Hideout in Another World: I Tried Building a Secret Base in the Middle of Nowhere

Chapter 96: Plea of the Retired Mercenary – Hajiramu’s Perspective

“Hajiramu, what will you do?” Bonus asked with a slightly troubled expression.

Honestly… ever since this expedition began, everything seems to be going wrong. I just want to return to the brokerage office and live quietly.

But first, I must apologize.

“Bonus, it’s my fault. I’m truly sorry for causing you trouble by coming all this way. I let things get out of hand. I was so focused on your comrades’ hostility that I didn’t intervene soon enough.”

“If you prefer, we can reschedule…”

I sense Bonus is being considerate.

His earlier rough behavior seems like a lie now… He’s not as straightforward as he appears.

This man always brings unexpected outcomes.

“No, it’s better to settle this quickly. Piri, don’t cause any more trouble. You there, pretending to be someone else, bring together the tables and chairs.”

“Ah, yes…”

“Uh, y-yes…”

“Everyone, please have a seat.”

As Bonus and his comrades took their seats, an eerie atmosphere filled the entire tavern.

The members of the Bonus Company and the others sat facing each other.

In the front are three onis and one goblin, with Bonus in the center.

Their faces are familiar.

But seeing them lined up in front of me again, their strangeness is daunting.

First, there’s Zamza, a young tough-looking man.

He was furious earlier, but since Bonus warned him, he’s been sitting quietly, albeit cautiously.

It’s unheard of for a tough guy like him to be so docile.

Impatient and rough onis are terrifying, but I find this calm oni even more frightening.

But far more terrifying are the two beautiful oni women.

They exude elegance and sit gracefully in their chairs.

One is Shiro, introduced to Bonus by Marie at the brokerage office, and they’ve been together ever since.

She casually leans against Bonus, seeming to protect him, but if she were to go wild, she could probably destroy this building.

The other one sitting next to Shiro is Gisella.

She’s known as the malicious Gisella among some.

She smiles at me with a smirk.

It feels like a sword is pointed at my throat.

Around the Dogor Underground Market , she’s notorious in a negative way.

Any force opposing her mysteriously disappears.

No one dares to cross her anymore.

Until recently, she was known for her rough appearance, selling weapons in the dark market.

But now, there’s no trace of that.

Just like Shiro, she’s meticulously groomed, evident in her well-kept hair, fine clothes, and accessories tailored for them.

With their naturally attractive appearance and well-maintained bodies, they exude a strong allure mixed with violence, intimidating those around them.

I never thought I’d feel attraction from onis.

And there’s Kuro.

Marie’s favorite imp.

Undoubtedly adorable.

But when Bonus’ comrades entered the tavern, I felt the most threatened by this one.

When this imp drew her knife, I thought Piri was done for.

If Shiro hadn’t stopped her, it would have been true.

This imp has been clinging to Bonus since they met.

She’s not sitting on a chair but clinging to Bonus from behind, glaring at Piri.

Apart from her involvement with Bonus, she shows no hesitation.

In a sense, she’s like a monster… or maybe all of them are monsters just like Marie.

Bonus seems genuinely relieved, surrounded by these characters, smiling as if everything is perfectly normal.

Maybe he’s the craziest of them all…

“I’m hungry… Shall we order some food?”

“Oh! That sounds good. What do you think, Hajiramu?”

“Azir, you… Well, if Bonus is okay with it, then sure. But if you fall asleep again, you won’t wake up twice.”

“Oh, uh, yeah, got it. Hey, ready to order?”

As I observe their behavior, Bonus casually mentions being hungry.

Azir promptly agrees with the suggestion.

Lunch was supposed to be after the discussion, but it’s indeed a good suggestion to change the mood.

Since a while ago, even the mercenaries around us have fallen silent.

Even though there are unrelated people here, tension fills the entire tavern.

On the other hand, Bonus is completely relaxed. He leaves the ordering to Azir and takes off his jacket, looking excessively concerned about the seams. Shiro whispers something in Bonus’ ear. Bonus chuckles slightly, then accepts a bundle of black fur from Shiro and places it on his lap. Is that… a kitten? It seems unusually large for a kitten. Moreover, whenever Bonus strokes it, there are sparks like embers coming from its tail… I don’t understand.

This won’t do. Perhaps due to fatigue, lack of sleep, or hunger, my thoughts are starting to drift. We need to move the conversation along quickly.

“Let’s start discussing the situation so far.”

“I’m counting on you.”

“As you may have heard, my primary goal is the reconstruction of the Vaintz Village. This expedition was supposed to be part of the preparations for that. Specifically, it was meant for securing the area around the village, disposing of the Black Wolf corpses, and establishing a reconstruction base.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard something along those lines.”

“However, none of those have been accomplished. First, let’s talk about the disposal of the Black Wolf corpses. That was Piri’s responsibility… but there were way too many Black Wolves. Piri, please explain.”

Piri, who had been visibly tense and withdrawn, takes a sip of the brought drink and seems to calm down a bit. When prompted, he begins to explain in a calmer voice than I expected.

“Uh, yeah. We knew there were a lot, but no one expected such a crazy number… We’re mercenaries specialized in transportation and construction. Among those jobs, we’re the best in Savoia. We’ve received many tasks from the lord.”

Thanks to the drink, Piri seems to be getting into the groove. However, his eyes keep wandering. He’s probably avoiding Kuro’s gaze, who has been glaring at him this whole time. Indeed, it might be more intimidating to be glared at by someone who looks like a delicate girl like Kuro than by a tough guy like Zamza.

“Even so, during this expedition, we were only able to bury about seventy percent of the corpses in the village. They started rotting, making the smell unbearable, and it increased the unnecessary workload. Occasionally, monsters would attack us, making it even harder. So, we couldn’t bury all the corpses and couldn’t establish a base… It’s better to deal with the corpses as soon as possible; diseases might spread.”

“Ugh… you’re talking about the smell…”

“Hmph. Doesn’t matter. It does stink, that’s for sure. Anyone would smell bad after digging, carrying, and burying corpses every day.”

“Speaking of which, is the well okay?”

“Yeah, we removed the corpses around the well first. Besides, the Black Wolf corpses were mostly concentrated near the walls.”

As Bonus and Piri exchange words normally, I feel a bit relieved. Things weren’t going well already, and if Bonus and Piri refused to cooperate, the village’s reconstruction would be even more difficult. If that happens, maybe I can quit this job… but it’s not that simple. I don’t want to do anything that doesn’t benefit Savoia, and I owe it to the lord. However, even though I retired as a mercenary and was quietly doing office work every day… the lord always asks for unreasonable things.

“Next is about ensuring safety.”

“Yeah, something about monsters gathering?”

“Monsters are flocking to feast on the Black Wolf corpses, and there are even larger monsters coming to prey on those monsters.”

“Poor quality… Well, it could be considered a self-cleaning process, couldn’t it?”

“That’s true, it will eventually be cleaned up over time. However, it’s different around the village. It’ll take too long to return to its original state, and if left alone, troublesome monsters might settle in.”

“It’s quite challenging around the village alone?”

“There are surprisingly many of them. And there are many troublesome types too. Especially recently, we’ve been struggling with scavengers and nocturnal imps.”

“Scavengers… those long-armed monkeys?”

“Yeah, those guys wander around looking for carrion. When they see humans, they throw stones, parts of corpses, and even their own excrement.”

“They smell worse than me.”

“Talking about losing appetite at the worst timing…”

Just as the dishes arrive. The dishes ordered by Azir are popular among mercenaries, but they seem like they might cause indigestion. Even though Bonus is not knowledgeable about these things, he seems to have some memory about scavengers.

“And what about the imps?”

“Gyau~?”

“…Hey, what’s with that one?”

“This is Kuro, my precious partner, so don’t worry too much about her.”

“Gyau gyau!”

“W-what’s with her?”

Piri probably didn’t realize that Kuro was an imp. Indeed, seeing how skillfully she handles the knife to eat, it’s hard to believe she’s an imp. At least, the imp we saw every day until yesterday was a creature that dug into decaying corpses with its claws and teeth, indulging in rotten meat according to its desires.

In contrast, Kuro dresses in the most glamorous clothes among Bonus and the others, adorned with the most accessories, and skillfully enjoys her meal using a knife. One could say she’s the most cultured presence in this tavern. Sometimes, Bonus struggles with tough meat, and Kuro quickly cuts it into bite-sized pieces and even helps feed him, displaying a caring attitude.

Piri watches this with an indescribable expression.

“They’re imps that are active at night, small and black, blending into the darkness. They’re weak but fast, attacking with their claws and teeth. However, they don’t usually kill people. The problem tends to arise after the battle. Their wounds are prone to infection, and if mishandled, the body may rot. Neither of them is particularly strong, but if you handle them wrong, it can be very troublesome.”

“Indeed… just imagining it, they’re both terribly unpleasant opponents.”

“Ngyau~?”

As Bonus says this with a furrowed brow, he picks up the black cat, buries his face in it, and takes a deep breath.

What is he doing…?

“These guys attack regularly, day and night. We have guards on rotation, but everyone has to wake up every time there’s an attack. It inevitably leads to sleep deprivation, making work progress slower.”

“I see… but Azir, while I understand your sentiment, shouldn’t you not rest now?”

“Huh? No… I’m not sleeping!”

Azir…

Ever since he arrived at the tavern, he’s been the only one relaxing the whole time. He’s incredibly tough-minded. He did indeed perform the best in combat. He’s not stupid either, so ideally, he could stand shoulder to shoulder with Marie as the lord’s exclusive mercenary… He’s truly the epitome of a mercenary.

“Hajiramu, could you tell us a bit more about the number and frequency of the monsters?”

“Ah, initially, there were constant attacks, but now it’s less than ten times a day.”

“I see… It’s troublesome that we can’t take them out all at once.”

“Yeah, that’s the tricky part.”

Bonus pokes at the meat with his knife, seemingly lost in thought. There’s a slight swelling where Piri hit him… Will I be able to rely on Bonus’ help? Even if just one oni joined the expedition, it would significantly increase our strength. There would be no need for everyone to wake up every time there’s an attack.

“Are there monsters in the Tamir Mountains too?”

“There are more than before, but compared to around the village, it’s negligible.”

“I see…”

“Yeah. Well, that’s about the gist of the current situation.”

“I see, understood.”

“However… Bonus, can I ask for your cooperation again? Every five days, with payment upfront and at least a fifty percent increase in the usual amount. We might not need everyone to participate, and we’ll promise additional rewards for unforeseen circumstances.”

While listening to my words, Bonus puts the meat he’s been poking into his mouth. But perhaps it was unexpectedly tough, as even after I finish talking, he continues to chew on it. He’s frowning, but it’s unclear whether he’s unhappy with the proposal or if the food didn’t sit well with him… I can’t quite read him.

Quietly, he pushes his meat dish in front of Zamza. Upon closer inspection, there are already three identical plates in front of Zamza. With Shiro and Gisella, huh… Zamza meticulously cuts the meat, muttering about the cooking process and sauce flavor, but calmly eats the meat.

What are they…?

The onis I’m familiar with would eat meat even if it wasn’t properly cooked, without bothering to use a knife. Moreover, the concept of sauce itself might be questionable to them. What kind of diet do they usually have…? And the food here shouldn’t be too unappetizing for them.

…Perhaps my proposal wasn’t even worth considering to them.

I feel disheartened.

“――――Ah, I see. Well, I can help within reason.”

“Thank you…”

Finally finishing his meat, Bonus responds with a casual tone.

It seems like he intended to accept from the beginning, regardless of the conditions I proposed. I did ask Azir beforehand, just to be sure.

However, promises heard through hearsay can go either way until you hear directly from the person themselves. But this time, it seemed luck was on my side.

“Well then… Piri. What about you?”

“…Got it. We’ll also participate in the next expedition.”

“Huh? Wasn’t it decided whether he would join?”

“Yeah. The truth is, with the current lineup, it would be difficult just to establish a base. If we didn’t have new participants with real strength, the Piri Mercenary Corps would have to withdraw and disband. In that case, I would have had to give up on the village’s reconstruction for the time being.”

“That’s… But with good rewards, aren’t there many mercenaries willing to participate?”

“If they’re decent mercenaries, they don’t want to go east of Savoia, especially for a long term. There’s always the possibility of encountering dangerous monsters like Kidanakemo, and they can earn enough without doing such risky jobs. If it were a job that could make a name for oneself, it would be different… But our main tasks are dealing with carcasses, scavenging for rotten meat, and defeating imps… It’s quite unusual for an accomplished mercenary like Piri to participate.”

“I’ve been able to build a reputation through the jobs I’ve received from the lord so far. I’ll fulfill my obligations.”

“I see…”

“Both of you, please lend us your strength. I’m counting on you.”

“Understood.”

“Yeah, got it, Hajiramu. But just one thing… could you add the cost of washing my jacket to the reward for this job?”

With that, Bonus places the black cat on Shiro’s lap and leans forward slightly, showing the collar of his jacket.

It’s an uncommon shape, but quite a stylish garment. Considering Bonus’ attire from the past, he’s become quite impressive. He almost looks like a merchant guild leader.

However, there are indeed stains from Piri’s blood on it. They’re gray, so they’re not very noticeable, but you can tell upon closer inspection.

“Yeah, that’s right. Sorry, Bonus… Piri.”

“I, I know! I was getting too confrontational too. My bad.”

“I was also wrong to get angry and headbutt you. Well, Piri… let’s get along from now on! But remember, make sure to take a good bath later. I’ve completely lost my appetite even though I was hungry earlier!”

“Ngyau~!”

“Ugh, so noisy…”

Somehow, the outlook for the future has been settled. Perhaps feeling a little relieved, my concentration is finally fading. Let’s quickly move the conversation forward.

“By the way, there’s another problem to address after securing the base――――”