Barbarian’s Dark Fantasy Strategy Guide

Chapter 12: Mage （1）

The Arik Trading Company’s autumn expedition was in preparation for the coming winter. As it was the largest trade expedition of the year, Hojae had never missed one.

However, having lost many soldiers to the ogre, he had no choice but to fill the shortage with mercenaries.

The problem is that Dominic is aiming for Hojae’s life on this expedition. Therefore, the mercenaries are likely to have been bribed by him.

If Hojae dies, even his daughter Melissa will be in danger. Khalid decided to join the expedition to thwart Dominic’s plot.

The day after Melissa visited the inn.

When Khalid went out to the square, the front of the mercenary guild was crowded with people trying to join the expedition.

『Wow. A lot of people came.』

Seeing them lined up outside the building, it seemed like more people had gathered than during the ogre subjugation.

They must be the ones Dominic gathered.

Meanwhile, inside the building, the Guild Master had a somewhat troubled expression. It was a joyful thing that more mercenaries were visiting the guild, but he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

‘Something’s strange……’

Mercenaries are a kind of people who are only interested in the details of the request and the reward. The usual scene in the guild is for them to carefully examine the details, calculate the profit and loss, and haggle.

The mercenaries who came this time were very negligent in such things. They barely listened to the receptionist’s guidance and scribbled their signatures carelessly.

‘It’s true that the reward is decent, but it’s the first time everyone has been so quiet without complaining.’

The guild, which used to be noisy with just one or two fussy mercenaries, is now so quiet that only the sound of pens scribbling can be heard despite dozens of people coming and going.

The Guild Master was suffocated by this awkward atmosphere. He came out to get some fresh air and spotted Khalid among the mercenaries.

He felt happy to see a familiar face after dealing with only foreign mercenaries.

“It’s been a while, Khalid.”

“Guild Master.”

“Call me Eric. I heard you’ve been to Stoneberry. It seems you handled the task the Lord asked you to do well. Thanks to you, I, who introduced you, also saved face. Thank you.”

“Are all the people gathered here trying to participate in the trade expedition?”

“That’s right. Aren’t you here for that too?”

“Well, that’s true.”

Eric wasn’t that close to Khalid, but he felt a sense of trustworthiness in him. He couldn’t imagine this barbarian mercenary stabbing someone in the back.

“Could you stop by my office on the second floor after you finish registering? I have something to tell you.”

Eric whispered in a low voice, so that the other mercenaries couldn’t hear. Khalid, who needed as much information as possible on the expedition, nodded silently.

Becky, who saw this, immediately shot an arrow of suspicion.

『Could it be that he’s also been bought by Dominic?』

‘We’ll see about that.’

The day she guided Khalid to the Lord’s mansion, Eric’s face, which had been full of praise for Hojae, came to mind. It didn’t seem like hypocrisy to Khalid, but she wondered if it really was.

She just hoped that not all fenced-in people would sell their souls for money or demons.

The request received from the guild was very simple.

The mission is to escort the Arik Trading Company for two months, and the reward is 20 silver.

It’s a decent amount for an escort mission, but it could be an undesirable request for veterans who make a good income from monster hunting in a short period of time.

Nevertheless, the fact that so many people gathered could only be seen as having other intentions.

Khalid finished registering and went to Eric’s office. Eric locked the door to prevent their conversation from leaking out.

『Why did he even lock the door? As I thought, there’s something going on with this guy.』

Khalid spoke first as Eric sat facing him.

“What is it that you wanted to tell me separately?”

“How did the atmosphere downstairs look to you? Do those mercenaries really seem like they came here to take on an escort mission?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Khalid feigned ignorance for now.

Until he found out whether the Guild Master was instructed by Dominic, Khalid’s plan should not be exposed. Khalid, who knew all the details, had to pretend he didn’t know.

Eric, believing that only Khalid, who was not an Imperial, could be trusted, revealed his true feelings.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

“……”

“There are too many questionable things about this expedition. We recently recruited mercenaries for the ogre subjugation, but where did all these people come from? It’s strange even if the rumors spread quickly.”

“Wouldn’t it be a good thing if there were more people to protect the trading company?”

“You know if you’re a mercenary. Mercenaries only move for money. Having more mercenaries than Windfall soldiers is as dangerous as having bandits as escorts. The tail is wagging the dog.”

Eric let out a big sigh.

“Windfall’s forces have been halved because of the ogre. Even including the knights, there are only about thirty left. On the other hand, we’ve recruited more than three times as many mercenaries. If they change their minds and turn into enemies, it will be a disaster.”

“So you’re worried that they’ll revolt.”

“The mercenaries who signed the contract seemed to have something else on their minds.”

Eric clenched his fists and didn’t hide his anxiety. He had a rather frustrated expression, thinking that something bad was happening somewhere he didn’t know.

Khalid tested Eric’s intentions once more.

“I’m also a mercenary. But there must be a reason why you’re telling me this.”

“There aren’t many people left in this town that I can trust. This is just my gut feeling, but I feel like I can trust you, who came from beyond the mountains, more than the Imperials.”

Eric looked at Khalid with honest eyes.

“So I have a favor to ask you. No, let’s call it a request.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“I want you to protect the Lord on this expedition. The knights are trustworthy, but unfortunately they are no match for your skills. I’ll compensate you sufficiently. Windfall must not lose him.”

Eric had experienced the dark ages of Windfall before Hojae became Lord. Nothing was more terrifying to him than going back to those days.

Looking at Eric bowing his head and pleading, Khalid slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your request.”

“……!”

Eric looked disappointed. He didn’t seem to have expected a refusal. He wondered if the days when he prided himself on being able to judge people at the mercenary guild were all in the past.

“Could it be…… Do you have another purpose like them?”

“That’s not it. I just received the same request from someone else.”

“The same request?”

“I don’t accept the same request twice. That’s my rule.”

◈◈◈◈◈◈ ◈◈◈◈◈◈ ◈◈◈◈◈◈

『Oh, he’s unexpectedly loyal? That Mister.』

Becky was impressed.

‘It’s only natural to be grateful to someone who has shown you kindness.’

『That’s true, but as you know, the world is a dangerous place. Whether it’s the East or the West, this world or another, it’s all the same that you can’t know what’s in people’s hearts.』

‘You seem to be in a good mood, unlike what you’re saying.’

『People like me, with suspicion, are especially weak to such pure people. But then we get stabbed in the back and the vicious cycle of suspicion repeats itself.』

‘What kind of world did you live in?’

『Want to hear it?』

‘No thanks. If there’s a hell, it’s probably like that.’

『My point exactly.』

Leaving the mercenary guild, Khalid headed to the mercenary camp temporarily set up south of the town.

They were given time to gather and prepare at the camp until they joined the expedition tomorrow. It was a good opportunity to assess the mercenaries’ skills and size in advance.

‘The Guild Master said he planted a spy in the camp.’

Although he refused Eric’s request, there was no need to refuse his favor. After all, their goals were the same.

Since he was one of the few people Eric trusted, he decided to meet him first and get some useful information. He said he had a spiderweb tattoo on his forearm, so he should be able to find him if he looks closely.

As Khalid entered the camp, welcoming voices began to be heard from here and there.

“Oh! That guy is……?”

“The barbarian who hunted the ogre alone?”

“Was he still in this town? I haven’t seen him for a while, so I thought it was just a rumor.”

Barbarians are the center of attention wherever they go.

And if that barbarian is competing with them for food, they tend to be even more hostile. The other mercenaries instinctively disliked Khalid’s joining.

“Tsk! As expected of a barbarian, he has a great sense of smell. I thought he was only good at smelling monsters?”

“He’s surprisingly greedy for money, unlike his appearance!”

The murmurs around him were familiar to Khalid. Ignoring the noise, Khalid sat down where he could see the entire camp and observed his surroundings.

‘A little over a hundred, with about twenty archers.’

『I hope they haven’t all been bought.』

‘It might be better than being awkwardly mixed.’

『They’re humans. Unlike vampire bats, they can think.』

‘I know.’

Winning the fight is a later matter. Dominic’s target was Hojae, so protecting him was the top priority.

“Hey~!”

『Hey, that guy keeps calling you.』

A loud voice pierced Khalid’s ears as he was contemplating the battle. He ignored it a few times, thinking it was just a simple provocation, but the man persistently called out until he caught Khalid’s attention.

“Hey, barbarian friend over there! Don’t be a loner and come over here and have a drink with us.”

A drunken mercenary beckoned Khalid to join their group. Normally, he would have refused, but Khalid got up as if he couldn’t help it.

“Yeah, yeah! Come here!”

The drunken mercenary, his face relaxed, opened his arms to welcome Khalid. His colleagues, who were grilling fish over the campfire, didn’t look very welcoming. Still, they gave up their seats without saying anything, so it seemed that the drunkard was the leader of this party.

“Here! Let’s all have another drink. Everyone, cheer up. Did something bad happen at home?”

The mercenaries all took a sip of the alcohol poured into their wooden cups.

“Kyaha!”

The drunkard let out a loud exclamation from his throat and got excited. He swayed his body from side to side and then put his arm around Khalid’s shoulder, acting friendly.

“Our barbarian friend also joined the expedition after hearing the rumors, right?”

The drunken mercenary squinted his eyes and subtly tried to gauge Khalid’s intentions. Then, his colleague hurriedly stopped him.

“Brother! How can you say that so openly? He might not know anything.”

“You’re so stupid! That’s why you can’t do anything without me. Think about it. This ogre hunter got his hands on a Doren gold coin in just one day, so would he join a 20-silver expedition that takes two months? Isn’t that right, barbarian friend?”

At the drunkard’s words, the other mercenaries looked blank for a moment, then nodded.

By the way, rumors. As expected, there must be something going on. Khalid didn’t deny it and continued the conversation naturally.

“If you include me in your party, your share will decrease.”

Fang Kyle had approached him in a similar way during the ogre subjugation. When a complete stranger of a mercenary acts friendly, they usually have a similar purpose.

“Hey, we’re not that greedy. We hate going back empty-handed much more. If only our barbarian friend joins us, the remaining hundred people over there will go back empty-handed, right?”

Despite the stinging gazes around him, the drunkard shouted loudly as if to be heard. Seeing his guts, it seems he has some confidence in his skills.

Khalid pretended to be slightly interested and asked.

“What’s the plan?”

The drunken mercenary licked his lower lip a few times and whispered in a low voice.

“……I’ll give you the Lord’s head. In return, give us the knights’ heads. While you take care of the knights and cut off the Lord’s head, we’ll block the soldiers and mercenaries who interfere from behind.”

“……”

“You took down a Commander-level ogre alone, so a few tin cans wouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“It wouldn’t be difficult.”

“Pahahaha! As expected, you’re bold! Come on, let’s have another drink!”

The night deepened in the mercenary camp amidst the boisterous atmosphere.

Thanks to the drunkard, he was able to grasp the overall situation. It seemed that Dominic had put a bounty on the Lord and the knights’ heads. This means that Hojae’s direct subordinates were not bribed. Knowing that alone was a great achievement.

“Then, my friend, let’s go out and talk alone for a bit.”

As the mercenaries in the camp gradually fell asleep, the drunkard spoke quietly. Khalid glanced at him and went out of the camp first without a word. The drunken mercenary checked his surroundings and followed him a little later.

Hoohoo…… Hoo……

Deep in the night, the owl’s cry was eerie.

Arriving at a deserted place, the drunken mercenary called Khalid’s name in a serious voice. His thick baritone voice sounded like a completely different person from before.

“Khalid…… was your name, right? Did Eric send you?”

“As expected, you were Victor.”

『Oh, is this the spy the Guild Master was talking about?』

Victor rolled up one of his sleeves. The spiderweb tattoo on his forearm was clearly visible in the moonlight.

Khalid’s complexion changed as he confirmed the tattoo. He had hoped it wouldn’t be the case when Eric told him to check for the spiderweb tattoo, but as expected, it was a mark he had seen before.

Becky also recognized it immediately and reacted.

『This is…… the Thieves’ Guild mark?!』