LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Mercenaries
Chapter 22: Mercenaries
Feeling somewhat tense, I enter the mercenary agency. I can see the bearded man and the tall, blond man from yesterday’s counter engaged in conversation. Is that man our mercenary this time?
“Hello.”
“Oh, are you my employer?”
“I guess so.”
In his late twenties, his speech is cheerful and refreshing. He has deep-set, well-proportioned features, tall stature, and a muscular build. Broad-chested with thick arms, he’s well-tanned, giving off a rugged charm that likely appeals to women.
“Both of you good to go? Let’s confirm the request for this time. First, the employer is Bonus. The contractor is Azir.”
“I’m Bonus. Nice to meet you.”
“Yeah, I’m Azir. Nice to meet you.”
“The contract fee has already been received from Bonus. The reward will be given to Azir after confirmation of completion of the request.”
“How do we confirm the completion of the request?”
Azir seems accustomed to this exchange, showing no particular doubts, casually eyeing the chests and backsides of the female mercenaries lined up next to him with apparent boredom.
“Bonus is obliged to report back once the task is completed. Failure to do so will result in being blacklisted. If that happens, you won’t be able to request tasks in the future, so be careful.”
“Got it. Would it be a problem if it’s not done by the end of the day?”
“Usually, it’s until the next day, but under the current circumstances, you can separately decide the deadline with mutual consent.”
Surprisingly, there are well-defined rules. Perhaps there are unified standards set by the country. There might be requests spanning territories, and it could be too costly for local lords to set and manage detailed rules…
“Oh, I didn’t know there was such an arrangement.”
“For now, reporting by tomorrow is fine for me.”
Azir seems like a veteran mercenary, but he seems unaware of such detailed rules. Nevertheless, this bearded man seems to be quite meticulous in handling details. I can’t compare him to other receptionists, but he seems quite capable.
“Now, let’s confirm the details of the request. It involves taking care of shopkeeping and escorting within the allotted time. Is that okay with both of you?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
“I have no problem with that.”
“Then that’s all. Don’t forget to report back.”
Leaving those words, the bearded man steps back.
“Can we head to the market right away? I don’t want to leave the shop empty for too long.”
“Yeah, of course. Let’s go quickly.”
Returning to the market somewhat briskly, Azir is wearing quite impressive swords and armor. Nevertheless, he doesn’t give off the imposing aura that Marie does. Still, it’s clear he’s well-trained. His equipment looks well-used, indicating his experience as a skilled mercenary.
“Seems like Azir is a veteran, but I’m surprised you took on such a job. Well, it’s a great help, though.”
“There aren’t many lucrative jobs available right now. It’s better than spending all day in the tavern, isn’t it?”
“True. Mercenaries don’t always have to do high-stakes jobs, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s right. But rest assured, I’ll handle the escort properly.”
“That’s a relief. Thanks in advance.”
Returning to the market, Melanie is playing with Kuro, putting accessories on her. Both of them seem unusually happy.
“Sorry to keep you waiting! My bad, it took a little longer.”
“Oh, Kuro is quite amusing. It was a good way to pass the time. What is this little girl, anyway?”
“Giggity gah!”
“Oh, she’s an imp, in a way.”
“I don’t see it at all…”
“I get that a lot. She’s a fun little girl, right?”
“That’s for sure!”
Azir looks a bit wary, staring at Kuro intently. Just like Marie did, it seems mercenaries are cautious of the behavior of imps. Since they often confront imps as monsters in requests, they might be concerned.
“Is this really an imp?”
“Yeah, everyone seems puzzled by it.”
“Her name is Kuro. She’s been helping me with various things.”
“Giggity gah!”
“Is that… well, I guess that’s possible? Hmm…”
He doesn’t seem entirely convinced. However, there’s no choice but to get him accustomed to it. Once again, I raise the signboard and start brewing coffee.
“This is our coffee and chocolate set for sale. Feel free to try some.”
“In that case, I’ll gladly accept.”
“If the bitterness is too strong for you, let me know, and I can adjust it with milk.”
“Oh! This is delicious. I see…this chocolate is also delicious. If it’s 500 reis, I can personally come and buy it.”
“Drinking it will help you clear your head and wake you up. Is the bitterness okay?”
“I rather like this bitterness. I quite like it.”
I feel like Azir is the best I’ve ever had when it comes to coffee.
Perhaps this interaction served as an advertisement, and customers started coming over.
“It smells nice. Can I have it too?”
“Here you go! It’s 500 reis.”
Since then, customers keep coming.
It looks like we’ll soon reach the 30 cups we had planned for todayAzir seemed to really like it and bought it again with his own money.Well, I guess I have some free time just wandering around the store.
However, it is a little doubtful whether mercenaries are really necessary.In fact, while I’m in the market, I feel like I don’t need to be so cautious.Of course, I think it’s a check, but as far as I can see, there aren’t any stores that employ mercenaries.
“Melanie, would you like a moment?”
“Hmm? Ah, Bonus. The chocolate from earlier was delicious. Thank you.”
“No, no. So I’d like you to tell me something. Is the security around here really that bad? I was so scared that I even hired mercenaries.”
“No, I think that’s the correct answer. You just arrived at the Savoia, right? Besides, I don’t know what to say, but even though you seem to have plenty of money, there are a lot of gaps… You seem weak.”
“Wow… that’s exactly right, but I’m shocked. Do I look that weak?”
“That’s right. If I were a robber, I’d target Bonus. So, until you get used to the city a little more, I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have one mercenary with you, no matter who you are. Like that fine mercenary who came today. It’s okay if you do.”
I guess that’s how it was seen after all…
Are mercenaries really necessary?
“Melanie is doing well even though she is the only woman.”
“Well, I’ve lived in this town for a long time. I know all the people at the stores around me.”
“I see… Thank you for your continued support, Senpai! I’ll send you chocolates from time to time, so please give me some advice!”
“Ahahaha, that makes me happy. Nice to meet you.”
Looks like we’ll need to keep hiring mercenaries after all.It seems like it can be sustained financially, but the procedures are a pain.It’s quite stressful to have people change every time…Azir is quite good.It would be great if I could rely on mercenaries of this level continuously, but that won’t be possible.Should I try asking again at the mercenary agency?
Time flies when you’re dealing with customer business that you’re not used to.Before I knew it, the sun was already setting.In the end, we sold 31 cups today.We were able to get through the number we had planned, so it was probably a good start for the first day.There is almost no profit, but as long as the money I have doesn’t decrease drastically, I’ll be fine.My goal is to build up regular customers in a safe and steady manner for a while.
“Hey, Azir. I wonder if you have something else to do tomorrow?”
“No, I don’t have any particular plans, but I think Hajiramu has already arranged the mercenaries for tomorrow.”
If you think about it, it makes sense.However, I worry about the fact that people change every time.Having to go through the stalls during the day is also a hassle.Hmm…it’s troubling, but there’s nothing I can do about it at the moment.Should I hold back, thinking this is a good opportunity to find a compatible mercenary?
“Is Hajiramu…the bearded guy at the reception desk at that agency?”
“Ah, he’s the oldest employee at that agency. He’s not friendly, and… he’s feared, but he can be trusted.”
It is true that such a person, while calmly carrying out his work, observes us and extracts a lot of information.And you can’t see the other person’s emotions. The kind of guy that seems to make the mercenaries weak to him.
“I feel like I understand somehow. Still, it’s a shame. I would have asked you to do it tomorrow if I could, but…”
“Well, it was an easy job for me too, so if I see another request, I’ll take it.”
“Ah, it would be helpful if you could do that.”
After that, I finished cleaning up, greeted Melanie again, and headed to the inn with Azir.I felt quite physically fit today.It’s even easier because Kuro is willing to help.I might try holding out until a little later tomorrow.
On the second day, there were surprisingly many repeat visitors.Come to think of it, the boss of the woodworking shop also came.Actually, he came yesterday, but I didn’t expect him to come back again.It’s nice of him to keep repeating that I made this cup while he’s drinking.Melanie also bought two drinks that day.It’s probably aimed at chocolate, but coffee seems to be delicious when made into cafe au lait.
I want to make cappuccino for them someday. Besides those who seemed to have enjoyed the taste, many repeat customers also mentioned feeling refreshed and able to focus on their work. Personally, I’m so used to drinking it that I didn’t feel anything, but it seems the caffeine did its job. As for business, nothing much changed from yesterday. In the end, we sold 35 cups today.
By the way, the mercenary this time was quite shady. His behavior was suspicious, and he only occasionally responded when spoken to. What bothered me the most was that he kept glancing at the leather pouch hanging from my waist, as if it were a substitute for a wallet. Eventually, I closed the shop early that day. Being with this mercenary for too long felt dangerous. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but at the very least, I’m not feeling good about it. The hit-or-miss nature of mercenaries is more intense than I thought. I hope a decent one will come tomorrow…