Chapter 17

The hunting continued for Aldis and Grishe's group the following day as well. However, an unnatural tension lingered between Aldis and Grishe after the incident with the mercenaries who had turned into bandits, and the group was indeed enveloped in a stifling atmosphere.

Ultimately, Aldis decided to end the hunting trip with Grishe and the others on the seventh day. For Aldis, the efficiency gained from the division of labor in hunting and gathering, and the substantial profits that came with it, were indeed very attractive. However, it was somewhat difficult for people who could not maintain a good relationship to cooperate, even if it didn't amount to a falling out.

On the morning of the seventh day, the minimum duration they had initially planned, when Aldis announced the end of the request, Grishe wore an indescribable expression. Grishe must have understood that the cause was the difference in opinion with Aldis. However, the feeling that he had not said anything wrong seemed to hinder the repair of their relationship. On the other hand, he must have felt guilty towards the group for being the reason they would lose a job that paid five silver coins per day.

The other three members simply looked disappointed. However, they couldn't openly blame their leader Grishe, so they wore expressions of resignation.

As usual, they walked around the grasslands to the north of Tria, hunting Beast Kings and Despairs. The carts were filled with materials, and they returned to the city when the sun had set considerably. After selling the materials as usual, Aldis paid the group their rewards, and the group dispersed.

"Let me know if there's another opportunity. I'll count on you then."

Aldis said with a smile, without showing any lingering resentment. Despite the differences in opinion, they had worked together for seven days. Even Aldis, who seemed aloof, felt a bit of sentiment.

However, the minimum number of days they had initially planned had passed, and the goal of earning enough funds for the time being had been achieved. There was no reason to extend the period, and no reason to want to extend it. Therefore, there was no problem with ending it after the agreed-upon number of days. Since they weren't parting on bad terms, it could be considered a relatively peaceful farewell.

"Yeah, you've been a great help. I'll count on you again!"

"Thanks for the stories. Let's have a drink sometime."

"Let me know if there's another good deal!"

Ralph, Jio, and Conia called out to Aldis. Their voices were bright. However, the last one, Grishe, looked downcast.

"Aldis... about the mercenaries who attacked us..."

Grishe hesitated, and Aldis slowly blinked and spoke as if explaining.

"Grishe, it's not about who's right or wrong. I think your way of thinking is one of the answers. It's just different from my way of life. I don't intend to impose my way of thinking, and Grishe should stick to his own way of life. Just remember that there are people who think this way."

"...I understand. I can't agree, but I'll remember."

After a moment, Grishe replied.

"Yeah, that's enough. See you."

Aldis waved goodbye to Grishe and the others and walked briskly through the city of "Pale Sky" to reach the Stopover Inn. He took the dinner tray from Kasuha, whose smile had started to fade in recent days, and returned to his room.

"I'm back."

Knowing there would be no response, he called out to the twins, and he could see them both nod slightly. They still couldn't speak, but they were starting to show some reactions, nodding or shaking their heads in response to his voice.

"It's dinner. You can eat first if you want."

He placed the tray on the table and began to remove his equipment.

He put his backpack by the bed, unsheathed his sword from his waist, and hung his robe over the back of a chair. Fortunately, Aldis, who was lightly equipped, didn't take long to remove his gear. If he had been wearing leather armor like Ted, it would have taken a considerable amount of time, but with a robe, it was no different from taking off clothes.

The twins cautiously approached the table, standing by the chairs, and alternated their gaze between the table and Aldis. This continued until Aldis sat down.

"You don't have to wait for me. You can eat first if you want."

He said this every time, but they never started eating until Aldis did. In fact, they always waited for Aldis to sit down before they did.

(At least they're eating at the same table now...)

"Both of you. You can sit in the chairs even if I'm not sitting, and you don't have to wait for me to eat. You can eat before me."

The twins, who had finally sat down, nodded simultaneously. He repeated this every meal, but it didn't quite go as Aldis hoped.

"Go ahead and eat."

Even when he said this, the twins would look up at him with wary glances, sending furtive glances his way. They only started eating after Aldis began.

(I don't want them to be attached to me, but... they're so scared.)

Whether he took them out into the city or looked for someone to take them in, walking around with the twins would be too noticeable. But if the twins were so scared that they wouldn't separate from each other, he couldn't forcibly take one of them away.

(This will take some time, I guess.)

It had taken repeated assurances that he didn't intend to turn them into things, slaves, or beat them, and that he was on their side, for them to start eating at the same table.

He had finally learned their names. One was Filia, and the other was Liana.

However, he had never heard any words from their mouths except when they said their names. Moreover, Aldis couldn't tell them apart at all, but he didn't really care about that. He didn't intend to be with them for that long.

That was the extent of the progress with the twins. They had started eating together, but even though they had their own room, one of the beds was never used.

When he told them to sleep in the bed, they always huddled in the corner of the room. Once, he had picked them up and thrown them on the bed, but by the next morning, they had escaped and returned to the corner. If he had known this, he might have preferred to have a single room from the beginning.

The next morning, Aldis had breakfast with the twins and left the inn wearing only his robe.

"Same as usual, please."

When he called out to Kasuha as he left, she replied with a distant voice, "Ah, ah... see you later..." At the same time, Aldis could feel unfriendly gazes from the other guests.

Aldis headed for a real estate agency that dealt with vacant houses. He confidently entered a large, two-story building on a prime location on the main street.

"Welcome. Are you looking for a house?"

As soon as he entered, an employee greeted him. It was understandable, as he was the only customer in the store. The three employees immediately reacted to the long-awaited customer.

It wasn't that this store was particularly quiet. After all, land and property transactions don't happen very often. Most citizens don't leave the villages or towns where they were born and raised, and it's common for three generations to live together in one house, so property transactions are rare.

As a result, the clients these agencies deal with are mostly lords, successful merchants who have opened stores, and a few successful mercenaries. The number of clients is small, but the transactions are much more expensive than other goods. The profit per transaction is also much higher, and it's common for employees to provide one-on-one service to each customer. Therefore, the interior of the store is elegantly decorated to give a good impression, unlike general stores or weapon shops.

"What kind of property are you looking for today?"

A clean-cut male employee asked Aldis, who must have been identified as a mercenary at a glance.

While merchants might look for land for their business, mercenaries usually buy houses or warehouses. The employee, who looked to be in his late thirties and seemed to be a veteran, must have judged that Aldis was looking for a house or a warehouse.

"I'm looking for a house for myself and one other person. The location doesn't have to be great, but I want to avoid areas with bad security."

"Understood. I'll find a property that meets your needs. Please have a seat and wait a moment."

The employee offered Aldis a chair and began to efficiently retrieve property information from the bookshelf.

"The properties I can recommend to you are these eight."

The properties the employee picked out all met Aldis's requirements. Moreover, the prices were within a reasonable range for a successful mercenary.

It seemed he had found a good agency. The service was efficient, the prices were reasonable, and the employee was polite to Aldis, who looked young.

"Is the person you'll be living with a family member?"

"Yes, a young sister. I'm a mercenary, so I'm often away from home."

"I see, that's why you want a safe area. How about these two? Both are close to the guard posts, so they are highly recommended for safety."

Aldis looked over the documents for the two properties the employee recommended.

"I want to see both properties."

"Understood. I'll show you around, so please wait a moment."

Aldis toured the two properties with the employee and decided to contract the first one he saw.

"I appreciate your quick decision."

For the employee, it was better to sell the same property with less effort. The genuine smile on his face was probably due to Aldis's immediate decision to contract.

"In the mercenary world, hesitation can be dangerous."

"Very true."

Still, there are people like Orphelia who are indecisive in their personal lives, Aldis thought with a wry smile.

"Will you contract on an annual basis?"

"Yes, I'll do that. I haven't decided yet whether I'll settle down in Tria."

"Annual basis" is a contract method where you buy the right to live in a property for one year at a time.

Usually, the property itself is bought and sold. However, since mercenaries don't always stay in one place, and it's rare for them to buy a house outright unless they're retiring, they usually contract on an annual basis, which costs about one-tenth of the property price, plus a deposit.

The price of the property Aldis chose was 200 gold coins. Since it was an annual contract, the annual contract fee was 20 gold coins. Additionally, a deposit of 100 gold coins was required.

"I'll take 10 gold coins as a down payment, and the remaining 110 gold coins will be collected after the property is handed over."

"I'll pay the full amount now, so please prepare as soon as possible."

"...I apologize. I'll prepare it as soon as possible."

The employee was momentarily taken aback when Aldis took out 120 gold coins from his pocket, but he quickly regained his composure and began the contract procedures.

Fortunately, the property Aldis contracted had just undergone maintenance a few days ago, so the employee said it could be handed over immediately.

Aldis, who wanted the handover the next noon, left the store after exchanging the contract. On the way, he bought two children's robes that covered the whole body and returned to the Stopover Inn where the twins were waiting.