Chapter 81

"Over there, swordsman! Do you need support!?"

"Please!"

Given that there was a bounty on the monsters, intervening without permission could lead to trouble. As a precaution, the green-haired swordsman responded immediately without even turning around to the voice that had called out for confirmation.

"The slicing wind is the melody played by the White Lady—Wind Slash!"

As soon as he heard the reply, Aldis unleashed a gust of wind while simultaneously launching 'Spring Engraving Mist' and 'Moon-Substitute Blizzard' at the monster. The wind, mimicking attack magic, instantly neutralized one of the Despairs. Its grotesque head fell off as if severed by a sharp blade.

"Ah!?"

The green-haired swordsman, who had thought the Wind Slash was only for intimidation, turned back in surprise.

Taking advantage of this opening, two Whips attacked. But without a moment's delay, 'Spring Engraving Mist' and 'Moon-Substitute Blizzard' struck their heads from the side.

"Wha...!"

Glancing at the swordsman, who was speechless, Aldis, holding 'Azure Heaven Colorful Flower,' charged at the remaining Whip and slashed its torso horizontally.

"Whaaa!"

The Whip fell to the ground, leaving behind a dying scream. The remaining Whip, instinctively understanding that Aldis was a formidable opponent, began to sing its special ability, 'Song of Silence,' to try to take away Aldis's consciousness. However, what was a deadly song to ordinary mercenaries was nothing more than a mere noise to Aldis. The green-haired swordsman, who had also been targeted by the song, seemed to have maintained his consciousness.

"If you want to sing so much, keep singing until you die."

After confirming the swordsman's safety, Aldis, with a parting word, mercilessly beheaded the Whip.

"Wh—"

The Whip, unable to dodge the sharp blow, died while still singing.

Looking over, it seemed the swordsman had also finished off his Despair. He approached the fallen prey and affixed a seal, proof of the kill, to its head. Aldis did the same, attaching the seals called 'Tags' to the heads of the Whips.

These tags were magical tools used by mercenaries and soldiers to prove their achievements on the battlefield, where carrying items while fighting was impractical. They recorded who affixed and who removed the tags, and a specific procedure could verify this. If the tags were discarded or burned, the person who did so would be marked by a curse. This system was designed to prevent unscrupulous individuals from claiming others' achievements and to ensure fair evaluation of merit. Initially used only among mercenaries, it was later adopted by the regular army due to its effectiveness.

After affixing the tags, the green-haired swordsman approached Aldis.

*Snap*

"Phew, thanks a lot. I thought I'd have to run for it... Hey, didn't I meet you at the young lady's place...?"

The swordsman, who seemed to have forgotten the danger he was in, spoke in a light tone, recognizing Aldis's face.

Aldis also recognized the swordsman. He was in his mid-twenties, with a carefree appearance that belied a solid demeanor. Even as he faced Aldis, his eyes, the same color as his hair, occasionally moved to assess the battle situation.

It was the face of the man who had entered the reception room as Marida's guard on the day they first met.

"You're... Marida's guard, right? Your name is...?"

"Nicol. Though, I was kicked out of the room pretty quickly back then."

Nicol laughed. In the battlefield, where life and death could change in an instant, his resilience was impressive. Aldis was more impressed by his toughness than annoyed.

"As a thank you for saving me, I'll buy you a drink if we survive."

"You have a cheap life. You could be more generous with your thanks, you know?"

Aldis had no intention of gathering with Nicol just because he had helped him once. His comment was more a jest, a way to tease Nicol's composure in such a situation.

"Nah, my life is cheap. I can only afford to drink cheap wine all night."

Nicol smiled wryly, hinting at some personal reason. Aldis, feeling a bit intrusive, wanted to ask more.

The reward for each monster kill was three gold coins. Unlike regular soldiers who only received a salary, mercenaries fought for money. Greedy mercenaries didn't live long. While mercenaries fought for money, it wasn't the only reason. Selling out comrades for money or betraying them for a price was frowned upon, and mercenaries who ignored their comrades for money were shunned. Mercenaries relied on their strength, but few were strong enough to survive with everyone as an enemy. Being stingy with money could lead to conflicts and put one's life at risk.

But they were in the middle of a battlefield. There was no time for such a leisurely conversation.

"First, we need to deal with that group coming our way."

"Ugh... There are a lot. I can see you're strong, but aren't there too many?"

In front of them, a group of various monsters was gathering. It seemed there were few mercenaries in this area, leaving a gap in the front lines.

Nicol, who had been doing the work of five mercenaries, was struggling against more than five monsters. His deep green eyes assessed the situation, hinting at the possibility of retreat.

"Unless there are over a hundred, we can handle it."

"Wow, you really are someone I don't want to have as an enemy."

Nicol laughed dryly at Aldis's casual response. The group of monsters approaching numbered between fifteen and twenty, a number that would make most mercenaries turn and run.

"We can take them down one by one, starting with the fastest. You can handle two or three, right? My acquaintances can do that much."

"...If it gets too dangerous, I'll run."

"Sure, go ahead. If it gets too dangerous, I will too."

Nicol, resigned, drew his sword. Aldis, floating 'Spring Engraving Mist' and 'Moon-Substitute Blizzard,' and holding 'Azure Heaven Colorful Flower,' charged towards the approaching monsters.

*Crack*

First, he dispatched the leading Despair with his sword, then hit it with an ice block from behind. Nicol, meanwhile, faced a Hound, dispatching it with flawless swordsmanship. His fighting style was skilled and confident.

"But weren't you a guard? Shouldn't you be with Marida?"

Aldis asked while parrying a monster's attack.

"It's the young lady's orders. She said to prioritize monster hunting over guarding."

Nicol thrust at a second Hound as he answered.

"It seems the situation has made it clear that focusing on the guild's profit isn't the priority. She said, 'Business and profit are important, but if we die, there's no point! I'd rather you join the hunting force and hunt as many monsters as possible. Preferably those that fetch a high price.'"

Nicol mimicked Marida's unique tone.

"With your skills, you could protect Marida and help her escape from Raitin."

Aldis, killing a Trol with 'Spring Engraving Mist' and 'Azure Heaven Colorful Flower,' asked.

"Maybe, but it's her choice. I'm here because she wants me to be."

Nicol shrugged while fighting.

"Hmm, that Marida..."

"Her tone is outrageous, but her heart is in the right place. If she were a selfish girl, I wouldn't have taken the job as her guard."

While talking, they continued to slay the monsters.

Aldis, tired of casting spells, used his sword to slash and his magic to set enemies' feet alight, finishing them off with 'Azure Heaven Colorful Flower.'

"But you, are you a mage or a swordsman? Your fighting style is confusing."

Nicol, noticing Aldis's unique fighting style, commented.

"...I'm not in a tournament. There's no need to stick to the typical mage's image."

Nicol, a skilled fighter, seemed to recognize that Aldis's sword skills were not just a pretense.

There was no harm in revealing that he preferred fighting with a sword, but there was no need to reveal too much to someone who might become an enemy later. If Nicol underestimated Aldis as a mage, it would be a significant advantage in a fight.

So, while slicing through the monsters, Aldis gave an ambiguous response.

*Snap*

After about ten minutes of light conversation, Nicol, breathing heavily, looked around and sighed.

"Wow, we must have taken care of all the monsters around here. Do you have enough tags for the proof of kill? If not, I can share mine."

"No problem. I brought a hundred."

"Really? If you brought that many, then... Wait, did you mean it when you said 'unless there are over a hundred' earlier?"

Nicol looked at Aldis with a mix of surprise, admiration, and disbelief.

"Three gold coins per monster is too valuable to leave behind."

Aldis, nonchalantly, affixed the tags to the fallen monsters.

2019/05/03 Typo correction: "hand to air" → "hand to reveal"

*Thank you for the typo report.*

2019/08/11 Change: "without a moment's delay" → "without a moment's hesitation"

2019/08/11 Typo correction: "twenty half" → "mid-twenties"

2019/08/11 Typo correction: "risking their lives" → "risking their lives"

*Thank you for the typo and error reports.*