Modern Weapons Cheat in Fantasy World-Chapter 52: In Action

A day later, they got to work on their plan.

Marcus had already expected that once he started moving, things would begin to line up quickly. Elaina was the same. Once she accepted something, she did not drag her feet. She simply did it.

That morning, the two of them split their responsibilities.

Elaina remained in Berm.

Marcus went out to handle the land.

Before they separated, they had gone over the names one last time inside her house. The list had already been reduced from dozens of files into something more usable. Twenty names. A mix of E-rank and D-rank adventurers. Not the strongest in the guild. Not the most famous. But each had something Marcus wanted.

Elaina held the paper in one hand and looked at him.

"Twenty is a lot for a first invitation," she said.

Marcus nodded once.

"I know."

"What if all of them say yes?"

"Then we screen them further."

"And if only a few say yes?"

Marcus looked at her.

"Then we start with a few."

Marcus wasn’t trying to build a finished company in one day. He was trying to lay a foundation. A proper one.

Elaina folded the list neatly.

"I’ll talk to them carefully," she said. "Not all at once. If I call them in like an official guild matter, it’ll raise questions."

Marcus nodded.

"Good."

Elaina looked at him for a second longer.

"You really are moving fast."

Marcus gave a small shrug.

"We already wasted enough time talking."

That earned a quiet breath from her, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh.

"Alright."

Then they stepped out and went in different directions.

Elaina headed for the guild.

Marcus headed toward the commercial district.

The city of Berm was already awake by then. Morning carts rolled through the streets, merchants arranged goods outside their shops, and adventurers moved in and out of the guild with the usual casual noise that followed people who made their living by taking risks for money. It was a normal day to them.

For Marcus and Elaina, it was the beginning of something else.

Inside the guild, Elaina returned to her desk and resumed her work like normal.

At least on the surface.

The moment she sat down, one of her coworkers leaned toward her.

"You’re doing it today?" she whispered.

Elaina did not need to ask what she meant.

"Yes," she answered quietly.

The woman blinked.

"You’re really serious about leaving."

Elaina paused for only a second before nodding.

"Yes."

That was enough to stop further questions, at least for now.

Elaina settled into her role, processing routine requests and answering questions from adventurers as they came up to the counter. She moved as she always did, organized, calm, efficient, but her eyes kept drifting toward the list tucked beneath her ledger.

Twenty names.

She would need to do this carefully.

So she waited.

Not for long.

Just until the morning rush softened.

The first one she called over was a quiet E-rank adventurer named Tomas Vale. He was twenty years old, broad-shouldered, not especially talented with the sword, but his record showed something Marcus liked. He finished what he started. No failed assignments. No disciplinary complaints. No gambling debts. No drunken incidents.

That mattered.

When he approached the desk, Tomas looked confused.

"Miss Elaina?"

Elaina lowered her voice slightly.

"I have something to ask you," she said. "Privately."

That got his attention.

He stepped closer.

Elaina glanced briefly around the room, then continued.

"Marcus Manfred is recruiting."

Tomas blinked.

"The Marcus Manfred?"

"Yes," Elaina said. "The one who dealt with the wyverns. He’s starting a mercenary company."

Tomas stared at her for a second.

Then his posture straightened.

"He’s recruiting?"

Elaina nodded.

"He’s looking for capable men. E-rank to D-rank. Those willing to work, train, and commit long term."

Tomas hesitated.

Then asked the obvious question.

"What’s the pay?"

Elaina answered directly.

"A handsome monthly salary."

That changed his face immediately.

Monthly. Not per quest or posting.

Not dependent on whether the board had work.

A steady income.

For an E-rank adventurer, that was not a small thing.

"I’m interested," he said almost at once.

Elaina nodded and wrote something in the margin of her list.

"Good. Be ready when I call for a formal meeting."

Tomas stepped back, still looking like he wasn’t sure if what he had just heard was real.

That was the first.

The next one took longer.

A D-rank adventurer named Rolf Aster. Strong build. Better field performance. Reliable in escort missions. Slight tendency to be reckless, but nothing unmanageable.

When Elaina mentioned Marcus’s name, his reaction was immediate.

"You mean the guy who cleared Northwood alone?"

"Yes."

Rolf folded his arms.

"And he’s recruiting?"

"Yes."

Rolf looked away for a second, clearly thinking.

"What kind of pay?"

Elaina repeated herself.

"Handsome monthly salary."

That got him too.

Not because he was poor, but because he understood what consistent pay meant. Most adventurers lived contract to contract. Feast and famine. Some weeks were good. Some were not.

A guaranteed monthly wage meant stability.

By noon, Elaina had quietly approached seven names.

By the time the day stretched further into the afternoon, she had spoken to all twenty.

Not one of them refused outright.

Some were cautious.

Some skeptical.

Some eager the moment Marcus’s name was mentioned.

But all of them listened.

And most importantly, all of them were interested enough to hear more.

By the end of her shift, Elaina had a second list.

Those willing.

Those uncertain.

Those interested but wanting details.

That was more than enough for a first step.

While she did that, Marcus spent his day elsewhere.

The commercial district of Berm was a different world from the guild. Less noise from adventurers. More noise from traders, brokers, clerks, moneylenders, and property agents. It was a part of the city built less on swords and more on agreements.

That was where he found the middleman.

His name was Gerrand Voss, a man in his late forties with neatly combed dark hair, a trimmed beard, and the kind of clothes that told Marcus immediately what kind of work he did. Expensive enough to suggest success. Plain enough to suggest he wanted clients to trust him rather than envy him.

His office sat between a shipping registrar and a grain merchant’s counting house. Modest outside, and neat inside.

Gerrand looked up when Marcus entered.

"Marcus Manfred," he said after a brief pause of recognition. "Well. That is not a client I expected today."

Marcus sat across from him without wasting time.

"I need land."

Gerrand folded his hands on the desk.

"That much is clear. How much land?"

"Fifty hectares."

That made the man blink once.

"That’s not a farm."

"No."

Gerrand studied him more carefully now.

"What kind of business are you planning?"

"A mercenary company."

The middleman’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

"I see."

Marcus leaned back just enough to make it clear he was not there to be tested.

"I need the land outside Berm. Not inside. Main road access. Flat or slightly elevated. Expandable if possible."

Gerrand nodded slowly.

"That can be arranged. In theory."

Marcus caught the wording.

"In theory?"

Gerrand reached for a sheet of paper and a pen.

"Because outside-city land is under kingdom jurisdiction. Inside Berm, city approvals can be enough depending on size. But fifty hectares outside the walls? That touches provincial administration and, depending on the exact location, crown land review."

Marcus’s expression did not change.

"Explain."

Gerrand nodded and started listing it out.

"First, location verification. Then title confirmation. Then territorial category. If it belongs to private holders, we negotiate purchase and transfer. If it belongs to provincial authority or crown reserve, an acquisition petition is required."

He wrote quickly as he spoke.

"After that comes use declaration. You must state the purpose of the land. Commercial, agricultural, residential, military, or mixed infrastructure."

Marcus listened.

"And then?"

"Inspection requests. Surveying. Tax registration. Regional approval. Seal authorization. Transfer recording."

Gerrand looked up.

"And if any of those levels decide your use is unusual, it may be delayed for further review."

Marcus stared at the list for a moment.

Then let out a small breath.

"Too slow."

Gerrand nodded.

"It usually is."

Marcus tapped the arm of the chair once.

"How do I simplify it?"

That made Gerrand pause.

He looked at Marcus again, longer this time, like he was deciding how direct he could be.

"By paying someone who already knows how to move it through the system," he said.

Marcus did not smile, but there was the faintest shift in his expression.

"Meaning you."

"Yes."

Gerrand did not pretend otherwise.

"I know who to talk to, who needs what document first, what language they want in the petition, and how to keep it from sitting untouched in some office for a month."

Marcus leaned forward slightly.

"How fast?"

Gerrand answered after only a second.

"If everything aligns well, one week."

That was fast enough.

Marcus nodded.

"Good."

Then came the next question.

"How much?"

Gerrand looked down at his notes.

"For land outside Berm, you’re in luck. Compared to the central provinces, Berm is still one of the cheaper areas in the kingdom."

He did the math on paper.

"For fifty hectares of usable land with road access and the kind of placement you’re asking for..."

He paused briefly.

"Around 3,000,000 kinah."

Marcus did not react.

That was a large amount, but not absurd.

Then Gerrand continued.

"My fee would be ten percent."

Marcus looked at him.

"Three hundred thousand."

"Yes."

For a normal buyer, that would have been an outrageous number.

For Marcus, it was just the cost of speed.

He thought about the bank briefly. He still had reserves there. If needed, he could move more money. And if he really wanted to push further, he could take another quest, something with enough payout to cover the expense. Or he could just loan it.

There was no issue.

Marcus nodded once.

"Fine."

Gerrand blinked.

"Just like that?"

Marcus looked at him flatly.

"I need the land. You said one week. Get it done."

The middleman stared at him for a second.

Then nodded.

"It will be done."

Marcus stood.

"I’ll want options. Not one piece of land. At least three."

Gerrand immediately wrote it down.

"Three options. Fifty hectares. Road access. Usable terrain."

Marcus adjusted his sleeve.

"And no delays."

Gerrand gave a small nod.

"You’ll hear from me within the week."

Marcus turned and headed for the door.

Then stopped just before exiting.

"One more thing."

Gerrand looked up.

"If there’s a way to reduce how much the kingdom questions the intended use, do it."

The middleman studied him.

"You want discretion."

"Yes."

Gerrand gave a small nod.

"Understood."

Marcus left after that.