Jun led Aiden toward the mercenary guild.
They were going to see if there were any requests related to the potion recipe Chloe had requested earlier.
“The mercenary guild… It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
The last time Jun and Aiden had visited the guild was about two months ago when Jun absorbed the White Whale Mercenary Group.
There’s still about nine months left for us to operate in Blackout this year.
“But didn’t we already receive a request from the Gilenn Merchant Guild? Is there any reason for us to take a request from the mercenary guild?”
“Building a reputation is important, but so is maintaining it.”
“Hmm… I think I understand what you mean.”
“And we also need to renew our mercenary badge.”
“Oh, that’s right!”
Maybe it was thanks to their success in the Goblin Lord subjugation and the hidden stage raid.
The mercenary guild had sent a letter to Jun and Aiden.
The letter stated that the White Whale Mercenary Group had been promoted to silver rank, and they were instructed to update their badge.
“Let’s see…”
After that, Jun looked over the request board.
The requests weren’t limited to just the Black Forest.
“The Barren Rock Zone. Here it is.”
“The Barren Rock Zone, huh…”
“It’s a place famous for its mines. Managed under the imperial name too. Not exactly a popular spot for people like us though.”
Just as Jun said, unlike the other boards, hardly anyone paid attention to the request board for the Barren Rock Zone.
“The reason you chose this place… Ah! Is it because of Level 2?”
“That’s right. There’s a layer stairway there that leads to Level 2.”
Although the Black Forest also had a stairway to level 2, it was far from the specific region of level 2 that Jun was aiming for.
After selecting a few collection requests from the board, Jun gathered the request slips and headed to the counter.
“Are you here to take on a request?”
“Yes, and I need to renew my mercenary badge as well.”
When Jun handed over both the request slips and the badge, the receptionist briefly looked them over and then widened his eyes in shock.
“Wh-White Whale Mercenary Group?”
“That’s right.”
“Wait right here! Don’t move!”
“…….?”
As the receptionist hurriedly ran into a room behind the counter, Jun looked puzzled.
“Um, I think we’ve become more famous than we realized, senior.”
“Is that so…?”
Jun knew they had performed well during the raid, and their reputation had likely risen quite a bit, but… Was it enough to make the counter receptionist react like that?
In the game, having a high reputation didn’t cause any big changes, so Jun was simply confused by the receptionist’s exaggerated reaction.
Meanwhile, the receptionist who had gone into the room burst out.
“Come inside! It seems the branch leader has something to say.”
***
Bradden, the branch leader of the Black Forest Mercenary Guild, looked at his calloused hands.
It had already been five years since he retired.
It didn’t feel like much time had passed, but the years had flowed by like a river.
Before I knew it, my name had disappeared from the industry.
And new talents had flooded into the mercenary world.
That fact was somewhat bitter, yet there was a certain pleasure in watching these new talents emerge.
And now, standing before him were the very people who had recently stirred up the mercenary world the most.
“So, you’re the White Whale Mercenary Group?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Kukuku. I was wondering who these big shots were, but you’re just a bunch of rookies!”
It might have sounded like he was picking a fight, but in reality, it was a bit different. It was simply the rough way mercenaries spoke.
“Even so, to have achieved this much already… This is why I’m sitting in this chair. I’ve been rude. I’m Bradden, the one in charge of the Black Forest branch.”
“I’m Jun, the leader of the White Whale Mercenary Group.”
“Mercenary Aiden.”
“Hmm! Once again, welcome. It feels strange to see such famous figures with my own eyes.”
Aiden cautiously raised his hand at Bradden’s rather friendly reaction. After all, wasn’t this man a legendary senior in the industry?
“Um, are we really that famous?”
“Huh?”
At Aiden’s question, Bradden looked at him as if he were seeing some strange creature.
His gaze soon shifted to Jun.
When Jun shrugged his shoulders, Bradden slammed his desk and burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!! Are you kidding me? Of course, you are! It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
In all his years in the industry, Bradden had never met such clueless idiots who didn’t know the extent of their own accomplishments.
Sure, Aiden looked like a noble’s son, but the other one. Wasn’t he a mage?
Mages were notorious for their strong egos, yet here they were, reacting like this.
To him, it was so funny he could barely contain himself.
“No way, you really had no idea! Well, as your senior in the field, I guess I should fill you in.”
The irregular Goblin Lord or the hidden stage in the raid didn’t even need to be mentioned.
But what Bradden considered their greatest accomplishment was something else entirely.
“You’re the ones who brought back the mercenary badges!”
Before the Goblin Lord subjugation even began.
Jun and Aiden had stolen dozens of mercenary badges from the Goblin village to erase Commander Ginovan’s stain.
However, Bradden’s eyes widened at Jun’s next question.
“…How do you know about that?”
“Huh? You two didn’t know? Ah, wait. Right… So that’s how it all happened.”
It was only then that Bradden realized why the two had reacted the way they did.
“You were planning to give all the credit to Commander Ginovan, weren’t you?”
Of course, that made sense.
At the time, Jun needed Ginovan’s favor more than the attention of the mercenaries.
Their own reputation was less important than Ginovan’s, so they had given him all the credit.
Back then, it was only known in the industry that Ginovan had used his forces.
“Commander Ginovan must have told you about it.”
“That’s right. He came by recently and told me your names.”
“Ah… so that’s why.”
Jun now understood Bradden’s favorable reaction.
It made sense.
Returning another’s mercenary badges to the guild was a highly commendable act among mercenaries.
They had returned dozens of mercenary badges, so such a reaction wasn’t strange.
“Kuku, that’s funny. Even though he’s fallen, a noble and a fortress commander at that is trying to claim your fame.”
“Hmm.”
Jun didn’t expect that part either.
I should send Sir Ginovan a letter later.
It was probably his way of maintaining connections.
“Anyway, the reason I wanted to see you in person was because of that. Of course, there are other things I’d like to talk about too.”
“You mean the renewal of our mercenary badges.”
“Yes. Congratulations. You can now consider yourselves a veteran mercenary group.”
In just under two months, they had become veteran mercenaries.
They reached a status that bronze-level mercenary groups would normally need an entire season of non-stop work to achieve.
“Thank you.”
“You’re surprisingly calm. Most people act like the world belongs to them when they reach silver rank.”
“This is just the beginning. So, is that all you wanted to talk about?”
“Kuku… as I said earlier, there’s quite a bit I want to discuss.”
This time, Jun spoke first.
“It must be about the ancient book, right?”
“Ahem! You knew?”
“While I appreciate the warm welcome, this doesn’t seem like something the branch leader should be handling personally.”
“You’re quite perceptive for a mage. You’re right. There’s been a fair amount of interest lately in the whereabouts of the ancient book.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t say anything about that. We have our own reasons.”
Bradden must also be associated with some political faction, which is likely why he’s asking such questions.
But Jun had already declared his political neutrality to Count Mordenain in the founder city.
Because of that, no matter what Bradden said here, Jun had no intention of handing over any information about the ancient book.
“I see. That’s a shame!”
Surprisingly, Bradden gave up more easily than expected.
Or at least, it seemed that way.
“But there’s something I’m curious about.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Isn’t it about time you expanded the size of your mercenary group?”
“……”
Jun remained silent for a moment at Bradden’s words.
He needed to figure out the intent behind them.
Ah, is he pointing out the ghost member?
For a mercenary group to remain active, it typically requires at least three members.
Jun had filled that third spot with a ghost member named Cheol-soo… or rather Charles.
If Bradden were to dig into that, the mercenary group Jun had worked so hard to raise to silver rank could be dismantled in an instant.
Just as Jun’s worries were about to deepen, Bradden spoke again.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s not as serious as you might imagine. I just want to recommend a talented individual if you’re planning to expand your mercenary group.”
“…The branch leader, yourself?”
When Jun stared at him as if to ask why he would do such a thing, a brief flicker of emotion passed through Bradden’s eyes.
“There’s someone I’ve been looking after for a bit. But I can’t keep them under me forever.”
“Why us, of all people?”
“Well, it seems like you’ve got quite an appetite for talent.”
That was spot on.
Typically, bronze-level mercenary groups prioritize quantity over quality in their recruits.
At that level, quality doesn’t vary much, and even if you do find a capable person, they often leave for a better mercenary group soon after.
So mercenaries with similar abilities tend to stick together and handle requests through sheer numbers.
But Jun had yet to recruit any additional members.
A mercenary group without fame or numbers is ripe for rebellion.
There were plenty of such cases, and for Jun who had a basic distrust of people, it was an inevitable choice.
But I already have someone in mind.
Someone who was likely wandering around the Barren Rock Zone by now. Of course, that wasn’t certain information either.
Still, since it wasn’t something he could refuse outright from the start, Jun continued the conversation.
“But what exactly are you trusting us with?”
“Well, you sure are suspicious. Though, I suppose caution makes sense from your perspective.”
With that, Bradden explained his reasoning.
“Of course, I’ve noticed your achievements in the Goblin Lord subjugation and the raid. But more than anything, I liked your composure. I heard a bit from Colton, that prickly guy.”
“…Colton?”
He was the mercenary captain Jun had teamed up with during the dungeon raid.
“That young rascal praised you quite a bit.”
“Hmm.”
Hearing such words directly made Jun feel a bit embarrassed, but he didn’t avoid Bradden’s gaze.
“In that raid, which had been so successful for so long that no one even remembered the last failure, something unexpected happened. While everyone else was consumed by fear and anger, only your group remained rational.”
Bradden had now spent 25 years surviving in the mercenary world.
During that time, he had seen countless talents rise and shine.
However, those who later made a name for themselves and became renowned weren’t the naturally talented ones, but those who had clawed their way up from the bottom.
And those kinds of people all had one thing in common. They knew how to watch situations with a rational mind.
Because of that, Jun would undoubtedly survive.
Jun swallowed a bitter laugh.
“This is making me so embarrassed I can’t even lift my head.”
“Kuku, humble, I see. So, what will you do?”
Jun responded as if he had been waiting for the question.
The answer had already been decided, after all.
“Choosing without even seeing their face? That’s a bit harsh.”
“Huh? Oh, right! Haha! I got too caught up in telling my story.”
Braden laughed heartily, slapped the desk once again, then shouted,
“Maya! Come in!”
“……?!”
At the sound of the name, Jun’s eyes wavered greatly.
It was a name he never expected to hear in a place like this.
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