game before, and since I was a marksman who could attack from a distance, infiltrating the raid was easy.
Hmm…
Looking around casually, I noticed that quite a few women were mixed in for support magic.
“Hey! Over the past two days, we’ve failed five expeditions. Maybe we’ll be the sixth. Hehe.”
“……”
Ignoring the toothless guy trying to scare everyone with pointless lies, I pretended to doze off.
“Alright, everyone, pay attention!”
At that moment, a plump man with a rich chest came to the forefront.
“I’m Ronald, the leader of this raid. We will be arriving soon, so I’ll share some instructions beforehand.”
…It seems that using casual speech right off the bat is the default here.
He started listing what everyone already knew as if it was groundbreaking information.
“Let’s see! We have seven in the front, seventeen in the middle… and four in the back. So we need to assign targets for each group, right?”
Assigning targets isn’t a big deal.
It refers to the priority of the support roles deciding who to heal and provide support to.
In reality, this way isn’t suitable for a strategy that won’t lose a single party member, but more apt for one that involves sacrifices to definitely clear it.
The front was chosen by Ronald himself, who then approached me.
“Hmm… I don’t think I’ve seen you around before?”
Ding!
—
[Ronald]
▶[Status Average]
: 3.5
▶[Specialization]
Skill in Swords (6)
▶[General Trait]
Politics (Lv. 1)
—
True to his plump figure, Captain Ronald really was a pretty mediocre man.
When I handed him the certification I had received from the guild office, he looked disbelieving.
“Grade 2…?”
“…”
Not answering specifically, Ronald muttered as if in a difficult spot, a perfect embodiment of the weak-disciplined strong.
“Cough, I’m sorry, but we value experience the most… and you’re not even a girl, but a crossbowman. It’s tough to put you in a crucial position… um…”
Interestingly, the crossbow was a weapon disregarded by not only nobles but also mercenaries.
Well, there’s also the fact that not requiring magic makes bows influenced by physical strength, and they have faster attack speeds than crossbows.
Because of how easy it is to learn how to use them,
crossbows seem to be regarded as a backup option when there aren’t enough marksmen.
I answered with a mix of praise and sarcasm,
“Oooh… I guess everyone you brought is a Grade 1 marksman.”
“Uh…?”
“I’ve heard I’m quite an excellent shot back home, so I guess I’ll learn something here.”
“Um… that is…”
Ronald awkwardly glanced around, betraying that there was no way in hell a Grade 1 marksman would be here.
It seemed he just didn’t want to provide me with additional pay as a stranger.
“Captain…!”
At that moment, an older-looking man suggested.
“Even if that’s the case, 2nd-grade marksman. According to the rules, it seems more fitting to assign a Grade 1 marksman… or perhaps it’d be fair to disclose the adventure rating?”
“Oh dear!”
As the man came to my defense, Ronald’s expression quickly soured.
“Oh dear, my senior, do you mind refraining from that?”
He started tapping the old veteran mercenary on the back of the head.
“Senior.”
Tap, tap.
“Do you still think this is the time when you used to buddy-buddy with me? Huh? If the captain says to obey, then that’s what we do, no questions asked.”
Is it because Crow Pay has their back?
This position seems to have turned him into trash.
Does this guy even understand hierarchy…?
Unable to bear it any longer, I pointed out the weakest-looking marksman from Ronald’s side.
“If the alert is led by that keen-looking guy, I’m in favor.”
“Hmm?”
Ronald made a face as if to say ‘Of all people, why him…’
Then, he smacked the scrawny guy’s back.
“Ow!”
He staggered from the smack, making it even more pathetic.
“Alright… this time, the number one marksman will be Bikets. You’ll take the lead.”
“Me? I’m… 4…”
“Ugh, this brat…”
“Ah, of course. If it’s Captain Ronald, I can dedicate my life!”
“Hey, hey. Stop the nonsense.”
“Yes, sir!”
The guy’s flattering skill was so smooth that it was obvious they had a close relationship.
Considering the adventurer parties didn’t even show their battle power, it seems unlikely they can rely on any fights.
What a sweet deal.
In any case, if I consider the Pleasure Lord’s pattern, my work is cut out. Marksmen generally face a lot of of trivial jobs.
If this were a game, I could easily chow down on ramen while playing.
Clatter.
So, what’s your plan after this raid?
Dude, don’t you know? I always go there, that’s where I need to go.
Ah ha!
Hey, hey, don’t spill!
Clink.
Each time several clustered men moved, the sound of gold coins clinking echoed.
Identification was complete.
That group must already be henchmen bought by Crow Pay.
They probably plan to monopolize the loot with that money.
Screech!
As I pieced together my thoughts, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Mirror Forest where the Pleasure Lord awaited.
Clap!
Ronald clapped his hands in front and back, speaking to everyone.
“Now, take one each. This is a curse resistance potion. According to the advance team, the Pleasure Lord inflicts curses. So it’s better to drink it now. If you don’t want to die.”
Everyone followed his instruction, and I also received one.
Ugh, this tastes weird…
As I checked the surrounding reactions and gently touched the vial, a system window appeared due to my gamer trait.
—
[Dirty Saliva]
[A liquid mixed with various components. Contains no efficacy]
(May induce nausea)
[Creator: Ronald]
—
Even Satan wouldn’t go this far…
There’s a saying about eating a flea’s liver.
These guys are more malicious than I thought.
The auction format itself is rigged, and now they’re distributing fake potions, planning to decrease their numbers with expedition fatalities.
This is the world of street mercenaries, where betrayals are rampant.
Just like when dealing with thieves, stepping out the door feels like entering Gotham City.
The Academy was heaven.
I already started to miss Claris, who at least had some common sense.
While I was lost in nostalgia, Ronald was grinning as if everything was going according to his plan.
Does that kid know what’s coming…?
I pretended to sip what I held and secretly tossed it away.
