87 Chapter 87 - Pick up the Slack (2/2)

”Thanks for the help.I appreciate it.”Gren didn't think of repairing the armor.Most of the equipment that the women handed back to him was completely broken so he had gotten used to just replacing things.He'd have to look at the scraps left in the storage room when he got back to see if he could repair anything.

Suze took Zell's seat next to Gren.”It's alright to lose every now and then as long as you stay alive.”Gren was surprised by her voice.He was expecting a somewhat rough voice since she was older but if he closed his eyes then he could easily imagine someone his age.

”You look a bit familiar now that I've gotten a closer look at you.”She released a light from her staff and gasped.”I remember!You were the boy that was in the slums.”Gren didn't know if that was good or bad.”It's good to see that you escaped from those guys.Those guys give us mercenaries a bad name.”

It seemed like she really hated the group that attacked him, which was something they had in common.”Back in the day, they were nothing more than a gang.They even have the nerve to name their guild after the old gang; the Viper Guild.An accurate name for those snakes.The Duke--the previous Duke--really ruined everything for the people in the slums.”It was the previous Duke that caused his mother to go into hiding so hearing that Suze hated him was good.”The new Duke isn't as bad but he hasn't tried to fix the problems that his father created.I can only hope that the next Duke will be better.”

”You're gettin' off topic, Suze.Gren, we wanted to talk to you 'bout somethin'.”Krieger seemed very serious all of a sudden.”What's your goal with that big sign in Jellen Village?”Was that the village's name?

”Our guild is going to be selling weapons and armor soon.We're currently burning through our coins so I'm hoping to increase our customers.”He had seen advertisements in Adierton before.Some businesses would partner up and put signs in their stores to help one another.

”What he means to ask you is whether or not you've considered the consequences.It's not just your weapons and armor being mentioned.”Suze wanted to get straight to the point.”The name of your company says that you're in the mercenary business.More people will request for your guild to do requests which means less requests for us independent mercenaries.”

Gren didn't think about that.He didn't want to take down the sign since it'd help the guild earn money but he also didn't want to hurt the livelihood of the other mercenaries.”We're already at the limit of how many requests we can take.I'll see if I can set up a system in the guild where independent mercenaries can accept requests through us.I don't know how I feel about letting kids accept requests without proper training though.”

”Aren't you a kid yourself?”While technically true, Gren had gone through training.Maybe Suze just didn't know that.

”Before my first request, I practiced my magic and trained under a knight for a few months.If I faced a boar back then, I'd be dead.”Thinking about how he looked back then made him think of those before and after commercials.In just three months he went from having no muscles to looking fit.All that it took was working out for six to eight hours each day while healing all of the muscles that he tore... doctors really would hate him.

”That kind of training isn't free and, even if it was, the kids in this business can't afford to survive without doing requests for long.”Suze brought up a problem that Gren had already thought about.

”What if they were temporary members of the FMC for three to six months?We could let them go on requests while being supervised to make money during their training.They'd get a place to stay, weapons, armor, and a source of income.”He could imagine the monthly allowance being abused so that would only apply to full members.”We'll figure out how to deal with people that have family members when we hit that problem.How does that sound?”

”That sounds like it'd send you out of business.”Krieger didn't pull any punches.”Trainin' them is one thing but giving everybody weapons and armor is just asking for abuse.Everybody would sign up for a few months and leave with the gear instead of buying from your shop.”

”As long as they're young then that's fine with me.They'll grow out of their armor or it'll eventually need to be replaced.”It wouldn't cost him anything to give them the gear as long as they kept using it.”I think that it's a worthwhile investment.”

”I think it's a wonderful idea.The world is getting more dangerous these days and we've lost so many villages to monsters.”Gren only knew of three abandoned or destroyed villages near Adierton; Newton, Ironside, and that logging village that he passed.Suze knew of a lot more since she traveled often.”Just look at the request we're doing now; a group of bandits that were responsible for killing an entire village.That makes three this year alone.”

”Which village did they destroy?I haven't heard anything about it.”The destruction of Newton and fall of Ironside were hot topics in Adierton when they happened.

”It was a small village.I think that its name was Gigget but I'm not sure.It was only formed a few years ago and there were few families settled there.”Suze seemed to be trying to remember something.”Right, Gigget, they were mushroom farmers.The village was close to the Elven fort.”

”If these people have already destroyed a village, why don't the soldiers take them out?The King's Army is not that far away.”Gren wondered why it needed to be mercenaries?

”They're the ones footin' the bill.The King needs his men to defend the capital and no noble is willin' to sacrifice their men.It's cheaper that way since each and every soldier costs money to raise.Why not send people like us that are willin' to die?”Krieger laughed out loud before continuing.”Why complain about them givin' us a job?If they weren't quakin' in fear up in their castles then none of us would be needed.”

Krieger had a point.If they didn't want to defend the people then there was plenty of room for a group like his to profit.He didn't need to exploit anybody; just giving them a way to defend themselves would be enough.They would get cheap defenses and armaments while he got an unending source of points.”You're right.As long as they're doing nothing then we might as well pick up the slack.”

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It wasn't until after the conversation that Zell returned with Gren's armor beaten into shape.It wasn't perfect but Gren gave him a few coppers as payment.Even if it looked a little bent, it was still functional as armor and Gren couldn't feel any difference from what it was like before.