The Shark Tooth Mercenary Company's camp.
Training was in full swing here.
Mercenaries swung swords, spears, and their favored weapons. Yet the most conspicuous among them was a girl of around ten.
Standing amid mercenaries, most of whom were well over 180 centimeters tall, her slender little frame stood out all the more.
There were many reasons a mercenary company might bring women along.
Some were there simply to do laundry or run errands, but plenty of women worked as mercenaries themselves.
The child belonged to the latter group.
Ordinarily, child soldiers were not treated well, whether in a regular army or a mercenary company.
And if that child happened to be a girl, it was even worse.
But this girl was special.
"What are you doing?"
"Can’t you see? I’m swinging a sword."
"And why are you doing that?"
"Because of you!"
When her guardian held a strong position within the mercenary company, none of the hardships and trials child soldiers were expected to endure applied to her.
All the more so when that guardian was the [Blood Mist Mercenary], renowned throughout the mercenary world.
Ella was an incredibly precious and special child to Ian.
To Ian, Ella was Porit’s last wish, someone he had to protect for as long as he lived.
At the same time, she was also the shackle keeping Ian from leaving the mercenary company.
"All you ever say is, ‘Don’t go to the battlefield,’ and, ‘You’re weak, so you’d only get in the way!’ How am I supposed to put up with that?!"
"...You are weak."
"That’s exactly why...!"
Unable to contain her anger, Ella swung her sword at Ian, but Ian effortlessly evaded it.
His casual dodging only made Ella more furious. She lashed out in a rage, while Ian repeated the same pattern of avoiding every strike as if mocking her.
"Captain, are you playing with Ella again today?"
"It’s been ages since the commander told you not to do this..."
"Shut up, you bastards. What’s wrong with me playing with my niece?"
"Huff... you call this... playing...?"
Ignoring his men’s attempts to stop him, Ian kept needling Ella.
Already too exhausted to even lift her sword, Ella could now do nothing but spit out words full of resentment.
"Niece? What niece? We’re not even related by blood...!"
"But I was close to your dad."
"That’s all!"
"Isn’t that enough? I even got custody of you, you know?"
"Grrr..."
Ella had no room to refute Ian when he sarcastically brought up Porit’s last wish.
Both her parents had died when Ella was still an infant. From the very first moment her memories began, Ian had been the one acting as her guardian at her side.
Unfortunately, there was no way a mercenary who had spent his entire life rolling through battlefields could provide a child with a comfortable life.
From a young age, Ella had belonged to the Shark Tooth Mercenary Company and continued making journeys she never wanted to make.
So it was only natural that her ill feelings toward Ian would grow deep.
Ian understood that himself, and he could only ever feel sorry for Ella.
Of course, he never showed it.
"I hate you, Ian! I really, really... fucking hate you!"
"Who taught her to talk like that?"
"You did, Captain."
"Goddammit."
Furious at his tone, which made it seem as though he had no interest in her at all, Ella turned her back on him and ran off into the distance.
Ian reached out a hand to stop her, but withdrew it, figuring he could not expect it to do much good.
"She really doesn’t know how good she has it. Does she even realize she’s the only person in the world who calls you Ian?"
"She’s like an angel when she talks to the other members. Why is she only like that with you, Captain?"
"Because I torment her, I guess... I wasn’t a good guardian. You lot are more like friends than guardians to her, so maybe she expects less from you."
Ian dusted off his hands as he got to his feet and gave a slight shrug.
It had already been ten years since he joined the Shark Tooth Mercenary Company.
Originally, he had intended to stay for only around five years before leaving, but not even two years had passed when Ella’s mother died.
And in the worst way possible.
Back then, Ian had been so enraged...
"To her, the commander is probably more of a father than I am."
"Don’t say that. You, Captain..."
"She’s probably spent more time with the commander than with me."
"...Can’t deny that."
Once Ian decided to take care of Ella, he needed a group to belong to.
Ian’s own personality and fighting style were focused on butchering his opponents, rather than protecting someone.
If wandering mercenary Ian had tried to raise a child by himself, it would only have been a matter of time before she died.
In the end, he needed an organization that could remain in the rear and protect Ella.
"Captain! The commander is calling for you! He says there are guests!"
"Guests? At a time like this?"
"There was one weirdo, a Pallum, two elves... and a dwarf."
Huh? What a bizarre combination.
Resting a hand on his waist, Ian tilted his head in confusion.
Clients?
As the mercenary company’s assault captain’s head filled with question marks, a nearby member whispered to Ian.
"Aren’t they the group you arm-wrestled in the street that time, Captain?"
"...That dwarf? Fuck, did they come to collect the money?"
"If they squeeze a hundred thousand valis out of us, the commander will kill us... Captain, please talk to them nicely..."
"Got it..."
Wish me luck.
Waving a hand, Ian headed toward the commander’s tent.
Muttering that he had only given them a thousand valis because it had been a draw.
"...Ian."
"Yeah, Commander."
The moment he entered the tent, the commander’s sharp glare made Ian lower his head without thinking.
Like a child caught in the middle of a secret prank.
"They’re guests. They came looking for you."
"Ugh... You people didn’t come to collect money, did you?"
"Heheh, it’s not something that simple."
"...? If not, then what business do you have with our mercenary company...?"
Ian’s voice trembled faintly as he sensed that something was wrong.
This one was insane. The person before him was among the craziest people Ian had ever encountered on a battlefield.
Realizing that instinctively, Ian grimaced and retreated several steps.
"Y-you, join my Familia!"
"W-what?"
"I said join my Familia! Let’s go together!"
"What the fuck are you talking about?!"
Commander!
When Ian looked up at the commander with a gaze demanding an explanation, the man sighed and finally spoke.
"I am Kshar, commander of the Shark Tooth Mercenary Company. Did you truly think I would grant a request to take one of my mercenaries away when we have only just met?"
"Ah, come to think of it, we haven’t introduced ourselves yet. I’m the head of the Loki Familia... Finn, Finn Deimne."
While the leaders of the two groups exchanged words, Ian was shouting at Loki to stay away as she tried to pounce on him.
"Aah! What the hell, why is this pervert insane?! Get away from me!"
"Heheh, that husky voice is exactly my type. Come here!"
"You fucking bitch..."
Just as Ian, unable to contain his anger, was about to smash Loki’s head with his fist, the dwarf’s fist arrived first and smashed Loki’s head.
"Stay still for once. What are you doing, acting so vulgar toward someone you’ve just met?"
"Uegh... Gareth... that’s too cruel..."
Gareth slung the limp imitation goddess over his shoulder, then offered Ian a handshake.
"I’m Gareth Landrock. You’ve got considerable strength."
"Even if you say that, I’m not giving you a hundred thousand valis..."
"Hahaha! I have no interest in that. You’re sneakily stingy, aren’t you?"
"...Ian. Ian Ropos."
Though uneasy, Ian clasped Gareth’s hand.
The warriors’ hands, covered in calluses, were both so hard it was difficult to tell which was tougher.
After that brief greeting, just as they were about to exchange some small talk, Ian felt the commander’s desk shake slightly.
Was someone hiding there?
Ian’s predictions rarely missed, and this time was no exception.
A small figure suddenly popped out from beneath the commander’s desk.
"Ian, you bastard! Don’t steal my dad’s name!"
"Ella, how many times have I told you to stop running to the commander’s tent whenever you get upset..."
"Shut up! Die!"
Ella sprang out from beneath the commander’s desk, pointing at Ian and screaming at the top of her lungs.
Ian answered as calmly as he always did, but the commander’s tent was no longer the same as before.
"That is the scent of a fresh young beauty! I’ve got her in my sights!"
"Eek!"
"That crazy...!"
Loki had somehow gotten back up and tried to rush Ella. This time, Ian was the one about to smash her head...
"Stay still, you pervert!"
"Gah...!"
But he did not get the chance. This time Riveria smashed Loki’s head with her long staff.
His attempt thwarted once again, Ian sighed in deflation and looked over at Riveria.
Her long ears made her seem to be an elf like Ella, but it was his first time seeing an elf with green hair.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Ian spoke to Riveria first.
"...You’re an elf, right?"
"Indeed. I am unquestionably an elf."
"But your hair is green. Did you dye it?"
"How can you say something so rude?!"
This time, Aina, the elf standing behind Riveria, shouted indignantly.
She was an elf who had left the forest with Riveria, but when the green hair that symbolized her friend’s royal blood was insulted, she felt angrier than ever before.
"This hair is the symbol of High Elf royalty..."
"Enough, Aina. Stop it. We have already left the forest, have we not? There is no use clinging to the honor of royalty now..."
"Would you tell me where you got it dyed? I should make sure to avoid that place."
"You bastard...!"
She could have overlooked an insult to the royal family as a whole, but Ian’s overtly mocking tone toward her personally enraged Riveria. She charged at him, swinging her staff.
Of course, she did not land a single hit.
"Pfft, hahaha! Sorry. I just wanted to tease you once."
"Y-you! Don’t think you’ll be forgiven so easily!"
As Ian laughed cheerfully while trading barbs with Riveria for a moment, Finn and Kshar approached him.
It seemed the important discussion between the leaders had ended.
"Ian."
"Commander."
For a moment, the two exchanged looks.
The commander’s gaze was more somber than before, yet it also held firm resolve, and Ian could not hide his confusion.
What was he going to say?
"Become one of this god’s kin."
"W-whattt?!"
What the fuck was that supposed to mean?!
Surprisingly, the cry of shock came not from Ian, but from Ella.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register