Vice-captain Berg!
As I placed flowers on the graves of the fallen mbers of the Red Fla, I turned around upon hearing a voice calling .
Approaching was my aide, Baran.
When our eyes t, he spoke.
Captain Adam has returned.
I remained silent for a mont, then nodded and gently set down the last flower.
The ti of rembrance ca to an end here.
"Is there anything special?"
I wiped the dirt off my hands.
"Nothing, except that captain is looking for the Vice-captain."
Adam Hyung had left our hideout for a while two weeks ago to accept a new request.
All I knew about this client was that they were a noble.
I had no information about who they were, their race, or how high-ranking of a noble they were.
However, based on my intuition, it seed likely that a significant battle was on the horizon.
In the first place, it was rare for Adam Hyung to et the client in person.
The fact that he had gone to et them indicated the importance of this particular individual. And clients of such stature didn't offer easy contracts.
As we entered the cetery, Baran handed the sword I had set aside.
Without hesitation, I secured it around my waist and turned towards Baran, who walked beside .
"What about the recruits' training?"
There was no imdiate response. I gave Baran a sharp look and repeated my question.
What about training?
"Well... it's not yet..."
What?
A sudden surge of heat rose in my head.
Baran continued his excuses without even eting my gaze.
Vice-captain, you need to understand
"The mbers haven't even recovered from yesterday's intense training... and the families of the mbers are getting restless..."
"Ignore it. Training cos first."
"You should also consider the morale of the mbers! Haven't we been training them too harshly since Captain Adam left?"
"Vice-Captain, instead-"
"If there are casualties because you neglected the training, will you take responsibility?"
"Get ready. You will handle it on your own."
Leaving Baran standing still, I move forward.
After a while, Baran followed belatedly.
A refreshing breeze swept through the air as I walked, slowly taking in the scenery surrounding .
It had been five years since the founding of Red Fla.
We had set our roots in the expansive plains of Stockphina beautiful place adorned with lush adows and towering trees scattered throughout.
As compensation for hunting the nearby monsters, it was a rightful land borrowed from the lord who managed Stockphin.
For a rcenary group like us with hundreds of mbers, it was always challenging to wander around.
Establishing ourselves in Stockphin was also for our benefit.
We built a shelter on this plain. Houses where we could rest, stables, warehouses, tombs, and so on...
As ti passed, our stronghold unknowingly transford into a small village. Occasionally, we would purchase goods from nearby villages to fulfill any shortages.
With the establishnt of the village, many rcenaries settled down and made their hos here.
So brought their partners to Stockphin and even had children.
This was all possible because Adam Hyung had a strong and stable rcenary corps with discipline.
However, on occasions like today, family beca a source of disturbance. mbers would sotis lose sight of their true nature as rcenaries and beco complacent.
Of course, since Adam Hyung valued such scenes, I couldn't openly criticize them in front of everyone.
With a slight sense of frustration, I made my way toward Adam Hyung's residence.
The closer I got, the more I could sense the commotion in the air.
I saw the faces of the rcenaries who had left with Adam Hyung.
Every ti they noticed my presence, they bowed their heads and greeted .
Vice-captain.
"Vice-captain, it's been a while."
I lightly nodded in response to their greetings.
The gathering resembled a joyous family reunion, with the wives and children of the returning mbers beaming with delight as they reunited with their loved ones.
Soon, I saw Adam Hyung. He smiled broadly and spread his arms.
Berg!
Hyung.
We exchanged a brief handshake.
"Did everything go smoothly? Any issues?"
"No issues."
"Good. Let's go inside and talk. There's a lot to discuss. Everyone, go back and rest."
Hyung placed his hand on my shoulder and began leading toward his residence. I exerted so force to halt his movent.
"We still have training remaining."
Adam Hyung gazed at and then glanced questioningly at Baran, who stood behind .
A silent exchange of looks occurred between Hyung and Baran.
Then, Hyung smiled and patted my back.
"...Let's forget about it for today. We've all returned after a long ti, so let's have so fun and enjoy drinks together."
"Co on, Baran heard it too, right? We'll pretend that Berg never issued the training order, and you can go rest as well. Let's have a feast."
Instead of answering, Baran briefly bowed his head.
Although he didn't give a clear response, he seed to naturally accept Adam Hyung's words.
.
.
.
With a sigh, I entered Adam Hyung's house.
Considering Hyung's status, it was a small house, but compared to a commoner's house, it was quite large.
Until Hyung closed the door, I suppressed my annoyance.
No matter how long I had spent with Adam Hyung for the past seven years, in places where there were watching eyes, I showed respect towards him.
The door closed, and a montary silence enveloped the room.
Soon, I gathered the emotions I had been holding back and asked him.
"...Did a difficult request co in this ti?"
Taking a seat on a nearby chair, I awaited Hyung's response.
He shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Yeah, that's right. It seems we won't be able to complete this one without casualties."
"But why cancel the training?"
"...Well, there are days like this-"
"Are you the leader or am I the leader?"
A brief silence followed. Unlike the gradual brightening of the atmosphere outside, the inside of the house remained quiet and chilly.
Instead of answering, Adam Hyung picked up one of the bottles that were lying neatly on one side of the wall.
Pop!
Opening the cork, he filled two glasses with alcohol.
He handed one of the glasses and forced a weak smile.
"Why are you so moody? Aren't you glad to see ?"
"Is it because of the mans who died on the previous expedition? It wasn't your fault, you know?"
I cald my emotions and clinked my glass.
My throat, which had been dry, beca moist with alcohol.
"Let's take it easy, Berg."
"After all, we started this to live freely. How can you be strict with yourself even now, when we've achieved a certain level of success? When will you let yourself enjoy?"
I closed my eyes and lightly massaged my forehead.
Considering his reaction, I wondered if I was too intense.
"I know, man. You're worried about the guys getting killed. But let's have a little more relaxation, huh? Rest is important."
As he continued pouring the alcohol without saying a word, he wore a mischievous smile.
Do you know why you are so sensitive?
Seeing his expression, I could already anticipate what he was going to say.
That again-
-Its because you dont have a girlfriend. Heh-Heh.
Ha.
Adam Hyung looked at , amused by my exasperation.
It was a tired remark I had heard hundreds of tis before.
But even I, who was annoyed by it, eventually chuckled at his endless laughter.
-Drrrk, clink!
Adam Hyung pulled out a chair and placed it in front of .
"That's beside the point, but hey...!"
He sat down, positioning himself so closely that our knees nearly touched.
"Why are you like this?"
As I asked, he also clinked his glass and settled into a relaxed posture.
"Do you ever think about quitting being the head honcho?"
Adam Hyung asked.
Being the head honcho referred to the squad's role in killing the leader of a monster pack, known as the 'head honcho.'
Monster packs revolved around their leader, and when the head honcho was eliminated, the less intelligent creatures in the vicinity would decay and transform into monsters, following their lead.
Therefore, by hunting only the head honcho, the monster pack would disperse.
Naturally, it was the most dangerous task and resulted in the highest number of casualties.
The success of a rcenary unit hinged on the abilities displayed in piercing the head honcho deep with a spear.
Since the establishnt of the Red Fla, I had always taken on the role of assault leader.
No.
I gave the sa response once again.
There were various reasons for it.
Among them, the biggest reason was the thrill I felt when hunting the head honcho.
The reasons behind that thrill were also complex and deeply rooted within .
Another reason was the sense of responsibility that made feel like I should be leading.
I didn't want to later regret seeing nurous casualties.
Adam Hyung let out a sigh, seemingly giving up, and asked about my well-being.
We engaged in a comfortable conversation for a while.
"Oh, right."
During our conversation, Hyung raised his glass, drawing my attention to it.
Berg. This is an expensive drink.
He suddenly blurted out sothing absurd.
It didn't take long to understand his intention. Whenever he had a difficult request for , he would treat to expensive drinks like this.
"Damn it..."
I thought he handed the drink to calm my annoyance, but there was a trick hidden underneath.
I had no choice but to bla the drink that had already gone down my throat.
'No wonder it tasted so good.'
"What is it this ti?"
Hyung laughed mischievously and slowly began to speak.
"But before that, let's talk about this recent negotiation. It was quite challenging, to be honest."
Glancing at the glass once again, I suppressed my appetite and followed his lead, shifting the topic accordingly.
Who was the client?
Do you know the Blackwood family?
The Blackwood family was a na I couldn't be unfamiliar with.
It was a famous family that even a lowly rcenary like knew about.
"They're a noble family of the werewolf race, right?"
Hyung nodded his head.
A prestigious branch.
Personally, I had encountered the werewolf race or wolfman quite frequently during my ti in the rcenary corps.
In fact, I had a lot of personal experience fighting them in the slums.
Generally, the wolfman tribe held to honor and combat sacred.
As a result, they had deep military tactics, advanced healing, and shamanic magic for recovering from wounds.
So, I was even more curious.
The Wolfman asked for help?
Wolfn with their strong sense of self-esteem rarely sought assistance from others. They saw dangerous situations as opportunities for honor and turning the tide.
I knew many Wolfman who died while trying to accumulate achievents, so I was certain about this aspect.
The fact that they requested assistance ant...
"It seems like they've completely given up hope. It looked serious when I took a closer look."
In response to the shocking news, I broke my glass once again.
The glass quickly revealed its bottom.
Since I was already drinking an expensive drink, I decided to make the most of it and stood up from my seat.
While refilling the empty glass, I processed Adam Hyung's words in my mind.
There were rising questions in my mind.
"Are there more requests from nobles lately?"
Adam Hyung's continued with the explanation.
There must be so things we are doing well, and there must be things where everyone is reaching their limits. Its been almost 7 years since the monsters ran rampant. Blackwoods overpowered first. Like werewolves, I wonder if I was stubborn and led the situation that far.
"Have you confird the size of the demon horde?"
Approximately. The scale seems substantial. This ti, I plan to take all of the Red Fla mbers.
"What's the situation with Blackwood?"
There were not enough soldiers to fight, and food was running out. I dont think we can ask for much support. No money, of course.
?
I furrowed my brow at his words. Setting aside the danger, there was sothing that needed to be confird first.
"Just a mont, they have no food or money?"
Yes.
"What about our compensation?"
If they had nothing to offer us, we had no reason to move.
We werent doing charity work.
We were in the business of risking our lives and extracting compensation in return.
Especially for large-scale battles like leading the entire Red Fla mbers, a significant price was necessary.
Adam Hyung didnt make eye contact with .
Turning the glass round and round, he spoke softly.
I decided to take it.
With what.
Hyung, with what.
With another sip of his drink, he finally uttered the answer.
"Ner Blackwood."
"...What?"
Adam looked at and said.
I decided to take the youngest daughter of the Blackwood family.
End of Chapter
[ TL: The author used '' which is literally translated as 'werewolf', so I had to use the sa term.
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