Elena's offer awakened the gamer inside Kent.
Sure, he was a little smitten with her... okay, maybe not just a little. But when it came to contracts and mercenary work, there were far more important things to consider.
Maybe it was that shift back into his "gamer mindset," but as Kent looked at Elena, the system interface suddenly appeared before his eyes. To his surprise, it wasn't just his men's information he could see. He could now view the details of anyone who wasn't hostile toward him. It must have been a feature meant to help recruit new members in towns and settlements. Yet now, it seemed the restriction no longer applied. He could see the stats of any non-hostile person, anywhere.
There really was a difference between playing a game on a flat screen and living inside one.
And what he saw left him utterly shocked.
========== ELENA ==========
[Health] 51
[Stamina] 84
[Willpower*] 38
[Speed] 103
[Melee] 55
[M.Defense] 5
[Ranged***] 64
[R.Defense**] 8
TRAITS
[Determined] Always starts combat at Confident morale (+10% to all combat stats).
[Night Owl] No penalty to vision and Ranged, R.Defense during nighttime.
PERKS
[Dodge] Add 15% of the current Speed to M.Defense and R.Defense when in combat.
[Crippling Strikes] 33% easier to inflict injuries on opponent.
[Crossbow & Firearms Mastery] Cost 25% less Stamina to use Crossbow and Firearms. An additional 20% of damage inflicted by Crossbow ignore armor. Requires less time to reload Firearms.
[DisownedNoble]
Eleanor Silverhart
Eleanor Silverhart was born the daughter of Lord Silverhart and his second wife, Lady Merisse, several years after the death of his first wife. From the moment she came into the world, the shadow of her father's first family loomed over her. Her two older half-brothers, heirs to the Silverhart name, never accepted her as one of their own, while her mother—once a lady-in-waiting who rose to power through marriage—was despised by the household for her ambitious nature.
She grew up amidst quiet hostility and whispered accusations. Though she was bright, quick-witted, and graceful, her position within the Silverhart estate was fragile. She shared little with her father, who viewed her as a reminder of his weakness for her mother's beauty. Only her younger brother, born a few years later, gave her warmth in that cold home.
When Eleanor came of age, a bitter dispute broke out between her mother and the first wife's sons over inheritance and influence. The scandal that followed ended with her disownment under the pretext of "dishonoring the family name." Stripped of her title and fortune, Eleanor left the Silverhart lands with nothing but a small inheritance from her late grandmother and her determination to live freely.
She turned her sharp mind toward trade and built her own caravan business, traveling across the noble's lands to prove that her worth did not depend on her father's name. Though she rarely speaks of her past, the Silverhart crest still hangs hidden among her belongings—a reminder of the family that cast her out and the pride she refuses to surrender.
=========================
Elena's stats were, frankly, incredible. Kent had expected her to have decent numbers, she did look capable, but not this good. Her talents, traits and perks were perfectly suited for a ranged fighter too. For a brief moment, he was tempted to try recruiting her into his band, though he knew that would be nothing more than a fool's errand.
But that wasn't the real shock. What truly stunned him was her background information.
First off... what the hell? Kent and the rest of his company only had a short paragraph each, maybe two hundred words at most. Yet for this woman, the screen just kept scrolling. Nearly a full page of text. Was this system feminist or something?
And second, Eleanor Silverhart?!
Great. Just great. The very first woman he found himself drawn to in this world turned out to be the only daughter of Lord "Raiders-Must-Die" Silverhart.
The only fortunate thing was that she had already been disowned. Wait, that made him sound like a total asshole, thinking it was fortunate that she'd been kicked out of her own home.
"So... what are we going to discuss?"
Elena spoke up, a hint of impatience in her voice. Kent must have kept her waiting too long while staring at her information in shock. He quickly pulled himself together and slipped back into gamer mode.
"Well, first off... aren't you forgetting to mention something?" he asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.
"And what might that be?" Elena raised an eyebrow.
"Six thousand crowns for a forty-five-day trip is quite reasonable. But what about the crown per head we take down while on duty? Surely an experienced trader like you knows about that part of the deal, right?"
Kent's tone was casual but confident. No matter how charming you are, milady, that doesn't mean you can cheat me out of my hard-earned money.
Elena blinked, momentarily taken aback. She had thought he was just a simple and honest man, someone who had only recently started his sellsword company without knowing much about the business. Clearly, she had underestimated him. He might be new to the trade, but he certainly knew how the game was played.
"That was my mistake. How about forty per head, up to twenty-five heads at most?"
Elena sighed. With him bringing up the part of the deal she had intentionally left out, he now had the upper hand in the negotiation. She'd have to yield a little on his terms to make up for that blunder.
"That sounds good. Also," Kent continued, pressing his advantage, "our equipment is a little... underwhelming. Is there something we can do about that? Better gear would mean better protection for your caravan, after all."
"You and your men can choose what you need from our available goods," Elena said with a smile. His request was fair, and in her mind a reasonable captain deserved a reasonable bonus.
"And you can keep the gear of the men you take down during the trip," she added. "Or, if you prefer, we can buy it back from you at a fair price. Do we have a contract now, Captain Keldrak?"
She winked at him, no longer looking down on this man. He had proven himself a worthy captain, and deserved to be treated as such.
"It would be our pleasure to work for you, milady."
Kent smiled and nodded. That marked their first official contract as sellswords. He could already imagine the faces of his men when he told them the good news.
Now if only there were some way to recruit this woman into his band, that would make Kent a very happy man in every possible sense of the word.
-----
When Kent returned to his men, they were resting, bellies full and spirits high.
"That went well, eh, captain?" Ruthard smiled. He had been worried things might end badly like last time.
"Even better than you can imagine, bald preacher!" Kent grinned, clearly in an excellent mood.
"We already knew that, with how you and that woman were so engrossed in conversation... and the way you're grinning like a monkey now."
Skarn burst out laughing, his tongue loosened by drink and his courage boosted by the ale.
"Well, what can I say… 'that woman' happens to be our client now, so you better show some respect!" Kent shrugged.
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
"What?"
That got a reaction out of them except for Skarn, who was barely conscious by that point.
"I just signed our very first contract as sellswords," Kent said, puffing his chest with pride. "We'll be escorting her caravan to Castle Lanzenburg in the southeast. Around forty to fifty days of work."
Joltul, Ruthard, and Loki stared at him in stunned silence, waiting to see if he was serious. When Kent nodded, they erupted into cheers.
"For the company!"
"For the captain!"
Kent laughed and raised his weapon high.
"No—for Lady Elena!"
"For Lady Elena!!!" The others roared back, their voices echoing across the camp.
Hearing the shouts, Elena turned to her men who looked at her in confusion. She only sighed and smiled faintly.
She took it back. That Keldrak was indeed a simple man—childish, even.
Perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing. She thought.