I Pull Out Excalibur

34 – Red Eye Mercenary Band (2)

The Red Eye Mercenary Band.

Although they had their headquarters in Cambria, their range of activity was not limited to the opportune city of Cambria. While the high level of their mercenaries played a part, it was mainly due to the fact that the leader of the mercenary band was such a giant.

One of the five Horns in Cambria.

A swordsman who reached Sword Seeker’s level.

Red Eye, Rozelin Ascalon.

A figure known as the legend of the mercenary industry, rumored to possess a masterpiece. The mercenary band led by a powerhouse like Sword Seeker was one of the few in the inland, so the reputation of the Red Eye Mercenary Band spread even outside of Cambria.

They entered into an exclusive contract with the top upper class of Garchea, and their name was renowned both inside and outside of Cambria.

That’s why.

The Red Eye Mercenary Band was the dream workplace that all adventurers who came to the opportune city, Cambria, wanted to work for at least once.

[Red Eye Mercenary Band commission.]

[Dochenberg Forest extermination.]

[Minimum commission rank – Blue (靑).]

The Red Eye Mercenary Band had a periodic commission they regularly issued. It was a request to eliminate the demons gathered in the Dochenberg Forest, which the Garchea upper class often used as a trade route.

Since the demons needed to be exterminated periodically, the commission was held once every four months. At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary request, but…

Among adventurers, it was often referred to as the “Dochenberg Forest extermination battle.”

The entrance exam for the Red Eye Mercenary Band.

There were many cases of individuals who proved their skills through this request and entered the Red Eye Mercenary Band in the eyes of Rozelin Ascalon. Barugar, currently serving as the vice leader of the Red Eye Mercenary Band, was also one such case.

“A chance to prove my abilities and rise to a higher position.”

A request that caught the attention of many.

For some, it was an opportunity to prove themselves.

For others, it was a chance for success.

“Shall we go?”

And for someone else…

“Merlin.”

It was a chance to truly reveal their capabilities.

2.

The Forest Conquest Battle of Dochenberg.

There were many adventurers gathered at the entrance of the forest.

Among them, half were adventurers of the blue grade, and there were also adventurers with green badges.

Black, yellow, blue, green, red, white.

Being classified into the blue and green grades out of the six categories meant that these adventurers were experienced enough to roam the city. They were respected adventurers who had completed numerous requests and proven their abilities.

Furthermore, they remained unknown.

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Reaching the green grade was difficult, but adventurers starting from the red grade had to have something “special.” The majority of adventurers who survived in the city stayed in the blue and green grades.

So for them, this request was an opportunity.

If they caught the attention of the leader of the Red Eye Mercenary Corps, they could break through their long-standing unknown status and rise up. It was not a common opportunity, so the adventurers gathered at the entrance of the forest were fierce. Normally, they would have confronted each other and vied for power, but…

“…”

Today was different.

The gazes of the adventurers, which should have been scattered, were focused in one place. There stood a young man with a black badge.

Black grade.

Also known as “Kkamdaengi,” it was the most commonly seen grade in this city of opportunities. There was nothing special about it, and it was the grade where rookies who had not yet achieved any achievements or experience stayed.

“Tsk.”

Someone clicked their tongue.

The mocking gaze of adventurers with yellow badges was directed towards the young man with a black badge. It was both mockery and criticism. Naturally, there would be no kind words.

In order to participate in this request.

In order to qualify for this request.

All the adventurers gathered here had put in tremendous effort. They had completed numerous requests and achieved results, constantly striving to increase their grades. After their hard work, they obtained blue and green badges and qualified themselves.

But how about that young man?

He appeared here, proudly wearing the black grade nameplate without any achievements or efforts. All because he had the guarantee from Dieta’s upper management. The black nameplate hanging around the young man’s neck was nothing short of mockery towards the adventurers gathered here.

“It doesn’t feel good.”

“What does this make us?”

Enough to generate resentment and discomfort in others.

The gaze of senior adventurers fixed on him. Sounds of disdain. Mockery and grumbling. The person themselves couldn’t help but feel it.

-This is no joke.

“Yes, you’re right.”

Najin felt it.

The piercing gazes directed at him and the fierce atmosphere of the senior adventurers. He understood their emotions.

“From their perspective, it’s only natural.”

Their anger was justified.

They must have put in numerous efforts to reach that grade. Starting from the bottom and working their way up. They must have put in effort and sacrifice to dye their nameplates with brighter colors.

From their point of view.

Naturally, he couldn’t present himself in a good light.

-So why should I bow my head?

“That’s not it.”

Najin smirked.

“That’s that, and this is this.”

He understood their feelings, but that didn’t mean he had to align himself with their pros and cons.

Najin had no intention of reading their reactions.

No intention of feeling sorry for them.

And certainly, no intention of lowering his head.

Since the day he left the underground city, from the moment he swore in a place where no stars were visible, Najin was prepared for this.

“To reach the peak…”

Trampling over numerous others.

Trampling over their efforts, compressing their entire lives into a single moment, and aiming higher than them.

That was the meaning of standing at the peak.

The determination one should possess to stand at the peak.

It wasn’t a path he started walking without even that level of determination. Instead of lowering his head to the gazes of senior adventurers, Najin straightened his shoulders and raised his head defiantly.

As if daring someone to challenge him.

-Yes, that’s right. You know something.

In response to Na Jin’s attitude, Merlin smiled contentedly. The sound of that laughter echoed in Na Jin’s ears.

Kwoong.

In an instant, the air became heavy.

A tremendous pressure, as if something colossal was striking from above, descended. It wasn’t only Na Jin who felt the pressure; it engulfed all the adventurers gathered at the edge of the forest.

Some hesitated, sinking into their places.

Even those standing could only stare at the ground, unable to lift their heads.

Na Jin knew what this was. The aura emitted by the strong. It was a sensation he had occasionally felt from Ivan in the past, but this was incomparably denser. This meant that the owner of this pressure was stronger than himself.

“But.”

Na Jin exhaled.

Slowly, he raised his head, which had been lowering.

“I’ve experienced it.”

Stronger than Ivan’s, yet compared to something Na Jin had recently encountered in a certain constellation, this pressure was infinitely lighter.

The first encounter with Merlin.

Na Jin, who had endured the overwhelming aura emitted by Merlin with his bare body, was the one who had shaken off that pressure. Merlin later claimed that it wasn’t genuine, but whatever.

He had shrugged off the pressure of the Seat itself, so there was no way he couldn’t handle this level of pressure.

Squelch.

Clutching his fist, Na Jin raised his head. It was the moment he wanted to confirm who the owner of this pressure was.

“Hey, nice reaction.”

A voice rang out right in front of him.

As Na Jin lifted his head and locked eyes with the speaker, it was a woman with black hair tied in a single strand. Her crimson eyes swirled like crescent moons.

“Looks like you’re the one.”

The snake woman vouched for him with a smirk.

She raised her arm with a smile. The pressure that had been pressing on the adventurers at the edge of the forest disappeared in an instant. The vanished pressure was directed solely at Na Jin.

“Wow, you’re still holding your head high. What are you?”

The woman looked at him as if intrigued by his peculiarities.

Na Jin knew the woman’s name. He had encountered her at the guild headquarters before. A mercenary of the White Rank with black hair and crimson eyes.

Rozelin Ascalon, the leader of the Crimson Eye Mercenary Unit.

“You don’t seem to have accumulated much mana, and judging by the amount, you don’t seem to be a sword expert either… What’s going on? Do you have something hidden?”

Her interest deepened in her crimson eyes.

What Rozelin sensed was that the young man before her was hiding something. The moment she reached out her hand towards Na Jin was to confirm that.

Sizzle!

Sparks burst forth. Sparks sprang from Roselin’s mana, which she had been focusing on Nargin. In that moment, Roselin saw it. The sight of mana from all directions being sucked into Nargin’s body.

An incomprehensible flow.

In that flow, she was momentarily distracted.

Snap.

Nargin’s hand moved. His moving hand clasped onto Roselin’s wrist, which had been reaching out towards him. Roselin, who had realized this fact a moment too late, opened her eyes wide.

“What are you doing?”

Nargin struck back.

He instinctively judged that it would be dangerous to let that hand touch his body. He acted based on his instincts. It was uncertain whether it was the best course of action or not…

“Wow.”

Nargin could tell from Roselin’s exclamation of amazement that at least his actions were not completely wrong.

“Wow!”

Roselin continued to exclaim with admiration.

She swiftly turned her head and raised the wrist that Nargin had grabbed, towards Bargor, the deputy commander of the mercenary group standing behind her.

“Bargor, do you see this? He’s holding onto my wrist!”

“I see it clearly. I told you not to make sudden movements, why…”

“Oh, it’s fascinating. What was that just now?”

Interrupting Bargor, Roselin quickly turned her head back to Nargin and asked him. Nargin did not answer, and Roselin smiled. She casually shook off Nargin’s touch, then touched her own chin.

“Well, I guess that snake lady’s guarantee wouldn’t be for nothing. You’re an interesting one. I like this…”

Roselin tasted satisfaction.

She flicked a single coin out of her pocket. As Nargin reflexively caught it in his palm, he saw the coin that landed in his hand.

It was a platinum coin.

A platinum coin that even blue-grade adventurers would have to work hard for one or two months to obtain. Roselin flicked it towards Nargin without a care, and she smiled at him.

“Consider it a way to make up for what’s been lost.”

With her mana gathered, Roselin lightly patted Nargin’s shoulder a couple of times and turned her body around. As she walked towards the table set up at the edge of the forest, Nargin silently watched her.

It felt like a storm had passed.

At the same time, Nargin felt it. The gazes of the adventurers looking at him had changed. They all saw it. Nargin resisting Roselin’s pressure that pressed down on his shoulder.

A white-tier adventurer.

The force emitted by the Sword Seeker.

Nargin withstood that force head-on and even managed to catch Roselin’s wrist. The eyes of the watching adventurers were filled with astonishment and disbelief, instead of the previous contempt and anger.

The adventurer of the black rank, the lowest of the lowest.

Resisting against the top-ranked adventurer in the city, the white rank.

With this fact, the adventurers of the blue and green ranks looked astonished at the back of Nazin, while the white-ranked Rozelin, who turned her back on Nazin and climbed onto the platform, licked her lips. Her red pupils glimmered.

As if she had found her prey.

3.

There was a small commotion, but there was no adventurer with enough courage to directly protest against the commotion that the white-ranked adventurer caused ··· The noise didn’t come out at the point where Rozelin promised to increase the reward.

“Well, that’s that.”

Rozelin, who briefly explained the situation, stepped back. She pushed forward the Bargger, who was standing behind her.

“He will explain the details of the commission.”

“…Bargger, the deputy commander of the Red-Eyed Mercenaries.”

Bargger, who came forward as if being pushed, sighed and opened his mouth.

“The details of the commission are simple. The central part of the forest, where high-ranked monsters gather, is the responsibility of our Red-Eyed Mercenaries. You guys just have to hunt the monsters that come out while circling the outskirts of the forest.”

He said, pointing to the map of the forest that was hanging.

“The minimum number of subdued monsters per person is ten. The number of monsters to be calculated varies depending on the type, so please refer to the settlement method written in the commission first. And for those who exceed the minimum number of subdues, I will pay an additional fee.”

Points to be aware of and special notices.

And when he finished explaining a few clauses, Bargger stepped back, and Rozelin stepped forward.

“It won’t be fun if we just do it like this.”

She spread out three fingers.

“For the top three, there will be additional rewards, and for the person who subdues the most monsters, there will be a special bonus. I, Rozelin Ascalo, promise this without any regrets.”

Rozelin Ascalo smiled.

“Oh, and a word of caution.”

She said, crossing her arms.

“I understand that there is some competition and restraint, but don’t cross the line. You know what happens if you get caught, right?”

Sinisterly shining red pupils.

The adventurers constantly nodded their heads. Before coming down from the platform, Rozelin glanced at Nazin once more and then headed towards the center of the forest with Bargger.

The commission has started, and the adventurers began to scatter.

Watching the adventurers scatter, Nazin started to loosen up his body. He regulated his breathing and firmly adjusted the sheath of his sword attached to his waist.

– What is the goal?

Merlin’s voice ringing in his ears.

In response to that voice, Nazin shrugged his shoulders and replied.

“What are you taking for granted?”

Najin began walking toward the forest.

“Obviously, I’m the top-ranked.”