Cryptic Advice.
There are occasions when a drinking gathering cannot be refused.
The following evening, Woojin accepted Jonathan's invitation and joined the mercenaries' dinner.
The mercenaries clinked their beer mugs together with loud laughter. The place was so boisterous it made one dizzy. It had been a long time since he had taken part in such a gathering, so it was a little hard to adjust, but he liked the lively atmosphere.
Jonathan suddenly spoke to him.
"Does the food suit your taste?"
"It's good. Honestly, it's better than I expected."
Woojin replied, taking a gulp of beer. The beer here tasted better than he had imagined. Even after swallowing, the aroma of barley lingered in his mouth for quite some time.
"Would you hand me your glass?"
Claire, who had somehow taken the seat beside him, made the request. What was she about to do? Puzzled, Woojin handed it over.
Claire reached her hand over the mug. A pale blue light flickered in her palm, and a cold chill flowed out, seeping into the beer.
"Here, try it."
She returned the mug. The moment Woojin took a sip, he could not help but admire it.
The lukewarm beer had become as cold as if it had just been taken out of a refrigerator. A pleasantly bitter taste and a refreshing coolness that washed through his chest. He had never imagined he could taste something like this in a world without refrigerators.
"…Would one more glass be possible?"
"Of course!"
Claire smiled warmly as she took the mug again. Watching this, Jonathan smacked his lips.
"Claire, me too—just one—"
"Why should I?"
...
Claire's smile vanished like a mirage. Her attitude felt even colder than the magic she had just used. Confronted with it, Jonathan let out an awkward groan.
Her sulkiness was only natural.
When the wild boar had charged, the mercenaries nearby had fled, leaving Claire behind. The situation had been so urgent that everyone had been busy saving their own lives.
Of course, such an excuse would never work on the person who had nearly died. Jonathan had no choice but to keep drinking while carefully watching Claire's mood.
"…Putting that aside, there's something else to discuss."
Jonathan hastily changed the subject.
"The reason I called you to this dinner is to divide the bounty placed on the monster's neck."
As he spoke, he set a heavy pouch of gold coins on the table.
"Go on, check the amount. Matters like this must be calculated thoroughly so there are no complaints later."
"Understood."
Woojin opened the pouch and examined its contents. A pile of gold coins shone brilliantly. He roughly counted them by eye.
…Then he felt puzzled.
"Why is there so much?"
The bounty on Mad Skull's head had been seventy gold coins. They had agreed to split it fifty-fifty, so Woojin should receive thirty-five.
Yet even at a glance, the number of coins in the pouch seemed far greater than that. When he pointed this out, Jonathan grinned.
"We protested to the Pioneer Corps and got more money out of them. The request mentioned one Mad Skull, but when we arrived, there were two—paired together."
"You received additional payment?"
"That's right. They provided incorrect information, so they are obligated to pay compensation."
The Pioneer Corps had initially refused to pay beyond what was stated in the contract, but Jonathan was a man with considerable influence in the mercenary industry.
To begin with, there were not many mercenary bands capable of hunting monsters. To antagonize even one such group would be quite burdensome for them.
For that reason, the Pioneer Corps added forty more gold coins, making the total reward one hundred and ten. Woojin would receive half—fifty-five gold coins.
"…That's suddenly a lot of money."
Woojin blinked as he looked at the gold. There was something strange about staring at the gleaming treasure. He had always known it was a job involving a large sum, but he had never truly expected to hold it in his own hands.
How should he spend it?
As he pondered, something he had previously coveted came to mind.
"The net you used to bind the monster was extremely tough and durable. Where can one obtain such an item?"
"It's a family heirloom passed down through my house for generations. I don't know where my ancestor got it. If it were possible, I'd like to obtain a few more myself."
"In that case, I suppose it can't be helped."
Since it was far more precious than he had expected, Woojin gave up cleanly. His interest soon shifted elsewhere.
He turned his head toward Claire beside him.
"What must one do to learn magic?"
With this much money, he thought he might be able to acquire something like a magic book.
"I studied magic on my own. Why? Are you perhaps interested in entering the path of magic, Mr. Jin?"
"If possible."
"Then… would you like to learn from me? I'm not sure how well I can teach, though…"
"Oh?"
"Would that be acceptable?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
Jonathan, who had been quiet, interjected.
"It'll be difficult… Magic isn't something you learn in a day or two. We're planning to leave this town within the week."
"Then Jin can just come with us."
"That's easy to say. Why would such a skilled monster hunter follow around second-rate mercenaries like us?"
Jonathan answered cynically. Claire puffed out her cheeks, unable to think of a rebuttal.
Why were they talking as if he weren't present?
"…I don't mind."
He had nothing urgent to do anyway. The surrounding mood made it slightly awkward to say so outright.
After some thought, Woojin spoke.
"Where is your next destination?"
"The Fourth Pioneer City. According to guild news, there's a big opportunity there."
At Jonathan's answer, Woojin nodded as if things had worked out well.
"I also have business there. If it's alright, may I travel with you?"
"Wow! Really?!"
"If you're coming, that's great for us!"
Claire practically jumped with joy. Jonathan, too, brightened at the prospect of Woojin joining them.
…Of course, saying he had business in the Fourth Pioneer City was a lie.
He had never even seen the place with his own eyes.
But if a single lie preserves my pride and brings the two of them joy, wouldn't that be good enough?
'…I seem to be growing more cunning—like Rex.'
I should probably be careful.
**
The Mercenary Guild was one of the organizations in cooperative relations with the Pioneer Corps. To protect cities from monsters, skilled swordsmen were necessary.
Of course, compared to a well-trained regular army, mercenaries were far inferior in level. But just as you wouldn't use a butcher's knife for slaughtering cattle to kill a chicken, even those of lesser ability had their own uses.
That was why the Pioneer Corps granted various benefits to mercenary bands with strong reputations. Woojin witnessed one of them.
'To think they'd lend out a Tarasque… how generous.'
A gigantic six-legged lizard-like monster. He had never expected them to readily lend out a transport creature that could be called the very heart of the Pioneer Corps.
Standing nearby, Woojin observed the lizard's form closely. His wolf stood beside him, also watching the Tarasque.
…Rex's gaze looked somewhat impure.
"I'm saying this just in case—if you touch this fellow, you'll experience something very unpleasant."
Woojin warned him while gripping the back of the wolf's neck. His voice carried a chilling edge. Anyone who wasn't a fool would understand the seriousness behind those words.
Rex nodded several times. After confirming that, Woojin released his hold.
"Wow… it really understands human speech well."
Claire murmured in amazement. Just as Woojin had been observing the Tarasque, she had been carefully watching the wolf monster's behavior.
"What kind of food does he like?"
"He eats most meats well. Especially turkey."
Woojin answered casually. Since the drinking gathering the other day, the two had grown much closer and agreed to speak comfortably to one another.
Claire, however, still used polite speech. According to her, she felt more comfortable that way.
"As it happens, I bought something just in case…"
Muttering so, Claire rummaged through her pack. What emerged was a smoked turkey leg. The meat clinging to the bone looked extremely appetizing.
"If I give this to Rex, will he like it?"
"Just look at him."
Woojin gestured toward Rex with his chin. The wolf's eyes were fixed intently on the meat.
Perhaps feeling burdened by that stare, Claire hesitated and took a small step back. The wolf's sheer size seemed to intimidate her.
"If you're afraid to get close, just throw it. He'll catch it."
"Really? Then I'll try…"
Claire carefully tossed the meat in her hand. Rex instantly snapped it up. Apparently pleased with the taste, his tail swayed left and right without pause.
Seeing that, Claire smiled in relief.
"I'm glad he likes it. I heard wolf-shaped monsters are extremely wary, but in Rex's case, he's somehow…"
"Like a dog?"
"…When you put it that way, it sounds a bit like an insult."
Since she didn't refute it, it seemed Claire agreed with Woojin's remark.
As the two exchanged comments while watching the wolf, the Tarasque, which had been lying flat on the ground, rose to its feet. It meant the mercenaries had finished loading supplies.
"Alright, let's move!"
Jonathan, at the front, shouted in a booming voice. The mercenaries followed, setting off behind him.
To reach the Fourth Pioneer City, they would have to walk until their soles were drenched in sweat. Still, thanks to the Tarasque transporting the supplies, the mercenaries' bodies felt light.
Of course, walking in silence would be tedious. Woojin decided to use the time to attempt his introduction to magic.
"Explain again how to sense mana. I heard it yesterday, but I still can't quite grasp it."
"Imagine breathing through the crown of your head. Inhale, exhale. Like a relaxed whale… If you rush your mind, it only becomes harder."
Claire's advice was rather abstruse.
Breathe through the crown of your head.
It surely didn't mean literal breathing—more like a sensation—but no matter how he tried, he couldn't get the feel of it.
And on top of that, she said not to rush his mind, which only made it more frustrating.
'Maybe I should have asked Hector.'
He had heard that Hector's technique of coating his arrows with light was also a skill performed using mana.
It had felt rude to ask for the secret behind that technique, so he hadn't brought it up. Now, thinking back, he regretted it a little. Knowing Hector's personality, he probably would have explained it readily…
"…Jin, focus."
"Sorry."
Claire, walking beside him, spoke up—somehow noticing that his mind had wandered. Woojin returned his attention to his breathing. Inhale, exhale…
He kept at it for more than half a day.
"Short break!"
At Jonathan's shout, the mercenaries who had been walking echoed in agreement. Woojin dropped down onto the dirt ground. Somehow, even just walking had left him tired.
"You still don't quite get it, do you?"
"It's not easy."
Claire seemed all the more impressive.
"How did you manage it?"
"When I was young, I had insomnia. At night I couldn't sleep, and I had nothing else to do… so I idly flipped through an introductory magic book. But it turned out to be more doable than I expected."
She tried it for fun—and it worked well.
'…Feels like asking the top student in class for their study secrets.'
It made him feel as though he had returned to his high school days. Those top students who insisted studying was fun. There was always at least one person like that around.
Then as now, it was a sentiment Woojin found difficult to relate to. He belonged to the type who disliked studying but endured it because he had no choice.
'Well… I did manage to get into university that way. If I keep trying, maybe I can learn magic too.'
He chose to think as positively as possible.