Chapter 50

After the three powerful demons were defeated, Aldis's name quickly spread throughout the capital.

Six days after the defeat, when the official announcement was made that the three powerful demons had been successfully defeated, the capital was enveloped in a festive atmosphere.

In the northern mountains, which had been the territory of "Bell-Attracted," the prospect of starting serious iron ore mining operations sparked excitement among the mining guilds and blacksmiths.

Merchant ships that had been forced to take longer routes due to "Four-Feathered" could now navigate the shortest route, reducing the travel time on the westward route by more than three days. Additionally, the opening of the rich fishing grounds near the capital brought joy to local fishermen.

The old fort, which had been the dwelling place of "Red-Eater," would now be permanently garrisoned by the regular army to maintain security in the surrounding area. Plans were also being discussed to colonize the area around the fort.

With the sudden defeat of the demons, which had been a long-standing issue, the economic benefits brought about by this event made the future of the Naglas Kingdom look very bright.

Of course, the name of the slayer who brought this about was also echoing throughout the capital.

It could be said that there was no one in the capital who did not know Aldis's name.

In a matter of days, the news would spread to other places, including Tria.

If it was difficult to remain hidden, then it was better to become so famous that no one would dare to challenge you. Aldis's plan had achieved the intended effect.

There were few fools who would dare to challenge a mercenary capable of defeating the three powerful demons alone.

"Even the people who had planned to capture you seem to have backed off," Cesare said, coming to the inn where Aldis was staying.

"That's the best news I've heard all day," Aldis replied, a smile playing on his lips.

"Thanks to you, I've been getting a lot of attention from all sorts of people," Cesare complained with a sigh.

Cesare was referring to the night when Aldis had brought the heads of the three powerful demons.

Many people had realized that this was a display for Cesare.

Naturally, there would be those who would try to probe the relationship between the slayer of the three powerful demons and Cesare.

"Well, at least more than half of it is business-related, so it's not all bad," Cesare added.

The reputation of an information broker with connections to a strong fighter like Aldis was bound to attract attention.

In the information business, being noticeable had its advantages and disadvantages.

Becoming a well-known information broker made it easier to attract new clients and build connections with other information brokers.

On the other hand, being well-known could also make people more cautious when providing information and limit one's freedom of action.

"So, what's the point? Did you come to interrupt my breakfast just to chat?"

Leaning on the table, Aldis took a bite of his sandwich.

"To come all the way here without breakfast and deliver information, that's quite a way to talk about it," Cesare replied.

"I didn't ask you to come. You're not going to ask for payment for just that, are you?"

"I wasn't thinking of asking for payment for that, but business is about mutual benefit, isn't it? Oh, miss, can I have a sandwich and a fruit drink, please?"

Cesare called out to order breakfast, clearly intending to have a serious conversation.

"What do you want to say?"

"About the other day, you used me to spread your name, didn't you?"

"Are you asking for money for that?"

Aldis's eyebrow twitched.

"No, no, I'm not asking for money. I was just wondering if you could give me a little information about the three powerful demons as a token of gratitude for using me."

Aldis understood. Even though the demons had been defeated, they had been a long-standing problem for the kingdom.

Cesare must have thought that the information still had value.

Indeed, there was no guarantee that similar demons wouldn't appear in the future.

There might be similar demons in unexplored territories, or new threats could arise from mutated demons.

In such cases, the information about the three powerful demons could be valuable.

Unlike other information brokers, Cesare had a connection to the person who had defeated the three powerful demons, even if it wasn't by choice.

It made sense for him to use this advantage to obtain the information.

"Fair enough. What do you want to know?"

Aware that he had used Cesare, Aldis decided to do him a favor.

He shared the differences from the information he had heard beforehand, the strength and weaknesses he had felt in battle, and the abilities and behaviors of the demons.

"So, the toughest one was 'Red-Eater,' right?"

"Yeah. 'Bell-Attracted' and 'Four-Feathered' were nothing special. 'Bell-Attracted' was weaker than a grinder, and 'Four-Feathered' was a nuisance to fight in the air but not that strong. But 'Red-Eater' was unsettling because it was unpredictable."

Its habit of attacking red objects, its liquid-like movement that could bend a short sword made of heavy iron, its resistance to most magical attributes, and its peculiar death where the head turned to liquid and seeped into the floor while the body remained solid—all of this gave Aldis an eerie feeling.

"I took the head, and the body disappeared. But I'm not sure if it really died, or if it was even a living being at all."

"Did you report this to the kingdom?"

"I did. When I reported the defeat, I mentioned it. The soldier who took my report didn't seem to take it seriously, though."

The soldier had taken notes with a wry smile, probably thinking that Aldis was exaggerating to make his achievement sound more impressive.

To Aldis, it didn't matter if the head he had handed over caused any problems or if the body that had seeped into the floor of the fort came back to life. If necessary, he would just go back and defeat it again.

What mattered to him was avoiding unnecessary trouble by becoming famous and, incidentally, collecting the bounty.

He had already received the bounty for the three powerful demons.

Eight hundred gold coins in total. Considering how long they had been a problem for the kingdom, it was a low price, but the kingdom probably didn't intend to offer a higher bounty to a mercenary they considered expendable.

They likely thought that if a mercenary could defeat the demons for a reasonable amount, it would be a good deal.

Sending a full military force would have cost the same amount just in deployment expenses.

Of course, even if Aldis could sense the kingdom's intentions, he didn't care.

The bounty wasn't his primary goal, and he had found something valuable in the fort's supply area during the 'Red-Eater' mission.

"Well, the average soldier probably doesn't understand the importance of such information," Cesare said as the waitress brought fresh sandwiches and fruit drinks.

"Here you go! That will be three copper coins, please!"

"Three coins? That's quite cheap."

For a regular customer, it was one thing, but for a breakfast-only customer, seven or eight copper coins was the usual price. Five copper coins or less was quite rare.

"We have a fair price policy!" the waitress said, taking the copper coins from Cesare and leaving with a charming smile.

"Of course, it's different for a general or a commander—ah!"

Continuing the previous conversation, Cesare took a bite of the sandwich and immediately spat it out.

"Bitter! Cough, cough! What is this!?"

After a bout of coughing, Cesare drank the fruit drink and complained to the waitress.

"Miss! This tastes strange! It's extremely bitter!"

"Huh? You didn't like it? It's my special bitter herb chicken sandwich."

"Bitter herbs are usually used to wake people up! I've never heard of using them to flavor a sandwich!"

Bitter herbs were so bitter that no one would even consider using them in cooking.

"That's why! I used an ingredient no one else would to challenge unexplored flavors!"

"No, no, no, no, are you really going to charge for this!? I'd rather pay you to take it away! Is this even food!? Is this some kind of prank!?"

"It's not a prank. Look, Aldis is eating it without any problem."

Under the gaze of the waitress and Cesare, Aldis chewed the sandwich calmly.

"Aldis, you... can you really eat that?"

"…It's not inedible."

Aldis replied without changing his expression.

"Aldis, you're amazing! You're the only one who says my cooking is delicious!"

Despite Aldis not saying it was delicious, the waitress seemed to think so.

"Good morning, Meryl. What's for breakfast today?"

A guest descending from the second floor greeted the waitress.

It was around the time when the dining room started to get busy.

"Good morning! Today's menu is my special bitter herb chicken sandwich and salad!"

"Ugh! It's Meryl's turn to cook breakfast today!?"

"I don't need breakfast."

"I have to go to work soon, so I'll skip it today."

The guests immediately started to react.

Some hurried back to their rooms, some decided to eat their own preserved food, and others left the inn quickly. It seemed that no one was willing to try Meryl's cooking.

For the long-term guests, avoiding Meryl's cooking was worth sacrificing the breakfast fee.

Seeing this, Cesare whispered to Aldis.

"Um, if I may, have you considered moving to a better inn with better food? The one you stayed at before wasn't bad, I think."

"I can't sleep soundly if the inn sells my information to information brokers."

Cesare had no response to that. The inn had indeed been selling Aldis's information.

Cesare quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway, you received a substantial bounty for defeating the three powerful demons, right? Before you start worrying about the inn, have you thought about retiring from the dangerous life of a mercenary?"

Indeed, being a mercenary was not a job one could do forever.

During war, one's life was uncertain, and even in peacetime, the work was often life-threatening.

It was a job that attracted young people dreaming of quick riches, those on the brink of starvation, and outlaws, but few chose it willingly.

Especially with a large sum of money like Aldis had received, most would choose to retire and live a safer life.

Many former mercenaries had used their savings to open taverns or weapon shops in the city.

Combined with the gold coins Aldis had saved, he had enough to live modestly in a house in the forest.

However, Aldis had no intention of retiring from the mercenary life.

"Do you want more wealth?"

That wasn't it. He only needed enough money to live.

"Do you want more fame?"

That wasn't it either. He only needed enough fame to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Do you want to become a knight?"

Ridiculous. He didn't want to be tied down by an organization.

"Or a noble?"

That was a joke. It was unrealistic for a mercenary to become a noble, and Aldis didn't see what was so great about being a noble.

So when Cesare asked with a sigh, Aldis was at a loss for words.

"Why are you still a mercenary?"

2018/05/11 Typo correction: "給士" → "給仕"

2019/05/02 Typo correction: "傭兵家業" → "傭兵稼業"

*Thank you for reporting the typo.

2019/06/25 Revision: "金貨を合わせれば、軽く千枚は超える。森に建てた家でつつましく暮らすなら、十分な金額だ。" → "金貨を合わせれば、森へ建てた家でつつましく暮らすのには十分な金額だ。"

*Thank you for the feedback. Upon review, the time and amount consistency was indeed off, so I made the correction.

2019/07/30 Typo correction: "その最後。にも関わらず" → "その最期。にもかかわらず"

*Thank you for reporting the typo.

2019/08/11 Correction: "吹き出した" → "噴き出した"

*Thank you for reporting the typo.