Chapter 84
“It’s embarrassing, but yes. I think so.”
Janet was not just blindly flattering; she asked reasonable questions with genuine concern. Truly, she was an exemplary loyal aide.
“Hehe, I went out that night to make sure my business idea wouldn’t get stolen, and ended up sick like this. Are you saying it all failed?”
“But…”
Shalia’s fruits alone weren’t enough to fully understand, and the worry briefly crossing Janet’s face didn’t vanish.
“If I were a mercenary, I’d choose Lucifer over Desimo.”
“Why?”
“Because Lucifer is different from the others.”
Flora smiled knowingly, saying he would soon understand. And indeed, it didn’t take long for the fruits of their business to start showing results.
“Phew… I’m exhausted.”
A wandering mercenary, Aye, wiped the sweat off his forehead as he finally stepped inside the northern city gates.
Abandoned by his parents as a child, the only thing Aye had received from them was an easy-to-remember name and a body that grew quickly despite hunger.
Thanks to that, he chose mercenary work to survive. But even described kindly, his life had never been smooth.
<Where do you think you’re going with that filthy body into our shop?>
<What? You want a room? Do you even have money for the rent?>
<The mission’s over. Why are you still here?>
<Aaaah, it’s a monster!>
<Our parents said never to deal with monsters! Let’s throw stones!>
<Whoever hits first is “it”!>
Even while risking life and limb to fight monsters, mercenary work was looked down upon, a lowly occupation, even scorned by clueless children.
After 20 years of wandering without being treated as a person, Aye often questioned whether this life had any meaning.
Why live this way if most people are too busy to welcome you—or even hate you?
But having spent his whole life as a mercenary, how could he possibly do anything else now?
Amid extreme burnout and despair, news came of a guild being created for mercenaries.
<Are those the mercenaries for the guild recently established by Lucifer?>
As always, performing his tasks mechanically, Aye noticed a hot topic among the sharp, sensitive mercenaries one day.
It was natural that his gaze was drawn to them.
From their neatly kept attire, to well-crafted weapons, to enjoying properly prepared meals—these were luxuries mercenaries rarely enjoyed.
<Why did they make a village for guild members this time?>
<What? Really?>
<Yes, they even prepared land for a village for mercenaries. If others want to live there, they are welcome too.>
<No, even if there’s a village, ordinary people won’t come in easily, right?>
<Apparently many ordinary people want to live there. I’ve heard the north discriminates less against mercenaries than other regions.>
Because the northern region lacked a governing authority, it was full of trust in the traitor Lucifer, the knights, and the mercenaries.
<I feel like I could actually trust and work under someone like that.>
Those who always treated mercenaries as human beings during monster hunts were none other than the Duke of Lucifer’s family and their knights.
<But I heard the Desimo family also created a guild?>
Someone nearby suddenly shouted in frustration.
<Ugh, don’t even mention that name!>
<Why are you angry? I’m just telling what I heard!>
<They said only qualified people could join, and they make a fuss about it!>
<“Fuss” is putting it nicely! They told us to bring our usual weapons for the test, but when we did, they said it was dirty and wouldn’t let us in!>
The man showed the large axe he meticulously cleaned every day. Despite some wear, it was in good condition.
<They try to rank mercenaries by their own standards! Not by how many monsters you can kill, or your strength to protect comrades—but by whether you meet their idea of a “worthy” person!>
They were treated worse than animals in a zoo. He barely passed the interview, only to be rejected for failing to meet the guild’s arbitrary criteria.
<But when have they ever treated us like humans?>
He tried to endure. Even if others saw them as monsters, they were humans.
<I’ve never been treated as a person, so I couldn’t pass that test!>
His frustration exploded.
<All nobles are the same. No matter how well Lucifer treats us, it wouldn’t change anything!>
The angry declaration silenced the crowd. Familiar despair and failure surrounded them.
Then, a young boy’s voice broke the silence.
<Lucifer is different.>
<Who are you, kid?>
The boy, Basilian, pointed to his chest. The emblem on his mercenary badge showed he belonged to Lucifer’s guild.
Though wooden, it bore the guild’s symbol: a fierce red serpent.
<Even a kid like me is accepted, just for having the will to live.>
Basilian recited the rules of Lucifer’s mercenary guild:
Any mercenary can join.
Age, gender, and social status are irrelevant as long as they’re not criminals; all are treated equally.
Conflicts are judged fairly, ensuring no member suffers unjustly.
Guild members are always protected by the Duke of Lucifer’s family.
Members are provided a place of refuge—a home, friends, and family.
The Duke will never abandon guild members under any circumstances.
<It’s still early, but it’s a fine place. At least I think so. If you’re curious, go see for yourself. No one will turn you away.>
With those words, Basilian left, having even proudly shown off a self-defense bracelet developed by the Duke’s family, said to repel monsters and distributed in limited numbers to early guild members.
The crowd stirred shortly after hearing his story.
Hearing this, Aye naturally lost interest in the Desimo guild and chose an unplanned journey north.
‘Of course, it could be exaggerated, so I’ll see for myself.’
As he surveyed the lively streets with a wistful look, he heard a child’s voice at his legs.
“Hey, are you okay?”
He hadn’t noticed the child clearly as he was lost in thought.
“Hiiing!”
The boy, having bumped into Aye’s knee, held his forehead and cried.
‘This is bad.’
If the child cried, villagers would chase him away.
‘I haven’t even seen the mercenary village yet!’
At that moment, the whining boy looked up, saw Aye’s face, and smiled brightly.
“It’s okay!”
“Huh?”
“Mercenaries always fight monsters to save us! If you’re tired, that’s okay!”
The boy’s parents approached shortly after.
“Sorry! We didn’t see our kid running ahead!”
“You’re a mercenary, right? To get to the mercenary village, follow the road east. The test is tough, good luck.”
“…Yes?”
The father’s stern voice made Aye shake his head in acknowledgment.
“Thanks for always protecting us. Good luck!”
“Y-Yes, thank you.”
Aye never knew what happened afterward, but seeing people thank him kindly, children smile instead of cry, and mercenaries enjoying ordinary lives like everyone else, he realized the boy had spoken the truth.
People could live like people.
That truth struck him to his core.
Like all mercenaries arriving there, Aye cried openly despite his fierce appearance.
It was the day a new guild member was born.
