Chapter 127
Ashmia and Vanessa watched the two board the ship. Once they were swallowed by the crowd and no longer visible, they climbed into their carriage.
“Affection really is a frightening thing,” Vanessa said.
Ashmia smiled and nodded.
“It really is.”
Someone she had once thought of as an enemy who had to be defeated had, before she knew it, become someone she regretted letting go.
Buuuuuu—
The passenger ship departed the harbor and began its voyage toward the open sea.
“Let’s head back too. There’s still a lot left to do.”
“Yes, my lady!”
Standing on the deck and watching Ashmia’s carriage disappear into the distance, Hunter spoke to the person beside him.
“The wind is cold. Why don’t you go inside?”
Whoooosh—
A powerful sea wind blew, pulling back his hood and ruffling Jupiterio’s blond hair.
“…I’d like to stay here a little longer.”
As Jupiterio quietly pulled his hood back on, Hunter fastened his coat and nodded.
“Suit yourself.”
Jupiterio’s gaze was fixed far away, toward the Imperial Palace.
“I couldn’t even apologize to my father.”
At Jupiterio’s murmured words, almost like a soliloquy, Hunter replied softly.
“Life isn’t short. The time will surely come when you can atone for your sins. Preparing yourself for that time—that’s the punishment given to you.”
“…Will such a time really come?”
“If it doesn’t, then you can always go and find it yourself.”
Hunter grinned as he looked at him.
“Don’t make that face like you’re heading for death. My homeland isn’t as bad as you think. There’s a bit too much sand, sure—but even the driest desert has an oasis. Ever ridden a camel?”
“…I’ve never even seen one up close.”
“Then it’ll be a fun experience. It’s quite different from riding a horse.”
Whooooo—
Another strong gust blew past, and Hunter frowned slightly.
“I’ve lived here quite a while now, but I still can’t get used to the winter winds. Let’s go inside. The voyage is long—if your body gives out, it’ll be hard to endure.”
“…Alright.”
But just as Jupiterio was about to follow him, he stopped and turned back.
The capital, growing smaller and smaller, shimmered in his turquoise eyes.
And above the two of them, a single red butterfly circled briefly—then vanished.
At the same time.
Standing by the window of his study, Augustin stared blankly at the passenger ship as it shrank into the distance.
“……”
He lifted his teacup and took a sip. The bitterness, sharper than usual today, made him close his eyes and release a deep sigh.
* * *
Bianca Mercedes Rion was born into a relatively wealthy family in a village near the northern front.
A quiet, happy life without major hardships.
Yet it took only minutes for that happiness to turn into hell.
One day, a band of raiders stormed into the village.
They were a group made up of deserters, mercenaries abandoned by their employers, or those who had betrayed them.
Caught in the sudden catastrophe, people died helplessly, their lives snuffed out amid short screams.
“Hide here—no matter what, don’t make a sound!!”
Those were the last words Bianca heard from her mother.
When the gunfire and screams that felt as though they would never end finally died down—
Thud. Thud.
Unfamiliar footsteps echoed through the house.
“…!!”
Hiding inside a wardrobe, Bianca cried silently, covering her mouth with both hands. But her desperate effort was in vain.
Bang!
The wardrobe door flew open.
“Eek!”
“Well, well? What a jackpot we’ve got here.”
Grabbing her by the hair and yanking her out, the man scanned Bianca—still just a girl—from head to toe, curling his lips into a leering grin.
“Behave yourself. Otherwise, it’s going to hurt. A lot.”
Bianca trembled at the dagger shoved right up to her face.
But then—
Bang!
“Ghk?!”
With the gunshot, the man collapsed. Seizing the moment, Bianca scrambled into a corner.
“You little—?!”
The bullet had grazed him, missing anything vital. Gritting his teeth, the man staggered back to his feet.
Bianca looked toward the doorway.
A boy who seemed a few years older than her—still too young to be called an adult.
His hand holding the gun was shaking, but his teeth were clenched tight.
“Joshua! You crazy bastard! You shoot me in the back without a shred of gratitude?!”
At the man’s furious shout, the boy—Joshua—spoke.
“I can’t stand it anymore. Not you, and not the things you and your gang do!”
“You little shit! I’ll kill you!”
Bang!
The second shot missed. The boy was knocked down by the man’s savage kick, the gun slipping from his grasp.
Thud!
Crash!
They struggled violently, but the boy was no match for the man.
Straddling him and pinning his arms with his knees, the man bared his teeth in a panting grin.
“You know what happens to traitors, don’t you?”
Stab!
“Ghk!”
Joshua grimaced as pain shot through his face—the dagger had pierced his cheek.
“People don’t die right away even if you peel their skin off. I’ll kill you slowly.”
The blade carved a long, deep gash across the boy’s face.
“Tough little bastard—not even screaming. Let’s see how long you can keep that up—”
Bang!
“…?!”
The man froze, then slowly turned around, eyes wide.
Tears streaming down her face, Bianca stood there holding a rifle, smoke rising from its barrel.
“You… damn….”
Thud.
The man collapsed sideways, his words unfinished.
Clatter.
Dropping the rifle, Bianca’s legs gave out and she sank to the floor. The boy carefully helped her up.
“Get up. We have to go.”
Others would soon come, drawn by the gunshots.
Holding Bianca’s hand, the boy ran. Slipping out the back door and checking the surroundings, he managed to steal a jeep with her.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?!”
“Isn’t that Joshua?! Has that bastard lost his mind?! Just shoot!”
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Ping!
Clang!
Amid the hail of bullets, the jeep barely escaped that hell alive.
“Um… you’re bleeding….”
At Bianca’s words, the boy smiled.
“It’s fine. This is nothing.”
Nothing, he said—
The wound was deep enough that his face had nearly been flayed. Yet, clearly in pain, he smiled anyway—just to reassure her.
“…I’m sorry.”
Though it wasn’t his fault at all, Bianca poured her heart into those words—and burst into tears she’d been holding back.
When Bianca finally woke after crying herself to sleep, she was lying inside a tent at an Imperial Army encampment.
“Um… the older brother who came with me—where is he?”
No one knew where the boy had gone.
Joshua.
Holding that name deep in her heart, Bianca boarded a military truck bound for the capital.
“Hm.”
Joshua Kael stood in front of a mirror, wearing an uncomfortable expression. No matter how much he adjusted himself, the awkwardness didn’t fade—and with one arm being artificial, it wasn’t an easy task.
“How long are you going to fuss like that?” Leon said, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him.
“…Doesn’t it look strange?”
“I didn’t think you were the type to care about appearances.”
Letting out a small sigh, Leon stood and approached him.
“Stay still.”
She adjusted his uniform—his collar and various other details.
“……”
“……”
It was only a brief moment, but an awkward silence flowed between them.
Smack!
Leon deliberately slapped his back in an exaggerated manner.
“All done! That’s enough—now hurry up. Everyone’s waiting.”
“…Thank you.”
As Joshua turned away, one of the many scars on his face caught Leon’s eye.
A long, deep scar stretching from his right cheek to his forehead.
That’s what I should be saying to you.
Swallowing the words she had never managed to speak—thank you—Leon passed him, opened the door, and stepped out first.
“Hurry up, won’t you? Captain of the Imperial Guard?”
“If you’re going to call me, just use my name.”
Though she laughed as if teasing him, Leon studied his face carefully. Those countless scars were proof of how many lives he had saved.
“…You’ve finally found your place.”
“What do you mean?”
“That being a mercenary never suited you in the first place.”
Tilting his head at her words, Joshua walked down the corridor beside her.
The dead man had returned from hell.
And not just returned—he had been appointed Captain of the Imperial Guard.
The shocking news threw the capital into greater uproar than ever before.
A mercenary.
A commoner without a title.
It was a choice so unprecedented that “unusual” hardly sufficed. Opinions were sharply divided.
Yet everyone agreed on one thing: with the legendary mercenary as its captain, the Imperial Guard would no longer be a gathering of nobles’ sons dodging conscription—it would be reborn as the strongest force.
“Thank you sincerely for keeping your promise.”
Ashmia smiled as she shook Joshua’s hand.
“And thank you again—for giving not just me, but especially those kids, this opportunity.”
Yannick and the others had been given a choice.
Yet they scoffed at the idea, saying it was a pointless question, and chose to join the Imperial Guard alongside Joshua.
“We’ll follow you to the very depths of hell, Captain.”
The Aegis masks they once wore were passed down to the boy soldiers.
“We’ll do our utmost to uphold the honor of our seniors.”
As Chris spoke on behalf of the youths, Joshua smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I look forward to your future achievements.”
“That’s my line.”
Joshua turned to Ashmia.
“It’s too early for you to thank me. Now you can officially work me to the bone.”
Ashmia bared her teeth in a playful grin.
“Be prepared.”
