Chapter 123: Consultation (2)

 

King Rex Draigo stood still near the Jackson territory.

 

The two houses that had agreed to join forces were gathering.

 

The Pantora family, composed of Lizardmen.

 

The Dom family, made up of Dwarves.

 

They had appeared to quell the unrest in the Jackson family at the behest of Draigo.

 

Riding a black horse, Rex Draigo gazed at the approaching Lizardman, Mir Pantora, the head of the Pantora family.

 

Mir Pantra got down on one knee and said.

 

“The Pantora family has assembled in accordance with His Majesty’s command.”

 

Draigo waved his hand dismissively, skipping the formalities.

 

Right now, there was a more pressing matter at hand.

 

“Start explaining. Make it brief.”

 

Rex Draigo commanded the head of the Pantora family with an intimidating presence.

 

He had received an urgent call for help concerning Gale but was severely lacking in information.

 

He knew only that a critical problem had arisen for the hero party.

 

The head of the Pantora family spoke as ordered.

 

“I’ve heard that the succession struggle within the Jackson family has escalated into a civil war.”

 

“...Even with the hero party there?”

 

“Yes. After the heroes eliminated the boss monsters, the third-in-line heir took the opportunity to ambush everyone. This, of course, followed other issues caused by other sons of the Jackson family.”

 

Rex Draigo let out a bitter laugh at this ridiculous truth.

 

“...And naturally, the hero party was also involved?”

 

“That’s correct.”

 

Rex clenched his teeth.

 

“These mad bastards...”

 

As he exuded a combative aura, everyone nearby began to tense up.

 

It was a well-known fact that the fury of the dragonian surpassed that of any other race.

 

And among all the dragonians, the anger that ran in the blood of the Draigo family was known to be the deepest.

 

King Rex Draigo, usually benevolent, was also acknowledged for the cruelty he could exhibit if he so chose.

 

The knights of Draigo were mentally preparing themselves, aware of their lord’s volatile state.

 

It was a day that could potentially end in endless executions.

 

“...?”

 

Then, one by one, they turned their heads towards the sound of the earth trembling.

 

Rex too sensed the change and looked in the direction of the disturbance.

 

From a distance, cavalrymen, shaking the ground as they charged, came into view.

 

They advanced at an unbelievable speed, maintaining formation and posture, a testament to their rigorous training.

 

“...Can you see the flag?”

 

Rex asked this to his aide, Gendry, while observing the approaching group.

 

Gendry, with furrowed brows, scrutinized in that direction.

 

Without needing to be ordered, some of Rex’s soldiers moved forward to confront the cavalry.

 

After a moment, Gendry’s eyes narrowed as he declared, “It’s the Red Flames group.”

 

“...Hmm.”

 

Interest sparked in Rex’s eyes.

 

He had received a letter from Gale a few days ago with some brief information.

 

Gale had mentioned going to rescue the vice-captain of the Red Flames group and the hero party.

 

A new candidate for the Warrior of solitude... and the man loved by the Saintess.

 

Assuming all had gone well, they must have met by now.

 

“...It seems the information from Gale was true,” Rex Draigo muttered to a companion.

 

“It appears that Berg, the human mercenary, did go to rescue the Saintess. Seeing the Red Flames group rush like this.”

 

“............”

 

The Archbishop of the Hea Church remained silent.

 

He just looked down at the ground, his expression frozen and lost.

 

The Archbishop, after hearing about the betrayal of the Jackson family, seemed more sharp-edged than ever.

 

He opened his mouth as if to say something to Rex Draigo but...

 

“...”

 

He couldn’t say anything and bowed his head again.

 

“...”

 

Rex looked at him and then dismissed it from his mind.

 

His problem was his own to solve.

 

Rex wasn’t particularly inclined to concern himself with it.

 

Instead, his attention was drawn to the approaching Red Flames group.

 

Rex had developed an interest in the Red Flames, a group that had risen rapidly and was now exuding considerable power.

 

For months, he had been hearing incessantly about Adam and Berg from the Red Flames group.

 

Especially Adam, who at first seemed just a wise leader, turned out to be a candidate for the Warrior of Solitude and a close associate of Gale.

 

Berg too was a candidate for the Warrior of solitude, deeply connected with the Saintess.

 

Who would have thought that among mere mercenaries, there would be two such remarkable individuals?

 

Rex even contemplated if they could be the final pieces needed to end the war against the demons.

 

The Red Flames group halted at a respectful distance.

 

Some of their cavalrymen broke ranks, approaching and conversing with Rex’s soldiers.

 

Soon, a man from the Red Flames group, leading a horse, made his appearance.

 

He followed Rex’s soldiers, joining the main body.

 

The human man, robust and handsome, dismounted from his horse.

 

His overwhelming presence was unmistakable.

 

“...”

 

Rex’s interest grew even more at the sight of him.

 

Without needing an introduction, Rex could tell this Human was Adam.

 

Adam approached Rex Draigo with confident strides, offering a polite nod.

 

“I am Adam, leader of the Red Flames group.”

 

“...”

 

Rex smiled as he looked at the commoner, who was bolder than the average aristocrat.

 

Such uniqueness must be why he stood out so much.

 

Humans indeed were an exceptional race.

 

Like the sons of the Jackson family, often producing worthless beings... yet simultaneously giving rise to such fascinating and extraordinary individuals.

 

And to think there were two such beings within the Red Flames group.

 

“What brings you here?”

 

Rex probed Adam with his question.

 

Adam responded without hesitation.

 

“I heard my dongsaeng* came here to rescue the hero party. Since we were initially commissioned by Your Majesty, I came to join them, albeit belatedly.”

 

“Ah, then you’ll join us. I’ve heard the Jackson territory is still in chaos. We need to enter and execute a few vermin.”

 

Adam responded without hesitation to the proposal.

 

“I’ll help.”

 

“Ah, that’s to my liking, then,” Rex said.

 

****

 

Adam had learned of Berg’s decision from a letter sent by Gale.

 

Berg had taken the Head Hunter unit and went to aid his childhood friend, the Saintess.

 

It was a journey for Berg to confront his deadliest weakness.

 

Recalling how long he had kept this story hidden, and how he had pushed away women over the last seven years, it was easy to guess what the Saintess meant to Berg.

 

Which made it all the more worrying.

 

The state Berg was in.

 

...Of course, after receiving the king’s request, Adam had asked Berg if he would like to help the hero party.

 

But asking and deciding are different things.

 

Even if Berg had decided to help the heroes, Adam had planned to go with him to keep an eye on his condition.

 

However, now that Berg was alone, Adam was even more concerned.

 

Knowing Berg’s tendency to act on emotion only amplified this worry.

 

-Thud.

 

Before entering the Jackson territory, Adam donned his helmet.

 

His plan was to calm the succession conflict and find Berg.

 

From what he’d heard, Berg wasn’t in grave danger.

 

This wasn’t really a war, after all.

 

It was a suppression.

 

Adam thought the fight would end more easily than expected.

 

The sons of the Jackson family, who had started factions, couldn’t possibly defeat an army formed by several houses.

 

“Leader of the Red Flames group.”

 

As he was preparing to depart, someone called out to Adam.

 

It was the king’s aide.

 

“...You shall not depart yet. His Majesty wishes to speak with you.”

 

“...?”

 

Adam felt puzzled, thinking their brief conversation had concluded.

 

Yet, he had no intention of refusing.

 

It was the king, after all.

 

After the war, this was the man who could guarantee the safety of the Red Flames group.

 

Adam nodded at Gendry.

 

-Thud.

 

He took off his helmet.

 

Then, he turned to his two officers and instructed them.

 

“...Theodore, Krian. Find Berg first.”

 

Theodore nodded in agreement.

 

“Of course. Don’t worry, Captain.”

 

“I’ll be back soon, Captain.”

 

.

.

.

 

Except for a few guards, all the soldiers rushed into the Jackson family’s castle.

 

King Rex Draigo quietly observed this scene.

 

Adam maintained silence behind him.

 

The king, gazing at the landscape, spoke softly.

 

“...These past few months have been interesting. Watching the Red Flames group grow.”

 

“...”

 

“First, a mercenary group that used to be quiet, now accepting nobles as payment... Then hearing about an extraordinary vice-captain... And even overtaking other mercenary groups to get priority in assignments...”

 

“...”

 

“And now, to top it all off, having two candidates for the Warrior of solitude. Quite fascinating, isn’t it?”

 

Adam remained silent.

 

It wasn’t a question that necessarily required an answer, so he offered none.

 

The king, as if he never needed a response from Adam, continued.

 

“Smart move, Adam. The Red Flames will survive post-war.”

 

“...”

 

Quietly, Adam’s expression hardened.

 

He felt the reassurance that his choice had been the right one.

 

Had they not been prepared, they might have been one of the mercenary groups facing dissolution.

 

“Of course, this is assuming we win the war. Such incidents as this one must not happen again,” the king stated.

 

He slowly turned his head.

 

Meeting Adam’s eyes.

 

Adam did not avert his gaze.

 

“....Are you a warrior of Lynn?” the king asked suddenly.

 

It was a serious question, asked with a stern expression.

 

“I’m not sure myself.”

 

Adam responded with equal seriousness.

 

The king continued to inquire.

 

“So, is your vice-captain a Warrior of Lynn?”

 

Adam shook his head slightly.

 

“...I don’t believe so.”

 

The king sighed.

 

“We need to win this war, yet we still haven’t found the Warrior of solitude... Maybe this trouble arose because he wasn’t here.”

 

“...”

 

“Adam, you must know. If we lose the war against the Demon King... it won’t matter whether the Red Flames group survives or not. Dragonian, Elves, Humans... all will slowly perish at the hands of the demons.”

 

Then, the king, with a hardened expression and a hint of intimidation, asked again.

 

“...Could you or your vice-captain join the hero party?”

 

“...................”

 

Adam pondered his answer for a long time, deliberating over what stance to take and how to express it.

 

After much thought, he finally made a decision and spoke firmly to the king.

 

“That wouldn’t be possible.”

 

He directly refused the king’s request.

 

It was risky, but he had to gamble.

 

“Without evidence of being the Warrior of solitude, joining the heroes would be a burden.”

 

“There’s also no evidence that you’re not the Warrior of solitude.”

 

“...”

 

Instead of responding, Adam just looked at Rex.

 

Rex held the gaze for a long while, then smiled.

 

“Impressive courage. There’s been no one who has stood up to me like this before. You’ve earned my respect.”

 

“...”

 

Rex let out a long sigh.

 

The atmosphere lightened.

 

“Right, you make a good point. Without evidence, I can’t force you. Even as a king, acting rashly can lose people’s hearts. Ah, being the leader of a mercenary group, you must understand my perspective to some extent.”

 

“...I’ve found that carrots work better than sticks when I need to persuade.”

 

Rex laughed heartily at that comment.

 

He laughed robustly for a while.

 

“No fear at all in this one! I like that about you,” Gale commented.

 

Rex, having calmed his laughter, asked.

 

“So, what carrot would you want?”

 

“...”

 

Adam momentarily recalled a multitude of long-held thoughts.

 

He remembered moments spent on battlefields for a long time.

 

He also thought of his comrades who had died or left.

 

...And lastly, he considered Berg, weary from his mercenary life.

 

“...”

 

Adam hadn’t forgotten the conversation he had with Berg in the Blackwood territory.

 

The thought had always occupied a place in Adam’s heart.

 

‘I’m not a noble, so I don’t have land. I can’t even farm. That’s why I keep doing mercenary work like this.’

 

‘It sounds like you wish to someday live a life farming, doesn’t it?’

 

‘If that were possible, it would be great, Berg. Like I said, after the war, we need to find a new path.’

 

Adam pondered deeply before speaking.

 

“.....A title and some land would be nice.”

 

“So, you wish to become a noble.”

 

The king looked at Gendry.

 

Gendry nodded in agreement.

 

With the aide’s affirmation, the king continued.

 

“Yes, it’s not difficult. There are many lands now ownerless due to monsters. Once the war ends, what can’t be done?”

 

“...”

 

The king smiled.

 

“You can’t join the hero party, then?”

 

Adam nodded again.

 

The king said,

 

“Alright. Then let it be so. There have been tales that the Warrior of solitude acts independently of the hero party... true to the name, a solitary warrior.”

 

He smiled, then added as if setting a safety net.

 

“But remember one thing. If you make significant contributions in the war, I will grant you a title.”

 

Adam looked at the king.

 

The king continued speaking.

 

“It’s a promise. If that moment comes... don’t forget it.”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

[TL: Dongsaeng: It means younger sibling and it can be used for both males or females younger than you regardless of their biological relation to you.

 

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