NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15
15th Chapter
“Ah, I shouldn’t have said that nonsense…”
“It’s fine.”
Just as I realized I had spoken too highly of someone, he stopped me from correcting myself. Caesar, having heard my answer, seemed to be deep in thought.
‘Could it be… he’s not angry, is he?’
His expression was unreadable, so I had no way of knowing. His pondering stretched on, and soon my entire body was drenched in cold sweat when—
Knock knock.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation, but the Knights have completed their preparations to depart.”
The voice of Taylor, my savior, brought relief.
“Your Grace, Duke. I apologize, but I think I must take my leave. May I be excused?”
As I cautiously gauged Caesar’s mood, he slowly opened his eyes from a contemplative state. After a moment of silence, he extended his large hand and removed a ring from his thumb.
It was a blood-red ruby ring that looked like it had been soaked in blood.
“Take it.”
“•••••What?”
“You know very well how ridiculous the reward of one hundred gold for monster subjugation is. I had no intention of making Lujou Village pay. This is the compensation from the House of Crisis.”
My mouth went dry. I looked down at the ruby ring resting in his massive hand.
“I can’t accept this.”
“Why not?”
I met his piercing red eyes straight on.
“The agreed amount is one hundred gold. I cannot accept more than that.”
If I took it, I might be set for years. To Caesar, this ruby ring was probably no more than a pebble, and I realized how foolish my refusal might seem.
‘But Aria will soon be going to the Count’s Family. I won’t need much money living alone.’
I might have hesitated if I were to live together with Aria, but she would be adopted into the Count’s Family, and I would be satisfied living off scraps.
Accepting a reward that was not agreed upon would betray both my pride and my conscience.
“You’re really something else.”
Caesar covered his mouth and leaned forward with his elbow on his thigh. The emotion flickering in his eyes was so subtle that it was beyond my comprehension. I scratched my chin, aware my uncovered mouth was betraying uncertainty.
“Of course it is.”
“There are too many who don’t understand what’s obvious in this world.”
‘Caesar… doesn’t seem like a truly bad person.’
He was so different from the image I had imagined from rumors that I felt a disconnect. After some deep thought, he exhaled lightly.
“…Alright. You may leave now. It seems we need to be off soon.”
“Ah. Yes. Thank you.”
I stood up easily. Through the window, I could see the knights prepared for the journey.
“Thank you for your consideration. May the glory of immortality be upon my nation’s sword.”
Drawing from my experiences with nobles, I bowed politely, recalling the words I hurriedly learned from Howl to convey to the House of Crisis. Caesar nodded.
“Good luck.”
I turned away from Caesar and left the reception room.
It was time to depart.
“Did Mir receive support for the monster subjugation in Lujou Village?”
Just thirty minutes before the expedition was to depart, a message that came in from the mercenary guild was shocking. As Caesar, dressed in his uniform before heading to the imperial palace, paused buttoning his coat, he furrowed his brows.
“Yes. It appears that Lord Mir has provided support.”
“That reckless mercenary king, Mir?”
“Among the Golden Shield Mercenaries, the only one named Mir is reported to be the Black Calamity, so it’s likely him.”
Even Taylor, an old servant of the Duke’s household, showed a hint of excitement when mentioning Mir.
“Why would he bother?”
Having finished buttoning his coat, Caesar posed a valid question.
The residents of Lujou Village were simple folks. Upon hearing that the Black Dragon Knights would come to their aid, they felt they couldn’t be a burden and sought to recruit mercenaries on their own.
They offered a reward of one hundred gold, exclusively for the Golden Shield Mercenaries. It was an absurdly high condition, obviously beyond the means of those living in the outskirts, who were unaware of the ways of the capital’s mercenaries.
The Duke’s household was certain that no one would take this request. I had been careful to ensure that no one from the mercenary guild would frivolously mention the name of Crisis, fearing that greedy folks might try to gain ties with the House of Crisis.
But right before departure, the appearance of the mercenary king, Mir, was shocking.
“I’ve told them to come to the Duke’s mansion… but what should we do?”
Taylor cautiously inquired, and Caesar frowned in thought.
“Mir is famous for helping impoverished towns with monster subjugation, so it seems he comes with good intentions. Those accolades of ‘hero’ and ‘mercenary king’ aren’t given away lightly. He’s a top-tier expert in subjugation, and with Mir’s help, we might reduce our losses in this hunt. However… there’s no information available regarding his true identity, so I’m a bit uneasy about it.”
Every word of Taylor’s made sense. Caesar squinted his eyes.
Mir was like a dragon, a legend among mercenaries. His formidable prowess in monster subjugation has been shared as a rumor, yet no one truly knew his identity. On the other hand, towns saved by Mir showered praise upon him, making him an object of admiration and longing for those who wielded swords.
“There’s no reason to refuse his offer to help. Having him on board would surely make the hunt much easier.”
“Yes.”
“However… if he comes, usher him into the reception room. Let him know that it was I who wished to see him.”
A faint smile appeared at the edge of Caesar’s lips. Taylor, even though surprised to see his master take an interest in something, managed to compose himself.
“I’m curious about what kind of person he is.”
A faint hint of curiosity danced in Caesar’s eyes.
If one were to ask Caesar Crisis for his first impression of the mercenary Mir, he would take a long moment to consider before finally answering.
Strange.
Yet, this was merely a superficial conclusion, as the true emotions were much more complicated than that.
“…It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I am Mir, a mercenary.”
The moment I opened the door and met those shining, rose-red eyes, Caesar felt something sprouting deep within him—something that had never surfaced in his life before. His instinct twisted and screamed wildly.
A bizarre feeling, akin to being moonstruck.
It was the most intense emotion he had ever experienced in his life.
‘Those red eyes, huh?’
For a brief moment, he was confused by the unfamiliar sensation, but as he regained his composure, he grimaced.
In the Empire, there exists a founding myth. It starts with the Solar God Ra gazing down upon a chaotic land and sending down three dragons to conquer it.
The golden dragon with the power of dominion established the empire. The descendants of that golden dragon are now the Solarit Imperial Family, who possess golden hair through the generations.
The silver dragon with the power of purification cleansed the magic-tainted land of the Empire. The current temple’s holy power comes from the legacy of that silver dragon. The Pope has traditionally worn sky-blue hair.
The black dragon, possessing the power of slaughter, defended the empire by slaying its enemies. The descendants of that black dragon currently belong to the House of Crisis, who have inherited their red-eyed lineage for generations. Legend has it that the black dragon’s eyes were originally blue, but turned red through excessive bloodshed, which tainted its soul with magic.
The visage that continues from the Imperial Family to the Pope is known even to street children. However, it is a little-known fact that only the direct descendants of the House of Crisis possess red eyes—unless one has enough status as a direct descendant of the Duke or the Emperor. It wouldn’t serve any benefit to reveal that Crisis has been born with tainted blood through generations.
Within the empire, the bloodline of red-eyed beings was uniquely tied to the House of Crisis.
Yet, the eyes of Mir, glowing through his mask, bore an unmistakable red hue, causing utter confusion.
‘Is it possible…’
Caesar narrowed his brows at the ridiculous hypothesis that flitted through his mind. It was only when Mir raised his head slightly that he managed to gather his thoughts and sat down.
Caesar gazed intently at the small figure before him. While it was widely known that Mir was small in stature, I hadn’t anticipated him being this diminutive.
‘He looks like nothing but bones and skin.’
I couldn’t quite grasp why I found him so unappealing.
His thin wrist made me wonder if he could even catch a dragon. His small height and build made it hard to imagine how much he must have suffered, wearing that tattered cloak that must have been worn for years.
A body full of tension paired with adorable, confused pink eyes.
‘…Adorable?’
Caesar revisited the edges of the sentiment he had just experienced, raising his brows in surprise.
It felt odd. Truly odd.
“You.”
The innocent flickering of those eyes nudged something unfamiliar within him.
“Your eyes are beautiful.”
“•••••Huh?”
The reason why I spouted such an unexpected compliment was because of that.
“Thank you.”
Mir’s awkward stuttering came off as oddly charming, making Caesar realize he had indeed lost his mind.
“I brought you here because I have something to ask.”
“What is it?”
Caesar took a sip of tea to steady his fluttering emotions and finally spoke up to ask what had been bothering him.
“Why did you agree to this request?”
“Huh?”
“I’ve been curious for quite some time. The mercenary Mir is said to help impoverished towns with their monster subjugation, yet why do such a thing?”
Humans are inherently selfish. It was in their nature. Having faced the grimy aspects of life countless times, Caesar didn’t believe in heroes. He thought there could be no act of kindness without some form of gain.
‘…Well, it happened once in my life.’
Once, without any concrete reason, he had helped someone. But it was literally just one instance throughout his life. To act foolishly like that repeatedly while continuing to live was impossible. At least, it was for him.
“Why would you willingly take on such a bother?”
Swordmasters can easily become jaded with life. Caesar, who stood atop his peak, felt an emptiness in everything. For him, everything had become easy.
Certainly, Mir would have felt the same endless void as a fellow swordmaster, so he couldn’t comprehend how Mir could live in such a way.
“I don’t really know myself.”
For the first time, the pink eyes that had avoided his gaze finally met Caesar’s straight on.
Caesar held his breath for a moment.
For long, humans have believed that eyes are the windows to the soul. They say that eyes reflect whatever has been stared at for long, holding the essence of one’s life beneath those dark pupils.
If that belief were true, then Mir’s soul was undoubtedly drowning deep within.
“I’ve lived diligently, and through that, I grew strong… and upon growing strong, I began to notice the weak around me. It seemed the high authorities of the Empire paid no heed to them… and I can’t turn a blind eye to the innocent spilling their blood.”
The calm eyes that answered him were stained with the weight of experience. They were drenched in blood and ash as if having seen the very depths of hell. A delicate soul, thoroughly worn down by the world, yet paradoxically shining with an unbelievable goodness.
‘How is he like this?’
Caesar harbored a perfectly justifiable question.
He had met people with similar eyes occasionally—those who had bottomed out, with nowhere left to fall. Generally, they didn’t last long and eventually took their own lives.
Though he had witnessed them go wild in their desperation, seeing someone declare goodness with those eyes was completely foreign, almost unprecedented.
“Those with power bear the responsibility of that power. This is what I must do.”
It was simple and foolish. Thus, it felt cold-hearted.
A mindset utterly opposite to his own, a life lived in stark contrast. Yet they were both swordmasters and shared that peculiar trait of red eyes.
Different yet alike. Caesar felt his heart being stirred genuinely by the presence before him.
“Ah, now that I’ve said some pointless things…”
“It’s fine.”
I propped my chin slowly while stopping Mir, who was flustered by his delayed realization of what he wanted to say. I was genuinely curious about the being right in front of me.
“Take it.”
“……What?”
The act of handing over the Duke’s ring, a symbol of the House of Crisis, was purely out of my curiosity about his reaction.
Mir, wearing that tattered cloak, looked undeniably poor. Caesar had a feeling that if he hurriedly seized the precious gem, it wouldn’t surprise him at all.
“I can’t accept this.”
Mir’s response came back as expected yet astonishing.
“Why not?”
“The agreed amount is one hundred gold. I can’t accept more than that.”
He was ridiculously naïve, simple, and foolish.
‘But despite that…
I find it appealing.’
Caesar became fond of this foolishly upright mercenary.
He covered his mouth with his hand. Strangely, a laugh bubbled up.
“You really are something else.”
He found even Mir scratching his cheek, awkward with his flustered expression, endearing.
“Of course it is.”
“There are too many who don’t recognize the obvious in this world.”
Caesar snipped off succinctly, breathing out lightly.
“Well then. You may leave now. It seems we need to be off shortly.”
“Ah. Yes, yes. Thank you.”
He watched Mir rise clumsily, imprinting the scene in his memory.
“Thank you for your kindness. May the glory of immortality be upon my nation’s sword.”
Caesar stifled a laugh at Mir’s awkward, noble farewells, which held a hint of strangity.
“Good luck.”
Once Mir turned his back and left the room, Caesar’s mind became ensnared by one thought.
‘How do I bring this amusing character before me?’
Thus began the moment when Caesar Crisis, who had been indifferent to everything for thirty-nine years, encountered someone who sparked his curiosity.