The Regression Of A Grand Mercenary

“Just early this day…Evelyn and I were enjoying ourselves at the market. Never would I have expected that something as disastrous as today would happen…but I should have been better.” I said as I was having my injuries treated by Evelyn’s mother. She insisted that I would be treated by her since I wasn’t immediately taking the initiative to clean my wounds.

“Could you have done better?” she asked as she slowly picked off some parts of the melted iron on my skin. Although it may seem painful, because of my high tolerance against pain, it felt like I was simply being pinched by a knife…

While inside Evelyn’s room, I was half naked and with my armor melted into some parts on the back of my skin, Evelyn’s mother was worried that this kind of injury would harm me more than it would.

I mean…tearing away the armor while some of it was latching itself into my flesh, it’s not really a delicate sight to see. But I was surprised that Madam Emilia wasn’t as bothered as I thought she would. It might be because she has done this a lot of times to her husband who was once an adventurer.

“I could have…I mean, I had suspicions about the place we were visiting the moment I got a look at the Gaval’s house.” I said.

“Well, knowing you…I know you would have acted if you knew there were enemies. But we could not have expected something this big…my husband, he lost a friend today, but because of you, he didn’t lose a daughter.” she said as she tries to assure me of my growing guilt. At this point, she told me that most of the melted parts of the armor have been already pulled off, so she proceed to cleaning the wound alcohol.

“Ugh!..A-about the Gaval’s, there was this boy named Marcus who came to greet us at the door.” I said as I squirmed at the alcohol touching my burnt wound.

“Ah him…yes, I know him. Our association with the Gavals have lasted for a long time now. We have been supporting their work ever since we discovered them five years ago. It’s not a surprise to find that Marcus would be quite close to the family.”

“Well, strangely enough, and I’m not trying to sound jealous but…Marcus seems to be quite close with Evelyn.”

“Oh, that…hahaha, I can see why you would look at him that way. After all, Marcus did like Evelyn.”

“…R-really?”

“Yes, but sadly Evelyn did not return the same kind of affection. She told me about a year ago that Marcus proposed to her, telling her that once him and his father could move out of the country, she should come with him where they would live together…but Evelyn never once looked at him that way. To her, they were just friends.”

“I see… so that’s why she was a little uncomfortable when they saw each other.” I said.

“I can imagine that it was awkward no? You are lucky that you were the one she likes, right?” she said jokingly.

But I replied genuinely.

“Well, more than anything, at the start of our relationship, she was the one who tried harder than I did. It just took a few attempts from her for me to start liking her back…so yes, I’m lucky to have her affection.”

“Hmm, you know… I never say this enough, but thank you for protecting my daughter. If it weren’t for you, she would have been in a worse condition.” she said as she started to feel a little somber.

Yet despite her kind thanks, I didn’t fully accept it.

“I appreciate your kind words madam, but I can’t fully accept them yet…not until I find the bastards who attacked us.”

“You shouldn’t think like that. Chasing after bad men…it’s dangerous.” she said worryingly.

“I know, but if I can’t take revenge, this hate in my heart…it won’t go away any time soon. It isn’t just Evelyn who got hurt, but over a hundred innocent civilians were killed in that explosion. I know you may think badly of me for saying this, but I’m not a forgiving man. And my hate…I don’t easily forget it.”

“…It just seems like a bad idea. I know many men who would walk in the same path you do, and most of them would come back home either with a wound on their body, or never come back home at all…it’s a risky path.” she said.

“I know. I’m familiar with such a path…”

“…” in her silence, she then proceeded to bandage my wounds.

After a while, my wounds were tended to. Its been a while since a motherly touch was tended on me. I was grateful for what she did, but soon enough, I may get hurt again…so it felt uneasy.

“I better get going. Sir Reginald called for me to go in his office.” I said.

“Is that so? Why?” she asked.

“I don’t know…but whatever it is, it won’t change my mind on what I plan to do.” I said.

“Just please…try to consider that if you do find the people responsible, maybe try relying on someone who could lessen the burden. If anything, try to get Escanor’s help. Although he is a part of the King’s knight order, he will still surely be of help. Especially since this involves our family.” she said, trying to plead to me. But I simply put on my shirt and I left the room.

It was rude of me to leave just like that, but…it doesn’t matter.

My blood was boiling, and my anger wasn’t settling. Someone has to pay.

When I went down the hall, I made my way to Reginald’s office. It was there that maybe something about this incident, he can open a path to finding the culprits.

“…Excuse me.” when I opened the door, I was surprised to see Reginald sitting on his chair, while staring out to the window with a cold expression.

He didn’t seem drunk. I would have expected him to drink his troubles away, but he seems to be more serious than I would ever see him to be.

“…You finally came.” he said.

“Sorry it took a while, Madam Emilia tended to my wounds…she didn’t want me to just drink a health potion and leave.”

“Right…without properly cleaning the wound, a healing potion wont be enough to completely fix the body. Knowing her knowledge in nursing these kinds of wounds, she would have tied you up before you could leave. Hahaha, she is always serious with her job.” he said as he reminisce of the days.

“So why did you call for me?” I asked straight to the point.

“Thill…I’m sorry that you got into this mess. You are not even part of the family yet, but despite that, you risked your life to protect Evelyn.”

“It’s not a big deal. I love your daughter, and I would lose my life if it meant she could live.”

“I don’t doubt your love…but the thing is, you were right. This isn’t just an attack. This goes deeper into the line where politics are involved. Where lives are placed on the deck and exchanged all for the sake of winning…the deaths of Ossiah and his son…and anyone else involved.”

“…It sounds like you’re talking about war.”

“In some ways, it can be a war. But for it to be a war, people have to fight on the grounds where they can have the chance to win…. yet to me, it’s not a war, it’s just a tragedy.”

“…”

“I can see it in your eyes…you want revenge. We both do. But are you sure of wanting to involve yourself into this mess…because if you do, your life will constantly be in danger. Not just you ,but your family as well.”

“…Madam Emilia said that it’s the wrong choice to choose to fight back…but I don’t care.”

“I know, I feel the same way. But still, she knows that in this kind of fight, we have no chance in winning. My influence means nothing when I’m up against an enemy that is far beyond my reach.”

“Just tell me already. Do you know who the enemy is?” I asked.

“…that’s a difficult question to answer.”

“Tell me.” I said angrily.

“I have to be honest with you…I don’t know who they are.”

“What?”

“It may seem absurd, but my enemies are those that goes against the ideas of progression to a new age. You remember what we talked about at the restaurant earlier before Escanor and Eliana arrived?”

“I…I don’t.” I said honestly.

“Well, you proposed that in the sea of tools sold in today’s market fair, you wanted to find an item that could help you communicate to your brother in the city at a fast rate. You said that letters were too slow.”

“Ah right, I remember that.”

“Well, your idea…although it’s a brilliant idea, you are not the first to think of such an item. In fact, I had that idea as well back in my youth. And I use to know of someone capable of creating such an item.”

“Wait…what?”

“Before I would find the Gavals who were great craftsmen of steel, a few years ago…back when I was still starting my rise as a merchant, I knew of a talented mage who had the skill and curiosity to change the world. He was a man who was capable of creating different sorts of items. But the problem with this mage was that he lacked the funds to make anything. Despite his genius, he had a problem.”

“…what kind of problem?” I asked.

“This mage was a fucking gambler. He used any money he made to gamble at the damn tavern…each time he comes back, he was more dirtier than the day before. Both inside and out. Each time he comes back…his wife and children go to sleep hungrier. It didn’t take long before his wife and his two children left him.”

“…You knew him personally? Was he a friend?” I asked.

“…It doesn’t matter who he was. What mattered was that he was a wasted genius. He could not manage a single thing in his life…before I knew it, I received news that he was behind bars…but knowing his potential, I couldn’t just abandon such a man.”

“So you bought his freedom?” I asked.

“Something like that…when I did free him from the cage, he promised me that he would start doing better. I believed him, and in exchange for his freedom, we built something together. He started innovating items that had the potential to evolve the world, each month that came by, he would come out of his workshop, carrying an item that had the capacity for potential. One item he made was a mage-like tool that made it possible for him to capture the image of a person and paint it into a piece of paper in an instant. It was quite something…after a while, he made other fun things…and soon, I came up with the idea that was similar to yours.”

“You mean…a communication tool?”

“Yes. When I presented such an idea, he became ecstatic. For an entire year, he did nothing but focus on this idea alone…and when the year was done, he was supposed to present it to me. To show me his work. But when I visited his house, I saw that…nothing was left except the scorched trails of his bones…and his home, not a single trace of it remained. Everything was burned down.”

On his desk was a book, when he reached for that book, he opened a page from it and showed me an image..

“!?”

It was a man similar to Reginald’s face…but the man looked younger and skinnier and somehow had a more wavy hair…

“Is this…”

“It’s the mage.” he said.

“He looks just like you.” I said.

“He was my… younger brother.” he said as his voice suddenly became cold. He almost chocked at the mention of his brother…but he carried on.

“…You’re brother?”

“To commemorate his first invention, the tool that was capable of taking images using mana, he took a portrait of himself and he gave it to me as reminder of his changed self.”

“…”

“You know what the worst part of this was?”

“What?” I asked.

“On the day that I found his home burned, his bones weren’t alone…”

“…”

“The investigators were able to find three more bodies beside his bones.”

“…You mean.”

“Yes, in all his years trying to escape gambling by focusing on his work, one day…his wife and children came back. He must have wanted to surprise me by introducing me to them again, but…I was too late.”

“…That’s terrible.”

“It is. My younger brother Ralph, his two sons and his wife…they died because of me.”

“Why is it your fault?”

“Because it is!” he said as he knew he could not let go of that guilt.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Unlike today where I hid any information of the Gaval’s work from the public, In the past, I did my best to spread the word to the kingdom. That me and my brother was bringing something new to the world. I didn’t expect that in my actions to spread his work, it would catch the ears of my enemies.”

“How are you so sure it was an enemy that attacked you?” I asked.

“I know, because of this.” by his words, he flipped the page of his book and from there, I was shown an interesting old letter.

“…!!”

It was a large piece of paper with a symbol of a large red eye at the center, and written below that eye was the word…[Stop]

“This is the enemy!” he said.

“…”

“The night after he was killed, this letter was placed on my desk. I tried figuring out who had such a symbol made, but none of my sources ever came close to finding them. Even to this day, I still continue searching for those bastard no matter how improbable it may seem…”

“…Are you certain that it’s the same enemy?” I asked.

“I….I don’t, but my gut is telling me to follow through.”

“…”

As he was arguing, all of a sudden, a knock came by the door and to it, a maid came with a message.

“My lord, a letter has just arrived for you. It seems important.” said the maid.

“!?”

“!!?” we were both surprised.

Without hesitation, I opened the door and let the maid in. When she handed him the letter, she was quickly excused. The moment he had the letter on his hand, he was nervous.

The envelope itself was as black as ink, yet its seal was made of an unnatural material that resembled wax, but also something more immaterial.

He didn’t know what to do, but his rage…the expression of his anger. Nothing about this day gave him a reason to run away.

So he ignored his fear and he decided to opened it.

The moment he did, I quickly caught a swift scent of blood inside that letter.

And when he opened it, we were surprised to find what was inside it.

“!!!”

It was the same letter as his first.

A letter written in blood with the symbol of a large red eye at the point. Below that eye was a warning written.

[This is your second warning…Do not go further.]

“…” but despite such a threat, Reginald wasn’t as worried as I would have expected.

Instead, all he showed me was an uncertain look.

“…Should we really fight this?” he asked not me, but himself.

“…” I remained quiet, and simply stared at the symbol on the letter.

That eye…I know I once saw this before…but I was just never certain.

Although this group is terrifying, and the coincidence of their threatening letter burried more doubt and fear…I simply sighed.

“…Sir Reginald, It’s getting late. It’s best that we rest for the day…” I said as I turned my back and made my way to the door.

But before I could reach for the doorknob, he called out to me.

“Wait!”

“…What is it?” I asked calmly.

“What should I do?” It was there that fear suddenly flooded his voice. The realization of an unknown enemy being an enemy was simply…a little heavy for the man.

But for me, I gave him a reassured smile. And I said.

“Go to your wife, and your daughter. They both need you right now.” I said.

With that said, I left his room and made my way back to Emilia.

When I went inside, I saw that she was beside her daughter, tending to her condition.

“Madam Emilia.” I called to her.

“Thill? You came back.” she said.

“I just talked with Sir Reginald…he should be coming back soon.” I said.

“Really? How is he doing?” she asked.

“He’s a little worried…but it’s at this time that you should try to support one another.”

“I see…thank you.” she said.

“Of course. For now, I have to leave.”

“Leave? Why?” she asked.

“…It’s for personal reasons.” I said…but I know she already caught on to what I meant by that.

“I see…so you decided to walk that path.”

“I have yet to decide…but because I’m leaving, I need a favor.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“…I need my armor back.”

Because my armor was valuable and was targeted by many eyeing nobles, it had to be hidden. But now, I was in need of it…and to get it back, I needed permission from Madam Emilia to claim back my armor in their hidden storage.

Although she hesitated for a bit, she knew it was not her right to keep the armor, so she agreed.

She took me to the hidden storage deep inside the chambers of the mansion, and I claimed back my armor.

Once I did, I said my goodbyes to the Amber’s for this night.

”Goodbye Madam Emilia, and please say goodbye to Sir Reginald as well…”

“Of course.” she said.

“…And if she ever wakes up, tell her I will return when I can. Assure her that I will return.” I said as I referred to Evelyn.

“…Okay.”

With my goodbyes said, I left.

Although I was uncertain of the enemy…In desperate times like this, I could only ever reach out to those who did.

AN: Hey guys, I just reached a hundred chapters for this novel! isn’t that something? Anyway, I’m celebrating by going out to the store and buying myself ice-cream. because what else do you think authors eat to celebrate?…..you are right, they eat whatever scraps they can find at the cracks and corners of their house. Being a poor novelist myself, Ice-cream is just as much of a treat…also, writing a Sotry-filled world for my own pleasure is also a treat, but nothing beats ice-cream on a hot day like today…here in my tropical country. Anyway, to those following my novel…thanks a bunch. you guys are great. I’ll be treating you to ice-cream the moment i get my first paycheck…………………………………………………sadly that day might never come. LOL.

Also, just like my other novels that reached over a hundred chapters…[this is my third novel btw that reached that far], i just want to talk to myself for a bit and say how cool of me to write that many chapters…and to think, i started writing novels back when i had a crush on a girl from an anime and wanted to write fanfic of her…HMM, those days were great. now, I’m just filled with a lot of depression…which hasn’t change much even back then, but you know…the older you get, the more you appreciate life and ice-cream.

anyway, thanks for reading. LOL