Chapter 25. Reward

A few days after getting the new sword.

“Here’s your ID.”

“So? Is it good?”

“Yeah, doesn’t seem to be any problems.”

The ID Jebeon forged, which I’d asked Lowell to check that same day, came back clean.

“He cleaned up nicely afterwards.”

“That’s good.”

If there’d been a problem, things would’ve gotten messy. Good thing it worked out.

“More importantly…”

“Uh, yeah?”

I carefully tucked the ID away, and Lowell, watching me with a sharp look, said,

“Stop destroying the training dummies. You like that sword *that* much?”

Ah, the dummies.

Come to think of it, I *had* gone through a lot of them in the last few days.

“Deduct the cost of the broken dummies from my pay. I want to keep using it.”

“Huh, that tightwad lending out a sword without asking for anything in return. That’s unusual.”

“Yeah, well, I still have to pay him back if I lose it.”

“That’s a given.”

That much is true…

Lowell’s reaction tells me this whole sword-lending thing is a huge favor.

“I think I know why he did it.”

“Why?”

“He probably figures you’ll be a long-term customer.”

“He said the sword’s never broken…”

Would someone buying an unbreakable sword really be a long-term customer?

Usually, you stick with what you’re used to.

“Do you really think he’s telling the truth? Even *I’ve* replaced my weapon several times.”

…Well, yeah.

Where are you gonna find an unbreakable sword?

They're all made thin and sharp. Of *course* they break.

“Anyway, now that you have your mercenary ID, are you going to gather materials?”

“Yeah, I’m planning a quick trip to the Mountain Range.”

With a D-rank mercenary ID, getting out of the city is a piece of cake.

I’m going to tag along with Jebeon’s Mercenary Group and look around.

“Hmm, be careful.”

“Don’t worry. Monsters are my specialty.”

Actually, I’m better at killing monsters than people.

Well, I haven't seen one in years, but back when I was a Colosseum Champion, I killed enough monsters to make a mountain of corpses.

“High-altitude monsters are dangerous, but… some disturbing evidence has been found.”

“Evidence?”

“Yeah, remember the Underground Sewer you helped investigate before?”

“Oh yeah, what happened with that?”

Now that I think about it, I only heard the Royal Knights were dispatched; I never heard the results.

I wonder how it turned out?

“To put it simply, the Devil Worshippers hiding in the Underground were wiped out.”

“Oh, they got them all?”

The Royal Knights’ reputation, which had taken a bit of a hit, has gone back up.

Thinking back to when they were ambushed underground, those bastards weren't weak.

“Yeah, most of them were killed, and they captured a few high-ranking Devil Worshippers.”

“That’s incredible. How strong are these high-ranking ones?”

High-ranking Devil Worshippers… I wonder what they’re like.

Curious, I asked, but Lowell looked at me strangely.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Didn’t you catch one yourself?”

“Me? Oh, you mean *that* guy?”

After a moment's thought, I remembered.

The one I had a pretty tough time with in the sewers.

“Yeah, he was one of the high-ranking ones.”

“Ah…”

No wonder he was so strong.

You gotta be tough to be a high-ranking guy.

“Hands came out of his hood. Is that his thing?”

“Well, probably. Usually a Worshipper's abilities depend on the Devil they made a pact with.”

“Aha…”

“Luckily, he was a newly appointed high-ranking member. He probably wasn’t used to his Devil powers.”

“No wonder he only used a sword.”

For powers gained from worshipping a Devil, he only showed them off once, right?

Guess he didn’t use them much because he was still getting used to them.

“He was that strong even then? That’s insane.”

“In his case, he was also a Remnant of the Lugard Kingdom.”

“Huh?”

“He was a Knight who survived the war. The cleanup squad confirmed his identity.”

“Wait, so the Remnants of the Lugard Kingdom and the Devil Worshippers joined forces…?”

“Yeah, you could call it a consolidation of power.”

So, the remnants just became Devil Worshippers?

More accurately, they worship Devils for revenge.

“Hey, um… since he was high-ranking, shouldn’t there be some kind of extra reward?”

I only found out now, but he was a bigger deal than I thought.

Plus, given time, he would have gotten used to his Devil powers and become even more dangerous. Stopping him early was a good thing.

I figured there might be some extra scraps for me.

“Hmm, well, Lorenz will take care of that.”

“Lorenz?”

“Yeah, I heard he said he'd give you a separate reward after your treatment was finished.”

“Oh.”

Right, I forgot about that.

I was so busy training with my new sword after I recovered.

“You should go see him soon.”

“Yeah, I have to go to the Mercenary Guild in a few days anyway. I’ll stop by then.”

Might as well kill two birds with one stone.

A few days after talking with Lowell.

I headed straight to the Astra Trade Company where Lorenz was located.

“Welcome.”

“Hi, I’m here to see Mr. Lorenz.”

“Please go inside.”

Guided by the same red-haired woman as before, I went down to the basement. Lorenz was sitting in the reception room, just like last time.

The only difference was that he was holding a newspaper.

Does he just sit here all day?

“You’re late.”

“I had things to do.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Lorenz, who had changed the color of his suit since the last time I saw him, spoke flatly and then stood up.

He picked up a box from one side of the reception room and placed it in front of me.

“Open it.”

“Okay.”

I opened the box as instructed, revealing a stylish black leather top inside.

“This is…”

“A Buff Coat made from monster leather acquired in our last trade.”

“…You guys actually do trading here?”

“Even if it’s just for show, we have to act the part.”

Aha…

So all the employees outside are actually doing legitimate trade work.

Anyway.

I took the leather top out of the box and held it up. It looked like a well-made designer top, but… it felt quite sturdy and surprisingly heavy.

“What kind of monster leather is this?”

“Highland Bull hide. They live in high altitudes, so their hides are supple and tough.”

Highland Bull… Yeah, I know that monster.

It's a mid-to-high-tier monster, and I'd heard its hide was popular.

This meticulously crafted attire truly is impressive.

“The design is excellent. Can I wear it as is?”

“Try it on. It should fit perfectly.”

Fit perfectly, he says? How did he know my size?

Still, it’s a gift, so I put it on right there.

“It’s a little big.”

“...It’s made to accommodate your growth.”

“Ah….”

Well, yeah, it’s not that bad. I can just tighten the straps a bit.

More importantly, my physique is already pretty big, and they made it even bigger than that.

Must’ve taken a lot of leather.

“It’s a bit heavy, but it’ll be much better than chainmail. Better protection, too.”

“It’s a wonderful gift.”

No exaggeration, it really is a great gift.

It doesn’t hinder my movement much, and it looks this good too.

I figure I’ll be wearing this a lot.

“Thank the Second Master, not me.”

“Second Master?”

“Yes, he’s the one who gave the reward.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Huh, I've never even seen his face, and I’ve received such a generous reward.

With this armor and the sword I borrowed from Gareth, I think I could beat the guy I fought the other day without getting seriously injured.

As expected, combat is all about the gear.

Anyway.

“Then I’ll be going.”

“Alright. It’s expensive, so take good care of it.”

Gift received. After saying my goodbyes, I left the Astra Trade Company.

Then, with a light step, I headed for the Mercenary Guild.

I’ve been there a few times now, so I know the way well.

*Ding-*

Arriving at the Mercenary Guild, I opened the door without hesitation.

“Excuse me….”

“...Is that him?”

I immediately felt all eyes on me.

“Can I help you?”

As soon as I spoke, their gazes drifted away.

The rumors are spreading, huh?

Well, Jebeon *is* quite the celebrity.

So, it makes sense that the rumors about him kowtowing to *me* have spread as well.

Regardless.

Ignoring the attention, I headed to the tavern inside the Mercenary Guild.

“Everyone’s here?”

“Yes….”

Jebeon and his men were gathered there, sitting down.

They watched me, seemingly tense, as I approached, clad in armor and with a sword at my side.

“You guys look like I’m about to eat you alive.”

I said, tossing the gold Mercenary Badge onto the table.

“This is….”

“Take it. The identity verification is done.”

“Thank you….”

Seemingly relieved that he finally had a Mercenary Badge, Jebeon quickly snatched it from the table and tucked it away.

“Did you bring the mission details?”

“Ah, yes. Here it is.”

I told him to pick up a mission last time. Let’s see if he did a good job.

Looking at the mission details Jebeon handed me, I saw the mission described with simple words and a picture.

Let’s see….

[Capture Werewolf Pack Leader]

“Werewolf pack?”

Honestly, I was expecting something like a High-Tier Monster subjugation.

The words on the mission details were a bit different from what I anticipated.

“Do they even form packs?”

Usually, they operate solo.

I’ve never heard of them forming packs.

“Ah, yes. They normally don’t.”

“But now they’re acting as a pack?”

“That’s why the Magic Tower wants us to capture the leader who formed the pack.”

“Ah.”

So, it's a special case, and that’s why they want it handled?

Well, it's not like it's the first time those shady Magic Tower bastards have done some biological experiments.

“When should we leave?”

“We’re ready to go immediately.”

Wow, already prepared?

I glanced at the mercenary’s bags; they were bulging.

As expected of veterans, they’re thoroughly prepared.

“However… about Fleet…”

However, when I suggested leaving immediately, Jebeon seemed hesitant. He probably thought I’d teach him Fleet before we left.

“I’ll teach you on the mission.”

“Huh?”

“We won’t be chasing Werewolves the entire time, will we? I’ll teach you when we have free time.”

There’s no suitable place to teach it here anyway.

We’ll be camping in the mountains, so I can have his men prepare while I teach him.

“Ah, yes….”

Jebeon’s eyes flickered, clearly thinking something.

“...Understood. Let’s go right away.”

Finally, he nodded as if he had no choice.

“Alright, let’s move out.”

And so,

Not as the slave Rain, but as the mercenary Kane, I embarked on my first mission.