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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Cyno
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Not long after, Hassan returned and led us to the commander. A middle-aged man with a sharp, well-groomed mustache introduced himself as Adan Faiza, a second-class noble and the general of Kara. The rank of general was just below the supreme commander in Kara’s military hierarchy.
I began my negotiations with Adan as we rode together.
Adan was the first to speak.
“Master, are the monsters that appeared in the Utsu River mines really that strong?”
“You could say that. To exaggerate just a bit, they could wipe out an average unit with a single breath.”
“That much?”
“Yeah. They might be weaker than a Master, but they’re experts at slaughtering civilians. There’s no real way to eliminate them without aura blades or high-level piercing magic. That’s why we classify Freakers as a threat on par with an apprentice Master swordsman.”
“Hmm… That’s different from what the mercenaries who previously visited the mines advised.”
Adan stroked his beard, deep in thought.
“What did they say?”
“They only mentioned that they were overwhelmed due to a lack of siege weapons, not that the monsters were as dangerous as level 70 threats.”
“Tch, what do those mercenaries know? They only hunt monsters the size of boogers. Anyway, leave the Freakers to us. It’d be better to withdraw your troops. No need for unnecessary casualties, right?”
“So, you’re saying you’ll handle it?”
“Of course, I’m not offering to do it for free. I am running a business, after all.”
“How much do you want?”
Adan bit the bait immediately. This guy understood how things worked. I pulled out a bill from my pocket and handed it to him.
“Here.”
Adan scanned the bill and let out a groan.
The base fee for mobilizing two Masters: 160 leaf gold. Hazard and difficulty surcharge: 420 leaf gold. Add in the daily dispatch fee of 4 leaf gold per person and meal expenses of 2 leaf gold, bringing the total to a whopping 586 leaf gold. On top of that, any byproducts from the hunt would belong to the hunters.
“Isn’t this demand a bit excessive?”
“It’s cheap. Do you know how much we paid for a year’s rent just to open an office here in Kara? A staggering 45 leaf gold. Having two Masters at your disposal for a little more than the rent of ten buildings is a steal.”
That was because land and building leases in Kara were absurdly expensive. For comparison, renting property in the imperial capital of Yosrahim cost less than a quarter of Kara’s rates.
“Even so…”
“Fine, I’ll take an inflated receipt too. You know how it is—just mark it up to around 2,000 leaf gold, and we’ll both get a little something out of it. Public projects always work that way, right? Heh heh heh.”
“Absolutely not!”
Adan’s face turned red as he exploded. Must’ve been worried about his subordinates watching.
“Fine, suit yourself. No need to get worked up. So, what’s your decision?”
Just then, a burly man with a thick beard rode up on horseback. According to Adan, this was Alon, the leader of the Alon Mercenary Group, who had volunteered for this operation. He was also the captain of a large mercenary band that had been crushed by the Freakers a few days prior while on a mission.
“General Adan, what’s going on here?”
“Ah, these people are offering to eliminate the monsters in the Utsu River mines in exchange for a fee.”
Alon turned his horse to look at me.
“I’ve never seen you before. Who exactly are you? Mercenaries?”
Seeing me shake my head, Adan answered for me.
“No.”
“If you’re not mercenaries, you can’t take the request. The Mercenary Guild would be very displeased.”
“But you failed the request, didn’t you? That’s why Kara’s army is stepping in directly.”
“That’s only because no mercenary group in Kara has siege weapons, right? If we did, we would’ve handled it ourselves.”
Adan pointed at me.
“But these people say even siege weapons won’t work against those things.”
“And how would they know that?”
“They claim to have hunted them before.”
Alon scoffed.
“The monsters in the Utsu River mines are unlike anything anyone’s ever seen. We’ve contacted mercenary guilds all over the world, and no one recognizes them. And yet they say they’ve hunted them?”
“That’s right.”
“What kind of monsters are they?”
“Freakers, with a threat level in the 70s.”
Alon shook his head vigorously.
“Naming and classifying monsters is the Mercenary Guild’s job. Who else would dare assign names and threat levels to monsters even we don’t know?”
He had a point. The authority to name and rank monsters belonged to the Mercenary Guild, the professional monster-hunting organization.
“Well…”
“They’re obviously frauds. Pay them no mind. When it comes to monsters, we mercenaries know best.”
Adan looked at me uncertainly, so I shrugged.
“Your call. What’ll it be?”
“I’m not sure…”
“Then do as you please. Just don’t stop us from watching from the sidelines. Our orc elder here could use some experience, and we’re on vacation anyway. See ya~.”
I stepped back. The client was Adan, and once the battle started, he’d quickly realize the severity of the situation. No need to force the issue now while he was hesitating.
Zenbe hurried after me, agitated.
“What are you playing at?”
“Relax. I know what I’m doing.”
“What exactly?”
“The client can decide whether to hire us, but I set the price. Perfect, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“The more desperate the client gets, the higher the fee jumps. That’s just how business works. Heh heh heh.”
Zenbe narrowed his eyes.
“And if casualties pile up in the meantime?”
“Tch. I’m not here out of some noble humanitarianism. I’m here to make money.”
“So, you’d let people die just to squeeze out a few extra coins?”
“What, should I force-feed them if they won’t listen? It’s their own damn fault.”
“I’m not blaming them for their ignorance. I’m blaming you for knowing the danger and not even trying to persuade them.”
Zenbe snorted in displeasure. I curled my lip and stared back at him.
“At least I didn’t let everyone die out of some hypocritical self-righteousness. Unlike some people.”
“That’s…”
Zenbe faltered, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly.
He accused me of being heartless, but the one who would’ve caused an even worse outcome was none other than him. Zenbe hadn’t even wanted to come here in the first place.
I spoke in a mocking tone.
“Honestly, I’m more worried about you than Kara’s soldiers. A man who’s seen it all, who’s used every trick in the book—why is he so meddlesome? Worry about yourself before others.”
“Then you save them. You’re qualified.”
“Pfft—HAHAHA! Me save them? Don’t make me laugh. If I can’t even save myself, what right do I have to play the hero? My wish has always been the same: Someone, please save me.”
Zenbe glared at me sharply.
“Are you insane?”
“I’m this close to losing it. So please, spare me the nonsense. Neither of us is cut out to save people out of sheer meddling. Let’s just make our money and go. If someone happens to survive, good for them. If they die, tough luck. Got it?”
I sighed and walked away, shaking my head. This orc was a real fool.
The most ridiculous people are those with empty pantries gathering dust, yet obsessing over feeding others. You have to feed yourself and your family first before you can feed anyone else. What’s the point of giving away everything you have in some half-baked act of charity?
Want to help others? Then help yourself first. One who cannot even help themselves is unqualified to help others.
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By the next day, the lush forests and farmlands had vanished, replaced by barren wasteland. It took nearly a full day’s march to leave Kara’s great oasis region.
That was close. My lack of familiarity with Kara’s geography had led to a miscalculation. Since more than a day had passed, the dispatch fee should’ve been 16 leaf gold, and meal expenses 8 leaf gold. But on second thought, it probably didn’t matter. The fee was whatever I decided now.
Right. Freakers.
In the distance, at the Utsu River mines, hulking monsters stomped around with earth-shaking steps. They resembled massive, short-snouted crocodiles, but with six thick legs.
“A gruesome sight.”
Zenbe clicked his tongue as he surveyed the corpses scattered across the nearby terrain. Likely the remains of mercenaries from days ago, their bodies were so mangled they barely resembled humans.
“Well, it’s not like they’re any more brutal than other monsters. But one hit from them, and you end up like that. So be careful, old man. Even a Master dies instantly if they take a solid hit.”
Zenbe nodded stiffly at my warning. Masters were still human. Though they possessed bodies faster and stronger than any ordinary person, a sufficiently powerful strike would still kill them.
“Understood. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Zenbe glanced at his hand gripping Titanica. It trembled faintly. Whether it was the tension of facing powerful monsters or the scent of battle after a decade-long absence, Zenbe was steadily succumbing to excitement.
He was still an orc, after all. Orcs were a perverse race that reveled in the thrill of battle, even at the cost of their own lives.
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Kara’s soldiers had completed their battle preparations. Camel-mounted troops lined up in two rows, arrows nocked, while about twenty assembled ballistae and catapults slowly creaked into position.
“All troops, prepare for battle!”
Adan barked orders, and at his signal, Alon and five camel-mounted warriors rode forward. They were the vanguard, tasked with luring the Freakers out.
Once Adan gave the signal, they advanced cautiously toward the Utsu River mines.
“Try to provoke them one at a time. If too many come at once, we’ll be in trouble.”
Alon glared at the Freakers roaming the vast mines. Though he’d downplayed their threat to Adan yesterday, they were strong and fast. A few days ago, he’d led over 400 men against them, and less than half had returned alive.
If they weren’t careful today, Kara’s soldiers could suffer heavy losses too.
Moments later, two Freakers patrolling the mine’s outskirts turned and locked onto Alon’s group. They’d taken the bait. Alon immediately yanked his reins and shouted.
“They’re coming! Fall back!”
The vanguard fled just as the two Freakers gave chase. Despite their five-meter frames, they were terrifyingly fast. Though the vanguard spurred their camels to full speed, the gap between them closed rapidly.
But they had room to maneuver. Alon led the Freakers past the crescent-shaped formation of siege weapons at a safe distance.
“General Adan! They’re coming! Begin the attack!”
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