Chapter 4: Duplein (1)
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It was quite a common occurrence for a noble lady to set foot in a mansion in Ebelstein to prepare for high society.
And it was said that to assist a single noble lady who had been separately granted a mansion, a minimum of forty servants were needed.
A head maid, a butler, three house maids, three cooks, four kitchen maids for cooking assistance, three scullery maids, five personal ladies-in-waiting, a head of the ladies-in-waiting to manage the personal maids, squires and valets for the butler, a coachman, a gardener, and so on...
On top of that, a high-ranking vassal had to be attached, and if she was preparing for her high society debut, private tutors for each field had to be attached, and the number of those tutors alone would often reach a dozen or so.
In particular, the master in the field of magic, which was regarded as a privilege and a quality of the nobility, was considered the most valuable personnel. This was because, in the first place, there were almost no high-level mages with a deep knowledge of magic, and even if there were, they were more likely to sit in a key position rather than become a lady's private tutor.
The fact that Margrave Elbester, the most famous war hero in the eastern region, had personally brought Katia in was, in fact, due to such a background.
A talent who possessed a deep understanding of noble culture, along with outstanding magical skills and the charisma to teach people, was more precious than gold. It was not at all strange for all sorts of prestigious families to raise a fuss trying to bring them in.
The anecdote of Count Delrus, the hegemon of the north, personally riding a carriage all the way to the capital to pick up a single 3-Star tutor was now famous. It was said that he was anxious that another noble might snatch them away, but it was a frivolity unbecoming of his position.
In the end, those who were parents were people who were ready to sell off their own liver and gallbladder if it meant attaching a good master to their child.
It was no different for the nobles who sat on the seats of power and controlled the world.
If one added vassals, servants, tutors, and even knight personnel for escort... in the end, it was no different from a small army or an entire merchant caravan moving for a single lady of a prestigious family.
It felt as if the whole world was moving for a single petite girl who was not even an adult yet.
Such was the status that a lady of a renowned noble house possessed.
...It was as if she lived in a completely different world from Derek, so it was only natural that they should have had no point of contact.
<><><>
"It's been a while since I brought in a proper one. It's a request from none other than the Ducal House of Duplein."
Jayden was the owner of 'Veldern's Tear,' a tavern located in the innermost part of the tavern street, and the leader of the Veldern Mercenary Corps.
"So don't go grumbling that I suddenly called you the day before without any notice, Derek. You know well that I'm usually a person who works with all due process."
"The Ducal House of Duplein? For some reason, I don't really believe it... What would a place like that be lacking to entrust a job to us?"
"It might be hard to believe, but it's true. For the Veldern Mercenary Corps, there's no other opportunity like this."
The image that the public of Ebelstein associated with a mercenary corps was one of two things.
One was a bona fide military group that was stationed in a specific region and carried out requests on a domain or national level.
They usually moved in groups centered around retired generals and did not often come out of their garrisons, so they were hard to see.
And the other was a group that carried out various localized requests, operating mainly in places like the Ebelstein tavern street.
There was a limit to acting as an individual mercenary on the street like a day laborer. Mercenaries who had built up their skills would band together to take on more difficult and challenging requests.
The former had a tremendous sense of solidarity amongst themselves, but the latter, surprisingly, did not have that strong of a sense of comradeship. In fact, it felt more like they were business associates.
Jayden was the middle-aged man who had founded such a Veldern Mercenary Corps. Though the name sounded grand, its scale was not very impressive.
Still, he was a man whose ambition to one day develop it into a great mercenary corps was admirable.
Derek was not deeply involved in the Veldern Mercenary Corps, but he would occasionally carry out requests with them.
"If I miss a golden opportunity like this, even if God forgives me, I, Jayden, will not be able to forgive myself!"
Jayden himself had also been a strong warrior who had frequented various wars in his younger days.
However, now that time had passed, he was an ahjussi with an impressive stubble, and a boss who meddled in the management of the tavern this way and that.
Since capable mercenaries tended to gather in decent taverns, it was a necessary task from his perspective.
"You know well how the nobles spend, don't you? They're top-class customers who coolly toss out gold coins for missions that aren't even that big, and who keep coming back once they acknowledge that your skills are decent."
"So, what's the content of the request?"
Derek, sitting at a tavern table with the hem of his robe draped down, asked with an indifferent expression.
"As I said, it's not that big of a deal. It's a simple request to subjugate some magical beasts on the outskirts of the ducal domain."
"What's the level of the magical beasts..."
"From what I hear, it seems to be just a few petite demi-humans. The most dangerous opponents would probably be trolls."
"Is that all?"
"Yes. In fact, it's a request that can be solved by just sending you, Derek, or Felinne, but since the matter is what it is, I'll have to go myself. The leader can't just stand by with his hands folded on a matter that the future of our Veldern Mercenary Corps is riding on!"
Behind the tavern table, the large greatsword that Jayden used in his active days was hanging.
Although he was now acting as a mercenary corps leader and a tavern owner, the Jayden of his younger days was a man whom even the most renowned warriors would yield to.
Even Derek had no choice but to acknowledge that much.
Jayden was a man with enough skill to call himself the leader of a mercenary corps. Even if he was a little greedy for money, a little optimistic, and a little blinded by ambition.
"...The Ducal House of Duplein."
Ebelstein was a city located at the southern tip of the massive Belkoth Peninsula, which protruded from the western part of the continent.
And, the northern half of that Belkoth Peninsula was all the territory of the Ducal House of Duplein. Considering its scale, it seemed certain that they were a tremendous client.
That was why he felt an even more uneasy feeling. A place like the Ducal House of Duplein would have an excellent level of private soldiers, so there should have been no need for them to reach out to a localized mercenary group from a tavern street like this.
What's more, it was just simple demi-humans, and at worst, if things really went wrong, it would be trolls. It should have been solvable by the standing army in the Duplein ducal domain. Weren't they feeding and housing knights they had no other use for?
"Something seems shady about this."
"Derek. We are mercenaries."
Jayden, who was wiping a cup, said with a smile.
"We just listen to requests and receive payment. What circumstances lie behind it, it's no good to dig into it until it's revealed."
"It's not wrong, but... if you're going yourself, leader ahjussi, isn't it that I'm not needed?"
Derek was a valuable asset.
Basically, he knew how to use at least minimal swordsmanship and also had a deep knowledge of magic.
In a tavern street full of commoners, being able to use even 1-Star magic was a talent coveted by all mercenary corps. It was because they were talents who could regulate the environment of the battlefield and cope with all sorts of variables encountered during exploration.
However, no matter what, he could not be a more valuable asset than Jayden, who had entered the ranks of a seasoned veteran as a mercenary.
Jayden could probably go alone and take care of demi-humans and trolls. In short, it was a request for which there was no reason for Derek to step up.
However, Jayden shook his head.
"There's a reason I called you in such a hurry the day before. I don't know why, but the vassal who came from the ducal domain requested that a mage be brought along."
"A mage, specifically? For a job that just requires quickly getting rid of some magical beasts?"
"I asked for the reason too, but they just kept repeating the same thing, saying that a mage must be brought along just in case something happens."
Jayden sighed deeply and lamented.
"The more I hear about it, the more uneasy this request feels..."
"Well, it's no good to just worry too much. Let's look at the good side. Here. Look at this."
Jayden placed a gold coin on the table.
"Oh," Derek's reaction came out first.
"It's one Aidel gold coin. They just tossed it over without any price negotiation. Crazy, right? It makes the time I spent running around to get odd jobs for a few silver coins feel pointless."
"The nobles really are generous. To toss out a whole gold coin for a request to catch a few magical beasts."
"Shall I tell you something even more surprising? This isn't the payment for the request, it's the down payment."
Derek had no choice but to change his attitude.
<><><>
Around the afternoon, the clients who had been promised came into the tavern and sat down.
Since there were not many people who drank from this early in the day, the tavern was quiet.
Derek, who was sitting at the long bar table, glanced at the faces of the people who were the clients, and it was obvious from a single look that they were people from outside this tavern street, from their good skin and high-quality clothes.
There were three people who came into the tavern. Among them, the one leading the group from the very front was an old man.
He had an impression that looked tired, with a venomous air that was obvious at a glance. His half-balding head, his sharp eyes, and the fine wrinkles that lined his face all gave an impression that revealed his personality.
Behind him was a woman who seemed to be quite old, judging by the white hair peeking through here and there. And there was one person who had a robe pulled over their head, so their face was not clearly visible.
As soon as they came in and took their seats, Jayden went out himself and served them fruit juice.
"Aigoo. You've arrived earlier than promised. I've been waiting."
The old man leading the party glanced down at the fruit juice Jayden had brought out, and then pushed it to one side as if he had no intention of even bringing it to his lips. From a glance, he gave the impression of having no manners.
"Are you the swordsman Jayden who is said to have made a great contribution in the Dawn War?"
"Yes, that's right. I've quit the soldiering life now and, as you can see, I'm living while running a small business."
"Then your skills must be trustworthy."
As the old man sent a look, the old woman and the person in the robe came over and sat at the round table.
Derek, who was at the bar table, perked up his ears and moistened his throat with a sip of cold water.
"I am the direct dispatch officer of the great Ducal House of Duplein's Chief Secretary, Lord Stewart. Call me Melvin."
The Chief Secretary, the highest-ranking among the vassals of the ducal domain. Being his direct subordinate meant that he was quite trusted among the vassals.
Jayden offered his greetings with a nonchalant smile.
"And this here is a maid who has come along as my assistant, and this person in the robe is an apprentice inspector. Both are affiliated with the ducal domain."
Derek pretended to drink cold water and looked at the two individuals.
Both of them were wearing robes with the embroidery of the ducal domain, but the maid had her robe hood down, so her features were clearly visible.
The old maid, who exuded a seasoned maturity, had a neat appearance. Through the gap in her robe, a neatly worn maid's uniform could be glimpsed.
On the other hand, the person wearing the robe with the hood pulled up could not be properly identified, but from the silhouette alone, it could be seen that their build was very petite.
"If you are an inspector... you must be the one who reports directly to His Grace the Duke. I must make a good impression. Hoho."
"He is still an apprentice, so there is no need to be too strict. Anyway, I believe we were supposed to bring a mage along..."
"Ah, of course. I've brought the most skilled mage I know. Derek! Come and offer your greetings!"
As Derek, who had been sitting at the bar table, rose to his feet and headed toward them, he felt as if all eyes were focused on him.
Derek felt a bit awkward, but he stepped forward as if to say 'so what,' and pulled down the hood of his reddish-brown robe, revealing his face.
"My name is Derek."
Blood-red eyes visible through well-groomed white hair. The equipment, made of leather or iron in places, was well-maintained with a good oiling.
Derek's equipment, slightly revealed from under the robe, were not high-end items but they were practical goods.
Over a well-washed, pure white tunic was a neat leather armor, a dagger hung from one side of a good-quality belt, and on the opposite hip, a quite usable longsword was in its scabbard.
Along with the leather pouch, an essential item for a wandering mercenary, his gloves and boots were also clean without a speck of dust. It meant that he was diligently maintaining them every time.
Good-for-nothings were all revealed just by their first impression. In that dimension, Derek was a person who, to anyone's eyes, was well-seasoned.
However, it was not that there were no problems at all.
"...Isn't he too young?"
The dispatch officer who had introduced himself as Melvin frowned and looked at Jayden.
"We wanted a skilled mage. Are you telling me we have to bring along this brat who clearly hasn't even had his coming-of-age ceremony, calling him a mage?"
To speak so nonchalantly even when the person in question was listening right in front of him was typical of noble house personnel.
They themselves were probably of commoner origin, but when they worked among the noble bloodlines, they thought that they themselves became noble.
Melvin scowled fiercely and protested to Jayden.
"I received a recommendation saying he was a man of firm resolve, but if you handle things this way, what on earth am I supposed to trust... Tsk..."
"Aigoo, it's troublesome if you judge by appearance alone. And in a tavern street like this, mages are rarer than beans sprouting in a drought, so you must understand what can be understood."
"A commoner-born mage's level is bound to be set, so if he's this young, he'll probably only know how to cast one or two 1-Star magics. Do you think we came to a remote tavern like this because we needed a mage of that level?"
Melvin said so and glared at Derek once.
Derek showed both his arms with an indifferent expression, as if there was nothing more to say.
His attitude was that if they didn't like it, he didn't particularly feel like working either.
As if Derek's relaxed response was even more irritating, Melvin clicked his tongue and said.
"If it's going to be like this, I'd rather just go back..."
"Dispatch Officer-nim."
The moment Melvin was about to seriously raise his voice, the maid who had been sitting at the round table called out to stop Melvin.
As if she had exchanged some opinion with the person in the robe, the maid approached Melvin and whispered something.
After hearing those words, Melvin let out a deep sigh, then glared at Derek again and asked.
"How old are you this year?"
"I am sixteen."
"How much magic can you use?"
"I can handle a little bit of 1-Star magic."
"Ha, right. It is admirable for your age. Consider yourself lucky."
Melvin let out a deep sigh just like that, and then said to Jayden.
"Alright. Since the situation is like this, there's nothing to be done. Let's depart as we are."
'You're doing all the talking and deciding by yourself.'
Derek nodded at the furious dispatch officer with an indifferent expression.
Jayden gave a satisfied smile and patted Derek's shoulder. Judging by the situation, it seemed the clients had no intention of even departing if there was no mage.
In any case, from Jayden's perspective, he had landed a big case thanks to Derek's presence.
"You may have heard earlier, but I am Melvin. As I said, a dispatch officer."
"I am Delia. I'm a scullery maid from the Ducal House of Duplein who also handles various miscellaneous tasks."
The dispatch officer was a direct subordinate of the highest-ranking Chief Secretary among the vassals.
A scullery maid was a maid in charge of miscellaneous tasks, mainly assisting with cooking or managing tableware, who belonged to the rather low ranks among the servants of a noble mansion.
After shaking hands with the first two people, it was the moment he shook hands with the last, the mysterious person in the robe.
Their hand was more slender and soft than he thought, so when he looked under the robe's hood, it was a woman.
"As Melvin-ssi introduced me, I am an apprentice inspector. A vassal who confirms and reports whether a job has been handled well."
Her skin was so white it was pale. The hair that was slightly revealed was as black as ebony, but in contrast, her eyes had a clear feeling.
Even under the shadow of the dark robe, those two eyes seemed to shine brilliantly, and amidst a graceful smile, there was a kind of noble dignity.
A sense of grace was present in every small movement, and the feeling that she was definitely a person of high standing flowed out properly.
"I apologize for not being able to take off my robe properly and greet you. My skin is sensitive to sunlight."
"It's alright."
Derek shook her hand appropriately, bowed his head, and then distanced himself again.
In any case, the situation seemed to have been resolved well, so Jayden said with a satisfied smile.
"I have arranged for a coachman at the stable ahead. The negotiations seem to be over, so let's hurry up and finish the job. It's not such a difficult task that we need to handle it with such a fuss."
<><><>
"They may be a bit rude, but all the noble house people are like that, so don't take it to heart and just let it go in one ear and out the other. They pay a lot of money, don't they?"
Worried that his feelings might have been hurt because of the squabble at the tavern, Jayden approached Derek on the way to the stable and whispered.
"Well, I don't really mind."
Derek answered as if it didn't matter and looked ahead.
The trio of ducal vassals was walking towards the stable visible up ahead.
Derek, walking slightly behind them, was momentarily lost in thought with his chin resting on his hand.
"Well, their first impression is crappy, but they're folks who look like they have some money, right? What do you think, Derek?"
"I think all three of them were lying."
"Really?"
Derek was from the slums, but he had heard a bit about noble culture in general from his master, Katia. She had often recited stories about nobles as a way to kill time before falling asleep or while walking down the street.
And Derek, being from the bottom, had a habit of observing people closely no matter who he met.
"I heard that the position of a noble house's dispatch officer is often filled by young and vibrant men because they have to travel far. I also heard that there are many sociable individuals since they often have to represent the voice of the ducal family. In that respect, that old man doesn't seem like a suitable person for a dispatch officer."
"Hoh... Is that so?"
"That woman who introduced herself as a scullery maid is also strange. She is wearing a maid's uniform, and her demeanor is certainly like that of a servant, but... when I shook her hand, I saw that her hand had no eczema or anything and was smooth. Her nails were neat too. It means she's of a status past the stage of doing rough work."
In short, it seemed that both people had called themselves by a lower status.
Both vassals and servants had vastly different positions and statuses depending on the person. In the case of the vassals and servants of the Ducal House of Duplein, if they reached the top, they would possess an authority that ordinary commoners could not even look at.
"In that sense, if we were to consider that person in the robe, the apprentice inspector..."
"Derek."
The moment Derek was about to say something more, Jayden let out a laugh and stopped Derek's words.
His expression was as if he knew what Derek was about to say next.
"..."
"I told you, didn't I? We don't need to dig too deep. Being too quick-witted isn't always good either."
A mercenary does a job and gets paid. That's all there is to it.
There were many who got unnecessarily involved in the private affairs of the high and mighty and ended up shouldering a ton of trouble.
These were words that Jayden used to say like a habit.
Since Derek himself agreed with those words, he eventually let out a dry breath and looked down as if it didn't matter.
Jayden was right.
On this street, which was like the middle of the wild, the most important goal was simply to make a living.
Anything else did not matter.