Gaiden's eyebrow twitched in anger at the unilateral termination of the contract.
"You bastard! Do you think you'll get away with this?"
"And what if I don't? What happens then?"
Despite Gaiden's threats, Eric remained unfazed. It wasn't uncommon for mercenaries to rebel against their employers. This happened when wages were consistently delayed, promises were broken, or when the employer completely lost credibility and trust.
If they judged the situation to be hopeless, they'd overturn everything right then and there. And to Eric, now was precisely one of those times.
"Have you forgotten who I am? I am Gaiden Borel, vassal of the Corleone family!"
Gaiden continued to raise his voice, relying on the power and influence of his employer. When the employer's power was overwhelming, no matter how reckless, mercenaries couldn't act against them. The only reason Gaiden could wield such authority over the mercenaries until now was due to the backing of the Corleone family.
"The Count will not tolerate such a unilateral breach of contract!"
"Oh, really? He's a man who truly cherishes his subordinates. But do you think he'll still cherish a vassal who tried to kill his son?"
"W-What?"
Gaiden's eyes trembled violently. Kill him? Though he intended only to intimidate, he never actually planned to kill him.
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
"You told us to take the young master into a monster-infested area, didn't you?"
"When did I ever—!"
"Hey, cowardly knight."
Eric whispered to Gaiden, who was about to deny it as usual.
"It's the truth. Our entire mercenary group heard it. Should I inform the young master and that knight of yours, and take it to the Count's estate as witnesses? Hmm?"
"..."
Gaiden came to his senses at those words. Until now, he had been able to wield authority as he pleased because his voice held the upper hand. However, after the troll incident, his authority had crumbled. Now, both the illegitimate son, Roderick, and the mercenaries all regarded Gaiden with disdain.
'If everyone here were to join forces and support this man's claims…'
Gaiden could only envision his ruin. Facing reality, cold sweat trickled down his body. Eric smirked and licked his lips.
"Oh dear, my mouth feels so itchy. What's going on? I suddenly feel the urge to blurt out someone's orders."
"H-Hey."
"Ah! I can't hold it in any longer! The young ma—!"
"Alright, alright! You can do whatever you want with the contract!"
Gaiden grabbed Eric's arm and shouted desperately. But Eric merely shrugged his shoulders lightly.
"You're just going to end it like that?"
"What?"
"You should pay the remaining balance. We did successfully complete the mission, didn't we?"
"What do you mean!"
"Oh! My mouth feels itchy again!"
"...."
Seeing Eric fidget, Gaiden grimaced. He had no choice left.
***
The journey that followed was smooth. Gaiden didn't dare attempt any more tricks, and Sylas's party headed straight for the Count's estate by the shortest route. One of the reasons was that the security in the eastern region was particularly stable at the time.
The mercenary group disbanded when Sylas's party reached a bustling city since there was no longer any threat on their path.
"Thank you for your efforts."
"You're most welcome. If you ever need mercenaries again, please remember our Black Axe Mercenaries."
Eric maintained an extremely polite demeanor towards Sylas. A generous spender, someone who didn't give unreasonable orders, and who respected the dignity of mercenaries—the young master. Sylas was the best employer a mercenary could hope for. Eric wanted to leave a good impression, hoping to be hired again in the future.
"I will. I'll be sure to remember you. If something comes up, I'll call on you first."
"Thank you!"
Eric smiled brightly and bowed in response to Sylas's positive reply. For Sylas, having a connection with a mercenary group wasn't a bad thing either.
In this world, there's often a need to hire mercenaries.
Mercenaries make up the bulk of the military force in conflicts. For nobles, the best option would naturally be a standing army, but maintaining one is costly. Even maintaining a few hundred soldiers for a few years could drain the resources of most territories.
That's why nobles often hired mercenaries, spending money only when conflicts arose.
"Those guys are pretty decent mercenaries."
Mercenary groups vary greatly depending on the personalities of their members. Some don't follow orders and act recklessly, while others are as disciplined as an army. From Sylas's perspective, the Black Axe Mercenaries were satisfactory. As long as they were paid well, they followed orders diligently and didn't run away even when faced with trolls.
After the Black Axe Mercenaries left, the journey became even more pleasant. They passed through cities in quick succession, with many high-quality inns available along the way.
"Sir Gaiden, please pay for the lodging."
"Young master, why are you always asking me to pay? Isn't Sir Roderick here as well?"
"Are you refusing? If you don't want to wield your sword or pay, then what exactly do you do?"