read my new story:
Game of Thrones: The Giant Crab of the Narrow Sea
Game of Thrones: The Sword King
Game of Thrones: From Bastard to Emperor
Don Quixote smiled and spoke in a steady tone:
"Zachary, I am Don Quixote, Captain of the Bloody Hand Mercenary Company.
"For new recruits joining the Bloody Hand, the base pay is 1 Silver Stag a month.
"If there's a contract, I provide mission pay based on the difficulty of the job—at least 10 Silver Stags.
"And once the contract is completed, I'll hand out a generous bonus based on your performance during the mission!"
He paused before continuing:
"Of course, if a member secures a client on their own under the Bloody Hand's name.
"And honors the contract, completing the mission excellently.
"Not only will I not take a cut of your mission pay, but I'll also give you an extra reputation bonus!
"The Bloody Hand Mercenary Company will never disappoint those who keep their word and pursue honor!"
Seeing the increasingly eager gleam in Zachary's eyes, Don Quixote smiled and said slowly:
"And that's just the starting rate for new blood. If you earn my trust and become a full member of the Bloody Hand!
"I'll bump your base pay to 100 Silver Stags a month, maybe even 1 Gold Dragon.
"That way, even if you sit on your ass all day doing nothing, you'll still pull in enough coin to live comfortably in White Harbor!"
...Though sitting on his ass all day doing nothing definitely wouldn't earn him Don Quixote's trust.
With a light chuckle, Don Quixote dropped his smile and finished:
"And if you are ever unfortunate enough to be crippled during a contract, losing your ability to fight.
"I will pay out a lump-sum severance of at least 1 Gold Dragon, keep your original base pay, and find you lighter work.
"If you fall in battle, I will pay out a lump sum of at least 3 Gold Dragons to your kin or designated heir.
"At the same time, any underage children you leave behind will be raised by the Bloody Hand until they come of age!"
Hearing this, Zachary could barely contain himself. Swallowing his excitement until Don Quixote finished speaking, he replied respectfully:
"My Lord, I want to join the Bloody Hand! I, Zachary, have always kept my word. I am... absolutely not a man who breaks his vows!"
Don Quixote reminded him:
"To become a true member of the Bloody Hand, you must pass a test.
"In three days, the Bloody Hand will undertake a new contract.
"I will watch how you perform then, and decide if you're fit to be our brother-in-arms!
"Of course, even if you don't make the cut, I'll still pay you a fair wage for the mission. You won't be bleeding for free."
————
Three days later, early morning.
Sitting on horseback, Don Quixote scanned the sixteen men gathered around him.
These sixteen were the ones he had preliminarily screened over the last three days who wanted to join the Bloody Hand.
Some were burly dockworkers, some were freelance sellswords, others were hedge knights, and there was even one heavily muscled sailor.
Most wore leather armor. Their weapons were polished but covered in old nicks and scratches, and their faces showed varying degrees of tension.
The warhorse beneath him snorted, its breath instantly shredded by the biting wind.
Don Quixote spoke slowly, his voice carrying clearly to every man's ears:
"Over these past few days, the Bloody Hand has been digging into the background of every single one of you.
"We didn't find out everything, but we definitely didn't come up empty!"
He paused, scanning the faces of several men who suddenly tensed up, his tone flat and unyielding:
"But those are just the words and judgments of outsiders!
"I won't decide whether you stay or go based on rumors and gossip.
"Listen closely!
"During this mission, I will be watching every single one of you. Combining what I see with what I already know, I will make the final call on whether you're fit for the Bloody Hand!
"And don't worry!
"Whether you become a brother of the Bloody Hand or not, once this mission is done, you'll get paid. No one walks away empty-handed!"
After a brief silence, Don Quixote continued:
"If you want to walk, do it now. It's not too late.
"But if you choose to stay, you follow the contract!
"If any man breaks ranks and runs, the Bloody Hand won't be the only ones hunting him—every sellsword in White Harbor will know his name.
"And when that happens, there won't be a single place in White Harbor, or the entire North, where he can hide!"
After a low murmur ran through the crowd, no one moved.
Anyone who couldn't stomach Don Quixote's terms had already walked away on recruitment day.
The ones left were perfectly fine with these completely reasonable demands.
Especially the freelance sellswords and hedge knights—finding a paying gig wasn't exactly easy for them on a normal day.
Just then, a steward from Silas's caravan trotted over on a pony. He bowed to Don Quixote and spoke respectfully:
"Ser Don Quixote, the master sent me to tell you the goods are loaded, the drivers are ready, and we're clear to move out."
Don Quixote gave a slight nod, then shouted:
"Bloody Hand, move out!"
————
Silas was an even smaller, less significant merchant than Rodney.
His caravan was tiny, consisting of only four wagons.
Aside from the four drivers, his crew included only a steward and a single guard.
So when he saw Don Quixote leading a heavily armed force of over twenty men toward him, he felt relieved but also panicked. He hurriedly said:
"Ser Don Quixote, Oldcastle isn't that far from White Harbor, and the land route is practically dead when it comes to raiders. You might have brought too many men."
Oldcastle was the ancestral seat of House Locke, situated on the northern coast of the Bite, southeast of White Harbor and north of the Three Sisters.
While sailing in a straight line was much faster, it was highly dangerous due to its proximity to the pirate-infested Three Sisters.
Some minor merchants preferred the long way around—sticking to the coast and traveling by land, taking more time to guarantee the safety of their goods.
Don Quixote smiled:
"Lord Silas, more swords mean absolute safety for your caravan. Any stray raiders who see us will likely piss their pants and turn the other way."
Silas looked conflicted, clearly hesitating over something.
"Don't worry. Since we already made a verbal agreement, the Bloody Hand will honor it. The contract and the price stand as agreed!" Don Quixote said.
Hearing this, Silas let out a massive sigh of relief.
When he hired the Bloody Hand days ago, Don Quixote had proactively offered to have the company handle their own food and lodging.
At the time, Silas had enthusiastically offered to cover it.
But Don Quixote firmly refused multiple times.
Looking back on it now, Ser Don Quixote must have anticipated this exact situation and didn't want to put him in a tight spot.
Silas was just a small-time merchant in White Harbor, barely scraping by running goods to nearby holdfasts.
He lacked the muscle and the coin to travel far.
Because of that, his profit margins per trip were razor-thin.
If he had to cover the food and lodging for over twenty heavily armed men...
Even for a short trip, the cost would bleed him dry.
He'd probably make absolutely nothing on this entire run.
Taking all the risk for zero reward was a miserable way to do business.
Recovering quickly, Silas forced a smile and said, ashamed:
"Ser Don Quixote, Rodney was right. You truly are an honorable knight!
"I can't believe I just thought you were going to extort me for more coin. I shouldn't have doubted you."
"A fair job demands a fair price. The Bloody Hand doesn't squeeze its clients," Don Quixote said slowly.
Silas nodded, highly satisfied:
"I really need to thank Rodney for pointing me toward such an excellent mercenary company!"
With that, Silas said:
"Ser Don Quixote, let's move out."
"Understood."
With that, Don Quixote and his men escorted Silas's four canvas-covered wagons out of White Harbor.
...