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Don Quixote smiled. "My Lady, since I know of this, I'll definitely do my part! Bloody Hand Mercenary Company will follow Lord Manderly's orders and do everything we can to wipe out raiders around White Harbor."
Lady Annabel was highly satisfied with Don Quixote's attitude. She smiled again. "Of course. We'll provide necessary supplies to back you up. And for every raider you capture or kill, we'll pay out 100 Silver Stags!"
Pausing, Lady Annabel added, "After this sweep, my father plans to host a grand tourney for all of White Harbor! If you perform well during this extermination, you'll earn a chance to compete in tourney!"
Hearing this, Don Quixote played his part, showing a flash of excitement. "My Lady! I will give it my all!"
————
Watching Lady Annabel's highly alluring silhouette fade into distance, Don Quixote dropped his excited act and muttered under his breath, "Cheapskate!"
Fact was, with Bloody Hand's solid reputation established, he didn't even consider risky contracts for less than 5 Gold Dragons anymore.
After all, Bloody Hand wasn't hurting for contracts anymore. They were hurting for time, energy, and elite sellswords who could hold their own!
System only allowed him to take one contract at a time. He had to complete or fail current contract before picking up next one.
But as long as contract was accepted under Don Quixote's name, it didn't matter if he personally finished it.
Like back in Cerwyn, when Lord Medger hired him. He slacked off constantly and let Tom and other two do heavy lifting. As long as Lord Medger accepted final result, Don Quixote still claimed system rewards.
Same deal in White Harbor. Contracts he finished were verbal agreements made in his name. Clients couldn't tell difference anyway.
First, they were just verbal agreements. Words spoken weren't as ironclad as ink on parchment.
Second, to those clients, Don Quixote was Bloody Hand. No need to separate two.
Don Quixote had long planned to exploit this loophole. He just needed to groom capable, trustworthy men. Let them handle actual grunt work. He'd just shake hands with clients, wait for job to finish, and collect system rewards.
If Don Quixote wanted to play game of thrones, he needed free time to plot and maneuver.
If he spent twenty days a month grinding out sellsword contracts, he couldn't handle real business. Like secretly building a spy network.
Blanket all of Westeros? Unrealistic. At least short term.
But he needed eyes across North and in five major cities of Westeros. So he wouldn't be flying blind second he stepped out of White Harbor.
Or secretly building a loyal violent faction.
A twenty-man mercenary band couldn't accomplish shit even in peacetime. In coming chaos, they wouldn't even qualify as pawns.
But he couldn't openly expand his mercenary company either. So he had to go underground and forge a loyal syndicate of muscle!
So many pieces needed setting up. If he didn't break out of 'find contract, execute contract, finish contract' grind, he'd miss golden opportunity to build real power in shadows.
Hard to see big picture that way. Power wasn't just hacking and slashing; it was complex web of compromises and leverage.
Until he had absolute strength to crush board, he had to play by rules.
————
Voice interrupted Don Quixote's thoughts: "Ser, we just heard some news."
Don Quixote looked up, finding Rodney and Dominic had returned. He smiled. "White Harbor and Oldcastle teaming up to sweep local raiders?"
"Guess we were right," Rodney replied. "Lady Annabel sought you out to tell you exactly that."
Don Quixote smiled slowly. "Exactly. And if you hadn't heard it from someone else, you would've heard it from me."
Rodney gave a helpless smile. "Looks like Lord Manderly is hinting us merchants need to pitch in!"
In peacetime, House Manderly wouldn't straight up demand coin and goods from city merchants. Usually, they threw a banquet or used other methods to drop heavy hints about what merchants should do.
Hedge knights and sellswords were different. They did actual dirty work. Usually bleeding for it.
If House Manderly wanted to hire these men to bleed and die, they had to lay down direct verbal or parchment contracts. Binding both sides with vows.
Dropping hints to sellswords didn't work. They wouldn't bother deciphering it. Most lords were cheap bastards when it came to paying.
Vast majority of freelance and hedge knights took lordly contracts for two reasons. First, stability. Impress a lord, get steady work.
Second, chance of being knighted as a sworn sword or landed knight. This was biggest draw—ultimate life goal for most hedge knights.
Dominic chuckled. "Ser Don Quixote, getting personally hired by Lady Annabel... looks like House Manderly values you highly."
"It's my honor, and honor of Bloody Hand!" Don Quixote gave polite reply.
————
New Castle, Merman's Court.
Up on dais, Lord Wyman Manderly—fat as a mountain—sank into his cushioned throne. Hearing something, he suddenly burst out laughing: "Bloody Hand Mercenary Company? Bloody Hand? Haha, reminds me of some history."
Lord Wyman wore a teal velvet robe. Collars, cuffs, and cape edges were embroidered with silver threads depicting mermen and tridents.
Hall was packed. Hearing this, someone shouted respectfully: "My Lord, I'll have that Bloody Hand Mercenary Company change their name tomorrow!"