"It feels a bit disappointing somehow."
As Grail smacked his lips, Frecella gave a faint smile.
"Still, the contract terms are good, so it's not really a loss. And that knight—apparently he played a major role in the suppression of the open gate in the Tiwyn territory."
"Oh, come on. No matter what, he can't be better than Sir Galfredic."
"They say he alone captured nearly half of the monster byproducts we brought in today."
"What? That's got to be a joke…"
"Deputy manager! Deputy manager!"
At that moment, the door flew open and a clerk rushed in, unable to hide his excitement.
"What is it?"
"The subjugation party that went to the eastern outer forest has returned! And that knight—Sir Eugene—he even rescued Sir Madrika and killed two Orc Warriors all by himself!"
"Gasp!"
* * *
The area in front of the mercenary guild building was in an uproar.
As the corpses of goblins and orc warriors were piled up one by one, the bodies of the fallen mercenaries were also laid out neatly to one side.
"For the free city of Maren, protected by faith, we honor the souls of those who willingly took up spear, blade, and shield…"
As Trevik, the guild master and recruitment officer, solemnly recited the eulogy, all the citizens of Maren removed their hats and bowed their heads.
Though they lived by selling their blades for money, it remained an undeniable fact that the mercenaries had answered Maren's call to arms and fought.
After a brief joint funeral, the priests who had come from the church, with the help of other mercenaries, carried away over twenty bodies.
Those who died fighting monsters could be tainted by corrupt energy, so this was both a customary practice and a final courtesy for the fallen.
"By the way, where did Sir Eugene go?"
Not seeing Eugene, the undisputed hero of today's battle, Trevik asked while looking around.
"He said he was tired and went back to the lodging first."
"I see. Well, considering he alone killed two Orc Warriors and dozens of goblins, that's understandable. Still, I heard Sir Eugene's javelin throwing was incredible?"
"Oh, don't even get me started! He was on horseback, let go of the reins, leaned his body back like this, and then—like lightning—he threw the spear! It flew a full fifty meters, pierced straight through the orc's chest, and still flew another ten meters!"
In reality, it had been about thirty meters and only stuck into the Orc Warrior's chest, but the mercenaries, who had been too busy fighting at the time, saw only the corpse and accepted the story as truth.
And one person's testimony played a huge part in how greatly Eugene's feats were being exaggerated.
"I am Ron of Madrika. I can say I've never seen a knight as brave, honorable, and true to chivalry as Sir Eugene since my master, Sir Kaphran."
The one speaking in the slick voice was none other than Sir Madrika himself.
"…Sir Eugene's spear strikes were like thunderbolts! And when he swung the battle axe in his hands, it felt as though the legendary dwarf warrior Fiorg had descended. As one who has devoted himself to the sword and walks the path of a knight, I respect Sir Eugene."
At the praise from Madrika—who was infamous for his arrogance and foul temper—those gathered around him burst into constant exclamations of admiration.
And although he did not have Madrika's influence, another man who had experienced Eugene even earlier added fuel to the crowd's curiosity with his story.
"I tell you, he ripped off a troll's head clean off and just held it up! Even though it was inside a dungeon, it looked like a holy aura was pouring down around him! And that wasn't all—after killing a troll cub and its mother, he fought a giant cave spider just a few hours later!"
"Alone? He fought mid-level monsters back-to-back by himself?"
As a mercenary swallowed hard and asked, Raban let out a long sigh and continued.
"Hah! Of course, I was there when we ran into the giant spider. I tried to help Sir Eugene, naturally, but…"
Fueled by past achievements, today's exploits, and just the right amount of exaggeration, the stories spread from mouth to mouth without anyone taking responsibility for their accuracy.
As a result, Eugene became a celebrity in Maren from his very first day.
* * *
"Really? How many were killed?"
"Seventeen. They're being cremated at St. Valiant's Church and placed in the columbarium. And about that knight I mentioned…"
"You said his name was Sir Yan Eugene, didn't you? What about him?"
Maren's mayor showed curiosity at Trevik's report.
The stories about Eugene had already reached the mayor's ears.
"The mercenaries may have exaggerated a bit, but if it weren't for that knight today, we would have let the Romers and the Orcs of the Brandish Mountains escape again."
"Oh?"
"So here's the thing. There were only three Orc Warriors, but still, this is our first victory in two years, isn't it? I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to publicize it on a large scale. What do you think?"
"Hm. Didn't they say that knight would soon be returning to the Tiwyn territory? He's leaving anyway—do we really need to go that far?"
"This isn't for Sir Eugene's sake. It's for the city's. Since last year, the royals' faction hasn't stopped nosing around, has it? At a time like this, an external knight answered our city's call for mercenaries and wiped out the Orcs of the Brandish Mountains."
"Oh! So you mean to send a message to the nearby lords who are watching the royalists' reactions?"
"Exactly. We show that we exert our strength not only within Maren but also for the security and stability of the surrounding regions. And meanwhile, what has that so-called great king and his royalist faction done? They've gone mad over money and mana stones and done nothing but exploit us!"
"Good. Very good."
"Right? If that message alone gets across, the effect will be considerable. So how about including it in the city administration report and distributing it to the neighboring lords and nobles as well?"
Although a great commercial city like Maren could not be ordered around lightly by the king, it was also not one of those cities on the Kalsbagin Peninsula that openly called for independence.
So even if it was a mere formality, it sent a quarterly city administration report to the royal capital stating, roughly, 'such and such events occurred.' Unusually, however, all combat-related activities involving the city were always included without fail.
It was a kind of show of force—and a warning—to the royal capital and neighboring nobles about the level of military power the city could mobilize at any time.
"That sounds quite good. But will the guild masters agree?"
The mayor merely represented the city; the true collective will of the commercial city of Maren came from the guild masters.
If more than half of them did not approve this matter, it would all be for nothing.
"For now, I'm in favor, and the Merchants' Guild will definitely approve as well."
"Really?"
"Yes. The Feilin Trading Company is personally taking care of Sir Eugene right now. They've signed some kind of contract related to a dungeon in the Tiwyn territory, and it seems to be a fairly big deal."
The current head of Maren's Merchants' Guild was the former owner of the Feilin Trading Company.
He wasn't the type to abuse his position to favor his own people, but since this matter regarding Eugene would benefit both the Merchants' Guild and Maren itself, he would surely support it.
"Oh ho, that works out nicely. Then let's proceed. Give him a generous reward and promote it loudly. Oh, yes. It might also be good for the city itself to give him a separate gift. What should it be?"
"Hm."
After thinking for a moment, Trevik snapped his fingers as he spoke.
"When I saw the knight earlier, he was only wearing chainmail. How about presenting him with a fine suit of plate mail? With our city's emblem engraved on it, small but visible."
"Excellent idea. The more that knight distinguishes himself, the more widely our city's will shall be known as well. No—since we're doing this anyway, let's go even bigger. The prestige of our city is at stake, after all."
"Yes."
Thus, the mayor of the wealth-overflowing commercial city showed a generosity commensurate with its riches.
* * *
"They want me to change lodgings?"
"Yes, Sir Eugene. By special order of the deputy manager! We've reserved the finest first-class room at a top-tier inn closely affiliated with our company. Naturally, all expenses will be covered by our Feilin Trading Company."
"Hm. Then I'm grateful. But what about the mercenaries who came with me? We'll need to travel together again when we return to the Tiwyn territory, so it would be inconvenient if we were separated."
Momentarily flustered by Eugene's words, Grail quickly recovered his smile.
"Of course, we will also book rooms for them at the same inn."
"And Feilin will cover that cost too?"
"…Yes."
Grail answered a little dejectedly.
"Good. Then let's move right away."
For reasons he couldn't quite explain, Eugene felt that luck was following him in many ways as he removed his helmet.
When Grail saw Eugene's revealed face, his own expression shifted from dejection to utter blankness.
'That face of his really is something…'
"Anything else you need to tell me?"
"Oh! No! Then I'll be waiting outside. Oh, our staff will move your equipment for you, so please take only what you need immediately."
After bowing deeply, Grail hurried out.
"Sir Eugene. I think we should also be careful of that rat-like merchant. The way he looked at you was just like those brats at my pond back then who stripped naked and—"
"Shut up and go take care of Sirion in the stables."
"Yes, sir."
* * *
With guidance from the employees of the Feilin Merchant Guild, Eugene and Partek's group moved to new lodgings.
Living up to its grand name, "The Celestial Constellation," the first-class rooms of the luxury inn were dazzlingly splendid.
The maple furniture and bedding, crafted with a master's meticulous care, were so spotless that not a speck of dust could be found, and the walls and floors shone smoothly as well.
"Someday, I have to live in a place like this. When we get a castle one day, we have to make it exactly like this. Flamboyant, refined, elegant! So fancy your jaw drops the moment you walk in! Plastered with gold everywhere too! Huh? Huuuh?"
Ignoring Mirian, who sounded less like a water spirit and more like a spirit of desire, Eugene quickly unpacked his belongings and went to Partek's room.
"Sir Eugene, you have arrived."
In a standard room that was far more spacious and comfortable than the cramped Rose Castle they had lived in, Partek greeted Eugene with a bright smile.
"I never imagined I'd spend the night in a room that costs two silver coins a night in my lifetime. It's all thanks to you, Sir Eugene."
"It's all the Feilin Merchant Guild's doing. By the way, once we receive the armor, we leave, right? Is there anything special we need to do before that?"
"Well, since they even gave us horses and moved us into better lodgings, shouldn't we at least meet the Feilin Guild's deputy branch manager once?"
"Should we?"
"Yes. It seems the deputy branch manager wants to build a good relationship with you, Sir Eugene. Of course, this generous treatment also considers their ties with the Tiwyn family, but it would be proper to express our thanks in person. And also…"
At Partek's signal, Raban and Glad quickly stepped outside.
"Today's battle results will likely be reported to the city lord. Director Trevik of the guild hinted at it earlier."
"The city lord?"
Eugene slightly furrowed his brows. Even if a city lord was not the same as a territorial lord, meeting someone in power was not very appealing to him.
"No matter how you look at it, the greatest contributor in today's battle is you, Sir Eugene. And it's been a very long time since someone wiped out the orcs of the Brandish Mountains. The city will definitely bestow commendations. Your identity will be fully validated."
"I see. So I have to meet the city lord?"
"Probably not. He'll send a representative to deliver the reward money, and if we're lucky, you'll receive a medal as well. Medals are useless anyway—you can just toss it somewhere."
"Hm. So there won't really be anything troublesome. Is that it?"
"Starting tomorrow, the notable figures of Maren may invite you, Sir Eugene."
"Hm."
Seeing Eugene's uncomfortable expression, Partek quickly added,
"If you want to refuse, you can use your injury as an excuse. Say that the left wrist you injured in the dungeon has flared up again—everyone will accept that. Oh, and say you cracked a couple of ribs too. It was a very fierce battle."
"That sounds good."
Eugene nodded in satisfaction. Partek was not only capable but also quick-witted.
"Oh, Sir Eugene. You have a visitor."
At that moment, Raban cautiously opened the door.
"A visitor?"
"Yes. They say they're from the Betisak Armor Workshop."
"The Betisak Armor Workshop…?"
It was one of the places they had stopped by earlier while shopping for armor and weapons.
Run by dwarf brothers, the Betisak Armor Workshop was the finest armor specialist in Maren.
Of course, upon hearing that a single set of ordinary plate mail cost eighty silver coins, they had immediately turned around and left.
"Greetings, Sir Knight! It is an honor to meet the Orc Slayer of the Bangel Forest!"
As Raban opened the door wide, a short, sturdy-built dwarf entered.
"Nice to meet you. You came looking for me?"
"Yes. An order was placed under your name for armor, and I thought you might have additional requests, so I came to check."
"Hm? I didn't place an order for armor with your workshop."
"What? That can't be right. Are you not Sir Yan Eugene? The knight who slaughtered the roaming goblins and orcs at noon today?"
"Well, that's true, but…"
As Eugene tilted his head in confusion, Partek cut in.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding. Sir Eugene ordered plate mail not from your workshop, but from the adjacent Rain Armor Shop."
"That can't be! Just a short while ago, the city lord himself placed the order! And not plate mail—full plate armor! That's why I came to take measurements and confirm the special requirements."
"Th-the city lord? And full plate armor!?"
Even Partek, who was usually not easily surprised, gaped in shock.
Eugene, not understanding what was going on at all, remained silent.
"Hmmm. Then how about this? Rain must have only just started hammering iron plates, so I'll go cancel that order myself. He's our brother's disciple, so words will carry some weight. However, you probably won't get the deposit back…"
The dwarf stroked his impressive beard and shrugged.
"You can think of it as using the plate mail deposit to buy full plate armor instead. What do you think, Sir Eugene? The city lord has already paid the full amount on this end, so this deal can't be withdrawn."
"Let's take the measurements."
No one would refuse when they were getting full plate armor—rather than plate mail—for ten silver coins.
(To be continued in the next installment.)