The Regression Of A Grand Mercenary - 23 - Things Happen, Especially The Next Day.

The next day, just as Evelyn had promised, a few carriages came from the city. And for each carriage, there was a single professional butcher who had the experience to tore apart a dragon’s corpse. Five butchers for one lesser dragon, if done right, the value simply from its corpse can go up to around a thousand gold coins.

From the organs, to the blood, along with its scales, claws, talons and horns, this dragon was a treasure trove for value.

It has a lot of uses that goes not just for creating stronger equipment like armors or weapons, but for other uses as well such as poison use, medicinal experiments and alchemy related studies.

Each coin was worth it’s grace depending on how one uses it.

And all of it’s value simply goes to me and my account. Since I sold it to the Amber family, for them, they can make more profit than just a thousand gold coins. If done right, they can probably double it, but it takes a lot of time to reach a double profit. And I don’t have any experience in merchant business. The best case I can take is sell it to them just like any other adventurer would.

Now that I’m leaving the corpse to the Amber family, I planned on returning to lot to continue on cutting down the trees, but things like this dragon business doesn’t just go away.

Right before I could leave my home, I was visited by the village elder.

“…” as one would expect, he was old but wise in his own ways.

The last time I’ve ever thought of this old man was when we were leaving our home right before the bandits went and raided the village. Back then, when we escaped, I heard that the village elder stayed by himself to confront the bandits no matter how futile it was.

In the end, he became a victim to the bandits just like the rest were.

To see him here now, I wondered what his concerns were. Was he here to confront me about the fact that I killed the dragon? That must obviously be it.

“…Can I ask why you are here today, Village Elder?”

“Hm…Boy, your father and mother, they were victims to the plague no?” he asked as he could barely keep his eyes open. He was just that old.

There was barely any hairs left on his head and his teeth were just as yellow as any other old man in the street. He was the oldest of the old.

“They were…why are you asking me that?”

“They were good people. I remembered when your mother was still pregnant with you and your father was very eager to build a proper life for your future.”

“They barely had any money with them then, but I could tell that they were good people…your father, despite his talents as a blacksmith, he didn’t want to go far into the city. If he did, he could have made a name for himself as a great blacksmith in the city, but he remained here with your mother. Do you know why?”

“…No.”

“Because your mother loved this village, and your father loved your mother very much. I think he said once that he couldn’t go a day without ever seeing your mother’s face. He was a fool in love…that man. He stayed simply because he loved his wife. He was a good man.”

“…Hmm, that makes sense. My father was pretty protective of mother.”

“I’ll say this again, your father and mother were good people…and you…you reflect the very same eyes as they did. You are a good person for protecting this village…and I simply came here to thank you for your efforts.”

“…” I was surprised, so much so that I was speechless. To think that this old man was actually here to thank me. That kind of act never really crossed my mind before.

From there, he slowly stood up from the chair and approached me as I was sitting down. Despite his slow actions, he slowly walked up to me and rested his hand over my head. Patting me as he shows a kind spirit. This again was something I did not expect.

“I hope you continue to be kind to the people here of Fether Village.” he said with a soft gentle smile.

“…I will.” I said in humble reply to the old man.

“Hmm, good. Now then, I should get going. I wish you and your siblings will have a good day now.” he slowly made his way out of our home and from then on, I smiled softly as I waved goodbye.

Despite his short visit, I was reminded by that old man on just how wonderful this village was. How kind the people were.

But this comforting feeling was also short lived as in the corner of my eye, a certain familiar face came about.

“…”

“…” despite his efforts to hide in the shadows, I’ve already memorized his presence from way back when he came into my home.

“…” knowing that he was there, I acted like my normal self and made my way to the workshop to be alone.

And as I walked, I could feel him following me. And when I finally walked into my workshop, I let the door open, showing that I know he was there.

“…Hmm, to kill a dragon is nothing but praiseworthy.” he said.

And as he spoke, I used my wind affinity to close the door without moving a finger.

*Thud!* the door closed shut and I was here in the workshop alone with Orion.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as I turned around to meet him eye to eye.

“I could ask you a similar question. What are you doing with all this attention on you?” he said as he slowly revealed himself to me as if he was disabling the a magical cloak that made him invisible.

“…You’re an idiot to assume that I have some sort of plan in mind.”

“So nothing? A dragon just came about and you did your best in protecting the village?”

“What else is there?”

“Hmm I guess it makes some sort of sense. You did so well in fact that when I took a look at the corpse, there was a clean hole right through it’s body…it makes me wonder just how skilled are you for a blacksmith.”

“…I’ll ask again, what are you doing here Orion?”

“Rumors of your actions will start to spread throughout the kingdom. A warrior that kills a dragon will ultimately become a hero, they say. So being the first one who has taken an interest in your identity, I wanted to know if you plan to do anything with this upcoming fame of yours.”

“Nothing will happen…nothing will ever happen! So you can stop snooping around like a fucking dog.”

“Harsh words…but fine. I’ll keep my nose away from you for a while. The truth is, I came here for a different reason entirely.”

“…”

“Have you heard of anything new happening in your village lately?”

“…no.” I said as I lied like it was second nature.

“Hmph, I’m sure you’ve noticed the new nun that came about your village. ‘Emily’ I think is her name.” he said as he emphasized on her name.

“what about her?” I asked as I looked unbothered.

“So you do know her…or maybe you’ve met her. Well, keep yours ears open around her.”

“…”

“Don’t give me the silent treatment. You want to protect your village don’t you? Will, sooner or later some unwanted visitors will come by and…I just hope you’ll be prepared.”

“I’ll say this as a hint. She isn’t who she says she is…” he added as he looked to me with an expressionless gaze.

“Why are you telling me this? I don’t want any part of this…especially if it comes from a dog like you who works straight from the king himself!”

“…Politics is hard to maintain, but all I’m just saying is that you keep doing what you do for the village. Keep every citizen safe…especially those who are ‘new’ to your town. Don’t you want this place to feel welcoming?”

“…”

“Hmm, you know, if you weren’t so on your toes around me, I would have considered you to be a friend.”

“…Says the man who threatened me.” I said as I spoke with a viper-like tone.

“Hey, its my job to keep some people in line, I just hope you don’t cross that line somewhere in the future.”

“…”

“…It’s been good talking to you…Mr. Blacksmith.”

From there, Orion left with a smile on his face. Despite his average features, he was getting on my nerves as of usual.

But based on the context of his words, it seems I was right.

Emily…the new nun isn’t who she says she is.

And for the kingdom to know, they must have their eyes on her not as some sort of target, but a client to protect. But if that is the case, why not send in a few other people to guard her in this village.

…or maybe she doesn’t need protection.

Orion said that certain enemies will come around, but who? Is it the Umbravor Empire?

‘Fuck, who are they to just pile on this kind of problem on me…I’m not some fucking janitor to clean up their mess.’

But still…it’s clear now that she’s in hiding.

So from here on forth, what will be my actions going forward?

No, it’s not my place to be involved. It isn’t.

***

A few days went by here in the village. And during that time, we finally finished clearing the lot for the Amber Family. Starting tomorrow, they’ll start the construction. In this part of the event, I won’t need to involved myself in the construction part. Instead, I was asked to provide certain metal works like nails and other small construction parts.

After we finished clearing, it was also at this time that Evelyn came by my home to finally give me the thousand gold coins worth from killing the dragon.

‘…’ looking at the bag filled with coin, I couldn’t help but worry.

“Why did you bring everything here?” I asked.

“Listen, I would love to keep your money safe for you, but I’m not some bank you can leave your money in. I live in the inn right now and it isn’t really that safe to keep a thousand worth of gold just lying around hidden in the room. It’s more safe to keep it here…with you.”

“I see, that makes more sense. Thanks for giving it straight to me.” I said as I agreed with her.

“It’s no problem at all, you earned it.” she said.

As I picked up the heavy bags of coin from Desmond’s hands, my sister came by and she looked to me as I was carefully holding all the gold in the bag.

“Ah, Miss Evelyn, you came by?”

“Ah yes, I just came by to give your brother the coin he earned from subjugating the dragon. With that much money, your household won’t have any problems with living for quite a while.”

“…I see. That much coin is quite hard to believe. I didn’t think our family could ever reach this far in income. But I think this is more of his money than the family’s…so I don’t really get any say in what he plans to do with it.” she said as she lowers her head a bit.

“…This is for the family Theresa, so don’t be so bothered by it.” I said as I placed the coin on the coffee table.

*Thud*

“What do you plan to do with your earnings?” asked Evelyn.

“Well, for starters, I have to send my brother to the academy out in the city.” I said.

“You convinced him?” asked Theresa.

“I did. That’s why I’ve been training him for the past couple of days.”

“Is that why he got a fever last time?! it was your fault?”

“Yeah…sorry about that.”

“Sorry doesn’t get you anything! You put your brother in a fever for three days! Who does that?!”

“Hmm, it may seem that way but we made a deal with one another.” I said as I tried to speak with reason.

“A deal?

“Two months from now, the academy will start its entrance exams. To pass it, one needs to be qualified in the matters of using magic…to make sure that Theodore passes, I need to train him. If he doesn’t comply to the two month training, then I won’t support him.”

“Ah- you’re crazy! You were the one who wanted him to go the academy, so why make it hard for him?” shouted my sister.

“Because if I don’t, he’ll fail. Not just in being a student, but being a mage as a whole.”

“Hmm, he’s right Theresa. I’ve heard of how there’s only so many who could actually get in the academy. Right now, there’s about only six students who actually passed.” said Evelyn.

“What? Is it that harsh?”

“It is. It doesn’t just takes money for one to become a student, one needs the talent and the skill to pass through being a mage.” added Evelyn.

“That’s why I’ve been drilling him with hardwork. Two months from now, he’ll be a cut above the rest!” I said confidently.

“…but don’t you think that Theo might not handle it? I mean he’s pretty fragile.” she said.

“I’m refining not just his skill, but his body as well. You don’t have to worry about anything. Also, if he didn’t want to do it, he would have given up by now…but he’s still doing it.” I said.

“…If Theo wants to, then I guess it’s okay.”

“Good.”

“Thill, I also forgot to say this, but I brought a few dragon parts you requested. About 50 dragon scales and two dragon claws were all I could obtain from the butcher.” said Evelyn.

“Oh thanks. With that much scales, I could make a proper set of armor…and for those two claws, I can probably make a pair of swords.”

“Great, just remember our deal. If you finish making them, you can let our family handle the business of selling your work.”

“Yeah, I will.”

We’ve both made an agreement with one another that once I finished creating my work with the armor and weapon, the Amber family will take charge in selling it to one of their main shops. Although the profit will be shared with fifty-fifty, I only ever agreed to it because this would be helpful in spreading my name as a blacksmith.

With the Amber merchant shops selling my work, not only does it guarantee the quality of work from a reliable shop, it will be the start of my reputation not as a warrior but as a blacksmith.

Although I’m a bit surprised by her willingness to agree, I couldn’t waste a chance with one of the greatest merchant families in the kingdom.

***

After Evelyn left, I made my way to my parent’s room.

This was the place where I would hide the money from the rest, especially from my siblings.

“Is this where you’ll hide the money in?” asked my sister as she came with me.

“Just don’t tell the others.” I said.

“I won’t…” but as she said it, she had a hint of conflict in her tone.

“Is something the matter?” I asked.

“Brother, I know it’s been a while and I don’t think that this is the right time to talk about this…but maybe its time we finally use this room.”

“…what do you mean?”

“I think it’s time that you took over the house and this room as well.”

“You mean that I move into this room? Our parent’s room?”

“Yes…our parents will never use this room again. It’s only going to be a waste of space if you don’t use it.”

“…what if we use it as a guest room?” I asked.

“Do you really want that? I mean, you’re already an adult…I’m pretty sure if mother or father were here, they would give you the permission to use their room.”

“But why?” I asked wondering why she was adamant in doing this.

“I just think it’s time that you took over. You’re already doing so many things for us, I think its time you grow from just being our brother…”

“I am your brother…but I get it. If you’re this willing of me moving into this room, I’ll do it.”

“Great! Finally you can have your own room. I’ll be sure to talk to this with Evelyn.” she said as a smile was on her face.

“What? Why?”

“Eh-…I mean, it’s nothing really.” she said as she was defending herself.

“…What are you trying to do Theresa?” I asked.

“N-nothing! I just want my brother to start thinking independently. I mean, you’re already at that age where you can marry someone and no one would bat and eye.”

“…And?”

“Come on, haven’t you noticed how Miss Evelyn looks at you? She clearly wants something from you…I think starting to live your life separate from ours is a good way to live life as an adult!”

“I am living as an adult, so please don’t try to do anything that might make things awkward for both me and Evelyn.”

“…Really? I mean…are you sure about that?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

That night, after our weird argument, I moved my parent’s things into the attic, while on the end of things, I moved my own things into their own room. It’s been a few days since it was used, so it was a bit dusty. But with a bit of affinity wind under my control, the dust were easier to clean off.

After I settled in, it was finally my room.

Tonight, I would be sleeping here on my own without any noise from my brothers snoring.

***The Next Day***

I woke up and found Evelyn sleeping next to me with nothing but her undergarments.

“…”

“Hnn~…Good morning.” she said as she looked refreshed. With how erotically messy her hair was, she looked to me with such a lustful gaze and embraced my arm while she was covered with the sheets.

“…W-what are you doing here?” I asked.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she said playfully as she smiled at me.

Paired with her golden hair and blue eyes, she turned to me like a piece of treasure, willing to be taken.

“…God, it was Theresa wasn’t it.”

“Maybe, or maybe it was just me who wants to take you all for myself.” as she said this, she raised her leg and climed on top of me.

With how her bosom was showing in great focus, I was taken aback by her erotic gesture.

“…We didn’t do anything wild last night, did we?” I asked just to be sure.

“No, not yet at least. I want us to take things slow, so maybe in a few months or maybe a week from now, we might just do it.” she said.

“Hmm…”

“Oh, but if you are wondering, I left you a present on your neck. You might want to check on that.”

“!?” as I touched my neck, I felt a small numbing sensation.

I knew for a fact what it was.

“A hickey for my sweety.” she said.