Volume 5 Chapter 58 I Was Admired, But...
When I emerged from my room after spending the night with Reed, I was greeted by the enthusiastic welcome of the members of the Reed Mercenary Group. I had just finished sweating from a bath in the afternoon, but upon my return, her members welcomed me.
What surprised me a little was that all the members of the mercenary group knew that Reed was a woman. I had thought it was a secret shared only by a few.
"Ugh... has spring finally come for our leader?"
"I always thought our leader would never be involved with a man... I'm really glad."
"""Hooray! Hooray!!"""
The unexpected reactions left me at a loss. I could understand if they showed hostility or started a fight, but I never expected such a completely opposite reaction. Some were so moved that they even started crying. I was also at a loss for words at the overwhelmingly unexpected reactions.
During the conflict, the members' movements were smooth, showing a very high level of skill even from Aina's perspective. Reed isn't just a tyrant, it's proof that she can lead the mercenary group effectively.
However, it was surprising to see how strongly she was admired.
"The leader may be misunderstood by others, but she really takes good care of us members. She's always there for us."
"Moreover, even among mercenaries like us, those who stand out are able to make a living because the leader took pity on us and brought us into the mercenary group. She may act quickly, but..."
"Furthermore, she doesn't assign us to tasks we can't handle. If we mess up on a mission and get injured, she might even add extra to the reward in place of healing expenses. Oh, of course, there are no idiots who intentionally mess up around here. She may act without reason, though."
When it comes to listing Reed's good points, they just keep coming. It wasn't entirely wrong to call her a tyrant, but it seems she is the type of tyrant who is admired.
Even though Reed and her mercenary group have caused minor issues here and there, including situations like when they first made contact with us, their policy is that they will never commit major wrongdoings that linger afterwards. Reed is very strict about this, and the members follow without any complaints.
"Can I really be so serious about it, or is it just surprising or feels off?"
"We know that we are scoundrels who can be rowdy, enjoy good food and drink good alcohol, and can be satisfied as long as there's a woman around. The leader understands these things well."
Reed is also a person who would be on the side of the outcasts if she were not a mercenary. Because of that, she probably understand similar people well. As long as her desires are fulfilled, she can fit into society without expressing any dissatisfaction elsewhere.
"Even though she's skilled, it's impressive how big sis can see through and not let in any real scumbags."
Occasionally, there are those who want to join the group just to do as they please under Reed's name, but almost always Reed personally beats them up and throws them in the trash.
Despite being quick to fight and violent, Reed runs the mercenary group with a strict policy of reward and punishment, and as long as greed is kept in check, Reed is a principled person.
However, her greed is a major issue, and it's said to be one of the main reasons why Reed hasn't been promoted to the 1st rank mercenary.
"The worst part was when the leader fell for the noble's daughter who was the client, and in exchange for cutting the fee in half, she asked for a night with her. The girl seemed somewhat interested, so things got pretty heated."
"Well, of course it would get heated. What was she thinking?"
"In the end, we had to pay some sort of compensation or nuisance fee to her, but we ended up in a huge deficit. The leader was satisfied with the outcome, including that."
So, that's the kind of mischievous leader she was, but such traits also appeared as one of the charms to the members of the group.
"She was such a reliable big sister figure, but that's why I was worried. Despite being so beautiful and capable, she had no interest in men at all. She only brought women back to the inn, so all the members were worried that she wouldn't find a partner."
"Did you tell her that?"
"If I did, it wouldn't end with just a scolding!"
Yeah, I had to agree with that. Reed herself had never sought out men before, and she had told me that I was her first. I could somewhat understand her feelings too.
"But you know, is it really okay for everyone's beloved leader to be doing this and that with a guy like me? Honestly, I had thought about whether I would have to fight you guys at least once."
"If the person facing the leader was just some random guy, we wouldn't have accepted it no matter what. But you're different. Without a doubt, you're a man worthy of the leader's recognition, and we are watching your fighting spirit. Those who even traveled to Kahlua headquarters have seen you wield that amazing sword. After seeing that, there's no choice but to acknowledge you."
After finishing her recovery and being able to get out of bed, Reed gathered the members before the victory celebration began and conveyed the proposal that Kyunei had told her to everyone. She seemed surprised by how smoothly her members accepted it.
"You're the one our leader recognizes and has fallen for. There's no room for complaints now."
In this scene, everyone from the Reed Mercenary Group present here bows their heads simultaneously, just like the Jingin Family did last night.
"Please take care of our leader, Boss Yukina (danna)."
"This happened yesterday too."
And so, following the Jingin Family, I would come to have the Reed Mercenary Group under my wing.
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