After the defeat of the three great goblins, the name of Ardis quickly spread throughout the capital.
　Six days after the defeat, waiting for confirmation, the government officially announced that they had successfully defeated the three powerful demons, and the city was filled with festivities.

　In the northern mountains, where the bell-neighborhoods were inhabited, the mining of heavy iron is expected to begin in earnest, and the ore-dealers and blacksmiths are in a state of excitement.

　The merchant ships were forced to take the longest route due to the Four Feathers, but now they can take the shortest route possible, which will save more than three days on the westward route. In addition, the opening of the rich fishing grounds near the royal capital has made the local fishermen happy.

　It is said that the old fort, which was the home of the "Red Eaters", will be manned by the regular army to maintain the security of the area. I've heard that there are plans to colonize the area around the fort at the same time.

　The demons that had been a matter of concern have been defeated at once. With the numerous economic benefits brought about by this, the future of the Naglas Kingdom looked very bright.

　Of course, the name of the vanquisher who brought it about is also echoing throughout the royal capital.
　It is safe to say that there is now no one in King's Landing who does not know the name Ardis.
　In a matter of days, the word will spread to Tria and other places.

　If it's difficult to conceal your existence, make your name so well known that people will be hesitant to come to you. Aldis's plan had produced the desired effect.
　There aren't many fools who would try to deal with a mercenary who can defeat the three powerful demons on his own.

''The people who were planning to capture you before have indeed backed off as well.

　Cesare came all the way to the inn where Aldis was staying and said.

'That's good to hear.'

　Ardis smiles only inwardly, saying that it was worth it to defeat them all at once and make a strong impression.

''Thanks to you, though, I've gotten a lot of attention from all over the place.

　Cesare complained with a sigh.

　He was referring to the night Aldis had appeared with the heads of the three powerful demons.
　Many people would have noticed that that was an act of 'coming to show' to Cesare.
　If that was the case, some of them would have tried to find out what kind of relationship there was between the three powerful demon slayers and Cesare.

''Well, it's not all bad, though, since more than half of it is connected to the job.

　The reputation of being an informant with a connection to a strong man like Aldis, a reputation that inevitably draws people's attention.
　In a business like informatics, standing out has both advantages and disadvantages.

　Becoming a well-known informer makes it easier to attract new customers. In addition, it will help you to make horizontal connections with other informants.
　On the other hand, having a name and face on the market could put them on unnecessary guard and limit their freedom of action when gathering information.

'So?　You come all the way down here to interrupt someone's breakfast to make small talk like that?

　Elbows on the table, Aldis picks up a sandwich with one hand and sips it.

''That's a hell of a way to put it, even though you went out of your way to skip breakfast to bring me this information.

I didn't ask for this. You're not going to ask me for a tip just for talking to me, are you?

I don't expect to get paid for that kind of information, but isn't business only possible when there is mutual benefit?　Ah, lady. Can I have a sandwich and some fruit water?

　Cesare raised his voice to order breakfast.
　It looked like he was going to talk to me in earnest.

'What do you mean?'

'You didn't use me as an excuse to sell your own name the other day, did you?

You want me to give you money for that?

　Aldis's eyebrows twitched.

''No, no, I wouldn't say that. It's just that in return for using me as a dupe, I was wondering if you could give me a little information on the three strongest demons.

　Hearing that, Ardis was convinced.

　Even though they were already defeated beings, they were demons that had been troubling the kingdom's head for many years.
　Cesare probably thought that there was still value in that information.

　Indeed, it's not necessarily true that similar demons will never appear in the future.
　Perhaps similar demons exist in the land called the unexplored region where humans do not enter, and it is possible that a mutated demon could become a threat as well in the future.
　At that time, information about the three powerful demons might be a useful commodity.

　Unlike other informants, the person who defeated the three powerful demons and Cesare were acquainted with the person who defeated the three powerful demons and had contacts, even if it wasn't what they wanted.
　Then it is natural for an informant to think that he or she should take advantage of this advantage and obtain information on the three powerful demons.

''I see. So, what do you want to know?

　Ardis, who was aware that he had used Cesare, decided to sell him a little favor in this area.
　She talked about the differences from the information she had heard beforehand, the strengths and weaknesses she felt after actually fighting, and the actions that seemed to be the abilities and habits of demons.

''--So you're saying that the most formidable one was the 'Red Eaters'?

'Yeah. Yeah. "Bell-ringing" and "Four Feathers" weren't much of a problem. It's a good thing that you've got a good idea of what you're looking for. But the Red Eater was eerie in the sense that it was unknowable.

　The habit of attacking the red color. Rigid enough to break a heavy iron shortsword when slashed while moving with a liquid-like sound. Magic resistance, where most of its attributes do not represent an effect.
　As soon as it is beheaded, it turns into liquid and seeps to the floor in its last moments. Nevertheless, the neck remains as a solid object.
　All of this gave Ardis an indescribably creepy feeling.

'I took the head and the body disappeared. But I don't know if it really died from that ......, though I doubt it was a living thing in the first place.

Did you tell the country about this?

Just in case. We talked about it when we reported the defeat. Well, you didn't seem to be taking it seriously: ......

　The soldier who heard Aldis' story was taking a statement with a bitter smile.
　He thought that the mercenary was embellishing his story to exaggerate his achievements.

　I don't care if the head I handed over causes any problems or if the body, which has become a red liquid on the floor of the fort, is revived. He would only go back to take them down if he had to.
　What's important to him is that he doesn't let any extra firepower come near him by selling his name. In addition, he would have to get the bounty.

　He had already received the bounties of the three powerful demons.
　A total of eight hundred gold coins for the three of them. It was cheap for a long time that had been bothering the kingdom's leadership, but the country probably didn't plan to be that excited about the bounty they were giving to the discarded mercenaries.

　The fact that they must have thought that if some mercenary soldier would defeat them for a modest amount of money, they would make a profit. If a full-scale army was to be dispatched, the cost of deployment alone would be the same.

　Of course, even if such a country's intentions could be felt, Ardis didn't care.
　It was because the bounty wasn't his primary objective, and he had found something in place of the reward in what looked like the material storage area of the fort during the defeat of the 'Red Eaters'.

''Well, I guess the soldiers at the end of the line have no idea how important the information is.

　That's just the way it is, says Cesare, and the serving girl brings him a freshly made sandwich and fruit water.

'Here you are!　I'll take three small coppers!

'Are you sure it's just three cards?　That's a lot cheaper.

　If you are just a breakfast guest, the usual price is seven or eight small coppers. It is quite rare to get five or less small crowns.

We offer a reasonable price.

　The daughter took the small copper coin that Cesare took out of his pocket and left with a smile, which was a man's favorite thing to do.

'Of course, if you're in the legion leader or general class, you won't be able to say that--buh-ha!

　Continuing with the earlier topic, Cesare took a bite of his sandwich and instantly erupted.

'Bitter!　Gee-ho, gee-ho!　What is this?!

　After a quick cough, Cesare gulps down a glass of fruit water and complains to the waiter.

'Miss!　This doesn't taste right!　It's terribly bitter!

Huh?　Don't you like it?　Special bitter grass chicken sandwich

'Whether you like it or not, bitter herbs are usually used as a reminder!　I've never heard of it being used to season a sandwich!

　To begin with, it was too bitter for anyone to think about using it in cooking.

''That's why!　So we took an ingredient that no one had ever tried to use and tried to create an untapped taste with it!

'No, no, no, no, no, no, you're going to take money for this!　It's so difficult to taste that I'd rather charge you for it!　I mean, is this food?　Isn't this some kind of harassment!

I'm not harassing you. As it turns out, Mr. Ardis is eating them.

　With the gaze of the waiter's daughter and Cesare, Aldis took a bite of her sandwich and chewed it.

You ......, are you okay with eating that?

It's not that I can't eat ......

　Aldis returns the words without a single change in color.

'As expected of Aldis-san!　The only person who tells me my food is good, is Aldis-san!

　As expected, Aldis hadn't said a word about "delicious" either, but that's how it's supposed to be in her daughter's mind.

'Good morning, Meryl. What's for breakfast today?

　As soon as the guest came down from the second floor, he called out to his daughter.
　The dining room was just beginning to bustle with activity at that time.

'Good morning!　Today's menu is my special chicken sandwich with bitter grass and salad!

'Geez!　You're on breakfast duty today, Merrill!

Oh, I don't want breakfast.

I'll be at work in a minute. Not today.

　Immediately, the guests began to flurry about.
　Some rushed back to their rooms, some tried to finish their breakfasts with home-made preservatives, and some hurriedly left the inn. Reactions were varied, but it seemed that no one was strong enough to challenge my daughter's cooking.
　It seems that for those who have been staying here for a long time, Meryl's cooking is something they want to avoid, even if it means sacrificing their breakfast money.

　Seeing this scene, Cesare overheard Aldis.

''Um ......, it may be unnecessary, but why don't you move to an inn with better food?　I don't think the inn I was staying at before was bad either.

I don't feel safe sleeping in an inn where you're selling out your guests' information.

　That being said, Cesare should have no words to reply.
　In fact, that inn was selling information about Ardis to informants.

　Cesare changes the subject in a hurry.

To begin with, aren't you getting a pretty good bounty for defeating the three powerful demons?　Before you say anything about the inn, don't you ever think about stepping away from dangerous mercenaries already?

　It is true that mercenary service is not a job that can be continued indefinitely.
　If war breaks out, they have no idea what will happen to them tomorrow, and their work in peace time often involves risking their lives.
　The fact that one can start out on one's own makes it a popular choice for young people who dream of making a fortune, as well as for those who are greedy and lowlifes, but those who love it are probably in the minority.

　Most of them would retire from the mercenary army and choose to live a life free of danger, especially when they have the huge amount of money like Aldis did.
　In fact, there were many former mercenaries who used the money they saved from their mercenary work to set up a tavern or weapons store in the city.

　If you combine the gold coins that Aldis earned from the bounty and the gold he had saved up until then, it was enough to live comfortably in the house he built in the forest.
　However, Aldis has no plans to stop being a mercenary in the slightest.

''Do you want more wealth?''

　That's not true. You only need as much money and so on as you need.

Do you want more fame?

　That's different too. It's enough to have enough fame to keep the extra fire out.

''Do you want to be a knight or something?''

　That's ridiculous. I don't want to be bogged down in an organization.

"So you're going to be a nobleman?

　It was a joke that wasn't funny. It was too unrealistic for a mercenary to be a nobleman. First of all, Aldis doesn't know what is good about being a nobleman.
　That's why when Cesare asked him with a sigh, he was at a loss for an answer.

You, what in the world do you do as a mercenary?