「Asphodel Meadows – Alliance Army’s camping site」

-Arghh!

The soldier falls on his knees after being sucker punched in the stomach by his fellow soldier. Unlike the other soldiers surrounding him, who are well equipped with a full set of armor complete with brand new helmets and sturdy gauntlets, the groaning soldier looks like a farm boy playing war in comparison, considering he only has a cheap iron helmet to protect his head and a pair of worn-down iron gauntlets barely enough to cover his arms. The rest are simply his plain clothing, with a simple dark blue shirt and a common black trouser, with a brown scarf to cover his neck from the cold of Winter.

-Get up! We’re not finish yet!

Two fully armored soldiers approach the young man lying on the ground and pick him up, but not without letting him go off their grip. Certainly they’re not doing it out of good will, they do it just to give another soldier standing in the center of the crowd another chance to make the defenseless young man into his punching bag.

-Even after taking that much, you still dare not to say a word…I see you have the guts required to be Origen’s men.

As he finishes his sentence, the soldier standing in the center throws another punch at the young man’s stomach while the others continue to keep a hold of him.

-But so were we!

Despite having his saliva flown out of his helmet’s mouth, the young soldier has yet to utter another word aside from the groaning of pain.

-Still persistent, aren’t you? Just like dear old Origen. Now, shall I remind you what you did wrong to deserve this fate?

The soldier walks away from the young man and faces the crowd, as if he wants to make this charade into some kind of show, with them as the main actors.

-Surely you remember the invasion a week ago? Would be sad if you don’t, because you were there, together with Origen, valiantly charged through the demon horde toward Melas castle. But I won’t talk about that, I will talk about what happened five days prior to Origen’s great quest.

The soldier takes a pause to gain his breath before resuming.

-That time, Origen called for soldiers from his own army and a few others for a secret meeting, and then, he told us his plan to take on a suicidal charge toward Melas castle, to save mankind, humanity, and the Alliance, or something like that…I don’t remember well, because you know what? His mages ambushed those who refused to partake in his madness! They casted a sleeping spell on us, and imprisoned us for five whole days before Origen went off with an army of madmen by his side! And guess what? All of them are now dead! Leaving cowards like you behind to take the blame for their failure!

The soldier rushes at the young survivor and throws another punch at his stomach. Despite the pain, the young survivor still persists with his silence, which only helps pissing off the attacker and the soldiers around him.

-Shall I take off his helmet? Maybe he’ll beg for his life if his face becomes a pile of horseshit.

-That’s good! Let’s see what kind of ugly face he’s hiding behind that helmet he always wearing!

No one says a thing, no one dares to object the punishment inflicted upon the survivor that carried the late Origen’s legacy. Only when outside interference arrives does the torture stop.

-Stop this madness right this instance!

Yells a young man on horseback. His horse however isn’t a normal horse, it’s a unicorn, a mythical beast the common people only knows from stories and picture books, but the young man with a sheathed crystal sword behind his back is now riding one in flesh. If the sight alone doesn’t make him out as an unordinary young man, the glowing seal in his right hand probably will.

-The hero…Sera Fino!

The crowd’s gaze is fixed upon the young hero as he dismounts himself and approaches the man standing in the middle.

-Humans shouldn’t fight humans! If you still want to seek an opponent, then I’ll be your guest! Just let that innocent man go!

The armored man stays silent, but eventually he gives up thanks to the presence of a hero. With a hand gesture from him, the two soldiers grabbing the survivor let him go, but not without forcibly pushing him down to taste the dirt on the ground as a final kick. The crowd starts to leave one by one, until only the hero, the survivor, and the angry soldier remains.

-Don’t think just because you are a Hero means you can do whatever you want.

With a final snark, the soldier eventually leaves. Right after that, Fino approaches the downed survivor and puts his right hand onto the survivor’s back.

-Are you okay? Can you stand up?

-I think…I need some help…

For the first time, the ill-equipped soldier speaks. With a helping hand from Fino, the young man stands again, although barely after all the punishment he went through. His clothes are now covered in dirt, but having Fino dusting off most of them out of his clothes helps somewhat.

-Thank you for your kindness…Mister Hero.

Says the young soldier. The helmet concealing his face makes it hard to see his expression, but Fino feels like there is a smile lies beneath the helmet.

-Just call me Fino.

Fino replies.

-Why didn’t you defend yourself? You are a soldier, aren’t you? Is the sword by your waist just for show?

The young soldier silently laughs.

-As you said, Mister Hero…humans shouldn’t fight humans.

-That’s not a reason to let those people do as they wish, even if they are your comrade from the same army!

Yells Fino. He seems more worked up than normal.

-They weren’t wrong…because I’m not an innocent man like you said earlier.

Says the young soldier.

-What are you talking about!?

-I did help start a war, it’s the truth. In the eyes of common soldiers like them, we plunged them into another era of chaos and bloodshed. The reason why the generals didn’t execute us survivors was because practically most of Origen’s followers are already dead. If that beating was the punishment for my sin, then so be it...That being said, they still kinda over did it, hahahaha. Now excuse me, Mister Hero, I think I need a good rest for my dear stomach…

Fino falls silent. There were many types of people Fino met in his travel up until this day, but to see a person like this is a first for him. It’s hard for the naïve young hero to make sense of the person in front of him. Is he a doormat who let people trample on him? Is he a brave soldier who helped a great general bring a chance of victory for mankind? A tough nut to crack, but there is one thing Fino can make sure when he looks at the young soldier: a sense of sincerity.

-So you are the one named Figaro Durant.

As the young soldier starts to take his leave, the moment his name is called, he stops his feet, and returns to face the young hero he left behind.

-How did you know my name?

Asks Figaro.

-I believe we haven’t made a proper introduction. My name is Sera Fino, of the Empyrean Mercenaries. Figaro Durant, our leader wants to talk with you.

---------------------

Due to their differences in purposes and origins, the mercenary bands made their camps far away from the main army, with messengers to act as their mean of communication in between. Despite the presence of the reinforcement armies from the Uestos continent in the West, the army from the Jingdom of Metallum still have the better say when it comes to how things work in this continent of Eostre, due to their sheer number and experience fighting the demons for ten years straight, although the latter is up for doubt. The location of the camps was decided by them, with the new meat reinforcement trapped in this war placed a bit far away from the battlefield, while the Metallum army stayed in the middle, and the mercenary bands facing foremost to the frontline. In other words, the High Command of Metallum practically and purposely used the mercenary camps as a meat shield against the demons, which will take the brunt of the attack in case of a sudden raid, and the mercenaries have no say in this matter, since they did not violate any rules made by the Guild and they are the one holding the purse. Surely the sound of dying men will make a terrific alarm bell.

Across the camps fly the flags of various mercenary companies. There are the flags of the Blood Wolves, wild and untamed yet professional mercenaries; Iron Men, Metallum-born sellswords; Storm Eagles, a company consists solely of beastmen, and many more. Compare to them, the Empyrean Mercenary seems irrelevant at a first glance, with numbers barely reach a hundred at most, considering almost half of their men died fighting in their previous mission. But it was all thanks to that mission that life has returned to the mercenary camps everywhere, where they are preparing for the war yet to come, but inevitably will.

-And here we are, the Empyrean Mercenary camp.

Says the young hero Fino, accompanied by the one whose presence was requested by his leader: Figaro Durant, and the same person who is riding on his unicorn.

-Maybe the gazes will stop after we enter your camp…

Figaro mutters. It wasn’t an easy journey from the main army camp toward this place, and while there weren’t any monsters that showed up out of nowhere for a random encounter, the unnerving gazes of the masses were fixed upon the unremarkable soldier, who somehow ended up riding on the back of a mythical unicorn while its owner have to walk and lead the horned horse.

-So? How did you feel?

Asks Fino.

-Better than before. So what the legend said is true, being near a unicorn is enough for wounds to heal!

-I know. I was surprised the first time I experienced it as well.

The young hero replies with a smile, but that smile quickly fades as he continues.

-But us humans exaggerated their power. They believe unicorn’s horn is an ingredient to make a potion that can cure any illness and disease, or brew an elixir of immortality. I understand how the Elves felt betrayed when human nobles started to butcher their sacred beasts in an attempt to escape mortal life. And thus, unicorns disappeared from the eyes of man, and faded back into myth.

Fino caresses the white unicorn’s head, it seems pleasant when being petted by someone it trusts.

-…Anyway, I should dismount immediately! It doesn’t feel right riding on a Hero’s unicorn.

Before Fino even has a chance to stop the man, Figaro has already dismounted from the unicorn, which only prompts a faint smile from the hero as they continue their walk through the entrance, guarded by the Empyrean Mercenary’s banner depicting a yellow sun surrounded by a ring of fire on a red background.

As they continue walking, Fino finds it rather strange, since while the camps themselves are intact, there aren’t any of his comrades around. It’s quieter than normal, while Figaro fails to pick up the hints, a sweat drops from Fino’s cheek as he fears for the worst: A demon raid.

-Arghh! Help me! Help me!

Someone is yelling from somewhere. Commanded by his quick reflex, Fino leaves the unicorn and Figaro behind as he runs toward the source of the sound, confusing the young soldier and the unicorn he finds himself suddenly in charge of.

Fino runs across the camps, and soon, he approaches the source of the sound, with his sword readied to unsheathe. And finally, he finds himself standing in front of…a bathing site in the middle of winter, with a mini pool made of wood lying in the center, along with a bunch of naked men happily bathing despite the cold weather, thanks to the mages on the side working their asses off trying to keep the water temperature hot with their magic.

-What in the…

-Mister Hero! What happ…oh dear Lielos…

As Fino stands puzzled from the sight, Figaro finally arrives with the unicorn by his side and finds the source of the voice crying for help: A naked man being thrown to another side of the wooden pool, with the culprit being the muscular and naked elven man with a blonde beard as he boastfully laughs at the other men bathing with him.

-Ahahahaha! Such puny strength! Any man man enough to think he is stronger than Aegil Alfbern Silvius, I’ll allow him the right to try!

-Egil! What are you doing?

Yells Fino as he tries to comprehend what’s happening before his eyes.

-Oh, welcome back, Fino! We are only having a wrestling match!

Never mind how absurd wrestling in the bath sounds, Fino continues to yell.

-I mean, why are you having a bath in a first place!?

-If you’re asking about permission, then Theo approved of it.

As the muscular elf explains the situation to the young Fino, he approaches the edge of the wooden pool and gets out…while naked without any bathing suit.

-Egil! For the love of Lielos and all that is holy, get yourself some cover!

Fino shouts, which prompts a laugh from the man and all the men bathing behind.

-Ahahaha! What do you have to fear? Aren’t we all men here? The girls have already kept themselves busy elsewhere.

-Just do it, please!

-Jeez…Fine, fine…

As Egil walks away to find himself a towel, Figaro finally finds his chance to voice his thoughts, while his hands are covering the unicorn’s eyes.

-I’m glad I’m the one with the helmet.

Fino can’t help but throws the young soldier behind him a look of disbelief. A minute later, Egil returns with a towel shielding his lower half.

-I understand the need for a bath…but we are going to have a war! The other mercenary companies are making war preparations, but here…

Before Fino has a chance to continue, he finds Egil’s hand placed on his brown hair as he gently rubs his head.

-Now now, being serious like this is unlike you. I understand we are already at war, both I and Theo do, that’s the more reason why we should enjoy things like this while we still have a chance.

-But…

-To quote Theo: Our mission right now isn’t fighting, our mission right now is resting, healing, and recruiting more men. We need to regain the strength we have before. We are done with fighting for the time being, preparing for the war are now the jobs of other companies.

Fino falls silent before turning his head up to look at the muscular elf in the eyes.

-Theo said that?

-There are more to war than just stabbing people with weapons, Fino. You are Theo’s right hand man, so believe in his choice. Give yourself some break, we will need your inhuman strength in the near future.

Fino gives up and nods in agreement.

-Fine…I won’t try to stop this anymore, but I still prefer to take my bath alone.

-Geez, too bad, hahaha.

Egil smiles, he doesn’t seem to be too concerned of Fino’s decision. Meanwhile, his vision is now focused on the helmeted soldier who is tending the white unicorn.

-So…is that the new meat for our band?

-Oh, you mean him? His name is Figaro Durant, from the Metallum army. Theo requested his presence to speak with him.

-I see.

The muscular elf walks past Fino and approaches the helmeted soldier before extending his right hand at the young man.

-The name is Aegil Alfbern Silvius, Archery Commander. But my fellow comrades call me Egil for short. Nice to meet you, young one.

Figaro is stunted from Egil’s openness, as friendliness isn’t something people talk about whether the topic of elves gets brought up. But nonetheless, friendliness will be met with friendliness, and Figaro accepts the elf’s offer for a handshake.

-It may be rude to ask this but…elves can actually grow beard?

Egil laughs out loud from hearing Figaro’s question.

-Of course not!

Egil rips the blonde beard off his face, only to reveal it is simply a cosmetic fake beard attached on his face from the start.

-A birthday gift from Theo. I wish I could grow a beard like you humans, but it seems like Lielos the Creator deemed it too ugly for his beautiful elves!

-If Lielos cares about us, he would have sent lightning bolts down from the skies to destroy the demons ages ago.

Egil simply laughs from Fino’s response.

-As the priests always said, Lielos works in mysterious ways. Anyway, don’t keep Theo waiting. I’ll be taking my leave.

As he says his goodbye, Egil returns to the pool, takes off the bath towel, and resumes wrestling the men in the bath, the rest is better left for imagination.

-Your friend sure is…impressive.

-Please…stop talking for a moment…

After shooting down Figaro’s response, Fino continues leading the way deeper into his company’s camp. Just like before, the camp is scarcely populated, either they joined the little pool party, or probably are wounded and unable to move. As they pass by the smaller tents, a tanned man with a crutch on his left and a bandaged right arm held by a sling walks out from a nearby tent. When he sees Fino, a jovial smile appears on the black-haired man.

-Fino! You’re back! And you brought a new friend together with you.

-Are you well enough to actually walk, Oka? And if I remember it right, this is Alan’s tent. How is his condition?

The young sailor simply laughs.

-He’s well enough to cuss, that’s for sure! As for me, it will take more than a dragon’s bite to bring me down! But seriously, we won’t make it alive without Elisha’s tender help, send her our gratitude, won’t you?

Fino nods and smiles at the wounded sailor.

-Dragon!? You fought a dragon and lived to tell the tale?…Was it a red-haired female dragon?

When the word Dragon appears, Figaro interjects into their conversation. But rather than being puzzled by a newly met stranger, Oka seems more interested in how a common soldier knows about a dragon that terrorized Origen’s men to the details.

-How did you know about her? Who are you…?

-This man is Figaro Durant. He is one of Origen’s surviving men, and was also the one who accompanied Gust in his final mission.

Figaro doesn’t reply. He has been wondering what is his purpose for being called here from the start, but the moment the name Gust appears, Figaro finally has a grasp on the reason why.

-I see…if you were with Gust during his demise, then you should understand the terror of facing a dragon in flesh and blood.

-I know…

Figaro nods without saying much as he tries not to recall the memories of that day.

-The name is Okaenos Pelagius, it’s a long ass name, so just call me Oka. Among the Empyrean, I am the Raid Commander. As you can see, I’m from Unda. The grumpy dwarf inside is Alan Steinar, our Infantry Commander, but it’s better that you don’t visit him right away, he’s really nasty, I tell ya.

The young man smiles, barring his trademark shark teeth as he gazes to the tent behind his back.

-I’m Figaro Durant. Nice to meet you as well.

Figaro replies the greeting. It’s a shame Oka doesn’t offer him a handshake like Egil earlier, but considering his current health condition, it’s understandable.

-All these talk about dragon makes me remember that girl. Damn…that girl was hot, both figuratively and literally. I wouldn’t mind having my arm ripped off by her teeth if it was her. I wonder if she has a boyfriend…You think I have a chance, Fino? Hey, where are you going?

Before Oka manages to finish his rant, he already finds Fino running off together with Figaro and the unicorn. Considering his condition, pursuing them just simply doesn’t worth the trouble.

-Why the hurry? We were still talking with that guy.

Asks Figaro as he is being dragged by the young hero.

-There are many things in this world better left unknown, Unda courtship custom is one of them. Beside, we kept Theo waiting long enough. Let us hurry.

The two of them continue to walk, it doesn’t take long considering their camp isn’t that big, but Fino still feels like it has been forever thanks to the chance encounters with his comrades.

-Your friends sure are quirky despite being sellswords.

-I won’t deny that, but they are the people I would trust with my life in the heat of the battlefield.

Fino returns Figaro’s comment with a gentle smile.

-Oh, finally. We are here.

Their journey ends when they arrive in front of a big tent in the middle of the camping site. While not fancy or astonishing by any means, its sheer size is enough to tell this is the tent befitting a leader. The entrance is blocked by a piece of white cloth to keep the activities inside private.

-Please wait here for a bit, I’ll notify Theo of your arrival.

Seeing himself filling the role of the stranger, Figaro simply nods as Fino enters the tent. His wait doesn’t take long however, as several minutes later, there are some loud noises inside the tent, and Fino suddenly comes flying out of the entrance like an arrow and falls head down to the ground.

-Err? Mister Hero? What happened?

Figaro rushes at Fino’s side, and soon he realizes the cause of the event from a footmark by Fino’s cheek. Someone kicked him hard enough to send the hero flying, and by the time Fino regains his foothold, the perpetrator herself is already waiting by the tent’s entrance.

-What was that for!?

-For yours and Theo’s stupidity!

Fino’s response gets quickly shot down by the yelling of a nasty girl standing in front of the tent. She’s a girl, normally there wouldn’t be such a confusion, but the way she dresses with a tight brown pant, and a sleeveless brown combat sweater combined with short and boyish hair cut make the blonde girl looks like a boy at first glance. But there are still obvious hints of femininity hidden inside her sky blue eyes and white silky skin combined with below average height even for a girl, though her…other assets, or lack of, seem to help in disguising herself as a boyish sellsword. Her weapon is a longsword strapped behind her back, though the weird thing is there are two sword handles pointing out at the top despite having only a single sheath.

-Why did you do something so stupid like charging inside the enemy’s line without telling me a single word!?

The boyish girl yells.

-Well, that’s only because it was our job! The Empyrean’s job! You’re the one being ridiculous here, Aisha!

-Even if I’m just a freelancer, I still want to believe I’m a part of you guys! If you guys were going to do something dangerous like that, the least you should do was telling me a word! You and Theo…why are both of you so stupid!?

The boyish girl’s face redden as her anger starts showing outside, but the moment her gaze meets with Figaro, she starts to behave herself and cool down her temper.

-So, that guy is Theo’s guest. As much as I want to punch you to a pulp right now, Fino, that will have to wait…but I’ll return later to deal with you, remember that, you idiot!

The girl angrily leaves the sites, while Figaro helps Fino to stand again after taking a drop kick to the face. As Fino eases the pain in his cheek, Figaro asks:

-Another friend of yours?

-I wish I could deny that…but yes. Her name is Aisha, and unlike us, she’s a freelancer who hasn’t joined a proper mercenary band yet. She mostly takes jobs from Theo, but she’s also working for others band as well. As you can see…she’s…more boyish than the other girls.

Fino looks annoyed, either from the pain in his cheek, or by the pain brought by the boyish girl’s presence.

-You sure have a lot of interesting friends. My head starts to get dizzy from remembering their name alone.

-Anyway, we wasted enough time already. Let’s move on.

With a helping hand from Figaro, the two of them enter the tent after tying up the unicorn’s rein to a nearby pole.

-Took you long enough to arrive.

Greeting them at first is the voice of this tent’s owner, followed by the sight of a neat but rather plain interior for a mercenary commander’s tent. A wooden table with a several maps orderly arranged, boxes that contain important documents, an out-of-place bookshelf, a small table with several bags containing dark beans and a metal pot for some unknown purpose, and a plain and cheap bed enough for a good night sleep. And the owner of all of those is sitting behind his working desk, with a cup of hot coffee on the table next to his glasses, while the man himself is having his cheek fixed with medical wool by the hands of a lovely cat girl in white nun outfit.

-So she got you too…That damn girl…

Theo can do naught but put on an ironic smile as the slap mark on his cheek has yet to disappear, the same smile applies to the cat girl trying to make that wound fixed on Theo’s own cheek.

-If I was in her shoes, I would probably give you a slap as well, Theo. What you did with Origen from an outsider’s perspective was truly outrageous. You were lucky to get off without serious consequences.

Says the witch with a ponytail as she tries to search for something in Theo’s bookshelf.

-Err…so Figaro, this is…

-Annagrom Erramun, but people call me Anna for short, and I prefer it that way. My family aren’t very imaginative in naming their kids.

Before Fino has his chance, the witch called Anna has already took the initiative away and introduces herself.

-Erramun? As in…THE Erramun clan? One of the founding clans of the Grand Academy City of Conatus? And the same clan Nilrem the Sage, the mage of Erdrick the Savior’s legendary party who helped defeat Dargoth, descended from!?

-And traitor of the Legendary Six, because people never seem to forget that part and will remind it to my face everytime my surname is mentioned.

The witch puts on an ironic smile as she replies Figaro’s words.

-Even so, it’s still amazing.

Says the young soldier. For a rank and file soldier like him, meeting a descendant from one of the legendary heroes must feel amazing to him.

-You know who is also amazing? Our cat girl over there!

The cat girl startles when her presence is noticed by the young wizard.

-Elisha Hughard, the brightest, and cutest, amongst the Maidens of Heloise! Capable of bringing men from the brink of death back to life, her healing magic is on par with Heloise herself, to the point people said Elisha Hughard is the second coming of the Holy Saint Heloise! If she still stayed in Luminis, by this point she would have already became the Head Maiden. But what a tragedy, fate just had to guide our young hero Fino to shag her away from the Holy City of Luminis and dropped her at this sorry mess of a continent!

Anna begins her dramatic monologue, which is somewhat well met by Theo and Figaro, not so in the case of Fino and the cat girl in question as they put on their fakest smile possible.

-Talk about the hero himself. Sera Fino! Born in Metallum, raised in Solis. After a background check, this sorry guy turned out to be a direct blood descendant of the Savior Erdrick himself! And thus, the Light God Church bestowed him the sword of purity Solias for his holy mission of defeating the 100th Demon King! But he went and became a mercenary instead! What a shame!

Fino can do naught but laugh as Anna introduced him in a way that doesn’t make people think of him seriously, but somehow Figaro’s enthusiasm is still captured by every words said from Anna’s mouth.

-You mean…that sword was the same sword used by the Savior Erdrick to stab through the Demon King Dargoth’s heart, ending the war between the Alliance and the demons a thousand years ago like the stories about them!? Dear Lielos…I can’t believe a day like this would come in my life!

His helmet is the only thing to help contain his amazement from showing outside, but that doesn’t stop him from showing it all through his clenching fists and shaking legs as he stares at the people around the room, all of them with unique backgrounds that set them apart from the common people he knew.

-You seem to be a fan of the tales about the Legendary Six’s exploits.

Says the mercenary commander with a smile on his face.

-Of course I am! My father used to tell me those stories every night back when I was a child. I still remember the heroic deeds of the Legendary Six just like yesterday. Erdrick the Savior, Nilrem the Sage, Heloise the Saint, Ylva the Berserker, Arnulf the Sniper, and Gale the Thief. Every child in the Heaven Realm knows about how they saved the world from the terror brought by Dargoth. They were true heroes, and the role model every child aspires to become!

His enthusiasm is short-lived however, as the soldier quickly reminds himself he is still in the presence of a mercenary leader, and thus he adjusts his attitude to be formal enough.

-Still…for you to be the leader of all these amazing people…just who are you?

Seeing as there is a question directed at him, Theo picks up and wears the glasses he left on the table and confidently replies.

-I am the guy giving them their paycheck. My name is Theodoric, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Figaro Durant.

-It’s a pleasure for me as well. Though your name is only Theodoric? You…don’t have a surname? Are you by chance a…

Suddenly, the moment Figaro makes his question, he is met with an intense gaze from all the people in the room aside from Theo himself. The soldier is confused, as the gazes themselves don’t have any hostile intent, but they don’t have an ounce of friendliness either. To ease the tension, the merchant simply laughs.

-Hahaha. Yes, I’m a bastard, just like Origen himself was. Children born out of wedlock have no right to bear any surname, it’s the written law ever since the concept of law was introduced, so it can’t be helped, not like I can freely dig a surname and use it for myself.

-I’m…sorry…my apology for bringing this up.

Theo continues to smile to lighten up the mood.

-Don’t worry, being called a bastard is far from the worst slur I received ever since I took on this occupation.

-Thank you, I believe I haven’t make a proper introduction myself. My name is Figaro Durant, I’m a son of a barber in the Kingdom of Metallum. As you can see, I’m just an ordinary guy drafted into being a soldier when I came of age. I’m no stuff of legend, but I’ll do my best with what I can do!

With a firm grip of the sword by his waist, Figaro makes his best impression of a soldier to introduce himself in front of the mercenary leader. That’s how he was taught, how the soldiers of Metallum army were taught when they need to present themselves to their superior.

-You were a soldier of Origen, who joined him for his suicidal quest, that alone made you more special than other soldiers.

Theo smiles before he continues.

-I guess it’s about time we get into the real business, about why I called you here, Figaro.

-Well, I guess I’ll have to excuse myself and let you boys handle the man talk. By the way, I’ll be taking this as my bonus payment for the last mission. I’m sure you have no objection.

Says Anna as she quickly leaves the tent with a book from Theo’s bookshelf on her hand. The catgirl herself also quickly follows behind, but not without giving some advices on how Theo should handle the red slap mark on his cheek.

-I think I should leave as well.

-No, stay, Fino. I don’t mind you being here. This is also important for you as well.

Fino’s request to leave gets denied, but he doesn’t make any other rejection for that. The hero is also curious of what Theo’s demanding from a lone soldier like Figaro.

-Before we begin, why won’t you let yourself be at ease? Wearing that helmet already must make you feel cramped.

The young soldiers seems nervous from Theo’s courteous request.

-Err...it’s fine, Sir. Thank you for your good will, but I actually feel more comfortable wearing my helmet. It was a gift from my father before I departed to the frontline.

Theo knows there exist people who really value possessions given to them by their loved ones, but to think of an old iron helmet as one of those is certainly a first to him. Nonetheless, it is irrelevant.

-Suit yourself, then.

-Thank you. So…why did you call me here, sir?

With Figaro’s question, Theo finally gets into the main business.

-During the initial assault on Melas castle, General Origen sent out a team attacking the North-East part of the castle, with one man tasked with wearing his own Paladin armor and riding his horse in order to divert the demons’ defending force away from the main entrance. The man he chose for that mission was Gust, a swordsman from Suntos, and a member of our band. At first, Origen launched a secret raid on the North-East ward in order to secure a foothold before the bait came in, because depended on how successful they were, the battle might continue at that place. But the demons didn’t take the bait, because there was something else guarding that place, something strong enough for the demons to put their faith on her shoulders.

-That Dragon…

Fino mutters as he clenches his fists.

-Indeed. The dragon, something unexpected that no one, not even Origen himself, knew about. Her existence alone threw a wrench into his plan, forcing him to revise their battle plan, and we all know how that turned out. But I’m not summoning you here to talk about your general Origen, Figaro. I already heard what happened from the survivors, but only you know how it happened, because you are the only one from that mission who survived through all the following ordeals. Figaro, I want you to tell me about how Gust fought the dragon…and how he died.

Despite shaking his hands from hearing what he was asked, Figaro firmly replies with a strong determination in his voice.

-I’ll do my best!

The following time is spent talking and talking about what happened through the viewpoint of Figaro, who was present back when the dragon debuted herself. He starts with the initial raid mission, where he and a bunch of other soldiers secretly climbed the walls of Melas in order to secure the area. Their main enemy were skeletons, but they were Origen’s men, mankind’s finest as described by Raganhar’s words, they were experienced enough to fight the skeletons without difficulty. But the dragon was a different matter, and Figaro was the one who experienced it firsthand when she tore mankind’s finest apart with her bare hands, and he could only watch as his comrades dropped like flies in the following pursuit, until “Origen” himself appeared.

-Gust fought bravely to the end, never once did he consider giving up the fight and run for his life. But what is a human to a dragon? Even when he cut off her head, the dragon still lived, and delivered the killing blow afterward. All I could do was just standing there and watched that damn dragon put a hole into his chest…I’m sorry…for my powerlessness…

Figaro falls silent after he finishes his story. No one in the room utters any words. Theo keeps his hands by his mouth, falling deep in thought. Meanwhile, there are tears flowing down Fino’s eyes with his fists firmly clenched, and the Light Seal on his right hand shining brightly.

-I believe this is enough. Thank you for your story, Figaro. To be honest, while I wanted to hear how a friend of mine met his end, I’m more concern about details regarding this unknown dragon. The dead died, but the living still have a war to fight, and if we are to continue to conduct business with war, surely we will soon face the same dragon in the future.

-That’s all I know regarding the dragon. I hope it may prove useful for you to bring that dreadwyrm down.

Theo simply nods in response.

-If there is nothing else you would ask of me, then I guess this is farewell for now, sir.

-Don’t be so hasty. There’s still one thing left I want to ask you.

With his hands intertwined together on the table, Theo speaks.

-Figaro Durant, soldier of Origen. Would you like to join the Empyrean Mercenary as a member of our band?

Both Figaro and Fino are shocked by Theo’s sudden proposal. Figaro’s hands and legs start shaking as he tries to recollect his thought for an answer.

-B-But I’m still a conscripted soldier in the Metallum main army!

-You may not know this yet, but by tomorrow, Origen’s surviving men will be merged into General Raganhar’s army. I personally know Raganhar, it will be easy to pull a few strings and have you transferred into our band as a sellsword. But, that still depends on your answer, Figaro Durant. Would you like to join us and fight for mankind together?

Figaro stays silent, his hands and legs stop shaking, but he has yet to speak his answer until a minute later, when he has finally managed to recollect his thought.

-I…really appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid I have to refuse! I’m truly sorry!

Figaro bows his head in front of Theo as he gives him his refusal. Not even Theo can hide the surprise on his face, while Fino has no need to hide it as he doesn’t even bother to try.

-I will honor your wish, but if I may, what is the reason for your refusal?

Figaro stops bowing and returns to his standing stance before answering.

-Haha…Well…I guess because…I dislike fighting. That’s not a natural thing to say when you are a soldier of Metallum army. You know what they said about showing a Metallum child a hammer, a pitch-fork and a sword, right? Well…when it happened to me…I remember choosing a piece of four leaf clover growing in our house’s garden. I got a big scolding afterward…but…what I mean is… I don’t want to fight, I only fight because I have to, because I was drafted into this army, and thus, I have to fight if I want to survive. That’s why I can’t become a sellsword, I don’t want to fight for other reasons than because I have to. As a soldier, I have about two years until my mandatory military service ends, and when it does, I’ll get to go home and reunite with my parents, my brothers and my sisters. So…sorry, sir, I can’t become your men, even though I wanted to.

A smile appears on Theo’s face, while he may not agree with Figaro’s reasoning, he can feel sympathy toward his ideal.

-It’s too bad, but I will accept this reasoning of yours. One last question though: Even though you dislike fighting, why did you choose to join Origen on his quest?

-Because I don’t want to make the time I spent on this continent become meaningless. I will do what I can, because that’s the only thing I can do.

The helmet may have hide it, but there is a smile on Figaro’s face. There are countless helmeted soldiers like him populating this foreign land, but he may not be the only one who has this view for their duty in the war against the demons.

-I think I can accept that. Thank you, Figaro. May our path crosses again in the future.

Figaro bids his farewell to Theo and the young Hero before leaving the tent by himself.

-What a shame, he seems to be a nice guy. I would love to have him as a comrade. Still, why him? It’s not like you can shamelessly request something like that to Raganhar. If you want to have more recruits, normally you would ask the Mercenary Guild for that matter.

Asks Fino as he approaches Theo’s table after he gets tired of standing on the side from the start of the talk. When Theo finishes having a slip from his cup of coffee, he replies.

-For one, he was Origen’s men. Who wouldn’t want to have someone who followed their leader even to their obvious death as their own soldier? That kind of devotion isn’t something money can buy.

-And the other reason?

Theo falls silent despite being urged by Fino for an answer.

-I guess…that’s just because of my paranoia.

-You’re not making any sense here.

Fino replies, but Theo himself doesn’t clarify his second reasoning to the hero under his employ, and passes it away as a simple gibberish thought.

-Either way, my business with that guy is over, it’s time for our business Fino. I will give you a new mission!

-Already? Why?

-Because of your disobedience during the Melas mission! Just because I was busy dealing with the aftermath’s mess doesn’t mean I forgot about that! Seriously, what were you thinking when you hopped on a mid-launched Golem to propel yourself toward the castle?

Theo sudden starts yelling, with visible anger in his face. Despite being a chosen hero of the Light God, Fino is now cowering from the scolding of his friend and commander.

-Well…the Light Seal told me something, I felt it and acted on my own. I guess it was telling me to meet my nemesis, that dragon.

-Either way, your action almost got Oka and Alan killed. You are my friend, Fino, we know each other from childhood together with Elisha, but I just can’t let this slide away. You need to work twice as hard to redeem yourself!

Fino gives up as he scratches his hair from being scolded.

-Fine…I understand. I’ll do it. So where will I go this time?

-To the Suntos continent. I have a job for you there.