CHAPTER 53…………………
. Service
The lord led us to his castle.
“Isn’t this worse than Icelock?”
Ronan was right.
The bricks making up the outer wall were cracked and crumbling in places.
It looked like it would collapse if Hog just rammed into it with his body.
The guards standing watch weren’t much better off.
Their armor and helmets were grimy with age, and the blades of their spears were dull from neglect.
And there weren’t even many of them.
The situation was worse than I had expected.
“That’s why he made a contract with us.”
Well, that was good news for us.
“But why did you name the group Three Coins?”
“Yeah, I’ve been wondering that too.”
“I wanted something that sounded cheap.”
“…So that’s why it’s Three Coins, huh?”
“…Don’t call me simple ever again.”
“Hey, that’s not simple—it’s intuitive.”
While we were bickering like that—
“Come in.”
We entered the castle and arrived at Günther’s office.
“Let’s draw up the contract, then.”
“Of course.”
He’s more meticulous than I thought.
Günther pulled a piece of parchment from his desk and began scribbling with a quill as he spoke.
“In the name of the House of Weinhelm, I hereby guarantee ‘Three Coins’ and their attendance at the Ice Maker’s banquet. They will obey the orders of their employer, Günther von Weinhelm, and prioritize the safety of the Weinhelm family. Additional rewards will be provided for any notable achievements.”
He handed the completed contract to us.
“Will this suffice?”
“We’ll need to define the amount of the bonus more precisely.”
“That depends… on how much payment the Ice Maker family will offer…”
“You’re the one employing us, Baron. We don’t take money from anyone but our employer.”
At my firm words, Günther’s face stiffened awkwardly.
He only had the signing payment to work with—
just enough to protect himself without angering the Ice Maker family.
The ‘bonus’ was probably meant to be paid out of whatever reward he squeezed from them later.
Deferred payment.
But since he couldn’t be sure the Ice Makers would even pay him, he didn’t dare say it aloud.
“There’s a reason we’re called ‘Three Coins.’”
I decided to help him along a bit.
“…A reason?”
“Because we take a coin for every job we handle.”
“A coin, you say…?”
“In this case, we’ll count one coin per task completed.”
“Completed? What kind of task?”
“Anything. Beasts, monsters… or people.”
“That’s absurd. An outrageous demand—”
“I’m gold—one gold coin.”
Günther stopped mid-protest and stared at me.
“Silver gets one silver coin.”
I jerked my chin toward Ronan.
“And Bronze gets one copper coin.”
“One… copper coin?”
Günther’s eyes gleamed.
He had only personally witnessed Ronan’s abilities.
It was Ronan’s combat prowess that made him decide to hire us in the first place.
And now he could get that strength for just one copper coin per task?
No way he’d turn that down.
“Truly? Even if I don’t order you to act, you might not move at all.”
“I’d prefer that, honestly. Less hassle.”
Günther looked at me for a long while, then finally nodded as if making up his mind.
“Very well. We’ll contract on those terms.”
“A wise choice.”
After adding the bonus clause, Günther reviewed the document once more.
“Heinz, bring Myla.”
“Yes, sir.”
The butler named Heinz left and soon returned with a young woman.
She had deep brown hair and warm hazel eyes—pleasant-looking overall.
“You called for me, Father?”
If she hadn’t addressed him as ‘Father,’ no one would’ve guessed she was his daughter.
Even Ronan and Hog looked a bit surprised.
…She must take after her mother.
“I need your magic.”
Günther handed the signed contract to Myla.
She nodded and took it in both hands.
“.”
As Myla placed her hand on the parchment and chanted, a golden light spread out from it.
It was a spell that compelled the fulfillment of a contract.
Like a , it imposed restrictions and penalties for breaking the terms.
The spell itself wasn’t particularly rare or difficult, but its effect was undeniable.
Merchants considered it essential, and there were even mages who specialized in this sort of contract notarization.
Even most noble houses had at least one in residence.
But having his daughter perform it?
I tilted my head, not understanding, and Günther smirked.
“What’s the matter? Did you think the House of Weinhelm had fallen so far that we can’t even afford a contract spell?”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
“No matter how dire things get, I’d never let my only daughter go without an engraved contract mark.”
“…”
That’s exactly what’s strange about it, though…
Still, given this world’s twisted magical system, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
Someone capable of using contract magic could ensure safety in many situations.
And for a lord, it made managing agreements much more reliable.
…Even so, the magic system of this world is seriously messed up.
It’s binding, sure, but not particularly powerful.
If you have a way to resist magic, you can ignore it altogether.
Ronan and Hog didn’t have such a means—but I did.
『 Magic interference detected. 』
『 The counterpart is using on the contractor. 』
And a strong one, at that.
『 Contractor resists. 』
『 Interference from has been nullified. 』
Whum.
The magical interference vanished from around me.
No one noticed, of course.
Even with the mark engraved, mana couldn’t be sensed by ordinary people.
Not even Myla, who cast the spell.
“Well then, I look forward to working with you.”
“As do we.”
Completely unaware, Günther smiled contentedly and extended his hand.
I grinned back and clasped it.
“Pleasure to be working together.”
I’ve got myself a good deal here.
A few days later.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Günther summoned us after days of idle waiting at the castle.
“It’s time to depart.”
The banquet was to be held in the northern capital—Icecrown.
“You’re outsiders, so you probably don’t know the northern geography. Icecrown lies at the center of the North, and aside from the mountains where Icelock stands, it’s the highest point. So make sure you dress warmly.”
If he knew we’d come down from Icelock, I wonder what face he’d make.
Aside from Günther, his escort knight, and us, only about thirty people were heading to Icecrown.
“Can this even be called an army fit for a rebellion?”
“They’re short on resources. Sending thirty men is already half their force.”
Ronan and Hog shook their heads at the sight of the gathered Weinhelm soldiers.
“The fewer, the better.”
I pulled on my thick cloak.
“Easier for us to stand out.”
And so, we left the Weinhelm territory of Feldstein behind.
“It’ll take about four days to reach Icecrown. We’ll have to camp one night, but tomorrow night, we can sleep in a castle.”
The distance wasn’t great—it was the terrain that made it difficult.
The roads were so rough that riding horses was almost pointless.
We had to struggle through treacherous ravines and frozen valleys.
And the blizzards were relentless.
Even after a night in a cave, it took another full day to reach the halfway point.
One of the Ice Maker family’s territories—Frostal.
“Impressive.”
Ronan muttered, gazing at the distant walls.
“It looks like they carved it straight out of a cliff!”
Hog gaped in awe.
The walls weren’t made of neat bricks, but jagged stones piled high in wild formation.
The dark blue and black hues shifted with the light, making the surface seem to shimmer and move.
“It’s definitely a step up from Feldstein.”
“Well, it is the Ice Maker family’s domain.”
Günther clicked his tongue irritably.
“Don’t act like bumpkins. Unless you want to be looked down on.”
He said it curtly, but the warning carried genuine concern.
And as soon as we entered Frostal, we saw why.
“Who goes there?!”
“Günther of House Weinhelm! Open the gate!”
At his shout, the heavy gate creaked open.
Crowds had already gathered outside—rough-looking mercenaries, hulking brutes, and rows of soldiers in gleaming matching armor.
“Make way for Baron Weinhelm!”
Günther’s escort knight bellowed with authority—but no one moved.
Instead, they snickered, glancing at us mockingly.
“The nerve of these people…!”
“Forget it. Just ignore them and—”
“Oh, Günther! Long time no see, my dear friend!”
Günther’s expression froze.
A tall man in shining armor stood ahead, flashing white teeth as he spread his arms wide.
“Long time no see, Rogher.”
Rogher Craster.
The Craster family had long lived by the hunt.
Every head of the household was an exceptional hunter, and the current lord, Rogher, was no exception.
They spent their lives roaming the northern tundra, tracking beasts and monsters.
To Rogher, there were only two kinds of people:
Hunters and prey.
And to him, Günther was prey.
He’d thought so since they were children, back when their families still interacted.
Small, frail, and weak for his age—
Rogher used to torment him constantly, calling it “friendship.”
And even now, in their forties, nothing had changed.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“All the northern lords were invited, weren’t they? Of course I came.”
“Oh, I know, I know—but I know your situation better than anyone.”
“What situation?”
“Come now, Günther, what are you trying to hide from an old friend?”
Rogher grinned warmly—deliberately so.
“You came to Lord Valhar’s banquet with… what, a few dozen men? You should’ve told me—I’d have lent you a hundred soldiers myself.”
“I’ll just take the sentiment.”
Günther’s face flushed red.
Excited prey always dances right into the hunter’s traps.
How pathetic.
“Or did you bring Myla along? With her looks, I’m sure Lord Valhar would be delighted to take her into his bed.”
The reins creaked in Günther’s clenched fist.
His face turned crimson, eyes glinting with murderous rage.
Like a trapped animal thrashing helplessly.
But what could he really do?
He was only prey, after all—
Thud!
“Wha—?!”
A horse’s hoof lashed out from behind.
Rogher instinctively stumbled back—and fell flat on his back.
Clop.
The horse stepped right between his legs.
“Told you to move.”
“What…?!”
The blond man atop the horse gave a mocking smirk.
Then, ignoring Rogher completely, he turned toward Günther.
“This one’s on the house.”
Günther, who’d been trembling with fury, suddenly burst into laughter.
…He’s laughing?
“Hyah!”
Before anyone could react, the blond man spurred his horse forward.
The soldiers blocking the way had no choice but to scatter aside.
“My apologies, Rogher. I’m tired, so I’ll go on ahead.”
Günther chuckled as he rode through the newly opened path.
“You dare…!”
Rogher leapt up, grinding his teeth.
The prey had slipped out of the trap and walked away unharmed.
