How a Second Life Knight Lives

14. There is a traitor in the Powell merchant guild.

“The biggest problem is that if we cancel the trade, we cannot predict what will happen. Penalties for breach of contract are not an issue. Those are trivial matters. Similarly, the profits from the trade are not an issue at all. What is important to us is that the trade must be carried out, and we must show that Kalmar is not to be trifled with. That’s why we also invited Sir William. We will treat him with the highest respect. Not as a mercenary, but based on the treatment of a knight formally conferred, we will give him three times that.”

It was a proposal from a merchant who had to secure the contract even if it was unreasonable. It was such a drastic proposal that the young man next to him couldn’t hide his surprise.

“It’s an incredibly generous offer, almost hard to imagine. And since it’s arranged by Mr. Martin, I can trust it. I will accept the offer with gratitude.”

“Thank you. I should have mentioned this earlier, but I have also seen Sir William display his prowess against the pirates. It’s reassuring to have someone like Sir William with us.”

“You’re too kind. By the way, I haven’t been introduced to the person next to you.”

“This is Ethan, a young merchant I’m personally mentoring. I expect him to become a pillar of our trading company in the future.”

“I’m Ethan. I’ll be joining this trading expedition. I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes, nice to meet you. I also look forward to working with you.”

Yes, I should look forward to it.

Even though I might smash your head in.

This is real.

I expected something like this might happen, but seeing it in front of my eyes feels different.

A red dot.

This is driving me crazy. A red dot, and we’re not even in battle.

So, this means this guy is hostile towards me.

Could he be a traitor?

I greeted Ethan while glancing at the minimap that occupied part of my vision.

In the center of the maximized minimap, a red dot was blinking.

It was where Ethan was standing.

I was really grateful for the minimap.

In real situations, the minimap was an unimaginable cheat key.

It allowed me to clearly distinguish between friend and foe.

Enemies were marked in red.

Isn’t red originally a warning or danger sign?

This place was no different from Earth.

There might be cultural differences that change the meaning of colors, but as long as blood is red, danger should be red too.

That hypothesis was verified through the village chief of Sandhog and his subordinates.

When I first saw them on the minimap, they were marked as red dots.

And when I dealt with them, the red dots disappeared.

Kaal and his subordinates were also marked as red dots. And there were no red dots among the subjugation team I belonged to. One of the reasons I could confidently charge into the wooden barricade was because I was sure the rear was safe.

An interesting point was that not only the deceased but also those who had surrendered and lost the will to resist were no longer red dots. Those who had enough will to escape despite being captured were still marked in red.

So, a red dot not only means an enemy but also someone with enough hostility.

However, strictly speaking, the will to antagonize is a very ambiguous concept.

The will to antagonize! Or is it the intention to antagonize?

No matter how you express it, it is a subjective word.

How can you tell if it means the will to antagonize to the point of killing, or if it means it doesn’t matter if it hurts, or if it’s just thinking that guy is my enemy?

Still, I am optimistic that the exact meaning of the red dot will become clear as I accumulate examples over time.

It’s only been a short time since I got the status window, so I’m still anxious that it might suddenly disappear.

What is needed is experience in using it.

So, let’s explore the exact meaning of the will that Ethan has towards me, represented by the red dot I discovered this time.

It’s a long-distance journey. There is plenty of time, and Ethan will not be the only case to explore.

But why does that guy antagonize me?

And is he really the only one?

I was able to find half of the answer to my question soon.

I couldn’t figure out the meaning of antagonism, but I quickly realized that there was more than one guy like Ethan.

Two coachmen, two merchants, three mercenaries.

Over a hundred carriages and nearly three hundred people. Moreover, there are almost two hundred people who say they will follow.

Among them, there are seven people who have the will to antagonize, or to put it more strongly, who have the will to kill me to achieve their goals.

It’s not a small number.

But I wasn’t too worried.

Because the danger I know is not a danger.

Indeed, the minimap was a cheat.

As long as I have this, I don’t have to worry about things like assassination.

It is also possible to quickly identify traitorous subordinates or spies planted by other forces.

Instead of worrying about the impending danger, I decided to prepare for the long-distance journey by equipping more weapons and mending my armor. I also needed to get some personal tools. After all, since I was going on a long journey, there were many things to prepare.

As befitting a large trading city, it was easy to find a good blacksmith and leather craftsman. The problem at times like this would be money, but thanks to the money from the Dalraven River subjugation team and the advance payment from the Powell merchant group, I had plenty of money.

I had lived in a small manor in the countryside that focused on self-sufficiency, and I had to do forced labor in a place that didn’t even give me proper food, let alone money. When I did get some money, I had to roll around fighting in places where there was no time or place to spend it.

Then, when I came to a big city where I could buy services just by paying money, the modern sensibility that had been dying in some corner of my brain came back to life.

The sensibility of a capitalist.

I started spending happily.

As a result, I ended up filling a room with an excessive amount of weapons and pretty trash. Only then did I feel somewhat satisfied.

So, this was a kind of therapy.

Healing the soul through consumption.

It was an act that anyone born and raised in a capitalist society could understand.

The mind became relaxed and the spirit clear.

Even the pangs of conscience and the fatigue of battle seemed to have eased a bit.

It wasn’t the shock of death.

Even now, I sometimes wake up with a start, remembering the moment my neck was cut.

Just in time, a message came from the Powell caravan.

The regular long-distance trade of the Powell caravan had begun.

The hundred or so wagons were filled to the brim with wooden boxes containing rock salt.

The long line of wagons was so impressive that it made onlookers marvel at its sheer scale.

And behind them, the wagons of various merchants accompanying the Powell caravan on their long-distance trade were lined up in a row.

They moved with the Powell caravan to be protected from bandits or robbers. The mercenaries employed by the Powell caravan provided additional protection for a fee. This had naturally become a practice as the caravan conducted regular long-distance trade four times a year.

I was positioned in the middle of the procession.

Along with ten other mercenaries, I was to move freely and provide support in case of emergency. All the mercenaries had horses.

Mounted mercenaries are quite rare.

While there are often those who lead pack horses, mounted mercenaries prepared for combat to this extent are only occasionally seen in territorial wars or among the officers of medium to large mercenary groups.

Of course, they are not comparable to knights, but they are quite useful for reconnaissance or ambushes, and their skills are significantly different from those of regular mercenaries.

To think they even have mounted mercenaries.

It felt like a testament to the long-standing tradition of the Powell caravan’s regular long-distance trade.

“I heard this is Sir William’s first time participating in the trade.”

“Yes, this is my first time doing something like this. So, I’m a bit worried.”

“There’s no need to worry. You can trust us. Ask us anything you don’t know. Our Wolfpaw Mercenary Group regularly participates in the Powell caravan’s trade. We participate in at least three out of the four trades a year, so sometimes people say we’re not mercenaries but the caravan’s private soldiers.”

The mercenaries assigned with me were all from the same mercenary group. Some had stayed in the city of Kalmar for rest or recuperation, and the rest of the group was participating in the trade.

So, they were a small mercenary group specializing in mounted mercenaries.

The city of Kalmar was quite a large commercial city, so it seemed possible to maintain such a mercenary group.

The one talking to me was Jukup, the leader of the mercenary group. He was also the leader of the reconnaissance team.

Equipped with the typical gear of light cavalry, he was a seasoned middle-aged warrior.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen an entire mercenary group on horseback.”

“It’s rare, indeed. But since everyone is on horseback, we can participate in the Powell caravan’s trade so frequently that people say we’re not mercenaries but the caravan’s private soldiers. When the caravan’s private soldiers can’t go out on reconnaissance, we go out instead. Thanks to that, we receive various conveniences, but it’s also quite dangerous.”

“Dangerous, you say?”

“These days, things are a bit off. Originally, I only had to worry about sudden appearances of monsters, but the atmosphere has been getting worse over the past few years. Last time, four people were injured during the trade. So, I was planning to take a break this time, but Brandon insisted so strongly that I joined out of loyalty. And Brandon boasted that he had invited three amazing people this time, so there was nothing to worry about.”

“That makes me feel a bit relieved. But can you tell me who these invited people are?”

A smile of amusement appeared on Jukup’s face.

It was the expression of someone looking at a junior who is skilled but still inexperienced in social matters.

“First of all, Mihau the Dual Swordsman is participating. He is an officer of the Black Bear Mercenary Corps, contracted with the Pawel Trading Company, but he rarely joins the trade. Usually, he just trains and doesn’t even leave his house. There are several nobles who want him as a knight, but he prefers the free life of a mercenary. And then there’s the wizard Pyotr. He has a reputation for being almost unbeatable in fire magic. And finally, there’s Sir William.”

“What?”

“Yes, Sir William. He defeated the bandit knight Kaal, and recently, he took down two knight-level experts in an instant. The rising star. He is right in front of me.”

“You overestimate me.”

“Sir William, you need to know your own worth. Even if only half of the rumors are true, Brandon would go to great lengths to invite you. So, don’t sell yourself short. If Sir William doesn’t receive fair compensation, merchants will use your example to mercilessly undercut mercenaries of ambiguous skill like us. So, charge a high price.”

Jukup advised with a smile.

It was a given.

If the top of the industry accepts reduced compensation for any reason, those below will not receive fair treatment, and those much lower may not receive any compensation at all. No one asks why the compensation was reduced. Only the fact that it was reduced matters.

Jukup was someone who understood how the world worked.

Such a person is also well-informed about the world’s rumors.

“Captain Jukup, do you know someone named Ethan?”

“Ethan? The one Brandon takes around?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I don’t think he’s from Kalmar. I heard he was from the Barony of Patson. I’m not sure. His personality is just like a merchant’s, and he’s quick with numbers. That’s why Brandon entrusted him with the finances. But why do you ask?”

If I bring up the minimap here, I’ll be confirmed as a madman.

Even if they believe me, it will be a problem.

I’m willing to bet my pinky finger that a wizard will come to open my head.

So, let’s frame it.

“I’m not always like this, but I have a really good sense, you could call it intuition. And sometimes, that intuition hits people hard. When that happens, my predictions are mostly correct. That’s why I asked. It’s just a feeling.”

“Sir William, I’d like to hear more.”

“I’d like to hear more too.”

Brandon, with a stern expression, was there.