Savage Ascension: Starting with God-Tier Plunder Ability-Chapter 77: A Captain Who Stands at the Front

The morning at Blood-Full Tavern was full of mercenaries who hadn’t been chosen. They drank moderately while viewing commissions, or sat at tables watching others. Most were alone or in pairs. Sometimes mergers happened, and they scattered again.

Because Rowan traveled with the brown wolf Dono at his side, he clearly drew attention. His leather armor had quite a bit of wear showing veteran feel, and his round shield showed traces of combat. It showed he’d experienced real battle.

Not just the bow slightly protruding from his leather backpack, but the longsword and shortsword on his belt, and dagger. Throwing daggers stuck in his thigh. Various leather pouches also said he was quite knowledgeable.

"Hey. Want to join our side? With just you, we’re four. We’re trying to take a commission with five. Interested?"

Even looking young, quite a few mercenaries approached because of his outfit. Rowan politely sent them back. At that un-mercenary-like politeness, the mercenary’s gaze went to Rowan’s hands. Naturally, calluses hardened solid in unusual areas were visible.

"Really not interested?"

The casual speech completely disappeared. And he even recommended once more. He even PR’d himself about them. Rowan was a bit surprised at reactions completely different from the mercenaries seen in the evening tavern.

’Mercenaries’ attitudes change from morning to evening.’

The difference between thirsty mercenaries and full mercenaries.

Rowan had to respond to them one by one. It couldn’t be helped, because he didn’t want to cause problems. Mercenaries were mostly hot-tempered. Useless disputes were time-wasting.

"Alone?"

He approached young-looking greenhorn mercenaries. They were friendly toward Rowan. Just traveling with a wolf drew attention. Because the main character showed interest in them. Also, there were very many greenhorn mercenaries that were hard to see in the evening.

"Doesn’t seem like you come to the tavern at night?"

"If we go, we even get hit a few times. Calling us greenhorns."

The greenhorn mercenary with bushy beard was named Doren. While saying he wasn’t a greenhorn mercenary (though of course he’d never joined a mercenary group or taken a commission yet), he asked to be called Bearded Doren.

"Bearded Doren. I’m gathering mercenary group members. Want to join? I traveled around mixed with bounty hunters quite a bit. I’m trying to operate a mercenary group early with that experience."

Rowan immediately spoke casually while explaining he was above Doren. And he fed Dono jerky. When Bearded Doren’s gaze went to Dono, it was already a finished game.

’He looks more impressive than ordinary mercenaries.’

"What commission will you do?"

"If I gather at least 3 more, I’ll do it. With you and guys similar to you."

"Well, I’m fine with it... I guess."

Bearded Doren, who seemed thoughtless, joined. His age was 2 years above Rowan. 17 years old. Rowan said his age was 15. As he looked around greenhorn mercenaries, Doren wanted to know Rowan’s past.

"I was a hunter in Black Mountain Village. Caught bears and also Mavros lyko."

"Gasp. Black wolf?"

Rowan put his hand in his leather backpack and showed the black tail ornament.

"I cut that tail and made this."

The moment he touched it, at the distinctly sharp and thick fur texture, Doren swallowed. He’d never seen such black fur. Similar to boar fur texture but rougher and thicker, and boars didn’t have black fur to begin with.

After that, he could fill personnel in an instant—Rowan’s outfit, atmosphere, wolf Dono, and they had similarities to each other.

As the saying goes birds of a feather flock together, since levels were similar to each other, they rather had hearts to join without trouble. Of course, it was a merger possible because Rowan was there. With just riffraff, there was nothing but death. It was work possible because he was there.

"The name is decided as Rowan Mercenary Group."

Everyone had no objection. But after disclosing ages, 19-year-old Slinger Osam was greatly surprised.

"15 years old? Good lord!"

Greatly surprised, he glared at Rowan. With just one age, all indicators he gave off were no different from being completely overturned.

"Why?"

When Rowan spoke, he naturally shouted.

"A 15-year-old becoming mercenary captain makes sense? Right?"

He turned his head here and there looking at others, but they just read the room.

"If you don’t want to join, you can leave."

At Rowan’s words, Osam gathered his luggage. And spoke. It wasn’t words toward Rowan.

"You’re going to serve a 15-year-old as captain? Really? Anyone going with me."

At those words, Large Shield Espin sneered. Of course, the name Large Shield was also a name he claimed. To others, he was just called greenhorn Espin. Everyone here except Rowan was like that.

Unlike Espin who just sneered and ended it, Crossbowman Bedri looked at Osam, sneered, and shot back.

"Better a captain standing at the front than a guy who slings stones. You’ve never caught or even witnessed a black wolf, have you?"

"It’s a bald-faced lie."

"Then just go your way."

Rowan looked at Osam. He hesitated then sat back down.

"Why’s someone leaving sitting back down?"

At Rowan’s words, Osam scratched his head then stood up again and headed elsewhere.

"Stupid bastard."

Bedri cursed him harshly.

"You seem to know Osam well."

"Yes. He’s 19 and still hasn’t properly done one commission. I have nothing to say either, but I’m better than that guy."

Rowan nodded. Starting by filtering out one person from the beginning, he thought it was rather a good start. He didn’t take it to heart much.

"Everyone bring mercenary commissions you can do. We’ll decide among them."

His words were unexpected. The other mercenary group members were greatly pleased. Because normally there was no such decision power. At least the 4-member Rowan Mercenary Group announced a good start to them.

Because many mercenary captains were dictatorial. In Yuval’s case, he pretended to compromise, but actually all decisions were as Yuval pleased.

Rowan brought ordinary beast subjugation. Because it was something where he as a hunter could greatly show influence. Starting with big work from the first step was foolish.

’Why are they wavering so much?’

Greenhorn mercenaries made Rowan’s insides feel stuffy. Rowan spent time combing Dono’s fur evenly with a wooden comb. Dono wiggled. He felt good.

"Did you already choose?"

Bearded Doren sat down holding one sheet. Rowan chatted waiting for others. Doren wanted to talk about the commission he brought, but the mercenary captain stopped him. He said they’d do it fairly when everyone came.

"Then in order of arrival, we’ll look at commissions in Doren, Bedri, Espin’s order."

There was no opposition. When Rowan gestured with his chin, Doren spoke.

"What I brought is securing public safety on Tri-fork Hill Road. It’s not a big deal, so there’s no mercenary groups competing. If we go, we can be assigned and work immediately."

Safety was top priority and the advantage was not taking a wasted trip. But that was all.

"Daily wage is 50 copper coins per day."

"Per head?"

"Ah, no. They’re giving it to the whole mercenary group."

’Are they crazy?’

Rowan frowned.

"But they say they provide food."

"Yeah right. Obviously won’t give proper stuff. Obviously they’ll embezzle food given by the lord and substitute other things."

Crossbowman Bedri sneered. Like with Osam, he was negative about everything. But this time, even Rowan agreed.

"What matters is if 4 people divide 50 copper coins, it’s barely 10 coins per day. Even doing it a month is 300 coins. Even 3 months isn’t 1 silver coin."

They could eat and live, but that’d be all. At Rowan’s words, Bearded Doren scratched his forehead.

"Regrettably, the compensation is too little. Of course, we could do it for experience, but we probably can’t brag to others about doing such work."

Including Bearded Doren, everyone was persuaded by Rowan’s words. They nodded. The commission Doren brought was a bust.

"I brought monster subjugation."

A commission catching Antenna Tree Shadow. It appeared near a village and had taken position on a hill where fruit trees were planted.

"Hmm."

Rowan stroked his chin. Before he knew it, everyone was looking at Rowan. Even having done nothing, Rowan was exercising influence on them. It was thanks to Bearded Doren.

"We met for the first time today—can we hunt monsters? Bedri. With eyes closed, can you tell where Doren will head in a place lush with trees?"

"No."

"It’ll be hard to catch monsters when not even close to each other. Moreover, isn’t this one good at hiding? It’ll be instant."

Rowan knew quite well about monsters too. Thanks to dinners with Rakson. Soldiers had to go where ordered, and were sometimes deployed to dangerous places mercenaries wouldn’t touch. Naturally Rowan knew various monsters. Though he couldn’t hear from Rakson about Mavros lyko because soldiers rarely saw it, he knew thanks to hunter Geric, and he’d even caught it.

"Have you seen it?"

"No. It’s one I’ve heard about from someone I know. It has no clear habitat, so it can appear anywhere. Sometimes they live in fortresses or city sewers then pop out onto main streets."

"Wow..."

At Rowan’s information, greenhorn mercenaries widened their eyes. Monsters appearing on main streets. Horrible. They seemed to want more stories, but Rowan moved on immediately. Monster information was precious. Something you couldn’t buy even with money.

That kind of thing only those in the know shared.

Large Shield Aspin brought capturing an escaped slave.

"Because he was raised as a soldier, I brought what nobody does. It’s worth 10 silver coins."

A commission with guts sticking out from the start. You could tell his personality only looked at money.

"Criminal slaves generally don’t escape."

Because treatment was good. Because most had their leashes tied to the establishment, they lived better lives than ordinary commoners.

Also, they were expensive enough Rowan couldn’t buy and wouldn’t think to. Also, slaves could escape. In short, done wrong, it was losing big money. And a slave raised as a soldier? Accepting it, he could die.

"We don’t even know where he is..."

The only thing was a composite sketch, but that didn’t shine much in this world. Unless boldly living in big places... finding was impossible.

"Commissions nobody does have reasons nobody does them. If we find him within a year, it’s luck, but if we can’t find him even after 5 years? If we can’t find him even searching for a year, how many here will pull out? Better just remember the composite sketch."

He reminded them it was a commission with no telling when it’d end. Last was Rowan’s turn.

"It’s quite far from Torch Fortress. A red-furred bear appeared at Three River Valley. Peddlers took quite a beating. It’s a commission catching it."

"Isn’t it too dangerous?"

Crossbowman Bedri, who was criticized as dangerous, spoke. Rowan smiled and started explaining point by point reasons for doing his commission.