Modern Weapons Cheat in Fantasy World-Chapter 40: Planning for a Business
"Mercenary group. Ah I do remember us talking about it," Elaina said as she recalled. "Given with your reputation, destroying a nest of wyverns and clearing a goblin nest on your own. You can basically start your own mercenary group. Though I wonder why you would do that when by just working at the guild, you can earn a lot more money and a guaranteed job."
Marcus took another bite of the roasted lamb before answering.
"Because I don’t like limits," he said simply.
Elaina tilted her head slightly.
"Limits?"
Marcus nodded once.
"At the guild, I take what’s posted," he continued. "I follow the system. Rank, availability, approval. It works, but it’s controlled."
He paused for a moment, thinking as he spoke.
"With a mercenary group, I choose the jobs. I decide how to handle them. No waiting. No restrictions on scale."
Elaina listened quietly, her eyes focused on him.
"That sounds... risky," she said after a second.
"It is," Marcus admitted. "But it’s also more flexible."
He shifted his gaze toward the stalls around them, watching people move between vendors.
"And if I build it right," he added, "it won’t just be about me anymore."
Elaina caught that.
"You’re planning to recruit people?"
"Yeah. The adventurer’s guild has a lot of registered adventurers right?"
"We do but they are not as strong as you," Elaina said.
"They don’t need to be as strong as me. Even a E-rank or D-rank would do so long that they are physically fit and disciplined," Marcus finished.
Elaina looked at him for a moment, then frowned slightly.
"...Wouldn’t that slow you down?" she asked. "If they’re weaker than you, wouldn’t they just become a liability?"
Marcus shook his head once.
"Not if they’re trained properly."
Elaina crossed her arms lightly, still thinking it through.
"Training can only go so far," she said. "Experience matters too. Most E-rank adventurers barely handle basic quests. Some of them panic under pressure."
Marcus nodded.
"I know."
"Then why take them in?" she pressed. "Wouldn’t it be better to recruit higher ranks instead? At least they can keep up."
Marcus took a step forward, stopping at another stall, but his attention stayed on her.
"Higher ranks come with their own problems," he said. "They have their own priorities. Their own way of doing things. Harder to manage."
Elaina paused.
That made sense.
"And lower ranks don’t?" she asked.
"They’re easier to shape," Marcus replied. "Less habits to unlearn. If I train them from the start, they’ll follow a system that works. This won’t fail. After all, this is what I planned from the start. To start my own shop. And I have a proposition for you."
"What is it?" Elaina asked.
"Would you be willing to work as my secretary if I build one?"
Elaina blinked.
"...Your secretary?" she repeated.
Marcus nodded.
"Yes."
Elaina looked at him more carefully now, like she was trying to figure out if he was serious or just speaking on impulse.
"You’re asking me to leave the guild," she said.
"I think you are capable in clerical works, given your position in the adventurer’s guild," Marcus said. "Of course, it won’t be now, but will you be willing when the time comes? I’ll pay double the salary the guild is paying you."
"...Double?" she repeated quietly.
Marcus nodded.
"Yes."
Elaina looked down at the ground for a moment, her fingers lightly tightening against the edge of her skirt.
"It’s not just about the salary," she said after a second.
Marcus glanced at her.
"What is it then?"
Elaina hesitated.
Then she let out a small breath.
"Mercenary groups don’t have steady income," she said. "You depend on contracts. On clients. Some weeks you earn a lot, other times... nothing."
Marcus didn’t interrupt.
"I’ve seen it before," she continued. "Groups that started strong, then struggled because work wasn’t consistent. They couldn’t sustain their expenses."
She looked at him again.
"That kind of instability is dangerous."
Marcus nodded once.
"It is."
Elaina’s gaze softened slightly, but there was tension behind it now.
"I... already have financial commitments," she said.
Marcus caught that immediately.
"...Like what?"
Elaina hesitated again, then answered.
"A house," she said. "I financed it a year ago."
Marcus’s expression shifted slightly.
That explained it.
"I make monthly payments," she continued. "If I miss them..." she paused for a brief second, then finished, "the bank can take it back."
"Like I said again, I will pay you double than what the guild is paying you, and it will be consistent, no matter if there is a client or not."
"But mercenary group is a business and not just you," Elaina continued, looking at him seriously. "You’ll have to pay your men too."
Marcus didn’t respond right away.
"It’s not just salary for me," she said. "If you build a group, you’ll have expenses. Regular ones. Food, equipment, lodging, maintenance. And if you’re serious about structure like you said..."
She paused for a second.
"...then you’ll be paying them even when there’s no active contract."
Marcus nodded once.
"That’s the plan."
Elaina frowned slightly.
"That’s expensive."
"It is."
"And if there’s no steady income?" she pressed. "Where does the money come from then?"
Marcus glanced at the stalls for a moment, then back at her.
"I cover it."
Elaina blinked.
"...You cover all of it?"
"Yes."
She stared at him for a second longer, trying to read if he was overestimating himself.
"That’s not a small amount," she said. "Even a small group will cost a lot to maintain. And if it grows..."
"It will grow," Marcus said. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Elaina exhaled quietly.
"That makes it even more risky."
Marcus gave a small shrug.
"That’s not the same," Elaina replied. "This isn’t a one-time risk. This is continuous. Month after month."
Marcus nodded.
"I know."
"Then why are you so sure you can sustain it?" she asked.
Marcus met her gaze directly.
"Because I’m not relying on the same system everyone else uses."
Elaina narrowed her eyes slightly.
"And what is that?"
"I will tell you when the time comes."
