Chapter 58
“The Breathless Child is Looking for His Father”:
[Treva will contact them again. We have to persuade that guy, Tesetan, first.]
After the reply ended, the communication device shut down.
The man in the blue cloak stared at the now-blank device for a few seconds, then let out a sigh and turned his body.
But soon, an exclamation slipped from his lips.
“Damn it.”
On the mahogany bench, on the edge of the marble fountain that his hand had briefly touched—everywhere he had shuffled and wandered through the corridor was smeared with red blood.
The man in the blue cloak furrowed his brows, looking troubled.
Lowering his gaze, he saw bright red blood dripping down from beneath his cloak.
“…I should’ve at least given first aid before coming.”
He quickly turned toward the path that led to an exit.
“I should’ve listened when they said that multitasking isn’t for just anyone.”
Raising one hand to deactivate the barrier at the exit, a dark corridor appeared in the void.
Without hesitation, the blue-cloaked man stepped into it.
A few seconds after the master disappeared, the greenhouse barrier reactivated.
The exit that had appeared in the void vanished without a trace.
At that exact moment, the complicated magical device hanging from the ceiling began to whirr.
It was a device that watered the flowers in the greenhouse twice a day.
As fine droplets filled the greenhouse, a faint rainbow appeared in the air above the floor.
Above the large, red puddle of blood pooled on the ground.
Populosa Weapon District
Berugon’s Workshop.
Veil set down the communication device in his hands.
When he turned, he saw the team members staring intently at him.
“What did they say? Huh?”
Nordics, face tense, was the first to ask.
Enzo stamped his foot, urging for an answer.
“Are they coming? Huh?”
Taking a deep breath, Veil spoke in a trembling voice.
“…They’re coming.”
The team’s eyes widened.
“Really?!”
“Yes. They said they’d dispatch personnel to assist, here.”
“As expected, as expected!!”
Raoul punched the air and jumped from his seat.
“I knew it! I knew the Association would come! Didn’t I tell you so!”
Veil rubbed his temple instead of replying.
“Haaah…”
He had been so tense that the back of his neck was still soaked with sweat.
His heartbeat was so intense that it made his head spin.
“Really, the Mercenary Association is coming to rescue Astier?”
Basto asked at that moment.
Veil slumped into his chair and nodded.
“Yes. They said they’ve issued a call to the top three mercenary groups, and they’ll provide transportation support so they can arrive here quickly once ready.”
Not only are they sending support, but also providing transport.
Basto clenched his fists.
‘We really, really can save Tier.’
We can take the child trapped in the pocket dimension out.
Relief at having found a method.
And anxiety at not being able to put that method into action yet, making his mouth dry.
His mind drifted back to the desperate emergency meeting held an hour ago.
‘So we just let it happen? Let our squad leader get eaten by Krazar?!’
Immediately after Astier and Berugon were sucked into the pocket dimension,
the Agabert squad members and blacksmiths scrambled to find a solution.
It was natural, as both groups were about to lose their leaders.
But given the nature of the pocket dimension, which could not be accessed externally, it seemed impossible to extract the two.
That was until Enzo raised his hand and proposed an unexpected idea.
‘What if we send a rescue request to the Mercenary Association?’
The Mercenary Association.
Sometimes called the Frost Association, its official name was the Frost Mercenary Union.
‘I heard of it back when I was a trainee paladin. It’s an organization that guarantees the safety of mercenaries.’
In fact, the Frost Mercenary Union was a new organization, less than five years old.
The number of affiliated mercenary groups was still small, and even the identity of its leader was shrouded in secrecy.
Yet most mercenaries knew of the Association.
The reason was simple.
‘The Frost Association… isn’t that the place that rescues mercenary groups after they almost get wiped out in tower sieges?’
‘Yes. Still, most of the top mercenary groups are members.’
‘…How? And where the hell do they get their funds? They don’t even have a solid income source, so how do they have the power to meddle everywhere?’
Two things stood out: the seemingly strange actions and financial capability of the Association, and
‘But they also connect mercenary groups with national contracts. There must be backing somewhere.’
It was because of the exclusive national contract system they had quickly established.
Basto repeatedly clenched and released the armrest of his chair, lost in thought.
The “exclusive national contract system” might sound complicated, but its principle was surprisingly simple.
‘That must have been the first year of the Association’s founding.’
Around that time, the president of the Frost Association, who had been in Veil’s custody, signed a treaty with the royal family.
How he reached the Emperor, or the detailed clauses of the treaty, didn’t matter.
Basto still remembered the notice posted in the mercenary registration office and compensation bureau.
[Notice]
The Royal Cabinet and Frost Mercenary Union hereby announce the following:
From now on, all national contracts will be delegated solely to the Frost Mercenary Union according to the treaty concluded between the Royal Family and the Union.
Henceforth, the previous method of individually assigning national contracts will be immediately discontinued, and all future national contracts will be assigned exclusively through the Frost Mercenary Union.
The Union may grant affiliated mercenary groups the priority to undertake contracts.
It was nothing less than national contracts.
The royal family was officially requesting mercenary assistance, offering high rewards in return.
‘And they claim they will monopolize the right to undertake such contracts.’
Basto began to feel suspicion.
The Frost Association, which seemed like a fleeting organization, might actually be a hidden powerhouse with enormous ambition.
‘Damn it! National contracts were already hard enough to secure… now there’s no chance!’
On the other hand, other mercenaries were equally unsympathetic to the Association’s actions.
The first to explode in anger was none other than Death Hound’s Karl.
‘What? Giving priority to member groups?! Of course. They’ll demand outrageous fees if you want to join the Association!’
The mercenaries’ reaction was natural.
‘How can we trust the Association? Our mercenary history spans decades, and if such a system worked, why hasn’t it existed until now?’
‘Exactly. They talk about protecting mercenary rights, but in the end, only the insiders in the Association fatten themselves…’
Within a short time, mercenaries’ resentment toward the Association reached its peak.
Among some groups, there was an unspoken movement to refuse membership.
In fact, Basto largely agreed with the public opinion at the time.
‘The more authority the organization has, the fewer opportunities individuals get. That’s undeniable.’
Moreover, if the Frost Association were corrupt?
If they began accepting bribes and distributing contract rights, all mercenary groups below the top 10 would wither away.
National contracts were a dream opportunity for most mercenary groups.
High monetary rewards.
Connections and reputation earned in the process of fulfilling contracts.
For small mercenary groups, a chance to grow; for mid-tier groups, a chance to jump in rank.
If such opportunities were monopolized by those friendly with the Association…
‘It looked dangerous.’
Indeed, even to Basto, the sudden enormous power of the Frost Mercenary Union looked dangerous.
