In reality, if one were to trace the cause, it was Gaiden who first devised the scheme. However, that thought was no longer in his mind. All that occupied him was resentment toward the half-blood bastard and Roderick, who stuck to the bastard's side.
'This can't end like this.'
He no longer cared about the countess's orders. He wouldn't be able to sleep well unless he saw that bastard sulking.
Gaiden secretly distanced himself from Sylas and Roderick and called for the mercenary captain, Erik.
"Hey, mercenary captain. Come closer; I have something to say."
"What do you want me to do this time, sir?"
Erik sighed as he approached Gaiden. Nothing good had come from Gaiden's summons before. Gaiden's brows twitched at Erik's insolent attitude, but he held back his anger. For now, he needed their cooperation.
"It's nothing much. Guide the party to a monster-infested area instead of the original route."
"Pardon? What on earth are you talking about?"
Erik's face twisted in confusion. Why would they abandon a safe route for a dangerous one?
"Shut up. I have my reasons for giving this order, so just do it."
"Sir, this really isn't right. Can you at least explain the reason?"
"Have you forgotten that I'm your employer? If you want to get paid, just shut up and do as I say!"
'Thanks to you, I've made more than the promised payment, you bastard!'
Erik wanted to shout in response, but he held it back.
If Gaiden wasn't a knight, he would have drawn his axe long ago and cut ties. However, the other party was nobility, and there were too many ways to retaliate if they held a grudge.
'Damn it, I can't tell if they've conspired with others or not.'
Erik glanced at Roderick and Sylas. If this was Gaiden's unilateral decision, he could just report it here. But if he had conspired with another knight, it would complicate things. Ultimately, Erik sighed and nodded.
"Understood. But I won't go to a place that's too dangerous, no matter how much you pay me."
"Who said to go to a place where you'd die? A reasonable location will suffice."
There was no need for it to be too dangerous. It only needed to be a level that would scare the inexperienced bastard and make him tremble. At the very least, seeing that pathetic noble façade crumble would provide some satisfaction.
***
'So they're heading to a monster-infested area.'
Sylas clicked his tongue as he watched the direction the mercenaries were taking. He had traversed back and forth for three days to hunt for prey. Naturally, he was well aware of where the beasts were plentiful and where monsters roamed.
'Seeing the grim faces of the mercenaries, it seems like they were forced into this by that money grubber.'
It was truly impressive how he kept pushing forward despite always falling for his own schemes and facing criticism. One couldn't live that recklessly without being deeply rotten. Fortunately, Roderick seemed oblivious to the situation. If he had grasped the circumstances, he would have been in an uproar.
As Sylas approached the mercenaries who were busy setting up camp, Erik jumped up in surprise.
"Sir? What brings you here?"
Erik was even more courteous than before, thanks to Sylas allowing them to plunder the village at will.
"I've heard this area is where monsters come out; are we going the right way? "
"Huh!? Well, yes, but this is a shortcut. The monsters that come out are all weak, so you needn't worry."
Erik stammered as if Sylas had struck a nerve. To be fair, he wasn't entirely wrong. In fact, there were only a few weak monsters that popped up around here.
As long as they didn't stray too far into the territory, they'd be fine.
"That's true. But it seems I've come at a bad time."
"A bad time? What's going on?"
"Recently, trolls have made this place their nest."
"Trolls!?"
Erik's face paled. A troll was a monster that required three knights to be prepared to fight in order to barely defeat it. And even then, that was only if they calculated their odds as minimal. It was generally agreed that at least five knights were necessary to secure a definite victory.
"They probably won't come this far down, but I thought I should inform you just in case."
"Th-thank you! I'll have everyone check the surroundings right away…."
'Grrrroooaaar!'
Everyone in the campsite froze at the distant roar. Just the sound alone indicated that something dangerous was approaching. Moments later, a heavy thumping sound echoed as a massive creature approached the camp.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!"
With Erik's shout, a gigantic shadow appeared, breaking through the trees. A mercenary screamed as they caught sight of it.
"T-Troll! It's a troll!"
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Sylas quickly stepped back and grabbed the bow and arrows he had next to him. Most of the mercenaries were completely frozen in place upon seeing the troll. Only Eric, the commander, managed to keep his wits about him.
It was only Sylas and Roderick who properly assessed the situation and took action.
"Sir Gaiden, draw your sword! Hurry!"
"I know! I'm aware!"
At Roderick's urging, Gaiden drew his sword, but that was as far as he went. Holding his sword, Gaiden trembled and slowly backed away, ready to flee at a moment's notice. Seeing this, Roderick's forehead creased with anger.
"Damn it! Don't back away! Protect the young lord!"
'Kruuuuu'
In the sudden chaos, the troll grinned, baring its teeth. It looked like it was enjoying the sight of frightened prey. Except for Roderick, everyone else was too scared to move, fearing they might provoke the troll. Just then, a small arrow flew toward the troll.
Squeeak, thwack.
'Krooooaaar!'
The troll let out a pained groan, clutching its eyes. Everyone's mouths dropped open as they looked in the direction the arrow had come from. Sylas, who had shot the arrow, quickly notched a second arrow and yelled at the mercenaries.
"What are you doing? Get a grip and grab your weapons!"