In the year 744 of the Sedes Calendar, the Second Race War broke out, lasting for several decades.
When war drags on, life becomes desolate.
Refugees lose their homes, and those who should engage in livelihood turn towards the battlegrounds.
As manpower decreases, production drops, and when production decreases, taxes drop accordingly.
Furthermore, the reduction of defenders such as soldiers and knights becomes a significant issue.
With the fundamental promise of “You pay taxes, and in exchange, you receive safety” shaken, the populace became anxious.
It was due to this that the profession of mercenaries began to rise.
In truth, the profession of mercenaries had existed for a long time, but it was not a particularly celebrated profession.
Whether monsters invaded the city or nearby beasts appeared, soldiers and knights could resolve the issues, making mercenaries a side job that fulfilled minor requests during off-seasons.
However, as their influence waned, people began to hire mercenaries with the taxes they would typically pay, leading to the emergence of individuals who made mercenary work their main profession.
Among such mercenaries, those who found like-minded companions formed parties, and as their numbers grew or multiple parties came together, mercenary groups were created.
And during the Second Race War, there was a mercenary group that gained great fame…
*
“…This is the former ‘Liberi Mercenary Group,’ which later became known as the Free Mercenary City of Liberi,” Joanie excitedly babbled after arriving in Liberi.
Since she stepped into the stronghold of the mercenaries, she looked even more enthusiastic than usual.
The reason she was rattling off the history of Liberi, which I had never asked about, was probably due to that.
She struggled to explain in Granic, which she wasn’t familiar with.
However….
“I already know.”
“Oh, uh, really?”
The problem was that it had been unnecessary effort.
Even someone like me, who wasn’t particularly interested in history, knew about the establishment of Liberi.
To be precise, I was forced to know because of someone who was jabbering beside me before Joanie.
As Joanie explained, the beginning of the Free Mercenary City was a single mercenary group.
As the mercenary group grew, more people began to evade taxes, and from the perspective of the lords collecting taxes, it was natural to view that unfavorably.
Thus, the mercenary group and the existing power structure clashed, resulting in the mercenary group’s victory, and from this arose… the city of Liberi, the Free Mercenary City.
In other words, Liberi is the name of an ancient mercenary group, as well as the name of the city and the name of the collective to which the mercenaries belong.
‘Hmm…’
I scanned the city with my hood-covered eyes.
Although I had heard a lot about it, it was my first time visiting Liberi, and the size of Liberi I actually saw was considerable.
It wasn’t as big as the capital of Grasis, but it felt much larger than a typical city.
For sure, it seemed bigger than Ordo.
‘…Well.’
It used to be a small kingdom’s capital, so that makes sense.
“How long do you plan to stay in Liberi?”
“I don’t know.”
I could leave for the Holy Kingdom at any moment, but Joanie, who was asking me, didn’t seem to want that.
“Then can’t we just stay here for a few days before going?”
She was in a hurry, but also emphasizing the importance of resting and mentioned that now that we were here, why not go sightseeing?
Joanie pulled out every possible reason to persuade me.
“Just four days, no, let’s rest for three days! Okay?”
“Sure.”
“Don’t want to just rest for three days? Then… huh? Did you just say yes?”
“Sure.”
I wanted to ask Edel something, but it wasn’t urgent enough to rush.
Above all, I was used to sleeping outside on a carriage or a horse for several days, though that didn’t mean I enjoyed it.
Hearing my answer, Joanie’s face lit up.
“Really? No backtracking? You better not suddenly suggest we leave tomorrow!”
“Let’s just leave today.”
“Ah, why are you like this~”
Joanie playfully pouted and grabbed my hand, leading me.
She seemed quite familiar with Liberi, moving confidently through the streets without hesitation.
“Where are we going?”
“To the Liberi headquarters! Since it’s been a while, I want to show Kana the headquarters while reporting our results.”
“…Is it okay if I go?”
“It doesn’t matter unless it’s a major facility. After all, I’ll just be going to the um… what was it? Ah, the reception desk! That place handles receiving and dispatching requests, so regular people come and go there pretty often.”
In that case.
As I navigated through the crowd, avoiding people, a large fortress emerged before me that had been visible from afar.
Not only did they seize the capital of the kingdom, but they also continued to use the royal castle as their headquarters.
If the royal family of the fallen kingdom had seen this, they might have cried tears of blood.
Though better than some country where only ruins remained.
The Liberi headquarters, living up to its renowned name, was bustling with people.
There were many apostles, as usual, but I also notably spotted many ordinary mercenaries.
While I was staring at the people around me, Joanie knelt down to meet my gaze.
“Are you interested in mercenaries now? Maybe you want to become one…?”
“No.”
“Why not? If it’s Kana, you could get treated really well.”
“…No thanks.”
Well, I’d probably get a good deal, but if that’s not what I wanted, then it’s pointless.
If I had been short on cash, I might have considered it, but I had always just earned money without really spending it.
So much so that Garid scolded me for not spending some cash.
Even the rare times I did spend, it was just for food, which was so little compared to the amount of money I received as a high-ranking official.
The royal family members were annoying, like pesky mosquitoes, but they generally compensated me well.
That was probably due to their influence.
“….”
Recalling a face I had desperately tried to forget darkened my mood in an instant.
Even Garid, who would nonchalantly brush off anything I said, had made a strange face whenever that guy was mentioned.
I disliked him for my own reasons, yet objectively speaking, I considered him almost the only sane member of the royal family.
I asked Garid why he didn’t like him, but he never told me, so I still have no idea why.
‘If you really want to know, try showing some charm. Then I’ll tell you.’
‘…’
I said that, yet I didn’t really want to know that badly, so I ignored it.
Anyway, I didn’t desire fame, and since I had enough money, I had no reason to act as a mercenary.
I didn’t harbor good feelings about Liberi, at least not like what the Empire faced.
Joanie didn’t seem overly keen on pushing after my refusal either.
Noticing the long line at the reception desk, Joanie spoke in a somewhat flustered tone.
“It seems like it’ll take a while… Kana, do you want to take a look around by yourself? I’ll come find you once I’m done.”
“Find me?”
We hadn’t set a meeting place, and besides, how would she know where I’d be?
In response to my question, Joanie pointed to her surroundings.
Following her finger, I nodded.
Indeed, I couldn’t possibly go unnoticed.
I wasn’t some monkey in a cage; why were they staring like that?
So many apostles were eyeing me, whispering, that even other mercenaries, who hadn’t cared, turned their heads to see what was up.
It was a vicious cycle of people drawing more attention to one another.
“Okay.”
Though I felt like she would follow me everywhere, it was better than just standing there becoming a spectacle.
Leaving Joanie behind, I began my exploration of the Liberi headquarters.
The vintage interior and rugged mercenaries…
Was there a more mismatched combination than this?
As I wandered through the place, occasionally I would be confronted by someone blocking my path.
“This area is accessible only to authorized personnel. If you are an authorized person, please show proof.”
With a firm voice and body blocking the door, I could grasp the meaning well enough without understanding the words.
In such cases, I turned around without hesitation and headed elsewhere.
If they told me not to enter, I shouldn’t.
Unless there was a pressing reason to go in, there was no need to be stubborn.
While browsing through the curious onlookers and the various spots within the fortress…
sniff
“…?”
“…Hup!”
“…Swing it! Swing it faster!”
A distant shout and the clank of metal echoed.
Drawn by the sound, I headed towards its source.
As I walked closer to the sound, it became clearer.
The location I reached was a courtyard attached to the fortress.
Before the takeover by Liberi, it probably served a purpose with flowers planted, but now it functioned as a training ground for mercenaries.
People were diligently hitting wooden or straw dummies, while others were sizing each other up with weapons…
A noticeable number of apostles intermingled among those training.
I hadn’t expected to see them engaging in practice at all.
‘That’s surprising.’
Their skills were undeniably lacking, but their earnest efforts were commendable.
From what I could tell, those practicing alone seemed like newbies just starting their mercenary journey, while those sparring with each other looked a bit more seasoned.
And the more skilled ones seemed to be receiving guidance from some kind of instructor.
They even had instructors.
I thought they were just a ragtag bunch who could fight a bit, but I didn’t expect them to have formal training.
It’s more systematic than I thought.
“Hmm? …Break!”
The instructor, who had been sternly guiding the mercenaries, noticed me.
As the instructor raised his hand, the mercenaries, who had been swinging weapons with sweat pouring down their faces, exhaled a sigh of relief.
He turned to me with a voice much gentler than the one he had just used.
“What brings you here? Are you perhaps following along with a brother or sister?”
“I don’t know Arkish.”
Reciting the first words Joanie had taught me, the instructor scratched his head.
“Hmm, are you lost? That’s troublesome…”
“….”
“If you accidentally get hit by a reckless sword, it could be dangerous.”
The instructor, stroking his rough-and-tumble beard as he pondered, beckoned me.
If it wasn’t a special gesture among the mercenaries, it meant he wanted me to follow him.
Uncertain of where we were going, I quietly followed him.
Upon arriving at a door near the training ground, the instructor knocked.
Knock, knock.
“Captain, can I come in?”
“Oh, come in.”
I entered through the door opened by the instructor.
It appeared to be someone’s office.
A man was sitting at a big desk, wrestling with paperwork.
“What’s up?”
“I found a lost child. It seems like she’s lost her guardian, but leaving her in the training ground could be too dangerous, so I brought her here for now.”
“I see?”
As the man, who had been entangled with papers, lifted his gaze, he bore a somewhat faded good looks that time hadn’t fully erased.
He must’ve captured quite a few hearts in his youth with his striking appearance.
And I knew his name.
“Aaron.”
His blue-tinged gaze turned toward me.
Questioning, astonishment, distrust.
In an instant, his eyes transformed through three phases before becoming filled with horror.
“No way, it can’t be… really?”
“…Is she the captain’s daughter?”
“…His daughter.”
As the instructor asked cautiously, Aaron stopped his disbelief and let out a bittersweet smile.
Before long, he burst to his feet.
“I’ll take care of this. You can go back now.”
“Yes…!”
As the instructor closed the door upon leaving, silence fell between the two of us.
It seemed he had almost processed it, but a trace of skepticism lingered on Aaron’s face.
Wanting to aid him, I pulled down the hood that I had been wearing.
The pink hair that had been hidden under the hood gently cascaded down.
“It’s been a while, vice-captain.”
“…N-no, oh…!”
Aaron, who had met my gaze, let out a nervous laugh.
Now that we were properly facing each other, there was no hint of distrust left on his face.
“It’s truly been a while.”
After a moment of hesitation, he continued speaking.
“…Captain.”
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