Chapter 4: First Steps into the Mercenary Life

I arrived at the only Mercenary Guild in this town.

The building was three stories high.

On the first floor, there was a reception desk along with a tavern.

The cheapest beer they sold was the only thing available, and since they didn’t sell any snacks, mercenaries who came here usually just brought simple provisions like jerky and visited often.

“Besides, if they sold snacks, those mercenaries would probably just loiter around and make noise for hours, so I guess it’s better not to.”

Mercenaries loved to make a ruckus, enjoy their drinks, and gamble, so just imagining them sitting around all day yelling was already giving me a headache.

As long as you were a mercenary and not a criminal, anyone could enter this place, which was always noisy and bustling.

There were a few rooms on the second floor, but these weren’t lodgings for mercenaries; they were guest rooms and reception rooms meant for visitors.

Most of these rooms were usually empty.

Occasionally, a mercenary who just wanted to catch some sleep would ask to use a room, but of course, they were refused.

The only time they were allowed was in emergencies—like when someone was seriously injured and couldn’t move.

On the third floor, there was only one office belonging to the Branch Leader of this guild.

This Mercenary Guild was actually quite famous because of its Branch Leader.

Although he didn’t carry a grand title like Mercenary King, like the Branch Leaders in the capital guilds, he was once a team member of the Mercenary King, renowned both for his formidable skills and his keen Eye of Insight.

“Alcars of the Eye of Insight.”

That was what he was called.

Even I, who hadn’t been in this world for long, knew his name—it was that well-known here.

Rumor had it that he still kept in close contact with the Mercenary King and they treated each other like brothers, making Alcars a man with considerable influence here.

That influence was no joke—he commanded the loyalty of those who fired guns for him.

Although he had a reputation for being kind, the loyalty he commanded was entirely due to his undeniable ability.

No matter how low-ranking a mercenary was, working with him could easily elevate them to mid-tier mercenary status.

Plus, all his close aides were top-tier mercenaries, so his capability to nurture talent was undeniable.

As a result, the already chaotic first floor combined with the crowds trying to catch Alcars’ attention made this Mercenary Guild particularly busy.

The proof was the noise I heard as I approached the guild.

“Ke ke ke ke.”

“Ha ha ha!”

The mercenaries inside were so lively and laughing so hard that the sound leaked outside.

I stepped through the open door and entered.

“Oh, welcome, Solo!”

The man greeting me was Charles, the staff member at the reception desk next to the entrance.

Having visited a few times already, he remembered my name and welcomed me warmly.

But every time I heard my name, I felt a little irritated—it was just a name I didn’t quite like.

“Ugh, is there no way to change my name?”

Hearing “Solo, Solo, Solo” over and over again just made me feel lonelier.

“Better to be lonely thinking of your hometown than just being lonely because you have no girlfriend, though,” I muttered.

I stopped wasting time with pointless thoughts and told him the real reason I came here.

“Charles, I’m planning to start mercenary work too.”

“Oh, that’s a big decision for someone so young.”

“You can’t afford not to if you want to eat.”

Surprisingly, I was actually twenty years old here.

At first, I thought I’d be thirty, just as I remembered, but after looking through the documents registering mercenaries at this branch, I was twenty.

Ten years younger.

Because of my youthful body, I sometimes got surprised by my morning physiological reactions.

Anyway, being younger was something to be happy about.

While I was chatting with Charles at the reception desk—who, under normal circumstances, would have been a friend—the noisy mercenaries who had been making a racket before I came in suddenly fell silent and stared at me.

Instead, they whispered quietly to each other.

But considering my Eavesdrop skill was level 3, I could hear everything they were saying.

“That’s the guy, right?”

“Ah, the one who’s been training him??”

“What skill did he use to save that person?”

“Some rare noble’s child or something?”

“Be careful what you say! If he’s even remotely noble, we’re all dead meat.”

Listening to them naturally raised suspicion in me.

‘Who exactly are they talking about?’

In truth, I wasn’t being trained by anyone.

I trained and grew alone.

If anyone helped me, it was just the innkeeper, who only occasionally gave me a few words of advice.

And there was a reason he couldn’t be called an innkeeper.

“Who are you talking about?”

“Ah, you know that mercenary who once ruled the mercenary scene?”

“The Angry Ogre!”

“Say that in front of him and you’ll be dead, you idiot.”

“Why is that?”

“There are rumors that he’s training someone these days. And that kid over there.”

The innkeeper I knew was definitely not the person they were talking about.

Though he was physically large compared to ordinary people due to being a mercenary, and strong, he certainly did not remind me of an Ogre, the strongest terrestrial monster.

It was probably a misunderstanding or exaggeration…

Before I could focus more on their words, an alert popped up that stopped me.

-Eavesdrop skill level increased.

Just by listening carefully to others, my skill was steadily growing, which brightened my mood a bit.

Meanwhile, Charles pulled out several documents and, with a serious look, spoke to me.

“Let’s see. Since you’re a beginner, it’s safer and better to have plenty to learn. In that case, these two are just right.”

Out of the five documents, Charles handed me two.

Looking at the papers, the Creseria Continent language I had become familiar with now flowed smoothly.

“One is the route heading to the Atran Empire, and the other is for the Rivelan Principality.”

“The thing is, both have clear pros and cons.”

The advantage of the route to the Atran Empire was that the path was very clean and well-maintained.

The downside was that the pay was relatively low, and since there were no monster attacks, there was no extra income.

Also, the distance was terribly long—two months going, two months returning—so without any side business on the way back, it would be a loss.

In the case of the Rivelan Principality, the route was not so good.

There were three mountains to cross, and monster attacks were frequent.

But because of this, the pay was higher, and there was a clear advantage of extra income.

I had no choice but to compare the two.

At that moment, other mercenaries behind me voiced their opinions.

“Just go to the Atran Empire, kid.”

“It’s perfect for a beginner. You can learn a lot on the way.”

“In my day, there was no choice. We just did what we were told, and that was how we learned.”

“Nowadays, young people prefer easy routes and avoid difficult work, isn’t that normal?”

“Ha ha ha, if you can avoid pissing yourself seeing monsters on the way to the Rivelan Principality, consider yourself lucky.”

“Ha ha ha ha!”

Before I knew it, their snacks had been replaced by my topic of conversation.

‘Phew, old people is everywhere, huh?’

In my head, I recalled Secretary Kim, Manager Shin, and Assistant Director Yoo.

They were experts at calling me around, but thanks to them, I’d become craftier.

I stopped thinking about those I might never see again and pondered which route to choose.

Just as I was about to decide, someone came up beside me.

Thunk.

A hand rested on my shoulder and, without waiting for me, made the decision for me.

“Charles, make it the Rivelan Principality route. Add my name as well.”

“Yes, Branch Leader.”

I was startled by the mention of “Branch Leader” and looked to the side.

It was Alcars, the Branch Leader, with a frame even bigger than mine.

Before I could say anything, he spoke first.

“I’m going on this trade trip too. I have some business to attend to.”

He rubbed my shoulder and then looked at Charles.

“He told me to take good care of you. You’re a rare, passionate young man these days, so don’t let him die meaningless deaths. Also, I heard his skills are pretty decent.”

Charles’ face turned surprised.

“So the rumors are true. He got a grade D on the first test. You can test him on this trade trip.”

“Well, with such a recommendation, it’s worth checking out.”

After lightly tapping my shoulder twice, the Branch Leader left.

Before I could say a word, everything had been decided.

“Alright, you’ll leave in two days. Prepare well.”

Charles confirmed the arrangement and left the reception desk to attend to other matters.

Only I remained, unable to comprehend the situation.

“Well, then?”

Starting work immediately was good, but something felt off.

It was an oddly decided choice, but in any case, the departure was in two days.

***

Two days later, at early dawn, I headed for the castle gates.

Outside the castle in the early morning, it was bustling.

This trade trip to the Rivelan Principality was by far the largest I had seen.

There were 42 merchants alone, and the hired porters and laborers numbered 53.

The merchants also brought along 30 bodyguards, so the total number from the trade company was 125.

Adding the 200 mercenaries hired—including Alcars and me—the group totaled 325 people.

There were 50 wagons and 100 pack horses pulling them.

If someone saw this, they might think it was a military convoy delivering war supplies.

Once everyone was gathered, the plump man who seemed to represent the merchants stepped forward and shook hands with Alcars, the Branch Leader of the Mercenary Guild.

“I’m Ankit of the Vera Merchant Association. I’m counting on you.”

“Alcars here. Don’t worry.”

“I’ve heard all about Alcars. That’s why this trade trip is so big. We’re paying extra, so don’t worry.”

“Haha, in that case, we’ll do our best.”

The atmosphere between them was excellent.

After a brief exchange, they immediately got moving.

“Let’s go.”

At Alcars’ words, the mercenary group began to take their seats two by two.

Each wagon typically had four mercenaries surrounding it.

Among the lined-up wagons, I was assigned the frontmost position.

“Didn’t you know? When new members join, we always seat them next to the eldest.”

Alcars laughed and patted my shoulder.

“Do your best.”

I sighed.

I had no idea whether this was a good or bad thing.

Five minutes after departure, I realized.

‘Ah… he really talks a lot.’

Alcars beside me didn’t stop talking.

But none of it was useless chatter.

“That’s Jinak Grass. It’s the most common grass on the continent. Some leaves have split ends—that’s poison. Even a small amount can cause diarrhea so bad you have to rush to the bathroom. That’s called Deer Flower. Its flowers smell sweet, but its stems and leaves contain poison that could melt your insides.”

He even explained the various common poisonous plants on the continent.

His knowledge was extensive; he kept sharing information about everything we passed.

As I tried to remember the important parts and forget the rest, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“Come to think of it, wouldn’t Transcendent Stamina Regeneration overcome the poison’s effects?”

Even thinking that, I doubted it.

No matter what, it seemed impossible.

But despite my reluctance, my gaze kept drifting toward the poisonous plants Alcars mentioned.

“Want to try just a little?”

I thought so and carefully searched for the poisonous plant he’d described.

Thankfully, the split ends made it easy to spot.

I glanced around subtly when Alcars was looking elsewhere and nibbled a tiny bit.

A message popped up.

A small amount of poison entered the body.

You are suffering mild poisoning.

It was a normal alert for mild poisoning.

My stomach also felt a little bloated as a reaction.

Transcendent Stamina Regeneration ignored the poison’s energy.

Soon after, another alert appeared, informing me the poison was neutralized.

Then, a small result came from my behind.

Ptooey.

It was a very soft fart.

Although I felt slightly embarrassed, realizing that eating a little caused no problem, I cautiously started eating the plant bit by bit.

After several tries, the notification I hoped for finally appeared.

Skill acquired: Toxic Resistance.

I could now increase the amount I consumed without worry.