Chapter 15: Future Plans (Please add to your favorites and vote with monthly tickets)

“Knock knock knock.”

The somewhat muffled knocks stopped Itztis just as she was about to speak.

She glanced at Alicia, gave a slight bow, then dissolved into white mist and vanished, turning back into the floating magic contract.

Alicia blinked in surprise—this was the first time a summon had dismissed itself.

Pushing the question aside, she looked toward the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened slowly.

Seeing Alicia sitting up in bed, Cosette smiled with relief before asking:

“Miss Alicia, how is your body?”

“Feeling great!”

Her energetic nod caught Cosette off guard.

Thinking back, she really hadn’t seen Alicia relaxed since they met.

Cosette gave a soft laugh, said nothing more, and sat beside the bed to change the bandages.

“Hiss—! So, what happened after I passed out? Where are we?”

The sting of the dressing made Alicia hunt for a distraction.

“After you destroyed the Evil Spirit Heart, border troops followed the beastmen tracks and rescued us. We’re at the Lugton Border Camp, Second Squad barracks.”

“I see… So, what are your plans now?”

At the question, Cosette’s body trembled slightly, her hands pausing.

“Honestly, I don’t know… My home was already lost to the flames of war… And the captain this time…”

She sighed softly, head lowering, voice subdued.

“With the mercenary group wiped out, the guild will revoke our registration eventually. I have nowhere to go.”

Now it made sense.

Alicia understood Cosette’s situation.

In Rodinia, mercenary groups had three tiers.

Lowest: Free Bands—loose adventurer teams, just register with the guild, no real rules.

Next: Mercenary Groups—minimum ten members, official track.

They filed proper paperwork, shifted from adventurer to formal mercenary status.

Official status brought guild perks: regular supplies, special rewards.

But they had to complete guild-assigned tasks on schedule.

Highest: Mercenary Guilds—over a hundred members.

They held legal strongholds and fortresses within the empire.

Some even received direct support from local governments or trade leagues, taking high-level commissions.

Of course, taxes and obligations scaled accordingly.

Tier also gated mission access.

Free bands couldn’t touch guild-level jobs—the association would reject them outright.

Even if completed behind the guild’s back, no recognition.

(Though with that strength, who would stay a regular mercenary?)

But perks came with pressure.

The guild ran performance reviews.

Fail yearly quotas? Forced disbandment—even guilds got demoted.

The association wasn’t charity.

No profit, no slot, no benefits.

Cosette’s group had been a small-to-mid fifteen-person outfit.

Now only her.

Impossible to sustain.

Still early year—Star Moon (March)—far from annual review.

But one priest, zero combat power, couldn’t carry a group.

As if steeling herself, Cosette looked up at Alicia.

“I don’t want the captain’s mercenary group to dissolve. It holds too many memories—mine, his, everyone’s. I can’t let the proof they existed just vanish… So, Miss Alicia, will you take the mercenary group?”

Not entirely unexpected.

Though only adopted, Olga and Cosette had been family.

Alicia knew the pain of losing kin.

But the last part surprised her.

“You mean hand it over completely?”

Cosette’s resolve made Alicia reassess her.

Seeing the firm nod, Alicia closed her eyes, thought a moment, then smiled:

“Alright, drop the serious face. Leave it to me. I’m rootless too, and Captain Olga asked me to look after you—I don’t break promises.”

One: sympathy.

Two: she knew the future.

Needed to prepare, build strength.

Current power? Surviving to the Disalia invasion patch was iffy.

A solid support was essential.

And solo life? Boring.

Cosette’s request was a gift from the heavens.

Her answer caught Cosette off guard—she’d been knocked out, unaware of the talk.

Eyes flickered, mouth opened, but she said nothing, just nodded solemnly.