Chapter 94: Mercenary Guild

After parting ways with Princess Alexandra, the first thing he did was pay for a few nights’ stay at a nice inn. He also requested a single room; he wasn’t about to pay for a room for that demoness who had nearly taken his life.

There was no point in wasting unnecessary resources… especially on someone he didn’t yet consider completely under control.

…Although Synes was more than happy to stay in the same room with Adam.

Her attitude didn’t seem to change, as if she found the situation downright entertaining.

But he didn’t think much of it, since he had to go to that mercenary guild tomorrow to hire them; as he’d mentioned some time ago, they were the only ones who were a little more “reliable” than the rest.

Reliable… within the limits of what that world allowed.

As for the other guilds, like the adventurers’ guild, Adam knew they would refuse. Since they didn’t associate with nobles or like fighting under someone’s command.

Their independence was part of their identity… and also part of their limitations.

Because adventurer guilds only focused on hunting monsters of ranks I, II, III, IV, and V, the higher-ranked ones were left to the kingdom or to some adventurer who had reached the maximum rank.

You could count them on one hand.

And those few… were pieces that no one could easily move.

Adam let out a sigh as he lay down on the soft bed in the inn, then looked at the demoness Synes.

Exhaustion was building up in his body, but his mind still hadn’t fully relaxed.

“You sleep on the floor. And you keep watch for any danger.”

Synes nodded with a broad smile as the dark mass seemed to shudder; a faint blush appeared on her pale skin.

Her reaction didn’t seem forced… as if she were truly enjoying the situation.

“You shouldn’t treat a lady like me so harshly; that only makes me fall more in love with you, darling.”

Her tone was playful, but there was something more beneath that lightheartedness.

“Silence.”

Adam had no intention of playing along.

“Whatever you say, darling~.”

The reply came without hesitation, almost eagerly.

Adam snorted; he couldn’t believe that demoness’s nerve… but what could he expect from a thousand-year-old demon? Maybe she had a few screws loose.

Or maybe… she just worked differently.

He frowned… but decided not to dwell on it.

It wasn’t the time.

Little by little, he drifted off to sleep.

…

With a light rain creating a thin layer of mist and the first golden rays of sunlight piercing the sky, a new day began.

The humidity clung to the skin and the pavement, making everything seem more subdued… but no less alive.

The bustle of Risthon showed no signs of letting up; on the contrary, it seemed more active than ever, as if it were preparing for some celebration.

It wasn’t a celebration… it was constant movement, the kind of activity that only a large, ambitious city could sustain.

Adam, who had already had breakfast, made his way through the streets, which were still just as crowded, accompanied by Synes.

The luxurious carriages were disappearing, replaced by rougher structures—buildings made of weathered wood and worn stone. The stalls were still there… but what they sold was different.

Less refined. More practical. Closer to necessity than to luxury.

Adam walked unhurriedly, with Synes a few steps behind, now in his human form, discreet… too discreet for what he really was.

Not long after, he stopped in front of a building that looked perfectly ordinary: a large structure with a reinforced door and battle scars on the wood. Above it, a carved symbol: a claw piercing a coin.

It was the mercenary guild he was looking for, the nameless one; they seemed closer to bandits than to mercenaries.

Places like that didn’t need an introduction… their reputation spoke for itself.

Besides, the fact that it had no name already said a lot about its reputation.

Nothing to protect. Nothing to hide.

Adam pushed open the door, the loud creak of the hinges echoing in his ears, followed by the smell of beer and urine.

The atmosphere enveloped him immediately—heavy, humid, saturated with life… and decay.

The noise from inside hit him right away.

It wasn’t just sound… it was contained chaos.

Loud, raucous laughter could be heard, along with shouts… and above all, the clanging of metal in the background, while the air was thick with alcohol… and pent-up violence.

As he walked in, Adam felt several pairs of eyes following him. Most of them weren’t friendly at all; quite the opposite, in fact: some were curious; others… dangerous.

Adam walked calmly forward, ignoring all the stares, as if everyone were nothing but dust, until he reached the bar.

With a tap on the wood, he caught the attention of the bartender.

The sharp sound cut through the atmosphere for a moment.

“I want to negotiate.”

The man behind the bar looked at him with a raised eyebrow; his face was scarred in several places, and one of his eyes was crooked.

A face that had seen too much.

“Negotiate…?”

He spat out the word as if it were unnecessary. As if this weren’t the kind of place for that.

“Get out of here, kid; there are no escorts here; you’ll have to walk a little further.”

The contempt was blatant.

Adam gently set a bag down on the table. The sound of the metal hitting the surface was enough to draw several glances toward him.

That sound… changed everything.

“I need men—lots of them.”

The bartender didn’t look at the bag full of coins; instead, he looked at Adam—or rather… sized him up.

“So you’re just another desperate noble who wants to hire us to defend you against enemy territory.”

Adam remained silent for a moment before nodding in agreement with the innkeeper. Because he was right. There was no reason to deny it… in a place like this, obvious lies only made things worse.

“That’s right, I’m just another desperate noble… That makes things easier, doesn’t it?”

The innkeeper clicked his tongue—a brief gesture… but one brimming with disdain.

“You’re too late; we’ve already turned down three offers today, and they were all better than that one.”

The reply was quick, almost automatic, as if he were already used to saying the same thing over and over again.

Adam raised an eyebrow curiously; he could tell his gaze was on the coins, which was clearly a lie, and he had no intention of pointing it out.

It wasn’t worth shattering the illusion… not yet.

“Oh, really? Then turn me down one more time… Or take me to the decision-maker.”

The atmosphere shifted suddenly, followed by a heavy silence that, of course, didn’t affect him in the slightest.

The nearby conversations died down just enough for the tension to be palpable, as if everyone were waiting to see how that little standoff would end.

The bartender watched him for a few more seconds. Then he sighed.

“You’ve got guts. Follow me.”

Adam followed the bartender up to the second floor, which was completely different—much quieter and cleaner; the noise from downstairs had vanished entirely.

The contrast was striking, as if they were two worlds separated by a single staircase.

A little further on, two men of his own rank stood guard at a door; their expressions were serious and tense.

At a nod from the bartender, they opened the door; Adam stepped inside, and once again a strong odor hit his nose: first the scent of herbs, followed by blood, and finally something rotten.

A mixture that spoke more of failure than of healing.

Inside, there were also fully armed men; their faces were tense, but what caught his attention most was that, in the center of the room, on a neglected bed, a man lay half-naked.

It wasn’t a scene of rest… it was one of waiting.

Adam noticed that the man’s breathing was irregular, his skin pale; if it weren’t for his condition, he would look like some undead creature, and his eyes were half-open.

Too close to crossing that line.

The leader…

The conclusion was immediate.

“You’re here at a bad time.”

A woman spoke. Standing by the bed, with short brown hair and a sharp gaze.

Her posture made it clear that she was the one holding everything together.

“If you’re here to hire… come back in a few days.”

Adam completely ignored the woman; instead, he focused on the man, whose chest rose and fell slowly.

He wasn’t interested in the easy answer.

A smile formed on his lips; he looked at the armed mercenaries and their armor, as well as the woman, and he had a pretty good idea.

The pieces were already clear.

I can use this perfectly…

It wasn’t cruelty… it was opportunity.

“They can’t wait any longer.”

That certainly caught everyone’s attention.

Adam paused for a moment and continued:

He didn’t rush. He let his words sink in.

“If you make him wait any longer, he won’t last a month. And you know that, don’t you? Especially you, since you seem to be the most aware of his condition.”

He wasn’t guessing. He was pointing out the obvious… out loud.

The woman stared at him.

Her expression changed.

“What do you want?”

Adam’s smile widened and grew slightly darker, but he didn’t let those present notice it.

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