Chapter 249 – Second.

“You there? Are you going somewhere?”

“Yes… to my lai…”

“Your lai?”

“I mean my home. Yes, that’s right…”

Rusty stood near the exit, ready to leave, but the new mercenary leader stopped him. The area was filled with people who had recently taken the test. Some mercenaries were fighting, others were drinking ale or eating the free food left behind. However, Rusty was the only one trying to leave the barracks.

“You have a home?”

“Yes, I live here… and I asked one of the guards. No rule forbids mercenaries from sleeping elsewhere.”

In truth, he had not asked any guards, but he knew all the rules of this place. He had once shadowed the Black Hound mercenaries, which eventually led to their downfall. He understood how they operated. There were hardly any rules at all, as the mercenaries were treated like a private militia that reported to the baron. They were mostly free to do as they pleased and only received orders from time to time.

The person who stopped him was the current mercenary leader, the one he had lost the duel to. She leaned casually against a wooden post, arms crossed over her broad chest, as if she had all the time in the world. Galiena tilted her head slightly, studying him with her predatory catlike eyes.

“Is that so… you are just leaving?”

She raised an eyebrow as she spoke. Rusty was supposed to be the second in command, but he was not sure how to act around his new leader. If she ordered him to stay, would he have to obey? If he refused, would she punish him or report him to the nobles for insubordination?

“That is not a bad idea, Second.”

To his surprise, she did not seem bothered by his plan. In fact, she seemed inclined to do the same.

“It is not… and Second?”

“Yes, that is your new moniker.”

“I see… a moniker? Did I not already receive one from the other mercenaries?”

“Eh? Steel Fortress sounds so cheesy. Second is much better. As your leader, that is what I have decided.”

She pointed at him with a grin on her face.

‘This woman is strange… nothing like that other mercenary leader…’

Rusty could tell that this new mercenary leader was a bit of an airhead, which worked in his favor. Varkas, the man before her, had been cold and calculating. It was easier to control and manage someone simpler. She was clearly more brawn than brain, but that did not make her weak. If anything, she seemed more genuine and charismatic.

“That’s final then. You’re Second. I’m the boss because I was first. Simple.”

“Shouldn’t you be called ‘First’ then instead of boss, since you were first?”

“Well, uh…”

When he pointed out that her naming scheme did not follow the same logic, she began to think hard. For a moment, it seemed like her head might overheat. Then she pointed at him again with her clawed finger.

“Ahh… I already decided. You’re Second, and I’m Boss, so just call me boss!”

“Sure… boss.”

“Ha! There we go!”

“…”

The woman crossed her arms over her chest and nodded, leaving an awkward pause between them until Rusty finally spoke.

“So, boss… can I go now? There are children waiting for me at home.”

“Oh! You have kids?”

“Some that I’ve taken in. They are living with me.”

Rusty mentioned the children as an excuse to leave. Humanoids tended to be strongly protective of their young, and the effect was immediate. Her catlike eyes glistened with admiration when he brought them up.

“Second, you’re a nicer guy than I thought! Of course, you can go. But those pesky knights told us to meet up tomorrow morning, so be sure to come back by then!”

With a firm smack on his back, she burst into laughter. The force behind it was tremendous. If he had not anticipated it, he would have stumbled forward. The sound echoed loudly enough to draw a few glances, and in that moment, he saw another side of his new boss.

“What are you bastards looking at?”

The woman instantly began growling like a beast at the few E-rankers who had glanced their way. It seemed she respected strength above all else. Because he had given her a good fight, she accepted him as an equal. The other mercenaries had not, so she showed them no such regard.

“If any of you useless lot have time to stare, then you have time to train!”

Her voice cracked through the barracks like a whip. The few E-rank mercenaries who had been watching quickly turned away. Some scrambled to grab weapons, while others pretended they had been busy all along. The shift was immediate, almost instinctive. Strength commanded obedience here, and Galiena had more than enough of it.

“What a useless bunch! You will have to help me get them in order later, Second. Now, do not keep those young ones waiting and go home!”

“Sure… boss. See you in the morning.”

Rusty watched the mercenaries, who had been in a drunken stupor, snap to attention as their new leader charged at them. He was not sure why she had decided to train them now, but it was not a bad idea to see what her new troop was capable of before the Orc attack.

He stepped out of the barracks without another word. The noise of shouting and clashing steel faded behind him as the door closed. The cool night air greeted him, though he could not really feel it. Once outside, he made his way through the city, holding something he had received from the knights, an emblem of the old mercenary band.

“They said that until they decide on a new name, we should use these…”

Normally, he would not be allowed to stroll through the streets at night, but with the emblem of the Black Hound mercenaries, the guards let him pass without question.

“Finally, some freedom, but do not get too excited. We still have not reached the noble quarter.”

Said Aburdon as Rusty walked through the night.

“I know. I am not in a hurry. For now, let us focus on the Orcs and getting stronger.”

Rusty glanced at his current level, which was twenty. He needed only five more levels to reach the next D-rank, and the Orc attack would be a good opportunity. Finding high-level D rank monsters in the dungeon took time, but this green horde was full of them. He could probably kill tens, perhaps hundreds, if they attacked the city, though he was not sure he would get the chance.

“Mister Edmund is back!”

“Welcome back!”

His thoughts were interrupted by a girl peeking out from his house. The lights were still on, and Gleam stood beside her.

“I’m back.”

“(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)”

It was a strange sight to return to. He was greeted by several humanoids as he entered. Rolo, the oldest, had already recovered and seemed in good spirits. He knew the Black Hounds were gone and spent his time practicing with his daggers. The twins were clearing away the plates from their meal, while the youngest struggled to stay awake.

“Were there any problems, Gleam?”

“( •̀ ᴗ •́ )و”

“Everything was fine. Good.”

Once inside, he gathered everyone and shared the news.

“Gleam, you’ll be staying here tomorrow. The orcs are going to attack again soon, so you’ll be responsible for protecting everyone.”

“( ◡̀_◡́)ᕤ”

Gleam wiggled her antennae at the request, but the conversation made Rolo perk up.

“Another orc attack? Can I help?”

“No, you’re just an F-rank.”

“...”

The boy looked disappointed, but his level was simply too low. This area was surrounded by E-rank monsters, and the dungeon itself was filled with E and D-rank threats. It was not a place for someone like him to fight. Rusty wondered if he should capture a few goblins to let the boy train, but he was not sure how to go about it. Reaching a place where goblins were common would take too long, and transporting them back would hardly be worth the effort.

“Just stay here with Gleam. The orcs shouldn’t get through the gates. I’ll make sure of that.”

Rusty tapped his metal chest as if to say they should leave it to him. Perhaps after everything settled, he could find a way to help Rolo level up, though at the current pace, it might not matter.

“( •̀ ᴗ •́ )و”

With that decided, Rusty spent the rest of the night working in both forges. Using a silencing spell, he blocked out the noise and focused on crafting his enchanted gear.

In the soul forge, he used the newly acquired piercing talisman on an enchanted high steel bow. It might have suited a spear better for the coming siege, but the bow would serve him well and likely help him gain more experience. Once finished, he ensured his armor was in perfect condition, with no risk of revealing the truth of his form.

He left early in the morning and arrived at the mercenary barracks. To his surprise, the new boss was already awake.

“Second! You’re just on time. Help me out here!”

Galiena was quite the character. Normally, these humanoids were not this energetic at this hour. Her hand gripped a rope tied to what looked like a bell, and as soon as she saw him arrive, she began to pull.

The bell’s loud clang rang through the barracks again and again, each strike louder and more grating than the last. It echoed off the wooden beams and stone floor, rattling the glass windows as Galiena put more strength into each pull.

“Up! Up, you lazy worms! If you’re not standing in ten breaths, I’ll drag you out myself!”

Groans filled the barracks yard as mercenaries tumbled out of their beds. Some scrambled for their gear, others staggered forward half awake, still clutching blankets around their shoulders. A few tried to ignore it, burying their heads under pillows.

“Second, are all people accounted for?”

“Um…”

“Hey, Aburdon, is someone missing?”

At last, it seemed he had been given his first proper order. He had kept Aburdon hidden during the battle tryouts, but he had summoned both his guides upon arriving at the barracks and ordered them to stay quiet.

“What would you ever do without me, Rusty…”

As always, the demon lord’s memory was perfect. He had already memorized the full number of new mercenaries and knew who was missing.

“Just tell me how many are missing.”

“Six of the E-rank buffoons haven’t come out, and three of the D-rank dunces.”

Galiena waited for a moment. It was clear she would soon order him to check the barracks himself, so before she could, he spoke.

“Six E-ranks and three D-ranks are missing.”

“Oh? You can tell?”

She stopped ringing the bell, clearly surprised that Rusty had managed to count everyone after seeing them for just one day. Her grin widened, pleased with her second in command.

“Good. Then go drag them out.”

“Um… could I pick a few of the other D-rank merceneries to help me?”

“Oh… that’s a great idea. Let the grunts do some of the work. You’re so smart, Second!”

“Right…”

Rusty wasn’t sure what to make of this woman, but at least she seemed easy enough to control with words. Thanks to his identification skills, he could quickly tell who among them was a D-rank and who was an E-rank. He pointed to a few and gave his orders.

“You, you, and you… Come with me.”

He chose the D-ranks first, the stronger ones of the group. It seemed the ones still asleep were those who had reached the quarterfinals and best-of-eight of their recent competition. Maybe they didn’t agree with how the pecking order had been decided. If that was the case, Rusty might have to get a little rough.

“And you two over there, get the E-rankers out. Use force if you have to.”

The two he sent after the E-rank mercenaries grinned, as if they had been waiting for an excuse to get violent. Soon, the barracks filled with the sound of boots stomping and doors being kicked open.

“You heard the boss, come out.”

Rusty stepped into one of the barracks. The three D-rank adventurers inside were fast asleep and clearly drunk. Bottles of wine and empty pitchers were scattered around the room. Their new boss had apparently permitted them to drink, with the only requirement being that they wake after sunrise for their first meeting. They had chosen to ignore that.

“…Drag them outside.”

The three men groaned in unison as they were hauled from their beds, their limbs heavy and uncooperative. One of them lazily swung an arm at the mercenary, dragging him, but Rusty intercepted the punch midair. Stepping in, he drove a fist into the man’s gut, forcing him to collapse and vomit.

“Are you trying to resist? The boss said to come outside.”

“B-boss? Who the… ugh…”

The man was clearly confused. It was likely their new leader had not introduced herself as well as she thought. It was also obvious that these mercenaries did not understand the consequences of ignoring orders. Rusty, however, was more than happy to play the enforcer.

“Move, unless you want another one!”

‘This might actually be fun.’

The man was the same one who had lost to Galiena in the semifinals. Perhaps because he had never fought Rusty, he still felt confident enough to resist. After vomiting, he pushed himself up and tried to swing again, but before he could, a shield slammed into his chest. The force sent him tumbling outside, where the other mercenaries were already gathered.

The two other D-ranks were tossed out as well, though at least they had not taken a shield to the face. They hit the ground coughing and groaning. The morning sun, combined with the abrupt wake up call, sobered them up quickly.

“Great going, Second!”

Even if Rusty had been rough with the new mercenaries, his leader seemed pleased with his approach. They waited for the E-ranks to recover, and many of them ended up on the ground in much the same way.

“Now, everyone awake?”

Galiena’s voice boomed again, louder than before and perfectly timed. The three people they had just dragged out did not look pleased with the treatment and seemed ready to start a fight. Luckily, the moment they saw the large woman, they calmed down. Everyone knew how strong she was, and none of them dared to complain.

With that, their first meeting as a mercenary band began. This version of the Black Hounds was clearly less organised, but to Rusty, the current leader was far easier to deal with. Soon, they would need to become a unit that could work together, though he was not convinced these people were capable of it. After the rough treatment they had received, it seemed their eyes burned with thoughts of revenge…