The festive atmosphere of the night had come to an end, and the once bustling camp fell silent again, returning to its usual calm. It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that some activity began to stir.
Gylna, still groggy from sleep, stumbled out of her tent. Without a care for her disheveled appearance, she stretched lazily, enjoying the moment.
"Thank you, Sister Gylna," Anna, who had just finished washing a pile of clothes, passed by and gave her a grateful smile.
"Huh?" Gylna, still nursing the effects of a hangover, took a moment to process what Anna had said. Then, with a dismissive wave of her hand, she responded, "No need to thank me. You're part of the Wolf Mercenary Corps now, so it's only right that I look out for you."
Anna blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? What's the connection between you and the Wolf Mercenary Corps?"
With a yawn, Gylna grinned mischievously. "What about you, Princess? What's your relationship with that brat Eno?"
"Ah?" Anna's face flushed, and she stammered, "We're just siblings, nothing more."
"Is that so?" Gylna dragged out the words with a teasing tone, before slapping Anna lightly on the shoulder. "If you like him, don't let him slip away. Some things you have to fight for yourself."
Anna's face turned a deep shade of red. She shook her head vigorously. "It's not like you think…"
Gylna chuckled, planting her hands on her hips as she bent down, getting face-to-face with Anna. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Trying and failing is better than regretting not trying at all."
Then, as if remembering something, Gylna's expression darkened for a moment before she quickly recovered her playful smile.
"Being a mercenary isn't a glamorous job. Once your little crush finishes this mission, tell him to find something better to do."
At that moment, Gylna's eyes caught sight of a woman who had just woken up, lifting her skirt and squatting in a corner.
"Ana! You brainless idiot! I told you to piss far away!" Gylna stormed off, muttering curses, leaving Anna standing there in silence.
Back at the camp, the mood was joyful. It was payday!
Captain Wolf kicked open a wooden crate, revealing a pile of coins—silver and copper. Despite the bloodstains and dirt on some of the coins, the soldiers' enthusiasm remained undiminished.
Mike Bai, the one with some literacy and arithmetic skills, had been roped into the task of serving as the temporary scribe and accountant to distribute the wages.
"Bill! You've served 62 days. As a senior swordsman, your daily wage is one silver dinar and six copper pennies. Here are your 99 silver dinars and two copper pennies. You can count it over there and sign your name once everything checks out."
Mike Bai handed over a stack of coins. Bill, built like a tower of muscle, fumbled with his fingers for a while before breaking into a wide grin, accepting the money and stamping his thumbprint on the parchment.
"Gene! You've been on the front for 10 days. As a junior spearman, your daily wage is eight copper pennies. Here's your eight silver dinars."
Gene smiled ear to ear as he took the money, then turned to Mike Bai with a cheerful grin. "Enno, let's grab a drink tonight?"
"I'm busy. We'll see," Mike Bai responded absently, still counting coins for the next person.
Behind Gene, a long line of mercenaries waited eagerly, their eyes fixed on the money chest. It wasn't until the sun reached its zenith that Mike Bai managed to finish distributing wages to everyone.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Mike Bai noticed there were still a fair number of coins left in the chest. He called out to Wolf.
"Captain, here's the leftover balance!"
Wolf waved him off and gestured for Mike Bai to follow him.
Once inside the captain's tent, Wolf, looking unconcerned, asked, "How much is left?"
Mike Bai checked the remaining coins. "There are still 971 silver dinars and 315 copper pennies."
At the mention of the amount, Mike Bai saw a brief flicker of concern cross Wolf's face. After a long silence, Wolf spoke slowly.
"Kid, take your share and get lost."
Mike Bai grabbed eight silver dinars, ready to leave, but then hesitated.
"Captain, are you worried about the upcoming battle?"
"Tch! Do I look that obvious?" Wolf scoffed, a self-deprecating grin on his face. After a pause, he grew more serious. "Why do you think I'm worried about the battle?"
"I'm not stupid," Mike Bai sighed. "This camp is deep in enemy territory, less than thirty kilometers from the rebel castle, and we're camped out in the open plains. Not to mention, we're marching in the open, leaving tracks everywhere, and we have a bunch of merchants with us. If the rebels aren't blind, they've already spotted us."
"They're not attacking right away because they're still trying to figure out how strong we are. But after a few days, they'll have figured out our weakness."
"All it'll take is a little misinformation, and they'll launch a full-scale attack, swallowing us whole."
Wolf stared at Mike Bai, clearly surprised by his analysis. After a moment, he let out a chuckle. "You're not as dumb as you look. But yeah, this battle's going to be tough."
Mike Bai frowned. "Then, Captain, can we terminate the contract?"
Wolf let out a long sigh, his expression darkening. "Those damned nobles, after a victory, they drag their feet when it comes to paying us. Now, before the battle's even started, they've already paid us for the next month. They're clearly afraid we'll back out."
"Now that the contract's signed and the money's been paid, we're stuck. We'll have to fight."
Mike Bai's expression darkened at the thought. He started to mentally plan an escape, but before he could act, a large hand slapped him on the shoulder.
"Kid, what are you thinking?" Wolf grinned slyly. "I'm not stupid enough to sell my life to some noble."
With that, Wolf pulled out a contract and pointed to a clause with his finger.
Mike Bai squinted at it, carefully reading the small print. It stated: "If the enemy outnumbers the mercenaries by more than two to one, after two hours of combat, the mercenaries have the right to decide their course of action."
Mike Bai stared at the clause, surprised that such a provision was included.
Wolf smirked at him. "I knew you were sharp. Pass the word around—if we don't see reinforcements in two hours, we'll pull out."
With a final swig of his drink, Wolf muttered, "A thousand silver dinars a month? What are we doing here, selling our lives for that?"