Chapter 185

Chapter 185

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 185: Business (3)

Since fully entering the mercenary business, the past few years had been the most smooth and peaceful. The steep upward trend now felt like it had turned into a gentle curve.

With the growth in his financial scale, Allen had one problem to solve. The business had expanded so much that the Allen-Mercenary Group alone couldn’t cover the vast scale, making the need for an alliance palpable.

Currently, even grain transportation had been entrusted to temporarily hired mercenary groups instead of the Allen-Mercenary Group, and if the business grew further, there would undoubtedly be a lack of hands.

However, it wouldn’t be feasible to tirelessly seek out mercenary groups every time that would happen, so the need for affiliate mercenary groups to reliably entrust tasks to had become increasingly urgent.

In fact, the power of the Top 10 could be said to stem from their alliance. That was why the Dagon-Mercenary Group, which was part of the Top 10 a few years ago, completely crumbled without much resistance when the alliance turned its back on them, leaving them at the mercy of Duke Belver. Had they united and fought to the end, even Duke Belver would have faced a tough battle.

In that regard, Allen also needed to start considering his own alliance. Not just for business reasons, but also to step up to the rank of the Top 10.

Days continued to pass while he was pondering whom to bring into his alliance.

Then, an unexpected figure came to Allen.

The mercenary Group Leader from his hometown of Berge, Charlotte Louifon Eibreheim.

The woman seemed more mature than when they went South to take down the Ash Demon… On Charlotte’s face, which had aged as much as Allen’s, the traces of deep-seated anguish were unmistakable.

“It’s been a long time, Group Leader Charlotte.”

“…Yes, it’s been a while.”

“What brings you here…?”

The blonde woman silently stared at Allen’s face for a moment.

…They were once equals, but now he had soared to heights she couldn’t even dream of reaching.

When Allen had said he was leaving Berge for the mercenary business, Charlotte secretly predicted a bleak future. She was certain he would return to his hometown in less than a year.

However, he became someone entirely different from what she had expected. No, he exceeded her expectations by far, to the point where his name was now frequently heard even in the South as one of the famous mercenary group leaders!

Especially after the recent war with demons in the South, he became a celebrity in the region. Moreover, he became known as the most famous mercenary group leader representing the South, and was said to be on brotherly terms with Kallihill, the son of a Duke. There was even a rumor, famous in the South, that Kallihill was desperate to make Group Leader Allen a part of the Duke’s family.

Charlotte, who was confined to the small Berge and indulged in self-justification, eventually realized she was wrong. It took several years for her to lay down everything and reach that conclusion.

Thus, she decided to leave her hometown. It might be a bit late, but still, before it was too late…

Even if she wouldn’t be as famous as the Allen-Mercenary Group, she hoped to become renowned and return home in triumph!

It was undoubtedly not an easy decision, but it had to be made. What meaning would there be in living as an insignificant mercenary group leader until she grew old and died?

Even if she couldn’t dominate the era, she at least wanted to ride its flow. That was her honest feeling.

“I also… want to try doing the mercenary business properly.”

“I see.”

“In Berge, there’s definitely a limit. At most, we just patrol around the mines once… And no one is really motivated.”

“I understand.”

Allen fully understood Charlotte’s feelings. He, too, had left the South for those very reasons.

In front of the giant Allen, Charlotte felt endlessly small, but she still puffed out her chest as confidently as possible.

“It won’t be easy.”

“…I’m prepared for that.”

She was sincere.

He chuckled softly to himself, thinking that this woman had finally come to her senses.

Allen, resting his chin lightly on the table, quietly spoke to his hometown friend.

“What about the existing mercenary group?”

“All we do is patrol. Occasionally, we might take down a monster or two. Things won’t change much without me. I’ve already found a replacement…”

The once confident blonde no longer displayed her previous self-assurance. Perhaps realizing she wasn’t much needed in the mercenary group had solidified her resolve to leave.

“Then, what about mercenaries? How many did you bring?”

“Only two. The rest… they intend to stay. Of course, I didn’t plan to bring them all…”

They were called the Charlotte-Mercenary Group, but in reality, they were mercenaries under the Count.

From the start, there were barely any who wanted to embark on this arduous journey with her. There was no need to leave a good position and start from the bottom again. The two who did accompany her were persuaded out of long-standing loyalty.

“We’ll start from scratch. From the bottom, step by step…”

Another short silence ensued.

Allen’s lips, which had been a straight line, slowly curled upwards.

“May I make a proposal?”

“…A proposal?”

“I’ll support you. It means I’ll have your back. How about working under me?”

Suddenly, a proposal? The blonde was momentarily speechless.

“You don’t need to feel pressured. If you don’t want to, you can refuse.”

…Honestly, it was a tempting offer. She was already in a state of being at a loss for what to do, and there couldn’t be anything better than receiving his help.

There was no need for her to be embarrassed about working under him. The status between him and her was already so vastly different that comparing them would be laughable. Didn’t she leave everything—her position and face behind—in Berge anyway?

“…What does it mean to work under you?”

“It means I will assign you tasks that are somewhat ambiguous for us to handle. Of course, I will pay you a fair commission for that. In business terms, it’s like a sort of subcontracting.”

“But… I don’t have the ability for that yet.”

“It’s a proposal to provide partial support until you reach a certain level of growth. If things get really tough, I’ll temporarily support you with some experienced mercenaries on this side. In short, I’m saying I’ll help your mercenary group grow.”

It was an astonishingly generous offer. Even for someone from the same hometown, it was hard to believe he would do so much.

…In fact, she had never treated him well until now. She had even treated him as less than human at times and often ignored his greetings. At one point, she despised being associated with such a lowly man.

Yet, he extended this kindness to her as if he didn’t remember any of that.

Why? It was a situation that naturally raised questions.

“What do you think?”

“…The terms are so good that I can hardly refuse.”

“Then are you accepting?”

“Before that… I have something to ask.”

“Yes, I’ll answer anything I know.”

Charlotte, wetting her dry lips with her tongue, quietly opened her mouth.

“Why are you doing so much for me?”

“Because it’s something both you and I need.”

“…You hardly gain anything from this.”

“Why wouldn’t I gain anything?”

Allen gave a charming smile.

“I gain you, don’t I?”

And so, the blonde Charlotte became part of the first alliance of the Allen-Mercenary Group.

It was a timely opportunity for Allen, who was deeply pondering the formation of the alliance. Of course, she still had many shortcomings, but if properly nurtured, she was someone who could be trusted with tasks. Plus, there was the connection of being from the same region.

…There’s no need to start too grandly or hastily. Just grow steadily, one step at a time…!

Although it had been a bit of a struggle, fortunately, the Charlotte-Mercenary Group, which had been as bare as a tree in the cold winter, started to fill its vacancies one by one. Of course, without the halo of Group Leader Allen, it would have been much more difficult. She finally realized the extent of his presence in the mercenary world while clashing with various mercenaries in recruitment battles. At the same time, with the hope that Vermandois could help her realize her dreams, her determination to reach higher burned even more intensely.

Around that time, Allen, feeling the urgent need for increased stamina, began simple training sessions with Kalisman’s help every dawn. To build strength and learn at least the basics of self-defense. And through this training, Allen painfully realized just how terribly untalented he was in martial arts. His brain worked incredibly fast, but why was his body so stiff, except during sex…

Seeing his stamina stats stubbornly refuse to improve, he decided to rely on the power of substances. Thus, he managed to secure a private meeting with an old alchemist highly favored by the 10th-ranked Group leader, Gione. Of course, the fact that he gifted high-grade magic lamps to Gione to secure this opportunity was a secret between the two of them.

After all that effort, Allen obtained a high-quality tonic.

I sweat after taking it. Fuck, I could seriously feel myself bursting with energy!

Thus, after overwhelmingly conquering the Milk-Jug Mage and Itty Titty Natasha in succession, he confidently challenged Viola.

…Even if I don’t conquer her, I’ll at least meet her halfway!

……Ah…!

Suddenly regaining his senses, he noticed the surroundings were bright. Outside, the sun had already risen in the morning sky.

A bewildered Allen slowly lifted his aching upper body.

Then he saw a small note on the bedside table.

It was nice…♥

………The pinnacle of the Top 10 is unimaginably high.