Chapter 1235: Mercenary Company

「I shall deliver divine punishment to followers of the Evil God. Perish!」

「I won’t lose to some crazy thief who refuses to listen.」

Fran and Potima’s auras only got more hostile.

White intervened in the standoff between the two.

「Please wait! This village is a territory under the direct jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Kranzel! We are aware of the matter regarding the evil dragon! Moreover, Fran-dono is currently here at Kranzel’s request! If you attack us unilaterally with baseless accusations, it’ll be seen as a hostile act against our nation!」

Kranzel had little choice but to offer protection over the village, regardless of all the nonsense about evil energy.

White seemed desperate.

A few of the adventures behind Potima paused to wait for her response, but…

「What does it matter? The extermination of the Evil God and its kin takes precedence over any and all matters. The dealings of you and your man-made nation are trivial. There is nothing more important than our divine mission.」

「Y-You’re insane…」

「The insane ones are those like you who condone raising an evil dragon instead of eliminating it.」

Damn, she really thinks she’s backed by absolute justice!

「I believe your mercenary company, the “Fiend Hunters”, sources its funding from the small southern nations, yes?」

「Indeed, many countries sympathize with our activities and offer financial support. However, they have no influence over our principles and mission.」

So they were mercenaries too! I guess it’s relatively easy for them to become adventurers if they conceal their status as mercenaries.

Potima pointed her sword at White as if declaring an end to the conversation.

When faced with the tip of the blade, White panicked. Despite his training as an intelligence operative, he could do nothing. But that was understandable.

After all, Potima had reached the level of Holy Sword Mastery. She was a formidable individual who also possessed flash magic, purification magic, along with her unique skill “Principle of Evil Sight”.

Though she had yet to attack us, she was already guilty of intimidating White, a government official. That’s more than enough to be branded as a criminal.

Yet Potima’s subordinates simply readied their weapons for combat after witnessing her irrational actions.

「Klikka, call over the rest.」

「Roger.」

Sibylla gave instructions to Klikka before stepping forward herself. This time, there was no air of enjoying the fight. She was dead serious.

In the midst of this, Eiworth remained as carefree as ever. Despite the impending battle that could easily damage the village, he was still chuckling.

「I’ve heard the Fiend Hunter brigade was being kept by the southern nations as a combat force in case of emergencies. This supports my findings.」

As expected of Eiworth. He was apparently very knowledgeable about our foreign mercenary visitors.

Emergency force, huh…? Setting her insanity aside, Potimas was a very powerful individual. Perhaps it would be possible to pull her strings if they fed her select info about fiend appearances. The small nations likely want to keep a leash on her for insurance.

「Potimas the Fiendslayer! Also known as the Mad Princess of the Fiend Hunter Brigade! The so-called prodigy who gained strength on the level of Rank A adventurers at a young age. Kukuku… And your insanity is just as expected! The rumors were all true!」

Don’t phrase it as if everyone who reaches the Rank A level is insane! Fran gets counted in there, you know!

It seems Potima was unable to ignore the extraordinary pressure Eiworth exuded. She paused for a moment to stare at him.

「And who are you?」

「Kukuku… Just a humble old man, who happens to be a former Rank A adventurer.」

Eiworth unleashed the mana he had been concealing in sync with his words. Was he just looking for a chance to stand out?

All eyes were now on the old man.

「I take it the small fry from the other day were working for you?」

「They were merely disposable criminals.」

「…Why did you order them to attack me?」

「Our comrades informed me you wield a sword with sinister powers. They only needed to approach you or the dragon as a relay for my skill…. However, they would only be dealt with upon their return anyways, so I had them get a little violent instead. Surely you don’t mind taking care of a few ruffians for me?」

「What if your intel on the girl’s sword was mistaken? You could have killed an innocent.」

「That certainly sounds like an unfortunate accident. I would offer my condolences in that case.」

Absolutely zero remorse. It’s not that she was trying to provoke us or anything, she simply responded with the unadorned truth. Potima was so incomprehensible that Fran withdrew her killing intent and looked baffled.

「Either way, you die at my hands today. It makes little difference in the end.」

「Hmph. The weakling mercenaries of the southern nations truly think they can defeat us?」

Now that there was no need to conceal his identity, Eiworth unleashed his aura to intimidate the mercenaries.

As soon as Fran let up, they found themselves up against a monstrous old man. While the blood drained from the faces of all the lesser mercenaries, Potima seemed completely calm. She even wore a slight smile.

「Can I defeat you, you ask? But of course! We are dedicated to eradicating evil, so His favor on our side. The just can’t possibly lose.」

「Indeed, you have gone completely mad! How hilarious!」

「It is you who is insane. Or rather, all of you Evil God worshipers are insane.」

「I believe myself to be plenty sane. Well, some do call me a madman from time to time though. Kuhahaha!」

If you ask me, you’re both crazy! But thanks to Eiworth, Fran seems to have calmed down and regained some composure. Meanwhile, Sibylla and the knights were fully prepared too.

This must have been Eiworth’s goal in the first place. Despite acting like he was playing around, his experience ended up being very valuable.

However, the now composed Fran noticed something that was bothering her.

「The southern mercenaries are weak?」

Whoa there! Fran asked the question out of genuine curiosity, but that sounded incredibly provocative! Eiworth burst into laughter again, looking quite amused.

「Kukuku, indeed they are. The south of the continent is more fertile and has fewer magical beasts, so the small nations there often engage in minor conflicts. That’s why mercenaries outnumber adventurers in the south. On the other hand, nations in the north such as Kranzel and Raydoss have an abundance of magical beasts, so it’s packed with adventurers.」

Okay, but why are the southern mercenaries considered weak? Fran tilted her head in confusion.

「You didn’t know about how one gains no experience points from killing their own kind? Cutting down a thousand people on the battlefield hardly compares to the experience you would get from crushing a few goblins, though they can still train their skills. That’s why the mercenaries remain weak, no matter how much they excel on the battlefield.」

Huh? How come I’ve never heard of that rule before! But now you mention it, Fran hardly got any level progress during her battles in Raydoss.

I thought that was simply due to her high level, and the significant increase in required experience that comes with it… Was she losing experience the entire time because of this “killing your own kind” rule?

「Spineless cowards who lack the courage to fight magical beasts tend to become mercenaries in the south.」

Eiworth took the chance to provoke the mercenaries again. Well, I guess Fran’s question starting it kinda gives her half the responsibility.

Meanwhile, Potima maintained the same archaic smile as always without showing any sign of killing intent. And then she invoked a spell while still maintaining the facade.

Followed by a flash of light.

『That was close!』

I managed to intercept her spell with a barrier, but it might have struck the village if I wasn’t on guard. Fran flew into a fury once again upon realizing the narrowly avoided danger.

「…Let’s just kill her already.」

「That’s my line. You apostles of evil shall meet your end.」