Lord of Caldera

Among the murmuring mercenaries, one stepped forward and approached the troll. Cautiously, the mercenary walked up and kicked the troll lightly with his foot, but it didn't move at all. Upon examining the troll's face closely, the mercenary mumbled in a dazed expression.

"It's… it's dead."

[You have defeated a stronger monster with perfect shooting.]

[Since your contribution is over 90%, your experience points have significantly increased.]

[Your shooting rank has risen from 'Adept' to 'Expert.']

As the messages echoed in Sylas's ears, a hush fell over the area. Then, after a moment, cheers erupted all at once.

"Damn! I really thought it was dead this time!"

"Wow, I can't believe we survived an encounter with a troll!"

"Serves you right, you damn monster!"

The mercenaries hugged each other, relishing their close call. Some sank down in relief, while others kicked and spat on the troll's corpse. Roderick approached Sylas with an expression of awe and knelt before him.

"Truly impressive! To think you killed a troll with just three arrows! This is an achievement worthy of an epic tale!"

"No, that's not…."

Sylas struggled to find the words. In truth, he had only aimed to wound it to drive it away. No one could have predicted that hitting it in the eye would lead to its immediate demise.

Before his return, he had encountered monsters that continued to move even after half of their head was blown off. As he was lost in thought, Sylas quickly composed his expression and spoke.

"…The eyes are a weakness for all creatures. I thought that even a troll with strong regeneration would fall if targeted consistently."

"Ah, I see! So that's why you instructed the mercenaries to shout and intimidate it?"

"To stop it in its tracks. If I had said we could take down the troll, the mercenaries would have doubted me and refused to follow. So, I framed it as our first goal to drive the troll away."

"A truly cold and calculated judgment!"

After all, the troll was dead. There was no harm in embellishing the achievement a little.

***

Once the troll was dead, the remaining issue was what to do with the corpse. The byproducts from a monster's body could fetch quite a bit of money. This matter was swiftly resolved with Sylas's words, which carried the highest authority.

"Let the mercenaries take the troll's body."

"Wha—!?"

Eric's eyes widened in shock. What kind of monster was a troll? Its blood sold for a high price as an alchemical ingredient, and its hide had significant demand. It was said that dismantling a single troll could yield enough materials for two mansions.

And yet, he was going to hand it over whole?

"Are you really going to let us take it?"

"Of course. Without your cooperation, this would have been difficult. You deserve to be rewarded for your hard work."

"Thank you! Thank you!"

Eric bowed his head several times before rushing over to the mercenaries. Shortly after, cheers erupted as the mercenaries rushed toward the troll's corpse. Watching the troll being dismantled piece by piece, Roderick muttered with a hint of regret.

"What a pity. If only we could take it all, we could announce the young lord's achievement."

"I'm fine with it."

Sylas shook his head with a smile. It wasn't just empty words; he truly felt no regret.

'We lack the manpower to move it, don't have the tools for dismantling, and it would cost extra to pay the mercenaries. It's better to just give it to them.'

Dismantling a giant monster wasn't easy. There were many considerations, such as tools to draw out the blood, containers for storage, and methods to prevent spoilage. If they carelessly dismantled it without preparation, most of the byproducts would go to waste.

Even if they dismantled that troll, about 70% of the byproducts would probably end up in the ground. Considering the extra costs and effort involved, it was better to show generosity to the mercenaries.

"Hm, still, it feels like too generous a gift for the mercenaries. How about I take at least a portion of it?"

At that moment, Gaiden, who had sneakily reappeared beside them, chimed in. His attitude suggested he had completely forgotten about the previous embarrassment. Roderick glared at him with narrowed eyes, but Gaiden didn't flinch. It was clear he intended to brush off the incident and blend back in.

Sylas chuckled at the sight and said,

"Sir Gaiden, that's not something worth regretting at all."

"Why's that?"

"Because you wouldn't have been able to take anything at all anyway."

It was meant to imply that, having done nothing during the fight, he had no right to claim any leftovers. Gaiden's face flushed red at the direct mockery. He tried to find some excuse, but Sylas and Roderick ignored him and left the area.

Left alone, Gaiden gritted his teeth, making a grinding sound.

"Damn it! How can they humiliate me like this just because I stepped back a little during the fight!"

Wasn't his life on the line? Especially against a troll that could crush a knight in an instant. Even a knight could lose their composure in such chaos. How could they say something like that to his face for such a trivial matter?

His dwindling thirst for revenge flared back to life.

"Do they think this is the end? Not yet!"

Gaiden racked his brain to find a way to take revenge on the lowborn. He still had a long way to go to reach Count Corleone's family. In the meantime, there were plenty of things he could do. With a plan forming in his mind, Gaiden called out to Eric, who was in the middle of dismantling the troll.

"Mercenary captain! I have a task for you!"

"I refuse."

"Wha—what?"

"The contract is over. If you have work, you can do it yourself."

"...!"