Chapter 3: Arkand
I began observing Leonard’s actions by using the prophet’s magic illusion as his shadow.
After burying Carmine, Leonard and his companions headed towards a town called Arkand.
It was a diverse town. Originally, it wasn’t particularly large, but being close to the battleground between the Demon King’s army and the allied forces of various countries, it had flourished as a transit point for supplies.
I knew this as information, but I had rarely visited in person, and it was my first time staying there even as an illusion.
In any case, it was crowded and bustling with people.
Knights and soldiers returning from the battlefront, taking rest in this place. Mercenaries and adventurers who came to earn money by participating in the war. Refugees who had fled from countries invaded by the Demon King’s army.
Due to the sudden increase in population, the lord’s governance wasn’t reaching everywhere, and public order was quite disturbed.
Chaos – such a word seemed fitting.
“It’s lively, but it’s not a very nice town, is it?”
Leonard said in a loud voice on the main street of the town.
“Because of the refugees flowing in, there’s no public order to speak of. The town is a mess. Don’t you think so, Efsei?”
“There’s no space, I guess. This town has grown suddenly. Everything is in short supply,”
Efsei’s voice was mechanical in response to Leonard’s cheerful chatter. Efsei might not feel anything about the situation in this town.
“Look, they’re sleeping on the roadside. It’s a nuisance,”
Where he pointed, there was a family that had clearly evacuated from another country, all huddled together under a single large piece of cloth, not moving an inch.
A small child from that family looked at Leonard and his companions with eyes that seemed to be seeking help, but Leonard snorted and ignored the gaze.
“Everywhere is in this state now. Almost all countries are spending their power on war, and these people are left behind. It’s sad, but…”
Nina, walking a little behind Leonard, looked at the refugees with pitying eyes.
“Those without power or money have no choice but to end up like this. It hasn’t changed since the battle of Malica. Don’t show unnecessary sympathy, Nina. Half-hearted charity is useless. It’s like sprinkling water in the desert. Don’t waste money,”
Leonard said, seemingly cautioning Nina.
“It’s not a waste. By saving the people in front of me, my heart is saved,”
Nina approached the small child who had been looking at Leonard and gently pressed a silver coin into their hand.
“Please don’t let others notice,”
she instructed the child, who suddenly showed a bright smile. She probably feared that other refugees would rush over. She seemed used to this kind of thing.
Seeing this, Leonard clicked his tongue.
“What you’re doing is just self-satisfaction. It doesn’t solve anything, and trying to help only the people in front of you is the height of hypocrisy.”
Leonard seemed unable to tolerate his companion giving charity. It was as if he was saying that the hard-earned money was being wasted. And to prevent other refugees from approaching, he directed intimidating glances around. What a stingy man.
“These people’s lives are worth less than a single gold coin. It’s a bargain, but neither kings, nobles, merchants, nor anyone else will buy them. Because they think there’s no value in it. It’s easy to buy, but it’s just troublesome. If you take your eyes off them for a moment, they’ll die easily. The lord of Arkand must be at a loss about what to do. He’s probably thinking about how to throw these people out of the town now.”
At Leonard’s extreme words, I stopped praying and returned my consciousness to my own body.
Perhaps what Leonard was saying was correct. The refugees were people I should be saving.
But I didn’t want to hear such things from an adventurer who bore no responsibility. As if to say, what do you know about my suffering?
I sat deep in my chair and lowered my eyes.
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A sea of people as far as the eye could see. We were making our way through it, heading towards our destination.
Arkand wasn’t much of a town originally, but since the Demon King’s army started attacking, it had flourished as a transit point for sending supplies to the front lines.
When someone becomes unfortunate, someone else becomes fortunate in proportion. It’s a common story.
And unlike humans, the superior demons had accurately targeted Arkand, which had become a key location. It was obvious that striking here would give them an advantage in the war situation.
What was fortunate for humans was that the lord of this town was a fairly decent person, and he had used the money he earned to hire adventurers to protect the town. Thanks to that, they were able to defend against the first attack. Although it seems quite a few of the hired adventurers were sacrificed. That’s why they’re recruiting new adventurers now. The reward is good. Probably because so many adventurers died in the previous battle, they ended up using less money than planned. Based on that, they’re offering a success reward assuming about half will die. If we can repel the Demon King’s army, they’ll probably pile on even more money.
This is an opportunity.
“We’ll take care of the demons. So, multiply the reward by ten,”
I said as soon as we met the client at our destination. However, since the client is the lord himself, he doesn’t meet directly with commoners. Instead, a knight under the lord’s command dealt with me.
The place was a room in a building that served as the guards’ station. It was a simple room with just chairs and a desk, no decorations, as if to say this is enough for dealing with adventurers.
“Ten times is too much. Besides, we can’t discriminate against other adventurers,”
the knight was a middle-aged man with some white in his hair, giving off an experienced air.
“It’s only natural because we’ll work more than ten times harder, right? We’re battle-hardened warriors who survived the fierce battle of Malica. We can’t be treated the same as other adventurers. We can leave if you want? If you say you can withstand another attack, that is.”
“Survivors of the battle of Malica? …I’ve heard about that. Stories of adventurers who are skilled but demand exorbitant rewards. So it was true. You fought as volunteers then, but now you fight for money?”
The knight frowned.
At those words, Nina’s face showed an expression of pain, and Sofia glared at the knight with irritated eyes. Efsei seemed uninterested, gazing out the window.
“With that, we’ve finished our lifetime’s worth of charitable activities. We’ve used up all our remaining conscience. Even God would forgive us for using the rest of our lives for money,”
I clearly conveyed that I had no intention of lowering the price.
“But if you understand our skills, this conversation will be quick. We’ve never failed a single request, you know? Not even once. If you leave it to us, you can say goodbye to the demon leading the Demon King’s army. You’ll be able to sleep peacefully at night. You want that peace of mind, don’t you? That peaceful sleep. You might not have understood its value in peaceful times, but it’s the most important thing in life, you know? Moreover, it’s something you can’t often buy even if you pay for it.”
Indeed, peace of mind is important. Moreover, it’s a troublesome thing that you can never fully obtain even if you think you have. Humans are genius creatures when it comes to finding anxiety.
“If you miss oit it here, there might not be a next time,”
I traced my index finger across my throat.
The knight showed a restrained expression. He probably doesn’t have confidence in defending with just the current forces.
“I’ll seek the lord’s judgment,”
the knight replied, creating deep wrinkles between his eyebrows.
“We’ll leave this town tomorrow night. If the monsters attack before then, we’ll be the first to run away. We don’t want to get caught up in a battle for free,”
I said as I stood up. My companions followed. Nina bowed her head slightly, looking apologetic, while Sofia wore a triumphant expression. Efsei was expressionless as usual.
The response was sufficient. After having a drink and waking up, a nice answer should be waiting.
In the end, we didn’t have to wait until the next day for an answer. That night, we received a message saying they would “provide ten times the reward.”
“The deal is done. We’ll defeat the demon leading the Demon King’s army,”
I told my companions as we gathered around our usual table at the tavern.
“I’ve got some information too. Looks like the attacking Demon King’s army was quite numerous? Seems they retreated without pushing too hard in the previous attack. So the enemy still has plenty of strength left. Leonard, do you really think you can handle this?”
Sofia had an expression on her face as if she was mocking me. Being from a noble family, she can be a bit haughty at times. And contrary to her attitude, she was concerned about participating in the war. Wars, where collective strength matters, aren’t really suited for adventurers.
“I’ll do it. The pay is good enough. The rest is just risking my life. Isn’t that what being an adventurer is all about?”
“It’s not just about the money. What’s important is whether the request is worth taking on.”
Nina doesn’t place much importance on money. She judges based on whether the request is worth accomplishing. That’s quite typical of a priestess.
“Don’t you think this one is worth it?”
“Yes, it is. There are many people in this town. I think we should fight to save them. Not for the money at all…”
Nina doesn’t seem to have any objections to accepting the request, but she appears to feel guilty about demanding too much of a reward.
As always, Efsei simply said,
“I’ll leave it to you.”
It’s helpful that he’s so understanding.
While waiting for next chapter , I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :
- Monster Meat Led Me to the Throne
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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