NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20: The Mercenary Guild
"Are you sure you can handle the shopping alone? I don't mind going myself, Leon." The old man's voice sounded rough but full of life.
"Don't worry about it, Grandpa I have some business with the guild, and I can get the shopping on the way home, okay?"
"Well... be careful Leon, don't get in trouble and here... some money, take it."
"Haha... thanks, Grandpa."
Leonhardt left the elderly couple in the afternoon with a small brown cloth filled with a few copper coins, though thanks to the bandits pretending to be mercenaries, he owned dozens of silver and copper.
—Jingle!
He felt full after she kept serving him sweets and desserts from the fruit he had brought.
Leon didn't understand that people struggled to eat and something like sugar was too expensive, but the fruits in his dungeon could sweeten the pastries and desserts...
『Grandma Grey mentioned she likes pear jam.』
After the night of meditation, his mind became clear, his mana increased well after the night, and he realised the difference between a human and a monster.
The thought of making jam out of the bright red fruits from his dungeon with a tarty yet sweet taste... 'could I make money, or start a business with these fruits?'
[Your mind is full of amusing ideas, both a physical and economic invasion?]
A faint smile formed on his lips as Leon enjoyed Ifrit's words.
The village wasn't as small as it seemed when he entered—there were various stalls and houses selling wares and dairy foods.
"Oh, Morning young lad! Yer dressed smart today!" A village merchant with various vegetables and other farm goods greeted Leon, who bought a good share of potatoes, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables for the elderly couple.
"How about some milk and cream, Young man?" A plump female in her mid-thirties offered, and the firm push of her sales technique stunned Leonhardt.
He even bought some expensive milk, jam, and cream when he remembered Grandma Grey liked tea with milk and jam.
Two hours rushed past him before he came to the mercenaries guild—two of the people he needed to deal with lingered at the guild, so he would show the Crimson Hawks' badge to lure them into confronting or attacking him.
『Those old women were stronger than the bandits themselves. A fearsome warrior race...』
Leonhardt wore the badge while walking around for two hours before coming to the large mercenary and adventurer's guild buildings in the southern area of the village. This village was quite large and almost the same size as a town.
『Two on the left... hiding behind the corner, and one hanging far away, watching the pair.』
He used the map, which flicked up in the corner of his eyes and showed the yellow, green, and three red dots.
Three yellow dots were also on the map, entering from outside, but Leonhardt ignored them because he could sense their hostility, which may be a side effect of being a monster.
He could also feel their mana and aura, like feeling the breeze.
Instead of entering the guild, he wrapped around the side, stepped into the dark backstreet, and hopped behind a wooden box while grasping a shard of fire that grew from his palm.
A moment passed before the shuffling of feet echoed.
"Where did the bastard go?"
"The little prick has the emblem... we need that to withdraw the money in the guild!"
『Oh? There's money and other things stored in the guild?』
He didn't know such a thing, so he listened silently and waited until...
—Creak!
The man in cheap leather armour peered down the alleyway.
His head blocked most of the sun and cast a shadow upon the second man, a rough—looking man in a cheap tunic and unkempt hair.
He held a short blade in his hand and looked more nervous than his compatriot, who stepped forward. The duo entered the back street with their weapons ready, unaware they were heading towards certain death.
Their steps came to an abrupt halt as the man in front felt a sharp hotness across his throat.
"Hello, bandit!" Leon's voice rang out.
"Gah—urgh—what?"
—Thud!
"W-What?" The man in the rear trembled.
Leonhardt moved faster than the trailing member could react, his right hand flicking the dagger from the first, then slashing it across the neck.
—Thump!
"Ow... ow... urk..."
The unkempt male with a short blade trembled—two men died in less than a second as the monster with sharp red eyes walked casually towards him with a twisted smile. His black hair shimmered in the sunlight while he flicked a flaming shard around his fingers.
"D-D-D-Don't come any closer!" The man whimpered—his hands shook as he waved a knife wildly at Leon.
He tried to turn and flee before Leon grabbed his face and lifted him off the ground. The man was shaking in terror, with a thin stream of liquid dripping down the young man's legs. The sight made his face twist.
"What the hell... are you urinating yourself..." A burst of crimson fire erupted from his hand, engulfing the bandit in flames.
"Gyaaakgh!
"Shhh....shhh... be quiet." An ominous black dagger appeared from nowhere and stabbed into the burning bandit, who trembled in pain as if the cold blade brought him more agony than the flames.
'This guy... how did he die so quickly?'
Leonhardt's heart quickly cooled... the excitement vanished when the men died in seconds; now, in silence, he watched as the dungeon absorbed their bodies... like magic, all traces vanished.
——
[Alex, Dran and Leno Slain!]
∟ Gained 150 DP
∟ Gained 250 EXP
∟ Gained 20 EP
——
"Phew..." Wiping the blood from his palm, burning it off with his flames, Leonhardt waited for a short while, making sure no dots were close to him before he wrapped around and entered the mercenary guild entrance.
—Jangle!
Leon pushed open the brown arched doors while overwhelmed by the thick stench of tobacco, ale, and a stale odour that came from the mercenary guild. To the left was a bar where various people were drinking and playing cards at tables.
On the right, people with cleaner appearances looked at an enormous board that spanned the entire wall. It was filled with white parchments, with images and quests written on them.
Then, ahead, there was a modest greeting desk with a glass panel protecting the guild workers.
Two beautiful women stood dealing with several claimants while the end queue seemed empty. A dark-skinned female with pointed ears and a sharp gaze stood with folded arms.
『I wonder why they don't go to her...』
"Are you open for service?"
Leonhardt didn't seem bothered by her atmosphere, so he removed his silver badge and asked in a noble and elegant voice, copied from the memories his master had given him.
"Hah?" the dark elf replied before looking at him, only for her ears to suddenly spike up and turn red the moment she saw his face, her words suddenly stuttering. "A-Ah... Of course! What can I do to help you, dear member?"
『Strange...』
Leon couldn't understand her sudden change, but he suddenly got a whiff of her sweet scent.
"My name is Leon... and my entire mercenary group suffered a disastrous loss to the goblins. By sheer luck, I managed to survive... because I was a recruit and kept safe."
"Oh my, can you show me your Mercenary Emblem? Maybe you kept a keepsake from the leader as proof." Though the dark elf acted strange at first, she immediately switched to business mode.
Meanwhile, people whispered in the background, shocked.
"Oh my god, that Aella is serving a rookie... isn't she someone who refuses to help normal mercenaries?"
"Shh... she's the daughter of a dark elf war maiden, don't make a scene!"
The only decent proof Leonhard could use was the sword used by Axel. Thanks to Leonhardt absorbing information about humans, he could pass any magical detection methods.
—Thud!
A black and dark blue greatsword slammed down on the desk while the dark elf Aella watched with a smile, nodding several times as she took a magical tool in her hand, swiping open the window and scanning the item.
Leon noticed Aella gazing at him.
She rubbed her cheek with two fingers and observed him keenly, eyeing his body and tapping it at several points, muttering to herself while blue light traced the weapon on the desk.
"Good, it's impressive you lifted this weapon with such ease..."
"I am extremely strong, much stronger than I seem, haha."
"Oh... really?" Her eyes narrowed, and she lifted her brows with a slight smirk, lowering her eyes over his chest and crotch. "Yes... I can see that. Very strong." Her upper teeth pulled on her lips before she flicked her gaze back to his face and continued.
"Do you wish to keep the group active? If so, you would need to pay one gold and gather three new members before the month ends."
"I see..."
It seemed he would need to find humans he could trust to help him in the future...