Safe Marigold.

3.

“Hah, hah!”

Marigold sprinted through the streets as soon as she saw the sun begin to set. No sooner had she arrived at the inn than a scolding came flying her way.

“Mary! Why are you so late? Start cleaning the bathhouse, now.”

“Yes!”

Her palms, now those of a seventeen-year-old, were wrapped tightly in pristine white bandages.

She wore them to prevent injuries from wielding a wooden sword every day, and now they had become a defining characteristic of hers.

“To pawn off the hardest job, cleaning the bathhouse, on our girl, those are some truly bad people.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. If I think of it as part of my training, it doesn’t bother me at all.”

Mary rolled up her sleeves.

Beneath her lithe, smooth skin, firmly set muscles were revealed. A body forged through months of grueling practice and training.

“Hehe, Miss Mary?”

A voice came from behind her.

“You’re always so pretty, Miss Mary. How about you assist me with my bath sometime?”

He reached out a hand toward Marigold’s body, who was busily cleaning.

The moment his palm was about to touch her skin, Marigold vanished from his sight. All he saw was the floor and ceiling flipping 180 degrees.

“Keuheok!”

A painful groan erupted from the man’s mouth.

“Kkeueueueuk…”

“What was that? Did you hear something?”

A middle-aged waitress came running at the loud noise. Marigold hurriedly waved her hands.

“Ah, no, this person suddenly fell… all by himself.”

“Really?”

“Y-yes, Miss Mary is right.”

Perhaps his pride wouldn’t allow him to admit he’d been flipped while trying to grope her, so the man agreed with Marigold.

“Tsk, that’s what happens when you go into a bathhouse being cleaned without permission. Get out of here!”

“I… I can’t feel strength in my legs right now…”

“Just crawl out!”

“Alright, alright.”

Watching the man crawl away, Marigold sighed in relief.

Incidents like this weren’t uncommon at the inn. Young waitresses were always targets of unwanted advances, and some men were particularly persistent.

The reason Marigold had decided to learn swordsmanship from her master was to prepare for situations like this. Enough skill to protect herself. In the Imperial Capital, that was quite useful.

“Tuh! Tuh tuh! Honestly, what low-quality men. I wish you could just quit this job, Miss.”

“Then I’d have no choice but to go to a bar or a brothel. It’s much worse there than here.”

“Ugh! Are those the only places to work in the Imperial Capital? I’m worried about you, Pina.”

Pina was frustrated, but there was nothing she could do.

For Marigold, who had only been in the Imperial Capital for two years, even this was something to be grateful for.

“Are you done cleaning? Then eat something and take a break.”

“Yes.”

Just as she was about to take a breather, a loud voice erupted from the inn.

“Giving a Mercenary a basic salary? What a load of crap! They’re definitely scammers, you bastard.”

“I really heard it, I’m telling you! He looked like someone who didn’t know the ways of the world, a country bumpkin who just came in from the outside.”

“Is he a noble? Or a rich man?”

“Both.”

“…Where was that?”

Marigold stopped eating her porridge and perked up her ears.

“The Mercenary Guild Lancel, or something like that.”

Thump.

Something stirred greatly within Marigold. A familiar name. A name she had seen in her dreams. The source of that strange emotion that occasionally disturbed her sleep.

Lancel.

“You better go quickly before they fill up all the spots. I heard they’re not hiring many people. Isn’t it about time you quit your delivery job?”

“Yeah. I’m originally the kind of guy who lives by the sword. I may look like this now, but back in the day…”

Marigold put down the spoon she had raised.

Pina, noticing something was off, tilted her head.

“Miss?”

“Pina. Should I quit the inn?”

“Yes?”

4.

No sooner had the next morning arrived than a crowd of people gathered in front of the Mercenary Guild.

Most were either already Mercenaries, had experience with swords, or were men who claimed to have some strength.

“How many people do you think are here, Hesti?”

“It looked like a little under a hundred.”

“That’s a lot.”

“Of course. You said you’d guarantee one silver coin every week to people who would otherwise starve or resort to thievery when they don’t have work.”

“I suppose it is a rather unconventional condition.”

Lancel chuckled.

To participate in the escort event, only one thing was needed: how well one had completed the most recent ‘five quests’.

In the game, the completion results of quests were graded from S to F, and the condition was that one needed to have at least an average grade of B or higher.

That being said, it would be a bit ridiculous for the guild master himself to step up and complete the quests, so it was necessary to recruit a few Mercenaries who would actually be active.

Yes.

Including Marigold.

‘But I don’t see her. Did she not come today?’

Well, if she didn’t come, he could always use his influence to bring her in.

Lancel decided to focus on hiring Mercenaries for the time being.

“Are you all ready?”

“Yes, leave it to us.”

The examiners were three escorts carefully selected by Lancel. They would directly cross swords to select people.

“Start whenever you’re ready.”

“Yes, Young Master. Let three people in at a time!”

“Come in one at a time! Don’t cut in line, enter in the order you arrived!”

One by one, the swaggering men appeared before the examiners.

After that, it was smooth sailing.

“You’re terrible! Next!”

“Next person!”

“Kkuaaak!”

“Don’t be so dramatic!”

No matter how skilled the Mercenaries were, they couldn’t possibly stand up to escorts who had been wielding swords their entire lives.

Even in the game, the escorts’ ranks were at least ‘High-Level Soldiers’, and the ones Lancel had brought were around ‘Elite Soldiers’. There was quite a difference in skill to be defeated by some thugs who just threw punches.

“Take it easy, take it easy.”

The escorts seemed to be relieving their stress on the people for the first time in a while.

“At this rate, there will be more people being carried away than hired, don’t you think?”

In response to Hesti’s words, Lancel took a sip of his tea without answering.

==========

—Imperial Calendar 818, June 3rd. Weather: Very Sunny.

—Random Event, ‘The Prince’s Outing’ has occurred. (Location: Imperial Outskirts, Mercenary Guild Lancel).

==========

“Puh-heup!”

“…Young Master.”

“Sorry. Use this to wipe it off.”

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Misunderstanding.”

Hesti, with a sulky expression, wiped the tea that had flown from Lancel’s mouth with a handkerchief.

‘The Prince’s Outing. At a time like this? No, more importantly, why here?’

Lancel hurriedly tried to leave his seat. But just before he could slip away, a voice came from beside him.

“Just because it’s a Mercenary Guild run by a noble doesn’t mean it’s much different.”

He felt like his heart was freezing over.

The voice had come from right next to him.

“Eustia. I’m just a prodigal son who happened to pass by. I heard there was an interesting spectacle, so I came to take a look. Honestly, it’s not as good as I expected.”

Eustia.

It was an alias.

Lancel knew his name.

‘Yuri Langris Phrygia.’

The man who was simply labeled as ‘Third Prince’ in the game. He was now standing right next to Lancel, wearing a hat pulled low.

Lancel tried to awaken his senses. He could feel the Magical Barrier subtly etched around the Third Prince’s body. No wonder he hadn’t sensed him.

“It might be a bit boring for such an excellent magician to watch.”

“…”

“Don’t be so surprised. I just have a good sense.”

He could see the Third Prince’s eyes gleaming under his hat.

“A sense, you say. I’ve never heard of someone being able to recognize a magician with just that.”

Lancel felt an invisible force wrapping around his neck. A force that could cut through even steel if it wanted to, a blade of Magic Power.

Anyone who could sense that killing intent would have their legs give out.

Lancel didn’t even blink.

After probing him for a moment, the Third Prince Yuri withdrew his Magic Power.

“I was disappointed that it was just an ordinary Mercenary Guild, but you seem like an interesting person. Sir Lancel.”

Did he come here to start a war of nerves?

Lancel tried to avoid his piercing gaze.

“Next!”

And a familiar face appeared before him.

“A woman?”

“Isn’t that the girl who worked at the inn around here?”

Murmurs arose.

‘She came. Marigold.’

Lancel confirmed her appearance, which had changed beyond recognition.

Practical leather pants, a tight-fitting blouse, thick leather boots, leather gauntlets.

Her body, sculpted with muscle, drew graceful curves, well-toned without any unnecessary fat.

‘She’s completely different from how she looked when I saw her at fifteen.’

If you eat well, you grow well.

If you train, your body gets better.

It was truly like Marigold’s body, blessed with boundless potential.

“Hmm.”

==========

—Encounter Event Occurred. ‘Third Prince Yuri Langris Phrygia’ is showing interest in Marigold.

==========

Yuri stroked his chin.

“A woman being a Mercenary.”

Of course, it wasn’t uncommon for women to work as Mercenaries.

The problem was that Marigold didn’t look like the kind of woman who would do Mercenary work.

One of the examiners approached her.

“Name?”

“Mary. Nice to meet you.”

“Alright. Choose the examiner you want to face and stand in front of them.”

“Yes!”

Marigold strode confidently toward the three examiners lined up before her. Everyone’s attention was focused on who she would go to.

“What?”

“Where is she going…?”

She passed the examiners. And without stopping, she walked straight to the man leaning against the reception desk.

“……?”

“I’d like to ask for your guidance. Sir Lancel Dante.”

Eyes burning with a fiery intensity.

Lancel was momentarily speechless at the sight of Marigold standing before him.