Chapter.2 A crisis is an opportunity is a crisis (2)
***
“Silver shout…. Silver shout… Ah, I found it!”
After entering the castle, I first went to the inn introduced by the guard captain. As the guard captain said, it wasn’t that difficult to find the inn. All you had to do was follow the neatly laid out flagstone street from the castle gate to the lord’s castle and find the loudest building.
“Whahahaha!”
thud! Kwasik!
“Whoa!”
“Oooooh!”
“Jess went over!”
“You bastard, like a dirty horse! “I bet everything on you!”
bang!
“You can tell even if you don’t go in. “It’s an inn run by the mercenary guild.”
The voices of drunken men can be heard from inside the swing door since early evening. The sound of something being smashed and a strange singing voice sung with a twisted pronunciation.
————
[Silver shout]
————
This is a sound that can usually be heard in places where mercenaries gather. To put it simply, the Mercenary Guild is an interest group for mercenaries. It is a group that acts for the convenience and benefit of mercenaries in various ways, from small scale request mediation, creation of mercenary cards and mercenary grades, to large scale, large-scale subjugation requests, mediation of conflicts between large-scale mercenary groups and lords. In the case of large-scale mercenary groups, they often receive requests directly without involving the union, but most receive requests through the mercenary union despite the fee due to convenience and safety.
Squeak –
The professor carefully but boldly pushed open the swing door and went inside.
“Kuh-! That bastard talks like that and I-”
“Hey Tolnar.”
“why! “It feels so good!”
Tuk-tuk.
“excuse me. that.”
“…Keuhum.”
With the professor’s appearance, the atmosphere in the bar, which had been heated up, calmed down even further.
Jerk. Jerk. Jerk. Knock,
click, click!
As the professor crossed the floor and sat down on a chair in front of the bar, the lively atmosphere from earlier seemed to have gone and only occasional whispers could be heard from the table.
‘what? Even if I were a foreigner, would I care this much? They’re mercenaries who are already famous for their nerves?’
– takealook: I think it’s worth it.
– professor: What?
– takealook: Look at your tail.
‘….Oops!’
Only then did the professor reflect on his condition.
He was a head taller than the others, had a physique that was so narrow that the space between the tables was cramped, and the doublet and pants on top were not only torn and tattered, but also covered in blood and dust. The wounds that had been chafed and broken on the way to Turan had already crusted over and turned into white scars, and blood was still seeping from the bandage across the scar. Add to this a grim face frowning in frustration due to the effects of a nervous breakdown – and you
have the makings of a maniacal serial killer who is as good as anyone can see.
– Jokass: The gate guards didn’t overreact. Even if it’s just me, if a guy who looks like this comes for interrogation, I cover him up and throw him in a cell.
-Speed Wagon: For some reason, he crawled all the way to the union building under that guise.
– Heungan Mandu: Hey, they pulled out their swords? Isn’t that the Bounty Hunter?
‘Shit! I couldn’t help it! I felt like my head would explode if I cared about this and that!’
In real life, the professor boasted a very meticulous personality.
That’s because if you wander around in the wasteland and leave even a small trace, people like psycho gangs will know how you came and come rushing in to try to eat up your shelter.
Anticipating the worst possible situation and preparing for the best. This was the first rule of wasteland survival.
However, the professor at GG would have a mental breakdown the moment he tried to think about several things at once, so he had to move with only one goal in mind.
Even while coming here to Silver Shout, the professor had to mutter ‘Silver Shout, Silver Shout’ like a crazy person.
The result is the current situation where mercenaries appear in a crowded bar looking like criminals.
Seaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa755755115555554557
There up, it looks like there is a friend who lives on a lot of cutlery too. “What brings you to our Silver Shout?”
What broke the cold silence was a fat man who appeared to be a bar owner who was cutting a large steak in front of the bar table.
‘Let’s not panic. Don’t be threatening. At the same time, we must not look down on ourselves.’
The professor spoke as low as possible.
“I was thinking about doing mercenary work.”
SGENG!
widely!
“aha! Mercenary work! yes! I was stupid. There is no way the person who came to the inn run by the mercenary guild would have come for other reasons. “It’s a face I haven’t seen before… Did you work in another city?”
“A little bit from Gideon…..”
Suddenly!
“Gideon? Ah, is that the old name of Moludic Castle? I miss this, yeah! It’s already been 20 years since Gideon changed his name after that mess. Nowadays, not many people get confused by the name. Well, what if it was ‘a person who has been trapped for a long time in a place where no news from the outside can reach’?”
“……”
I was impatient.
‘I answered wrong! It made me even more suspicious!’
gulp.
The atmosphere in the bar was so quiet that it became as cold as the tip of a black knife.
“So… I thought I’d show you something since I said I was here to receive a request because I had free time… Can you show me the mercenary badge for a moment? “I need to know what their level is.”
I came here to register again, but is it possible that there is a mercenary card?
“….I lost it.”
“I lost it… That’s right…”
Sigh! Shagak!
“Amy!”
“Yes, yes! master!”
The fat innkeeper sharpened the knife he used to cut meat on a polishing bar and smiled warmly at the waitress who was frozen in a corner.
“Bring some of this steak to Shirley at the top of Lazeris across the street.”
“Uh, bring me food?”
“okay. I’ll understand if you tell me it’s a token of your gratitude for the good treatment I gave you when I bought the wolf tooth last time. “Take Cindy with you.”
“You two together?”
“okay. Together. If you have time, you two can play outside. “It will be over in about 30 minutes.”
“Yes, yes!”
Crash!
The waitress seemed to have noticed something in the owner’s words, and quickly ran out of the bar, holding the hand of another waitress next to her.
As the only two waitresses left the tavern, the innkeeper smiled even brighter and said,
“Okay, there… what did you say your name was?”
“professor.”
“hmm. professor. That’s strange. “I thought I remembered most of the names.”
“What… name?”
The professor was sitting there pretending to be calm, but inside he was sweating profusely.
‘What do we do? Anyone who sees it is outright suspicious! Even a fool could tell that that guy evacuated the waitresses! I’m thinking of giving it a try! here! Right Now! ‘You’re planning on punishing me!’
Sigh!
The innkeeper placed a sharp butcher knife on the table.
“Of course, they are the ones who live like mercenaries, have no mercenary gang, and have to hide among similar-looking mercenaries without proper clothing or medical treatment.
Society promised to call such people criminals.
Even so, since you are the master of the mercenary guild, shouldn’t you at least memorize the names of all the escaped criminals around the city?”
Grumble!
Clap!
As soon as the innkeeper finished speaking, the sounds of chairs being dragged and metal screeching began to be heard from the table behind him.
‘Damn it! ID card! ‘Do you have any kind of ID card or something?’
“I don’t think it’s an average bet, so you won’t say anything if we all rush in together, right? “Well, it’s meaningless to question criminals’ legitimacy.”
‘They say he is a fallen nobleman! Is there no such thing as a family seal? Anything, anything…! Status window! Inventory!’
The professor felt like he was grasping at straws and opened a status window even though he knew there was nothing there.
Tiring-!
[Item: / ㅁ / – / – / – /]
‘Huh? ‘There is something!’
Since I used up all 4 bandages on the way back, something was taking up a space in my inventory that should have been empty.
[Item – Letter of introduction from the guard captain: A letter of introduction handwritten by Enoch, the guard captain at the Turan Castle Gate. On the front, the person holding the above letter of introduction is vouched for in the name of Guard Captain Enoch, and on the back, in hastily scrawled handwriting, ‘Cheer up! young people!’ The text is written.]
‘!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’
– Heungan Mandu: Wow, this?
– Soy Sauce Gay Bar: Hyungniyi!!!!
– Roru Drug: Did you see it? This is ‘The Power of Love’! Check out the heartbreaking romance between two men!
– Soy Sauce Gay Bar: I pity you for not knowing the beauty of love!
‘No way… right before I leave?’
[Good luck!]
The hand tapping my shoulder looked strangely busy, but I thought it was just unnecessary attention due to a nervous breakdown and ignored it! I can’t believe I prepared such a surprise! Thank you, Brother Enoch! I will definitely succeed and repay you!
The professor immediately took out the letter of introduction from his inventory and unfolded it in front of the master, who was raising his sword as if he was about to cut the professor.
“I don’t have a mercenary pack, but… I do have something like this.”
“Ha, what a useless trick- huh? Enoch?”
The innkeeper snatched the letter of introduction handed out by the professor, just as he was halfway across the bar.
“….I vouch for the above person in the name of Enoch, the captain of the guard. The seal is also correct. Even the handwriting…”
“If that’s enough… is that enough?”
“What happened?”
“Weren’t you a criminal?”
“I thought he was the guy who was recently famous for serial killings because he was so big and his bare hands were covered in blood…” “
Me too. Was it Ghibli? “What’s his name?”
“So that means it’s not him?”
The mercenaries who were preparing to attack from behind were also muttering among themselves, as if they had noticed that the situation was a bit strange
.
The innkeeper, who had been frowning for a while and glaring at the letter of introduction, suddenly turned his head towards the professor.
“Then what is that wound? “A wound of that magnitude wouldn’t have occurred from falling down somewhere!”
“On the way from Gideon to Turan… I met a troll.”
“A murderous troll from the northern forest?”
“I heard that the lord sent a knight last month… was he still alive?”
“So that guy met that troll and came back alive?” It’s not a
lie
. It’s true that I met Notum on the way. Anyway, Notum was quite a notorious guy. Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t come with you.
“Good Joe! Assume that it hurts! Then why did you come here instead of going to the temple or the dry goods store? “Unless you’re a criminal wanted somewhere…”
“That’s…”
‘What are you talking about? “Is there anything useful nearby… Ah”
The professor looked around for a moment, stood up, reached across the bar table, grabbed a wooden glass full of beer, and drank it down in one go.
Gulp Gulp
“Khaaah-. Because it was a hard day. I was so hungry for alcohol. More than a wound, more than tattered clothes. “That’s it.”
.
.
.
.
.
Good luck.
In a bar full of silence, the sound of someone dropping an empty beer glass penetrated the space, followed by
“Ugh”
and “Ugh!”
Someone’s uncontrollable laughter leaks out –
“Puhahahaha!!!”
“Hehehe! Alcohol! “I was hungry!”
“Whahaha! “This is a very proper mercenary!”
“then! A drink after a hard day is important! cancer!”
Soon, without anyone having to say who was first, bursts of laughter broke out. The only person who couldn’t smile was the innkeeper called Master.
“Hmm! “I’m so sorry!”
“Hahaha then! “Of course I should be sorry!”
“We only moved based on the signs sent by the Master! “If I did something wrong, someone could have been ruined!”
‘Did you send a sign? For some reason, it suddenly seemed like they were moving at the same time…’
It seems that the Master, who misunderstood my identity, secretly sent some signal.
‘A death event pops up without a moment to catch your breath.’
Troll at the starting point. I was almost dragged away by the guards at the castle gate. And now. Even the slightest mistake can lead to a knife hitting the back of your neck.
‘It’s a good thing I’m still alive.’
The professor sighed in relief and looked around. The bar is noisy again as if it had never been that way, and the master is fidgeting right in front of us.
In this case, it was clearly a mistake on the part of the master. It wasn’t just a mistake, it was a big mistake that cost lives.
Perhaps that’s why the man who had been so charismatic just moments ago was cowering like a dog with a bad stomach. As long as you are a member of the mercenary union, it will be difficult to escape the union’s rules. I remembered that the compensation in cases where one’s life was owed was quite high.
‘If you agitate well, you may be able to get a big share of the compensation, but… that’s a shame.’
I need to stay in Turan for a while and strengthen my internal stability, but I can’t pretend to be the master of the local mercenary guild. That was much more important than immediate profit.
“master. “Two glasses of the most expensive drink here.”
“ah? “Um, okay.”
Gurgling Gurgling –
‘It is a transparent red color and the part that is illuminated by the light has a burning golden color. A strong aroma that rises as soon as you pour it into a glass. Dragon Blood. ‘This guy is quite old.’
Seeing him pouring a full glass of expensive vintage Dragon Blood into a beer mug rather than a small glass made him look quite worn out.
The professor looked down at the two bottles of Dragon Blood in front of him for a moment, smiled like a villain, and handed one to the Master.
“This is…”
“I have a bad habit of drinking, so when I get drunk, I don’t remember much of what happened the previous day. “Dragon blood is enough to get me drunk, but I’m the type of person who can’t drink without a drinking buddy.”
The professor’s words were roughly ‘Have a drink and forget about it.’ It could be interpreted as ‘I’ll treat it as if it never happened’.
“….her!”
“….Cheers?”
“Hehehehe! Cheers? It’s good! Good! It’s amazing! This Waldorf Topric! I met the right person today! Ughhhhh!!!”
The mercenaries who were drinking around them all chuckled at the Master’s crazy laughter.
“You bastards!! Raise your glasses! “Our new mercenary wants to make a toast!”
“Hey Master! “I don’t have any alcohol?”
“Everyone sitting here can have a drink!”
“Oooooh!!”
“What’s going on! “Sonsaeng Tophric is selling all the alcohol!”
“Even if everyone here gets one, they will get less compensation than the union’s designated compensation, so just shut up and eat it!”
“Kihihihi! Then there is no need to decline!”
“hey! Amy! Here’s a glass of pale ale-”
“Amy isn’t here so you go and eat it, dude!”
After a brief commotion, the innkeeper Waldorf raised the glass handed to him by the professor.
“You had a hard time keeping up with my nonsense today! “You’re buying a drink in return for getting rid of the taste of alcohol, so drink it and forget about it!”
“Whoa!”
“Hyung in front! Did you say professor? “Well… um… I’m sorry!”
“Whoa!”
“Hahaha!”
“The Topric of the world was scared!”
“So… when do you drink alcohol?”
“Fuhaha! okay! You should drink it! Ego! friends! A new real friend arrived today! For professors!
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Taaagh!
‘But it didn’t end badly. ‘I received the favor of the Guild Master who oversees regional requests during a crisis. This isn’t bad at all.’
I felt like I got through this day safely.
***
