Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 65: Crisis And Cooperation (5).

The group of mercenaries that arrived in Serge the previous day boarded the boats they had left by the riverbank in the early evening. Now that they no longer needed to carry the villagers, two large boats were more than enough to accommodate everyone.

Allen, favored by the Group Leader Rudra, boarded the same boat as her. Among the mercenaries, there was rampant gossip that the naïve noble lady had fallen head over heels for his handsome face or that the two were already in an intimate relationship.

Of course, the two, not new to the mercenary life, were not so faint-hearted as to react to every bit of gossip. The damn mercenaries usually blew even the most trivial matters out of proportion by ten or a hundred times; this was rather mild in comparison.

Fortunately, the voyage was without incident. The four days of peace on the ship greatly diluted their worries that the necromancers might suddenly appear and throw ghouls at them again.

On the evening of the fourth day, the two ships arrived at the metropolis Behimruod. The hometown and residence of Group Leader Rudra.

The sudden appearance of two unfamiliar ships drifting down caused an emergency in the city as guards armed with spears and swords swarmed the riverbank. This was a stark contrast to the lack of response from the mid-sized city they recently departed. Indeed, a big city was a big city.

As the ships docked and Group Leader Rudra stepped onto land, the captain of the guard finally realized there was no danger and called off the guards.

“Miss, why have you come by ship?”

“There are some circumstances. I’m going straight to my father. Let us pass the inspection. I’ll vouch for it.”

“Understood.”

Thanks to the Group Leader Rudra, the group passed through the city gates without having to show even a single purse.

The big city never turned off its lights, even in the evening. The main roads were bright, and the crowds were bustling. The city of entertainment was in full swing, even with the necromancers currently running rampant.

“Damn, all the pretty women here are practically naked…”

As the bald illiterate said, the Western beauties with their light brown skin and distinct features, were dressed so scantily that it was almost fair to say they were nearly naked. Countless men were walking around shirtless as well. One could easily tell whether someone was from the West or not just by their attire, not their appearance.

Allen outwardly remained calm, but inside, he couldn’t hide his astonishment. It truly was a land of luscious beauties. He felt like he now truly understood why the West was called the land of entertainment.

After passing through a street brimming with handsome men and beautiful women, they arrived at the Marquis’s residence without being stopped for inspection at any time. It seemed this was why people couldn’t forget the taste of power.

Group Leader Rudra sent everyone to the lodging building and went alone to meet the marquis. It was improper to see her father, who would have already retired to his chambers, with a stranger.

After roughly filling his stomach at the building’s dining hall, Allen collapsed into bed as soon as he entered his room. The four days spent living on a ship had left his body completely exhausted.

…And the next day, after finishing breakfast, Allen received a summons from Rudra and headed to the reception room.

“Ah, welcome, Group Leader Allen.”

Group Leader Rudra, who had been enjoying tea time in the reception room, greeted Allen, having shed her disheveled appearance for the elegant attire of a noble lady.

“Did you have a comfortable night?”

“Yes, I had a very comfortable night.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I was a bit worried that the bed might be uncomfortable. …Come and sit here.”

Group Leader Rudra pointed to the seat opposite her and invited him to sit down. As soon as he took his seat, she took another sip of her tea and went straight to the point.

“I explained the situation to my father last night. It seems that this place has also started to be attacked by necromancers.”

“Is that so.”

“We can’t consider this place entirely safe. Of course, it’s incomparable to Hegel, but still, being careless could lead to serious trouble, right?”

“You’re absolutely right.”

“I urged for increased vigilance and surveillance. And I also asked him to hire as many mercenary groups as possible. …What do you think? Is that enough? What are your thoughts, Group Leader Allen?”

She was confident that her work was nearly perfect, but strangely, his expression remained calm. No, it gave off a somewhat lukewarm feeling.

“Why? …Did I miss something?”

Allen, thinking that this was the moment, gave a slightly awkward smile and waved his hand lightly.

“No, well, it’s not that…”

“There is something. Tell me quickly. …There’s no need to hide anything with our relationship.”

Of course, Allen was not so clueless or foolish as to ask what their relationship was.

“By any chance, are the employment contracts done by Group Leader Rudra?”

“…No, I’m not the one doing it, but why?”

He looked quite disappointed.

“Since the group leader has a keen eye, wouldn’t it be best to see with your own eyes and make a decision based on your judgment before making the contracts? Especially given the circumstances, we can’t just pick anyone carelessly. …If we leverage the esteemed name of Group Leader Rudra, excellent mercenary groups will swarm to us like bees. There’s no doubt about it. Especially considering the astonishing feats demonstrated recently.”

Overflowing with [Desire] and [Narcissism], how could Rudra stay still upon hearing those words? She tried her best to hide it with the manners ingrained in her, but she couldn’t stop her lips from twitching, her nostrils from flaring, and her eyes from softly melting. A perfect expression of utter delight.

“Well, to that extent… Anyway, I appreciate you thinking so… Well, in fact, I wasn’t that bad. Almost no one in the West doesn’t know my name. And there are rumors that my name is quite famous in the Central region, too.”

Her chin lifted, and her chest swelled.

“…I see. I understand. You have a point. I’ll talk to my father, and I’ll handle this myself.”

“Ah—.” Allen clapped his hands lightly, genuinely delighted.

“Indeed. Lady Rudra is really easy to talk to. It’s like we click right away.”

Now that she was seated at the negotiation table, it was half the battle won.

[Notes]

She’s over the moon.

She’s happy.

She hopes the other party praises her more.

She’s excited.

She’s in heat.

…