"Listen, we're not raiders..."
Kent began, then paused, waiting for the usual interruption.
...
Five seconds passed.
...
Nothing happened.
"So you're not raiders... and?"
The young woman asked impatiently, clearly waiting for him to finish.
Kent and his men were dumbfounded. This was new. For once, no one had cut him off. Kent's eyes lit up, finally, he could actually finish his excuse. Skarn stared in disbelief, then grudgingly took out ten crowns and dropped them into Loki's waiting hand.
"As you can see, we were raiders before... but no longer. Now we're sellswords, doing honest work instead of killing and robbing people!" Kent explained eagerly.
The young woman and her guards burst into laughter. After a moment, she composed herself and said mockingly.
"That's quite ironic because as sellswords, killing and robbing people should still be your main work."
So that was the reason for their laughter. Kent could feel the mocking stares from his men behind him. Damn it, he just could not keep his calm around a woman. Keldrak's combat experience had done nothing to help him with that.
Thank heaven for the tattoos on his face, at least they were useful in hiding his flushed cheeks.
"Well, I can understand what you are trying to say. But you really should work on your excuse."
The young woman gave the order for her men to stand down and jumped down from the cart. The hood of her coat hid most of her face, but Keldrak could tell she was young, twenty at most. Perfect, he preferred younger women.
"Would your men care to join us for a meal and some rest, dear sir raider-turned-sellsword?"
The young woman asked with a mocking elegance. That reminded Keldrak that they still did not know each other's names.
"Keldrak, that is my name. And it would be our pleasure, lady..."
"Call me Elena!" She said.
Another groan sounded across the field. Elena glanced toward it and smiled.
"Maybe we should clean up the battlefield first. I still have a scum to kill."
"We can take care of that for you."
Keldrak said, seeing that Elena and her guards were in bad shape. Many were injured and there were fallen among them. They needed treatment fast. He motioned for Ruthard to go help. He had taught Ruthard basic first aid and sanitation. The monk was no doctor but he would be far better than what this era "first aid" usually offered.
"It would be unbecoming for me to let a lady dirty her hands before a meal after all," Keldrak added, his tone soft as he tried to be gallant.
Okay, he admitted it. He was trying to impress her. It's a male instinct to show off in front of a female. He could not fight it, nor did he want to.
Elena looked amused, then nodded.
"I will take you up on your offer then."
"How do you want his death to be, quick or slow?"
Keldrak drew his cleaver and stepped close to the sprawling brigand leader.
"As slow and painful as possible if you don't mind."
Elena replied casually, her voice calm and polite like she was ordering a drink in a tavern.
"Your wish is my command, milady."
Aside from Ruthard now busy treating the guards, all his men shook their heads in unison. They had never expected their captain to be such a wench-chaser. He even sounded like a knight now.
If Keldrak had known what they were thinking he would have snapped back at them. That's just how virgin nerds are. Do not judge us you damn ruthless killers.
-----
"Do we actually trust those raiders, milady?"
One of the guards approached Elena and asked quietly.
"Well, without them we would already be dead, so it's not like anything worse can happen, right?"
Elena replied calmly. In that situation, if those raiders had truly wanted to maximize their gains, they would have waited for her caravan and the brigands to fight to the death, then swooped in to claim everything. Instead, they had come to her rescue. Elena wasn't someone who trusted others easily, but their actions had earned at least a measure of it, for now.
Not to mention their leader, the man who introduced himself as Keldrak. Setting aside his clumsy attempts to win her favor, there was something different about him. Especially his eyes. Elena had never seen eyes so clear and honest before, eyes that shouldn't belong to a ruthless raider, much less the leader of one.
"How mysterious..." Elena whispered to herself.
A woman just can't help but be drawn to a mysterious man, especially when he's incredibly good-looking and carries that strong, untamed air about him.
-----
"You're heading south?" Elena asked Kent.
Their group had made camp a short distance from the main road and were now sharing a meal. Most of the men were completely absorbed in eating, especially Kent's men. It was their first time tasting such a meal, full of flavor and variety. The guards, too, ate quietly, leaving Elena and Kent to talk.
Elena had taken off her hood while eating, and the sight left Kent speechless. He had never seen such a beautiful woman before, not even in his previous life.
She looked to be in her early twenties. Soft curls of crimson hair framed her fair face, catching the firelight like threads of molten gold. Her eyes held a keen intelligence beneath their warmth, and every movement carried the quiet grace of noble upbringing. There was confidence in her posture, yet a trace of playfulness lingered in her smile, an alluring contrast that drew every gaze her way.
Needless to say, Kent was mesmerized. Such a beautiful woman, and she didn't seem the least bit unsettled by killers like him. He told himself not to get his hopes up, but he couldn't help being drawn to her.
"Um... Keldrak?"
Elena tilted her head slightly, puzzled by his silence.
"Eh, ah, what! Oh, right, right, to the south we were..." Kent jolted out of his daydream.
"Makes sense. No northerner would want to have anything to do with raiders," she said with a knowing nod.
"Where are you from, lady Elena?" Kent asked, his tone carrying a hint of hope.
"I've spent most of my life in Silverhart's territory, until I started my own caravan."
Great. Silverhart, first place on the raider-hater list. Kent stammered.
"Eh? T-then why..."
"Like I said, I run my own caravan," Elena replied with a reassuring smile. "I've been to many places and met all kinds of people. Instead of judging someone by his background, I'd rather believe in what I see with my own eyes."
She spoke with quiet confidence. After talking with him for a while, Elena's gut feeling had been confirmed. This man was simply trying his best as the leader of a new company. He still lacked knowledge of the world, likely because he'd spent most of his life among his northern tribe, but he was strong and sincere. Perhaps with time, he could truly build a worthy band of sellswords.
And with that thought, a new idea came to her mind.
"This might sound a little forward, but... is your company open for business right now?" Elena asked.
"What do you mean?" Kent asked, a little surprised.
"What I mean is, do you take on caravan escort work or not? Because I happen to have a caravan in serious need of protection right now." She glanced around at her men and let out a quiet sigh. With only four injured guards and two caravan hands left, they were far too vulnerable to the dangers of the road.
Elena went on speaking while Kent just sat there, mouth agape, too stunned to respond.
"We're heading south as well. Our destination is Castle Lanzenburg, one of the two largest towns in Hedin. I can offer you six thousand crowns for the trip, which should take another month and a half. Of course, we'll also provide your daily meals. What do you think?"
Elena had half-expected him to jump at the offer, especially given how obviously smitten he was with her. And to be fair, it wasn't a bad deal for both side. They might only number five, but four of them were seasoned fighters, and Keldrak himself was especially remarkable, his strength no less than any hedge knight she had seen in tournaments.
However, to her surprise, the man sitting before her suddenly gave off a completely different air. A professional one, if she could put it into words.
"That's a tempting offer, milady..."
Kent said with a grin, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Let's discuss the details of the deal, then."