by Funa
When they arrived at the guild, they were guided to the meeting room on the second floor where the guild master laid everything out and handed over 208 gold pieces. That was a bit over seventeen pieces each which, in Japanese money, would be over 1.7 million yen. The job had originally been advertised at only 24 half-gold, or 240,000 yen. Now, the earnings of the Crimson Vow’s four members totaled just under seventy gold, or a fortune of almost 7 million yen.
Everyone nodded eagerly.
“Everyone take one gold a piece. Mile, you put the rest away.”
Even Reina was not comfortable walking around with such a large sum, and she directed Mile to deposit the bulk of the earnings in her storage. Safety concerns aside, that much gold was heavy.
Mile was always in charge of the Crimson Vow’s money.
All their income and expenditures were drawn from their shared funds, which were also used for necessities such as lodging fees, repairs, and replacing equipment for the front line. If a party didn’t operate this way, for example allotting money to the actual person who felled a bandit, then any back-line supporters and healers would start looking for a different career.
Asking the front-line fighters, whose gear wore out more quickly, to take individual responsibility for their equipment expenses would be similarly unfair. Therefore, aside from whatever random funds they might earn in their spare time, the whole party drew from the same wallet.
They all received a flat rate of allowance to cover individual purchases, and whenever they brought in any small sums of money they divided them amongst themselves on the spot.
In some parties, there might be a difference in wages based on rank and tenure, but as the Crimson Vow were equal in that regard, there was no need for a division. Nor did it occur to any of them to change the pay rate based on profession or strength.
Even Mile’s commission for carrying the merchants’ goods was destined for the party wallet, as it was earned during a party mission.
Although Mile was in charge of holding the money within her storage, it was naturally Pauline who directed the spending. Every night, Pauline had Mile produce the money so she could count the contents of their enormous purse with a maniacal grin across her face…
“Here’s one gold for each of us. Let’s spend big today!” cried Reina.
“Yeah!!!” the other three happily replied.
That said, none of them planned to drink or visit any particularly shady venues.
Instead, they would eat delicious food and purchase souvenirs. And since they didn’t have to worry about carrying their luggage, they were all free to buy whatever they liked.
“All right. Let’s go!”
“We didn’t even spend a tenth of it…”
Reina looked exhausted.
Other than Mavis, all the girls had come from poverty and had the mindset to match. There was simply no way they could bear to spend money like water. They’d tried eating some expensive things, but their small stomachs could only hold so much and they weren’t interested in the local delicacies. When it came to clothing, gear, and foodstuffs, both the quality and variety would be greater in the capital, so there was no point in buying any of that here. Plus, while they had Mile for transportation, their room at the inn was small enough that large or bulky items were out of the question.
In the end, Mile ended up buying only heaps of the dried and smoked fish and other seafood that were the specialty of this town by the sea.
“Guess we should get going…”
The sun was already beginning to descend, and the time to head to the lord’s mansion was approaching.
On their way back to the inn to meet up with the others, Mile made a suggestion.
“Um, when we talk about the job, why don’t we say that Dragonbreath and the Flaming Wolves did most of the work, while we mostly provided backup?”
“Huh???”
Reina, Mavis, and Pauline were baffled.
“Why would we do that?! We have to promote our name so we can aim for B-rank!”
“As a noble, if I reach an A-rank at a young enough age, there’s a possibility that I could even become a knight!”
“Well, I don’t really mind either way.”
Though Pauline was indifferent, Reina and Mavis weren’t inclined to accept Mile’s suggestion.
“Um, the thing is, I think it’s possible that a lot of troublesome developments will come out of this incident. The palace, the Albarn Empire, other countries, nobles, politics… I don’t think we’ll be launching into a war anytime soon, but it’s not out of the question. Anyway, if people know that four of the soon-to-be-famous ‘twelve guards who defeated forty-six soldiers’ were still young girls, we might get questioned or drawn into things we don’t want to be involved with. It could be a big problem.
“Besides, we only just became C-rank hunters, so rising to B-rank is far in the future, even if we do perform extremely well for newbies…”
As Mile explained, Reina and Mavis thought.
“Hmm, I suppose you’re probably right. If we get a reputation beyond our actual abilities, we’ll probably just get tripped up. And we should still be focusing on polishing our skills,” said Mavis.
“Er, well, I guess that’s true…” Reina hastily agreed.
Afterward, they explained their plan to the others. Dragonbreath agreed and, somehow or other, the Flaming Wolves seemed to get it, too.
However, someone would to have to be the center of attention. Who would take the credit for their victory?
Dragonbreath were already close to B-rank, so public attention wouldn’t be a problem for them, and they were strong enough to rebuff anyone who bothered them about it. So the three parties decided to submit their official record with Dragonbreath in the spotlight, taking on the bulk of the action along with the Flaming Wolves while the Crimson Vow acted as support and protected the merchants. As the merchants and drivers had been hidden away in the wagons during the battle, they hadn’t seen the play-by-play and there was no danger of them accidentally contradicting the hunters’ story.
The Flaming Wolves were a little embarrassed to be taking credit for the girls’ achievements, but they desperately needed a reputation boost if they wanted to replenish their party’s numbers. They grinned at the thought of all the hunters who would come running to join them.
“Don’t you know what happens to parties who advertise themselves as bigger than they are? Do you not understand why these girls are choosing to hide their power? You’ll die,” said Bart.
The Flaming Wolves’ shoulders slumped.
“Your reasons aren’t bad, so I’ll allow it. I do understand the need to attract more recruits. So for now, we’ll let everyone know that you did your best and really shone on this mission. Just make sure you tell people the truth about your abilities when you’re interviewing them. Lying will bring disaster on your heads.”
“Yes, sir…”
Even the Flaming Wolves were well aware that without the unholy power of Dragonbreath and the Crimson Vow, they would have been annihilated. Seeing that they genuinely understood their foolishness, Bart was relieved.
The lord’s name was Count Amroth, the same as the town.
“Congratulations on a job well done! With the trade between our territory and the capital blocked, our finances were dwindling, so we thank you for your efforts!”
His subordinate, the soldier by the name of Connelly, had said the lord was normally a bit of a miser, but he seemed to have an honest character as nobles went—giving a proper thank you to even these lowly hunters. Rather than gazing down at them from a dais, he welcomed them to a big table, laden with food and drink. To set the hunters at ease, the food was piled on big dishes in the style of commoners. It seemed that his invitation was not merely for the sake of appearances, but that he was truly giving them a warm welcome.
“I see that there are children in your midst, and yet you defeated forty-six men without a scratch on you. That is no small feat.
What do you think? Any interest in staying in this town? We can promise you our hospitality!”
For a middle-of-the-road C-rank hunter, this might be a very attractive offer. They could pass their days in comfort, and once their bodies began to weaken, they could retire and live on their savings. Get married. Open a little shop. Yet for a party that was near B-rank, a party of young men burning with desire to make their name known and recruit some attractive girls, and of course, for the Crimson Vow, this was not an especially appealing prospect.
In the capital, there were more jobs, as well as greater variety. There were more merchants, caravans that traveled out in every direction, and plenty of material-gathering requests. Plus, there were national jobs with high degrees of difficulty and requests from other regions whose guilds could not handle a job alone. In other words, there was more danger, but also more opportunity—plus, the pay was good, and they earned lots of points toward promotion.
The lord was certainly aware of this. His offer was merely a courtesy, one he expected the hunters to refuse.
After that, it was time to talk money. Upon hearing that they would be receiving 300 gold pieces in total, everyone— especially the Flaming Wolves—overflowed with veritable “jars of excitement.” (An idiom of this world, suggesting you were so excited you appeared to weave through an arrangement of large pots.)
This reward consisted of 100 gold for each party, and the hunters’ excitement swelled at this increase in their individual shares. Even if they replaced all their equipment, they would still have more than enough to live on comfortably. For those who had begun in poverty, it was like a dream.
Of course, if each of those forty-six soldiers had been mere bandits, the hunters would not be treated to such a lavish feast. However, they’d not only stopped a scheme by a foreign country while keeping the number of casualties low, but also gone so far as to take prisoners of war. These achievements were extremely valuable.
Even if the soldiers really had been bandits, by capturing them and selling them all into forced labor, the hunters’ profits would be nothing to scoff at, either. It worked out either way, and they should be grateful for the lord’s consideration.
Afterward, the lord told them of how he’d gone to speak with the prisoners directly the previous night and penned a letter with his findings to His Majesty the king himself—which had been sent out that morning. At these words, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief that the lord was no traitor.
Then he explained how he’d like those who persuaded the prisoners to cooperate to speak directly with the troops from the capital, so the prisoners knew that their previous agreements would be honored. Finally, he spoke with the hunters’ employers, the merchants.
After returning to the inn and conferring with the merchants, they learned that only the Crimson Vow and the Flaming Wolves would be serving as escorts for the homeward trip, while Dragonbreath remained in Amroth to assist with the prisoners.
Based on the messages that Fargus had sent, there would likely be some action from the palace. They expected that things would unfold at least one day ahead of the lord’s proposed schedule. No matter how trustworthy he seemed, you could never truly be certain, and they had chosen not to inform the lord of the letters they’d sent beforehand.
“We’ll say that we requested this of Dragonbreath and send our confirmation of job completion to the guild, A-grade,” the head merchant said.
Bart nodded lightly.
“Thanks. We owe you one.”
In reality, no one could claim that a result this fruitful was truly a breach of contract.
The formal meeting of the merchant party dissolved, but the Crimson Vow and Flaming Wolves remained where they were. They needed to discuss their plans for tomorrow, acting as guards on the road home.
“Is everyone fine with me serving as the leader for the return trip?” asked Brett, head of the Flaming Wolves. “I know that your group has more people, but our group does have a bit more experience as C-rank hunters. Also, we have more front-line fighters who will need swift instructions. I’m very aware of how skilled you all are, so you don’t have to worry about me underestimating you.”
The Crimson Vow nodded in agreement.
“Thank you. Now then, allow me to lay out our strategy. Since Miley can use location magic, we’ll have her ride in the front wagon. Little Reina is good with combat magic, so she’ll ride at the rear and ward off any enemies who decide to pursue us. Miss Mavis and Miss Pauline will ride in the third wagon, so that they can easily lend support to either end of the train. Our party will be split up—one to each wagon, too—as advance guard and an escort for the magic users. This is going to be a combined effort and should serve as good practice for mingling with other parties and learning other people’s ways. Are there any question or objections?”
“I have no issue with this plan, but may I ask one question?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
Reina glared at Brett.
“Mile’s one thing, but why are you calling me ‘Little’?! You called Pauline ‘Miss,’ and as her senior, I’m wondering what, exactly, makes me so ‘little’!”
“Er…”
The Flaming Wolves froze.
“Um… we thought you were eleven or twelve…”
This was the first time the girls’ ages had come up, and they found themselves thoroughly surprised.
“Now then, let’s do our best out there tomorrow,” said Brett several minutes later, trying to adjourn the meeting. He softly patted out the embers on his singed hair, attempting to extinguish them.
***
“Mile, how did you meet the other three in your party?”
“Ah, well, we were all classmates at the Hunters’ Prep School—roommates in fact. And…”
Chuck sat beside the driver of the head wagon and Mile rode atop the tarp, her legs dangling over.
The cab was a bit narrow for all three of them to fit in a row, so Mile, who was light enough to sit on the tarp without warping the roof, was positioned up top. They weren’t trying to get attacked on the way home, so it was better to have their guards visible rather than tucked away as before.
Chuck didn’t turn his head as they spoke.
Given their positioning and the height difference, and the fact that Mile was wearing a skirt, if he so much as glanced backward, he was bound to see something that he shouldn’t.
Mile, guileless as ever, didn’t appear worried. The one time Chuck did attempt to turn her way, he got a sharp elbow from the doddering old man sitting beside him. The driver made a terrifying face, completely unlike the vapid grin he’d worn up until then, and whispered quietly enough that Mile couldn’t hear him, with a voice that cut like a knife.
“I’ll kill ya, ya scoundrel.”
After that, Chuck was an absolute gentleman.
Chuck was also under strict orders to make nice with the girls so that when they arrived in the capital, the Flaming Wolves could try again to invite them to their party. So, he talked with Mile about various things.
Without Brett even asking, Mile had already saved Chuck from the soldier’s attack and completely healed his left arm—and that was on top of the fact that she was honest, cheerful, and cute. Plus, both her magic and swordsmanship were on par with a B-rank hunter. He most certainly wanted her in their party and wouldn’t mind forging an even stronger connection, if he was so lucky. In just another two or three years he’d be twenty, and she’d probably be old enough. If he took his time and got closer to her before then…
Completely unaware of his intentions, Mile talked happily with Chuck—inadvertently feeding his expectations with her pleasant demeanor. If that old woman from so long ago had been there in the wagon, she would have said to Mile yet again:
“Hee hee hee. You really are a wicked girl, Miss Miley…”
A similar scene was unfolding in the third and sixth wagons, too.
Brett had very quickly given up on Pauline, who was furio
usly writing something in her journal and ignoring him completely. However, he attempted to connect with Mavis as a fellow swordsman. Meanwhile Daryl, the lancer, had realized that complimenting Reina’s appearance and magical abilities would get him nothing but sour responses, whereas stories about the Flaming Wolves’ past failures, lessons they learned on the job, and little tricks for monster hunting caught her interest every time. Their conversation was going swimmingly, at least in terms of his ego.
In fact, for the Crimson Vow, getting to speak with hunters who were young but still a bit older than them proved quite beneficial. Mile prepared them a dinner of orc meat in thanks.
Too bad it’s always orc… every once in a while it’d be nice to have something with a bit less fat, something a little healthier. I guess you can’t eat goblin, but what about ogre? They’re less fatty than orcs, and I’m sure they’re full of nutrition.
Ogre meat is good for your health…and you could call them “Ogre-nic Meals”!
Realizing that there was not a single person in this world who would understand the pun, Mile hung her head in disappointment.
After dinner that evening…
“It’s time for tonight’s Japanese Folktale!”
At the mention of Mile’s wonderful fairytale series, the eyes of the Crimson Vow sparkled in anticipation. The Flaming Wolves just stared in confusion. Utterly unconcerned, Mile began her tale.