Chapter 11 - Crisis, Opportunity, Crisis (2)

Published on

Oct 15, 2022

•12 min read•194 views

“Silver Cry… Silver Cry… Ah! Found it!”

As I entered the place, I first found the inn recommended by the guard captain. As he said, finding this inn wasn’t too difficult. From the castle gates to the Lord’s castle, all I had to do was follow the flat stones and find the loudest building.

“Woahh!”

Thud!

“Ackk!”

“Ahhh!”

“Jess just passed!”

“Fucking dirty-headed horse! I bet everything on you!”

Thud!

“I understand if you don’t want to come. This is an inn run by the mercenary guild.”

The voices of the drunkards could be heard from early evening. The sound of things being shamed, thick voices, and slurred pronunciation.

[Silver Cry Inn]

It’s a sound you generally hear when mercenaries gather. It’s a group of individuals who have common interests. It is a group that acts in many ways for the convenience and interests of mercenaries, from simple tasks to large-scale fights between Lords and subjugation requests. There are several situations when bigger and more prominent mercenaries get missions directly, not via their guild. However, most of them usually accept requests through the mercenary guild since this is more convenient and safe.

I cautiously pushed the swing door open and went inside.

“Kuak! That bastard said something, I..”

“Ugh, Tolnar…”

“Why? It only feels good for a while.”

“There. That..”

“… hehehe.”

As I went inside, the atmosphere of the inn, which was very heated up seconds ago, subsided.

Step. Step. Step.

As I walked from the entrance to the bar counter and sat, the noisy atmosphere had gone, and only whispers could be heard.

‘What? Even if I am a foreigner, do they have to be this weird? Aren’t they all already famous ones?’

-takealook: I think that much is enough

-professor: what?

-takealook: look at your ponytail.

’… ah!’

Professor looked at his condition.

Height taller than others, a body cramped between the battle and the land as they were too long and the trousers were covered in blood and dirt. On the way to Turan, the wounds that were swept and touched began to bleed out again, and the bandages were all red. And to this was the sullen face which looked more like an expression of annoyance.

Whoever saw him would think he was a serial killer.

- Jokass : they weren’t overreacting in the least. Even if it was me, if I looked at someone like you, I would immediately put you in a prison cell

- Speedwagon : somehow, you crawled into their place with a goal

- Heungandumpling : yayah, they have swords? Aren’t they bounty hunters?

‘Shit! This is it! I knew I would die with the attention they’re giving me.’

In real life, Professor boasted a very meticulous life. That was because if he wandered around blankly in the wasteland and left traces, he knew someone would come running after seeing the traces and eat him raw.

Anticipating every worst-case scenario and preparing for the best. It was the first look of wasteland survivors.

But the Professor at GG has a mental problem that hurts his head due to thinking, so if he had a goal, he would think of one thing and move right then.

Even while coming here to Silver Cry Inn, he repeatedly mumbled his goal like a crazy man.

So right now, there’s a criminal-looking man in a mercenary inn.

Swish~

“Hey, there. You seem like a friend who knows his fair share of knives. What did you come to our Silver Cry for?”

What broke the chilly silence was a fair man who appeared to be the owner, slicing a large steak on the bar counter.

‘Do not panic. He isn’t even threatening. And you, do not be careless either.’

I answered in a low voice, “I wanted a job as… a mercenary….”

Slash!

Tak!

“Ah! Mercenary! Right! I was so stupid! There is no way a person who came to the inn run by the mercenary guild would come here for something else. You have a face I don’t remember seeing… Did you come from another city?”

“Around Gideon.”

Slash!

“Gideon? Ah, the old name of Molludic Castle! Man, I miss it. It has been over 20 years since the name changed after the uproar. Now, no one is confused by the name. Well, I don’t know if you are a person who has been locked up for so long or you simply didn’t get the memo.”

“…”

F**k!

‘Wrong answer! He is more suspicious now!’

I gulped nervously.

The inn’s atmosphere wasn’t quiet, but the knife the man held looked colder.

“So… I just said that time is running out, and you are here to receive a quest, so you need to show me something… can you show me your mercenary card? I need to know what level you are.”

I was here to register a new one. Was there a chance I would be here if I had a card?

“… I lost it.”

“You lost it… you should have said it….”

Shhh!

“Amy!”

“Yes. Yes, Master!”

The fat innkeeper sharpened his knife and smiled warmly at the woman who was in the corner.

“Take some of this steak to Shirley of Lazeris over there.”

“Uh, I can take the food?”

“Yes. Say it’s my token of gratitude for the good care given to me when I bought the wolf’s teeth last time. Take Cindy with you.”

“Together?”

“Right. You two together. If you have time, go around and play just for about 30 minutes.”

“Yes, yes!”

Tatak!

The woman acknowledged what her master said and grabbed the hand of the other lady next to her, then ran out.

When the only ladies inside the inn went out, the innkeeper smiled.

“Yeah… your name?”

“Professor.”

“Hhmm. Professor. That is weird. I thought I could remember all the names.”

“What… names?”

Professor pretended to be calm, but he was losing his mind.

‘What do I do? Anyone who sees this will be suspicious of me! Even an idiot will know they asked the ladies to move for one purpose! He is thinking what I am thinking! Right now! He will kill me here!’

The innkeeper clenched his knife.

“You see, those guys who live like mercenaries, those who don’t, and those who have something to hide but look like mercenaries without even the treatment of a disciple’s actions are called criminals around here. After all, I am the master of the Mercenary Union here. Shouldn’t I be able to memorize the faces and names of the criminals who escaped from this city?”

After he said that, I heard sounds of chairs being dragged and metal coming from behind.

‘Shit! ID card! How could I not have a single identification document or something with me?!’

“He doesn’t seem like a normal one, so why don’t we make him speak and use him? It would be meaningless to kill this one.”

‘I am a fallen noble! And I do not even have a seal of my family! Anything, anything will do… Status! Window!’

I opened the status window even though I knew nothing would be there.

Tring!

[Item: / ㅁ / - / - / - /]

‘Uh? W-what is this?’

I used up all the bandages I was given, so the inventory should be empty, but there was one thing.

[Item — Guard Captain’s Letter of Introduction: A letter of introduction written by the Guard’s Captain of Tura, Enoch. On the front side, there is a statement that the person who has the letter of introduction is guaranteed in the name of the guard, Enoch, and on the back side, it hastily says, ’Cheer up, young man!]

’!!!!’

- Hungandumpling : Wow, this?

You are reading story Clearing the Game at the End of the World at novel35.com

- Soygaybar : brother!!!

- Duru_is_Druig : see that? That is the power of love! Look at the romance of two men!

- Soygaybar : I feel sorry for you who don’t know the beauty of love

‘No… did he give it before I left?’

[Goodbye!]

The hand tapping on my shoulder looked strange, yet I ignored it because it felt unneeded with my weak mental state to think about such things! But this was a surprise!

Thank you, brother Enoch! I will pay you back!

Without delay, I took out the letter in the inventory and unfolded it in front of the master, who raised his knife.

“I do not have a card… but this.”

“Huh, do you think this—uh? Enoch?”

The innkeeper snatched the letter as he looked at it.

“…the above person is guaranteed in the name of Captain Enoch. The seal is right, and the handwriting….”

“It would be fine… if you stopped.”

“W-what happened?”

“So, he’s not a criminal?”

“I thought he was some famous serial killer because of his appearance. The bloody hand….”

“Me too. Was it just a hippie? Name?”

“Then his name isn’t even known?”

The mercenaries preparing to rush and kill me noticed the strangeness of the situation and mumbled amongst themselves.

The innkeeper, who was looking at the letter, turned his head to me.

“Then, what’s with your wounds? Since they’re so serious, they aren’t just wounds from stumbling down, right?”

“On the way from Gideon to Turan… I met a troll.”

“Killing troll in the north woods?”

“I heard that the lord sent a knight to it last month… is it still alive?”

“Then, he met the troll and managed to come alive?”

The mercenaries were whispering amongst themselves as they heard my answer.

Well, it wasn’t a lie. I indeed met a troll, Notum, on the way here. But Notum seemed quite infamous here, and I was grateful for not bringing her.

“N-Nice! Then I understand the wound! Then, why did you come here instead of going to a temple or someone? Unless you are a wanted criminal….”

“That….”

‘What do I say? Something useful… ah.’

I looked around and then got up as I reached for the bar table, a mug full of beer, and drank it in one breath.

Gulp. Gulp.

“Kuah… it was a hard day for me. I was too sick of this and wanted a drink more than treating the wounds or going to a merchant. That is all.”

.

.

.

.

Clack!

Silence filled the place, and the sound of an empty glass being dropped could be heard.

“Puah!”

“Hahaha!”

Someone, unable to hold back, laughed.

“Puahahaha!!!”

“Kuak! Alcohol! He was here for the drink!”

“Woahhh! He is a true mercenary!”

“Right! A hard day needs to be ended with a drink!”

Soon, laughter broke out, agreeing with my words. There was only one person who didn’t laugh, the master.

“Ahem! I-I am sorry!”

“Kuah! You should be sorry!”

“We trusted the master’s sign and moved! We almost ended up killing one of our own!”

‘Sign? Somehow, I suddenly wanted to leave here….’

It seemed like he misunderstood my identity and sent a signal.

‘The death event was about to come up without even giving me time to breathe.’

A troll at the start, then the castle guards who dragged me, and now, a small mistake in speaking and I would have died.

‘Being alive until now, itself, is shocking.’

I sighed and looked around. The inn was buzzing again, and the master looked a bit embarrassed. This was clearly his own fault. It wasn’t just a mistake; it was an act that almost took the life of another.

Maybe that is why the confident man now looked like a sad puppy. Being a member of a mercenary guild means that breaking the rules of the Guild will be difficult to accept, and he would have to give up his life for taking another for a wrong cause.

‘If I can do this well, I might get a huge compensation, but… that is the last thing on my mind.’

I will stay in Turan for a while to improve my body condition so I cannot make the local mercenary master angry at me. That wouldn’t help me.

“Master, two of the most expensive ones here.”

“Ah? Hm, yes.”

Gulp gulp…

‘It is red, and the part reflected by the light has a burning gold, and a strong scent rises as soon as it is poured into the glass. Dragon Blood.. quite a skilled one.’

Seeing the expensive Dragon Blood being poured into the glasses, I bit my lip.

For a moment, I looked at the two glasses of Dragon Blood, smiled, and handed one to the master.

“This…”

“It is said that if one gets drunk right after a bad thing, they forget what happened. Dragon Blood is enough to get drunk, but alcohol cannot be drunk without a buddy.” I told him.

“… Huh!”

“… Cheers!”

“Heheh! Cheers! Fine! Nice! Amazing! This Waldrof Topric managed to meet a nice one today! Hahaha!!”

At the heartfelt laughter of their master, the others, too, began to drink.

“You bastards! Raise the cups! We have a new one here!”

“M-master! I don’t drink, though?”

“Everyone sitting will have one drink!”

“Ohhh!”

“What is this? We might run out of alcohol today!”

“Please, we will still be able to get the compensation and more. Shut up and drink!”

“Hehehe! There is no need to decline then!”

“Hey! Amy! A glass of ale here.”

“Amy isn’t here. You go and get it yourself!”

After the brief commotion, the master raised his glass.

“You all worked hard to handle me! In exchange for your drinks, clean the place when you are done!”

“Woah!”

“Sir! You are Professor, right? Uh… I am sorry.!”

“Woahhhh!”

“Euhahaha!”

“Topric of Heavens is scared!”

“So… when did you drink?”

“Puahaha, right! He should be drunk! A new friend! For Professor!”

“Cheers!”

“Cheersss!”

Tak!

‘Still, this isn’t too bad. Being favored by the Guild Master, who can oversee the regional quest at the time of crisis. It isn’t too bad.’

It seemed like today passed safely.

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