"Thank you."
"Not at all! Please rest comfortably then, lord Knight!"
The young clerk from the Pailin Trading Company bowed deeply and withdrew.
Eugene examined the chainmail and shortsword the clerk had brought.
He had left it to them, saying they would take care of it themselves—and indeed, they had reason to boast.
The chainmail and shortsword, which had been quite badly damaged from fighting all manner of monsters in the dungeon, had been restored to almost brand-new condition.
"As expected of a big city—the craftsmen here are skilled."
It was even better because it was free. Bilmor was clearly desperate to stay in Eugene's good graces.
"Of course, of course! The food is great and the booze is absolutely amazing. I just want to settle down and live here!"
Mirian, who had spent several hours rolling around on the table without flapping her wings even once, poked her head out of the large cheese she had been diligently gnawing on.
Of course, "gnawing" only meant that about a finger's breadth had been eaten away—it was hardly noticeable.
"We're heading out soon, so get ready. If you want to eat more, stay here."
"Go on, go on. This humble one needs some rest. Oh, this is niiiice!"
Rubbing her bloated belly as she sprawled out, the spirit was looked upon with exasperation by Eugene as he stepped out the door.
"You've arrived, Sir Eugene."
"Hm? Oh."
For a moment, Eugene almost didn't recognize him, but then he nodded.
Having properly washed and even trimmed his hair and beard, Partek looked like a completely different person.
"I look a bit more human now, don't I? If I were alone, I'd just go around like usual, but since I have to attend on you, Sir Eugene…"
"It's fine. Let's go."
Still unaccustomed to seeing such a burly man acting shy, Eugene replied offhandedly and started walking.
"By the way, does Young Master Pellid intend to stay at the Pailin Trading Company now?"
"Fortunately, Bilmor likes him as well. It's common for merchants to raise one or two assistants, so the company says they won't object."
"That's good news. Among merchants, there are many illegitimate sons of noble families who can read and do arithmetic. Young Master Pellid will probably do well."
House Tiwyn needed a trading company that could steadily and reliably dispose of the mana stones and monster byproducts coming out of its dungeon.
In that respect, the Pailin Trading Company, based in Maren, was the best possible choice—but even so, entrusting everything to them outright was inevitably a little unsettling.
However, Eugene's recommendation of Pellid dispelled Kamara's concerns.
As the lord's younger brother and a knight's squire, Pellid's status was more than enough to prevent him from being treated lightly by caravans and trading companies.
More importantly, Pellid could read, write, and do arithmetic, and he was quite quick-witted. If he learned the business well from Bilmor, he would soon be able to more than pull his own weight.
And Bilmor, whose position within the company was unstable, would do everything he could to hold on to his connection with House Tiwyn.
He knew full well that teaching Pellid properly and maintaining a good relationship was the only way he could continue handling the Tiwyn family's dungeon business.
Lastly, by handling the monster byproducts jointly with House Tiwyn instead of selling them separately, Eugene was also saving a large amount in commission fees.
In other words, Eugene, Kamara, Pellid, and Bilmor were all benefiting.
'So selling the byproducts through a Tiwyn family representative would bring in more profit, huh… honestly.'
Partek had suggested it indirectly out of concern for Eugene, but he had never expected it to become so thoroughly intertwined, and he shook his head in amazement.
Thinking back on what he had seen in the dungeon, the knight still sent chills down his spine—yet to think that he was also this sharp-minded.
'Looks like my instincts are still pretty reliable.'
"Now then! Let's head this way! I'll guide you to the most skilled armorsmith in all of Maren."
Resolved to follow Eugene whether it meant life or death, Partek strode confidently through the streets of Maren.
Eugene couldn't afford to buy dwarven-made weapons and armor. Anything made by dwarves was unimaginably expensive.
Instead, he was able to purchase equipment with very good performance for its price.
Partek introduced him to several craftsmen who sold sturdy and practical gear, and Eugene bought what he needed at relatively reasonable prices.
"Plate mail has to be made to order, so it'll take a bit of time, but since you don't have any special requirements, it should be finished within two or three days. That said, I'm a bit surprised you didn't buy a longsword."
"Somehow, a shortsword just fits my hand better."
Though it felt a bit of a waste after having it freshly repaired, Eugene sold his old weapon and bought a new shortsword and a rondel dagger.
And following Galfredic's advice, he also purchased two small battle axes and three throwing spears.
Including the plate mail, he spent more than eighty silver coins. But without Partek, he would've spent at least twenty more, so it was still a fairly thrifty purchase.
Besides, he still had a sizable amount of money left from selling the monster byproducts to the Pailin Trading Company, so there was no urgent worry about money.
"Now, shall we go look at horses as the final stop?"
"We should."
At the thought of finally owning a horse of his own, Eugene felt a flicker of excitement.
After all, a knight and his horse went hand in hand.
But then—
"Partek, brother!"
"Sir Eugene!"
At the commotion-filled voices, Eugene and Partek both turned their heads at once.
Glad and Raban were coming running over in a hurry.
"What brings you two here? Weren't you going to the guild to pay off your debt?"
"We already paid all that back. But that's not what matters right now."
"What's going on?"
Catching his breath quickly, Glad spoke.
"You've heard that roamer bands have been appearing frequently around this area lately, right? They've just shown up on the eastern outskirts."
"What? Then the city guard can just take care of it, can't they?"
"They're armed goblins—well over a hundred of them—and they're being commanded by orcs."
"What? Orcs? How many?"
"If there are a hundred goblins, then there should be at least two or three orcs, right?"
"Hm!"
Partek's eyes widened as he hurriedly turned to Eugene.
"This is no ordinary matter, Sir Eugene."
"Because of the orcs?"
"Yes. They likely came down from the Brandish Mountains. Every few years, the orcs there gather up the roamers and come down like this. There are a lot of them, and they're fast at hit-and-run tactics."
After a moment of hesitation, Partek seemed to come to a decision and continued.
"Sir Eugene. I think the City of Maren will hire knights and mercenaries to deal with them. How about joining in?"
"Me? Is there any particular reason I have to?"
"It's a perfect opportunity to build your reputation. And what's more, a certificate bearing the seal of the Mayor of Maren is far more useful than one stamped with Lord Tiwyn's seal."
"Is that so? Hm…"
As Eugene pondered briefly, Partek carefully added,
"And in cases like this, since it's a city recruitment, they do pay a reward. More importantly, any loot taken from the enemy belongs to the participants…"
"I'll do it."
As if they had expected this all along, Partek and the two mercenaries broke into bright smiles.
Earning pay through commissions was part of a mercenary's life, but the real essence was battle.
Killing enemies and looting them was the rightful privilege—and sacred duty—of mercenaries!
And with an outstanding knight like Eugene fighting alongside them?
"We will follow you as well, Sir Eugene!"
Feeling a burning passion as if he had returned to the days when he first became a mercenary fifteen years ago, Partek headed for the mercenary guild together with Eugene.
* * *
"Black Scorpion Mercenary Band, Garfield and ten others! Horned Helm Mercenary Band, Glick and sixteen others!"
At the roll call of Trevik, the head of the Maren Mercenary Guild and the recruitment officer, the mercenaries who had been gathered in disorder shot their hands up one after another.
Although Maren was a large city, the number of mercenaries was limited, and with more than half of them having left the city for commissions and other reasons, fewer than a hundred people were now gathered at the guild.
"Why aren't we being called?"
"Anyone with fewer than five successful commissions, get lost! You'd only be in the way if you went!"
When a burly-looking mercenary in decent equipment barked this out, the man who had raised his hand shrank back.
"Total of forty-two men, Sir Madrica."
"That's not bad for frightening off goblins, even if they'll probably just be loafing around. In any case, anyone who panics and runs from a mere roamer mob—I, Ron of Madrica, will personally execute them. Make that clear, recruiter."
"Of course. I place my complete trust in you, Sir Madrica."
Already long accustomed to such confidence and arrogance from knights, Trevik bowed politely.
Regardless of his position as the head of the Maren Mercenary Guild and recruitment officer, at this moment it was the wisest course to keep on the good side of the knight who would drive off the roamer mob.
"Wait a moment! Guildmaster Trevik, we'd like to participate as well!"
"Huh?"
Thinking yet another third-rate nobody was making a fool of himself, Trevik frowned deeply and turned his head.
"Huh! Partek?"
"There are four of us in total. Would that be all right?"
"More than all right! If they're mercenaries who succeeded in a gate subjugation, I'll make room even if there's none!"
At Trevik's booming voice, all eyes gathered in front of the guild turned at once.
"Oh! Isn't that Partek? I heard about the gate subjugation!"
From mercenaries who spoke up familiarly,
"The dungeon gate subjugation? These guys?"
To those who reacted in shock,
"What, you're already back? Weren't there only three of you? You already took on a rookie…"
And even mercenaries who had taken part in the Tiwyn territory dungeon subjugation together and returned to Maren earlier.
Among them, the last group was the most astonished.
Because the knight who was slowly lifting the visor of his helmet at Partek's side was someone they could never forget.
"It's Sir Eugene!"
"Sir Eugene! When did you get here!?"
Several mercenaries who had participated in the gate subjugation rushed over in a crowd.
Though they had once seen him in a form little different from a demon king, to them Eugene was still a hero.
"This morning. But are you all fighting the roamers too?"
"No. We made a big haul, so we're resting for a while. We just came out to watch. But to think Sir Eugene is stepping in…"
The look in the mercenaries' eyes began to change little by little.
The image of Eugene tearing the troll's head clean off was still vivid in their minds.
If a knight who had driven off a mid-level monster alone was joining them, then even if the enemy was orcs commanding goblin hordes, perhaps…
"Sir Eugene? And who might that be? Step aside."
The one who pushed through the mercenaries and approached was the knight who had been with Trevik.
"I am Ron of Madrica. A knight who has trained for four years as the squire of Sir Caphran."
For some reason, he felt different from Galfredic.
He was tall and solidly built, but unlike the blunt and rough Galfredic, there was something vaguely greasy about him.
"I am Yan Eugene."
"So you're the one who carried out the Tiwyn territory gate subjugation? I heard Sir Galfredic went—did you enter as well? What about the monsters? What kinds appeared?"
Galfredic wasn't exactly silent either, but this knight was even worse. Eugene's brow furrowed a little on its own.
Still, he recalled Galfredic's advice that unless they were openly picking a fight or meeting as enemies, there was no need for knights to be on bad terms with each other.
"I carried out the gate subjugation together with Sir Galfredic. The monsters were kobolds and gnoll packs, three trolls commanding goblins, and a giant cave spider."
And he answered in the same casual tone.
"Is that so? Sounds like you had a rough time. Maybe it wouldn't be bad to enter a dungeon together someday. By the way, you're also planning to fight for Maren? I'll give you credit for your spirit, but don't expect me to go easy on you. So do as you please."
After firing off his words in a rush without even listening properly to Eugene's reply, Madrica turned around and went straight back the way he had come.
It was absurd, but since this was the typical behavior of knights even before Eugene's regression, he simply let it go.
"Black Scorpion and Horned Helm! Follow me! You're at least somewhat usable! The rest of you can follow or not—do whatever you want!"
As Madrica spurred his horse forward, the mercenaries who had been singled out hurried after him.
Fortunately, the horse was not galloping at full speed, so the mercenaries barely managed to keep up.
"Sir Eugene, was it? Are you also planning to participate in the roamer subjugation?"
At Trevik's exceedingly polite question, Eugene nodded.
"That is my intention. But the thing is, I don't have a horse—"
"Sir Eugene! So this is where you were!"
At the unfamiliar voice calling him, Eugene turned his head in that direction.
"You are…?"
"Yes,. I'm Grail from the Pailin Trading Company—the one who greeted you yesterday. I've brought your horse, Sir Eugene."
"My horse?"
At Eugene's bewildered question, Grail gave an awkward smile and shifted his gaze to the side.
Eugene's eyes naturally followed.
There stood a sleek black horse, its head, neck, and hindquarters covered in dark gray barding, pawing the ground proudly.
'Oh!'
Seeing Eugene's eyes widen slightly, Grail stepped in closer.
"It's from the Argyle Stable, the same bloodline registered horses supplied to imperial knights. Our deputy manager of the Pailin Trading Company especially selected this one for you as a gift! It would be our great honor if you would accept it."
At Grail's low voice, Eugene narrowed his eyes deeply.
He didn't know exactly how things had ended up like this, but it seemed that an enormously expensive warhorse had just fallen into his lap.
(To be continued in the next episode)