“Gyaahhh!”
“Spare me—! Guh!”
“W-Wait! We didn’t— Ow, it hurts!”

Screams echoed from one of the grand mansions in the affluent district of Ryuubetto, where the wealthiest lived. However, no one paid attention to the cries—or rather, they pretended not to hear. After all, this mansion was home to the leader and top officers of the 'Immortal Mercenary Corps.'

“You haven’t forgotten what we said to you, have you?”

A beastman mercilessly swung his fist. The ones being beaten were the same group that had harassed Tina and the others at the central plaza.

“R-Ruvto-san, please listen to our side of the story—Guh!”

A kick was delivered squarely to the young beastman’s face.

“Don’t you dare speak the captain’s name so casually!”
“Don’t tell me, you brats think you’re already part of the ‘Immortal Mercenary Corps,’ huh?”

The men surrounding them glared menacingly, causing the young men to shrink back in fear.

“Captain, what should we do with them?”

At the back of the room, lying on a couch and casually filing his nails, was the wolfman Ruvto, the captain of the First Division of the Immortal Mercenary Corps. With an irritated yawn, he slowly sat up.

“Don’t play dumb. Word about the trouble you caused in the central plaza has already reached my ears. Or are you calling me a liar?”
“N-No… that’s not what we meant! We…”

Just one look from Ruvto’s piercing blue eyes was enough to make them choke on their words.

“I’m not even mad that you caused a commotion, to be honest. The lady may say to keep things quiet, but we’re mercenaries. We thrive on causing trouble, right? You agree, don’t you?”

The men, though not saying it out loud, nodded in agreement with Ruvto’s words.

“But—”

Ruvto’s gray fur rippled, as if to express his current emotions.

“You were picking a fight with women, weren’t you?”
“Aah… Aah…”

The pressure in the room increased so much that it felt suffocating, as if the walls were closing in on them.

“If word of this pathetic incident reaches other squads—or worse, the lady herself—I’ll be the one getting chewed out!”

At Ruvto’s signal, the beating resumed.

“We won’t do it again! Gyaaah!”
“Forgive me—Gahh!”
“I-I’m dying… dying…”

The so-called “lecture” continued, with relentless violence.

“What’s the lady up to?”

Ruvto, now sitting properly on the couch, asked one of his subordinates.

“She’s in a private meeting with Captain Vint.”
“A private meeting?”
“It’s about that merchant situation, you know.”
“Ah, that. I wish she’d just say, ‘kill him already.’”
“Exactly.”
“She’s been in a foul mood lately, so it’s best to keep your distance.”
“No kidding. I wouldn’t go near her even if you paid me. I’d end up dead.”
“Agreed.”

The men all nodded in unison, knowing well the dangers of getting too close when the lady was in a bad mood.

Upstairs, in one of the mansion’s more elaborately decorated rooms, two women were indeed having a private conversation.

“Huff, huff…”
“You sound like a starving beast. Couldn’t you calm down a little?”

The room was adorned with finely woven carpets, tapestries, and gold and silver furnishings, all carefully arranged by Vint. The leader of the Immortal Mercenary Corps, Merit, couldn’t be seen living in a room without such decor, as it would damage their reputation. However, the effort seemed wasted, as Merit’s presence clashed with the room’s elegance. She sat in a chair made of cold, unforgiving steel—far from the comfort one might expect from the room’s ambiance. The steel chair bore the marks of numerous finger imprints, evidence of Merit’s powerful grip during moments of excitement or anger. No ordinary chair could withstand her strength, so this special one had been crafted just for her.

“Shut up.”

The sound of metal creaking echoed as Merit’s fingers dug into the steel armrests.

(What a bother… I thought the battle at Oor Plains would relieve some of her stress.)

Vint, with her elven ears drooping, pondered the situation, pressing her index finger to her lips.

“And what about the merchant?”
“Ah, about that…”

Vint hesitated for a moment, but knowing it would be impossible to deceive someone as sharp as Merit, she began to speak.

“They claimed to be part of Benjamin’s faction, but it was a blatant lie.”
“Hmm.”

Merit’s response was disinterested, but the sound of the chair groaning under her grip grew louder.

“You’re sure?”
“Yes. Every organization, no matter how small, has some form of insignia or emblem to prove affiliation, and the Benjamin faction is no different. The emblem the merchants showed us was a forgery—such a poor imitation that it was immediately obvious. I’ve never been so insulted in all my dealings.”

“And their true identity?”
“Well, despite the poor forgery, they were extremely cautious. They split into three groups when we had our scouts follow them, and then each group split again. It was quite the elaborate evasion.”

“So, there’s a chance they’re not Hameln merchants?”

“No, they are definitely from Hameln. They knew too much about Benjamin’s faction. Not to mention their distinctive Hameln accent and the thinly veiled hostility they showed toward Benjamin.”

As she gazed up at the ceiling, Merit considered the situation. Vint was calm, but she wasn’t the type to tolerate being mocked.

“If you’re that curious about their true identity, why not handle it like mercenaries do—through violence? That should reveal who they are or who’s backing them soon enough.”

With her elven beauty, Vint calmly suggested something as drastic as violence, to which Merit replied, “That’s an option, but…”

“When it comes time to hand over the money, demand double for the deception. And, of course, collect whatever they brought with them.”

Vint’s green eyes sparkled with delight at the idea.

“Oh my! That’s a brilliant plan!”

Vint, seemingly calculating profits in her head, muttered to herself, “Now I can buy that jewel I’ve always wanted,” and “I’ll be able to afford that as well.”

“Vee, don’t get too excited until we actually have the money.”
“I know, I know. Can’t a girl dream a little?”

Despite being much older than Merit, Vint still had a childlike side, and Merit couldn’t help but remind her to stay cautious.

“What if they refuse?”

Knowing full well the answer, Vint asked the question anyway.

“Then we’ll go to war with Hameln. That’ll be fun.”

Merit said this with a wicked smile.

(If we do end up at war with Hameln, maybe the captain’s stress will finally be relieved.)

Despite the looming possibility of a war with a major power, Vint’s thoughts remained surprisingly carefree.

“Anything else?”
“Hmm, let’s see… Oh, yes, about the applicants for recruitment. As expected, they’ve been causing trouble all over the place. The acting lord of this city has already come to me several times with complaints.”

Vint spoke as if it were someone else’s problem, but to her, the unruly applicants who hadn’t yet been officially accepted into the mercenary corps were nothing more than trash.

“What? Didn’t I tell them not to cause any trouble?”

Between Merit’s fingers, the steel armrests deformed and oozed like liquid, causing Vint to grimace in disbelief.

“Well, yes, you did, but mercenaries are essentially scum. Asking them to behave in such a peaceful city is… well, there are limits.”

“Even I, I am behaving, and they can’t?”
“W-Wait! Calm down! Is Ruvto around?!”

Vint called for help, but no one responded, as the moment Merit’s furious shout echoed, everyone had already fled the mansion.

The applicants causing chaos throughout the city were mercenaries hoping to join the Immortal Mercenary Corps. However, despite Merit’s orders for them to behave, they seemed unable to control themselves, bringing trouble to the city and drawing the attention of local authorities.

“Damn it, those idiots. Can’t they follow one simple order?” Merit growled, her grip tightening even further, the steel bending under her fingers.

“We did warn them, but they’re still mercenaries after all. Keeping them in line is no easy task,” Vint tried to reason, but her words were met with a sharp glare from Merit.

“Still, that’s no excuse. If they can’t behave themselves, I’ll make sure they learn the hard way.”

Vint sighed, knowing Merit was serious. Things were about to get much worse for the applicants who had crossed the line.

"Ahh, that was so much fun!"
Nina and the others, having rejoined Yu, were chatting happily. It seemed they hadn’t been able to fully enjoy everything Ryuubetto had to offer in just one day, so they were discussing plans for the next day.

"Yu, about the place we’ll be staying..."
"Victor already made the arrangements. It should be just up ahead."

As they continued walking, leaving the tourist area behind, they entered a district lined with various accommodations. Among them, the most prominent was a grand hotel located in a prime spot. The building, mainly in shades of blue, was luxurious but not gaudy, boasting an elegant and tasteful design.

"Is this really the place we’re staying?"
Nina felt a bit overwhelmed by the sight of the magnificent five-story hotel.

"...This is the kind of place worthy of me staying."
"Rena, they call it a 'hotel,' not an 'inn,'" Marifa calmly pointed out.

"..."

Rena pretended not to hear, though it was clear she was embarrassed.

"Ah! Rena, your face is turning all red!"
"...It’s not."
"Right, Marifa? Her face is red, isn’t it?"

As Rena turned her head away, Namari asked Marifa to confirm.

"It seems even Rena can feel embarrassed. Leave her be."
"Hmm. I don’t really get it, but okay!"
"...Grrr."

Rena let out a groan, feeling a strange sense of defeat at Marifa’s composed response.

"Master, are we really allowed to stay at this hotel too?"
Vanamo asked, to which Tina, eager to chime in, massaged her shoulders as if to say, "Good question."

"Why wouldn’t we all stay together?"
"Right, that makes sense."

Upon hearing this, Tina and the others couldn’t help but smile.

"We’ve been expecting you."

As soon as they arrived at the hotel, an elderly man, the general manager, greeted Yu and his group. Apparently, Victor had already informed them, and despite the diverse races among Yu’s entourage, including the maids in their uniforms, the staff showed no signs of surprise, handling everything with professionalism.

"By Rustig-sama's instructions, we’ve reserved the entire top floor for you."

Nina and the others were impressed by how Victor, renowned as a great merchant, had reserved the entire top floor of such an elegant hotel.

"You won’t need to worry about Master’s care, as we will handle everything ourselves," Marifa said confidently.
"Is that really alright?"
"It’s no problem. We’ll bring the meals ourselves and notify you when everything is ready."

Though the general manager seemed taken aback by Marifa’s request, he had been instructed by Victor not to deny any of their requests, so he reluctantly agreed.

"Let’s get started."

At Marifa’s command, Tina and the others quickly began inspecting the rooms. This wasn’t just a simple check; they were ensuring that no magical devices or traps, like listening spells, had been planted.

"Hey, is it done yet?"
Namari, lying on top of Momo’s head, asked eagerly. But Marifa coldly replied, "Not yet."

"Now we’re good."
"Yay!"
"...The great sister gets first pick."
"Me too!"

As soon as they were given the all-clear, Namari rushed forward, with Rena and Nina close behind. Though they didn’t throw themselves onto the beds, as they had been taught proper manners by both Yu and Marifa, Namari and Momo excitedly explored the luxurious rooms of the high-class hotel, marveling at everything.

"...For some reason, my sister is in a bad mood."
"I’m not your sister."

When it was time for dinner, Marifa and the others bustled around, preparing everything. After receiving the dishes from the hotel staff, they checked them for any poisons before serving them at the table. Due to the large number of people, dinner was held in the hotel’s grand dining room rather than in individual rooms.

It was highly unusual for servants like Tina and the others to be dining at the same table as their master, but since Yu was used to this arrangement, the hotel staff couldn’t help but be astonished by the sight.

Meanwhile, the reason for Marifa’s foul mood was...

"I’m sure there’s a reason for it," Yu remarked.
"Perhaps, though Mago-sama did come to greet you properly," Marifa replied.

Mago, who would be attending the business meeting tomorrow, had already met with Yu earlier, though it had been somewhat forced. However, Victor, who was supposed to have arranged everything, had yet to make an appearance, and Marifa was furious at what she saw as an unforgivable breach of etiquette.

"Maybe something came up," Yu suggested.
"Something came up?"
"Victor usually shows up without being called, but he hasn’t appeared at all this time."

Yu’s explanation made Marifa pause, and she realized that Victor’s absence, especially after arriving in Ryuubetto, was indeed unusual.

"But let’s eat before the food gets cold."
"Yes, Master."

With that, the group enjoyed the exquisite northern cuisine, savoring each bite.

"Ugh, damn it. It hurts... it really hurts."
"Stop whining! You’re making me feel worse!"

The group that had been punished by Ruvto’s men groaned as they nursed their swollen faces and bruised ribs. They were staying in a cheap inn, pooling their money to secure a shared room.

In the dimly lit room, illuminated only by a lamp, they sat in a circle, grumbling and plotting.

"This is all the fault of those damn women! I won’t forgive them!"
"Yeah, I’m not letting this go either! They stand out too much with those fancy outfits. We’ll find them soon enough!"
"Yeah, and when we do, they’ll pay for what they did!"
"Spread the word to anyone else who’s itching for a fight!"
"But what if Ruvto’s guys catch us again..."
"Are you stupid? We’ll make sure to do it where they won’t find us!"
"Heh, heh... Yeah, as long as we don’t get caught, it’ll be fine."