Savage Ascension: Starting with God-Tier Plunder Ability-Chapter 98: The Gap in Status

For War Merchant Panfanel, one gold coin was nothing. But those who have wealth don't think about the value of their money from their own perspective. You have to think from the perspective of the person receiving it. That's the only way to use your money most powerfully.

Naturally, there was no way a situation where he'd give it graciously would come.

'For Rowan, one gold coin has to have tremendous value. But to talk about it like throwing a stone...'

It was ridiculous.

There would never be a moment in a three-man mercenary group's lifetime when they'd ask for one gold coin. That's why he should refuse, but...

'Clever bastard. Bringing up nobility.'

And not just any nobility—he'd brought up a noble from a pretty successful family who was commanding at the Kingdom Camp. He'd thrown out a challenge to weigh himself against that.

'Compared to a deal with nobility, one gold coin is light.'

For Panfanel, who bought spoils of war, catching the merchant who was gaining profit through illegal deals with the robbers was basically a commission. Commander Gesilian Faerun would definitely address this point.

Forget one gold coin—he might demand substantial interests. Rowan didn't seem to realize the terrifying threat his words carried.

'He might not even know well, but he knows when to come in. For someone like this to be only fifteen. This is crazy.'

Rowan quietly waited for Panfanel's answer.

'Why is he thinking so deeply about this? Is there something I don't know?'

He felt anxious inside.

In the end, after much deliberation, Panfanel handed over one gold coin. Only then did Rowan smile.

"You've chosen well."

"No one must know about this."

"Don't worry."

Even at Rowan's words, Panfanel emphasized again.

"I've heard something from the soldiers. They say you distribute most of the mercenary group's profits accurately with your members. It's a very right thing to do and admirable consideration, but don't do that this time."

"Don't worry."

It was like a small fortune falling into his hands in an instant—enough to buy several warhorses or a modest house in town. Coming outside, Rowan headed to where his mercenary members were waiting. His steps got slower as time passed.

There was quite a bit he needed to confirm.

Rowan had firmly decided from before to split things 1/n with his mercenary members. Drawing aggro was one big role, and it was basically a tactic that allowed Rowan to handle enemies without a scratch.

Numbers were power in themselves, so Rowan definitely distributed loot, capture rewards, and daily wages equally. That wasn't simply because Rowan was kind. It was a method to have them recognized as a mercenary captain who gave fair value while also being generous, making them more attached to this mercenary group while raising his own influence.

It's human nature to want to stay at a good company. And even if the boss is a total dog, if the salary is high, it makes you think twice even when considering changing jobs. Money holds back people who would run away, and makes people more attached to good places.

Rowan understood this best. Because he'd lived not in this hick-town-like world but in the modern world overflowing with tremendous economic data.

When it came to money-related experience, it could be said he was overwhelming. Of course, most of it had no nutritional value, but still there was no shortage for forming his own judgments.

That's why Rowan appeared not just fair but generous in appropriate areas. That was also one calculation.

'But silver and gold coins are different.'

Silver coins could buy a week's worth of good meals and lodging per coin, maybe a decent weapon if you saved a few. But gold coins were different entirely—a single gold coin was worth a hundred silver pieces, enough to live comfortably for months or buy a plot of land. It was a value so different in dimension you had to use the word "scale." That also showed the gap in status. It was another standard that divided status.

Sharing this with mercenary members was ridiculous. They hadn't helped in the negotiation with War Merchant Panfanel, and they didn't even know about it in the first place.

Greed was natural.

If a saint keeps their word to the end, an ordinary person curses the boss at their part-time job but then automatically breaks into a big smile and bows saying "boss" when they actually see the boss. That was the difference between saints and ordinary people.

Rowan wasn't a personality upheld as a saint. He was an ordinary, utterly ordinary somebody from Earth. Ordinarily attending school, entering college and ruining the first semester so going to the military, graduating college and sometimes working part-time and then starting company life.

Giving away what amounted to months of comfortable living was difficult. He'd split commission fees that Doren and Espin could clearly know about 1/n, but not this gold coin.

There was no clear standard for distribution from shared requests versus Rowan alone, but at least for this matter, Rowan swallowed the one gold coin. He considered it his alone.

'It's fine to eat it.'

After self-rationalization, naturally he thought about other things too. He had to consider whether the image Bearded Doren and Large Shield Espin had of Rowan would break.

'Someone who lies a lot and someone who lies well are different.'

1).Could this matter be discovered by them? No. This is something they know nothing about, and they can't chat with someone who knows about it.

2).Would someone blab about this matter? Not at all. Panfanel would keep his mouth shut with Commander Gesilian in mind, and needless to say Rowan would too. Information about the gold coin would never come out.

3).Could they suspect Rowan? No. Rowan had shown himself generously distributing the loot from subjugating robbers, money received for capturing robbers, and daily wages the mercenary group would receive equally. Doren and Espin couldn't even imagine it.

Having confirmed all three minimum things to think about before lying, Rowan relaxed his face.

'This is why I hate lying. Too much to think about.'

Even while thinking that, he carefully hid the one gold coin. He considered this profit he'd gained alone. Also, as Panfanel said, it was money that had to be hidden.

'What's this?'

Rowan could see Doren and Espin not inside the military tent but outside, pacing around restlessly with two soldiers. The two of them ran over as soon as they saw Rowan.

"Mercenary Captain Rowan!"

"What's the matter?"

At that, the soldiers answered.

"Commander Gesilian Faerun is looking for you. It's an invitation to a dinner banquet."

"What?"

"You're already late even if you go right now, so you have to run as fast as you can."

The soldier didn't explain before or after, just ran, and Rowan ran frantically too. Of course, Doren and Espin did the same. The two had washed their faces and rinsed their hair with water even though it was night, so it was wet. The two seemed to have prepared hard in their own way.

But male carelessness showed up most clearly when rushed. They were still wearing leather armor and clothes with robbers' dried blood stuck on them.

That was the same for Rowan, but the soldiers seemed to place more importance on being late. These were soldiers who ate meals in places reeking of blood and filth. They didn't know the importance of hygiene in the first place, had little knowledge about grooming, and no interest at all.

"Huff. Huff."

Since they ran desperately, naturally their breathing got rough. This outdoor banquet wasn't being held just to celebrate the Tracking Mercenary Group.

It was something Commander Gesilian had prepared ahead of the subjugation to catch the illegal war merchant that War Merchant Panfanel and Senior Soldier Bulsheben had proceeded with excluding Rowan, and luckily the timing matched up.

Of course, they'd moved it up a day. Since they were doing it anyway, the mindset of doing it all at once was strong.

Veteran soldiers and Bulsheben attended, and in the highest seat, Commander Gesilian sat in a spot made higher by placing a small platform under his chair. Panfanel wasn't here—he wasn't invited to heighten the purposefulness of subjugation.

Of course, they'd talked beforehand, and Panfanel donated part of the banquet expenses to heighten the mood. Naturally, he spread that rumor himself to gain favor with the soldiers.

"Mercenary Captain Rowan! Why so late?"

When the two soldiers stood before Commander Gesilian, he shouted loudly, his face quite flushed from drinking. He seemed to have the drinking habit of getting louder when drunk, and looked quite excited. That's why Rowan answered very carefully.

"I apologize. I heard the news late."

"That can happen. You came after capturing thirty-one robbers, so I'll forgive you that much. Haha!"

Saying that, Commander Gesilian hugged Rowan once, then sat back down and pushed a cup forward.

"Have a drink. Today is a festival for tomorrow, so eat, drink, and enjoy."

Receiving the drink while standing, Rowan looked at Commander Gesilian when the bottle shook. His smiling mood had completely disappeared. The surroundings had become quiet, because his expression changed so severely the soldiers noticed.

Rowan got scared.

This was Rowan who'd worried that even touching one son of a local influential person in a fairly large village, that influence might overwhelm him.

"Ah, haha, hahaha!"

Suddenly Commander Gesilian laughed loudly while pouring the cup a bit overfull and rubbed his eyes.

"Did I get drunk? Suddenly spacing out!"

Hahaha!

Laughter burst out everywhere. Rowan felt like he was being teased but skillfully smiled.

Doren and Espin didn't receive even one glance from Commander Gesilian and came to sit in the most remote spot together. Their fairly disappointed expressions melted away like snow before the food. The liquor had a rich, thick taste, so it went down gulp after gulp.

"Kehehehe! Look at that soldier. He's just pouring liquor down. It's all spilling. All spilling."

"Kihihi! What about that one. He's gonna tear his crotch like that."

Espin and Doren were excited. Since this was their first time at such a gathering, they kept looking around talking about how that soldier's doing this, that soldier's doing that. Rowan was no exception either.

When he came to his senses, Espin was playing with another table, and Doren was following Espin too. He was a reliable vanguard both in battle and here.

'They're playing well.'

Rowan felt the excitement subside as being swept up in the atmosphere because of the two disappeared. He put down the cup he'd been drinking freely. Looking at the sky, it was full of stars. The sparse torches didn't have brightness enough to prevent seeing the stars.

'Good.'

Endless noisy sounds came to his ears. It was noise others would block their ears from, but it gave Rowan the feeling of being in the middle of downtown.

He suddenly missed the modern world so much it ached—modern times so chaotic his ears couldn't function properly. Family? He couldn't pinpoint it that specifically. He just missed all those things about the modern world. And that longing was firewood that stoked powerful firepower.

'I will definitely succeed.'

When others played, Rowan reconfirmed his target point even more.

"Mercenary Captain Rowan. The Commander is looking for you separately in his military tent."

Rowan felt the alcohol completely wear off.