Chapter 39
A Child of Strength Seeks Their Father
Percity Dock.
Behind the large passenger ship purchased by Death Hound, an even bigger sailboat of Tie cut through the waves.
They were returning from completely besieging a medium-sized magic stone that had risen from the sea.
Even the core of the magical beasts loaded on the deck was well over one in number.
“Agabert! Agabert has returned!”
People who had returned to the town crowded the dock.
“Thank you, truly… thank you…!”
Tears streamed down the faces of those who rushed forward to greet Tie and his group.
The sailors who had fallen into the sea or had nearly been killed by Death Hound were no exception.
Tie blinked in bewilderment, and Nordics, who had come to meet him, stepped forward.
“Everyone, please calm down. The Command King has used a lot of energy and must rest.”
The crowd reluctantly stepped back.
Tie scratched the back of his head, feeling a strange sensation.
‘…I’m fine, though.’
It was the first time anyone had been so thankful to him.
He wanted to tell each person, “I’m okay!” but Vasto approached.
“Danju, you should go inside and rest now.”
Tie nodded after a moment of thought.
“Yeah… I do feel a little sleepy.”
Was this what magical exhaustion felt like?
Since becoming a mercenary, he had often been warned: mages like Tie must always be cautious of magic depletion.
But Tie still didn’t know the full extent of his magical capacity.
So he couldn’t tell how much magic usage would completely drain him.
Even today hadn’t been that strenuous, so it was natural he couldn’t estimate it.
‘My arms and legs do feel kind of wobbly, though…’
It was unclear whether it was just from lack of sleep or from using too many skills.
As he pondered seriously, he heard a splash from behind.
Turning his head, Tie saw his sailboat returning to the sea.
The sight of a massive wreck rapidly disappearing into the depths of the ocean was enough to overwhelm the gathered crowd.
Yet while everyone was staring in awe, something suddenly leapt from the water and darted quickly through the people.
It infiltrated Tie’s cloak at a speed so fast that no one noticed.
Not even Tie himself was aware of it.
Agabert headed to the administration office instead of the inn.
Governor Marianne had invited them to the highest-grade guest room in the administration office.
The moment Tie lay down on the bed, he fell into a deep sleep, while Vasto, Vale, and Nordics gathered in the reception room.
They were there to organize the collected magical cores and weapons.
Raoul and Enzo came to see them around lunchtime the next day.
“You want to join Agabert?”
Vale lounged on the seat of honor in the reception room, crossing his legs leisurely.
Raoul and Enzo swallowed nervously at his stern appearance.
Enzo spoke first.
“Yes! Please let us meet Danju! I can handle a sword, even if you may not have noticed.”
“Same here,” Raoul added.
Vale tilted his head with an intrigued look.
“But you didn’t look too strong in the sea earlier. You almost died thanks to me, didn’t you?”
“Yes, we know.”
Raoul’s expression turned serious.
He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Vale for some time, having watched him fight the magical beasts on the ship.
‘No matter how I look at it, he’s admirable.’
Vale used two swords, but his movements were far from conventional.
Yet they weren’t sloppy or careless in the slightest.
‘His movements are efficient and fast.’
In other words, his swordplay was devoid of any unnecessary flair.
A woman had reached such a level… his eyes could hardly believe it.
Raoul honestly wanted to take Vale as his master to refine his swordsmanship.
Enzo, on the other hand, seemed to admire Vasto more than Vale.
“Does Danju perhaps not like us?”
Enzo asked, thinking of the Command King’s fearsome presence.
The Command King was a terrifyingly powerful mage.
His smiling face could lull someone into a false sense of security, only to suddenly unleash a deadly wave of magic…
Enzo spoke with a slightly hesitant tone.
“Of course, I know we didn’t impress him….”
“Command King listens to me anyway,” Vale interrupted.
He looked somewhat excited.
“I’m the mercenary in the group who receives the most favor from Danju.”
Raoul and Enzo’s eyes widened.
At that moment,
“Speak properly, Vale,”
Vasto interjected from a short distance away, his voice gruff.
He frowned while checking his weapon.
“Danju relies on and favors me most. Whenever it’s urgent, he always looks for me.”
“What are you talking about, you muscle pig?”
Vale continued, sounding incredulous.
“Kid… or rather, Danju, what would you rely on him for? You caused nothing but trouble. In fact, it was basically Danju who saved Kal Warben, right?”
Vasto shut his mouth tightly.
“That’s…”
“Enough, both of you.”
At that moment, Nordics, who had been sitting at the end of the table reading a thick book, spoke up.
With a kind smile, he looked at Vasto and Vale.
“Surely, the one Danju can rely on most is me. No one can ignore experience, at least.”
Vale slightly opened his mouth.
“Why are you butting in, old man?”
“I’m not butting in. I’m merely stating a fact. When we besieged the magic stone in the Tenebraum cave before, if not for me, Danju would have been gravely injured.”
“That’s unfair! At that time, the mercenary group hadn’t even been formed!”
“Regardless, Danju owes me his life. Simply put, my position is the exact opposite of yours.”
“Old man Nordics, I don’t think that’s fair. In battle, it’s really just Vale and I. You were on land the entire time today…”
Raoul and Enzo stared blankly at the three arguing.
One thing was certain.
‘These guys… they really adore the Command King.’
No wonder they were fighting like rival concubines trying to monopolize their lord’s favor.
Raoul swallowed hard.
‘Not only strong in skill, but excellent in leadership and command…’
The Command King was truly an amazing mercenary.
Recalling how he controlled the sea with dark magic, Raoul felt a surge of loyalty.
Enzo shared a similar thought.
‘I guess I have to do it.’
He wanted to be the one who enjoyed the Command King’s greatest favor.
Raoul was a bit stiff and awkward, but Enzo was skilled at social maneuvering.
Even in the knight order, Enzo always monopolized the higher-ups’ attention.
‘I wonder what type of subordinate he prefers.’
Silent and diligent?
Flexible and quick to act?
Strong people are often lonely, so perhaps he prefers a strategist with whom he can have serious discussions.
‘What do I do… I could fit all three types.’
A strange energy spread among the five sitting in the reception room.
None of them knew what dreams Tie was having on the bed.
‘Tie… who’s the best?’
‘Answer me, kid! Who’s the best?’
‘Astie… you’ve got crumbs on your mouth again.’
Tie’s brow furrowed in his dream.
He groaned, deep in thought.
It made sense—Vasto had pizza, Vale had seasoned chicken, and Nordics had a hamburger.
‘T-Tie…’
Unable to make a decision and restless, at that moment,
[Benefactor.]
A gentle voice called Tie.
When he opened his eyes at the touch on his shoulder, he saw eyes shining in rainbow colors.
The gaze that had been staring intently at Tie soon curved beautifully.
[Sea God Seradin greets the savior of life. You have released me from my chains.]
