Four days passed since then.
　Aldis, Greshe and the others pulled a cart and continued to hunt in the grasslands every day.

　In addition to hunting while moving in search of prey, their speed is also slow due to the cart. As a result, efficiency is inevitably low, and inevitably the number of recruits decreases.
　Of course, that was compared to the first day, and at any rate, it was still earning seven or eight gold coins per day.

　However, such smooth days could not last forever.
　When you walk down the street every day with a cart full of furs and other collectibles, you will inevitably attract the attention of others.

　And not all mercenaries are as upright as Gresche and his men.
　There are always people who are jealous of those who are successful, and if possible, want to take advantage of their achievements.

Aldis, they're back. They're here again.

　Ralph looks back in a disgusted manner.

"Don't worry about it. As long as she doesn't do something, I'll just ignore her.

　Ardis fought back against his sleepiness.

"But I can't see how it could possibly be a good idea.

　Ralph's concern is understandable.
　The grasslands on the west side have been deserted in recent years due to Ardis' hunting spree, so since yesterday, the group has been hunting on the grasslands, heading north.

　If you head north along the road from Tholia, it leads to the neighboring country, so it is not unusual to see peddlers and mercenaries on the road.
　But the only people who come to the middle of the grasslands off the road are the mercenaries who want to hunt.

　Nevertheless, the group of mercenaries that occasionally appeared behind Aldis and the others were not hunting or investigating anything.
　They weren't following them at all hours of the day, but it was obvious that they were frequently encountered in this wide open grassland.
　It was natural to assume that their purpose was to follow Aldis and the others.

　As long as the place is a grassland with good visibility, they can't hide their appearance and follow them at all hours.
　The reason for this is that they are watching us without even leaving us, but the problem is their purpose.

　I'm sure there are more than 20 of them. It's a simple calculation, but it's more than four times as many as we have.
　It's not like they want to barge in with that many people and ask us to hire them too.

　Maybe they are just trying to find out the secrets of Aldis and the others who are hunting a large amount of prey every day.

　The secret or nothing, they are just hunting from one side to the other with Aldis' substandard strength, but from the edge, you can't know that.
　It just looks like a party made up of teenage kids hunting a large number of dispersers and beast kings.
　It would not be unreasonable to suspect that there was some kind of secret there.

　Not forgetting only to be vigilant, Aldis and the others continued to hunt as usual.

　As usual, they hunted around the Beast King, dismantling the prey they killed on the spot to secure the pelts and other materials.
　When there was no more game in the vicinity, they would move their wagons to the new location and repeat the process.

　When the wagons were full, they turned south to return to Trier, when the mercenaries appeared in front of Ardis.
　They split into three groups, the most numerous of which blocked the path of Aldis and his men.
　Together with the two groups deploying to the left and right, they formed a semi-encirclement.

''Ardis, what are we going to do?''

　Greshet asked, sweating nervously.
　The number of opponents is more than four times as large as ours.
　Moreover, from a quick check, several mid-ranking mercenaries could be seen as well.
　If it was just Greshe and the others, this was an opponent that they would never be able to match.

　Aldis remains silent, observing the other party with only his gaze.
　The silence that has lasted for a while ends when a burly man in the front group opens his mouth.

You're not the only one. It's a good thing that you're doing so well these days, but I'm not impressed that you're doing so well by yourself.

　The tone of voice was far from friendly.

You hunt too much," he said, "so the catch is getting smaller and smaller, and we'll just eat it all up. Well, we're not demons either. If you guys can give me the tools and methods to make it easier for you to hunt down the Beast King and the dispensers, then I'm sure we can get along.

　It takes on the appearance of negotiation, but in effect it is the same as blackmail.

Again, this is very blatant.

　Aldis gasped.

'So?　What if I say no?

　Instantly, the mercenaries' presence of mind changes to a swallowing one.

''That's right, you ....... You'll just become unable to speak even if you want to.

　The mercenaries take up their weapons, and the sorcerer-like mercenaries also quickly hold up their wands so that they can chant.

''What's the answer?''

　To the question of an ultimatum, Ardis answered with a wry smile.

''Of course--I refuse.''

　One eyebrow of the gangly mercenary raised.

　Perhaps, in his opinion, he didn't expect a new mercenary who was overwhelmingly outnumbered to be so hard-headed.
　For a moment, the man seemed confused, but he quickly regained his composure and raised his voice.

''Do it!　Let one of them live!

　Triggered by their voices, the mercenaries attacked in unison.
　Offensive magic such as fireballs and rocks came from the groups on the left and right, while arrows fired by the archers from the group in front were fired at Aldis and the others.

　Aldis calmly drew the shortsword from his waist and threw it into the air, and uttered a few simple words.

''Pay up.''

　The next step was to deploy a barrier to counter the magic coming towards us.

　The attack magic landed where Aldis and the others were.
　Although the magic used is all of low grade power, it is still powerful enough to kill the new mercenaries. And that's more than one.

　A cloud of dust rose in the aftermath of the impact, and arrows followed from the front.
　If Aldis and the others were just new mercenaries, they would be nearly destroyed at this point.
　Even if they had survived, they would not be in a satisfactory condition to fight.

　Of course, Ardis was not a new mercenary.
　A magic barrier activated without even a chant would repel all of the enemy's magic.

''Cut through it.

　Once again, the magic that had been invoked without chanting was released, this time at the enemy mercenaries.
　The powerful wind, fired simultaneously at the left and right groups, quickly enveloped the mercenaries, ripping through their arms, their legs and their necks without mercy.

　As a bonus, the dust that covered the surroundings was blown away, leaving behind Aldis and the other mercenaries, who had not been injured, and the mercenaries who had fallen to the grassland in a pool of blood.

''What the ......!

　Astonished shouts spilled out from the group at the front, who hadn't been attacked by Aldis.
　The arrows they fired, instead of shooting through the new mercenaries, were cut off and fell to the ground before they could reach them.
　In the air above the broken arrow was a single shortsword that remained floating in the air, not moving even slightly.
　The mercenaries buzzed at the strange scene they had never seen before.

You don't mean ......, sword magic?

So that's the one you heard about?

I'm told you've got quite a knack for it.

I didn't know he was that kind of a kid.

I heard we were dealing with new people, but that's not what I heard.

　One after another, their companions opened their mouths, and numbed by their hesitation, the girthy mercenary turned to his companions and said.

''What sword magic!　That's just a kid!　There are still more of us out here, and I'm not afraid of a sorcerer if I'm bitten!　Get it done!

　As if the hesitation in their words had disappeared, the mercenaries charged at the call.
　More than ten people attacked Ardis at once, but there was no sorcerer-like figure among them.
　Probably all the sorcerers were positioned in groups divided to the left and right.

''It would have been better if they had attacked us before we lined them up.

　With a wry smile, Aldis pulls another shortsword from his waist and throws it at the archers at the tail end of the enemy group.

　The shortsword left Aldis's hand and sliced half of the archer's neck, then turned against inertia and flew through the air to bring death to the rest of the archers.
　Meanwhile, the three arrows released from the archer were easily sliced away by the shortsword, which had been in the air from the beginning.

　With that scene in view, Aldis pointed his palm at the mercenaries who had approached at a distance of five meters or so.

''Shoot through.''

　Instantly, a dazzling crush of light was released from their hands.
　The crush of light was sucked into the mercenaries' foreheads faster than an arrow, reaping their lives in an instant.
　With a thud, the bodies of the mercenaries fell to the ground one by one.

　There were more than twenty of them, and they were not civilians or rookies, but full-fledged mercenaries who made their living fighting.
　I'm not going to be the only one who can do this.

''Already, what can I say ....... Amazing.''

I can't help but laugh at your strength.

　Ralph and Conia looked at each other and said.

'Hey, Aldis,'

What?

'If I was as strong as you, maybe I could have conquered it without killing you?

　Aldis alone against more than twenty mercenaries.
　Normally, there would be no need to compare them, but considering Ardis' ridiculous abilities, Greshe could understand that they could win.

　But at the same time, if there was such a difference in ability, they could have gotten through that situation without having to take their lives. Greshet blamed Ardis in a roundabout way.

''We could do it if we wanted to.

　It was a make-believe thing for Aldis.

'Then why!　If you can do it, why don't you just capture him and turn him in to the guards!

Because I don't need it. I don't want your mercy for a burglar.

'They're not thieves!　They're mercenaries just like us!

So what is a thief, if you don't mind me asking?　What kind of guys does Greshet think are thieves?

...... who break the law and threaten the property and lives of others, right?

So what did they do?　They have violently tried to take our property and lives in the middle of the steppes, where the law cannot protect them. How is this different from the kind of burglary Greshet describes?

It's .......

I don't want to tell you this, but they're not as good as the burglars. I'm not sure if it's a bounty hunter or an unknown thief, but these guys have a certain amount of face recognition as mercenaries. Some of his fellow mercenaries and townspeople may even be willing to defend him. Even if we capture them and present them to the guards, there is no guarantee that the guards and lords will accept our side of the story. If we're not careful, we could be accused of a crime. After all, there are no witnesses other than those involved here.

No way. ......

'How can you be sure it's not there?　What if they get away with it?　Even if you're not guilty, try to get forgiveness for your crime with a fine or a short period of forced labor. It's a surefire way to retaliate against us. This time, you'll have to plan more carefully.

　For Aldis, Greshet's idea was too lenient.
　Evil will be judged and good will be rewarded. He thinks that the reality is an extension of the stories in children's books.
　You can believe that if you want, but reality is not so pretty. But reality is not so pretty. Aldis finally understands this when she loses so many important things.

　Although he didn't say it, Aldis's heart could be felt in the atmosphere.
　Greshe did not make any further objections.

　Normally, he would have retrieved the equipment worn by the mercenaries and the possessions in their pockets, but considering Gresche and the others' state of mind, Ardis gave up on them.

　After burning the bodies and burying them in the ground with magic, he pulled the cart as it was and headed home.
　On the road to Tria, which would normally be filled with lively conversation, the group walked in silence from start to finish that day.