Bai Shi's right hand tightened on his halberd, and his left rested on his sword hilt, ready to draw at any moment.
While the Kaiden Mercenaries weren't particularly strong in the game, they were far from the cannon fodder of a typical low-level mob.
And they usually traveled in groups.
If there were other Kaiden Mercenaries nearby, Bai Shi didn't think he could handle it easily.
The mercenary by the bonfire stood up, casually hoisting his great curved sword onto his shoulder, and stared at Bai Shi with a wary gaze.
The white wolf also moved slowly to the mercenary's side.
Both sides were at a tense standoff, but neither made a move.
Bai Shi didn't plan on attacking first; he knew his own limitations.
The powerful one was this body, not him. It wouldn't necessarily be an easy victory in a real fight.
He also wanted to know if people here were capable of communication. In the game, every enemy charged at the protagonist like a mad dog, but this guy was different.
'He hasn't attacked me since he saw me. I wonder if he can talk.'
'Or maybe he's waiting for someone?'
Bai Shi thought to himself.
'I'll have to speak first to test his hostility.'
"I mean no harm. I was shipwrecked and saw your fire, so I came to check it out."
"I don't want to fight unnecessarily if I don't have to."
The Kaiden mercenary continued to stare, which gave Bai Shi a bit of a headache.
'Damn, is there a language barrier? That would be bad.'
After some thought, Bai Shi decided to try a more primitive form of communication.
He kept his right hand on the halberd but moved his left hand away from the sword hilt, opening his palm slowly to show he was empty-handed.
Then, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a golden necklace—one of the Grafted Scion's trinkets.
He threw it to the mercenary with a forceful toss.
The mercenary caught the necklace with one hand, looking from the jewelry to Bai Shi and back again.
Bai Shi didn't let his guard down. Even though he was actively showing goodwill, he was ready to fight at a moment's notice.
Ever since the shattering of the Elden Ring, this land had gone mad. This was a time of chaos.
Fortunately, the Kaiden mercenary was the first to act. He dropped his great curved sword to the ground and whistled. The white wolf, hearing the command, retreated, though it remained in a cautious stance.
"Tarnished... my last job was hunting Tarnished."
"But you're lucky. I don't have a client right now."
Bai Shi breathed a sigh of relief. The person was willing to talk, and they spoke the same language. This was excellent.
"That's great. I'm a man who loves peace, but—"
Bai Shi's tone shifted.
"—if we did fight, you might not win against me."
The mercenary chuckled at that.
"Haha. Tarnished are descendants of warriors who have fought countless battles. I admit you have skill, but you say you're a man who loves peace?"
"My strength is my own, and I can choose whether to use it. When things can be solved with words, I prefer not to resort to violence."
"..."
The Kaiden mercenary gave Bai Shi a long, hard look. He wasn't well-educated, but he knew that in a place like the Lands Between, peace was a very distant concept.
"You're different from the other Tarnished I've killed."
Bai Shi smiled. The benefits of a good education weren't a joke, he thought.
"You're also different from the Kaiden Mercenaries I've heard about."
"Oh? You know about the Kaiden Mercenaries? How am I different?"
"I don't know your name yet. Tell me, and I'll tell you."
"Hmph. You should introduce yourself before asking for someone's name."
Bai Shi thought for a moment. He had nothing to hide, so he told him straightforwardly.
"Bai Shi. As you can see, I'm a Tarnished who has come to seek the throne of the Elden Lord."
"...Hakan."
Bai Shi nodded.
"Well, now we've met."
Hakan frowned.
"Stop with the nonsense. Tell me what's different."
"Alright, alright, what a hot-tempered guy."
Bai Shi glanced around before speaking.
"The Kaiden Mercenaries I've heard of ride warhorses and travel in groups with wolves on the battlefield. But you're here alone on this beach. You were alerted by your wolf's howl, so I'm guessing this beach was supposed to be empty if I hadn't drifted here. That's why you were so relaxed by the fire. A warrior wouldn't relax if there were strangers around."
"A warrior? I'm just a wanderer with no home. I can't be called a warrior."
Hakan said with a hint of sadness.
Bai Shi's eyes lit up. This guy had a story? This was completely different from the game.
"What do you mean, no home? I heard the Kaiden Mercenaries are from the Great Northern Snowy Mountains. Can't you go back?"
Hakan glared at Bai Shi.
"That's none of your business. We're not that close."
"Haha, okay. Well, for the sake of that necklace, can you tell me how to get out of here?"
Seeing that Hakan wasn't going to talk anymore, Bai Shi didn't press the issue.
He was very familiar with the concept of not having enough "affinity" to progress a side quest.
Hakan was not stingy with his answer to this question, however.
"I sailed here along the coast in a small boat. This is an isolated beach, and the cliffs are too steep to climb."
"Oh! Can I hitch a ride with you to leave? I'd be willing to give you more of my jewelry to pay for it."
"It's a good deal, but unfortunately, my boat hit a reef and was damaged a few days ago. My companions and I were lucky to make it out without injury."
Hakan gestured to the warhorse and white wolf beside him.
"To be honest, I'm also looking for a way out. I found a cave today and was planning to rest up and go in tomorrow to find a way out. And then I ran into you."
Hearing there was a way to leave, Bai Shi couldn't help but feel happy.
When he heard the boat was broken, he thought he was going to be trapped here.
After finally escaping the isolated island of the Chapel of Anticipation, he would have broken down if he were just going to be imprisoned in another place.
"Haha, what a coincidence. How about we go exploring together tomorrow?"
But to his surprise, Hakan refused Bai Shi's suggestion.
"It's a great offer, isn't it? But I refuse."