Chapter 38: In Search of an Answer (3)
The outcome of the battle was decided quickly.
From the very beginning, this fight was never meant to be.
The advantage of a party composed solely of mages is to overwhelm the enemy with overpowering firepower, preventing them from making any response.
“Jeina, are you okay?”
“It’s just a scratch.”
But their levels were too low.
So low that they were even lower than Jeina, who had the lowest level in the party.
Because of this, their magic couldn’t penetrate Jeina’s axe or Gerard’s shield, and they ended up allowing Artier’s party to close in.
“It was a bit surprising, but we managed to block it somehow. Why did they attempt an ambush with just this number of people.”
Having stored his Grimoire again, Gerard clicked his tongue as he looked at the fallen former Magica Mercenary Corps members on the ground.
Even to him, this ambush seemed more like a suicidal charge with no chance of victory.
Even if the one here wasn’t the Supreme-Grade Mercenary Artier, the result would not have changed.
“These people, it seems they haven’t eaten for three days.”
Just then, Collie sniffed the air and told the party.
“Though faint, the scent I can smell is of more than seven people. It seems that while we were in Pons, they kept waiting and most of them gave up.”
“Ah…….”
If so, it made sense.
It meant these guys were so consumed by vengeance that they couldn’t even think straight.
‘The difficulty of the event was lowered because we rested for a week in Pons?’
Artier paused from cleaning his sword and glanced at Gerard.
Because Artier had accepted Gerard’s suggestion, an event that could have been a life-threatening bloody battle had turned into a simple cash-grab event.
‘As expected, it’s best to accept the NPCs’ suggestions as long as they aren’t too unreasonable.’
Getting up from his spot, Artier approached the fallen mages.
[Quest Complete!]
Reward: Karma Points +5
[You have acquired the legitimate right to decide the fate of the attackers who threatened your life. Taking their belongings will not be judged as theft, and your Karma Points will not decrease.]
‘Since they’re mages, they should have some pretty useful stuff, right?’
Rummage, rummage.
Artier, who was searching the pockets of a fallen mage with great anticipation, soon scrunched up his face.
What popped out of the man’s leather pouch was merely 5 copper coins.
‘5 copper coins? Are you kidding me?’
That might not even be enough to buy a single apple.
“Don’t tell me they’re all like this……. No, that can’t be.”
Artier checked the belongings of the other mages.
But they were all the same.
Finding coins was a relief.
Most of them were carrying worthless leather water flasks or useless rabbit pelts.
‘What kind of beggars are these?!’
There was a reason they had starved for three days.
Even if he scraped everything together, the value of their belongings wouldn’t even reach 30 silver coins.
‘Right, now that I think about it, this is normal. Because the event’s difficulty was low.’
Just as Artier was clutching his forehead.
“Little brother, how much do you think this is worth?”
Jeina asked, holding up one of the staves the mages had been using.
“That’s right!”
Come to think of it, these were mages.
The equipment they carried was as good as gold nuggets.
When I appraised the staves, their performance was lower than what Collie or Gerard carried, but they were still things that were basically worth 1 gold coin each.
‘Even if I get half price since they’re used, that’s still 3 gold coins, isn’t it?’
A smile spread across Artier’s lips.
With that much money, he could pay for the entire boat fare without having to pool his own money.
“Let’s take them all.”
“Alright!”
“Is it really okay to do this? No matter how much they tried to kill us… it feels strange. It feels like we’re robbing them.”
Jeina chided the hesitating Collie.
“Hey, you still don’t get it. Collie, this is a kind of safety measure.”
“What?”
“These guys tried to kill us, right? But we’re just going to leave their things? What if they come to their senses and chase us again?”
“……Ah!”
Just because they were carrying wooden staves, they didn’t seem dangerous.
But these staves could be called weapons, same as swords or axes.
“Now that you put it that way, I understand. I will help too.”
Collie and Jeina cheerfully picked up the staves that had fallen to the ground.
Just as Artier was also picking up a nearby staff.
“Keuk……?”
“Huh?”
A fallen mage staggered and lifted his head.
As if filled with lingering attachment, the man tried to grab the staff Artier was about to take as soon as he got up.
Pow!
“Keok!”
How absurd.
Artier immediately kicked that hand away and picked up the staff.
“In the end… you’re all the same.”
“What?”
The nameless mage glared at Artier with eyes full of venom.
“No different from beasts, able to shed blood without a second thought as long as there’s money involved.”
What kind of sophistry was this.
“How am I the same as you?”
“Was there ever a time you took on a request and didn’t see blood?”
“……”
“Of course not. Mercenaries are hired to do such things. In the end, what we do is no different. Harming lives to get money.”
“Mercenaries don’t take requests to kill others.”
Artier said with his arms crossed.
“What’s the point? The result is the same. Do you know how many you killed in Dorman?”
“You mean the murderous monsters that were trying to tear humans apart.”
“Murderous monsters, I see. So even a Supreme-Grade Mercenary is only at that level.”
The man chuckled as if something was funny and said.
“You see, monsters. They don’t mess with humans for no reason. There’s only one reason they mess with humans. It’s only when humans mess with them first.”
“I’m sure there are monsters that aren't like that.”
“There’s no such thing. We drove them all to extinction long ago. Otherwise, do you think humanity could have stood tall as the strongest on this planet?”
“……”
Even Artier didn't know the specific lore of the Hellmorphs.
It was like that in the game, and even the game company never gave a proper explanation.
They were simply the enemies of humanity.
Extinct them, or be extincted.
That was all Artier knew.
‘Was there another reason?’
Whether one liked it or not, if humans had provoked the Hellmorphs first.
It wasn't incomprehensible that they would unconditionally antagonize and attack humans.
“Do you get it now? You’re just a hypocrite in the end!”
In the hand of the man who had shot up to his feet, there was now a sharp dagger.
Clang!
“Kraaah!”
“Why am I listening to this nonsense for so long?”
But before Artier could move, the dagger in the man’s hand was sent flying far away.
Gerard, who had shattered the man’s hand with a Mana Bullet, immediately came to Artier’s side.
Artier shrugged his shoulders and said.
“I had something to think about.”
“Is that so. It seems you weren’t really listening.”
“Damn it, you think you’re any different! In the end, you’re all just the same butchers!”
Gerard picked his ear as if it wasn't worth listening to.
Then, with a look of contempt, he said.
“As you say, mercenaries are not such a wholesome group. That’s why there are minimum rules. You are ruffians who failed to abide by even that.”
“You think you can live righteously forever? Those who constantly see blood eventually begin to crave blood.”
Flash!
The man placed his remaining good hand on the ground.
“What did you think when you killed my friends? Were you disgusted? Annoyed? I bet not. The expressions on your faces as you pick up those staves now look happy.”
As soon as the man’s words ended, light began to pour out from the staves held in the hands of Jeina, Collie, and Artier.
“Huh?”
“What is this?”
“Hahahaha! You will not forget this incident! You will become monsters who crave blood and seek only slaughter……?”
Fizzle.
The light seemed to linger around Artier for a moment before quickly disappearing.
It was the same for Jeina and Collie.
“Wh-What? What is it? Why?”
“I see. So you engraved mental magic onto the staves, conditioned to activate upon the caster’s death.”
Gerard, who was stroking his chin, glanced at Artier and nodded.
“But you chose the wrong opponents.”
“Wh-What did you say?”
Instead of answering, Gerard stepped aside slightly.
There, Collie was aiming his staff at the fallen mages.
[Collie uses Regeneration (Lv.2).]
“Healing magic……?”
The mage, who was staring at it blankly, froze as he realized something.
“Don’t tell me no one died? Even after that battle?”
It’s one thing to kill someone, but to subdue them without killing is difficult.
Especially against an opponent who was fighting with their life on the line.
“It seems our party leader is surprisingly naive. Something about not killing unnecessarily.”
“Why… would you do something so crazy?”
“If you have a brain, remember this. It's because of trash like you that mercenaries are seen as a crazy group that will kill anything for money.”
Gerard spat on the ground and turned his head away without any lingering attachment.
“You didn’t have to help.”
“Personally, I didn’t want to hear any more. In any case, no matter what you said, he had no intention of listening.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“Will it be alright?”
“What will?”
Gerard sighed and called over Collie and Jeina.
“You didn’t kill them, and although it resulted in a good outcome, I don’t know if letting those guys live is a good thing.”
At those words, Jeina and Collie also nodded.
“Leaving behind future trouble is not a good move. It was fine this time, but they might interfere again at an unexpected moment.”
“Yeah. Isn’t it right to get rid of things that could be dangerous?”
Artier was lost in thought.
In fact, leaving them alive was for no particular reason, just an instinctive action born from sensing the wickedness of <Cross Destiny>.
This game doesn't just throw helpful events at the player.
Just when they were short on boat fare, an event that could make them money falls from the sky?
From that moment on, a chill ran down Artier’s spine.
‘There’s definitely something. I can’t proceed like this.’
So, he decided to test the waters by not killing them first.
“I’m sure it doesn’t matter now, though.”
Artier glanced behind him.
But soon, instead of turning back, he continued to move forward.
“It’s fine. We don’t need to worry about it that much.”
Worrying is only for things of a certain caliber.
There was no way for them to get back on their feet.
They had taken their equipment, and without mercenary licenses, they couldn't take requests.
Those guys, who were mob-level even at this point, couldn’t catch up to even the tip of Artier’s toes no matter how much they struggled.
“Besides, they tried to kill Collie, who is from the Sage’s Tower, so their mage licenses will be revoked too. In this time of war, there’s really no one left to help them.”
Behind him, Collie took his hand from his ear and gave a thumbs-up.
At this, Artier gave a small laugh and pointed to the city visible in the distance.
“Let’s go now. To the territory of Tobes.”