Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 79: Chapter 2 (2).

Chapter 2 began with the release of all sorts of mages across the continent due to the destruction of the Magic Tower, which was no different from a psychiatric ward, as seen in Chapter 1.

From the political machinations of the old monsters to the bizarre magical experiments, including human experimentation, and the indulgence in summoning magic by the mages shocked by the destruction of the tower, all these events were now slowly starting to unfold.

Of course, this, too, was a random event, so Allen couldn’t know where or what incident would occur. If lucky, nothing might happen, but on the flip side, if unlucky, all these events could take place. ……Of course, it was unlikely to go to the worst-case scenario, but still, one should expect that a few incidents would occur.

In particular, the most troublesome of them all was precisely summoning magic—.

Of course, if one were to summon something like a pure spirit, it wouldn’t be much of a concern, but the problem was that these psychopaths were never satisfied with such trivial summonings.

It was one thing if they were moderately talented, but nothing was more troublesome than a genius mage indulging in summoning magic. They attempted to control more powerful summoned beings by opening deeper dimensional gates, eventually leading to the opening of a source gate or even a hell gate. As it was, there were already a bunch of creatures itching to enter the human world, so when these fools kindly opened the gates for them, why wouldn’t they come out? Naturally, they’d eagerly stick their heads out first, thinking it was all good.

If Chapter 1 was just a taste, the real game started now. Of course, as hard as the work was, the growth of the mercenary business could explode the most in this chapter. If really lucky, one might even chase up to the brink of the Top 10, but Allen didn’t have the ambition to reach that far. Having rushed and failed more than once in Guild Master, how would he dare attempt it in reality?

Allen sighed as he looked out the window at the dawn breaking. Despite having slept a bit after staying up late diligently serving Elena, his body felt slightly languid. Yet, having adopted a lifestyle more diligent and regular than the military, his eyes would always snap open around this time. …This must be why the human body was considered a mystery.

Having just finished a long, half-year journey yesterday, the group leader still had no time to rest. There were at least three or four tasks that needed to be dealt with today alone.

Allen rented a tiny bathroom for a bath and had an early breakfast in the first-floor hall. By that time, looking fully prepared to head out, Itty Titty Natasha also came down from her lodging room.

Perhaps because it was her first outing, the swordswoman, beautifully dressed from head to toe, looking all sophisticated, walked up to the group leader and gave a well-mannered morning greeting.

[Attributes]

Strength: 56

Agility: 54

Stamina: 47

Intelligence: 16

Magic: 30

[Traits]

♦ Genius

♦ Indomitable Will

♦ Reckless

♦ Narcissism

♦ Sensitive

♦ Insomnia

♦ Enlightenment

♦ Trust

♦ Attachment

The sum of strength, agility, and stamina was now 157. Having surpassed the B-class standard of 150, and with [Enlightenment], it seemed likely for her to be comfortably brought up to A-class.

“Good morning, Group Leader.”

“Yes. How was your sleep? Comfortable?”

“…Yes.”

…There was a slight hesitation, but Allen seemed to know the reason and didn’t pry further.

“Let’s sit down and have a meal first. Can we get one more meal here—”

The old innkeeper soon brought a plate and placed it in front of Natasha, skillfully sweeping away the coins lying on the table.

Having suffered from the demonic disease, she had only eaten terribly tasting food. Now, any food tasted delicious to her. Compared to those times, this was practically the taste of heaven.

After quickly finishing a bowl each, the man and woman left the inn. Normally, the protection of the group leader was entrusted to Old Dog Kalisman, but today, Natasha had decided to take on the role of a city tour. Thus, the two walked side by side through the dawn streets of Vermandois.

The city of mercenaries was bustling from dawn. Various groups eager to leave early hurried back and forth on the main roads, shouting curses and screams.

Natasha was especially captivated for a long time by the scenery of the majestic river flowing nobly. The scene of sunlight gradually seeping over the river invoked a sense of sublimity.

The riverside vendors, before starting their business, were sprawled out on the street, casually throwing whatever they had into a large bowl, mixing it with sheep’s milk, and slurping it up. The starving beggars loitered around them, hoping to get at least a bite to eat.

The two first visited the mercenary guild. After Allen paid the compensation for Inkist Arnold, who had died on a mission last time, he saw a few mercenaries who had been hitting on the pretty Natasha were left lying on the ground, having been beaten up.

“Really. Do you want me to bust your balls?”

After Allen coughed a few times, Natasha apologized— and returned to her demure expression. ‘…It seems that a mercenary is still a mercenary, even if it’s a well-bred noble lady.’

They walked along the riverbank again. Allen’s next destination was the Viola House. He had returned to Vermandois after a while, and it seemed rude not to say hello… But it would be beneath the dignity of a group leader of the Top 10 to visit a young mercenary group first. Allen understood such intricacies well.

They soon arrived at the Viola House. Allen said he would just say hello and come out, leaving Natasha in the hall for a moment. Natasha’s talent was so great that even the Top 10 would acknowledge it, so he didn’t want her to meet Group Leader Viola yet.

…Of course, that woman wasn’t the type to forcibly take someone who’s already taken, but still, she was somewhat greedy for talents, so it was better to be cautious. They say you can know ten miles of water but not one mile of a person’s heart.

Allen thought that Group Leader Viola would be quite upset if she knew his thoughts.

But what could he do? Even with the status window, he could only know a fragment of their heart. He couldn’t read the innermost thoughts completely.

Anyway, for now, they were in a business relationship. It would be right to approach with reason, not emotion.

Thus, Allen followed the butler alone.

Group Leader Viola was recently troubled by the mages claiming to come from the Magic Tower in the western region. She had no idea where their confidence came from, but they declared their affiliation with the Magic Tower and proposed to join the Top 10…, honestly, they were all barely scraping past 200. The highest among them was only 244.

They didn’t seem inclined to struggle in the second or third divisions either. If only they had a decent sense of combat, there might be a chance for them to enter the first division, but most of them clearly knew nothing about fighting. …Being part of the Magic Tower, to put it nicely, was like being a greenhouse flower, or less kindly, a good-looking but useless apricot.

Of course, there was nothing wrong with proposing, but the problem was when they turned around with a face full of resentment after being rejected. Every time that happened, Viola wished that the Magic Tower had just been destroyed completely, wondering why they survived, only for her to deal with all of their nonsense. …When she had once laughed off a joke about the Magic Tower being a prison for lunatics, now she couldn’t help but think it might not have been a joke after all.

Hoping that no mages from the Magic Tower would visit today, Group Leader Viola was sifting through documents when she received unexpected news from the butler.

“Group Leader Allen has visited. I’ve shown him to the reception room.”

Surprise was quickly followed by joy. She had been eagerly waiting for his visit, and today was finally the day.

However, outwardly, she responded calmly with a composed expression. As a Group Leader of one of the Top 10, she couldn’t afford to look foolish.

“I’ll be there shortly. You can leave.”

“Yes, my lord.”

After the butler left, Group Leader Viola took out a mirror from the drawer and meticulously checked her appearance. …She made an excuse and told herself that this wasn’t because of the man she was interested in, but rather, it was for the sake of maintaining an appearance befitting a Group Leader of one of the Top 10.

Group Leader Viola left the office and headed to the reception room. Her steps quickened slightly in the empty hallway, but whenever she encountered anyone, whether it was a mercenary or a worker, her demeanor became dignified again.

Arriving at the reception room, she swallowed a bit of her nervousness and clicked the door open.

Allen was standing on the terrace, admiring the beautiful river scenery, and when the homeowner entered, he quickly turned towards her with a gentle smile on his face.

“Group Leader Viola. How long has it been?”

“It’s been a while, Group Leader Allen.”

The two warmly clasped and shook hands, greeting each other cordially.

“Have you been well all this time?”

“Yes, I’ve been well. It’s a relief to see Group Leader Allen safe, too.”

After finishing their handshake, the man and woman approached the table and sat facing each other. Allen sought understanding first.

“I just arrived yesterday and still have a backlog of work, so I might not be able to stay long.”

“Ah, I understand. A group leader is always busy, even after completing his duties. …But you can still have a cup of tea, right?”

“Of course.”

Viola took the teapot herself and filled their cups halfway with tea.

“There’s been a lot of talk about Group Leader Allen. They say you’ve made a significant impact in the West…”

“I just had a bit of luck on my side.”

“Having heaven’s help is even more remarkable.”

“…That’s one way to interpret it.”

“In the world of mercenaries, it’s ultimately the one who survives that is the winner. Whether it’s by skill or luck.”

‘As expected from the Top 10—.’ Every word resonated deeply with Allen’s heart.

“And I have no doubt that Group Leader Allen will eventually be the winner.”

“You’re giving me too much praise. I don’t know how to react.”

“It’s not really praise. I don’t force things that aren’t there.”

A brief silence. Viola took a sip of her tea.

“Right… if you’re busy, you don’t have to mind me and can get up anytime. We can talk more over a meal next time. Drop by whenever you have time. …There’s also the business talk we didn’t finish last time.”

“Understood. Then, I’ll take my leave now.”

Since greetings were exchanged, Allen found no reason to linger here any longer. As Group Leader Allen said, they could have a long conversation over a meal next time.

‘…I should visit as soon as possible.’

With business matters to discuss, Allen couldn’t help but be interested.

“Then, see you next time.”

“Yes, Group Leader Viola.”

The man and woman exchanged warm handshakes again, with a slight smile added to the mix.

……Showing a smile was quite a favor from her side, but since there was no one else watching, that should be fine.

‘It’s about making a talent of 522 my person after all—!’

Soon after Allen left, Viola returned to her office where she had been working. Upon hearing that Group Leader Allen had visited, the bulky vice group leader came looking for her with a peculiar smile on his face.

“Isn’t it about time you settled down, Big Sis? I hear it gets harder to have children if you wait too long.”

“Oh, what are you talking about, again! That’s not it—?! Group Leader Allen and I are strictly in a business relationship, a business relationship—!”

“Ah, I see. Yes, hehe. Got it, hehe.”

“Stop laughing like that, I warned you!”

“Yes, hehe.”

“Do you really want to die? …Why aren’t you leaving yet?!”

The vice group leader left the office without erasing his sly smile until the end.

‘That damn bastard—.’

……During that brief moment, Group Leader Viola had already killed off the three imaginary children in her head.

‘No, what nonsense—! Children?!’