Medenich felt as though his insides were shriveling from anxiety.
“Can we not simply proceed? It is not as though we have no escorts at all, and I heard that mercenary company is quite seasoned.”
Whether or not the middle-aged man understood his desperation, he merely shook his head.
“My friend, do you not know how dangerous the Haiark Tail Pass has become lately? Do not even consider entering unless two or three mercenary companies are traveling together!”
“I have heard the rumors as well, but I will go bankrupt if this continues!”
“That is unfortunate, but there is nothing I can do.”
Medenich was an itinerant merchant who traveled between the Empire and the North. He was also an ambitious man who had sold his family’s property to fund his investments.
Most of the cargo he was currently transporting consisted of wine produced in the North, but the problem was the delivery deadline.
It was true that he had fallen slightly behind schedule while securing additional goods.
However, he had been certain that he would arrive in time as long as he traveled diligently.
“Haa, this is driving me mad. I never imagined I would waste two entire days here.”
The Haiark Tail Pass was the fastest route from the Northshine Domain into the Empire.
The incline was somewhat steep, so the horses and laborers would suffer, but he could resolve that by offering them generous bonuses.
As long as he crossed into the Empire with these goods, he would earn a substantial fortune.
“Did you perhaps enter into a contract with an Imperial noble?”
“…Yes.”
“Tsk, tsk⋯.”
The middle-aged man clicked his tongue quietly.
As a merchant himself, he understood perfectly well how terrifying the consequences could be if one broke a contract with a noble.
“I must leave today to meet the deadline….”
The noble with whom Medenich had signed the contract had ordered a large quantity of wine to serve at a party.
The noble had placed the order because Medenich had confidently guaranteed that there would be no delay.
However, if he arrived late and disrupted the party, Medenich did not even wish to imagine what would follow.
He would not only face enormous compensation fees but also incur the noble’s wrath.
If that happened, bankruptcy would be the least of his concerns. His very life could be in danger.
Medenich’s face immediately turned pale, and he pleaded with Soron, the Mercenary Captain.
The Soron Mercenary Company had been waiting at the foot of the mountains in hopes of securing merchants like Medenich as clients.
Medenich, the middle-aged man, and another merchant had pooled their money to hire them temporarily.
“Captain, can we not simply depart? If we include the private guards hired by me and the other merchants, we have a considerable number of men.”
“Do not speak of things you do not understand. No one who entered with only one mercenary company out of reckless bravado has ever returned safely. Unless one or two additional mercenary companies join us, the contract is void. Void, I tell you. Naturally, I will return the advance payment.”
“Haa⋯.”
As Medenich continued sighing without end, morning passed and noon arrived.
Then a group of people approached.
“Are you perhaps planning to cross the Tail Pass?”
“We are… Are you mercenaries?”
Desperation entered Medenich’s eyes.
The approaching group, which appeared to number around ten, was clearly armed.
“That is correct. We are planning to cross before the end of the day.”
“Oh! H-How many men do you have?”
“There are nine of us.”
Medenich began calculating in his head.
The personal guards hired by him and the other merchants numbered five in total, while the Soron Mercenary Company had fifteen members.
If the newly arrived mercenary company had nine, their total would reach approximately thirty.
“G-Good! Everyone, listen! A new mercenary company has arrived! We have enough men now, so let us hurry and cross!”
He frantically gathered the other merchants.
“Nine, you say? Hmm. That seems to give us roughly enough men… What does the Soron Mercenary Company think?”
The middle-aged merchant turned toward Soron.
Since Soron commanded the largest group among them, his opinion carried considerable weight.
Soron looked the newly arrived mercenaries up and down before frowning.
He approached Brunel and asked a question.
“What is the name of your mercenary company?”
“Our name?… It is the Brunel Mercenary Company.”
“Brunel? I have never heard of it. Are you Brunel?”
“That is correct.”
“I have spent ten years in the mercenary trade, but I do not believe I have ever seen you. Be honest with me. How long have you been working as mercenaries?”
Brunel’s expression hardened at the interrogative tone.
“Why does that concern you? You are not our employer.”
“That is true. However, when a battle begins, will we not be the ones forced to do all the work? What possible use could a group of green recruits be?”
“You do not need to worry. Every one of them can pull their own weight.”
“Ha! Do you think becoming a mercenary capable of pulling his own weight is easy? How absurd.”
As the atmosphere grew increasingly hostile, Medenich hurriedly stepped between them.
“What is the problem, Captain Soron? You were the one who said that merely having sufficient numbers would greatly increase our chances of crossing safely.”
“That obviously assumes the group consists of men with at least some experience. Not people like them.”
As Soron openly disparaged them, one of the hooded figures among the new mercenaries placed a hand on the weapon at her waist.
Another hooded figure beside her hurriedly restrained her, but Soron noticed the movement and frowned.
“You insolent novices do not even know your place….”
Fearing that matters would soon become serious, Medenich quickly pulled out a small pouch and slipped it into Soron’s hand.
Coins jingled inside.
“Ha ha, surely a capable and generous captain such as yourself can overlook this. What matters is that we gather enough men to cross, does it not? Hm? Those bandits will surely not even dare to attack us.”
“…Haa. I am letting this go only out of consideration for you. Young mercenaries these days, tsk!”
Soron abruptly turned his back and returned to his men.
Only then did Medenich sigh in relief and approach Brunel.
“Ah, my name is Medenich. You said you were the Brunel Mercenary Company, correct? How would you feel about signing a contract immediately? The contract will last until we cross the Tail Pass, and I will pay the full amount whether or not a battle occurs. What do you say?”
“That suits us.”
“What do the other merchants think?”
“Well… let us do that.”
Once Brunel and the other merchants nodded, Medenich hurriedly drew up a contract and pooled the advance payment with the other merchants.
He truly did not have a single coin left to his name now.
“Haa⋯.”
After sweating through the entire ordeal, he collapsed onto a wagon and clasped his hands together.
Please let us arrive without incident.
Goddess, please help me.
Medenich prayed with all his heart.
***
“You could hardly make it more obvious, could you?”
“…I apologize. I lost my temper for a moment.”
“Fortunately, it all worked out.”
“Yes. You did well too. Your acting was quite convincing.”
“Thank you.”
Brunel bowed his head to Glen, the man whose hood was pulled low over his face.
Glen adjusted his hood and frowned.
“However, no matter how much I consider it, I still do not understand. I can see why Dame Erdin must wear a hood, but why must I wear one as well?”
“…What reason did you give for why I must wear a hood?”
The other hooded figure, Erdin, asked him with a somewhat incredulous expression.
“Your appearance attracts too much attention. Where would anyone find a mercenary who looks like you?”
“Then do you believe there are mercenaries who look like you, Young Master?”
“…What is wrong with my appearance?”
Glen blinked as though he truly did not understand.
Erdin tilted her head at the sight.
Is he sincerely asking because he does not know?
“Y-Young Master, forgive me, but you do not exactly look like a mercenary either.”
Unable to remain silent any longer, Brunel finally spoke.
Glen turned toward Nedain, who was standing beside him.
Nedain slowly nodded, confirming that Brunel was correct.
“…Tsk. Then it cannot be helped.”
“You two should hurry into the baggage wagon. If anyone discovers you now, the bandits may realize something is wrong.”
Erdin frowned.
She disliked having to sneak around and hide.
“Hey, you newcomers.”
An unwelcome visitor appeared at that moment.
It was the Mercenary Captain who had provoked them earlier.
Was his name Koron or Soron?
“What is it?”
Brunel quickly stepped forward before anything could happen.
“Right, you were their captain. As your senior in this profession, I thought I would offer you some advice.”
Advice, my foot.
He had not even come alone. He had brought a large group of mercenaries with him.
He was probably trying to intimidate them.
Brunel intended to humor him.
There was no telling what might happen if the Young Master or Dame Erdin dealt with him directly.
“Advice… you say?”
“Yes. You two over there! The ones with your hoods pulled down! Come here for a moment. Let us have a little conversation.”
“Wait. What business do you have with members of my company? Speak to me if you have something to say.”
“Come now, my friend. It is not as though I am going to eat them. But why are those two suddenly covering themselves with hoods?”
“…They are sensitive to the cold.”
Unable to think of anything else, Brunel offered the excuse that came to mind.
…Does this man truly have a death wish? Why does he keep provoking those two?
“Ha! The cold? You said the cold? Young mercenaries these days have no discipline whatsoever. What kind of mercenary wraps himself in a hood merely because it is cold? I suppose they set up beds every night as well! Ha ha ha!”
When Soron mocked them, the mercenaries who had accompanied him burst into loud laughter.
Erdin, who had been heading toward the wagon, stopped walking and began glaring in their direction.
“Oh? What do you intend to accomplish by glaring at me? Come here and say it to my face!”
“That is enough. What sort of behavior is this?”
Hearing the commotion, the members of the knight order disguised as mercenaries began gathering one after another.
A subtle confrontation continued between the two groups for a short while.
Fortunately, Glen dragged Erdin away and somehow forced her into the wagon.
“Enough! What is wrong with you? Captain Soron, are you truly going to behave like this? Did I not ask you to let the matter go?”
Fortunately, Medenich came running from somewhere and persuaded Soron to stand down, bringing the minor disturbance to an end.
***
“You must learn to control that temper. You are not an adolescent anymore….”
“…I apologize. I have always had difficulty tolerating people like him.”
Inside the wagon, Erdin apologized in a barely audible voice.
It appeared that even she understood she had made a mistake.
“Forget it. Until something happens, remain here with me. That was the original plan anyway.”
“Very well.”
Then a question suddenly occurred to Glen.
Had Erdin ever killed anyone at this point in her life?
“By the way… Dame Erdin, have you ever killed a person?”
“….”
“Why are you not answering? Do not tell me you have never killed anyone.”
This could be troublesome.
She would not become shocked in the middle of battle, would she?
No. When he recalled her personality in his Previous Life, she had never seemed like the sort of person who would react that way.
“I have killed pigs used for training.”
It was training every Trainee Knight experienced.
…But what did that have to do with his question?
“I asked whether you had killed a person. Why are you suddenly talking about slaughtering pigs?”
“Bandits are criminals, are they not? There is little difference.”
“Since when have pigs been considered criminals?”
“In any case, they are the same to me.”
“Haa, what a headache….”
As Glen continued lecturing her, Erdin became irritated as well.
“Then have you ever killed anyone, Young Master?”
A disbelieving laugh escaped him.
Had he ever killed anyone?
During his time as Riklang, the number of people he had personally killed had nearly reached three digits.
…But how many have I killed in this life?
“Once?”
Now that he thought about it, in this life he had not killed anyone apart from the Boss of the Black Hand.
Erdin scoffed.
“Hmph. Then there is hardly any difference between us.”
“…It is still a definite difference. Would you not agree?”
“Then I shall surpass you on this occasion.”
Her blue eyes were already blazing with competitive spirit.
Glen felt another headache coming on.
“Why is that provoking your competitive spirit?”
“Are you perhaps afraid that you might lose?”
This time, bewilderment entered his expression.
“Are you using what you learned from me last time? I am sorry, but it will not work. Such childish…”
“You appear thoroughly frightened. That is not particularly manly.”
“…Shall we make it a wager?”
“Very well.”
The conversation between the young man and woman sounded almost like comic banter, leaving those guarding the wagon with complicated feelings.
“…A-Are those two not being far too careless?”
“⋯.”
At Brunel’s slightly anxious question, Tilen lowered her head as her face reddened.
Nedain released a quiet sigh.
“…They both know how to act when it matters, so they should be fine.”
Probably.
Nedain added the final word quietly.
‘I am going to die of embarrassment….’
Meanwhile, Tilen was beginning to regret accompanying them out of concern for Erdin.
She had never imagined that witnessing the disgraceful behavior of the young lady she served could be so mortifying.
Unable to voice her feelings aloud, she could only remain silent with her face burning red.
Not long afterward, the merchant caravan and its mercenary escorts departed for the Haiark Tail Pass.