Ch.57Hunting #7

At first, the mercenaries couldn’t believe it. No, they were wrapped in such profound disbelief that “refused to believe” would be a more fitting expression.

There was only one reason anyone would deliberately come to this border fortress, including the Frontier White Peak, where monsters meet the borderline: to kill monsters, claim their spoils, and make money.

Well-tanned monster hide boasted strength comparable to any plate mail, and thus demanded a certain level of wealth from its owner.

This wasn’t to say it required the fortune of someone leading a massive merchant guild or a particularly wealthy noble, but it certainly wasn’t accessible to just any riffraff wandering the streets.

That’s why mercenaries existed who risked their lives to hunt. Solely for money.

“Really… you’re just giving this away?”

That’s why it was difficult for them to distinguish whether what was being offered now was reality or not.

It was suspicious enough that someone had suddenly approached them offering an orc carcass, but what made it even more concerning was that the person making the offer was the Red Hood.

“Yes. We have no need for it.”

“That’s insane! You come to hunt monsters and then throw away the spoils? Who would believe such nonsense!”

The mercenary’s outburst of suspicion was justified.

It wasn’t about pride, refusing to scavenge another’s hunt; it was simply that they couldn’t know what would be demanded in exchange for the carcass.

It was a natural suspicion for mercenaries who lived in relationships defined by money.

However, Ellen nodded in understanding at their reaction, showing no anger. In a way, she was someone who had lived as a mercenary longer than anyone else on this continent, so it was natural that she understood their mindset thoroughly.

“Our party’s goal isn’t to make money. We’ve already earned the necessary travel expenses, so we have no need to transport and sell more carcasses.”

“So, such nonsense…!”

“Is it nonsense just because you can’t understand it? What a fool.”

Ellen crossed her arms and smirked, provoking the mercenary. Veins bulged on the forehead of the mercenary who had been arguing, and his face turned furnace-red.

Provocations and fights broke out so frequently they could be considered essential elements of their lifestyle, but this time, he couldn’t respond with his fists.

Unlike the hatred toward dark elves, his opponent was a legend who had been a mercenary for over half a century.

“Damn it all…!”

“Good. You may not understand, but it seems you get the gist. So, what will you do? If you refuse, you can find another mercenary group, or you could seek help from the Frontier White Peak. I approached mercenaries first because I feel a sense of kinship, being a mercenary myself.”

“…Tch!”

The mercenary clicked his tongue and swallowed his anger.

He couldn’t talk back effectively, and using force would guarantee his defeat.

Moreover, in these woods, he could die without a trace and become fertilizer, so this was the right approach.

If he were just a bit younger, he might have charged in recklessly, but this man was a seasoned mercenary in his own right. He knew when to suppress his anger and back down.

Ellen, seeing the mercenary was now ready to talk, slightly raised the corner of her mouth and posed the final question.

“So, what will you do?”

◎◎◎

I held my breath watching them move through the forest as if it were their own backyard. It was absolute chaos.

“Hey, grab it quickly and take it away! Hurry!”

The forest, said to be teeming with monsters, had been reduced to something resembling a nobleman’s hunting ground, with mercenaries rushing about, eagerly collecting monster carcasses.

Ellen’s group hunted, while numerous mercenary bands, drawn in through negotiation, gathered and transported their share of the carcasses.

I was also standing at the front line, doing my part, but in reality, it was more like a show put on solely by the dark elf mercenary band.

“Ugh?!”

“You fool. Be careful. Remember the mercenary maxim that life is more valuable than money?”

Even while hunting, they killed Diamond Wolves that launched surprise attacks and protected mercenaries who were nearly bitten by their fangs. They were simultaneously hunting and protecting.

In a way, it was like a chaotic battle, but the mercenaries who were frantically collecting bodies still had the skill to protect themselves.

As long as they didn’t let their guard down too much, they had the capacity to anticipate monster ambushes and counterattack. That’s why they could stay at this Frontier White Peak and focus on hunting.

Still, they must feel like they’ve hit the jackpot.

Orcs, Diamond Wolves, Mad Rabbits, and more… This place, littered with all kinds of carcasses, was truly a paradise. It had become a land flowing with milk and honey, as if a golden rain had poured down like lightning.

At least for these mercenaries.

“Damn! Thanks!”

“Hmph. If you’re grateful, pack up and leave this place quickly. You don’t want to die, right?”

“Ah, shit!”

A rough-looking mercenary spat out a harsh curse before hastily leaving. Having nearly died due to greed, he was probably feeling quite embarrassed.

Still, the fact that he properly expressed gratitude showed his character wasn’t completely rotten.

◎◎◎

After filling the mercenaries’ pockets over several days, it was time to take care of the Frontier White Peak’s coffers.

Helena and I thought it would improve Ellen’s reputation through the mercenaries’ word of mouth, but gaining favor with the local residents was also important in its own way.

Unlike mercenaries, they had the overwhelming advantage of numbers, but individually, their combat power was lower. Thus, they had to focus on group tactics, though this left them vulnerable in crisis situations. In one-on-one confrontations, they would die eight or nine times out of ten.

Of course, the soldiers of this Frontier White Peak were well-trained, so such incidents weren’t common, but they weren’t rare enough to say they never happened. Even if they didn’t die, injuries were frequent.

“If you’re not hurt, get back in formation immediately!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

Like a battering ram striking a castle gate, the mercenary band led by Ellen stood at the very front, sweeping through the monsters.

The soldiers quickly moved the carcasses, and after doing so, rejoined the formation to repeat the process. It was a division of labor reminiscent of a factory.

During this process, they would miraculously save soldiers who were ambushed and in danger, and buy time for them to regroup.

Ellen had said she felt kinship with mercenaries as a fellow mercenary. She certainly said that, but looking at her attitude, she seemed to care more for the soldiers of the Frontier White Peak.

Perhaps it was because they were relatively lacking in individual combat skills compared to the seasoned mercenary bands, but it seemed to be more than just that.

She appeared to recognize that they were not just soldiers but ordinary residents of the domain, and was trying to protect them as much as possible.

—UWOOOOH!!

“Everyone be careful! It’s a troll! We’ve gone quite deep today!”

I thought it was just the ground shaking from a particularly loud roar, but to think the culprit was a troll.

I swallowed dryly as I gazed at the giant ash-colored giant roaring in the distance. It was twice the size of an orc, with an overwhelming presence befitting a monster classified as high-grade.

“Didn’t you say trolls only appear from the middle of the forest onward?!”

“That’s right. But perhaps due to the soldiers’ swift support, our advance was faster than expected. At this rate, we could cross the forest and…”

Crossing the forest. Ellen cut off her words there and briefly showed a gloomy expression.

I wondered why she looked so dejected even with a monster before us, then realized what lay at the end of the forest crossing. It was the elven forest from which she had been exiled.

The civilized society where those commonly called the Ain race lived in groups.

A mysterious land that had little exchange with the human world, but occasionally their items flowed in and fetched quite high prices.

“Ellen! Sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but the troll comes first!”

“Ah! My apologies!”

Ellen shook off her concerns at my shout and immediately strung her bow.

Although she wasn’t in danger thanks to the dark elves surrounding her protectively, leaving her in a dazed state was risky. So even if it was somewhat rude, I had to snap her out of it.

“Whew…!”

Unlike orcs, trolls tend to act alone rather than in groups. Whether it’s because of their large size or because they’re significantly stronger than orcs… they had such a nature.

This was knowledge anyone could understand just by looking at the creature charging forward with a roar.

“Fire… huh?! Hold!”

Just before releasing an arrow that had caught the wind, Ellen hastily swallowed empty air and ordered a cease-fire.

The other dark elves tilted their heads wondering what was happening, but Ellen silently stared above the troll’s head.

“You’re quite perceptive, aren’t you?”

Crack!

A cheerful voice, completely out of place in a forest teeming with monsters, echoed widely. Simultaneously, a chilling sound of flesh and bone being cut pierced our ears.

Though quiet, it was so clear that it felt as vivid as if heard right in front of us.

“Hmm…”

The owner of the voice, Helena, stood on the troll’s shoulder with a sigh, holding the sword she had plunged into its crown.

No matter how tough and solid a troll’s body might be, once its head was pierced, it was destined to die instantly.

Moreover, having its skull pierced by an Aura Blade, it couldn’t possibly survive. If it were still moving normally, it would be an undead, not a troll.

“Phew.”

Helena stepped on the falling troll’s body, which was collapsing like a broken tree, made a low jump, and stood before me.

The soldiers held their breath at this astonishing sight, and even the dark elves who had been drawing their bows lowered their weapons and stared at Helena as if she were a monster.

She had definitely been by my side just moments ago, but her agility in suddenly appearing on the troll’s shoulder was astounding.

“How was that? Pretty clean, right?”

“Ah… yes. Just pierced the head, no damage to the hide, and though there’s blood spurting, the bleeding area is small, so it can be used efficiently.”

I answered Helena’s childlike question with a wry smile.

Blood was fountaining from the hole in the troll’s crown, but the stream lacked force. It seemed the pressure-driven blood flow had weakened.

“That’s Duke Krauser… a genius who reached Master level at the youngest age. It’s chilling.”

“I’ve never seen a troll taken down so quickly and easily like that before.”

“Between this and the dark elf mercenaries, it’s certainly something I’ll never forget in my lifetime.”

The soldiers whispered among themselves while quickly recovering the troll’s carcass.

The troll, killed so cleanly, was already valuable, but would surely be worth even more now.

Even with the same hide, the price often fluctuates depending on the degree of damage, and trolls would be no exception.

“It’s already afternoon? We’ve been running since morning, and I didn’t even notice the time passing.”

Helena wiped the sweat from her forehead, drawing a refreshingly beautiful smile. Even with her exceptional physical abilities, it was natural for her to sweat after running for nearly half a day.

A young and beautiful female knight wiping away sweat.

I realized anew Helena’s richness and silently offered a prayer of gratitude. While I hadn’t forgotten my duties, I couldn’t help but feel joy.

I also felt a somewhat cheap but definitely pride-boosting superiority knowing that a woman desired by many men was mine.

“Yes. The soldiers followed so well that our pace was incredibly fast.”

“Indeed. I can only say that these are truly soldiers living in the Risling Frontier White Peak. They seem even more excellent than the soldiers in my domain.”

While the battle lines were being reorganized, we engaged in small talk praising the Frontier White Peak’s soldiers. It was a shallow tactic to raise their favorability even slightly.

Thanks to this, the soldiers looked at us and the dark elf group with grateful eyes, alternating their gaze. Ellen’s mercenary band had also joined the conversation midway after reading our intentions.

“Well then, shall we head back for today? We didn’t bring camping equipment, and this isn’t a suitable place for sleeping outdoors.”

After spending some time cleaning up the surroundings, Helena clapped her hands and urged us to return.

As she said, advancing further would be extremely dangerous.