Crime did pay exceptionally well, in Martel's experience.

He holds up two fingers. "Scholarly pursuits-" he's terribly dry about it, though in fairness 'working at Baedal's university' does seem to put 'living beside an alchemist' to shame in terms of being potentially unwise, "-and I've taken up training Hellsing's field agents."

Neither of which are much like mercenary work, but that isn't his only background and none of what he's doing now is unfamiliar.