Golden Maggot Volf.
Woojin had thought that once he could sense mana, everything afterward would be relatively easy. In conclusion, it had been quite an arrogant assumption.
"Look here. This is the interesting part. When drawing the outer boundary, you have to adjust the shape while considering the interaction between rune characters…"
"Wait. I don't even understand what you just said."
The pace was too fast.
Claire explained kindly and as clearly as she could, but the principles of magic felt as complicated as staring at the blueprint of intricate machinery.
Woojin hadn't studied seriously for over ten years. His mind, stiff from neglect, struggled to function and instead seemed to overheat. Pressing a hand to his throbbing forehead, he glared at the book.
Claire watched him with an amused smile, as though she had expected this outcome all along.
"Now you see why so few mana users actually learn magic, right? Honestly, I struggled a lot when I first started too. If it's too difficult, would you like to learn something else?"
"Like what?"
"Obviously, the 'Mana Arts' branch."
Claire picked up a fallen twig from the ground. Soon, it became wrapped in a faint glow—just like Hector's technique.
"It's a skill that reinforces the body or weapons by wrapping them in mana."
"You can do this too?"
"I'd love to say I'm just that talented… but I only know the rough principle. This is basically just for show."
She gripped the glowing twig with both hands and snapped it. It broke easily, despite her not using much force. It looked flashy but had no real effect.
Mana Arts were techniques mastered only by those skilled in martial combat. Claire knew only the theory.
"You have good reflexes. You're strong in a fight. If you understand the principle, you might be able to pull off Mana Arts easily."
"How do you do it?"
"You burn the mana inside your body like firewood, then channel that heat into your sword."
…Naturally, that explanation provided absolutely no clarity. And frankly, he wasn't interested.
"I'd rather learn magic."
"Why?"
"Well… it's more versatile. And it looks cool."
What Woojin needed was a skill that could enrich his life. Even without Mana Arts, he could already beat most monsters to death.
At that, Claire grinned mischievously.
"If that's what you want, then you'll just have to study harder."
"…Seems so."
Studying magic was tedious, but having something to immerse himself in made time pass quickly.
Six days later.
Woojin and the Sailfish Mercenary Company arrived at their destination: the Fourth Pioneer City. It was the largest city he had seen so far. Tall stone walls and wooden palisades surrounded it in two layers.
The Fourth Pioneer City was the second-largest among the cities beyond the great barrier. Several large bloodstone mines lay nearby, and it functioned as an outpost jointly established by the Pioneer Corps and the Church Alliance.
Naturally, they couldn't bring a wolf inside.
"Rex. Go play around the area."
At Woojin's words, Rex immediately dashed into the forest. After days of moving with people, he had likely felt stifled.
Claire watched the wolf's retreating figure with concern.
"I'm worried. What if he goes hungry out there?"
"He'll be fine. He never forgets to secure his own meals."
Worrying about that wolf was practically a waste of energy. Among all the monsters Woojin had encountered, Rex ranked among the most cunning.
They entered the city with the mercenary company. After securing lodging for the night, Jonathan gathered everyone together.
"I'll head to the guild and meet some friends. I'll be back tomorrow morning. Until then, eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves! If anyone causes trouble while drunk, be prepared to die by my hand."
They were given free time.
The mercenaries cheered loudly and soon scattered in small groups throughout the city.
Claire naturally approached Woojin.
"What should we do?"
"Let's look around first."
He wanted to see the inside of the city.
The two walked as if out for a stroll. There were many people moving along the streets.
Woojin found it odd. Even considering the city's size, there seemed to be too many people.
"Is it always this crowded?"
"There are usually a lot of people, but not this many. I think they've gathered to take on Golden Maggot Volf's request."
"Volf? Who's that?"
Claire looked surprised.
"You… don't know Volf? He's the most influential merchant operating in the Pioneer Cities."
"I've never had interest in that sort of thing."
"Then I'll need to explain."
Volf. Commonly called the Golden Maggot.
The nickname stemmed from his extraordinary business acumen. Just as weevils gather where grain is stored, wherever large sums of gold flowed, Volf was always present.
Most of the alcohol and luxury goods entering the Demon Realm passed through his trading company. Among living merchants of the Demon Realm, he was considered the wealthiest magnate.
"Recently, though, there's been a troubling rumor about him."
"Did he start some illegal enterprise?"
"That's nothing new, so rumors wouldn't spread over that. To put it bluntly… they say Volf has gone mad."
At some point, Volf had seemingly decided to live in seclusion and had not appeared publicly for months. That alone wasn't shocking. The real issue came after.
Volf sold off all his businesses at dirt-cheap prices. The trading empire he had painstakingly built was practically given away for nothing. Once this became known, rumors spread rapidly among merchants.
The Golden Maggot abandoning flourishing ventures—such a thing could only happen if he had lost his mind.
"That should be enough background. Now, about Volf's request—"
"Wait."
Woojin interrupted.
"Uh… why? Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing like that. I think it'd be more comfortable to sit while we talk. Let's go into a shop and order something to drink."
"There's a decent restaurant nearby."
Following Claire's lead, they walked toward it. Soon, they entered the establishment, took seats, ordered food—and resumed their conversation.
"Where did I leave off?"
"You were about to talk about Volf's request."
"Ah, right. It's simple. I told you Volf liquidated all his businesses in the Demon Realm, didn't I? So what do you think he planned to do next?"
It was an easy question.
"He'd return inside the Wall. No reason to stay in the Demon Realm any longer."
"Exactly. But Volf's operations were so vast that he'd accumulated an enormous fortune. To transport all of that safely inside the Wall, he needed mercenaries. That's the request I was talking about."
Whenever great wealth is on the move, hyenas inevitably follow.
That was why Volf had begun searching for reliable mercenaries. To ensure safe transport, he needed not only skill but loyalty—people who wouldn't betray him.
The Sailfish Mercenary Company had attempted to hunt Mad Skull precisely to add another achievement to their record and catch Volf's eye.
"And then I nearly died because of bad luck… though thanks to that, I got to become this close with you."
Claire raised her glass slightly as she said it. Reading her intent, Woojin lifted his as well. They clinked their glasses together.
The drink inside was unexpectedly strong.
"…Didn't they call this mead? Why does it not taste sweet at all?"
"You didn't know when you ordered it? Mead is usually strong. Once honey ferments, the sweetness fades and the alcohol content rises…"
"Wait. I need to order something else."
Woojin quickly grabbed the menu, looking slightly flustered. Claire, amused, teased him.
"What a shame. If you finished that, we might've gotten even closer tonight."
"Getting too close too quickly isn't good either."
He ordered a bottle of apple juice instead. Soon, the server placed a glass bottle on the table.
The mead bottle and juice bottle stood side by side. Claire stared at them for a moment, then gestured at their labels.
"Look at the logos. Both bottles have a golden beetle on them. That's the symbol of the Golden Maggot."
"Both made by his trading company?"
"That's right. Even the beer we drank before was his product. Production, distribution, sales—he practically monopolized everything. No wonder he made so much money."
Claire muttered thoughtfully.
"Why would Volf give all that up? It was a system where money multiplied on its own."
"…Yeah."
Woojin also fell into thought. It was certainly strange—strange enough that the rumors of madness didn't seem entirely baseless.
After spending some time with Claire, Woojin returned to the inn and went to sleep.
The next morning, Jonathan gathered the members early. His expression looked grim.
"Volf is dead."
The announcement came abruptly. No one had expected it. Murmurs spread through the group.
"Quiet! I'm not finished."
After silencing them, Jonathan continued.
"Don't overreact. There've been rumors for months that Volf wasn't well. It's not shocking that he's dead. What matters is the request we're taking on."
Although Volf had died, the cargo escort request had not been canceled. There were others capable of stepping into his place.
Volf had three children—two sons and a daughter. The eldest and second son were currently in the Fourth Pioneer City, and both were eager to move the Golden Maggot's fortune inside the Wall.
"In other words, our job hasn't changed. We're transporting the Golden Maggot's wealth inside the Wall. The problem is, this job is too big for a single mercenary company to handle."
It would take at least a month to travel from the Fourth Pioneer City to the Wall. Along the way, there was no telling what enemies they might encounter.
To transport that wealth safely, more manpower was required.
"Three companies will form an alliance. Ours is one. The other two are the Red Horn Mercenary Company and the Iron Shield Mercenary Company. They're fairly reputable in the industry."
Naturally, Woojin had never heard of them. He knew nothing about the mercenary world.
He glanced at the others. The reactions were largely positive. People muttered that those companies were trustworthy partners.
It seemed they would be working alongside well-regarded groups.
'Things are going better than expected.'
Woojin's ultimate destination had always been the Alliance's Wall. Traveling with armed mercenaries meant greater safety—and participating in the escort mission meant earning money along the way.
…But one thing bothered him.
'Why did Volf die?'
For some reason, he had a bad feeling about it.