Chapter 6: How a Mercenary Accepts a New Request (2)
“Why do you look so worried? Is it because of the penalty fee?”
“That clause about paying three times the fee really is a problem.”
“Come to think of it, you fought that guy for quite a while, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. That bastard. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be so stressed right now.”
The mysterious black-clad man who set fire to all the goods that Persona was escorting for the Kor Merchant Group.
Now, talking about him in front of the injured mercenaries— who had been beaten up by him — made Regina grind her teeth in anger.
He was tall, fast, and skilled with a sword.
But what made her the most furious was the way he ran off like it was nothing, as if she didn’t matter. That was the most insulting part.
“How am I supposed to find him?”
“You can’t. No way. The guy was completely covered in black. Just calm down. We’ll make the money back.
If it comes to it, we can just go fight in the northern war.”
“Yeah. Smell some blood again. It’ll be great.”
It sounded like a joke, but they had just touched the one thing Regina never wanted for her guild: sending them to war.
Mercenaries in war are used as human shields at the front lines — that’s why they get paid upfront.
One of the men even had a wedding coming up.
“So what, you’re telling me to sit back and run the guild while our members bleed on the battlefield?”
Seeing her angry, twisted expression, Shanro finally realized he’d said the wrong thing and scratched his cheek.
“Ah… sorry. I won’t say that again.”
“Don’t ever say something like that. I’m leaving.”
Regina stormed out, angry at herself for being so powerless that she had to consider such things.
The remaining mercenaries all sighed heavily.
They’d clearly seen how she held back tears just now.
“She really should just rely on us more…Why did she have to grow up so responsible?”
“It’s because of that useless Captain. When he gets back, we’re gonna crush him.”
They cursed Gellen with growing fury, but the gloomy air in the infirmary stayed heavy.
The healer, who had built up the courage to come in again, quietly gave up and turned away.
Outside, Regina tried to shake off her gloomy thoughts.
‘I hope we got the rest of the payment.’
She hurried back to the Persona guild, thinking about the money that should’ve arrived by now.
If she had known in advance that the message waiting for her was to come in person to collect the money,
she would’ve stuffed poison needles in her boots to stab someone with.
“This is ridiculous.”
“Right?”
Even Gael agreed with her.
Rosie, who always smiled, looked annoyed too.
“They said to come to Balmen to get the money — and not just to come, but specifically asked for me to do it.”
“Miss, I’ll go. I’ll make sure we get every coin.”
Rosie’s braided pigtails bounced as she huffed with every breath.
“No, I’ll go myself. Not only did they delay the payment, now they want me to come get it. I think they owe us extra for the trouble.”
“I want to go too!”
“You’ve got a job to finish, remember?”
At Regina’s scolding, Gael’s excited hands dropped in disappointment.
Besides, she had no plans to drag a whole crowd with her just to get money.
“Rosie, come with me.”
“Yes! I’ll get ready right away!”
Rosie was only 17 and didn’t have much field experience, so she always lit up whenever Regina asked her to come along.
“Well, I better get moving too.”
“Regina, don’t let them push you around. Those nobles always look down on mercenaries.”
Regina gave a small smile at Gael’s worried advice.
Mercenaries being treated like dirt wasn’t anything new.
“When have you ever seen me back down? And besides, the only people I treat well are our clients — the ones who hire our guild.”
She ruffled his messy red hair and stretched her arms. They would have to ride hard to Balmen without rest.
She had to return quickly —
Persona’s finances were falling apart.
Leaving Gael standing there, playing with his own hair sadly, Regina headed toward the stables.
Regina and Rosie left Persona and rode like the wind.
This wasn’t like a normal escort mission with wagons and heavy loads. They rode fast and free, like salmon swimming upstream.
Thanks to that, what normally took over a day and a half was done in half a day.
“Balmen hasn’t changed at all since I was last here.”
From halfway up the mountain, Regina looked down at the land ruled by Duke Julius and murmured.
“Well, it was a ruined land once.”
Balmen was a cursed, barren region, once owned by a count’s family.
But that family was wiped out for treason about 60 years ago.
Since then, the imperial family had managed the area — but without a proper lord, nothing had improved.
And Balmen wasn’t even a strategically important place.
‘Honestly, if just one big merchant group moved in, this place might become useful again.’
It had been three years since her last visit, and Balmen still looked like an abandoned city.
But Regina tugged the reins and shook off her useless thoughts — she wasn’t a resident here.
She figured the new Duke Julius had been living here for at least a week by now.
Yet the state of the place — the broken gate, the dusty halls — looked like it was still empty.
“Is this really the duke’s castle? Even that tiny manor I visited once was better than this.”
“Shh, Rosie.”
Because there were so few servants, even Rosie’s whisper echoed loudly through the halls.
She quickly covered her mouth.
Finette, their guide, forced a polite smile to hide her clear discomfort.
To her, a shabby castle meant more chances to exploit the estate for personal gain.
‘But why would they invite filthy commoners like this to the castle?’
Finette looked down at the two young ladies.
They had just ridden for hours, and their outfits showed it.
Dirty leather pants and boots covered in mud — or maybe worse. Who knew?
Despite their confident faces, those grimy boots were an eyesore.
They reminded her of her own father, who cleaned horse manure in the stables when she was little.
Her wrinkled brow deepened. She didn’t want to treat these stinking commoners as guests.
She had already lost his break time because the head butler refused to deal with them.
She had also heard these two were mercenaries —the type of people who’d do anything for money.
If she’d seen them on the street, she wouldn’t have even looked twice.
“So, what business do you have at this castle?”
Her tone had turned haughty without her realizing. Every important event in the castle was something she had to report to the Countess of Renzienr.
“I’ll speak directly with the duke. It’s hard to explain to someone not involved.”
Regina folded her arms and gave Finette a cold glance.
She’d met plenty of nobles like this.
All pride and no substance — always annoying.
“I’m the head maid of this castle. I serve the duke.”
“But you’re not part of what happened between me and him, are you?”
It was that familiar look again —
the one people gave when judging her for being a female mercenary.
She had seen it her whole life.
She gently pulled Rosie behind her, thankful that Rosie was a head shorter than her.
“The duke doesn’t speak easily with others. So just tell me. I’ll help.”
Help? Or threaten?
Regina narrowed her eyes.
From what she had seen, as long as Valentin took his medicine, he had no problem speaking just fine.
‘Is she lying just to get rid of me?’
Regina was starting to get irritated.
She had ridden half a day just to get here — for a late payment.
“Are you refusing to take me to the duke?”
“I said I’d help.”
“Well, I’m saying I don’t need help. Should I say it more clearly?”
“You! Do you think this is some dirty street for mercenaries like you to wander around?! This is a duke’s castle, and I’m the head maid!”
Finette’s voice finally exploded.
No one had ever dared talk back to her — especially not a lowly mercenary.
Regina sighed.
Just like Persona’s rules said,
mission details were only for those directly involved.
‘Calm down. She’s just a loud civilian. Just think of her as a barking dog.’
She had dealt with worse.
So far, she could keep her cool.
“Maybe mercenaries are too lowly to understand speech…”
Until Finette crossed the line.
“Lowly mercenary?”
“Yes. What kind of woman becomes a mercenary? And then sneaks around a duke’s castle asking to speak privately with the lord? You don’t seem like a mercenary — more like a whore in disguise. And of course a crazy man would fall for that.”
Her eyes moved from Regina to Rosie, and finally stopped at Regina’s chest, where her robe had slightly parted to reveal her figure.
Just as I thought.
Finette snorted, seeing that Regina still didn’t respond.
Then, Regina pushed back her hood and stepped forward.
She was tall — tall enough to tower over most women.
And more importantly,
she knew how to fill her gaze with rage and killing intent.
‘Oh no, Miss is mad now…’
Behind her, Rosie peeked out at the startled Finette.
She wasn’t a strong warrior or soldier.
Soon, she’d feel the fear from that pressure too.
“Say it again. Say it one more time, and I’ll show you — whether I’m a whore or a mercenary.”
