It was, quite literally, an incomparable stroke of fortune. A fortune that no one else could seize
was what the mercenaries had grasped in one hand.
Of course, they could not take the black mage's words at face value. Crosen the Great and that otherworldly
Absolute Being had said they had never once met, so there was no way to know which of the two was stronger
at present. However, the mana cultivation method of the Absolute Being, who had come from the same place as Crosen the Great and even commanded ten thousand warriors,
could hardly have been ordinary.
At the very least, it seemed capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the first method left behind by Crosen the Great. Kasim, looking around at the mercenaries who found it hard to believe, put on a stern expression.
"Is that truly true?"
"It is indeed. The truth is, as a mage, I have no need whatsoever for a mana cultivation method. That is why
I have decided to pass it on to you."
Having finished speaking, Daemon looked around at the mercenaries with an air of triumph.
"But had I not considered you comrades, I would never have passed it on to you.
Think on it. Just how much value does this mana cultivation method hold? ... I could have sold it to a kingdom with strong national power but a weak order of knights.
If I had, I could have obtained an enormous sum, could I not? But I did not do so. Because I regarded you as comrades,
I handed over this mana cultivation method without any conditions. Now that you are my comrades,
I simply hope that your strength increases even a little."
Now the mercenaries' gazes had changed completely. They looked at Daemon with eyes that suggested they would not even hesitate to face death for him. They were now sending praise to yesterday's decision of recognizing Daemon as a comrade.
'It was truly an excellent choice.'
'Making a black mage my comrade is the luckiest moment of my life.'
Sensing from the mercenaries' expressions that the atmosphere had ripened, Daemon turned to look at Kasim.
"Now it is your turn to make a decision. As I have said many times, I am in a very dangerous situation. The former Dragon of Truvenia is chasing me with bloodshot eyes, so I will likely have to fight battles like the one before at any moment. The Death Knights I command are undead, so unless their bodies are smashed to pieces, they will not die.
But you are not the same. If a human's body is cut apart, they have no choice but to die.
Therefore, if you wish to stay with me, you must stake your lives."
"......."
"What do you say? Will you follow me even if it means staking your lives? Or will you continue living the life of third-rate mercenaries as you are?"
Kasim did not hesitate in the slightest. Was he not the very one who had waited for such an opportunity with bated breath? Kasim's true feelings were that he could throw away his life with a smile if it was to make a name for himself. He suddenly extended his hand toward Daemon.
"I am a man. If one is a man......."
The rest was taken up by the mercenaries in unison. Each and every one of them stared intently at Daemon with flushed expressions. They opened their mouths and spoke clearly, word by word.
"We do not cherish our lives."
Kasim looked at Daemon with grim determination in his eyes.
"We will all follow the black mage. Even if we lose our lives in battle against the dragon, we will not regret it. Simply for bestowing upon us the mana cultivation method, we already owe the mage a great debt."
"You truly will not regret it?"
"We will not regret it. Since we were born as men, we must stake our lives on a great endeavor at least once. Dragon hunting.
I believe it is well worth staking my life upon."
Having heard the will of all the mercenaries, Daemon's face filled with a smile of satisfaction.
"Welcome to the Dragon Slayer Party. The Kasim Mercenary Group will accept no commissions from this day forth. From now on, our sole purpose is dragon hunting, nothing else."
"Waaaah!"
The mercenaries let out cheers all at once. Their joy was truly boundless. For them, who had barely scraped by as third-rate mercenaries, to be included in a tremendous party with dragon hunting as its main objective...... Although they currently lacked the strength to face a dragon, they were not worried in the slightest. Since they were learning the mana cultivation method of an otherworldly Absolute Being that rivaled Great Emperor Crosen, they would surely gain power sooner or later. Though the cheers came from only a few mercenaries, the vast plains became so noisy it seemed they might take flight.
"But earlier, it truly felt refreshing."
It was a remark Kasim made after the mercenaries' cheers had subsided somewhat. Daemon asked back with a bewildered expression.
"What do you mean?"
Kasim continued speaking without wiping the smile from his face.
"I mean when you trapped that greedy mage. You truly did well. A fellow who does not hesitate to use others as sacrifices for his own advancement deserves to be thoroughly punished."
An embarrassed expression surfaced on Daemon's face.
"You all heard that?"
"Yes. In truth, the mage's voice was quite loud. We all heard it clearly....... Anyway, you truly did well. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from my chest."
As Kasim finished speaking, the mercenaries nodded as if they too felt refreshed. There was not a single one among them who did not feel furious at Vertec's actions. However, Michel and Yuliana, who should have felt the most refreshed, merely rolled their eyes anxiously. They were currently in an awkward position—neither part of the group nor outsiders.
"The law enforcement in Tervia is particularly severe. He will likely rot in prison for the rest of his life, if not worse. If his luck is bad, he may even be hanged immediately."
"Indeed. Seeing how that foolish Sword Master called it treason....... In any case, he was a rather eyesore."
"Is that why you allowed yourself to be captured so obediently?"
Daemon briefly put on a dazed expression. In truth, the absolute reason he had allowed himself to be captured without resisting was to lure the dragon, but he could not honestly reveal his inner thoughts.
"Well, that was part of it too. One who so shamelessly pins crimes on others needs to bear false accusations himself. Only then can he understand the feelings of the victim."
"Indeed, what else is there to say?"
Kasim puffed out his chest as if delighted. Looking at such a Kasim, Daemon put on a stern expression.
"And there is one more matter to settle."
"Wh-what is it?"
When Kasim raised his eyes in puzzlement, Daemon extended a finger and pointed toward Michel and Yuliana, who were standing awkwardly. Whether because his emotions had not yet subsided, Daemon's expression had turned relatively cold.
"First, should we not deal with that Princess of Carsel's group?"
As Daemon finished speaking, a rather troubled expression surfaced on Kasim's face. In truth, considering their actions, it would have been appropriate to sever ties with them ruthlessly here. However, he could not treat Yuliana, who had even endured arrest in order to beg for their forgiveness, lightly.
Just as they had not denied Daemon, neither had those two denied the Kasim Mercenary Group. Moreover, since the black mage was deeply infatuated with the immature Princess of Carsel, it was not his place to interfere.
"I would like to leave the matter of those two to the mage, but......."
Kasim answered cautiously. But Daemon smiled as if he understood his thoughts completely and continued.
"Not so. In truth, there is one more thing you do not know. You all probably guessed that I harbored affection for that Princess of Carsel, did you not?"
At the question that struck the vital point, Kasim could not help but be at a loss for words. A dilemma where he could neither affirm nor deny. The mercenaries' faces were also filled with perplexity. Daemon looked over each and every one of those mercenaries.
"But that is not the case. I am a mage who has lived a very long time. Long enough to lightly surpass a century....... No matter how much of a villain I am, I am not so far gone as to harbor wicked designs toward a child young enough to be my great-great-granddaughter. Even if my heart were moved, whether my body would follow is questionable......."
At Daemon's jest, the mercenaries burst into laughter all at once. Only Yuliana, who had unwittingly become the protagonist(?), bit her lip tightly.
"Hahaha."
Daemon looked at Yuliana with an expressionless face. She too was glaring at Daemon intently, unlike her usual self.
"My interest lay solely in that princess's appearance, nothing more. To be precise, that is my true heart—I had no interest in anything else. Now, I shall explain the circumstances."
The mercenaries' gazes focused on Daemon once more. Yuliana could do no different.
"This is a tale from long ago. Hundreds of years ago, one might say. There was a young girl then."
As he recalled memories of the past, Daemon's gaze gradually grew hazy.
"She was beautiful and pure beyond compare. To the extent that she captured my heart without leaving any room for resistance the moment I laid eyes on her....... Of course, it is only my opinion, but I can assert that there was no woman in the world who could compare to her. She was kind and lovely to that degree. So much so that even now, after so many years, she remains firmly engraved in my heart."
The black mage's love song flowed forth suddenly. But because Daemon's tone as he explained was so earnest, the mercenaries remained quiet in silence.
"But whether by the trickery of fate or by an irresistible force, I had no choice but to part with her."
When the story had progressed that far, Patterson could endure no longer and suddenly interjected.
"Did she die?"
A lonely emotion settled upon Daemon's face.
"I would rather not speak of such things. In any case, I never saw her again after that. This is merely a memory I have buried gently in my heart."
Having finished speaking, Daemon looked straight at Yuliana's face.
"I have lived burying my longing for her deep within my heart. For a truly long time. But I was enormously surprised when I saw that Princess of Carsel. Because the princess's appearance was exactly the same as her image in my memory. The reason I have been staring at the princess's face all this time is precisely that. Because when I look at her, old memories well up within me, and in that moment alone I can be happy for a brief while."
"I-I see."
The mercenaries, now understanding the full story, nodded as if they could guess his feelings. Though it was a typical melodramatic love story, Daemon's tone was steeped with longing for her. Being unable to see one's beloved forever was bound to be a sad thing for anyone. Because of this, the mercenaries felt they could understand Daemon's feelings to some extent. Daemon wearily turned his head toward Kasim.
"In truth, such circumstances were hidden behind my decision to travel with you. That is why I could so leniently overlook the princess's wanton behavior all this time......."
Having finished speaking, Daemon looked straight at Yuliana's face.
"But that ends here. In the end, the Princess of Carsel is merely a stranger who resembles her in appearance to me. Now that I have recognized you as comrades, I will cleanly put an end to the amusement I have entertained until now. So take it to mean that I shall show no more interest in the princess."
As the words flowed from Daemon's mouth, Yuliana's complexion changed from moment to moment. She had been under a truly grave misunderstanding. The great misunderstanding that the black mage had been courting her. Her face burned unbearably hot. Looking at such a Yuliana, Daemon reached his conclusion.
"As you all know, the losses that the Princess of Carsel has inflicted upon our mercenary group are by no means small. Now that my interest in her has completely vanished, why don't we reach a conclusion regarding her fate here?"
Having finished speaking, Daemon looked at Kasim.
"You make the decision. Either complete the mission as planned, or break the contract here and go your separate ways—choose one of the two. If you choose to part ways, I shall bear the penalty fee. As repayment for allowing me to reminisce on enjoyable memories, I will pay sufficient money."
As Daemon finished speaking, a considerably complicated expression surfaced on Kasim's face. This was without a doubt a difficult decision. Had Yuliana stated during the interrogation that she had parted ways with them, this would have been a dilemma not even worth considering. But she had not acknowledged the termination of the contract with the mercenary group, even while enduring punishment.