Volume 5 Chapter 11 It Seems To Be Mercenary Group, But...
It seems that Gram knew from the beginning about "the trick" behind that legendary sword (laughs).
'They took a sword that only focused on its appearance and sturdiness, stuck it into the ground, and connected it with magic. Well, no ordinary strength would be able to make a fuss about it.'
In other words, that event was a complete scam.
'Well, if you were a magician like Aina, you would immediately see through the trick.'
Magicians as skilled as Aina are rare, so it was probably difficult for that scam to be exposed.
The biggest miscalculation of that merchant was probably the fact that there were people who forcibly pulled out the legendary sword (laughs) that was supposed to be impossible to remove along with the ground.
Well, it's all about me, though.
When I placed the sword (and the ground) that I pulled out back on the ground, after a moment of silence, the audience sent a great round of applause.
It seems like it was a perfect scene as a spectacle. I didn't do it with the intention of showing off my strength, but I get embarrassed when praised so openly like that.
So, with a bashful smile on my face, I suddenly turned to the merchant, only to realize that he had vanished without a trace.
According to Gram, it seems like he fled from the scene like a rabbit right before pulling out the sword along with the ground. Everyone was so focused on the scene where I pulled out the sword that no one noticed his swift escape, and Gram didn't have time to warn me either.
If I had stayed in that spot, it was obvious that after all the praise towards me, the rebuke for scamming would follow.
In the end, I didn't receive the prize the merchant - or rather the scammer - promised. I only ended up losing the challenge fee I paid. It was just the cost of a meal, but I still felt a little angry about being deceived.
"It's okay. I'm satisfied just seeing the cool side of Yukina-kun."
"You're really good at manipulating people."
Thinking about it that way, it seemed like necessary spending to show masculinity to Kyunei. The little remaining frustration didn't bother me much anymore.
As I continued to walk arm in arm with Kyunei, we arrived at a familiar place.
"..."
It wasn't a particularly eye-catching store, but it left a strong impression on me.
It was where I got involved with a guy named Reed.
"Yukina-kun?"
"Oh, sorry. Did I miss something?"
"No, nothing. It's just that you seemed a little different, Yukina-kun."
I really couldn't compete with Kyunei. Even though I tried not to show it on my face, she could notice even the slightest changes.
"...I kind of remembered being bothered by that guy Reed the other day."
"Come to think of it, we did meet him around here."
The truth was, while enjoying my date with Kyunei, I hadn't been able to completely erase Reed from my mind.
Reed says he's in city for "work," probably meaning a mercenary job. While we're here in this city, we might run into that group. It's natural to be cautious.
Speaking of the group...
Reed was with some guys who seemed like mercenaries. They called Reed their leader, which made him stand out from just being a regular companion.
According to Mikage, mercenaries sometimes form groups to work together, even though it's not strictly allowed by guild rules, it's mostly tolerated.
These groups are generally called "mercenary group." It's straightforward but easy to understand.
Just like how the four of us are taking on a job together, mercenary groups handle bigger jobs with more people.
Most importantly, just because there are more people, it doesn't mean that the reward for completing a request will be higher. However, if you take on a difficult and dangerous request on your own, it may be possible to achieve it with a larger group. As long as you can come to an agreement on how to split the reward, joining a mercenary group could be an option.
Usually, mercenaries operate individually or in small groups of two or three, and it seems that when hunting big game, they form a large group to take on monsters.
It seems like a fairly realistic system, but in most cases, mercenary groups don't function properly.
The main reason is the nature of mercenaries. It's an industry where rough and tough groups earn their living by showing off their skills. It's nearly impossible for a large group of dozens of rough individuals to work together in unison, unless it's a group of four or five people, or if they sporadically handle requests with a large number of people.
However, Reed is effectively leading the mercenary group. From what I saw the other day, it seemed like they were following Reed's orders, even though there were some hesitations.
He might not just be a tyrant as the 2nd rank.
I remember the overwhelming pressure when I grabbed his arm. I wonder what would have happened if we had really fought at that time.
And with that, I pushed my thoughts aside.
Even though I am concerned about Reed, I am currently on a date with Kyunei. It would be rude to her if I were to be distracted by anything else.
"I'm sorry. I said something strange."
"It's okay. It just means that Yukina-kun is thinking about me. I'm happy."
And with that, Kyunei chuckled.
"At first, I was a little surprised, but I don't dislike people like that. I actually think I could become friends with that person."
"Where did that 'friend' element come from in that last interaction?"
"Women's intuition, perhaps. Or maybe it's my past experience as a former pr**titute."
"When you put it that way, as a guy, I can't come up with any retorts anymore."
He's the kind of guy who boldly invites her to have an affair. Calling him a friend seems a bit too dangerous.
"Oh, did Yukina-kun forget what he said to me when we first met?"
"Are you talking about what people are concerned about!?"
With Reed in the back of my mind, I ended up enjoying my date with Kyunei.
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