I Am Raising a Daughter in This Life

Benefits and Benefits

It was a terrible sight.

Red blood that had not yet soaked into the soil was spread all over the place, and human or horse flesh was brutally torn apart.

It was a sight that would have made a normal person vomit right away, but it didn’t inspire me much. Because of things worse than this, my eyes are high, so it’s just a bit unusual scenery.

It’s not like I really want to see something like this.

In the middle of the road covered in blood and flesh, the messy, broken wagon barely had a lantern and a symbol of a scale hanging on it.

top of the lantern.

It was a place I knew very well.

“Krurruk.”

At that moment, the monsters still roaming around found me and growled.

Laughing at the appearance of not being satisfied after eating that much, he drew his sword and slowly scanned them.

There were more than 10 people of different types who got along well.

Did it take 10 minutes?

It’s time to deal with them.

There was no one particularly strong, so there was nothing difficult about it.

After wiping off the blood on the sword, now the corpses of the monsters were added to the gado, which became more gruesome.

Since the monsters were dealt with, the soldiers who will clean up will do something. What are you paying taxes for?

Normally, I would have collected parts that could be money or evidence, but now I had something to do first.

I moved up to the wreckage of the wagon and peeked inside.

Inside, where not even a trace of the roof remained, all the boxes they were carrying were broken and the contents scattered around.

Among all the clutter, my gaze stopped at a place where ores were piled up in a round shape.

He stared at it as if he was going to peer into it, then lightly tapped the wooden board with the pattern on the top of the lantern as if knocking.

“Can you hear the one hiding there? We’ve dealt with all the monsters around, so it’s okay to come out now.”

“… … .”

But there was no answer.

The surroundings were so quiet that anyone who saw them would think they were talking nonsense to themselves.

Well, if you’ve been in a place like this for a few days, it’s a natural reaction.

“Call me Irvin, an A-class mercenary. I was dealing with monsters on the way to Findel. I felt a presence, so I tried talking to him.”

“… … .”

It must have been that he was too frightened, so the reaction wasn’t as good as he thought.

“this. Have you lost your mind? I was crouched down in a place like that, so I must pray that I didn’t die.”

I deliberately muttered loudly and made my way toward the ore heap.

Even so, the pile of ore did not move at all, but the closer I got, the more I could feel the presence inside, which convinced me that it was not an illusion.

And the moment I put my hand to rummage through the ore heap.

“Ooh, ah! Ahhh!”

With a strange scream, a person crawled out of the ore pile.

I was expecting his presence, so I wasn’t too surprised and decided to step back and give myself enough time to figure out the situation.

He was crouching down under a pile of ore holding a bundle of precious things.

I seemed to have come to my senses, so I crouched down in front of him and took out a canteen and held it out.

“Have some.”

“Go, thank you… … under… … .”

Even his voice cracked open, he almost dropped the canteen once, as if it were heavy, and finally poured water into his mouth little by little.

Her hair, which was neatly blonde, was messed up, and even her clothes, which should have been high quality, were buried in a pile of ore, so she looked like a beggar.

I never thought I’d see this person do something like this in my lifetime.

It took quite a while for him to speak a language that was still divided but well-formed.

“Thank you very much. If it wasn’t for the benefactor, I would have become food for the monsters. How the hell am I supposed to repay this favor… … .”

“Let’s just say the name. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it before, but I’m Irvin, an A-class mercenary. Are you at the top?”

“Yes, my name is Ethan Kent, who runs the Lantern Company.”

Ethan Kent.

It was a name that would be reborn as a famous merchant a few years later.

I heard that there was a time when they made friends and barely survived when they met monsters on their way up, but I didn’t know that it would be now.

It was surprising to see Edan, who usually values appearance like a nobleman, acting like this.

That’s why this incident meant quite a lot to him.

“Have you ever had a party?”

“I did, but… … Apparently, they either ran away or died.”

“My condolences. If you don’t mind, can I bury them?”

“My benefactor won’t do that. Of course that’s what I have to do. You must be tired from fighting the monsters, so take a break… … .”

“Your top lord is resting. Are you saying this because I can’t leave you alone? If you just leave after seeing this, you will be punished.”

Among the mercenaries, there was a custom of collecting bodies found during a quest. As much as he was risking his life, he did it because he could have become like that one day.

I didn’t mean it that way, but I just did it out of habit.

Using a shovel, all the remains, whether people or horses, were collected and buried, and the bodies of the monsters were simply pushed to the side of the road.

Since it was a task that took quite a while to do alone, Ethan was sitting on the blanket he had lent him, recovering his energy with water and salt.

There was still a hint of anxiety that the monsters might attack again, but at that level, he was very calm.

He must have been counting down the days he would die buried in a heap of ore for days, so the fact that he didn’t ask to go to the city right away gave a glimpse of his mental strength.

“You have suffered a lot. I will promise to do enough with my name on the case.”

Edan said so and quietly swept the belongings he had collected next to him. They were insignificant items, but in this mess, they were what could be called relics.

I sat down in front of him, wiping my sweat with a towel, and opened my mouth.

“Would you like to make a request?”

“request… … Are you talking?”

“As I said earlier, I am a mercenary. Now I’m on my way to Findel after completing the quest. I’ll make sure you get there safely. If you come as a guest, we guarantee that we will serve you comfortably.”

Saying that, he pointed with his thumb at the horse behind him.

I thought that if I went with him, I would be able to go as quickly as possible by riding him on a horse, but I also wanted to show condescension at this point.

Ethan didn’t make an easy decision at my words, seemed to be thinking about something, and then asked the question again.

“You have something else to say.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because the mercenary took on the request and the money topic was omitted. On top of that, the other person is a beggar-like merchant who wonders if there is anything left.”

Yes, if you don’t say this, it’s not Ethan.

With a satisfied smile, I stood up without delay and opened my mouth.

“We have a lot of time, so let’s talk about deals as we go. How would you like to go with me?”

At the word transaction, Edan still had a puzzled look on his face, but in the end he had no choice but to nod.

* * *

Together, after collecting useful items from the wreckage of the wagon, we left the scene of the disaster without further delay.

I put Ethan on my horse and I followed him. It wasn’t hard to walk to Findel, but it was annoying since it was the way back after completing the request.

“Do you live in Findel?”

“exactly. It has been three years since we moved.”

“I was on my way there as well. That’s what I mean when I say it’s really meant to be.”

Ethan’s appearance during the conversation was much better.

Ethan, who had cast off some of his sadness and despair, slightly frowned to see if he was still in pain, then opened his mouth again.

“I’d like to talk about that deal soon.”

“Hmm, actually, I wanted to talk about this in a more comfortable place, but I will say it because I need some time to think about it.”

Even if it wasn’t, I was going to say it first, so I let go of that rhyme and turned my head to look up at Ethan.

“Perhaps the Lord of the upper ranks… … Are you willing to accept an investment?”

“When it comes to investing, what about Mr. Irvin?”

“Yes, the money I’ve saved from doing this is good, but I don’t know how to roll it. I thought it was a good opportunity to meet Sang Sangju.”

“… … .”

“Isn’t that a bad suggestion for the top owner? I think there must have been quite a lot of losses from this uptrend… … . Alas, no compulsion, of course. This proposal is a separate story from escorting, so don’t be too pressured. Since I am dealing with a large amount of money, I will sign a contract after carefully discussing it.”

“… … Why are you folding?”

I know what kind of person Edan is, but he couldn’t help but wonder that the mercenary he met for the first time today would make such a proposal.

Although he was in a position to receive help, Edan, who runs the guild, asked cautiously.

It was obvious that I was rolling the abacus in my head, so I smiled for no reason and pointed to the bundle I had attached to one side of the saddle.

“Even in a situation where he might die right away, he cherished me. Aren’t they expensive among the items you transported? Precious metals and spices, for example.”

“No, how… … .”

Ethan was speechless with his eyes wide open as if he was really surprised.

For me, the act of trying to reduce the damage even in such a situation was more surprising. It had to be an act that came out because he was really a merchant to the bone.

“I thought that if you were that stubborn, you could entrust my money to me. I also judged that you would faithfully fulfill the contract in the way you take care of the mementos of your companions. Would that be a sufficient answer?”

There are various reasons, but Edan will have no choice but to accept my proposal.

Most of the goods transported were food materials or ores. The goods were not even recovered properly, and they had to pay consolation money to the families of the victims.

It was not difficult to see that the word “investment” would have been a pleasure to me since I had no choice but to urgently need money right away.

“Are you really a mercenary? Your knowledge is unusual, and you only talk about what I want you to say.”

“Since I rolled like this and that, I naturally learned it with my body. It’s a job where you have to earn and live on your own, so being quick-witted is the best.”

“Then you probably want more from me.”

This, too, was one of the quickest things to notice.

I told Ethan the truth without hiding anything.

“First, acknowledge the stake in the top of the lantern as much as the investment. Please distribute the profits every month.”

“That is natural. We will definitely guarantee you what you invested in.”

“And in the future, I want you to make a Findel branch at the top of the lantern. If there is something in particular to ask for, I would like to entrust it to you as a guest.”

“The reason I went to Findel this time was also to see the city with my own eyes. Since you are the benefactor who saved my life, I will not charge you for the items you ordered.”

It added more than I expected, but that much felt natural. Edan must have thought that this was a very minor condition. As they say, I am also a life saver.

Oh, I guess I should get some insurance.

“And later I will introduce some children to work there. If you feel like you can’t work, it doesn’t matter if you cut it, so the owner of the upper level can take care of it after that.”

“That’s not difficult, but… … . Do you have anything more to say? You can do whatever you want.”

At this point, it was rather Ethan who was anxious.

It was because I realized that no matter how much I played the abacus in my head, my own gains outweighed those of mine.

As I know the future, I am making a big investment with little money.

“I am a mercenary. Money is important, but trust is more important than anything else. I think it’s a good deal if we can build trust with the top stocks just like this.”

“It seems like they look at me too highly, but I’m still just an insignificant little guild.”

“I also started in C grade. At least he is proud to have eyes to see people, so trust him.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about, hahahaha. I am worried that I will be able to use it properly even if I receive an investment.”

“Don’t be disappointed when you see the investment amount later.”

This seemed to have led the atmosphere quite warmly.

I’ll tell you the details with the money bag in front of me, but it won’t go too badly for me.

On the way, we can’t just talk about investment, so let’s turn the topic around a bit.

“Oh, by any chance, do you like children?”