Lawrence wasn’t sure what Hildir meant, but Myuri suddenly laughed out loud.
“Fighters like me are useless around that kind of table. The captain of a small band of mercenaries like me isn’t fit to look at the faces seated around such a table in such a great company.”
Despite sounding sarcastic, Myuri was actually being sincere. Hildir could take no pleasure from it, but he wasn’t a rookie. He breathed a happy sigh that made Lawrence think of Holo’s antics.
“It’s clear what kind of people have taken over the company now, so all the people rebelling against us in the past will be doubly inspired to defeat these barons.”
“In other words, the moment they hear you’re in Sovereign they’ll come to talk, already prepared for a chance?”
“They might even come to me and ask me for help. It’s a very real possibility, in fact.”
Once they’d heard his case, they might even elect to allow Diva a return to grace. They had, after all, been willing to deal with everyone, and gathered so many barons together for a common good.
“Once we arrive, those who weren’t aware of the situation will feel even more empowered to see that a smaller force survived a full-out assault from one that is much stronger.”
“I agree. More people should come out of the woodwork, just like you say, until we have enough force to push them back. That’s what you mean, yes? Given how strong they are, no baron could afford to risk longer-term plans, and all the merchants who realize what those guys just did will want revenge. They’ll prefer having everything back to the way it was over what’s happening now.”
“True, merchants do live and breathe in terms of profit and loss, after all.”
Myuri laughed again, unable to comment on the ways of merchants.
“Then I take it you’ve also thought about how to repay us once the winds start blowing in your favor again?”
That was Myuri’s way to joke in a merchant-like manner, considering the salaries that his men would be expecting for such a ploy. However, they weren’t driven by profit as much as sustaining their band, which made his joke that much sharper.
“Of course. A merchant’s thanks always comes in the form of money.”
Hildir seemed to be firing back his own joke in response to Myuri’s earlier satire. After chuckling for a while, Myuri responded.
“Okay, okay, I get it. I really do. But still..”
That was the first point in their conversation that Myuri had yielded to Hildir, and it piqued Hildir’s interest. His ears shot up like Holo’s would, and he stared at the mercenary.
“What’s the matter?”
“Hmm? Oh, nothing.”
Myuri wasn’t going to explain himself. He didn’t seem to be hiding anything, just working through his bewilderment. After musing for a while, he returned Hildir’s stare with eyes that declared he had come to a decision.
“At the start I felt that Diva deserved their destruction, having screwed everything up on their own.”
He wasn’t mincing words.
“But suddenly, I might be able to earn my men a tidy profit.”
Hildir just kept staring at Myuri. Saying that was the most natural thing in the world.. for a merchant. They would then realize they were saying too much and become self-aware. But Myuri just smiled and shrugged.
“What a straightforward story. One who’s been betrayed wants to win it all back, but he’s in a vulnerable state. His enemies are numerous and powerful. He has to bide his time and claw his way back the first chance he sees. And so he pounces on the thin sliver of a chance that the Myuri Mercenaries, who aren’t swayed by money, won’t be able to help themselves and will make good on their desire to defeat the company they’ve been working for ever since they arrived in Lesco.”
It was no coincidence that leaders were excellent speakers. Myuri’s voice was clear and had that almost seductive quality that his kind should have. Of course it wasn’t just because of his voice, but also his confidence. It wasn’t enough to just be a serious and realistic man like Moid, a leader had to have a dream that could sway the hearts of his people. Only a serious dreamer could attract a following of like-minded dreamers.
“You see, as far as mercenaries go, we’re the real deal. That great leader who once led thousands, John Schravitz, said it best: to be a mercenary you have to make everything bend to your needs. You have to make the sword move the way you want it, and make the meat jump into your maw. You have to fight for every scrap, and become the perfect tool. The kind of tool that only gets better with age.”
He sure had a way with words. Holo would probably be furious if she was there, because Lawrence was picturing Eve, who he saw as just that kind of dreamer - the kind who single-mindedly pursued a throne of solid gold, by any means possible. But Hildir wasn’t Holo, and he simply regarded Myuri with a neutral expression, like the big-shot accountant that he was.
“Contracts are only made for trades when both sides will profit. That’s a basic principle of commerce.”
He wore his determination like one would expect such an important person in Diva company to wear it. He had planned for the new currency, and made it a reality. He gave mercenaries nightmares. He gave peddlers like Lawrence a legitimate shot at achieving their dreams.
For his part Lawrence admired the man, but not out of jealousy. He truly saw Hildir’s greatness. He was the type of person who could achieve great things, unlike a traveling merchant. He could excite someone like Myuri, and get their eyes to go round and flash him a toothy smile.
In fact, Myuri had good reason to feel like being hired by someone like Hildir, who put the world at his fingertips. If they could re-establish Hildir’s dream with their power, and smoothly, then they would no longer even need to worry about Holo and the banned book.
“Just you wait. When you’re back on top, we’ll come knocking for more than you expect.”
Such bravado was the only way Myuri could cover his embarrassment, but Hildir closed his eyes and happily replied.
“Well, you have your work cut out for you if you want me back on top. Don’t get shot now.”
“And don’t you end up on someone’s dinner plate.”
“Deal.”
They exchanged calm smiles.
* * *
After pausing for a night’s rest, the battle resumed the next day. It was still just as much a farce as before. In a way it was fun, since this way no one had to die.
Still, it was amazing to watch the other army approach them for an attack, only to fall back to maintain their defenses. They had little choice, it seemed, since they had the low ground. Moid had cleverly positioned their forces uphill.
To give the illusion of injury, the mercenaries sometimes split sausages and painted themselves with the blood. They had to maintain the facade that they were seriously fighting, after all, so that the Hugo Mercenaries had time to inform them about the situation with the Diva company.
They were even told about the other armies being sent to Sovereign, like old friends helping each other out. It was just as Hildir said; the Diva company’s representatives had no idea what was really going on. They were only used to moving money around, and were being played for fools.
Myuri left Moid in charge of the battle and managed things behind the scenes. He sent scouts ahead to investigate Sovereign, to make sure that they wouldn’t be caught by Diva on the way and branded as traitors to be destroyed. They also had to make sure the city could put up a fight; Diva was still a force to be reckoned with.
“Looks like we were right.”
Myuri yawned from his perch on his horse.
“They’re not quick enough on the uptake to adapt their plans.”
“For good or ill.”
Hildir’s comment made Myuri pout and shrug.
“Quite. At least I can look forward to those guys in Sovereign.”
“Hmm? I wouldn’t know, I’ve never dealt with them.”
“Sure. I mean, they at least
have walls. With things like taxes, guilds, and regulations they can keep careful tabs on supply and demand to maintain their prices. It’s far easier to judge their quality compared to those who run a place with none of those things.”
Hildir sniffled and his nose quivered.
“They hardly sound trustworthy.”
It was a comeback that only someone like Hildir, who had been betrayed, could make. Myuri smiled and patted his horse.
“We’ll see when we get there. It’ll be the day after tomorrow at the latest. Well, let’s stop the chit chat. We still have to think about how we’ll get away from Reginald.”
It was actually quite a conundrum; since they weren’t really fighting, it was all the harder to escape. They also needed to make a show of it so the people of Sovereign would be taken in.
“What’s their next move gonna be?”
Myuri stared at the next hill, trying to plan a way to move on so they wouldn’t be attacked on their way there. They needed a good strategy, and yet Hildir had no compunction to help. He just stayed under his blanket to shield himself from the cold.
It wasn’t as though a brilliant mind could conjure up the answer from nothing; they could only find the best solution if they had all the necessary information. Unlike traveling merchants, those who worked at a large firm had clearly-defined roles.
It took a sharp mind to divide the labor. Even if the person doing so was Holo, Lawrence wasn’t sure if she was brave enough to make those kinds of decisions.. especially since it sometimes involved deciding who lived and died. But people like Hildir had that kind of bravery; they were in a league of their own.
Lawrence had been treated like an outsider even since they left Lesco. The pressure was enormous, but he was still hanging in there. In fact he was able to see the bright side; this way he finally got to live in the same world that such strong people lived in.
As the morning sun climbed higher into the sky, everyone ate and made merry. Scouts returned, faces covered in pig blood, and joined in the revelry. It was then that a messenger finally dropped into this calm atmosphere.
“What? You want us to fight close-quarters?”
Myuri had halted his horse as the Hugo messenger knelt beside him.
“Yes. That guy from Diva is like a spectre over our heads. He seems to be getting bored and is wondering when the real fight will start.”
“Ah..”
Myuri shut his eyes and put his hand under his chin. He wasn’t that young, so perhaps his face just didn’t like to grow hair. Whatever the reason, there was no beard on his chin so it seemed rather quaint for him to strike such a pose.
“That means we’ll end up sending captives, yes?”
“Yes. The chief will hand over four, and asks you to hand us around fifteen men in turn.”
“What?”
Myuri’s tone changed, and his voice rang out almost like a wolf’s howl. Even the wolves around him seemed nervous now, judging by the looks on their faces. It was a heavy demand; even Lawrence could see that. Myuri’s wasn’t a large band, so it would be a sore loss for them to send over fifteen men. And who would they send, when everyone felt they couldn’t afford to be lost? It wasn’t good.
“Are you implying that it would only take four of you to best fifteen of us?”
Even if they were friends with a gentleman’s agreement, there was only so much they could tolerate.
“No, no. Our chief just seems to have an idea.”
Myuri scratched his nose and proudly replied.
“Go on.”
“With this, our chief is going to declare an ultimatum to negotiate a hostage exchange.”
“A hostage exchange?”
Myuri immediately asked, and looked over at Moid.
“Yes. There’s no point annihilating each other, so this will give us a chance to negotiate. Our chief will represent our side with the guy from Diva, and Mr. Myuri and another will represent your side.”
Lawrence could see it now: two captains and the Diva representative facing each other on the snowy hill. One side had less than half the forces, but still fought on. The other side was backed by Diva and had the overwhelming advantage, so surrender was the only reasonable option. It was obvious. Why be proud now? Lawrence could practically hear the Diva representative’s voice issuing the ultimatum.
“So, that’s their game? Such a hopelessly naive merchant thinks we’ll just give up because he says so?”
The Hugo messenger finally smiled, but it was fleeting. His stoic expression quickly returned.
“You will of course be furious during the negotiations, as our chief arrogantly makes unreasonable demands. And when the fool drops his guard, you capture him. That wouldn’t be a problem for you, and we’d have no choice but to release our hostages and watch you flee. This way we’ll be able to report that we did everything asked of us to the best of our abilities.”
“And you think this will actually work? That he’s that much of a fool?”
The messenger sighed.
“He’s arrogant to a fault. I have no idea how our chief has put up with him. If it was me, I’d have killed him long ago.”
The messenger casually expressed his thoughts like this was a simple chat, and threw in a final line to underscore his point.
“That’s how we all feel.”
“Alright. We’ve been trying to find a way to get to Sovereign anyhow, so this should work. I’m glad to hear that Hugo’s chief has beat me to such a solid plan.”
“He’ll be pleased to hear that you said that. So, that’s the plan.”
“Got it. We’ll need some time to arrange it.. give us enough time to coordinate, okay?”
“I’ll go tell our chief.”
Myuri smiled. He was looking forward to wrapping everything up.
“We’ll let you know where the ‘fight’ will take place, and how it should go. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
The still-kneeling messenger bowed low before scurrying off in the snow. In fact, he almost looked like a rabbit as he quickly ran into the nearby bushes.
“You heard him. I need you to pick fifteen unlucky men. Use all the pig’s blood and prepare for the arrangement. Just like that time in Lesso Valley, got it?”
“Got it. I’ll also send scouts out to find the best place for the battle.”
“Very good.”
Everyone scurried off to get their jobs done. It didn’t take as long as one might think to set up a drama that was even more grandly farcical than the one Lawrence had seen in that town square in Lesco. He was surprised by how efficiently they got it done. They were as relaxed as playing children.
* * *
They were situated on two hills overlooking a flat valley. It was a seasonal river, and the bed was now dry and covered in snow. The perfect place for a battle. Myuri and Reginald, the two captains, surveyed each other’s forces from their hills.
The soldiers stood on the slopes of the hills below them, making it clear just how outnumbered Myuri’s men were. That said, history was rife with battles where the lesser force defeated the greater one, so his men were hardly discouraged. At least that’s how it seemed from a distance.
“Has everyone bloodied up their blades?”
Despite Myuri putting it that way, the ’blades’ might as well be sharpened sticks. They had arranged this meeting to make it look like they had no way to escape Hugo’s forces, and had to fight, even impressing Lawrence with the show they were putting on. Moid had done well. Not to be outdone, the Hugo Mercenaries were also putting on a good show. Even knowing it was all a mock battle, the leadership proudly strode down to initiate battle in the valley below.
“They’re using old weapons too. That way they can say they were ruined in the battle and get paid more in compensation.”
“My, how admirable. Us too?”
Myuri looked back at the speaker, but of course it wasn’t Lawrence. Hildir’s cage was in Lawrence’s hands, with the rabbit’s ears fl
opping out over the edges. He didn’t move, but since he was the one who’d hired Myuri he had to take it. Merchants weren’t only honor-bound by written contracts, but also verbal ones. Myuri chuckled until Moid chimed in.
“Anyway. What’s important now is whether we’ve followed the plan. You’re sure we haven’t missed anything?”
“Definitely. I spoke to them, and everyone’s ready. It’ll be fine.”
“Really?”
Myuri slowly exhaled. He was acting rather lazy because everything was staged, but it wouldn’t do to have unnecessary casualties. They couldn’t let regrets like that slip in, and still had to make sure that all the people who’d hired them were satisfied in the end. Even a farce had to be carried out properly.
Even so, he was hardly the only one responsible for thinking things through. Every mercenary had to know what was happening, or they wouldn’t make it. It didn’t come down to money, and it didn’t come down to who could threaten the loudest.
All who attuned their minds to the life of a mercenary had to live by their principles. A traveling merchant might be able to see all of the edges of the world’s occupations, but no matter how much money they had they couldn’t see everything beyond those edges.
Money only solved so much. Lawrence wished it wasn’t so, and even Hildir ran his company with such a wish, but the world wasn’t ready for that mindset. The best they could do was construct a grand stage production like this.
That strong-looking man from the other hill had to be Reginald. He almost looked like a younger version of Moid, with red hair and skin so tan it looked like he spent all of his time under the sun, in spite of the season.
His arms were folded across his chest, emphasizing his prominent musculature. He looked at Myuri and nodded, who in turn nodded back at Moid. Many people had gathered, but none of them so much as sneezed. It was Reginald who broke the tension.
“Ho, brave warriors! We’ll honor your choice to fight and show our respect by doing our best as well!”
Voices carried poorly on a field of snow, but Reginald’s was sharp and clear. Myuri replied as he raised his sword.