Chapter 92

Chapter 92

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 92: The Greedy Lady (2).

The stock of the Allen-Mercenary Group soared sharply.

Of course, it was still far from being among the top mercenary groups, let alone the lower-tier ones, but it was definitely positive that it was consistently mentioned among mercenaries.

After all, it was common for mercenaries to prove their abilities, starting from the lower-tier mercenary groups and gradually moving up. From that perspective, the Allen-Mercenary Group had become a decent option for mercenaries without fame yet, as it had already seen a few well-known mercenaries transfer.

In particular, Allen was known as a handsome leader, and the rumors were so widespread that female mercenaries with ulterior motives particularly sought him out. Even if they couldn’t have him, they wanted to feast their eyes to their heart’s content. In this underbelly of the mercenary world, a handsome man was indeed more precious than a rare animal… After all, unless one belonged to a noble family’s mercenary group, there was no need for pretty women or handsome men to engage in such difficult and dangerous mercenary work. They could lead a much more comfortable and stable life by selling their bodies instead.

In this regard, Allen scored extra points. While prostitutes could live comfortably, they weren’t treated well.

Anyway.

As a result of not shying away from any work that came their way, the day finally dawned for Allen and his mercenary group.

Although it was just a roadside office of the guild house, compared to other places where only flies buzzed around, the Allen-Mercenary Group consistently had visitors… In fact, it seemed like half of the mercenaries who passed by came in after seeing Allen’s face, but still, the advertising effect was fully enjoyed, so there was nothing bad about it.

However, while it was good that many visited, the problem was that most of them were barely fit for even the lower mercenary groups.

Therefore, Allen sought talents that could be nurtured and sold, rather than ambiguous finished products. Mediocre fellows were tricky to sell later on, and despite that, they tried to demand high wages. In that case, it was better to raise cheap sprouts and resell them at a high price.

After all, the formation was roughly well-constructed. Adding one or two to any row wouldn’t be a problem at all.

And so, Allen swept away all the half-baked ones, searching only for the complete novices. You know, the snotty-nosed newbies who still don’t quite understand how things work here.

‘…Those are the ones that are just perfect for stripping bare.’

The moment money became involved, Allen transformed into a ruthless employer. No matter how green they were, there was no mercy in negotiations. Because that was the harsh reality.

Of course, even among the novices, there were levels.

They had to be evaluated based on their traits rather than stats, and if there was a [Genius], unless it was followed by a string of seriously negative traits, it was always right to take them… Of course, the chances of that were slim.

After a dozen visitors left without any gains, a country bumpkin youth quietly appeared.

Attributes

[Strength: 25]

[Agility: 22]

[Stamina: 29]

[Intelligence: 11]

[Magic: 9]

Traits

[Talented]

[Overambitious]

[Willpower]

[Curiosity]

[Greed]

[Sensitive]

The status window of the young man, who seemed to have just shed his boyishness, perfectly matched Allen’s purpose. Stats and traits that were good to nurture. Of course, Allen maintained an expressionless face while highly elevating the tension.

That was the first step of negotiation. Maintaining that precarious atmosphere might or might not happen, so that the opponent ends up giving everything, guts and all.

“Hmm… What’s your name?”

“It’s Kori Max!”

“Right, Kori… How much do you know about our Allen-Mercenary Group?”

“I heard you were active in the West, and also took down a demon recently.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a demon, but Allen didn’t bother to correct that. Honestly, to these novices, a demon or a demon’s minion, they were all the same.

“Let’s see. Kori, your experience is…, the Karun-Mercenary Group? Where’s that?”

“Ah, that… the mercenary group from the city in the south, Almeur.”

To Allen, such an unfamiliar name implied an insignificant city and mercenary group… Indeed, it was unlikely for someone like this to belong to a notable mercenary group.

“I see…”

After a brief reply, a long silence followed, making the rookie mercenary, Kori, shift his eyes anxiously from side to side. Unable to bear the atmosphere, he raised his voice.

“M-my specialty is blunt weapons. I’m good with blunt weapons! Please give me any task! I’ll do my best in everything!”

However, Allen, like a strict military senior, didn’t let any comment slide.

“Doing your best isn’t enough. You need to do well.”

“I will do well!”

“…Well. Honestly, I don’t have much faith. Our members are veterans who’ve been through everything. Are you confident you won’t be a burden if you join us?”

“I’m confident. Even if it kills me. If not, I’ll do menial work!”

It was a will to accomplish, no matter what. A good attitude.

“Hmm… well then, good. How much should I invest in you so I don’t lose out? Hm? What do you think?”

Even if Kori was a novice, he knew this was a negotiation for his wages. He mentioned the amount he had received before.

“How about ten gold coins? That’s exactly what I got last time.”

“…Ten?”

However, Allen Danju’s reaction was lukewarm, to say the least. Honestly, Kori’s level was barely acceptable as a mercenary in the southern regions, where standards were low, but here, it was out of the question.

“To teach you from scratch, and you want to be paid ten gold coins? You’re joking, right?”

“I-it’s a joke!”

“So, you’re making jokes at such an important moment, huh?”

“N-no!”

“Then think and speak clearly… How much would it be?”

Kori felt like going mad and jumping up. How much should he say to satisfy the other party?

“Well… I still don’t know much… Wouldn’t it be possible for Group Leader to decide…?”

“Me? Really? Should you just carelessly give away your rights like this?”

“It’s okay. I can trust the excellent judgment of Group Leader Allen!”

“Is that so…? I see…”

Allen stroked his chin with his hand, then, satisfied, slapped his knee.

“Out of generosity, five gold coins… How about it? Our mercenary group isn’t just for anyone, right? You’ll learn from formidable colleagues. Who knows, if you learn well, you might even enter the Top 10 later?”

“The Top 10?!”

“How close do you think I am to Group Leader Viola? Haven’t you heard the rumors?”

“I-I’ve heard. You really are amazing. Hehe.”

Newbie Mercenary Kori laughed foolishly, scratching his half-bared head vigorously.

“If you don’t like it, then forget it. I’m not forcing you… I’m a busy person, so make your decision quickly.”

…Honestly, who would be attracted to five gold coins? But Kori had already been rejected by several other mercenary groups five or six times, so he had no pride left to worry about. He had no choice but to cling on and learn somehow. After all, having the experience of being in the Allen-Mercenary Group would surely allow him to join a better mercenary group later!

“…I’ll do it…!”

“Good.”

Thus, the fledgling Kori signed a long-term contract for two years at five gold coins per month.

‘…Kuhuhu. Good. I’ll make goooood use of you.’

Still, he was barely a considerable candidate with almost no use yet, but now was the time to start making such early investments. Honestly, for just five gold coins, it was almost a steal.

Thus, Allen enjoyed a cheap new recruit for the first time in a while and then moved on to receive the next applicant… but something was off.

Attributes

[Strength: 7]

[Agility: 12]

[Stamina: 25]

[Intelligence: 66]

[Magic Power: 62]

Traits

[Genius]

[Aesthetic Sense]

[Curiosity]

[Avarice]

[Dexterous]

[Efficiency]

[Coolheaded]

[Narcissism]

[Super-Sensitive]

[Touchy]

[Insomnia]

[Victim Complex]

No, what is this…?

Wondering what kind of nobody it would be this time, he was shocked the moment he saw the status window.

The moment he saw it, his mouth fell open at the incredible stats and traits.

Especially since he was just looking at the status window of a complete newbie, this made it even more unbelievable.

Just then, the person flipped back the leather hood they were wearing. What was revealed was a dazzling beauty with brilliant platinum hair.

There, Allen immediately recognized who the other party was.

The Vice Group Leader representing the Top 10 of the East, Lady Elizabeth Belver.

He had already heard the rumors that she had arrived in Vermandois the day before… Of course, he was also fully aware of the reason why.

However, he had never imagined that she would come looking for him… Surely, she hadn’t come because of some trivial rumor that the Allen-Mercenary Group was doing well these days.

He wondered whether perhaps it was through Group Leader Viola. The fact that there were unsavory rumors about him and her would become known to anyone who spent even a day in this mercenary city.

Of course, getting to make an impression on the famous Top 10 was not bad at all. Especially if it was Lady Belver, it was a situation where begging for her attention wouldn’t even be enough.

…However, there was one element that particularly stood out as alien to Allen’s eyes. A factor that made him wonder, why was this here?

It was the [Aesthetic Sense] trait.

While Group Leader Viola, and Blind Saintess Ordnung, were named with the [Aesthetic Sense] trait fixed, Elizabeth certainly was not… This meant that the [Aesthetic Sense] trait had been randomly attached to her.

It was like giving wings to a tiger. As if it wasn’t enough for her to be an exceptional human being, they went ahead and added the best trait for recruiting talent.

‘Damn it, this is why people called this a crappy ass luck-based game…!’

It meant that she would be able to recruit even more talents, making the game significantly harder for Allen.

…Of course, Allen wasn’t the only one struck dumb by the shock.

Elizabeth, seeing that absurd number above Allen’s head, couldn’t help but be astonished.

The number was clearly 138.

…What is this…?

The number of ordinary humans barely hovers around 2 or 3, at most 4 or 5.

Successful mercenaries were between 8 and 10.

Renowned mercenaries were around 15.

And 20 to be able to reach the Top 10…

But this guy was at a staggering 138.

…No matter how she thought about it, the number didn’t make sense. Until now, she had never seen such a number, let alone one that exceeded three digits. No, not just three digits; there hadn’t even been one over 50.

The highest number she had ever seen was merely 31.

(She is astonished by your number, 138. She wonders if she has been mistaken about something until now. She is curious about you…)

And then, Allen read the thoughts of Lady Belver and had a moment where something clicked in his head.

‘…Damn it, I see.’

To Allen, 138 was all too familiar.

It was the number of achievements he had accomplished in [Guild Master], and, at the same time, the total number of achievements in the game.

…She had the [Aesthetic Sense] for viewing achievement numbers.