episode_0007

“Everyone must have made up their minds. As everyone knows, this request will be a bit difficult.”

“”Yes! Leader!””

Before proceeding with the request, Seris looked at the leader and mercenary members who were in agreement.

no. In fact, I was only looking at the leader.

‘…What on earth happened that day?!’

Even though it had already been several weeks since that day, Seris was still confused.

The night I completed my first request. The first beer I drank made me lose my mind.

It’s clear that he woke up in his own bed the next day with his head on the verge of breaking…

‘I vaguely remember… but I definitely didn’t walk to the bedroom on my own feet.’

Among the rare memories I remembered, there was absolutely no memory of me going to the bedroom on my own.

I just held my head in a daze and couldn’t really remember, but I did have a conversation with the leader… and suddenly I felt a warm feeling…

…Warm warmth?

“….Jang.”

“…Eh….Eeh…”

I clearly remember the warmth that can never be felt through simple touch.

“Hmm. Are you saying that? Let us move on quietly. I left after watching Vice-Captain Seris fall asleep.”

The next day, the leader clearly said that.

‘that.’ And let’s move on quietly.

…You watched me fall asleep and left?

‘Stand…stand, stand, stand…!!’

From a young age, Seris grew up alongside her father, who was the first leader of the Scar mercenary group, and with other mercenary members around her.

Most of them were rougher, more confident, and had less to be ashamed of than ordinary people.

Therefore, their conversations always included obscene remarks. Since it was Seris who heard it from the side, she knew everything there was to know.

“…Chief.”

‘I… did you really do that…? With the leader…?’

Seris was lost in her own world, unable to hear any sound and fell into agony.

No… that can’t be possible. The leader who doesn’t seem to have those feelings…?

Ah…no. My father and my mercenary uncles told me that some people change completely when they drink alcohol… What about the leader…?

“…Vice-captain Seris!”

“…Gasp! Yes…yes! Leader!”

“Where does your body hurt? No matter how many times I call you, I can’t hear you.”

Seris was startled by a sound that suddenly came from right in front of her. When I raised my head and looked around, I saw the leader, who seemed a little worried despite the expressionless expression he still maintained, and the mercenary members who looked puzzled.

“Ah…no! I have something to think about for a moment…”

“Hmm. Doesn’t it really hurt? If so, you can rest. This request will be much more dangerous than the last one to exorcise monsters, so it’s okay.”

“It’s really okay! In fact, it feels fresher than other days!!”

“…If you go that far. I understand.”

Shoo shoo shoo!

When Seris quickly swung the leaded sword in the air and appealed that she was okay, only then did the leader relax his expression and shift his gaze to the mercenary members.

it’s a shame.

“…….?”

What did I just think? Are you feeling sad?

It’s just that the leader took his eyes off me.

I was just surprised that a person who was expressionless at any moment every day showed even the slightest trace of emotion. That was it.

‘huh. That’s right. It’ll be right.’

“Then let’s set off!”

“”Yes! Leader!””

Ceris rationalized herself like that and looked at the leader and mercenary members shouting the last slogan.

Ceris also shouted loudly, not realizing that her eyes were only looking at one place.

“Yes! Leader!”

***

Chuck-Chuck-Chuck-

We worked hard and headed out to Leria Village again to fulfill a new request.

‘What awaits me this time?’

A few weeks ago, after completing the Scar Mercenaries’ first request, Iron Claw Monkey, successfully and overwhelmingly quickly, numerous requests poured in to us.

There were a lot of them, but in terms of content, they were full of very disappointing requests.

Scouting around Leria Village, escorting carriages heading to the next village, and subduing 1-star monsters.

In fact, the only requests we received were at a level where it would be acceptable to send just a few mercenary members without the need for our entire mercenary corps to participate.

That’s why I’m looking forward to the ‘unidentified dungeon exploration’ given to us now.

Dungeon. There is something called a dungeon in this world. This is the dungeon that appears in countless webtoons, web novels, games, etc.

The shape of the dungeon is not set. And, staying in it is also not determined.

Well, in general, it’s a dungeon where monsters exist. And a dungeon full of traps. Most dungeons contain strong monsters called ‘bosses’.

‘And in most dungeons, there are almost certain rewards.’

what’s this? There may be rewards that are small enough to be worthless, but there are also dungeons with rewards so huge that they can surprise the entire empire.

In other words, it is gambling.

But what should I do? I really like things like gacha and lottery games like crazy, right?

It is said that if you are really lucky, you can even get magic artifacts or excellent weapons! How can you tolerate this?

‘Of course, I’m not heading into the dungeon without thinking.’

No matter how crazy I was about games, it didn’t mean I didn’t consider the lives of the mercenary members and Vice-Captain Seris as important.

Unlike me, who is an alter ego that doesn’t even care about death, their life is the main body. Because it was real.

And when I play training games or simulation games, I am the type of person who cannot let the characters I choose and train get hurt or die.

I also really liked games. If the kids I raised died, I felt like my own children would die.

So it didn’t happen a lot, but if it did happen, I would have had to start the game from the beginning or quit.

“Chief. It would be a good idea to camp today.”

anyway. At that time, while I was marching, thinking about useless things, Seris spoke to me.

“Hmm. Indeed.”

It was clearly broad daylight with the sun shining brightly by the time we left Leria Village, but it was already getting dark.

There’s nothing I can do about it. Because the request deadline was long.

“All. Let’s prepare for camping.”

“”Yes! Leader!””

Following my instructions, the mercenary members began to move busily.

However, since the light was still dimly shining, we had to quickly prepare for camping before darkness took over the world.

Otherwise, you would have to prepare for camping in the darkness, without being able to see an inch ahead, while being wary of monsters that might pop out at any moment.

Rattling – Chuck.

Fortunately, the camping preparation skills of our mercenaries were truly top-notch in the empire.

How is it so fast? It’s only been a few minutes and it’s already almost done.

It was like watching workers constructing houses and buildings with a single ‘click’ in a game.

“Captain! Camping preparations are complete!”

“Good. Please prepare a meal right away.”

“Yes! Biruong!”

“Yay~”

When Hans called Birong, the sly Birong ran out and started preparing food.

‘Spotting talent.’

[Name: Birong / Age: 32 / Male]

[Unique ability (Qualities of a Cook King): You are born with the qualities of a Cook King who will command the entire empire! Taste correction occurs in every food you make, and you are born with a god-given sense of proper balance between the liver and the right amount!]

[Unique Ability (Knife Holder): You are gifted with considerable knives. Correction occurs in all actions using a knife.

Birong, who has brown, curly hair and narrow eyes, was born with a natural talent for cooking.

Since we were a group of mercenaries who were assigned to cook every day, we rotated our rotations and that was the day we reached Birong.

Birong, who said it was his first time cooking in his life, taught us the taste of heaven that day with his magical hands and cooking skills.

What happens after that? Birong became our exclusive cook and mercenary member.

We tried to stop him several times, saying he didn’t have to do this, but he said he was so happy to see us enjoying his food that he decided to do it himself.

Crack, clap, clap!

“Next. Carrots and potatoes!”

“Okay!”

Look at that. On a wooden table and cutting board made on the spot, a Michelin chef-level performance is shown.

I’ve never eaten Michelin-starred cuisine in my past life, so maybe that’s it? Because it tasted really amazing.

“Cooking is ready! Let’s start serving food!”

Uddangtangtang-!

At Birong’s call, all the mercenary members gasped and began to line up in front of Birong one by one.

“I’ll eat well today too, Biruong!”

“kya. As expected, Birong is the best!”

All the mercenary members received Birong’s special stew with smiling faces and began devouring it hungrily.

Slurp-

I also received my meal, sat down on a log in a corner, and took a sip of the stew.

‘….and. It’s really fucked up.’

It’s a taste that can only be admired. No matter how many times I’ve had it, it tastes new every day.

Is this a God-given talent? The ingredients were carrots, potatoes, cheap meat, a few grass clippings, and salt. That was all, and the result was like this.

“Hiya. I think Birong’s food is really the best.”

At that time, Cerise sat next to me and drank Biron’s stew and talked.

“I agree. No matter how much I eat… I never get tired of it.”

“Haha. I’m really happy. Look at that.”

I followed Seris’s vision and looked around the campfire.

-Giggles. It’s really fucking delicious.

-You are the best.

-haha. I’m so happy that everyone enjoyed it.

Mercenary members joking around while passing over delicious food. It was a truly harmonious scene, with no one left out.

“Doesn’t internal division easily occur in a mercenary group? But we… there has never been a division until now.”

It was true. Since most mercenary groups were hired based on skill alone, there was a very high chance that they would include people with broken personalities.

If people with high self-esteem are placed in one place, what will be the result? It would be natural. We will fight every day until it becomes a mess.

I said everything because things like killing each other happened frequently.

“I see. I guess I’m a really lucky person.”

No matter how carefully I checked and selected each mercenary corps member, only the very best gathered.

Not a single person had a twisted personality, and everyone was in harmony.

Even though it had only been a few weeks since the Scar mercenary group was formed, we already regarded each other as family and more than that.

Still, I expected a few discords to break out. Really… I felt like I was a lucky person.

“I too… I think I’m a lucky person…”

Passing over Seris’ words, which I couldn’t hear clearly. Our warm night passed like that.

***

“Vice-captain…!!”

“What the fuck… why…!”

“Vice-captain Seris! Damn it…!”

“Sweet….Blind…”

We reached the dungeon safely without any accidents.

We just knew that the peaceful days would continue like always.