Chapter 128: Uh??? (4)

Chapter 128: Uh??? (4)

“...You want to help with the Labyrinth project?”

“Yes, as you said, we want to help with the Labyrinth project. The Lartania territory needs quite a lot of troops, right? For example, the expanded rest area to the second tier...the forces needed for security.”

“Lartania doesn’t particularly need external help.”

Kim Hyunwoo responded impassively to Loton’s words.

At least he knew what intention Loton had in making such a suggestion.

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Yes.”

At Kim Hyunwoo’s nod, Loton nodded to himself a few times before sitting in front of him and speaking.

“Lord, think about it carefully. Do you really not need the power of our Mercenary Guild? It’s a bit presumptuous to say, but we are very competent.”

“In what way?”

“In any way. Especially in handling mercenaries.”

Loton said with a smile.

“Our Mercenary Guild can do a lot. We can make the mercenaries move as you wish, or we can make them lazy.”

“...Aren’t you being too blatant?”

At the blatant threat, Kim Hyunwoo let out a chuckle. Loton, maintaining his sly smile, continued.

“It sounds as if I’m threatening you, Lord.”

“It does seem like that.”

“Of course not, I’m merely making a constructive suggestion. How could I possibly threaten the Lord of Lartania, who has many achievements?”

Kim Hyunwoo let out a hollow laugh at the sight of Loton’s sly smile.

“Is that so?”

“Of course.”

“Heh...let’s hear it. How much do you want?”

“Ten percent, no more, no less. How about exactly 10%?”

“Don’t you think that’s too much?”

“No, of course, it’s a significant amount. But Lord, if you make such a contract with us, we will fully support you.”

“What happens if I refuse?”

Smiling, Kim Hyunwoo asked.

Loton, smiling back, answered,

“If you refuse, nothing will happen.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, nothing at all. It’s just that...managing the mercenaries might become a bit difficult.”

At Loton’s words, Kim Hyunwoo looked at him with an incredulous expression.

‘Look at this bastard?’

Kim Hyunwoo felt an urge to split Loton’s slyly smiling face right then and there.

If it were before, it would have been impossible, but now, thanks to consistently eating Lani’s food, he had physical abilities comparable to at least a one-star hero.

It would be easy to get up right now and smash his face, but that would be a last resort.

‘What should I do?’

“...Within the Imperial Mercenary Guild, they value justification, but not for me. I was originally from a different faction. Moreover...the leader of the Norba faction...was my father.”

“Ah...”

Hearing that, Kim Hyunwoo could infer the situation more precisely.

Why the Mercenary Guild was harassing Mila more.

And why Mila couldn’t easily shake off the Mercenary Guild.

Therefore, Kim Hyunwoo, who had been contemplating, started thinking deeply.

After a while,

“I understand.”

“...I’m really sorry. I will take responsibility somehow...”

“No, there’s no need for that.”

“...What?”

“Just focus on training the soldiers well, Mila. I’ll handle this.”

Kim Hyunwoo spoke, smiling at Mila. He seemed to have thought of something, and with a confident smile, he touched his chin.

At that moment,

Loton, leaving the Lord’s castle in Lartania, thought with a sly smile.

‘Think hard, no matter how much you think, you won’t find a suitable answer.’

He recalled Kim Hyunwoo’s very troubled yet extremely irritated expression and twisted his lips into a smile.

Unlike the other foolish lords, the Lord of Lartania seemed to have caught his meaning very precisely.

‘Well, that’s probably why he was able to rebuild Lartania from its half-destroyed state to this point.’

Loton looked at the streets of Lartania.

Lartania, which he had heard was in ruins, had become a massive territory.

At least the central square could be compared to that of a great territory within the Empire, so Loton nodded and smiled.

He knew that no matter how capable the Lord was, he wouldn’t be able to refuse his proposal.

‘I’ll suck you dry,’

Loton muttered with a smile, and as he entered the Mercenary Guild and sat in the office that would soon be his,

“...?”

Loton saw something strange.

A glowing white mass in front of him.

Just as he began to question the mass, there came

a blinding flash!

The glowing mass quickly grew in size and engulfed Loton.

In the next moment,

“...Huh?”

What Loton saw was not the office of the Mercenary Guild,

“Hello, heretic?”

“...What?”

But the face of a girl with eyes shining like gold.