Chapter 123

Chapter 123

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 123: The Capital Of The Empire (7).

Sword Emperor Magnus.

Fire Ghost Grenzo.

Commander Arione.

Elegant Mage Elizabeth.

Ghost Spear Patty.

Blood Club Gione.

Swift Ponporo.

Monster Ryga.

Iron Mask Viola.

Each and every one of them was nothing short of legendary in the mercenary world.

With such figures gathered in one place, their companions waiting outside could barely breathe from the killing intent seeping out of the meeting room. Even the so-called best of the best were struggling, so for Allen, who was practically a commoner, it was sheer torture.

Still, he couldn’t show any weakness, so he gritted his teeth and forced himself to endure.

As the meeting began, someone raised their voice. The birth of a new Top 10 was closely tied to the gains and losses of the existing Top 10.

Fortunately, the meeting proceeded swiftly. Since Vice Group Leader Elizabeth was already calling for the expulsion of Group Leader Dagon, discussion on the new Top 10 candidates has already begun. In other words, they skipped the tedious task of filtering out the candidates.

Originally, it was a matter of deciding on one out of three candidates, but with the recent mysterious assassination of the strong candidate, Group Leader Bakuya, the candidates had been reduced to two.

With the number of candidates reduced from three to two, the competition intensified. The shouting started from there. They were all digging into the qualifications of their competitors.

Before the meeting even started, sides were roughly divided. Their outcries were a war to win the votes of the neutrals.

Usually, the neutral members were Sword Emperor Magnus, Fire Ghost Grenzo, Monster Ryga, and Iron Mask Viola, but since Viola had already reached an agreement with Elizabeth, there were effectively three votes left. Of course, among the remaining three, someone might have already come to an agreement with someone else.

Since the decision this time would determine the Top 10, the tension was extraordinary. However, the trend was gradually leaning towards the Pesial-Mercenary Group. This was mainly due to the significant influence of the Elegant Mage, Vice Group Leader Elizabeth. Moreover, since she was at the forefront of ousting Group Leader Dagon, who was considered a thorn in everyone’s side, even the neutral parties seemed inclined to support her.

However, from the standpoint of supporting the Bakuyana or the Stephanie-Mercenary Group, there was no way that a noblewoman who was already scheming behind the scenes while pretending to be aloof would be seen favorably. Moreover, wasn’t it strange that a strong candidate was suddenly murdered not long ago?

That damned slut…

Even though it was an atmosphere where it wouldn’t be surprising if someone cursed, everyone still refrained from crossing the line. After all, they were individuals who could wield immense power from their respective positions, so there was nothing to gain from fostering severe animosity… And the biggest reason was that in this world, there were no eternal allies or enemies.

After a long bout of arguments, the votes were finally cast.

Pesial-Mercenary Group 5 votes, Stephanie-Mercenary Group 3 votes, and 1 abstention.

Thus, the meeting that had dragged on past midnight finally concluded. Of course, it did not end on a harmonious note.

During that lengthy meeting, the companions waiting in the hallway did not exchange a single word. They feared that adding fuel to the fire might make them fall out of favor with the Top 10 representatives, jeopardizing their future forever. So, they kept their silence appropriately.

Allen, who was quietly lost in deep thought, quickly stood up when he saw the meeting room door swing open. He glanced briefly at himself and then walked alongside Group Leader Viola down the corridor.

As soon as they exited the annex, Viola looked up at the pitch-black night sky and let out a deep sigh. Only then did Allen finally open his tightly sealed lips.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“…Allen, you must have had a hard time waiting for so long. It took much longer than expected.”

“Deciding the positions of the Top 10 is not a simple matter.”

The two walked steadily towards the station where the carriage was, breathing in the chilly night air.

“The Pesial-Mercenary Group has become one of the Top 10.”

“Oh, really?”

“…Of course, I can’t guarantee they’ll be able to maintain that position. From now on, they’ll face numerous challenges.”

Becoming one of the Top 10 didn’t mean it was over. Naturally, there would be many who would challenge them out of resentment, and the Top 10 had to withstand those challenges and hold their position until the end. If they couldn’t, it would be over just like that… Group Leader Viola was also someone who had endured countless hardships to keep her place in the Top 10.

When the two arrived at the station, Group Leader Rados, who was standing outside, informed Vice Group Leader Elizabeth, who was waiting for them inside the carriage.

“Thank you so much. It’s late, but I’d like to offer some hospitality.”

“I’ll accept your hospitality only in spirit.”

“…That’s disappointing.”

When Group Leader Viola cut off coldly without a hint of regret, Vice Group Leader Elizabeth seemed a bit hurt as her smile slightly faltered.

“I don’t know when we’ll meet again, but see you next time.”

As Viola casually extended her hand, Elizabeth gracefully extended her gloved hand to grasp it.

“…Alright, Big Sis. See you next time.”

The two women turned away quickly. The two men exchanged only formal greetings and boarded their respective carriages.

With this, the meeting to decide on the Top 10 was over… Of course, various covert operations and schemes that were not apparent on the surface must have been rampant during the process, but except for the unexpected assassination of Group Leader Bakuya, it was outwardly peaceful.

The coachman opened the coach window to check if the two were seated comfortably and then drove the carriage.

Group Leader Viola gazed out the dark window, lost in thought.

…She felt a wind of change blowing. It was still faint, but somehow she sensed it would grow uncontrollably larger later on…

The Top 10 meeting had ended, but Viola’s group had not yet set a definite departure date. Having come such a long way, it was better to take care of all their business before leaving.

Especially Allen, who took the opportunity to scout the mercenaries in the capital. Of course, finding talented rookies in the capital was difficult, as most were already fully developed. Moreover, the prices were even more inflated than in Vermandois, causing the money-obsessed Allen to click his tongue. If it were later in the game when he would have plenty of spare money, it would be one thing, but at this point, with every penny being precious, it was truly shocking.

There were decent guys worth recruiting, but their outrageous transfer fees and salaries made Allen lose any interest in negotiating.

In fact, Allen had already known about such circumstances, which was why he chose Vermandois as his first settlement instead of the capital. Of course, Vermandois wasn’t free from inflated prices, but it was nothing compared to the capital. It was wise to consider this place after settling down to some extent.

Thus, when Group Leader Allen was fervently engaged in the mercenary business, the promising Itty Titty Swordswoman Natasha also frequently visited Sword Emperor Magnus to improve her swordsmanship. He welcomed and taught her as if she were his own disciple.

However, Natasha did not go to see the Prophetess Aloa. She believed that prophecies could be overcome through effort and willpower.

And, the Milk-Jug Mage Elena was completely engrossed in the Source Magic she had bought earlier.

It seemed to be inspired by Spirit Magic, which had almost disappeared. Spirits were also closely tied to the source of matter… In short, what if mages themselves could directly draw upon it instead of through a spirit?

Hadn’t she been struggling with the issue of mana efficiency for a long time?

She had been approaching the problem of efficiency by minimizing wasting mana, but the solution she discovered through this Source Magic was entirely different.

If the waste of mana is severe, solve it with an abundant amount of mana. The mana that mages use is, metaphorically speaking, a clean, refined substance stored in the body after passing through several filters. However, the Source Magic is to use the source mana outside the body before it is refined.

…It was certainly a good idea, but that didn’t mean there were no problems at all. The issue was that it required her to learn a new method of using mana.

The concept of drawing pure mana from the outside and using it as is was still completely incomprehensible to Elena. It was clear that long training would be necessary. Even if she trained, who knew how long it would take to achieve results beyond expectations…?

However, if mastered properly, the utility would undoubtedly be enormous.

…Anyway, I need a breakthrough. It is practically difficult to make the already long-studied magic formulas more efficient. Then, it is better to change the method altogether.

Elena thought that was the only revolutionary change.

If everyone followed the same path, it would be impossible to stand out unless you were a genius. For her, who did not consider herself a genius, to compete with geniuses, she had to choose a path that others did not take.

…For the sake of being with my beloved Group Leader…!

Even if it was a tough path, Elena was confident she could endure it to the end.