Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 37: Viola (3).

As the members with short-term contracts left, the gathering of the Allen-Mercenary group became somewhat modest. Allen glanced over the members, whose numbers had halved, and nodded lightly.

Still, with this level, they wouldn’t be disregarded anywhere. Especially thanks to the presence of the milk-jug mage, people would perceive them as a notch above. It was rare for a mercenary group to have a mage, after all.

‘…Well, just by breathing, more than fifty gold coins are spent, so we must earn our keep—!’

Fixed expenses were roughly around 55 gold coins. Add food and lodging to that, and nearly 100 gold coins disappeared each month.

Just thinking about it made Allen involuntarily stick out his tongue and shake his head from side to side. …Indeed, the mercenary business wasn’t just ordinarily difficult. One big slip and it was straight to the abyss.

In that regard, this large request was as precious as rain after a drought. Even if the rope caught was not that strong, this was something that had to be swallowed no matter what.

“The next request is a dungeon.”

Dungeon—. The members seemed quite surprised by the word. A dungeon was as unpredictable as the demon lands.

“You don’t have to worry too much. It’s a large request. We’re not going alone.”

“Phew… Honestly, I was a bit scared just now.”

Captain Aiden sighed lightly and smirked. Although the members had improved a bit, they were still far from being able to tackle a dungeon on their own.

“It came from the city above. They were digging a tunnel in the mine, and it seems that they found a dungeon passage.”

This happened from time to time, digging deep into the mines in the giant mountains only to accidentally disturb a monster’s den.

Once it had been breached, trying to seal it again was mostly futile, so as the owner of the mine, one would naturally want to thoroughly cleanse this dungeon.

“It seems the miners were greatly harmed because of it. …It’s a request directly from the lord.”

“Then the reward must be quite substantial.”

“At least five big ones.”

The minimum amount was five hundred gold coins. It was a decent sum.

That’s when Allen threw cold water on the situation.

“…But don’t get too excited just yet.”

Their attention shifted back to the group leader.

“If they’ve put up a large request, it means the dungeon is probably much bigger than we imagine. That could make the idea of a ‘large request’ seem a bit less impressive. Since it’s a bit inefficient to move in too large a group.”

The quick-witted Kalisman immediately grasped the underlying meaning.

“It means we might have to split up and take on different sections.”

“That’s right. …Still, well, we won’t be moving in too small of a number. At least four or so will join. Because it’s a dungeon. …Probably.”

With that, the discussion about the mission was roughly over. There was still quite some time until the mission, and since they had only just arrived today, they could take it easy.

“Go ahead, drink up. I’ll pay for the drinks today.”

“Sounds good. Let’s go until our noses are crooked—.”

“…Still, think about my wallet a bit.”

“Come on, drink up, it’s free booze, drink like crazy————.”

‘…These bastards, so cheap.’

And Allen, who couldn’t handle his liquor, passed out after three beers.

Viola finished her breakfast and went to the lounge to enjoy tea time. To her, watching the beautifully decorated garden and the sparkling river in the sunlight during her morning break was like relishing sweet honey.

Enjoying the leisure, she had just taken a single sip of her tea when someone barged into the break room. Viola quickly turned her head to see the face of the person who dared to interrupt this rest without permission.

A hairy man with a face like a bandit. It was Vice Group Leader Palmer.

“No, Big Sis—! What is this, I hear? A dungeon? Didn’t we agree not to do that? The team is out on a mission, and we’re short on people, what are we supposed to do if you suddenly do this?”

“You’re making a fuss. We have stand-ins, don’t we? It’s actually perfect. Let them gain some experience by giving it a go. …Do you think I made this decision without considering that?”

“No, but still, it feels a bit off to just put them in there….”

Then, she nonchalantly replied while her gaze returned to the flowing river.

“I’ll be going. So just pick them yourself. Focus on those without experience. …But not the completely clueless ones. You know, the ones we’ve been keeping an eye on. Like those like Emersy.”

“…Then, should we consider the ones from the third group as well?”

“Yes. Compile the data.”

“Well, if big sis is going too….”

The vice group leader immediately agreed. If Viola, the group leader herself, were going, even with many gaps, it wouldn’t be a big problem. The furball, who had been watching his big sis’s movements, quietly sat opposite her.

“Why the sudden change of heart? You hardly ever go to the field. …Is there something here I don’t know about?”

Furball Palmer raised the question, wondering if there might be some unknown vested interest involved here.

“There is. …Just. If you don’t use your body for too long, it stiffens. So, I occasionally run on the field. …Kalim, that old man is still doing it at his age.”

“Ah, I see. …But, there was also a recommendation letter? That…”

Palmer briefly scanned the paper he had brought.

“Allen, mercenary group? These guys. Did you do this yourself? Or was it Goran?”

The leader of the group nonchalantly swallowed a sip of tea and replied.

“Kalim, the head, asked me to take a good look at him. He wasn’t bad. Just thought I’d try raising him once.”

“How many points?”

Here, Viola pondered for a moment. However, her contemplation did not last long.

“I didn’t look.”

In truth, she could always see the numbers, but she led people to think that her abilities were moderately limited. Having too extraordinary an ability would create too many enemies to handle, as she had witnessed many times.

“…I understand. Well. You’re not the type to start something without a plan.”

“For someone who believes that, your expression earlier said otherwise.”

“Earlier, it was, well, a kind of eagerness to hear your answer?”

The bandit-like man laughed with a grin showing his teeth.

“Stop the nonsense and go. I have things to think about.”

“Yes. I’ll compile and bring the list later.”

“Alright.”

The lounge became quiet again. She picked up her teacup again, sipped the tea, and gazed outside with deep eyes.

Although she gave various reasons, the real reason was that she wanted to observe the Allen-Mercenary Group. The abilities of that handsome young man with the number 522…

‘…If only I were 10 years younger…’

Viola had that thought and couldn’t help but chuckle. Feeling a bit embarrassed for acting so foolish after a long time.

It was nothing but a fantasy. Just as a man might think when he sees a beautiful woman, a woman does the same when she sees a handsome man. Especially if the person seems to have a promising future….

However, she had already built a wall between herself and romance for life. It seemed unlikely that would change.

As her contemplation grew longer, so did her idle thoughts. Before Viola could entertain any more bizarre ideas, she gulped down her tea and stood up.

Allen tried to check for an empty spot at the guild house, but the waiting list had already exceeded twenty people. And the rent was astronomical.

In the end, he had no choice but to retreat to the street outside the guild house. Even there, competition for a good spot was fierce.

The portly road manager, fat as a pig, blatantly offered Allen, who had delicate features, a better spot if he would present his rear to him. Of course, Allen flatly refused and was pushed to the very end.

This was the reality here. But there wasn’t really anything to resent. If you don’t have connections, money, or skills, then you must use your body—. That was just the natural order of things here.

The city of mercenaries, Vermandois, was never a place overflowing with dreams and hope. It was a hellish city of endless competition, where those who had nothing fell even deeper into the abyss.

So, you had to squeeze in somehow, barely surviving, to secure a spot. Otherwise, you’d end up losing everything you had.

Still, thanks to the term “major request,” there were quite a few mercenaries who came looking after seeing the recruitment notice. Compared to the other roadside offices where usually only flies buzzed around, Allen’s business was somewhat thriving.

Of course, the vast majority were riff-raff who came to try their luck. Very occasionally, some decent mercenaries would show up, but even they often demanded too much money. To the point where even beating down the price would be difficult.

So, after struggling for a whole week, they barely managed to fill four spots. Among them, one was a healer whom Allen, the leader of the group, had painstakingly found after loitering around the temple all day. The skinny young man had a [Faint-hearted] trait, but still, as long as he was consistently well coaxed and comforted, he should be able to avoid panicking.

And so the gathering of a total of eight members was completed. Allen had actually considered up to ten, but the funding issue was somewhat burdensome. …Indeed, the labor costs at Vermandois were a bit steep compared to others.

The departure day also quickly approached right before their eyes.

Allen’s heart throbbed at the thought of the dungeon he would experience for the first time. It was both anticipation and worry.

Still, with the size of the group, there shouldn’t be any major problems. It would be fine as long as he played his part wisely. It’s not too forward but also not too reserved.

The thoughtful leader tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep.