Episode 74: Treasure Hunt (Part 2)
When it came to Juan David, there was one word that encapsulated Damian’s image of him: savior.
In a past life, when Damian had been cast out from his family and wandered as a beggar, he discovered his talent by taking down over ten thugs with a rusty dagger he found by chance.
Determined to leave his life as a beggar behind, Damian sought out a mercenary guild. At the time, being a mercenary seemed like the only way to make a living with a sword.
However, no mercenary group was willing to take in someone like Damian. Even when he pleaded for them to test his skills, they simply ignored him.
“Young man, let’s see what you’ve got.”
Juan David was the only one who didn’t dismiss Damian.
“Well, well, your sword skills are something else, aren’t they?”
“With talent like yours, you won’t die easily. Welcome to our mercenary group.”
As soon as Juan confirmed Damian’s skills were genuine, he hired him.
“First, let’s get you cleaned up.”
Juan even used his own money to get Damian cleaned up and bought him new clothes.
And so, Damian joined Juan David’s mercenary group.
From then on, it was nothing but good memories.
He trained with the other members and became close to them. In moments of crisis, he proved himself and earned their respect.
Recognized for his abilities, he learned swordsmanship and mana techniques from Juan David.
He gained everyone’s trust by preventing the mercenary group from being wiped out during a knight’s attack.
To Damian, the mercenary group was like another family. He felt there was nothing they couldn’t do together.
That was until everything fell apart when he met Dorgo.
“Was Juan in the Longuist Mountains around this time?”
Even Damian didn’t know everything about Juan. He wasn’t aware of what Juan and the mercenary group had been up to before he joined.
“Hey.”
Noticing Damian’s silence, Juan David waved his hand in front of his face.
“Don’t just judge me. The members under me are all highly skilled.”
Juan’s way of speaking was just as Damian remembered from his past life. He always praised his members over himself.
“I’d like to see the members first.”
“Follow me. They’re all gathered here.”
Juan led Damian to a corner of the guild.
Five men sat at two tables.
“Get up, you lot. This might be our new employer.”
At Juan’s words, the five men stood up quickly.
They might have seemed a bit awkward, but their eyes were clear, and they were well-built.
“From the left, that’s Bread, Bolt, Fish, Leg, and Bob.”
Even without Juan’s introduction, Damian knew all their names.
How could he not? They were comrades he had shared his life with for over a year.
“I vouch for their skills. Bob’s still a rookie, but he’s big, so he’ll be useful.”
Bob was the largest of the group, with big, innocent eyes. In his past life, he had followed Damian around, calling him “big brother.”
“I like them. I’ll hire you.”
“You won’t regret it. As for the hiring fee…”
“I’ll pay one gold coin per person.”
Juan David was taken aback by Damian’s offer.
“Wait… Do you not know the going rate? We’re just a small mercenary group. Even a silver coin per person is too much!”
Damian stifled a laugh.
If the employer was naive, most would take advantage, but Juan was straightforward.
In his past life, Juan was often criticized for not looking out for himself, even by his own members.
Yet, it was precisely Juan’s naive nature that made his members stick with him.
“I know how much mercenaries usually cost. I’m offering more as a gesture of goodwill.”
“Even so, one gold coin per person is…”
“If you guide me well, I’ll make it two gold coins.”
Damian was generous with the fee because of their past connection and because he knew they were trustworthy.
Besides, his personal space was filled with the reward money he received from the duke. This expense wouldn’t even make a dent.
“Don’t worry about the guiding. We’re confident.”
Juan David spoke with pride.
In his past life, Juan might have been a coward, but he never lied.
“Let’s start planning. When do you plan to head to the mountains? Which areas do you want to explore?”
“Well, well, what’s this? Something sneaky going on while I was away?”
A group of mercenaries approached where Damian stood.
There were eight of them, and they reeked of blood, a sign they had killed many.
“Hey, hiring those fools might get you killed in the mountains. Why not hire us instead?”
A man with dirty blond hair leaned in toward Damian.
“Griffin! What do you think you’re doing?”
“What do you mean? I’m just introducing better manpower to a client offering a gold coin.”
Griffin replied shamelessly.
“Looking for someone to guide you through the Longuist Mountains? Our mercenary group is perfect. We know the terrain and the people there.”
Griffin spoke with confidence.
“Forget them and hire us. It’ll be better for you.”
“You bastard!”
Juan grabbed Griffin by the collar.
Griffin’s men reached for their weapons. Juan’s men did the same, refusing to back down.
Tension crackled between the two groups.
“Juan, don’t overstep. You might end up dead.”
Griffin taunted. Juan shoved him back, shouting.
“Step outside! I’ll teach you a lesson!”
Griffin smirked.
“Fine. Let’s settle this once and for all.”
The two groups headed outside. Soon, the sounds of a brawl echoed.
The commotion didn’t last long. When it quieted down, Damian stepped outside.
“Ugh…”
“Argh…”
Juan and his men lay groaning on the ground.
“Where do weaklings like you get off acting tough?”
Griffin spat on the ground.
Griffin and his men were unscathed, not a mark on them.
“Pathetic.”
Damian couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly at their lackluster skills.
In truth, Juan’s mercenary group wasn’t particularly strong.
Juan, a former knight trainee, had trained them well, so their physical abilities were decent.
But they weren’t naturally inclined to fighting, so they never excelled in any mission.
In contrast, Griffin’s group was full of brawlers.
They were rough and unhesitant to use violence.
“See? They’re weak.”
Griffin turned to Damian.
“You’re lucky to have met us before signing with those losers. Let’s draw up a contract. We’re premium, so you’ll need to pay more than a gold coin…”
“Not interested. I have no intention of hiring you.”
Damian cut him off. Griffin’s face twisted in anger.
“What nonsense is this? We won. Can’t you see?”
“I never said I’d hire the winners. You fought on your own.”
Damian wasn’t hiring mercenaries for their strength.
He needed guides for the Longuist Mountains.
“Seems like you don’t understand the situation…”
Griffin swaggered toward Damian.
“Do I look like I’m asking? Sign with us quietly, or else…”
Griffin’s words stopped abruptly. A blade was pressed against his throat.
Damian had drawn his sword and held it close to Griffin’s neck.
“Are you crazy?”
“What are you doing to the boss?”
Griffin’s men shouted. Griffin raised a hand, silencing them.
“Looks like you’re quite skilled. But if you think you can rely on that swordsmanship, you’ll regret it…”
Damian unleashed his aura. It enveloped the blade, grazing Griffin’s skin.
Blood trickled from a cut on his neck.
“A-an aura?”
Griffin’s confident demeanor crumbled. His face turned pale, and he began to tremble.
“Do you understand now?”
Someone of Damian’s standing could kill all the mercenaries here without consequence.
He was a noble and a rare resource as a middle-class mage.
But Damian was keeping his identity hidden. Drawing attention was the last thing he wanted.
Besides, meeting Juan and his men had put him in a good mood.
“Consider yourselves lucky. I’m letting you live, so get out of here.”
With that, Damian sheathed his sword. Griffin and his mercenaries wasted no time in fleeing.
Once they were gone, Damian turned to Juan.
“Let’s go draft the contract. The terms are the same: one gold coin per person.”
“Why did you choose us?” Juan asked, his face a picture of confusion.
“You seemed more trustworthy.”
Damian was on his way to find a hidden lair of a dark sorcerer. Naturally, he needed someone discreet.
He knew from past experience how tight-lipped Juan could be. Even if he hadn’t known Juan, he would have made the same choice.
The mercenary group led by Griffin had an air of menace about them. They were anything but trustworthy.
Mercenaries, by nature, were a rough and unruly bunch, often not much different from bandits. Many were known to extort more money from their clients through threats.
“You’ve got a keen eye for people. Those guys have a mountain of bad rumors trailing them,” Juan said as he stood up.
“Come to think of it, I don’t even know your name. What should I call you?”
Damian hesitated for a moment. He couldn’t use his real name, so he needed a suitable alias.
“Call me Victor.”
Juan nodded. “Victor, I look forward to working with you.”