"Mercenary group. Ah I do remember us talking about it," Elaina said as she recalled. "Given with your reputation, destroying a nest of wyverns and clearing a goblin nest on your own. You can basically start your own mercenary group. Though I wonder why you would do that when by just working at the guild, you can earn a lot more money and a guaranteed job."
Marcus took another bite of the roasted lamb before answering.
"Because I don't like limits," he said simply.
Elaina tilted her head slightly.
"Limits?"
Marcus nodded once.
"At the guild, I take what's posted," he continued. "I follow the system. Rank, availability, approval. It works, but it's controlled."
He paused for a moment, thinking as he spoke.
"With a mercenary group, I choose the jobs. I decide how to handle them. No waiting. No restrictions on scale."
Elaina listened quietly, her eyes focused on him.
"That sounds… risky," she said after a second.
"It is," Marcus admitted. "But it's also more flexible."
