36 – Not Now… [Questionable Charm Level Up!]
Crow, keeping his eyes on the receptionist, dropped the documents onto the counter and brushed the mercenary’s hand off his shoulder. “Looks like you’re new around here—”
The man’s eyes widened, putting on what was probably the most serious face of his entire life. “Excuse me? Didn’t quite catch what you said… can you explain?”
Crow turned around to face the man, who towered slightly over him. “Even an animal knows when it’s the prey and when it’s the hunter. But not you.”
“WHAT, Y-YOU—YOU… ARE YOU CALLING ME AN ANIMAL?!” Grabbing Crow by the collar with both hands, he yelled, “I’M GONNA—”
Smack, thud!
In a fraction of a second, the man ended up flat on the floor. Still trying to process what had just happened, he sputtered, “W-what? Why did you do that, Akane?!”
The red-haired woman who had slammed him down walked over to the counter where Crow was standing. Grabbing the recruitment papers he had been looking at, she said, “Because I didn't feel like dragging an invalid around in the party, that's why.” She took a closer look at the selected party. “Hm, makes sense you'd pick my sister’s squad. But she’s busy right now, so how about I take over? I’m stronger than her anyway. Though, as you can see over there, I’ve got a few idiots tagging along... at least their size makes them good for intimidation.”
What on earth is she doing here? She isn't supposed to show up until way past the mid-game, when her sister dies… I’ve only ever seen her in gameplay videos. Something is wrong… Maybe this is for the better. It isn’t what I wanted, but I can get to her sister this way too, so yeah, I’ll just accept it.
Crow looked into her eyes. “Fine by me. How much for the escort?”
The man pushed himself up from the ground when he heard that. “A-Akane, you’ve got to be kiddi—”
She just glared at her subordinate. “So, the price will be 22 silver coins.” She focused on Crow. “After all, the area is pretty dangerous, but yeah, we can get you near there, no problem. So, tough guy, deal? If so, we can sign the contract; half the payment upfront and half upon arrival.” She extended her hand for a handshake.
I don't know if that's expensive or cheap, but whatever, I need to get this sorted out right now, and I can't wait any longer.
“Deal.” He shook her hand, and after that, they signed a few documents.
Once the receptionist authenticated their agreement, Crow handed over half the agreed amount.
There goes a huge chunk of my loot, but whatever. Good thing I left the rest of the coins with the two kids… ah, I forgot to tell them to keep a portion for me. Since there were so many coins and my pockets were completely full... nah, they wouldn’t spend it all… right?
The receptionist filed away the signed documents and handed a receipt to both Crow and the mercenary group leader. “All set! Now just show her where the escorts are waiting. Thank you for your business!”
He walked away from the counter, followed by the red-haired Akane and her group, who definitely maxed out their Intimidation skill instead of combat ones. As they stepped out into the street, a little girl passing by with her father took one look at Akane, put both hands over her mouth, and gasped, “Kyaaaaa! It’s the S-rank Lioness!”
Lioness? First time I’ve heard that. She’s strong, so an S-rank makes sense... In the game, we only used levels, stats, skills, and other metrics to quantify power instead of ranks… I need to stop thinking about this like a game; the world is real now. Recruiting mercenaries is too risky, but I remember that some of them were hired to fight the Hero, and they actually did it. So, if things go even slightly in the right direction… I can diminish the Hero’s forces in the city. I wanted to hire her sister, but if I can get her as well, it would be even better.
She just waved at the girl, and as she walked beside Crow, she asked, “I’m guessing the situation’s pretty bad for you to be hiring mercenaries for an escort... Don’t worry, I’ve already taken the job, but it doesn’t hurt to know.”
They crossed the street, heading toward a wagon where he spotted Dorothy in the distance. He turned to the redhead and said, “Yes and no. I don’t plan on coming back, which is why I need the escort. My partner was kidnapped here... Quite a violent city, huh? Didn’t expect such a warm welcome.”
Pat-pat!
She burst out laughing, patting him on the back. “Hahah! That’s why I work in this city, demand is never an issue. Every day it’s something new... Anyway, since you’re not coming along, who’s going to pay me once the job is done?”
They reached the wagon where the kids were waiting.
“I left money with the kids. They can pay you.”
“M-Mister! I-I forgot to give you this! Sharon dropped it during... well, you know.”
The red-haired woman, who had been grinning, caught sight of the paper and the symbol on it. Her smile, previously locked in a look of amusement, instantly faded. “So you really were with her... Well, work is work. I’ve never failed a single job...” She pressed her right hand to her forehead. “Ah man, I should’ve guessed—big guy with deep voice, mean look... giant sword... the way I… I’m such an idiot.”
So… we good?
Dorothy tilted her head a little. “Mister?” Without reaction, she waved near his face. “Mister?? Are you there... oi!”
“Sorry, you said something? I was lost in thought.”
“F-forget it mister…”
The redhead looked at Crow as her crew gathered behind her, saying, “So, tough guy... I guess this is it...” Her group boarded the wagon, making it sway a bit under the weight of the brutes, while the kids didn't say a word, their eyes wide as they sat frozen on their wooden seats. Akane took a seat at the back by the wagon’s opening, leaned her greataxe beside her, then crossed her thick legs and said, “See you later, handsome,” as she brought two fingers to her forehead and flicked them away in a goodbye gesture.
Oh no…
“Mister! I will be waiting for you!” Dorothy waved to him. “You better come!”
Of course. Of course I will come back… Now, how do I find Sharon? Dorothy and the kids will leave safely because of the mercenary guild contract. The problem is… Wait, yeah… I almost forgot this RPG also had the Thieves' Guild. I can definitely find some info there. To think I didn’t even remember the guild every player goes to in the early game to make their rogue OP as fast as possible. If I’m right, they use the name "Information Guild" for appearances; much like how the Assassin's Guild uses the word “Limpeza,” which means "cleaning" in another language—
Bam!
“Why did you stop walking out of nowhere, you walking wardrobe? I almost cut myself on your sword! Don’t you use a sheath? Hey! Why aren’t you saying anything?”
No, this can’t be… this never happened in the game. Maybe I’m just overthinking it?
“Oi!”
Smack!
After the little woman punched him, he said, “Not now…” and finally turned to look at her. “What do you want with me now?”
It’s that martial artist girl… no, looking at her now, she is a bard, maybe that clothing was some type of casual wear… whatever.
“Hey, what’s with that attitude? I know we barely talked at the mercenary guild’s door, but you need to stop just freezing out of nowhere. It’s super creepy! Imagine walking down the street and having a walking wardrobe suddenly stop in front of you for no reason at all, and—”
He turned around and walked away.
“Oi! Argh! I hate being ignored! Ooiii!”
[Level Up!]
[Questionable Charm Level 1 > 2]
For real? I can’t take this anymore…
He began to run; the little bard couldn’t follow his speed. “Ooooiii!—”
After leaving the main area, he slipped into a side alley and leaned against the wall. Once he confirmed he was hidden, he took a deep breath. Far in the distance, a female voice could be heard, “Oooii, where are you? Walking wardrobe?”
Man, things are getting way too strange around here today.
A voice spoke right next to him. “Who do you think left the city in this state?”
Crow turned around to see who had spoken. Standing there was a man in a hooded cloak, who, after a brief silence, simply added, “Sorry, that was a strange thing to ask.” And then he just walked away.
“Wait, why did you say that?”
The man stood right at the edge of the alley’s corner, just before stepping away. “If you understood, go to the place where those in the biggest hurry to reach the top go.” He then turned the corner, leaving Crow alone with a confused look on his face.
He just… dropped a reference, I’m sure of it... and “those in the biggest hurry to reach the top go?” Is it some type of code? Is he someone who was transmigrated like me? I didn’t even notice him sneaking up behind me, so he must be a high level rogue—
The click in Crow’s mind was almost audible.
The place every rogue goes to level up faster than anyone else, skipping the starting quests after completing the tutorial; a place near the Thieves' Guild to use some exploits, but it only works for the rogue class. He must be testing me to see if I’ll head straight there to confirm if I’m really a “Player.” Well, I’m busy because I need to look for Sharon, so I’ll just ignore this for now. If I’m right, she’s at the Assassin’s Guild, or somewhere nearby.
[Hey...]
What?
[I was thinking, maybe I need to analyze and show you your luck stat… you know, how unlucky you are and all…]
Seems like you want to make jokes now; good timing, very good timing indeed.
“Found… you… ha… let me catch my breath first…” the little bard girl panted. She leaned over, resting one hand on her knee while holding the other up in a stop gesture.
[See, if I had your luck-cough-I mean, if I had your ha… your… I forgot the word for it. Let's call it honey. If I had your honey skill, I would have gathered at least 11 apprentices by now. Sadly, I never got the chance to marry...]
What is this guy even talking about? You’d get 11 wives? I don't get the logic behind having apprentices and how that connects to getting married. Well, whatever, that doesn't matter to me. But honestly, the situation I'm in right now feels like a rom-com, with a new girl popping up and chasing after me every day. This wall right here... maybe it'll work. Since I'm not a normal human anymore, maybe with the strength I have now, I can actually—
“So... what I was trying to tell you is... ooi! Look at me! why are you staring at the wall—”
[Mages don't just teach anyone. If they did, the world would be total chaos, with people slinging fireballs everywhere. Most mages receive a seal before becoming an apprentice that restricts them to only teaching family members. And no, I didn't mean 11 wives, I meant kids! What kind of person do you take me for? Anyway, because of that, I couldn't pass my knowledge down to anyone. And don't even ask if I can teach you magic. You don't have the talent for it. Well... maybe for a few specific types, but I can't teach you regardless. Teaching outsiders breaks the family seal, so it's a complete no-go.]
Interesting. You finally said something actually interesting.
The woman stepped closer, reaching out a hand to touch his shirt. “I need to tell you—”
[Whoooaa, I didn't know you could do parkour. Interesting. Maybe being a warrior has its perks after all.]
How do you even know the word parkour? That shouldn't even be... ah, whatever. This world is already distorted anyway, so I shouldn't be surprised... Climbing up here was easier than I thought, though I did dent the wall a bit back there. I really hope that wasn't someone's house, honestly...
He looked back and noticed an open window in the building he had just used to wall-jump. He had only kicked off its walls twice, so the damage was minimal. Pulling a coin from his pocket, he tossed it through the open window, and as he turned to leave, he flicked another one down the chimney.
I still have some morals. Causing damage to random civilians is just wrong...
[I wouldn't have done that, a coin is a coin, but it makes sense.]
I wasn't talking to you, man. I'm just thinking to myself.
[Hm… I’mma go to sleep then…]
Crow pressed on, dashing across the rooftops toward a massive structure he had spotted in the distance.
Right, it's definitely there. I remember it looking exactly like that. I just hope she's actually there. The problem is, if my theory is mostly correct... then that guy is the mastermind behind all this, but it doesn't make sense. Especially now that I know she's related to Alice’s family; pulling something like that would be something only a madman could do. I know her past, she might not be a saint, but everyone has a shred of humanity deep down, or at least, that's what I want to believe, so kidnapping someone from her family would be courting death... If I just knew the guy's skills, things would be a lot easier. I'll have to use the ring when I spot him from a distance, so I can confirm if I'm right.
He stopped near what looked like a military base, quickly ducking into hiding when he noticed someone glancing up at the rooftops where he stood.
What are they doing here? It doesn't make sense, so the Hero's party wasn't complete after all. I thought it was just the Hero, the Rogue, and the Mage because something had happened, or maybe they got separated during the invasion. But based on what I'm seeing here, the party wasn't together from the start, which means the Hero is way stronger than I imagined if he's running with a smaller party. Maybe it's the funneling strat I deduced earlier, where he only splits XP among the hard carries; it makes sense, he's leaving the Tank and the Cleric out of the party. He really is a pro player, no, I remember thinking about this before, a lot of things point to him not being a possessor, so maybe… he is doing this because it’s the canon route to win? I saw a pro talking about this online once, the easiest way to clear the campaign is to focus entirely on power-leveling the Hero, since he's completely OP at high levels, while the rest of the party just levels up later by soaking XP from high-level mobs—
At the sound of cargo being dumped onto wood, Crow hid behind the roof access structure.
These soldiers don't look weak. Could this be preparation for a siege? But that was supposed to take way longer; maybe getting involved in that fight with the Hero threw off the timeline... Though he was already separated by then. Ah, whatever. I'm better off sticking to my own business; everything's already gone off the rails anyway. Alright, if I just keep creeping forward without making a sound... I can see the Guild off in the distance. Whether my hunch is right or wrong, there's no doubt it's going to be a bloodbath. Heading over there might be suicide; I could easily get killed. No, wait. I've survived worse back when the Yakuza dragged me off in Japan, and I was just an ordinary human without powers back then.
Approaching a massive brick building, he spotted an open window up on the 4th floor. He was currently on the 2nd floor of a nearby building. After studying the distance and his surroundings for a moment, he stepped up to the edge.
To think I'm actually doing this... well, if I fall from two floors up, it shouldn't be a big deal, so I guess I'm fine—
He leaped and grabbed onto a sketchy brick. Unfortunately, his weight caused it to slide loose. He plummeted, but managed to catch himself on a side pipe.
Man, that was way too close. The heart attack probably did more damage to me than the fall actually would have. Anyway, nowhere to go but up. If I'm wrong about this, the worst that could happen is, uh, getting charged with trespassing and fighting a bunch of overpowered guys for no reason? But since this is the assassins' guild, I think I'm good. Rogues aren't that strong against warriors in this world. Alright, just one more floor and—
“01, did you hear that? I could have sworn I heard someone close by. You think it’s 09 trying to scare us again? We need to put an end to that guy's little game, or he’s going to keep messing with us forever...”
The other guy replied between bites of food. “Hm, hm, I, hm, dunno man, hm. I think it was just the open window making that noise, hm. But now that the fart smell is almost gone, I think… I have a cold so, hm, I can't really smell much anyway, hm, can we close it?”
“Are you crazy? That smell is completely rotten. The guy farts all day long, you really think we can survive in here with the window closed? The dude can't organize this library without farting every 5 seconds—”
Slap!
“Hm, shut up, man. What if he’s around? Hm, did you forget the beating he, hm, gave us? I know his farts are out of control—” He fell silent, and there was a faint sound of something dropping into a container. “Well, what I was saying is that we need to respect our elders, got it? Ah, I'm not gonna stay here arguing with you in this stinky room... seriously, what do you take me for? Once you find the book, hand it over to me. Since I'm your senior, I’m putting the blame entirely on you if you don't find the stuff, and hurry up. We need it to figure out what to do about that vampire girl. Catch you later, I'm heading out—cough… what an unbearable smell, man, he needs to stop eating so many eggs bro…” The sound of footsteps faded away after a bit. There was only one guy left in the fart-smelling room now.
Yeah, she's here. What are the chances of it being a different vampire girl...? Man, this is going to go horribly wrong, I can already tell. The guy is coming here…
The man approached the window and leaned out to catch a breath of fresh air, only to find himself locking eyes with Crow. “Well, look what we have here—”