The duke thought an agreement would be reached before long. Yet Damon would not readily nod. At the sight, Duke Perstein could not help but grow impatient.
“Is there, by any chance, something else you desire?”
“No. I am merely worried about one thing.”
Duke Perstein drew his seat closer to Damon.
“What might that be?”
A strange smile appeared on Damon’s face as he continued.
“Where I used to live, there was a saying: tosagupaeng (兎死狗烹). To explain its meaning precisely, it means that once the rabbit is gone, the hunting dog, no longer needed, is eventually boiled in the cauldron.”
Duke Perstein immediately grasped Damon’s underlying meaning.
“In that case, you are worried that I might try to eliminate you later.”
“That is so. Right now, I am wearing the appearance of the First Prince of the Crossen Empire. Since time immemorial, seizing power has always required a thorough purge of the imperial family. That is what worries me most.”
Duke Perstein shook his head as if there were no need even to think about it.
“I never abandon my subordinates. Under any circumstances. That is precisely why my men are truly loyal to me. So you need not worry about that matter at all.”
“Can I believe you?”
“I can swear it on my name. Especially when you are an absolute being in the field of magic, one who dares have no equal. If you use magic to return to your former appearance, would I not have no reason to eliminate you?”
Damon nodded as though the words had merit.
“That is one way, I suppose.”
“Please help me. I am willing to provide you with everything you require. Wealth, honor, power—anything I am capable of giving. Of course, that is something I can promise separately from your revenge.”
“Hmm.”
Damon nodded as if he found it reasonable. Duke Perstein, as though determined to secure his pledge here and now, once again urged him to cooperate.
“Please give me your answer.”
Damon, who had been nodding and turning his head, suddenly clutched it. From the look of him, a wave of dizziness had abruptly come over him. A moment later, he opened his mouth haltingly.
“S-sorry, but could I give you my answer tomorrow? I’ve spoken so much that I can’t quite… collect my thoughts……”
Duke Perstein rose without hesitation. There was no need to act hastily in the present situation. Even if Damon refused, had he not intended to take his time and persuade him step by step?
“Very well. I shall postpone hearing your answer until tomorrow. Then I will be awaiting a favorable result.”
“Th-thank you.”
Duke Perstein rose and gave the surrounding Duke Knights a command in an icy voice.
“You must protect His Highness Crown Prince Alkaris with your lives. Understood?”
“Understood.”
Duke Perstein glanced back at Damon, who was clutching his head, then quietly left the room. He had already firmly resolved to obtain the other party’s cooperation by any means.
A full two days had passed since the battle ended. Yet the members of the Kassim Mercenary Corps still had not left the Fourth Annex. The reason was that they wished to mourn the comrades who had lost their lives in the fight against the dragon.
At the center of the not particularly large room lay two coffins. Their lids had not been closed, leaving the bodies clearly visible. Lying there, neatly prepared, they looked no different from men asleep—save for one thing: they would never awaken again.
In the coffin on the right lay Bieri’s body. Bieri, who had approached the Bronze Golem to create an opening for his comrades, only to suffer a fatal wound. Struck squarely by the golem’s kick, Bieri’s spine had been utterly shattered, and he had died on the spot.
But his death had by no means been in vain. Because Bieri had given his life without hesitation, an opportunity to attack had arisen, and because Kassim had attacked without faltering, they had been able to destroy one of the mighty Bronze Golems with ease. Yet even that achievement could not ease the grief of losing a comrade. Gathered in clusters around the coffin, the members of the Kassim Mercenary Corps all had reddened eyes as they thought of their fallen companion.
In the coffin on the left lay Helton’s body. Helton, who had cast away his life like a blade of grass to save Damon. Before the body of the comrade who had accomplished what they themselves should have done, the men could barely swallow their tears. Thinking of Helton, who had struggled to protect Damon to the very end even as sharp fragments tore through his entire body, they could not possibly hold back the sobs welling up inside them. Helton now lay quietly in his coffin, still bearing the simple, honest appearance he had possessed in life.
All the men were dressed as they had been during the fierce battle. New clothes brought by the Duke Knights lay in a corner, but not one of them had changed. Every one of them still wore armor dented and battered over clothes caked with blood and dust. Staring down at the bodies, Patterson quietly opened his mouth.
“Helton, that fool. If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve talked to him more……”
“He was always so taciturn, wasn’t he? Even if we played some awful prank on him, he’d just grin and let it pass. He really was a man of few words.”
“He really was simple and good-hearted.”
The men sitting quietly each added a word. As if something had suddenly occurred to him, Patterson turned to Kassim.
“But, Captain. There’s something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
A somewhat serious expression had appeared on Patterson’s face.
“That young man the commander of the Crossen Knights took away—he really was Damon, wasn’t he? Otherwise, there’s no reason Helton would have protected him with his life, is there?”
“It’s probably certain.”
Kassim silently lifted his head and looked up at the ceiling.
“Damon is, in a word, like an onion. No matter how many layers you peel away, there’s always another secret lurking underneath. I had prided myself on knowing the gist of him, but that wasn’t everything. In any case, it doesn’t matter. Even if the world turns upside down, the fact that he is our comrade will not change. Understood?”
At Kassim’s words, the mercenaries all nodded at once.
“Of course.”
“If any of us were put in Helton’s position, there isn’t a single man here who wouldn’t give his life.”
Even Heinrich, who rarely stepped forward because he was so shy, added a word.
“Now that I think about it, I’m a little resentful of Brother Helton. He did what I should have done.”
Kassim looked at the comrades lying cold in their coffins.
“Duke Perstein promised a grand funeral for them. He said he would have many Duke Knights attend the ceremony to honor their bravery, so they should be able to close their eyes in peace. Let us prepare to send them off as well. Though they can no longer act alongside us, Helton and Bieri will remain forever in our hearts.”
The mercenaries nodded as if in agreement. A sudden gleam flashed in Kassim’s eyes.
“Still, I have no idea how things will unfold from now on. If Damon and the crown prince of the Crossen Empire are the same person……”
As if the very thought gave him a headache, Kassim shook his head. At that moment, Patterson looked at Mitchell and put on a strange smile.
“By the way, Instructor Mitchell, you really are cold-hearted. To refuse the dance requests of so many noble young ladies so firmly. Every one of them was beautiful enough to make your eyes pop out……”
“Well. Given the circumstances……”
Mitchell, put on the spot, gave a bitter smile. But Patterson’s characteristic smooth tongue continued without pause.
“If we’re being honest, it was partly my fault. I’m the one who told that young lady your name yesterday, Instructor.”
“You did?”
Patterson grinned and nodded.
“Right after the battle ended, that young lady came up to me. With her eyes absolutely full of admiration, she asked for your name, Instructor. So I kindly told her, that’s all.”
“Patterson, honestly…… Why did you do that?”
Mitchell shook his head as if he did not know what to do with him. An awkward smile appeared on his face.
‘If it had been the old me, I probably wouldn’t have let an opportunity like this slip by, would I? In the past, I would surely have gone to ask her to dance myself, or confessed my feelings first. A romance with a beautiful noble young lady was something I’d dreamed of ever since I was a child.’
But now, for some reason, he did not feel like doing so. In the short span of not even two years, Mitchell had truly changed a great deal. Kassim, who had been watching, smiled and joined the conversation.
“Mitchell. Isn’t it about time you found yourself a partner? Twenty-three is hardly a young age. Yes, indeed. From what I saw, there were more than one or two young ladies with their hearts set on you. You must be quite happy, being able to take your time choosing among them.”
If he did not immediately counter Kassim’s attack, he would not be Mitchell.
“Well, Captain, you married well after passing thirty. How could I dare think of overtaking you? In a word, that would be insubordination. As a member of the Kassim Mercenary Corps, I could never commit such discourtesy.”
“Y-you little… M-my case was different.”
Kassim, having been struck squarely, stammered as he continued. Mitchell, as if refusing to miss his chance, drove the nail in firmly.
“A love like Damon’s would probably be impossible to achieve, wouldn’t it? But shouldn’t I at least experience a passionate love like yours, Captain? Marriage is something one does only once in a lifetime, after all.”
“Y-you……”
“I’ll wait until I can make love burn splendidly. Until someone appears whom I can protect without hesitation, even at the cost of my life.”
A faint smile passed over Kassim’s lips.
“That is a splendid mindset. Good. I’ll do my utmost to help you. Going as far as Shurnak might be difficult, but I can certainly disguise myself as a Bandits master. But let me ask you just one thing. When the time comes, you absolutely must go easy on me. I have no confidence whatsoever in being able to handle your swordsmanship.”
As soon as Kassim finished speaking, the mercenaries burst into uproarious laughter. Patterson’s rich, earthy wit followed.
“That’s right! The Captain would be perfect disguised as a bandit chief. Just look at him—he makes mountain bandits look tame. Captain, why don’t you take this chance to change professions? Become the leader of the Kassim Bandits.”
Kassim glared fiercely.
“You little rascal! There are some things you just don’t say!”
“Hahaha.”
“Hehehe. The Captain took a direct hit from Patterson.”
Mitchell, too, was laughing heartily among them. At the same time, he thought that meeting such comrades had truly been a blessing from heaven. Even across the entirety of the vast continent of Arcadia, companions like these were not easy to find. While they were still laughing, a knock suddenly came from the door.
Knock, knock.
Mitchell hurried toward the door.
“What is it?”
From outside the door came a deep voice that sounded like that of a guard knight.
“Forgive me, but you have a visitor.”
Mitchell’s face abruptly turned cold.
“Is the visitor a woman?”
“She is, but—”
“In that case, I have no desire to meet her. Please tell her to go back.”
No sooner had Mitchell spoken than a sharp voice rang out from beyond the door.
“Mitchell. Do you want to die? Has it been so long since you were punished that your liver’s crawled out of your body?”
The moment he heard the voice, all color drained from Mitchell’s face. Mitchell feared no one, but there was one exception. Without needing to think, he opened the door.
“S-sorry, Juliana. I didn’t know it was you.”
Juliana shoved the flustered Mitchell aside and strode in. In that instant, the mercenaries’ eyes went blank.
“G-good heavens……”
Juliana, dressed in finery, could be described in a single phrase: reborn from the marrow. Even with her usual makeup-free face, there was no flaw to be found in her looks, but properly adorned, she was beautiful beyond compare. Until now, no one had imagined Juliana could be this beautiful. Yet the moment she entered the annex, she stripped off her outer garment and flung it down without mercy.
“Ugh! So cumbersome. How is anyone supposed to walk around wearing this?”
Juliana let down her pinned-up hair and even threw the dangling ornaments to the floor without the slightest regret. Watching her, Kassim cautiously rose.
“I never knew before that Princess Juliana was so beautiful.”
“Don’t talk nonsense, Kassim. Ever since you got married, you’ve learned to say a lot of useless things.”
Juliana fired back so mercilessly that Kassim was left awkward.
“By the way, what brings you here……”
“I’ll get straight to the point without wasting words.”
Juliana’s eyes were shining unusually brightly. At the sight, Kassim had to grow tense.
‘What sort of trouble is this troublemaker trying to cause now……?’
Just as Kassim suspected, Juliana’s words overturned everyone’s expectations completely.
“I came here to join the Kassim Mercenary Corps.”
“……”
The mercenaries, at a loss for words, could only blink. Juliana’s voice continued to ring in the ears of the men who had gone blank for a moment.
“In other words, I mean to become a mercenary. Well, there are plenty of female mercenaries in the world, aren’t there? Seeing that you completed the mission without issue, I thought the Kassim Mercenary Corps was quite a decent mercenary company. So I decided it would be all right to become one of its members.”
“……”
“I have no doubt whatsoever that you will accept me.”
Absurd disbelief was engraved on everyone’s faces. Had they not even cheered at the thought that, after finishing the mission, they would never have to see Juliana again? And now that terrifying wicked woman, too dreadful even to think about, was saying she would join the mercenary corps and torment them for ages to come…… Even a leech could not be this tenacious.
‘No!’
The mercenaries all shook their heads as one.