236 Brooding Over
"I'll accept this job. I'll also help you look for your grandfather."
In the end I agreed. Without trying to find out the bad blood between her grandfather and Mercenary Guild first.
(Aah, another one of my 'bad habit' no thanks to this power.)
I'll manage somehow with this power on my side. That optimism will be my downfall someday. However, there's also no denying that some things can only be settled through power.
All the more with this kind of absurd power. It's still better than losing myself in it or getting over reliant.
Money, women, fame, authority, you can get anything you want with this power, the thought flashed in my mind. Even control over life and death.
But I never wished for any of that.
Even just helping people in need is too much for me.
"Are you sure!? Umm, it's hard to say... but you would be marked by the guild, you know? I know it's weird coming from me."
"Ah, I'm not a mercenary, no issue with me doing a favor for someone. I mean I've got the power to help and all, would leave a bad taste if I don't act, see?"
"...Eh?"
After a beat, Minya sounded surprised and stared at me from head to toes.
"Right, let's not treat this as a commission and just see me as someone that's offered his help to carry your luggage, easier for both us, don't you think?"
"Umm... Are you not a mercenary? I was sure you were one since you're staying in this inn..."
"Eh? Does this inn only accept mercenaries?"
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"No, it doesn't, but..."
Looks like Minya called out to me due to a misunderstanding. And I thought she knew I was a commoner.
This was where our wires slightly crossed. And that helped solve her problem.
Her misunderstanding resulted in me accepting her escort mission.
"Err, do you mind forgetting about what we just talked about?"
But then we're back to square one with that.
"? But why? Can I hear your reasoning?"
This after I resolved on helping her and all, the one asking for favor tried to back down.
I gotta hear her reason. But turned out it's quite reasonable.
"Aren't you a commoner? Many beasts infest the way to the mine, it's very dangerous. Having a frail looking young man like you, a non mercenary at that, as my escort is out of question."
"Ah, you're saying I lack the strength huh. Then how about I go find some random thugs and beat them up as a show of strength?"
I ignored Minya who was dumbfounded at my suggestion and recalled the men who picked a fight with me before I went to this inn.
(Will beating them to an inch of their life in front of her be enough to convince her?)
As I had that dangerous thought occupying my head, Minya awkwardly asked.
"Err, are you strong? What is your basis in that confidence?"
"Here's a question. Don't you think strong people that aren't necessarily mercenaries a dime a dozen in this world? Or am I wrong? I mean by your logic, every single strong men is a mercenary yeah? But shouldn't there be commoners far stronger than even mercenaries out there?"
I questioned Minya's logic. The idea that 'mercenary=strong' has been drilled in her head it seems.
It's an issue of image. After carrying that idea over many years, she's no longer able to think otherwise.
Hence, why she's ready to let go of her sole chance after many tries because it's different from what she imagined.
She was so desperate to save her grandfather and now she's pushing her potential helper away.
But it seemed she realized that and muttered while downcast.
"...Right. You're right. I was too panicked to see something so obvious..."
Judging from this, no one must have tried to help her, no mercenary, no commoners or otherwise.
Even commoners could have formed a group to overcome lack of individual strength.
The fact that she couldn't gather a group is simply because those people weigh their daily life more than her problem. They may pity her but at the end of the day, their own lives are still more important to them.
That's probably why nobody has offered to help her. I can't really blame those people.
Nothing is more important than your own safety after all.
"Tell me, you were planning to head off alone tomorrow if I didn't take this job, weren't you?"
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