Chapter 31: A Vacation with a Rival (1)

“It’s decided.”

The day after the bonfire burned in remembrance of the fallen.

Commander Balthazar summoned all the unit leaders.

And then, he spoke with unwavering confidence.

“The second week of every month is when new recruits join our Order. But this time, I’ve requested for more than usual.”

“…….”

A heavy silence fell over the room.

In the past, the unit leaders had never responded poorly to news of additional recruits. But this time was different.

They all had countless thoughts racing through their minds, but under Commander Balthazar’s absolute authority, they dared not speak freely.

“Commander, is that why you’ve gathered us here? Right now, what we need in our Order isn’t just sheer numbers—”

“Hey, calm down! Do you really think the Commander doesn’t know that?”

“I know. Of course, I do! But… damn it!”

The unit leader who had spoken up couldn’t even finish his sentence.

“What our Order needs right now….”

And so, since no one else was willing to step up, I did.

“…is not quantity. It’s quality. And not just good quality—we need absolute core strength.”

I made my stance clear, enunciating every word with conviction.

“Commander, you know this as well. The next wave will be stronger and more merciless than the last. Yet we barely survived this one.”

“Barely survived? Sir Kayron, isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration—”

BANG—

I slammed my fist on the table, the sharp sound cutting through the room.

“Who was it again? When my Black Iron Brigade was fighting alone, you weren’t anywhere to be seen.”

“W-What did you say? Sir Kayron, that’s too harsh—”

“Harsh? What’s harsh about it? We’re the Order. Warriors who swore to fight with all our might, even if it meant death. And yet, when faced with demons, some of you ran, abandoning your comrades! Who was it? Answer me! And after that, do you still dare to call yourselves our comrades?”

My words struck deep. Every unit leader lowered their heads in shame, unable to refute me.

I knew it too.

Fear is instinctual.

Even my Black Iron Brigade had charged in first, but only because I had thrown myself into battle ahead of them.

“Commander Balthazar, do you know what happens when a rat is cornered?”

“It fights back despite its fear.”

“Exactly. That was our Order in yesterday’s battle. We charged in because running away would have meant death. But a rat that is big, strong, and confident—doesn’t wait until it’s cornered. It fights back against threats before that ever happens.”

I stepped forward, standing right beside Commander Balthazar.

Then, I pointed to the empty seats at the round table of our Order.

Seats left vacant by those who had died… or abandoned us.

“We can’t rely on mere prisoners and reckless recruits anymore. The monsters coming next will be worse than the ones that devoured our unit leaders in a single bite. We need far stronger forces—and a lot of them.”

I held back the words I truly wanted to say.

That the real problem here… was Commander Balthazar himself, the one who had led us into this situation.

“I understand, Sir Kayron. But you should at least listen to everything I have to say before making judgments. Sit down, and let me finish.”

“…Very well. But I hope what you have to say will be something all of us can accept.”

I returned to my seat.

And then, suddenly…

A sharp, chilling gaze pierced through me.

It was from Avelin.

She mouthed something silently, her face twisted in anger, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying.

I waved my hand dismissively, signaling that we’d talk later.

She clenched her teeth in frustration, her expression darkening, but she lowered her head.

Then, everyone turned their attention back to Commander Balthazar.

“I understand your concerns. Of course, I do—I’m the Commander, after all. Truthfully, I’ve had a plan in motion for some time now. I wasn’t going to bring it up until everything was settled, but….”

The moment he mentioned a “plan,” the unit leaders’ eyes lit up.

None of them seemed to realize that it was precisely because of that plan that we were suffering now.

Even I couldn’t help but feel intrigued.

“I’m recruiting a mage.”

“…Hah.”

The disappointment in the room was palpable.

After all, our Order already had mages.

They didn’t fight, of course. Their role was strictly to enhance our equipment and provide support.

And even then, they charged us hefty fees for their services.

“Don’t be too quick to dismiss it. The mage I’m recruiting is none other than—”

Commander Balthazar grinned.

“—a Legion-Class Mage.”

“A-A Legion-Class…!”

At those unexpected words, the room erupted in excitement.

A Company typically consisted of 100 to 1,000 soldiers.

A Legion, however, started at 5,000 and could reach up to 10,000 soldiers.

A Legion-Class Mage was someone powerful enough to take on an entire Legion single-handedly.

“Commander, who is it? Who in the world would be willing to join our Order?”

“……Liana.”

“Liana?”

I doubted my own ears.

If it was the LianaI knew—there was only one possibility.

“She’s my daughter.”

“What…?”

“H-Huh….”

Silence fell over the room once again.

“What, do you disapprove? My daughter Lianais a recognized talent. She’s only twenty-one and already a Legion-Class Mage. Isn’t that promising?”

“Well, that is…”

The unit leaders looked conflicted.

Having a powerful mage on our side was undeniably good news.

But having the Commander’s daughter in our ranks?

That was a different kind of problem.

One that meant another person as difficult to deal with as the Commander Balthazar himself.

“But if she’s your daughter, why not just order her to join? Why the trouble?”

“I’ve asked her countless times, but she refuses. She’s still young and doesn’t understand how important our Order’s mission is.”

“Hmm… is there really no way?”

“That’s why I’ve made my decision. Kayron.”

“Yes?”

“And Avelin.”

“Yes!”

As Avelin and I stood up in response to our sudden summons, Commander Balthazar nodded in satisfaction.

“You two worked the hardest in the last battle. So, I’m granting you leave to go outside.”

“L-Leave?”

“Did you just say… leave? And outside?”

The unit leaders erupted in murmurs.

Up until now, “leave” had only ever meant staying inside Cresnig for safety measures.

“But I’ll set both the duration and the destination. You have three weeks, starting today. And as for the location…”

“…It’s Rostia, isn’t it?”

“You figured it out without me saying it. Go to Rostia and do whatever it takes to bring my daughter, Liana, into our Order. Consider this leave both a reward… and an order. The future of our Order depends on you two.”

***

As we prepared our horses, Avelin turned to me with a curious look.

“What kind of person is Liana?”

“What kind of person, huh… It’s been a long time since I last saw her, so I’m not sure. She must have changed a lot.”

The first time I met Liana was about four years ago.

Even back then, Commander Balthazar frequently invited his unit leaders to his home, treating us with great hospitality.

Though I had joined the Order later than most, my skills had been acknowledged immediately, and I was promoted to unit leader in no time.

“It’s surprising, actually. Liana used to be obedient and respectful toward her father. And yet, now she’s rejecting his requests to join the Order multiple times?”

“Could it be rebellion?”

“Maybe. But that’s not the strangest part.”

“Then what is? …Wait, why are you looking at me like that?”

I stared at her intently, causing Avelin to flinch and take a step back.

“It makes sense that I’d be sent since I at least know Liana little. But why are you coming with me? This is supposed to be a rare vacation, so why you, of all people?”

“W-What do you mean! You think I want to go with you? I don’t understand it either!”

“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t figure out the Commander’s reasoning. We barely survived the last wave, and now we should be preparing for an even stronger one. Yet, instead of keeping two of his strongest fighters here, he’s sending us away… Could it be—?”

A thought suddenly clicked in my mind.

Seeing my expression change, Avelin narrowed her eyes.

“Wait, wait—do you have an idea? Spill it!”

“Kidnapping.”

“…What?”

“Think about it. He’s sending a small elite force—us—to retrieve a girl who can take on an entire army by herself. What if the real mission is to drag her back by force?”

“Ugh, stop talking nonsense and just get on your horse.”

Without even letting me finish, Avelin was already mounted and ready to ride.

“The sooner we get there, the more time we’ll have to enjoy our vacation. Right?”

“Well, I can’t argue with that!”

With a mischievous grin, I gave her horse a light slap on the rear.

“Ah—Hey! Waaah!”

The startled horse bolted forward, leaving Avelin scrambling to regain control.

I quickly spurred my own horse to catch up.

“What the hell was that for? That was dangerous!”

“Didn’t you just say we should hurry?”

“Hmph, I didn’t mean like that…! Anyway, you didn’t forget our promise, did you?”

“Promise? What promise?”

“…If you don’t remember, then never mind. Just keep up!”

“What? Wait—what promise?!”

I had made some sort of promise with Avelin, but my mind was too cluttered to recall it.

Right now, I needed to figure out how to persuade Liana to join us.

‘But why does that word—promise—suddenly remind me of something else?’

A vague memory from four years ago surfaced.

[ “Kayron oppa, promise me. When I enter the Mage Tower and become as strong as you, then….” ]

I couldn’t remember what came after that.

But I remembered the feeling.

The kind of childish, embarrassing words someone would wish they could erase from history as they grew older.

-- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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