Ch.34Red-Eyed Mercenaries (2)

Red-Eyes.

While they had their headquarters in Cambria, their activities weren’t limited to just Cambria, City of Opportunity. The high caliber of their mercenaries certainly played a part, but the main reason was the formidable leader of the mercenary group.

One of only five White Horns in Cambria.

A swordsman who had reached the level of Sword Seeker.

Red-Eyes, Roseline Askarlo.

A legendary figure in the mercenary world and a powerful individual known to possess a Masterpiece. Mercenary groups led by Sword Seeker-level powerhouses were rare even throughout the mainland, which was why the Red-Eyes’ reputation extended beyond Cambria.

They had an exclusive contract with Garchea Trading Company, one of the top three trading companies in Cambria, and were renowned both inside and outside the city.

Therefore.

The Red-Eyes was the dream workplace that every adventurer entering Cambria, City of Opportunity, aspired to join at least once.

[Red-Eyes Commission.]

[Dotzenberg Forest Extermination.]

[Minimum Qualification: Blue.]

There was one request that the Red-Eyes regularly issued. It was a mission to eliminate monsters that gathered in the Dotzenberg Forest, which the Garchea Trading Company used as a trade route.

Since the monsters needed to be cleared regularly, this request opened once every three months. While it might seem like an ordinary request at first glance…

Among adventurers, the “Dotzenberg Forest Extermination” was known by another name.

The Red-Eyes entrance exam.

There had been numerous cases where those who proved their skills in this mission caught Roseline Askarlo’s eye and joined the Red-Eyes. Even the current vice-captain of the Red-Eyes, a man named Barger, was such a case.

‘A chance to prove your skills and rise higher.’

A request that attracted the attention of many.

For some, it was an opportunity to prove themselves.

For others, it was a chance for advancement.

“Shall we go?”

And for someone else…

“Merlin.”

It was a chance to truly stand out.

2.

Dotzenberg Forest Extermination.

Many adventurers had gathered at the entrance to the forest.

Most of them were Blue-rank adventurers, and among them were some wearing Green badges.

Black, Purple, Blue, Green, Red, White.

Being ranked Blue or Green among the six classifications meant you were an adventurer who had been around in this city. They were veteran adventurers who had accumulated achievements and proven their abilities through numerous requests.

They were also those who had stagnated.

While reaching Green rank was difficult, from Red rank onwards, one needed to possess ‘something special.’ Most adventurers who survived in the city for a long time remained at Blue or Green rank.

That’s why this request was an opportunity for them.

If they caught the eye of the Red-Eyes captain, they could break their long stagnation and rise higher. Since such opportunities didn’t come often, the atmosphere among the adventurers gathered at the forest entrance was fierce. Normally, they would be wary of each other, but…

“……”

Today was different.

The adventurers’ gazes, which should have been directed at each other, were all focused on one spot. There stood a young man wearing a pitch-black badge.

Black rank.

Called “charcoals,” it was the most common rank seen in this city of opportunity. There was nothing special about them; they were rookies among rookies who had yet to accumulate achievements or experience.

“…Tsk.”

Someone clicked their tongue.

The adventurers whispered loud enough for the young man with the black badge to hear. It was mockery, and also criticism. Naturally, nothing good was being said.

To participate in this request.

To qualify for this mission.

All the adventurers gathered here had made bone-crushing efforts. They had accumulated achievements by completing numerous requests and had struggled to raise their ranks. After all their efforts, they had dyed their badges blue and green, earning their qualifications.

But what about this young man?

Without accumulating any achievements, without any visible effort, he appeared here flaunting his black badge. Just because he had received a recommendation from Dieta Trading Company. The black badge the young man wore around his neck was like a mockery of all the adventurers gathered here.

“This is annoying.”

“What does that make us?”

It was more than enough to provoke resentment.

The sharp gazes of senior adventurers. The sound of tongues clicking. Mockery and grumbling. The subject of all this couldn’t possibly be unaware.

-This is no joke.

‘Indeed.’

Najin was aware.

He felt the gazes focused on him and the hostile atmosphere from the senior adventurers. It wasn’t that Najin couldn’t understand their emotions.

‘From their perspective, it’s natural.’

Their anger was justified.

They must have put in countless efforts to reach their ranks. They would have climbed from the bottom step by step. To dye their badges a brighter color, they would have made bone-crushing efforts.

From their perspective, who had worked hard.

Naturally, they wouldn’t view him favorably.

-So, are you going to bow your head?

‘Not at all.’

Najin smirked.

‘That’s that, and this is this.’

While he understood their feelings, that didn’t mean he had to dance to their tune.

Najin had no intention of being mindful of them.

No intention of feeling sorry for them.

Not even a thought of holding back.

From the day he escaped the underground city, from the moment he made his vow under the starless sky, Najin had steeled his resolve.

‘To reach the pinnacle…’

It meant trampling over countless others.

Trampling over their efforts, dismissing their lifelong struggles in an instant, and heading to a place higher than them.

That was the resolve one needed to have if they wanted to stand at the pinnacle.

This wasn’t a path he had started walking without at least that much determination. Far from bowing his head or shrinking under the gazes of senior adventurers, Najin straightened his shoulders and held his head high.

As if challenging them to glare if they dared.

-That’s it. You know what’s up.

Merlin laughed with satisfaction at Najin’s attitude. Just as his laughter echoed in Najin’s ears…

Boom.

In an instant, the air grew heavy.

A pressure descended as if something massive was pressing down from above. Najin wasn’t the only one feeling this pressure. It engulfed all the adventurers gathered at the forest entrance.

Thud, some collapsed on the spot.

Even those still standing couldn’t lift their heads and could only stare at the ground.

Najin knew what this was. The aura emitted by the powerful. It was an aura he had occasionally felt from Ivan in the past. However, this aura was incomparably thicker than Ivan’s, indicating that its owner was stronger than him.

‘But.’

Najin exhaled.

He slowly lifted his head, which had been about to bow down.

‘I’ve experienced it.’

Though it was stronger than Ivan’s, compared to what Najin had recently experienced from a certain constellation, this pressure was infinitely lighter.

His first encounter with Merlin.

Najin had received Merlin’s intimidation with his bare body and had shaken it off. Although Merlin later claimed that he hadn’t been serious… well, whatever.

Having shaken off even a constellation’s pressure, there was no way he couldn’t shake off this level of pressure.

Grip.

With his fist clenched, Najin lifted his head. Just as he was about to identify the owner of this pressure…

“Wow, good reaction.”

A voice sounded right in front of him.

The person who met Najin’s gaze was a woman with black hair braided into a single plait. Her red eyes curved like half-moons.

“Just by looking, I can tell you’re that guy?”

The charcoal that snake woman vouched for.

She smiled and raised her arm. The pressure that had been pressing down on the adventurers at the forest entrance disappeared in an instant. The vanished pressure was now directed solely at Najin.

“Wow, you’re still holding your head up. What are you?”

The woman looking at him with curiosity.

Najin knew her name. He had seen her at the guild hall. A mercenary with black hair and red eyes… a White Horn rank.

The captain of the Red-Eyes, Roseline Askarlo.

“You don’t seem to have accumulated much mana, and judging by your mana quantity, you’re not even a Sword Expert… what is it? Are you hiding something?”

Interest grew in her red eyes.

As Roseline reached out towards Najin to confirm her suspicion…

Crack!

Sparks flew. Sparks erupted from Roseline’s mana that was pressing down on Najin. At that moment, Roseline saw it. The sight of mana from all around being sucked into Najin’s body in an instant.

An incomprehensible flow.

In the moment she was distracted by that flow…

Grab.

Najin’s hand moved. It grasped the wrist of Roseline, who had been reaching out towards him. Roseline’s eyes widened as she belatedly realized this.

“What are you doing?”

Najin snapped.

He instinctively judged that he shouldn’t let that hand touch his body. An action based on instinct. Whether it was the best choice or not, he didn’t know, but…

“Wow.”

From Roseline’s expression of admiration, Najin could tell that his action was at least not wrong.

“Wow!”

Roseline kept exclaiming in admiration.

She quickly turned her head and raised her wrist, which was caught by Najin, towards Barger, the vice-captain of the mercenary group standing behind her.

“Barger, can you see this? He grabbed my wrist!”

“I can see it clearly. I asked you not to make any sudden moves, but why…”

“Wow, this is interesting. What was that just now?”

Cutting off Barger’s words, Roseline turned her head back to look at Najin and asked. Najin didn’t answer, and Roseline smiled. After shaking her hand to free herself from Najin’s grip, she stroked her chin.

“Well, that snake woman wouldn’t have vouched for him without reason. You’re an interesting one. I like this…”

Roseline licked her lips.

She flicked a coin from her bosom. Reflexively catching it, Najin looked at the coin in his palm.

It was a platinum coin.

A platinum coin that even Blue adventurers would have to work hard for a month or two to get. Roseline, who had flicked it to Najin without a second thought, smiled at him.

“I apologize. Let’s consider it forgotten with that.”

After withdrawing her mana, Roseline patted Najin’s shoulder a couple of times and then turned around. Najin silently watched her as she walked towards the platform set up at the forest entrance.

It felt like a storm had passed.

At the same time, Najin sensed that the gazes of the adventurers looking at him had changed. They had all seen it. Najin resisting Roseline under the immense pressure that pressed down on his shoulders.

A White Horn rank adventurer.

The aura emitted by a Sword Seeker.

Najin had faced that aura head-on and even managed to grab Roseline’s wrist. The eyes of the adventurers who had witnessed this were filled with shock and questions, instead of the contempt and anger from earlier.

A bottom-of-the-barrel Black rank adventurer.

Had resisted a White Horn rank adventurer, the pinnacle of the city.

Shocked by this fact, the Blue and Green rank adventurers stared at Najin’s back, while Roseline, who had turned her back on Najin and was climbing onto the platform, licked her lips. Her red eyes gleamed.

As if she had found her prey.

3.

There was a small commotion, but no adventurer had the courage to directly protest against a White Horn rank adventurer… and once Roseline promised to increase the reward for the request, there were no further complaints.

“Well, that’s that.”

After briefly explaining the situation, Roseline stepped back. She pushed Barger, who had been standing behind her, forward.

“He’ll explain the details of the request.”

“…I’m Barger, vice-captain of the Red-Eyes.”

Pushed forward, Barger sighed and began speaking.

“The content of the request is simple. The center of the forest, where high-ranked monsters gather, will be handled by us, the Red-Eyes. You all will patrol the outskirts of the forest and hunt any monsters that appear.”

He spoke while displaying a map of the forest.

“The minimum number of monsters to be eliminated per person is ten. The count varies depending on the monster, so refer to the calculation method written in the request form. And we’ll pay extra for monsters hunted beyond the minimum requirement.”

By the time he finished explaining the precautions, special notes, and several clauses, Barger stepped back, and Roseline walked forward.

“This would be boring if we just left it at that.”

She spread three fingers.

“The top three will receive additional rewards, and the person who eliminates the most monsters will get a special reward. I, Roseline Askarlo, promise that the reward won’t disappoint.”

Roseline Askarlo smiled.

“Oh, and a word of caution.”

She said with her arms crossed.

“I understand some level of competition for the sake of rivalry, but don’t cross the line. You know what happens if you do, right?”

Her red eyes gleamed ominously.

The adventurers nodded repeatedly. Before descending from the platform, Roseline gave Najin one last glance and then headed towards the center of the forest with Barger.

The request had begun, and the adventurers started to disperse.

Watching the dispersing adventurers, Najin began to stretch. He regulated his breathing and tightened the scabbard at his waist.

-What’s the goal?

Merlin’s voice echoed in his ears.

In response, Najin shrugged and answered.

“Why ask the obvious?”

Najin began walking towards the forest.

“First place, of course.”