Chapter 16
Just as Jessica had worried, things did not go well.
Her attempt to recruit people ran into trouble from the very beginning.
The reason was simple.
What she had told the guild yesterday had already spread among the mercenaries.
The loose-lipped guild employee had apparently been unable to resist gossiping about such an interesting story.
Of course, there was nothing wrong with spreading the news that a mercenary had received a Coronation Invitation.
The problem was that Jessica's misfortune had been spread along with it.
Thanks to that, she could barely even get a proper conversation started.
"Um, could I talk to you for a moment...?"
"I heard what happened. That's really unfortunate. But sorry, things aren't good for us either."
"Is your party resting right now?"
"No, we just got a request. I need to go. Let's talk later."
Even the mercenaries she managed to approach all rejected her.
"With your current situation, I don't think it'll work. You can't go deep into the Great Forest without a proper party."
"What about handing the job over to another mercenary company?"
Some even made suggestions of their own.
"If your client knows the location of a dungeon, why not deal with him instead? If you don't want to kill him, just get the location out of him and break the contract afterward."
Naturally, the request she had posted through the guild attracted almost no one.
And the mercenaries she had been close to gave her only painful advice.
"With your current situation, it'll be difficult. If it were near the entrance of the Great Forest, you could put together a temporary team. But if you're going deep inside, you'll need a mercenary company or an old, established party. Something like your old party."
Jessica suffered nothing but bitter failure on the first day.
Even so, when she returned to the inn, she did not show her disappointment.
But one day passed.
Then two.
Jessica's expression gradually darkened.
No matter how much time passed, she could not find people.
She later approached mercenaries returning from jobs as well.
But once they learned about her situation, they all turned her down.
The mercenaries who were close to her instead suggested that she join their parties or mercenary companies.
Some of them meant well.
But Jessica already knew how a lone woman would be treated inside most mercenary companies.
A mage might receive noble-like treatment because of her profession.
For other classes, however, surviving alone as a female mercenary was never easy.
As time passed, Jessica felt the height of reality's wall more and more clearly.
Eventually, one week later, she apologized to Jake.
"I'm sorry."
She stood in the middle of Jake's room with a dark expression.
"I don't think I can gather enough people by myself."
"I told you there was no need to rush."
Jake looked at her calmly.
"It's only been a week."
"No. Even if more time passes, it won't work like this."
Jessica shook her head.
"Without a proper party or mercenary company acting as the center, people won't gather. And I can't exactly grab random wanderers either."
She took a breath.
"I'll earn the money and pay the penalty for breaking the contract."
Then she added,
"And if you want, I'll introduce you to a decent mercenary company."
Jake sighed when he saw her expression.
"I'm not canceling the contract."
"You can't do that!"
Jessica raised her voice.
"You'll only waste your time!"
"Whether I waste my time is my problem."
Jake shrugged.
"And if we don't cancel it, you don't have to pay the penalty. That's good for you, isn't it?"
"If you keep saying things like that, I'm going to get angry!"
She really did look ready to get angry.
Apparently, this was not the time for jokes.
Jake changed his tone.
"Well, I thought this might happen."
He leaned back slightly.
"Let's use Plan B."
"Plan B?"
"I thought of another method in case you failed."
Jessica blinked.
"You had another method?"
She stared at him.
"Do you know that much about mercenary work too?"
"If I knew that much, would I have asked you for help in the first place?"
"Huh?"
The more Jake spoke, the more confused Jessica became.
"So, Jessica."
Jake continued.
"I'd like you to recommend me as a mercenary."
"Didn't you say you weren't going to become a mercenary?"
"This is the only method left."
"What method?"
Jake smiled faintly.
"You said something before, remember?"
"What?"
"That mercenary saying."
Jessica tilted her head.
Jake quoted her.
"If you can hitch a ride, hitch a ride."
He continued,
"Now it's our turn to do exactly that."
"What does that even mean?"
After hearing Jake's explanation, Jessica stared at him in disbelief.
Jake ended the discussion with one simple statement.
"First, let's register me as a mercenary."
The next day, the two returned to the guild office.
"Jessica is recommending you?"
The female employee accepting the application looked at them strangely.
"Are you planning to create a new party?"
Her expression was awkward.
But Jessica's expression was equally awkward.
Even now, she found Jake's plan difficult to believe.
"That doesn't really matter, does it?"
Jessica crossed her arms.
"Just let him take the test."
"Well... that's true."
The employee looked over Jake's application.
"Hmm. You wrote crossbow as your specialty."
She stood and guided the two toward the rear of the building.
"Allen is handling today's tests."
She looked at Jake.
"You know what the test involves, right?"
Jake nodded.
During the week since arriving in Lutetia, that was exactly the kind of information he had been gathering.
He had researched whether his Plan B was actually possible.
And once he learned he would need to become a mercenary for it to work, he prepared for the mercenary test.
Becoming a mercenary in Lutetia was far more difficult than in other countries.
It was even more difficult than in other imperial territories.
That made sense.
These were mercenaries expected to enter the Great Forest.
Their pride was high.
And the difficulty of their qualification test matched that pride.
Still...
Jake was confident when it came to tests.
Being a reincarnator was extremely useful at times like this.
First, he checked how the test was conducted.
Then he found out which examiner worked on which days.
Finally, he researched which examiner gave out passing scores most generously.
That was why they had suddenly come to take the test today.
Allen, today's examiner, was known among the guild-affiliated mercenaries as the easiest person to pass under.
After choosing his examiner, Jake studied the questions.
There would be questions about basic mercenary knowledge.
A test of his specialty.
And an evaluation of his character through conversation.
Jake already had the disadvantage of looking young.
So he had prepared even more thoroughly.
"Oh, Jessica recommended this rookie?"
A broad, friendly-looking middle-aged man with thick sideburns looked over.
"Then why bother with a test? Just pass him."
As expected.
Jake had chosen well.
The man was already reaching for the approval stamp without even properly looking at him.
"Mr. Allen!"
The female employee immediately stopped him.
