From Mercenary to King

Chapter 122: The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (6)

“Huh??? I mean, what kind of mess is this.”

“Isn't this basically blackmail? Do you really plan to follow through with it?”

Miles and Centurion Jenga grumbled after hearing the story.

Even though mercenaries were specialists in fighting, they didn't enjoy stepping into battles that weren't necessary. That was the behavior of a brain-dead murderer, not a mercenary working for pay.

But now they were being dragged into an unwanted battle by force. Even though it wasn't even their fault.

Shatien understood their sharp reactions to some extent.

“Honestly, don't we have the moral high ground? Why don't you talk to Branch Manager Marhen and just tell her to ignore it?”

“Branch Manager Marhen has already negotiated with Count Joberham. There's no reversing the matter.”

“Ughhh.... Dammit.”

“Our Shatien surely thought it through before speaking. Don't be so presumptuous, hmph.”

“Hmph! You're a Centurion, so you should give proper advice! You can't just say 'yes, yes' every time.”

“Look at you. If you're so unhappy, how about we take off our rank insignias and settle this? Huh?”

“Oh? You want to go? Hmm?”

“…….”

It was a mess, just a total mess. Why did the subject suddenly go there? Shatien let out a sigh. These idiots made his head throb if he left them alone for even a second.

“Stop. That's enough.”

“B-But this guy....”

“What do you mean, 'this guy'? Centurion Jenga is technically your senior and elder.”

“Tsk.”

“Exactly! Our Captain Shatien knows all about the chain of command! You brat! Listen to the advice this elder gives you and follow it. Stop just nodding your head every time and give some proper advice!”

Centurion Jenga shouted triumphantly at Shatien's words.

“...Centurion Jenga, you should calm down too. Isn't Miles a fellow Centurion regardless? Show him some respect. He might even receive a knighthood soon if things go well.”

“W-What? A knighthood?”

“Ahem. From then on, I'll expect you to treat me with proper courtesy, Centurion Jenga.”

This time, Miles's nose went up in the air.

“That's impossible!”

“It's true. Several nobles have already made contact. Honestly, Miles's skills are good enough that receiving a knighthood wouldn't be out of place.”

“Aww, hell. To think I'd live to see that guy get a title. The world's gone to the dogs, I tell you! Hmph!”

While some people struggled for a lifetime on the battlefield without getting a title, this guy had just followed Shatien around and was already being discussed for one.

It was truly a frustrating turn of events.

I should've stuck close to Shatien earlier!

Centurion Jenga regretted it inwardly. Of course... regardless of Jenga's thoughts, Shatien had some doubts about whether the man actually had the skills to be a knight.

‘Well, he plays it too safe to be called a knight.’

Centurion Jenga, who prioritized self-preservation and greed, was far from the traditional role of a knight.

He was more suited for a role like a captain of the guard for a city or an estate.

Jenga's innate temperament was holding back his qualifications to be a knight.

“Stop, stop it. You're being too noisy. That's not what's important right now, is it?”

“Ahem.”

“Cough, ahem.”

“Miles. Are you sure you dealt with them completely? We need the bodies and equipment of that son and the knights.”

“Hmm. Didn't you say the son died while fighting you?”

“Ah! Right. Then the son... won't be a big problem. Come to think of it, I set the equipment aside separately too.”

“Sniff. Fine. Just give me a few men. Tight-lipped ones. We'll have to dig them up secretly at night and get them ready.”

Miles shuddered as he spoke, perhaps already imagining the foul smell of the corpses.

Shatien felt a bit sorry seeing that, but it wasn't like he was the one doing it.

‘Hehe... suffer a little for me, Miles.’

Then, Centurion Jenga, who had been listening quietly, pointed to himself and asked.

“What about me? Do I just sit still?”

“As if that would happen.”

“Should I put the mercenaries on standby just in case? If Count Joberham secretly orders his soldiers at night....”

Shatien shook his head.

“We are currently acting as proxies for Viscount Ragnarsson. Attacking us in that way would mean insulting Viscount Ragnarsson's honor. Even for someone like Count Joberham, the consequences would be unmanageable.”

Furthermore, many interests were currently entangled in this trade route restoration. He was fed up with his troublemaker youngest son, but he was still blood. There was a reason for burying the death of a blood relative and helping with the trade route.

Of course.... it wasn't a complete impossibility. It was slim, but someone could suddenly lose their mind and do something crazy.

“I'll manage that part. Centurion Jenga, take some men and do some scouting.”

“Scouting?”

“Yes. Gather some information about the region where the curse broke out. He said he'd help... but it's hard to trust Count Joberham completely. Our meeting wasn't exactly a pleasant one, was it?”

“Fair enough.... Got it, Shatien. I'll send five quick-footed guys to the village to look into it. And while I'm at it, I'll check on that crazy wife too. That's fine, right?”

“The wife... you say?”

“Yeah. If they're open enough to say she's cursed, the lady of the house must be involved somehow. Some important information might be linked there.”

“Hmm... it's the business of a noble house, so approach with caution.”

At that, Centurion Jenga gave a hearty laugh.

“Puhahaha. Look here, look here. Who do you think you're talking to? I'm Jenga. Jenga, the stealer of women's hearts! I'll show you a magic that Miles can't show. Just trust me, Shatien!”

He made such a grand boast... and Shatien was confused whether he should believe it or not.

‘Well, everyone seems to be doing their part. That's a relief.’

Now all that remained was to organize the collected information and wait for the mage. Shatien was very excited about the fact that he was finally meeting a proper mage.

Would that mage be able to see the mysterious power entwined in his bloodline? And would he be able to get advice on how to handle that mysterious power?

* * *

Fortunately, the body of the youngest son was found quickly.

The equipment too.

His nutritional status was too different from that of regular commoners, and because he died instantly from a spear strike during the first engagement, the body was very clean.

The equipment was also of high quality and had been kept separately by the mercenaries, making it even easier to find.

Thanks to that, Shatien brought the bodies of the youngest son and his subordinate knights into the mercenary camp without much trouble. He called a priest from a distance to offer comfort to the deceased and properly prepared the bodies to be placed in coffins.

They couldn't go into a grave immediately, but it was at least a minimum show of respect for the dead.

Except for the fact that Count Joberham, who visited secretly the next day, looked at his youngest son's face with a complex expression and left after saying a single “thank you,” nothing particularly special happened.

Oh! Correction.

There was another very special event.

“How about this? Hehehe.”

It was the fact that Centurion Jenga had brought back some incredible information.

Shatien thought the man might get a beating while clumsily poking into a noble house, but instead, Centurion Jenga had collected stories about Count Joberham's lady secretly without being reprimanded by anyone.

“So.... it's madness?”

“Yeah. I heard she was visited by a curse after stopping at a pagan temple to comfort her dead son. They say she runs around naked at night, or scratches herself raw saying her body is on fire.... And she even acts like a child, as if she's regressed.”

“It's definitely madness then.”

“It doesn't seem like the kind of thing the Church would stay quiet about, so I guess they're donating quite a bit of money. Hehe.”

There was a confidence in Centurion Jenga's face as he joked, unlike his usual self. Well, with this much achievement, it had to be acknowledged.

Of course, Miles seemed unable to contain his curiosity.

“Ugh, damn it, what on earth did you do? You didn't kidnap and secretly threaten someone, did you?”

“Now, now! You brat. Threatening people of a noble house? Even if they look like that, they aren't commoners but blood of the local elites. It's a disaster if you treat them poorly.”

“No, I know that, which is why I'm asking. What did you do?”

“Hehehe... well, I just smoothly seduced them.”

“?”

“Seduced? With that face?”

Wasn't this an even more absurd story? But Centurion Jenga didn't care.

“Women are naturally enchanted by this strong masculinity. Right? Miles.”

“Ha... hell. I can't even say no because there's a result. Truly amazing with that mug of yours.”

It was really a sight to behold.

Just as Miles said, seducing a woman with that face. It was the perfect example of the saying that even a slug has a trick of its own.

“By the way, what about those cursed regions?”

“It seems those places are in the same situation as the lady. People are caught in a similar madness, seeing things and running around without clothes. The Church is trying to stop it somehow, but it's not looking easy.”

“Hmm....”

“Especially since that first pagan temple was discovered, it's been spreading to the nearby villages. And because it's not being managed, goblins are swarming the area, and it's basically a total mess.”

It was indeed not an easy situation.

What Count Joberham requested of them was to act as guards while the forest mage resolved this incident and to suppress the surrounding monsters.

If those words were true, it wasn't something that would end in a short time.

Once goblins settled in, they bred countless offspring, so they'd have to suppress them endlessly until every last one was annihilated.

“It's going to be quite a tiresome job.”

“Phew. What can you do. But I heard Branch Manager Marhen got some pretty big conditions?”

“Yes, that's right. The Joberham side agreed to expand parts of the trade route. And they also said they'd set up post stations and send road patrols regularly.”

This was a pretty good condition from Branch Manager Marhen's perspective too.

Building a road doesn't cost a penny or two, and Count Joberham was going to foot the entire bill.

Of course, this was the best for Marhen or Viscount Ragnarsson who were trying to restore the trade network, but it wasn't particularly attractive for Shatien's mercenary unit who would be doing the actual fighting.

“Still, let's try to soothe them as much as possible. Who knows? Some incredible treasures might come out of that pagan temple. Hehehe.”

“Oh boy. You greedy and lecherous Centurion Jenga? You'll get cursed. What if you get erectile dysfunction or something?”

“Ugh, I swear you are—!”

“Calm down. That could really happen. Pagan curses are scary.”

“S-Still, shouldn't it be fine since we have the forest mage?”

“Hmm....”

I wonder if that'll be the case.

I don't know.

Shatien had never had a proper encounter with a mage yet. It was because it was hard to gauge what kind of power the mysterious power they displayed actually held.

They say one is coming soon.... I wonder what they'll be like. I'm looking forward to it.

And a short while later.

“The Sage of the Forest has arrived!”

The mage they had been waiting for so much finally arrived.