Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-184.147.63.23-20190822014333/@comment-36170150-20190822230817

You didn't consider the possibility of saving the 15k from whoring Qum for later, if you whore Qum you can get Mine + Bank + Premium Steel during chapter 1, save the rest of your money and you will be able to pick up both the Eustrin Processor and the Eustrin Manufacturer if you skip the Yhilini Supplier until the Reunion, this will give you a little under 100k extra ProN during the Reunion, which lets you get all 3 banks and the sanitation mages guild assuming the rest of your save has been good.

I personally don't really care for the Sexual Pin, it doesn't give any protections against sexual disables and both Yarra and Riala can use regular mage acessories, the only ones that need special succubus accessories are Nalili and Qum, Nalili can use the Tormented Shield if disable protection is critical, and Qum can just use the superior Succubus Pin. The only problematic lingering issues of whoring Qum that I can see are the 3 Ginasta RP you will lose.

Back to OP's question, I personally think hiring mercenaries during chapter 1 just eats too much ProN to ever be worth it, I recall someone saying a while back that if you had the Ari Garda hired in chapter 1, Simon would transfer their contract to house Rose as an act of good faith or something after the battle of Yhilin, so story-wise it ends the same as just bribing them during chapter 2.

Like WaxerReds said, if you're hiring any mercs at all, just get the Iron Cudgel since they are cheap, the main benefit is that if Carina's men survive then it is possible to get the best result in the Stineford section during the 3AW without reinforcing any borders, that saves 50% Discretionary Funds which make it viable to choose Countryside Merc regulations over City Merc regulations, I don't think it is worth it but it is an option.