Chapter 13

Leaving Aider with a list of tasks for the day, Lucas and I exited the mansion.

About half an hour later, we found ourselves standing in front of the Mercenary Guild.

Although it was called the Mercenary Guild, it bore a strong resemblance to an inn.

It was a hub where uncontracted mercenaries lodged, dined, and mingled.

These unaffiliated mercenaries used the guild as a temporary home. If I were to hire them, they'd come under the city's jurisdiction. If not, they'd seek opportunities in another city.

You never knew when a diamond in the rough might surface, so frequent visits were the way to go.

Despite the early hour, the raucous sounds of drinking and revelry filled the air—a good omen.

"I'll enter first, your Highness."

"No."

As Lucas moved to open the door, I shook my head, stopping him.

"I'll go first."

With that, I thrust open the door and strode in.

-Bang!

"Make way!"

My brash entrance captured the attention of the reveling mercenaries.

Roughly a hundred pairs of intense eyes met mine.

"Who's this jerk?!"

"Lost his way, or his mind?!"

Their intimidating looks might have unnerved some, but I was undeterred.

Their glares paled compared to the Black Spiders, and most importantly...

"I'm your prospective employer!"

I held the reins of power. They were at my mercy.

I shouted at the mercenaries, their focus solely on me.

"What's wrong with you lot?! Can't you see?!"

Lucas covered his eyes with his hand. Ah well, my audacity was a well-known fact. What was there to fear?

We confidently stepped into the Mercenary Guild, whispers about us resonating from all corners.

"That's Prince Ash."

"The madcap who threatens to kill everyone if he trips?"

"He's the one who decimated his troops at the front-line base this time..."

"But he's also the one who exterminated all those spiders, right?"

Ignoring the chatter, I surveyed the mercenaries.

'Where's the one who shines?'

The Mercenary Guild was primarily a platform for 'drawing' new characters.

For players' convenience, top-tier characters emitted a slight glow within the guild.

R-rank had a blue aura. SR-rank was bathed in purple. SSR-rank glowed gold. And so forth.

I roved about the Mercenary Guild, searching for that light. Where could it be?

"...!"

Then, I saw it.

Seated in the bar at the far end of the Mercenary Guild was a neatly uniformed elderly woman.

A soft purple glow framed her silhouette.

'An SR-ranked character?!'

A stroke of luck! Unable to suppress my grin, I approached the mercenary.

"Welcome to the Crossroad branch of the Continental Mercenary Guild, your Highness."

She was a woman with neatly tied white hair.

A leather eyepatch masked her left eye, hinting at its loss, and a large cigar was gripped between her wrinkled lips.

I took a seat casually beside her.

"Could you share your name, mercenary?"

"Certainly. I'm Jupiter. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

An SR-ranked lightning mage, Jupiter!

Recognition filled me with elation. This seasoned warrior is already in the mercenary guild?

I acknowledged Jupiter with a nod as she extended a respectful bow.

"That's an unfamiliar uniform. Which country does it represent?"

"It belongs to our Everblack Empire. It's a design from several decades ago, so it might be new to you."

Jupiter brushed off her dated black uniform with pride. More than ten medals adorned her chest.

Though I knew it already, I couldn't help but let out an exaggerated gasp of admiration.

"You served the Empire, then?"

"For thirty years. I even led the Empire's second magic troop unit. Since my retirement, I've been eking out a living as a mercenary."

"Even after retirement, you remain devoted to the country, a true patriot!"

"Not quite. The pension for retired soldiers isn't sufficient, hence my turn to mercenary work."

Tsk. Jupiter chuckled. It was more a villainous smirk than a soldier's smile.

"But life at the mercenary rung isn't so bad. It's a merit-based system, and I make a decent living."

"You seem to have expensive tastes?"

"An old habit of this battle-hardened woman. I've spent my life in the shadow of death, never mastering the art of saving."

Jupiter, expertly exhaling smoke from her cigar, shot me a wry, twinkling smile.

"So, your highness, what brings you here?"

"Do I need a specific reason to visit a mercenary guild? I came to recruit a capable mercenary."

"Or to purchase a disposable life to risk in your place?"

At Jupiter's jibe, Lucas's hand shot towards his sword hilt.

"How dare you...!"

"Lucas."

I halted Lucas with a grasp on his arm.

"It's fine."

"..."

Reluctantly, Lucas stepped back, his gaze still fixed on Jupiter with hostility.

"Your highness, word of the skirmish at the forward base has spread far and wide. Your first command seems to have come at a heavy cost."

Jupiter twirled the cigar between her aged fingers and cocked her head.

"Indeed, we fight for pay. But we're not fools eager to dig our own graves. We've no interest in gambling our lives under an inexperienced commander."

"I see."

Nodding, I cast my gaze over the assembled mercenaries in the guild.

"But aren't you all here essentially selling your lives anyway?"

At my blunt statement, a few of the mercenaries visibly recoiled.

"You've ended up in this godforsaken frontline because you have no other means of survival than by selling your lives, right? And now you're afraid of doing just that?"

-Snap!

I locked eyes with Jupiter and pointed my index finger at her.

"Avoiding digging your own grave, you say? That's quite a peculiar claim, 'Lady' Jupiter."

"Huh? What..."

"You might have had a glittering career, but it all ended when you were caught pilfering funds behind the military's back. Wasn't that effectively digging your own grave?"

"?!"

Jupiter's lone eye widened in shock. He certainly didn't anticipate that I knew about his past.

I smirked and proceeded.

"From siphoning off defense funds to under-the-table dealings with the enemy, you've done it all. When you were finally apprehended, you were dishonorably discharged! And yet, you strut around in your uniform. How brazen!"

The epitome of corruption and decay. A rotten soldier. A veteran stripped of her dignity and rank.

Yet her combat skills were authentic. More of a ruthless pirate than a disciplined soldier.

This was the old woman, the Lightning Mage Jupiter.

Jupiter clenched her teeth. Her cigar trembled at the tip.

"Your Highness. Despite my disgraceful exit, I retain my dignity as a soldier of the empire. Mind your language..."

"How much?"

I cut her off with a sneer.

"What's the price tag on that dignity of yours? What do you want?"

"..."

Jupiter's eyes narrowed. Our gazes locked for a moment.

Strangely enough, I felt I could trust this kind of person more. They only adhered to one principle.

Money.

Only, money!

"How much to become my loyal hound?"

With a hollow chuckle, Jupiter took another puff from his cigar.

"I don't come cheap, you know. I earn 100,000 Adel a year..."

"200,000."

Thump.

The cigar fell onto the bar table. Jupiter looked at me, questioning with disbelief.

"What?"

"Double. 200,000."

While it was a staggering sum for a mercenary's salary, I am the prince of the empire and the lord of this city.

Above all, I had recently auctioned off almost 400 premium magic stones.

Money?

If it meant securing a confirmed SR-grade hero, I wouldn't hesitate.

"I'll buy your fear of death! I'll pay double your current salary upfront!"

Typically, mercenaries are hired on a weekly basis. After all, who knows when they might fall in battle.

But my plan was to pay it all at once.

I pulled out several bundles of gold certificates from my pocket.

As I counted the certificates, I glanced around the guild, grinning.

"If you're too scared to risk your life, get out! But if you're a genuine mercenary eager to make a fortune, join me in the open field west of the Crossroad tonight."

I left those words hanging as I turned to depart, the eyes of the bewildered mercenaries tracking me.

Lucas, who hurriedly followed, asked as he glanced back at the now-closed guild door.

"Do you think the mercenaries... will come?"

"Absolutely. They certainly will."

This is a monster frontline, where the desperate converge.

Mercenaries arrive here with dreams of striking gold and moving on.

For them, double the annual salary is not just tempting, it's an offer too enticing to refuse.

"Death is less daunting than poverty."

That reality holds true in the real world, as well as this one.

"We have to recruit Jupiter, irrespective of other mercenaries. Our party critically needs an AoE attacker."

"But Your Highness, based on your description, she seems prone to betrayal."

"That's on the battlefield, Lucas. A skilled rogue is more dependable than a bungling virtuous man."

Monsters don't ponder over morality. They simply slaughter the humans in their path.

We're in no position to mull over moral dilemmas either. What we need is the capacity to annihilate monsters.

"Well... That's how it goes on the battlefield."

With a wry smile, I climbed into the awaiting carriage.

"As a lord, I suppose I should be doling out a bit of moral guidance."

***

My next stop was a temple.

I was visiting because Lucas had kindled a sacred fire to heal the burns I sustained during the last battle.

I could get these burns treated anytime, but I had some business at the temple, so I willingly obliged.

"Welcome, Prince. I've been expecting you."

A young woman, tightly clad in holy vestments, welcomed me.

One of the best R-Rank Heroes, Saintess Margarita. With skills focused heavily on healing and shielding, she was a game-changing healer in the game.

'I'll be able to recruit her if I fulfill specific conditions later.'

But that wasn't the reason for my visit today.

Margarita rapidly healed my burns. It felt as though it took less than five minutes.

"It's done. A faint scar will remain."

"Thank you, Saintess."

I signaled to Lucas after revealing my healed hand placed in front of my chest.

Lucas handed me a pouch of gold coins he was carrying, and I dropped it all into the donation box.

"Now, Saintess, as I mentioned earlier..."

I had sent Damien here last night to lay the groundwork.

To communicate my requirements. Margarita nodded in agreement, seemingly well-informed.

"Yes. I've summoned all the priests who are currently available."

About ten priests who had been waiting bowed to me. Damien was among them.

Damien flashed an awkward smile, to which I responded with a thin-eyed grin.

"Let's get started then."

Leading the priests, I forged ahead.

"We have a lot to accomplish today. It's going to be somewhat demanding."

***

By evening, west of the Crossroads.

Under a sky painted crimson by the setting sun, a procession of coffins arrived from the forward base.

Even after transferring all the coffins stored in Crossroads, there were not enough, so some troops were dispatched to the forest to build more.

An unused graveyard had been prepared in the western wasteland, and one by one, the coffins were laid there.

The priests offered prayers for each coffin.

A coffin was positioned in the tomb reserved for Ken at the forefront. I quietly observed the scene.

While the ceremony was ongoing, a choir sang.

From Crossroads, and even from the neighboring villages, anyone who could sing was hastily gathered to form an impromptu choir. It was quickly assembled, but their performance was quite impressive.

"La la la... la la la la..."

The hauntingly beautiful melody resonated in the air.

Intrigued residents gathered to witness the spectacle unfolding.

Uniformly arranged soldiers. Imperial banners shrouding each coffin. A massive choir. In this city where death was an everyday occurrence and of little value, this was a rare, solemn funeral.

Most notably, the financial recompense promised to the families of the deceased.

Whispers about the scale of this compensation spread amongst the onlookers who had come to observe.

Those taken aback by the sum muttered amongst themselves. The rumors would quickly disseminate.

'I don't plan to paint a rosy picture.'

I observed the amazed citizens, their whispers growing louder, with a wry smile on my face.

Yes, I had no intention of dressing up the truth. This was a spectacle, but a justifiable one.

'Loyalty doesn't come without a cost.'

Reward for dedication. Respect in death.

Only these two, remuneration and reverence, could cultivate loyalty.

'The battle on this frontline should be viewed as a noble duty towards humanity.'

Not out of compulsion, but willingly. One must confront the monsters with dignity.

And at that point, the mercenaries would evolve into a true army.

"The third prince, recently appointed as Lord, Ash 'Born Hater' Everblack."

Once the ceremony concluded, I stood before the residents who had congregated like a sea of clouds.

It was somewhat ironic that the first encounter between the Lord and his subjects was taking place at a funeral.

"Is that the new Lord?"

"The notorious prince?"

"He seems like a handful..."

Among the chattering crowd, I spotted Jupiter and the mercenaries. They had made it.

"Let me make something clear."

Thousands of eyes were fixed on me, but perhaps due to my extensive experience as a streamer, or maybe the fear had dissipated while grappling with monsters?

I wasn't particularly anxious. The words I had prepared flowed smoothly.

"All of you will continue to die on the front lines!"