Chapter 14

Under the still bright sky, Aldis parted ways with Gréche and the others and hurried towards the Stopover Inn.

Today’s reward was two gold coins for the four Dispair slain, four gold coins and two silver coins for the fourteen Beast King pelts, and one gold coin and four silver coins for the fourteen Beast King fangs. After deducting one gold coin and two silver coins as Gréche and the others' reward, the net earnings came to six gold coins and two silver coins. It was a good day’s work, enough to stay at an overpriced inn for a month.

Although the money in hand had decreased due to Gréche and the others' reward, for Aldis, the effort of skinning the prey was more troublesome than the hunt itself. Aldis had been wavering between spending the whole afternoon doing it alone or carrying two at a time to sell them as they were. Gréche and the others' help had come just in time.

(Perhaps it would be more efficient to hire porters and gatherers?)

Such thoughts crossed his mind, but he quickly shook his head.

This time, Gréche and the others had agreed to help because they were returning to town anyway. Additionally, they felt grateful for Aldis saving them from a dangerous situation. If he had recruited strangers from the start, would anyone have agreed to help?

Aldis was aware that he looked young. Probably, no one would be interested in hiring someone who looked like a beginner. Moreover, bringing along an incompetent person would reduce hunting efficiency, and there was a risk of them betraying him.

(Then, it might be better to rely on Gréche and the others from the start.)

While his combat skills were still those of a novice, his character was not a problem. Aldis could cover for their low combat abilities. In the grasslands, he could hunt with ease while protecting four people.

(Shunshuntei, right? I’ll go there tomorrow morning.)

With these thoughts in mind, Aldis arrived at the Stopover Inn. As he entered the front door, Kasiba, with her hawk-colored hair tied up, greeted him.

"Ah, welcome back, Aldis. You’re quite early, aren’t you?"

"Back. Don’t worry, I’ve earned enough to cover the room rent."

Aldis confirmed that there were no other guests around before speaking.

"What about those two? Did they cause any trouble?"

"I checked on them every two hours or so... They don’t talk at all. They eat their breakfast and lunch, but when I go in, they’re always huddled in the corner of the room."

"They’re probably scared."

"Eh!? Do I look that scary!? No way! That’s a shock!"

(Probably not just you, though.)

To the twins, everyone except themselves probably seemed terrifying.

Without showing any of these thoughts, Aldis said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I’ll go get dinner," and passed by the dejected Kasiba to head up the stairs.

When he knocked lightly on the door and entered, the scene was exactly the same as when he left in the morning. In a corner of the seemingly empty room, the twins were huddled together, just as before.

Aldis removed his equipment and sat in the provided chair, looking out at the scenery outside. Since he had returned much earlier than planned, it was still bright outside. It would be a while before dinner was ready. Not feeling like going out in the city at this hour, Aldis began to doze off in the chair.

In the silent room, Aldis’s drowsy mind began to drift. The twins remained motionless and silent.

Eventually, overwhelmed by sleepiness, Aldis lay down on the bed and fell asleep.

Aldis woke up when the sky was dyed red with the setting sun, just about to sink behind the mountains.

"It’s about time for dinner."

That evening, the twins’ behavior was the same as the previous day. Even when Aldis placed trays of food in front of them, they didn’t touch them until he fell asleep.

The next morning, Aldis finished his early breakfast and left the inn, entrusting the twins to Kasiba.

He walked briskly through the city, which was still under the pale sky before sunrise, heading for Shunshuntei, where Gréche and the others usually stayed. Aldis knew where it was, as it was a well-known inn for novice mercenaries. He arrived without getting lost after about fifteen minutes and requested the receptionist at the counter to call Gréche and the others.

Told to wait in the dining room, he sat down for about five minutes before a man with chestnut hair and a small girl with crimson hair descended the stairs from the upper floor.

"Ah, I thought it was someone else! Aldis, what brings you here so soon after yesterday!?"

"Shh... Don’t shout, Geo... It hurts my head..."

Next to the lively Geo, Konia held her head, groaning. She seemed to be suffering from a hangover.

"Where are Gréche and Ralph?"

"They’re still in bed. They’re still feeling the effects of yesterday’s drinking."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"They’re so hungover they can’t get up..."

Konia succinctly explained Geo’s vague statement. It seemed that after parting ways with Aldis, the four of them had drunk heavily until morning. They had drunk so much that Gréche and Ralph had passed out, and Konia was also in a miserable state.

"Geo looks fine, though. Didn’t you drink much?"

"Hahaha!"

Geo laughed without answering the question.

"Be quiet, Geo... It hurts my head... And Aldis, Geo is a bottomless pit, a sieve. He drinks more than any of us, but the next day, he’s completely fine. It’s so frustrating..."

As soon as she sat down, Konia buried her face on the table, holding her head. Her orange eyes peeked out from under her semi-long hair, which was lying flat on her face. Her appearance could be accurately described as that of a "worn-out person."

Indeed, Aldis thought to himself. Despite his slender and somewhat small stature, which gave an impression of shyness, this long-haired young man seemed to be a heavy drinker. He wore a refreshing smile, completely opposite to Konia’s groggy expression.

"So, what brings you here today?"

Geo asked on behalf of the prostrate Konia.

"Since then, I’ve been thinking—"

Aldis explained his thoughts. The help yesterday had been unexpectedly beneficial to him. He wanted to hire Gréche and the others for a while longer. Of course, he wanted to discuss it with Gréche and the others to see if it was convenient for them.

"I see. I can’t give you an answer without consulting Gréche and the others, but personally, I’m open to the idea. What do you think, Konia?"

"Me? Ow... My head hurts..."

"That’s the situation, Aldis. I’m sorry, but can we give you an answer tomorrow? Gréche and Ralph probably won’t be in any condition to think today."

"That’s fine. I understand it’s sudden."

"Can you come back at noon tomorrow? I’ll discuss it with Gréche and the others by then."

"Tomorrow at noon. Got it."

After telling Geo the reward amount and conditions he was considering, Aldis left the city and headed to the grasslands for hunting.

2016/12/19 Typo correction: Dispair → Dispair

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2019/07/22 Typo correction: head to hold → head to hold

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