Chapter 87

Chapter 87. Money is Earned to Be Spent (1)

After the Grand Duke’s sudden visit, Keter began doing what he had to do.

– Diamond Class Approval, Keter

– Diamond Class Approval, Luke Blendor

Using his authority as the branch chief, he granted Diamond Class to himself and Luke. It was an overreach that would have shocked the Mercenary Association, but since there was no chance of an auditor from the association coming to Ruquer, and the council member Joyray had already been bribed by Keter.

“Why are you giving it to me?”

“You already have a mercenary badge, so you won’t lose anything. Might as well, since I’m overreaching anyway?”

“I’m not sure if I should just accept it. Diamond Class is top-tier in the mercenary world.”

“Don’t take it if you don’t want it.”

“No, I’ll gratefully accept it.”

Luke, who had thoughts of leaving the Lilian Kingdom someday, figured that having a mercenary badge, especially a Diamond Class one, would help him cross borders.

Things progressed smoothly. The approval was just a matter of Keter filling out the paperwork. However, the identification badges were handmade, so they needed time.

Since the Diamond Class badges were the goal, there was no further business at the mercenary branch. But Keter decided to tidy up a few things while he was at it.

“Hansen, don’t make me repeat myself. Listen carefully.”

Keter had Hansen by his side. Originally an unremarkable mercenary, Hansen had been forcibly appointed as the Deputy Branch Chief after catching Keter’s eye.

“Please don’t do anything too crazy.”

“Sure—if the mercenaries rebel, it’s all the Deputy Branch Chief’s fault.”

Keter first changed the guild’s rules.

Age and race no longer mattered! As long as you met the qualifications, anyone could become a mercenary.

“That’s it.”

“Just this one thing?”

“Want me to add more? How about a rule that you must complete at least five requests a month?”

“Just a thought…”

“Besides the rules, I’m changing the guild’s policies too. If you get injured during a mission, you’ll receive compensation based on your rank. When you retire, you’ll get a celebration bonus. You decide the amounts.”

“Huh? Forget why we’re giving it out, why am I the one adjusting it?”

“Because you’re the Deputy Branch Chief. Make sure it’s not too stingy, but also not enough to make a fortune.”

“Does the mercenary guild even have that kind of money?”

“Yeah, it’s enough. I checked the guild’s treasury, and there’s quite a bit saved up.”

“That’s probably the tribute meant for the association. Cork used the guild funds like his own money, but he never touched the tribute.”

The mercenary guild was supposed to pay half of its annual profits to the Mercenary Association as tribute. However, Ruquer couldn’t do that, so a significant amount of money had piled up.

Cork didn’t use the money privately, fearing backlash from the mercenaries, but Keter had a different idea.

“If I used it privately, of course, they’d freak out. But if it’s for their benefit, who’s going to complain? The compensation and celebration bonuses aren’t for me, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Also, expand the guild. How many mercenaries are in Ruquer? It’s too cramped. I saw earlier that even 50 people felt suffocating. Make it able to accommodate at least 200, and hire a full-time doctor and blacksmith.”

“B-Branch Chief. By any chance…”

Hansen swallowed hard, checked his surroundings, and whispered.

“Are you planning to grow the mercenary band and take over Ruquer?”

*Thud!*

“Ouch!”

Keter flicked Hansen’s forehead and said,

“Are you new to Ruquer? Even if all the mercenaries in Ruquer gathered, they’re still a bunch of amateurs. What matters isn’t numbers, but the leader. To take over a region, you’d need someone like Marhan or Walt.”

“But we have you, Keter.”

“No, you don’t. You’re in charge here, Hansen.”

“I really don’t understand what you’re thinking.”

Of course, Hansen didn’t know that Keter could leave Ruquer.

“Even if the Branch Chief isn’t here, we have the mercenary council member backing us, so it should be fine, right?”

“Enough with the stupid talk. I’m leaving, so manage the guild properly. If it’s in good shape when I return, it’s your credit. If it’s a mess, it’s your fault.”

“You’re dumping all the work on me and leaving?”

“That’s what the Deputy Branch Chief is for. Don’t want to do it? Fine, quit.”

“No, I really want to do it.”

If Hansen had been asked to become the Deputy Branch Chief yesterday, he would have refused. But now, the situation was different. The Mercenary Association council member, Joyray, had appeared.

What did his presence in Ruquer mean? It meant that Keter might be able to leave Ruquer.

Otherwise, why would a Mercenary Association council member leisurely run a bar in Ruquer? Clearly, he had the freedom to leave, which meant he was staying by choice.

When that day came, who would Joyray take with him?

The Branch Chief of the mercenary guild was a given, and he’d only take the most outstanding mercenaries.

Hansen wanted to leave too. He had family outside. It had been ten years. He was worried about his family’s safety and wondered how much his son had grown. That’s why, even though he knew he’d be burdened with work, he accepted the Deputy Branch Chief position.

After finishing all his business at the mercenary guild, Keter stepped outside with Luke.

News of Keter becoming the Branch Chief had spread quickly, and mercenaries either actively or passively acknowledged him as he passed by.

Keter stretched lazily, half-acknowledging their greetings.

“Ugh, I’m so tired. Can’t we rest a bit before doing anything else?”

Luke said with a weary face.

A lot had happened in a short time, and Keter was also feeling quite exhausted.

But it was too early to rest. He never planned to stay in Ruquer for long.

“If you’re going to rest, do it properly. What’s the point of resting a little?”

“Then I’ll rest properly.”

“Finish what you need to do first, then rest.”

“Isn’t it done yet?”

“Just need to wrap things up. In the meantime, go take a walk around the city.”

“Ugh, fine.”

Though he complained, Luke obediently followed.

Keter’s request to have Luke attacked wasn’t over yet, and there were still plenty of mercenaries waiting to ambush him.

“Maknun, it’s your turn now.”

The final task in Ruquer.

At the heart of it was none other than Maknun.

* * *

“Maknun, did you get the portable artifacts?”

Keter asked about the progress of the task he’d assigned as soon as they arrived at the office. Maknun, as if waiting, handed over a palm-sized disc.

“Of course I got them. Let me show you the armor first. Attach it to your chest and press the center. The white side is the inside.”

Following Maknun’s instructions, Keter attached it to his chest and pressed the center. The disc flashed with light.

With a *whoosh*, the disc expanded instantly, transforming into armor tailored to Keter’s body.

“It looks a bit crude, but its performance is on par with what the Imperial Army uses. To return it to its original state, insert a needle into this small hole here.”

A hole so small you might not notice it if not pointed out.

Using a needle seemed inconvenient, but nobles had servants, and knights had squires.

Keter didn’t need either. He always carried a needle for medical purposes.

*Click.*

Pushing the needle all the way in, the armor disassembled from the back and returned to its small disc form.

“To remove the attached disc, turn it counterclockwise… You got it, right?”

“Common sense.”

The portable artifacts also had adhesive functions, making them easy to wear.

Keter tossed the detached disc back to Maknun and said,

“There are others, right?”

“Yes. I left them on the lounge table. The dagger and arrows you bought from the magic tool shop are there too.”

“Good. Follow me.”

Keter tested all the other portable artifacts one by one. Helmets, gauntlets, boots. Some were full-body suits that included armor.

There were swords, spears, maces, and axes, but one thing was missing.

“Couldn’t you get a bow, or is there none?”

“There is, but I couldn’t get one. The Empire hardly deals with bows. But I did get a crossbow. It’s not what you wanted, but it’s better than nothing.”

“Very good.”

It was a shame about the bow, but having a crossbow, which was somewhat similar, was better than nothing.

“Imperial craftsmanship, as expected. Completely different from what we used in Hakoz Village.”

The portable weapon they received from the Birang Tribe in Hakoz Village was the size of a stick and quite heavy. To shrink it back down, you needed aura-enhanced strength. But the Imperial weapons were the size of a finger and light enough to carry in your pocket. A simple operation returned them to their original form, making them incredibly convenient.

If this technology were applied to Sephira’s bow?

It wouldn’t just improve convenience.

‘Arrows are bulky, so carrying 30 is the limit. But with this technology, you could carry hundreds.’

Just increasing the number of arrows you could carry would significantly boost an archer’s combat power.

“Good job. I like all of it.”

Praise wasn’t just words, so Keter handed Maknun a 1,000-gold note as a reward.

“Oh my. You shouldn’t have.”

Maknun, knowing he’d done well, accepted the reward without hesitation.

“Maknun.”

As Maknun was packing the portable artifacts into a bag, he turned around and was startled. Keter was holding out two daggers.

Two perfectly identical daggers. But one was as light as a feather, and the other was made of ultra-heavy metal.

Why was Keter handing him the daggers he’d used for over a decade, essentially his signature as a solver?

“You use them.”

“Huh?”

“And this is yours too.”

Keter handed over the 3rd-level magic tool dagger on the desk to Maknun.

Now holding three daggers, Maknun was confused.

“You know I’m more of a brains guy, right?”

“I know. But you still need to know how to defend yourself.”

“Don’t tell me, Brother. No way, right?”

“You guessed it. You’re coming with me to the outside world.”

“Ah, I figured it would come to this.”

“Not right away. There’s still stuff to wrap up in Ruquer. Besides, you’re too weak.”

“Can’t I just have bodyguards like now?”

“Even that wouldn’t be enough. Sephira doesn’t have a safe place like this office yet.”

“I don’t like physical stuff, it makes me sweat… but I guess I’ll have to learn to survive.”

True to being Keter’s subordinate, Maknun quickly accepted his fate.

“That’s our Maknun. The best ace among my subordinates. Learn dagger skills from old man Joyray. I’ve already talked to him.”

“Joyray? The bar owner? He seems laid back… Can’t you just teach me?”

“He’s not just any bar owner. He’s a Mercenary Association council member. And the origin of the secret sword technique I learned is his Aura Blade.”

“Oh… But I still want to learn from you.”

“Denied.”

“Too bad.”

Keter tapped Maknun’s shoulder, and Maknun chuckled.

“When you leave this time, how long will you be gone?”

“Let’s see, the Southern Sword Tournament is in three months, and it lasts a month. So at least five months.”

“Should I clean up the office in the meantime?”

“Don’t empty it out too much. I’ll be back someday. I’m taking Popo too.”

“I’d have been sad if you didn’t take him.”

“Can’t leave behind a cute and capable guy like him.”

As if understanding the conversation, a green slime oozed down from the ceiling.

Keter stroked Popo’s slimy body and said,

“Yeah, you’re excited too, right? Just wait a bit. My house isn’t big enough to handle you yet.”

*Wiggle wiggle.*

For a slime, Popo seemed to understand, shaking its slime up and down.

After playing with Popo for a bit, Keter gathered the hidden bundles of cash scattered around the office. Maknun helped and asked,

“Brother. This looks like almost a million gold. What are you going to do with such a huge amount?”

“Maknun, aren’t you curious too? How strong can money make a person?”

Maknun could tell from Keter’s tone. The suppressed desire to spend, held back for decades, had finally been unleashed today.

Keter smiled a world-class smile and said,

“I’m going to bankrupt Ruquer’s elixirs.”