SOTBW - 68

Jacob stared at the people across from him with a more tense expression than ever. The individuals sitting opposite him were representatives from the Phylonos mercenary group. While they feared Maximón, they also seemed to think they had the upper hand, holding their heads unusually high as they observed the Romsoa knights in the room with what could only be described as a rude air.

The knights present at the meeting were Maximón, Jacob, and Najane. Jacob had no idea why Najane was attending such an important meeting. Najane, too, seemed clueless as to why he was there.

It was probably something Maximón had arranged. Jacob hoped she would behave accordingly and stole a glance at the mercenaries.

Maximón, with her arms crossed, spoke first.

“State your terms. I’ll try to consider them favorably.”

Maximón’s tone was as dry and neutral as ever. However, the middle-aged mercenary seemed to think that Maximón had spoken to them in a commanding tone, as he slightly furrowed his brow.

Jacob felt a flicker of frustration. No matter how many mercenaries Maximón had slaughtered in the field, she was still a high-ranking knight commander. A mere mercenary had no right to openly display disdain toward someone of his status.

One of the mercenaries quietly laughed and spoke.

“I never thought the mighty Romsoa knights would come to us, a mercenary group that mainly handles escorts and guard duties, with a contract offer. Must be in quite a hurry, huh?”

The mercenary’s words were biting. He was implying that Romsoa’s situation was so dire that they had to offer a contract to a small mercenary group.

Taken aback by the sharp remark, Najane closed his mouth tightly and glanced at Maximón. Jacob, too, was hesitant to speak, watching Maximón for any indication of how to respond. But Maximón, to their surprise, appeared unfazed. In fact, she tilted her head slightly as if confused by why the mercenary was speaking that way.

“Didn’t you come here because you’re interested in the training and funding Romsoa offers? All the other mercenary groups tremble and despise Romsoa, yet here you are.”

“That’s…”

“If you understand that provoking me won’t do you any good, then stop being insolent and just state your terms. I’m not here to waste time with transient mercenaries like you.”

This was a disaster. Jacob sighed inwardly.

The contract was as good as gone now. Quietly feeling defeated, Jacob thought about the remaining mercenary groups.

The mercenary group that could fight Serith had already rejected the contract, and all that was left were smaller groups that handled trade protection, with Phylonos being the largest. Still, their numbers were only between 500 and 1,000, at most...

But Phylonos had a few swordsmen from foreign lands, so Jacob had hoped they would be useful in fighting the Holy Body, only to find that the deal was falling apart. Had Phylonos come here with the intent to provoke Maximón from the beginning? Why had they spoken so disrespectfully?

Jacob resented them, but maintained a calm expression. Thanks to the tense exchange between Maximón and the Phylonos mercenary commander, the atmosphere had become quite cold.

At that moment, Najane blinked and spoke to the commander.

“Are all three of you from the same hometown?”

The sudden question from Najane caused the mercenaries to scowl, as if wondering whether he had any understanding of the atmosphere. Najane awkwardly smiled and continued.

“Sorry for the sudden question, it’s just that the tone of the person who spoke earlier reminded me of the way people from my hometown speak.”

The mention of hometown caught the mercenary commander’s attention. Najane was from the Bastronia Kingdom, which had a distinctive northern accent. It was hard to guess that she came from another country. The mercenary commander looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“We’re from the Duchy of Monros. All three of us are from the capital, Alverahim. As for you…”

“I’m from Romsoa, Najane Schnicks.”

Only then did the mercenaries retract their dismissive stares.

“So, you’re the Sword Master everyone’s been talking about.”

The one Maximón had locked away in her private residence to prevent another knight faction from taking her.

The mercenary commander stared at Najane, who looked somewhat embarrassed at the mention. The rumors that Maximón had been physically and mentally torturing Najane to brainwash her were widely circulating throughout the area.

The stories spread by word of mouth were far from the truth, and the mercenary commander, having heard the gossip, found that the relationship between Maximón and Najane seemed to be quite ordinary, contrary to the scandalous rumors.

No, it seemed a bit... strange. The mercenary commander glanced at Maximón from the corner of his eye.

Maximón tilted her head to the side, looking down at Najane, who was at a loss for how to respond to being called a Sword Master, as if she found it adorable. Thanks to that, Jacob, who was supposed to serve as the mediator between Maximón and the mercenaries, felt like a mere bystander.

“Dame Schnicks, where are you from?”

The mercenary leader asked, puzzled.

“I’m from Kalonosia.”

“Ah, the kingdom at the southern edge. In that case, wouldn’t the Astien Empire be closer? How did you end up here...?”

One of the mercenaries, pretending to know something, opened his mouth but quickly lowered his head with a regretful expression.

“Well, I suppose we, being from the south as well, have no right to comment.”

Najane didn’t respond, instead giving a bitter smile. Maximón immediately glared at the mercenary who had spoken out of turn.

The thought of Najane having fled to the Astien Empire made a chill run through Jacob. If that had happened, he wouldn’t have met her. He would have lived his life unaware that someone like Najane Schnicks even existed in the world. Just imagining it was horrifying.

He clenched his jaw, feeling a surge of irritation, and the mercenaries in front of him became even more bothersome.

With each passing day, his hatred and disdain for humans were growing stronger. However, Maximón, determined to maintain a good impression on Najane, suppressed the rising murderous intent and kept a neutral expression.

No matter what mercenary group they contracted with, Jacob didn’t care. But showing such a careless attitude was the worst behavior for a knight commander, and more importantly, it was highly likely that Najane would be greatly disappointed. He focused solely on Najane, trying his best to engage in the meeting.

Finding a mercenary group to cooperate with Romsoa was also important for Maximón. To avoid sending her into the field, she needed skilled mercenaries to fight in her place against the Holy Body.

At that moment, Najane tried to change the mood by asking a different question.

“Alverahim is the hometown of the first Sword Master, Jenny Covella, isn’t it?”

The mercenary leader’s expression brightened at Najane’s words.

“Ah, you know a bit.”

The mercenary leader, now more relaxed, continued speaking.

“You’re right. People often think Jenny Covella is from the Raunud Kingdom because she spent her final years there with her husband, Hier. But that’s a huge misconception. That rumor is completely false.”

The mercenary leader slightly relaxed his guard.

Najane smiled slightly.

“I once read a history of Sword Masters published by the Duchy, and it described Jenny Covella’s swordsmanship and techniques in detail.”

“Exactly. The Duchy has worked hard to correct the facts. Unfortunately, our homeland, like Kalonosia, was destroyed by the Serith, so all that effort became futile... But I’m grateful that there are still people who remember the truth.”

The mercenary leader spoke with genuine gratitude. The mercenaries accompanying him seemed to share his sentiment, nodding in agreement. The atmosphere had improved considerably.

Najane, feeling relieved, quickly glanced at Jacob, as if urging him to settle the contract. Jacob, regretting having let Najane join the meeting and feeling like she was out of place, exchanged a meaningful look with her, still deeply moved.

The mercenary leader now looked at Maximón with a much more lenient expression.

“I apologize for my sharp words, despite inviting you here. To survive in this line of work, one must be tough, and for a moment, I forgot to show respect to the knights of Noctis. I humbly ask for forgiveness for my mistake and that of my men.”

The mercenary leader said politely. Under the table, Najane lightly tapped Maximón’s hand, urging her to apologize quickly and not ruin the atmosphere. Maximón, understanding her intention, complied and offered an apology.

“I also apologize for my rude remarks.”

Upon hearing that, both Najane and Jacob immediately realized that Maximón hadn’t meant it, but the mercenaries seemed quite proud to have received an apology from the renowned Maximón Elgort.

Jacob, hoping the mercenaries wouldn’t change their minds and ruin the atmosphere again, quickly turned the conversation back to the contract.

“Now, I’d like to hear the terms you’ve considered for the contract. Please feel free to share anything you’re hoping for.”

At Jacob’s words, the mercenary leader, as if waiting for the right moment, began explaining their terms.

“As you know, we mostly handle urgent escorts for nobles or guard the merchant caravans of the guilds. We don’t have the strength or numbers to fight the Seriths. If we manage to successfully sign a contract with Romsoa, we will do our best to recruit skilled swordsmen as mercenaries. Therefore, we expect Romsoa to offer a substantial financial reward that will appeal to our mercenaries.”

“The Eyes of the Seriths, you mean?”

Maximón said, as if he understood.

The mercenary leader didn’t deny it.

“Tell me the quantity you require.”

“Are you asking for the number, without regard to size?”

Jacob quickly responded instead of Maximón.

“The Eyes of the Seriths vary greatly in size, so it’s hard to average them. It’s likely more beneficial for the mercenary group to settle on a number.”

The mercenary leader thought for a moment before asking again.

“How many mercenaries do you need?”

Maximón answered immediately.

“At least five hundred.”

“In that case, for every five hundred mercenaries who join the battle, we will need thirty Eyes of the Seriths.”

Najane was a bit surprised at the mercenary leader’s request. The Eyes of the Seriths are rare gems that are worth far more than gold. For him to ask for thirty of them was quite extravagant. While Romsoa’s fourth city wall is a place where many of the Seriths gather, thirty is still too much.

The Romsoa knights who fight until dawn in the field and harvest the Eyes of the Seriths typically gather around twenty on a good day, and as few as five on a bad day. Not every Seriths possesses an Eye, and in fact, there are far more Seriths without one.

After painstakingly collecting the Eyes, the knights would keep only the best quality ones and sell the rest to merchants. The proceeds are then divided based on contributions, and the remainder is used to fund the operation of the order.

Only the knight commander can buy and sell the Eyes of the Seriths. Maximón, being highly skilled, had managed to secure a large number of them. If he sacrificed, obtaining thirty Eyes wouldn’t be a problem, but that method wouldn’t help maintain the contract.

“You’re being too greedy.”

Najane agreed with Maximón’s statement. Despite frequently fighting Seriths on the field, she had never actually seen an Eye of the Seriths. That’s how rare they were.

But the mercenary leader did not back down.

“Other mercenary groups who signed contracts with other knight orders have recruited skilled swordsmen from various countries. What’s left are either novices or experts hiding their true abilities. Naturally, if we want to attract those experts, the reward must be substantial.”

This statement was true. Once rumors spread that the knight order was recruiting mercenaries, famous mercenary groups began offering large sums to recruit wandering swordsmen of high skill.

A massive mercenary group with over two thousand soldiers had already signed a contract with another knight order. What remained were small mercenary groups that only took on low-risk jobs, like Phylonos, which had fewer members.

“If additional benefits were offered, could the payment be reduced?” Najane quickly asked.

Another mercenary tilted his head in confusion.

“Benefits? What kind of benefits for mercenaries?”

“We can provide necessary weapons, shields, and armor. Additionally, for mercenaries who will fight the Seriths, we can offer holy swords and holy water.”

Jacob quickly added his thoughts.

“We’ll also take responsibility for healing injured mercenaries. If any mercenaries are injured fighting the Seriths, we promise to offer jobs within the Noctis Fortress.”

Before Jacob had even finished speaking, Najane looked at Maximón. Sitting in the center, Maximón felt a little uncomfortable under the intense gaze from both sides.

Though Najane hadn’t shown it, she had been envious upon hearing that other knight orders had signed contracts with mercenaries and allowed them to rest twice a week. Without more rest days, she would never be able to visit Luna.

Especially for Romsoa, with its exceptional skills, sudden calls for reinforcements were frequent, so getting one or two days off a month was the most she could expect. Maximón glanced at Najane, who was looking up at him with hopeful eyes, and added an unexpected condition.

“We will provide knight training, a dormitory, and three meals a day for those who wish for it. If they can endure the training, they’ll be able to survive longer in the field than anyone else. Additionally, those who develop enough skill to fight the Seriths will be granted citizenship within the fortress.”

At the mention of citizenship, the eyes of the three mercenaries lit up. The mercenary leader looked at Maximón with a surprised expression.

“Citizenship? You said citizenship? How could that possibly...?”

“If they officially enlist in the knight order or are appointed as knights, they can receive citizenship, regardless of their origin,” Jacob explained. This was something Najane had never heard before either.