Brandon Jenkins moved a little closer and finally saw the other person clearly.

He was wearing Viking-style armor and attire, tall and burly, with a warhorse by his side, roasting fish.

In the Lands Between, only one group dressed like this—the Kaidan mercenaries.

They were hired by various factions, galloping across battlefields, and the name of Kaidan struck fear on every front.

At the same time that Brandon Jenkins spotted him, a wolf’s howl rang out.

Brandon Jenkins looked toward the source of the sound—a white wolf, staring at him warily.

Wolves were companions of the Kaidan mercenaries; they fought together and were inseparable.

Hearing the wolf’s howl, the Kaidan mercenary also turned his head and saw Brandon Jenkins.

The scene instantly fell into a standoff.

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Chapter 6 Kaidan Mercenaries

Brandon Jenkins gripped his halberd tightly in his right hand, his left resting on his sword hilt, ready to draw at any moment.

Although Kaidan mercenaries weren’t strong in the game, they weren’t just some roadside cannon fodder either.

And Kaidan mercenaries usually traveled in groups.

If there were other Kaidan mercenaries nearby, Brandon Jenkins didn’t think he could handle it easily.

The Kaidan mercenary by the campfire stood up, hefted his large scimitar onto his shoulder, and stared at Brandon Jenkins warily.

The white wolf also slowly walked over to the Kaidan mercenary’s side.

Both sides were on edge, but neither made the first move.

Brandon Jenkins didn’t plan to attack first; he knew his own limits.

The strength belonged to this body, not to himself—if it really came to a fight, victory wasn’t guaranteed.

Besides, he also wanted to know if people here could communicate. In the game, every enemy would charge at the protagonist like a mad dog, but this guy was different.

‘He spotted me but didn’t attack right away. I wonder if we can communicate.’

‘Or is he waiting for someone?’

Brandon Jenkins thought to himself.

‘I should try speaking first to test if he’s hostile.’

“I mean no harm. I drifted here from the sea and saw the firelight, so I came to take a look.”

“If it’s not necessary, I don’t want to fight for no reason.”

The Kaidan mercenary still stared at Brandon Jenkins, which gave Brandon Jenkins a bit of a headache.

‘Damn, could there be a language barrier? That would be bad.’

After thinking it over, Brandon Jenkins decided to try a more primitive way of communicating.

Brandon Jenkins kept his right hand tightly gripping the halberd, but moved his left hand away from the sword hilt, spreading his palm to show it was empty.

Then he reached into his small pouch and took out a golden necklace—one of the relics from the grafted nobles.

Brandon Jenkins tossed it forcefully toward the Kaidan mercenary.

The Kaidan mercenary caught the necklace with one hand, glancing between the necklace and Brandon Jenkins.

Brandon Jenkins didn’t dare relax. Even though he kept showing goodwill, he was ready for a fight at any moment.

After the shattering of the Elden Ring, this land had gone mad—these were chaotic times.

Fortunately, the Kaidan mercenary was the first to throw his large scimitar to the ground, then whistled. The white wolf retreated, though it remained alert.

“Tarnished… My last job was to hunt Tarnished.”

“But you’re lucky. I don’t have an employer right now.”

Brandon Jenkins breathed a sigh of relief. The other party could communicate, and they spoke the same language—what a relief.

“That’s great. I’m a peace-loving person, but—”

Brandon Jenkins changed his tone:

“If it really came to a fight, you might not be able to beat me.”

The Kaidan mercenary laughed at that.

“Heh, Tarnished are descendants of warriors, battle-hardened. I admit you have skills, but you claim to love peace?”

“Strength belongs to me. I can choose whether to use it. If things can be resolved with words, I’d rather not resort to violence.”

“……”

The Kaidan mercenary gave Brandon Jenkins a long look. He wasn’t very educated, but even he knew that in the Lands Between, peace was a distant word.

“You’re different from the Tarnished I’ve killed before.”

Brandon Jenkins smiled. Compulsory education is no joke.

“You’re also not quite like the Kaidan mercenaries I’ve heard about.”

“Oh? You know about the Kaidan mercenaries? How so?”

“I don’t know your name yet. Tell me, and I’ll tell you.”

“Heh, shouldn’t you give your own name before asking for someone else’s?”

Brandon Jenkins thought for a moment. He had nothing to hide, so he answered straightforwardly.

“Brandon Jenkins, as you see, a Tarnished seeking the throne of Elden Lord.”

“…Hakann.”

Brandon Jenkins nodded.

“So now we know each other.”

Hakann frowned.

“Enough talk. Tell me, what’s different?”

“Alright, alright, you’re an impatient one.”

Brandon Jenkins looked around, then spoke:

“The Kaidan mercenaries I’ve heard of ride warhorses and travel in packs with wolves across the battlefield. But here you are, alone on this beach. Plus, you only noticed me after the wolf howled. I guess if I hadn’t washed up here, this beach would have been empty, which is why you were so relaxed by the fire. If there were strangers around, a warrior wouldn’t let his guard down.”

“Warrior, huh… I’m just a wanderer without a homeland now, hardly a warrior.”