Chapter 5. I Beca a rcenary.
“Hmm……”
The rcenaries who had briefly straightened up at the girl's appearance slumped back down again.
Their reaction indicated that the request wasn't very profitable.
3 silver coins.
I had roughly grasped the currency value here by peering into shops earlier.
One silver coin could buy a bread filled with at.
at bread seed to be quite a luxurious al, but it was still just one al.
The reward for hunting goblins essentially covered only the cost of food.
It made sense that they wouldn't be interested.
“Isn't there any rcenary willing to work!?”
The girl shouted again.
The strength was draining from her voice.
The rcenaries chuckled and laughed.
“Question.”
As I raised my hand and spoke, the girl snapped her head around to look at .
Tears welled up in her eyes, looking ready to spill any mont.
“If I do it alone, do I get all 9 silver coins?”
Receiving the reward for three people wouldn't be such a bad condition.
“Hey, stop it. If you do annoying jobs like goblin hunting for such petty cash, it sets a bad precedent.”
“It’s a nuisance to others too.”
“Yeah. Tell her to handle goblins herself. Why ask a rcenary to hunt goblins?”
Seeing that I seed intent on accepting the request, voices of dissuasion rose from the surroundings.
“The client is my type.”
I stated the excuse I had prepared.
A burst of laughter erupted in the guild that had montarily fallen silent.
It was a joke I tried casually, but it landed quite well.
“Huh……?”
The girl gaped, seemingly unable to understand the situation.
“Let's go. Client.”
I stood up from my seat.
There probably wouldn't be many requests I, with unproven skills, could take.
As soone who wanted to minimize my ti in the city if possible, doing sothing was better than waiting for another request that might never co.
‘Pointlessly setting a gloomy mood.’
Stepping out of the rcenary Guild, the bright light dazzled my eyes.
Phew, perfect weather for work.
“I haven't heard the detailed explanation of the request yet.”
I spoke to the girl still frozen in front of the rcenary Guild.
“Huh? Ah? The request?”
The girl jumped in surprise and turned back to .
She had co all the way to the rcenary Guild to post a request, yet her reaction seed as if she had forgotten about it.
“Th-That's right! You'll accept the request, right?!”
“Yes. As long as you promise the paynt.”
Did I really need to state this clearly for her to understand?
I wondered if it was okay for her mind to be so elsewhere.
“I'll explain on the way! Follow !”
The girl, having regained her senses, walked ahead with awkward steps.
* * *
“My na is Nilia. I live in rbon Village, down below that Kezoc Mountain you see there. It's an ordinary village that farms wheat, but recently, goblins keep coming down from the mountain, causing trouble. They've built nests near the fields, so we can't even go farm.”
I let the place nas flow past.
I probably wouldn't visit twice anyway.
Only one piece of information was important.
They built nests near the fields.
Would dealing with the ones in the fields be easier than those in the mountains?
Weak monsters and advantageous terrain.
It overflowed with consideration for a novice rcenary.
“But, about what you said earlier……”
Nilia fidgeted and asked.
“What words are you referring to?”
I wasn't entirely clueless about what she ant, but I feigned ignorance and asked back.
“Well, that I was your type……”
It was sothing I said to avoid being ignored by the rcenaries, but it might have sounded rude to Nilia.
I couldn't give a bad impression to my precious first client.
“It was a joke. I apologize if you were offended.”
Quick acknowledgnt of fault and apology.
Basic rules for social life.
“Ah, a joke.”
The girl's voice turned cold.
It was clear I had definitely overstepped.
Until we reached the city gate, the girl didn't open her mouth.
“Nilia? You're out already?”
Bill, still standing guard at the city entrance, acknowledged the girl.
“Did you find a rcenary willing to exterminate the goblins?”
Knowing even the details of Nilia's request, they seed quite close.
“Yes!”
Nilia puffed out her chest proudly and answered.
“Nah, no way. For that price? Where would such a sucker……”
Bill, who was mocking Nilia's words, frowned upon seeing standing behind her.
“We et again.”
I gave a slight nod.
I had just entered the city monts ago, and coming out before the guards even changed shifts felt a bit awkward.
“Birds of a feather flock together, huh.”
Bill sighed softly.
“Well. For a first request, it's not too bad. Gaining experience is more important than the amount. Makes nostalgic. I started with goblins too.”
As expected, he was a senior.
However, the fact that he switched to being a guard ant he failed as a rcenary, so perhaps there was no need for respect.
“Wait. First request?”
The girl asked as if she had heard sothing she shouldn't have.
“Didn't you know? This fellow is a fresh-faced rookie rcenary who just arrived in the city this morning.”
At Bill's words, the girl's expression hardened.
Despite trying to hire a rcenary for peanuts, she seed anxious now that I was a beginner.
Honestly, I lacked confidence too.
Could I, who had never even killed a mouse before, hunt goblins?
Still, with this sturdy body and a sword, I should manage sohow.
If I couldn't even clear this beginner quest, the path to survival in this world was remote.
“You can tell just by looking.”
“How would I know sothing like that!?”
“Can't you tell by the state of his equipnt?”
“It was dark, so I didn't know. I just thought he was a kind person……”
“Where in the world is there a kind rcenary?”
“There might be!”
“You clearly don't know much about rcenaries. A kind rcenary is either dead or about to die.”
Bill and Nilia bickered.
They looked almost like father and daughter.
Feeling sowhat excluded, I averted my gaze.
“Let's go! Prove that my choice wasn't wrong!”
Nilia, after being scolded by Bill for a while, pointed a finger at , fuming.
Scary.
She looked ready to report to the rcenary Guild if I didn't perform the request properly.
Not that the rcenary Guild would likely pay any attention, but being ignored felt unpleasant.
“Since you've taken the request, handle it properly. I'm counting on you, rcenary.”
Bill tossed a silver coin to .
As expected, Bill, with his rcenary experience, knew how to handle rcenaries.
To motivate a money-driven rcenary, giving more money is the best way.
“I will follow your command.”
I bowed respectfully towards Bill.
“I'm the client!”
Nilia snapped and grabbed , shaking .
“You haven't paid yet.”
I am simply following the money, like a rcenary should.
“Ugh……!!”
Nilia, unable to readily offer money like Bill, trembled with a face full of anger.
Well, if she had that kind of money, she would have set a higher fee for the request from the beginning.
“Just hurry up and move!”
For just 9 silver coins, she was a demanding client.
* * *
The village ca into view in the distance.
However, Nilia, who was guiding the way, turned direction midway.
It seed she intended to head straight to the fields without stopping by the village.
Her heart seed quite set on it.
“Hey there, young man. Haven't seen you around before.”
While walking along the path for a while, I was stopped by an old man.
The skinny old man's eyes were full of wariness towards an outsider.
It seed the exclusive atmosphere typical of rural villages was the sa in this world.
“He's the rcenary I brought!”
Nilia inserted herself between the old man and to explain.
“rcenary?”
The old man's lips protruded about a finger's width.
He was clearly displeased with the situation of bringing a rcenary.
“We can't go to the fields because of the goblins. This rcenary uncle will take care of them.”
Nilia puffed out her chest proudly, as if asking for praise.
‘Uncle?’
Nilia certainly had a youthful face.
She was definitely younger than .
Still, wasn't ‘uncle’ a bit too much?
“Where did you get the money to hire a rcenary? I told you we could handle it ourselves.”
The old man scolded Nilia.
It seed the goblins here were ta creatures, not very dangerous even to farrs.
The pressure regarding the request lessened considerably.
“Because of that, Uncle Wilson sprained his back and is laid up! Things like this should be left to professionals…….”
As Nilia said the word 'professional', her voice trembled slightly.
She seed to be pondering whether it was right to call a rcenary on his first request a professional.
“Professional, my foot. Bringing so bandit-looking fellow.”
The old man grumbled, looking up and down.
The old man's description was sharp.
The clothes I wore and the sword at my waist were gifts from bandits.
It was only natural I looked like a criminal.
“Well, since you're here, it can't be helped. If we tried to send you back now, there might be a knife fight, so we'll entrust the goblin hunt to you.”
There was a sting in his words.
A rcenary with a sword.
If I went berserk because my trip was wasted, the farrs would have no way to handle it.
It was the rational thinking of an old man who had survived long in this town where the law is far and the fist is near.
“And, I'll go to the fields too.”
Ugh.
The old man groaned loudly and started walking.
“Grandpa, why you? You can barely get around with a cane, what are you going to do where goblins appear? Just go ho and rest.”
Nilia tried to stop the old man.
Even to my eyes, the old man had difficulty moving.
Going to a place where monsters appear with a body that struggled even to walk, let alone run, was reckless.
“I may not be helpful in hunting goblins! But I need to watch and make sure that fellow doesn't ruin the wheat fields!”
Clearly displeased about paying , this stubborn old man was determined not to lose even a single extra coin.
Saying it loud enough for to hear seed intended as a warning.
I subtly tapped my sword hilt, expressing my displeasure, but the old man didn't even look back.
I felt his certainty that this wouldn't be enough to make draw my sword.
“Creepy old geezer.”
Not being a particularly nice person myself, I threw a comnt at the old man's back.
The old man accurately understood the sensitive points of rcenaries.
They make a fuss over even one or two silver coins regarding financial losses.
However, for rcenaries who sotis deliberately act fierce for smooth negotiations, being treated as a ruffian was akin to being acknowledged as a proper rcenary.
‘Is this old man also a rcenary senior?’
The bandits had also said they beca bandits after failing as rcenaries.
Perhaps it was a profession everyone went through at least once in this world.
Anyway, the number of people accompanying increased.
The pace slowed down to match the old man's stride.
* * *
After walking for so more ti.
We arrived at the field Nilia ntioned, where the goblins had settled.
The field was in a terrible state.
The old man worried I would ruin the field, but there wasn't much left to ruin.
“Damn it, those fry-and-die bastards……!”
The old man couldn't contain his anger and cursed profusely.
I worried the already dying old man might collapse from high blood pressure.
“Over there.”
Nilia pointed to a corner of the field.
I could see sothing like dugout huts clustered together.
The goblins' nest.
Green bodies could be seen squirming around.
Their number was easily in the dozens.
With that many, even rabbits couldn't be dealt with easily.
And they intended to handle this with rcenaries hired for peanuts.
What utter thieves' ntality.
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