[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
Chapter 182: Bad Blood (4)
***
The return of the rcenary King sent shockwaves through the Fafnir rcenary Company.
“How dare they mistake this lump of flesh for !”
The first thing the returned rcenary King did was burn the fake body to ashes.
“You’re all like blind n with eyes open! You’d be better off plucking out your own eyes! At least then you’d have an excuse for your stupidity!”
His fury knew no bounds as he learned that all of his rcenaries had been fooled by a re doll created by a dark mage.
Among those deceived were the purebloods, whom the rcenary King held in such high esteem.
There was no greater humiliation in the rcenary King’s life.
“Bring your mothers! Every single one of them!”
Next, the rcenary King gathered all the won who were the backbone of the factions in one place.
“As soon as I fell, you scrambled for power? How dare you engage in such insolent behavior! I suppose I’ve been too lenient with you all this ti!”
The rcenary King ordered that all the support they had been receiving be cut off.
Not only were their luxuries taken away, but their maidservants were also taken back. He forced them to live solely on their own strength.
“You should all be ashad of yourselves! How could you be swayed by your mothers’ words? You’re all a bunch of weaklings!”
The purebloods could not escape the rcenary King’s wrath either. They were all assigned harsh tasks under the guise of punishnt.
Only after he had vented his anger to his heart’s content did the rcenary King summon Damien.
***
“Thank you so much.”
The rcenary King said and his voice filled with sincerity.
And it wasn’t just empty words. He even held Damien’s hand tightly and bowed his head.
“If it hadn’t been for you… I don’t know what would have happened to in Sla’s clutches.”
Would he have been rendered powerless and turned into an experint for the dark mages?
The thought sent a shiver down the rcenary King’s spine, given their notorious reputation.
“Thanks to you saving , thanks to you I was also able to prevent the rcenary company from splitting apart.”
If Damien hadn’t rescued the rcenary King in ti, the Fafnir rcenary Company would have been torn apart by power struggles, leading to civil war.
“And that’s not all… I was also able to prevent Athena from falling.”
The rcenary King squeezed Damien’s hand tightly, conveying the depth of his gratitude.
“I only did what I had to do.”
“No, you… you did sothing extraordinary. From your perspective, it was ultimately soone else’s business… and yet you put your life on the line for it.”
But that wasn’t true.
Damien’s reason for helping the Fafnir rcenary Company was to fulfill his goals.
Kill Dorugo and prevent the War of Destruction.
Gather forces in case he failed to prevent the War of Destruction.
It was for these two reasons alone that he had saved the rcenary King and Athena.
And so, Damien didn’t believe he deserved the rcenary King’s gratitude.
“What do you plan to do with those who were involved in this?”
Damien asked the rcenary King to change the subject.
“I’d like to kick them all out, but… what can I do? They’re my family, like it or not.”
The rcenary King said with a complicated expression.
“Instead, I’ll keep a close eye on them to make sure sothing like this never happens again.”
From what Damien had heard in his previous life, the Fafnir rcenary Company’s split was due to the rcenary King’s perverted nature.
However, what Damien had actually witnessed was a bit different. The direct cause of the rcenary company’s split was the conflict between the factions.
Perhaps in his previous life, the rcenary King had chosen to take the bla himself.
Perhaps he had taken upon himself the bla that should have been directed at his family.
Of course, that future no longer existed, so it was all just speculation.
“Surely you’re not planning to let them off with just a slap on the wrist?”
Damien said in a playful tone. While Damien ant it as a joke, the rcenary King’s expression turned serious.
“Of course not. I’ve been thinking about how to repay you.”
The rcenary King held out sothing in front of Damien. It was an badge made of red tal.
“This is a badge that symbolizes the Fafnir rcenary Company. If you take this to the rcenary Office, you can hire any rcenary for free.”
For Damien, it was a sowhat disappointing gift.
Damien was a powerhouse about to enter the Master Class. He had no need to hire rcenaries.
“By the way, that ‘any’ includes and the Fafnir rcenary Company.”
With those words, Damien realized he had underestimated the gift.
The Fafnir rcenaries were the best and strongest rcenary force on the continent. Not only were they difficult to hire, they were astronomically expensive.
To be able to hire a rcenary king, let alone a Fafnir rcenary?
“There’s no limit to the number of tis. Use it whenever you feel like. Of course, if you use them too often, I’ll get angry.”
The rcenary King added playfully.
Damien thanked him and took the rcenary king’s token.
“Are you ready to leave now?”
“Yes, I am. It’s been too long since I’ve seen the faces of my family.”
The thought of family brought back mories of what Sla had done to his sister.
Louise wasn’t the only one. Other family mbers’ souls had been subjected to unspeakable horrors by the dark mages.
Just thinking about it made his blood boil. Damien gritted his teeth and sohow managed to suppress his emotions.
“See Athena before you go. She’s been dying to see you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Damien replied briefly, then left the tent.
When Damien was gone, the rcenary King gave him a wistful look.
“He’s too good to let go just like this…….”
He wanted to keep him in the rcenary camp, but he didn’t have a good reason.
“Just in case, I sent him on a mission alone with Athena, but didn’t seem to make much progress…… and…….”
The rcenary King scratched his head and threw himself onto his bed.
He rolled around on the wide bed and lanted.
“Such a waste~ such a waste~.”
***
Damien sought out Athena, finding her in the infirmary within the rcenary company.
She was recovering from a broken ankle ligant and the general weakness that had befallen her.
“Athena, how is your body?”
Damien inquired upon entering the room. Athena who was lying on the bed was startled and sat up abruptly.
“Damien! You ca to see .”
“I ca to see if you’re feeling alright.”
“Really?”
Athena blushed and giggled, seemingly overjoyed by his visit. Observing her, Damien couldn’t help but feel a sense of unfamiliarity.
The Athena of the past was not like this. She was like a venomous viper, filled with bitterness and hostility.
Her words and actions were always harsh and sharp.
Thinking about what Athena had endured in his previous life, Damien could understand to so extent.
Her father had disappeared and she had been expelled from the rcenary company. It was only natural that her personality would beco hardened.
“……Thank you.”
Athena suddenly spoke a simple phrase that nonetheless caused Damien’s eyes to widen as if struck by a revelation.
In his previous life, Athena had beco the second rcenary King in order to avenge her father and fought against Damien.
Ultimately, Athena failed to achieve her revenge. After her defeat at Damien’s hands, she fell victim to the dark mages and lost her life.
That incident had left a heavy burden of guilt on Damien’s heart.
It wasn’t just Athena. Damien felt the sa way about everyone he had inadvertently brought misfortune upon.
“Thanks to you, I was able to save my father too. If it weren’t for you, sothing terrible would have happened.”
Could it be because he had saved Athena in this life? Her gratitude seed to ease the guilt he had been carrying.
“I’m leaving the rcenary company now.”
“Huh?”
Athena looked at Damien with a bewildered expression.
“C, can’t you stay a little longer?”
“I’ve been away from my family for too long. It’s ti for to return.”
Damien spoke in a firm tone.
Athena’s face reflected a multitude of conflicting emotions. Then, she opened her mouth.
“C, can I visit you later?”
“Of course.”
Damien was not cold-hearted enough to turn away a guest.
Studying Damien’s expression, Athena asked again.
“C, can I greet your parents?”
“Of course.”
After all, it was proper etiquette to greet the head of the household when visiting their ho.
Damien’s words were taken in a different light by Athena.
“Really? Really?”
Athena gripped Damien’s forearm tightly, her strength far exceeding what one would expect.
“….Yes, really.”
Damien replied with a slightly flustered expression. Athena then let out a cheer.
“You must never forget those words!”
***
“Ugh, so you’re leaving after all.”
The rcenary King lanted, watching Damien’s receding figure. Athena stood by his side, also watching Damien depart.
“Still, I’m glad you decided to stay here. I thought for sure you’d follow that guy.”
“I wanted to follow him too.”
The rcenary King looked at Athena with a puzzled expression.
“But then I realized that I’d just be a burden to Damien right now.”
Without Damien, Athena would have been expelled from the rcenary company and faced a life of hardship.
On the other hand, Damien had overco all adversity on his own and even saved the rcenary King.
“I want to beco soone that Damien needs.”
Athena silently looked at Damien. A mont of silence passed between the father and daughter.
“Speaking of which, I sent you on a mission with that guy to get close with him, but what did you even do?”
“You sent for that purpose? How could you do that as my father!”
“You like that guy, don’t you!”
The father and daughter bickered for a while.
“Don’t worry, Father. I did as you wished.”
“What do you an?”
“I asked Damien for permission. I’ll greet your parents when I go to Count Haksen’s territory next ti.”
At those words, the rcenary King’s eyes widened.
What did it an to greet his parents?
Didn’t it an that they had beco that close?
“T, this girl! I knew you’d do it!”
The rcenary King hugged Athena with joy. Athena was beaming with pride.
***
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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