“How dare these insolent women! Do you know who this person is!”

A Guild Employee of the Mercenary Guild stepped forward and scolded the female Mercenaries. His expression was clearly flustered. A commoner was speaking informally to a Noble and clinging to them.

As a man, it was an unbelievable act, making him wonder if the female Mercenary had lost her mind.

Rael was flustered.

It was not only because the woman suddenly clung to him, but also because of what she said.

The Protagonist had taken in a girl last time.

It was when he met Lorina.

After sending her back, his mind was troubled, so he walked for a while. Then he saw a Beggar girl on the street, felt pity, and gave her food.

After that, I somehow ended up taking in the girl.

From what the female mercenary said, it seemed she had witnessed that scene. I didn’t know where she had seen it. Besides the female mercenary who spoke first, there were two more. It was a small mercenary group of three.

The three women stepped back slightly and looked at me.

If she was clinging to Protagonist like this in front of everyone, she must have been quite desperate. I turned my head and looked at the Guild Employee.

“Are these women mercenaries too?”

The Guild Employee rubbed his hands and said,

“They’re street kids trying to make a living. It seems like they’re the only ones available right now, so why don’t you take them?”

“Are you mocking me?”

There were many mercenaries around.

But to suggest taking female mercenaries, I wondered if he was disrespecting me. As my gaze turned unfavorable, the Guild Employee hastily waved his hand. His voice lowered.

“It’s not like that. Evil mages are feared and avoided. Mercenaries are very superstitious. They might step up now, but once they find out who they’re going after, they’ll shake their heads.”

“So they’re afraid of curses and are being cautious.”

The man’s face became sly. He scanned the female mercenaries and said,

“Those women have quite good figures. If you want to take them with you and enjoy yourself…”

“Their skill?”

“They’ve never failed a job.”

The Guild Employee added that although their skills weren’t outstanding, they were persistent. The expressions of the female mercenaries who were listening to the conversation gradually became uneasy.

The Guild Employee also explained that people don’t often entrust women with jobs. This was especially true for mercenary work that required force.

The main reason they were clinging to me was due to lack of work. They were on the verge of starving, so they had nothing to fear. Only then did I understand.

The female mercenary, unable to stand still, approached. This time, Mordon didn’t stay still. He stepped forward, blocking the woman.

“Can’t you just get lost!”

Mordon shouted.

When the large man shouted, the women immediately backed away. Being large in such a place inherently showed strength. Usually, a large person is also strong.

Mordon even wore thick armor. He was a knight.

The iron he wore was practically his status.

I told Mordon it was okay and approached the women. Their demeanor was intimidated. The female mercenary who spoke first complained.

“Why did you save him?”

“Him?”

“The one who was begging.”

It seemed she was referring to Lena. I didn’t know why I saved her. If I had to say, it was a simple whim.

“Do you know each other?”

“She took care of her younger sibling terribly, so I remember her.”

The female mercenary looked at me and tried to cling to me. It seemed she wanted me to save her too, like the beggar girl I had seen earlier.

“Can’t you really take me? Why can he go, but I can’t?”

“Then can you throw yourself for me?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

The woman’s expression was filled with doubt.

“That girl took the Assassin’s knife that was meant for me. That’s why I took her in. If you can do the same, I’ll consider it.”

There were several reasons for taking in Lena. Among them, the fact that she threw herself in without hesitation was a big part of changing the Protagonist’s mind.

If the female Mercenary could do the same, he was willing to take her in.

The female Mercenary remained silent. She hung her head and became quiet. He didn’t know if she lacked the courage or if she couldn’t bring herself to lie.

He wondered if the woman could really do that. If she could change the Protagonist’s situation, would she be able to muster the courage herself? It was a possibility.

She didn’t answer the Protagonist’s question. It meant she was seriously thinking about it. Because he felt the weight of it, he thought it might be possible.

“Are you going to hire them?”

Mordon showed his concern.

“Those types are bad because they’re so tenacious.”

“Let’s be prepared. It would be good to have someone to guard at night instead.”

“They might steal.”

He didn’t answer Mordon. Instead, he asked the female Mercenary again if she could protect the Protagonist. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

That was enough. She didn’t have to protect him to the point of risking her life.

At least they seemed like they would work harder than the Mercenaries he’d just met. He trusted them because they were people who would have to worry about their next meal if they didn’t do their job properly.

When he said he was taking the Mercenaries, the Guild Employee drew a picture on a piece of paper. It was the place where the evil Mage was expected to be.

The Protagonist didn’t really understand even after hearing the explanation. He wasn’t familiar with this City yet. He couldn’t find his way properly just because someone told him.

The Guild Employee told him to ask people if he didn’t know. He nodded for now. If it came down to it, he planned to do so.

He walked out of the Mercenary Guild. Unfortunately, he couldn’t take a Carriage. He had to walk while finding his way.

He looked at the female Mercenaries walking ahead. They weren’t wearing Armor reinforced with leather. The only equipment that identified them as Mercenaries was the sword sheath hanging at their waist.

There was also the option of asking the Mercenaries. Since they seemed to have grown up in this Place, they probably knew the geography well.

“What is the job we’re going to do?”

The female Mercenary spoke. There was no need for him to speak first. He told them the truth. Then the other party’s demeanor became strange.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“I think we should go back now.”

They muttered among themselves. Then the female Mercenary who spoke first, who seemed to be the Captain, spoke to him.

“I think we should get paid more.”

She wanted more money. It seemed like she was laying the groundwork to say that.

He shook his head.

He didn’t want to spend unnecessary money. The female Mercenaries were in a difficult situation. But it didn’t feel good that they were trying to raise their price like this.

He also didn’t like how they were testing the waters, as if they were going to turn back. He looked at her and said,

“Then go back.”

“What?”

The female Mercenary was flustered. But he said what he had to say regardless.

“I have plenty of other people I can take besides you. And you begged me to bring you in the first place. I hope you don’t forget that fact.”

“J-just a moment.”

“I showed you kindness. But I hope you don’t get too carried away.”

The women were at a loss. The way he had been speaking informally to them had been bothering them for a while. It was even more so because the Protagonist had become a Noble, not a commoner.

They didn’t know how little he thought of them to act like that. Perhaps taking in the Beggar girl made him seem like a soft-hearted person.

Looking at the other party, the female Mercenaries’ faces were pale. The female Mercenary who had been speaking informally bowed her head and apologized. This time, she used respectful language.

“I’m sorry. We were struggling with eating and Killing intent. We just wanted to earn a little more.”

The other female Mercenaries also bowed their heads.

Yet, they glanced at Mordon, who stood behind him, not at the Protagonist. Their attitude suggested they were more afraid of the Knight than of him.

He seemed to be viewed as a powerless young Nobleman. They might even think the Protagonists were stronger. Mercenary work required knowing how to fight.

If Mordon hadn’t been there, he didn’t think they would have apologized so readily. He was slightly displeased but held back. It was too much of a hassle to turn back now.

“Do you know the place marked on this map?”

He showed the map to the female Mercenaries and asked. Fortunately, Mary knew. The name of the female Mercenary who had first clung to him was Mary.

“I know it. I used to beg there a little bit a long time ago.”

“Begging?”

The female Mercenary next to Mary answered.

“Because it’s a Slum.”

“Why would a Dark Mage be in a place like that?”

“Th-that’s…”

This time, Mary spoke.

“Because there are no people.”

“There’s no way there aren’t people in the Slums, is there?”

“More precisely, there are no decent people. The security is bad. There are many cases of stealing things and kidnapping people to use as they please. Since Black Mages offer people as sacrifices to Demons, staying in the Slums is probably fitting for them.”

“You know a lot.”

A shadow fell across Mary’s face.

“Many of the missing children were like that. We all grew up in the Slums.”

“So that’s why you saw me giving bread to the begging girl.”

It seemed that before she became a Mercenary, she also lived by begging. Before that, living in the Slums, she would have stood out.

“People don’t care about children like us at all. They keep their distance, saying we only commit thievery. Very few people help us like you do.”

“Did I seem weak-hearted enough to be clung to?”

“N-no, that’s not it. I was just so envious of that girl. We were in similar situations, but I was envious that someone else was living well.”

Mary looked this way. It was a gaze of slight expectation. However, this one had little intention of taking her in.

If she were to risk her life and throw herself in for the Protagonist like Lena, it would be different. He wasn’t sure if Mary had such a resolve.

Even if she had made such a decision, her body might freeze when the time came. Throwing oneself in for another person was not something anyone could do.

As he walked, he gradually became breathless. He even regretted not taking a Carriage.

“How much further do we have to walk?”

“We’re almost there. There’s an inn over there.”

He looked up and saw a Building. Although it was a shabby Building, the sign hanging in front of it indicated it was indeed an inn.

Unlike its humble appearance, the inside was bustling.

He thought he could ask about their whereabouts at the inn. Fortunately, the Innkeeper was sitting at the counter. He immediately reacted to the mention of an evil Mage.

“Are you also looking for the evil Mage?”

“Do you happen to know?”

“Do you see the people sitting in this place? They are all Mercenaries or Mages. People are ransacking everywhere, it’s chaotic. I hear that question thirty times a day. But with people causing such a commotion, do you think he would still be here? In my opinion, he would have fled a long time ago.”