Chapter 46

Chapter 46

46. Silver Badge Mercenary (1)

Even after finishing the meal to his heart’s content the insides were empty.

Precisely the pocket was empty.

‘Three gold coins···.’

The money it takes for one commoner family to live for a month is on average about one gold coin. Yet one short kid drained three months’ living expenses of a commoner household in half a month.

Roughly calculating it seemed he ate at least five portions per meal sufficiently.

And that mainly meat such as expensive mutton, beef, pork and the like.

The more he thought the heat rose, but since he himself told him to eat to his heart’s content it was hard to blame Yerik.

In fact it was a tragedy that could have been prevented if thinking a little.

Even Benrik himself had his appetite become one layer more vigorous after leaving home. Even considering the growth period it was a dramatic change.

That the appetite that had been suppressed by competition and Gerik’s scolding increased was something one could easily guess.

On one hand he understood Gerik’s feelings a little, a very little.

What would the feelings have been of looking at six children whose stomach area increases in proportion to the head that grows bigger by the day.

─Get up. If you ate you have to pay for the meal, you glutton cub. ─Not getting up?

“······.”

Hmm, no he does not understand. Still that was too much.

If it was going to be like that he himself should have controlled his sexual desire well.

Benrik and the siblings’ vigorous appetite was not an individual problem but a genetic problem.

As if related to the monstrous strength of the tribe they were born with.

Since Gerik himself said it it was certain.

That is, since it was predictable prevention would have been possible.

Although it was a bit strange that Benrik who has nothing particularly called strength except being a bit agile and healthy eats the most.

‘Anyway from earlier it is subtly···.’

There was something that catches.

He thought it was an illusion, but it was not. Benrik walked as if nothing and listened with his ears.

“···That guy is him.” “He doesn’t look as rude as I heard? He doesn’t particularly look strong either.” “Don’t be fooled by the appearance.”

Rude···?

“Dozens of people saw him lightly lifting and throwing Kan at the adventurer guild.” “If Kan then that Kan belonging to the Crow Gang?” “Yes. About a week ago he beat the arm wrestler Jerome at John’s restaurant.”

Crow Gang···? Kan···? Jerome···?

If it was one or two people he would have passed it thinking he mistook the person, but until arriving at the office such murmuring repeated.

Mostly it was stories of a similar vein.

Ash-gray hair flipped someone, threw someone, knocked someone down, overturned someone and such kinds of things.

In the midst of that the names mentioned lightly exceeded ten fingers.

At this point he could not not know what happened how.

Yerik did something.

Benrik who arrived at the office immediately went out to find Yerik, but it was a miss. He had already fled.

When he turned over the lodging room on the 3rd floor and came down to the first floor, he saw a furry guy he had not seen when coming up.

Since it was a person he had not seen he wondered who it was but looking closely at the haggard face the features are familiar.

“Bram?”

When approaching him sprawled on the sofa, the smell of alcohol vibrated. Benrik narrowed his eyebrows and stepped back one step.

···Did he fight with Lisa again?

Then someone came down from the 2nd floor. It was Hodge.

“Benrik? You returned early.” “Because father and the Count seemed to have a lot to say, I returned early, Hodge have you not seen Yerik by chance?” “If Yerik then didn’t he go to the lord’s castle with you earlier?” “He said he would go first and went.”

He did not return to the office, that is. Hodge who was stroking his chin as if recalling said.

“Hmm, perhaps he went to Paulo’s workshop.” “Paulo’s workshop?”

That Paulo I know? Why would he go there?

“Yes, lately he seems to be helping with odd jobs there often.”

Come to think of it before leaving the city he did recommend trying requests.

“Thank you, Hodge.”

Benrik conveyed a short thanks and left the office again.

Hodge who was looking at the door the child left chuckled.

‘Lately that guy seems the busiest in our mercenary group.’

Hodge’s gaze reached the mercenary sprawled on the sofa.

“Bram.”

There was no light in the half-open eyes. Hodge who let out a low sigh asked.

“Come to your senses, what is it?”

The man who was blankly looking at Hodge let out a deep breath. The exhale is full of strong alcohol scent.

“···Ah, Hodge.” “Speak.” “Is there still no decent request that came in?”

At that Hodge who made a complicated expression shook his head small.

Because what Bram calls ‘decent work’ means work that makes money.

The level of work that falls to fellow mercenaries is similar. The reward was also thereabouts.

But does that mean there is no work with high reward at all, not necessarily so.

Dangerous or illegal, or dirty work and such tend to set the reward higher than what fellow mercenaries receive on average.

And among those three things the work Jenkinson’s mercenary group receives was only dangerous work.

Even that according to the content they always had to form an appropriate level of personnel, that is must form together with silver badge mercenaries to lower the risk as much as possible and proceed.

And now unfortunately both silver badge mercenaries were in a state of having gone out on dispatch missions.

Bram who noticed that Hodge is troubled said.

“Damn, I said something unnecessary. Forget it.” “······Is it because of Lisa?”

Bram nodded.

Two years ago when working at the brothel Bram had a fight with a drunk.

The problem was that the opponent was a noble.

Even if fallen.

The noble demanded a large amount of compensation saying he felt a threat to his life.

The judgment naturally came out favorably to the noble, and Bram incurred a debt that is hard to bear because of that.

Still he was gradually repaying it but as if some wind blew, recently the noble’s urging became severe.

To the degree of even finding the tavern Lisa operates.

“That damn bastard, clearly he is aiming for Lisa.”

This is the reason he ended up fighting with Lisa. In anger he told her to close the tavern door for a while, and it seems a conflict arose.

Bram also knew to the degree that closing the store is realistically impossible. Because most of Bram’s income is going out as debt repayment.

“Damn···.” “Give me some time. I will look for a method.” “······.”

Hodge stood up from the place while thinking.

He has to receive the silver badge promotion examination in a hurry.

***

Benrik who left the office headed straight to Paulo’s leather workshop.

And there he could discover Yerik who was really spreading and drying leather.

“What are you doing here?” “!”

The child who was startled seeing Benrik staggered and stepped back.

“I won’t hit, don’t be scared.” “Really···?”

“Yes.”

Seeing the guy who was greatly tense the remaining irritation also disappeared a bit. Only the complicated feeling remains because it seems he became Gerik.

Benrik who looked around the empty workshop asked.

“Where is Paulo?” “He went out for a bit saying he has business. I am watching the store instead.”

He built trust to the degree of entrusting even the store in that short time? Benrik sat down with a thud on the empty chair and supported his chin.

“What on earth did you do wandering while I was not there?” “Huh? I, I didn’t particularly do anything special.”

“The thing of throwing the person called Kan or whatever at the adventurer guild, tell from that.”

And the child opened his mouth.

“Because brother told me to try requests I went to the adventurer guild and some uncle suddenly came cursing as if to kill. Saying the livelihood was cut, Oren was caught and such.” “···So?” “So? I threw him. Even so he kept screaming and running so I made him faint.”

···Hmm.

“And next?” “The next day while carrying luggage, he asked if I am that good at fighting, and since he was kicking and breaking boxes he fought saying to pay compensation.”

“······.” “In the afternoon a few thugs belonging to the Blood Gang─”

As the story continued Benrik’s expression became subtle.

He roughly understands.

‘They mistook this guy for me.’

The criminal guild members who held both resentment and curiosity toward Benrik picked a fight with the child and got thoroughly beaten and fell out.

‘The timing once···. Should I say this turned out well?’

It is absurd, but looking only at the result it was no different from processing the aftermath that might have come to Benrik instead.

Even after finishing the story there was no particular reaction from Benrik, so Yerik who was rolling his eyes hurriedly made an excuse.

“Legitimate self-defense···!” “Yes correct, you did well. Yerik.” “···!”

At Benrik’s praise Yerik opened his eyes wide.

‘Received praise···.’

Seeing like this he clearly knows.

Benrik has less fear than when at home, and the person has clearly become more leisurely.

“Is living after coming out better than when at home?”

Is it good? That···.

It was good, overwhelmingly.

“Would it be good?”

But Benrik did not say as is. If saying as felt and harboring vain thoughts what will one do.

It was the road he saw just before what kind of end a child who does not know the ways of the world met.

“Huh···? No···?” “Outside life is not comparable to the work of catching magical beasts. Did you already forget getting pickpocketed as soon as coming to Bromwood? And how many guys picked a fight with you over the past few days?” “······.” “There are so many troublesome things, and you ask if it is good. Moreover do you know how hard it is to earn money? How much did you earn while doing requests for half a month?” “Three silver coins···.” “Yes. Earning money is that hard. So you stay stuck at home as long as possible.”

Benrik exaggerated as much as possible the dangers and hardships of independent life so that Yerik can have vigilance.

Benrik who was giving a long sermon for a while suddenly recalled a fundamental question.

“But why suddenly that?”

Did I look that comfortable living?

“Because father said he would send me to the tanner village soon.” “What?”

It had only been a little over four months since Benrik left the mountain range.

‘I thought someday the time might come···. This fast?’

A chilling assumption crossed Benrik’s mind who was thinking.

Surely······.

***

Yerik’s words were true.

“Is it true that you are sending Yerik to the tanner village? Surely the eighth is not being born?” “Correct.”

Gerik who returned quite drunk simply affirmed Benrik’s question.

“Huh, are you really a beast? Is there nothing but that thought in the head?”

At Benrik’s words that cross the line Gerik muttered as if giving up.

“···Haa, why are you throwing a fit again, you damn guy.” “Don’t you feel sorry for mother?”

Gerik who realized what kind of misunderstanding the child had clicked his tongue short.

“It is correct that I am sending Yerik to the tanner village. You arrogant cub.” “···? Not the eighth?” “Yes.”

Not yet. Gerik who swallowed the latter words gestured as if chasing a bug.

“Now get out, I have to sleep.” “Then this is just asking.”

Pak, Gerik who crumpled his expression said.

“Did you not hear the words to get out?” “···Is the house poor because we eat a lot?”

When Benrik asked, Gerik said with a dizzy expression.

“···You only knew that now?”

© Burrito#1y0o9