The carriage took me to a relatively nice house, located in a good part of the city. As soon as I arrived at the property, I began to walk around the front yard, looking for the people who lived in the house.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing in my house?”
An elderly man, bald with a beard showing some gray, came out with a wooden stick.
“If you don’t leave my house, I won’t be responsible.”
“Sir, wait a moment, I just want to talk,” I tried to calm the man, but he only became more agitated.
“That plate… did the damned mercenaries send you? They’ll have to kill me before they take my parents’ house.”
The man lunged at me to hit me with the stick. I wanted to calm him without harming him, so I used a bit of my degenerative magic to affect his nervous system as gently as possible since I didn’t want to hurt him.
However, I think it did affect him, because he ended up writhing on the grass for a while…
At that moment, a boy and a girl, two children about 10 years old, came out from inside the house.
“Please, don’t hurt Dad.” Both children looked somewhat bruised. I thought the worst and asked the father in a serious voice…
“Did you hit your own children?”
The children immediately shouted, “Dad would never hit us, it’s just that…”
The children began to cry, and the father spoke, “These are the consequences of my sins. I’m truly sorry, my children.”
The man was crying while being defended by his little children, making me feel like the villain of this story.
I touched the father, deactivated the effects of my degenerative magic, and said, “I just want to talk, and if you have something to say, I think now is a good time.”
I entered the home of the family I had met earlier. We were sitting in their living room, the children hugging their father while crying, and the man had a defeated attitude.
I took out the papers and said, “I was sent by the guild to collect a debt.”
“I don’t owe money to anyone,” the father of the children replied.
“Then talk and tell me how you ended up like this.”
…
…
…
It all started when I married my wife when I was 16 and she was 15.
As a child, I lost my parents. They left me their house and some savings as inheritance. I managed on my own. I had no other family, but my wife was all the family I could ask for.
We had our first child two years after getting married. His name was William, like my father-in-law, may he rest in peace.
Everything was fine until, when William was 10 years old, we had our second child and, a little less than a year later, my wife became pregnant with my youngest daughter.
The problem was that my wife’s last pregnancy was high-risk. The doctors even removed her uterus in an attempt to save her, but it was useless.
My wife died, leaving me alone with an 11-year-old son and two babies.
I felt very miserable, but I had to be strong for my children. Although I made a mistake: I focused too much on my younger children, who were still babies, and didn’t pay enough attention to William.
I practically knew nothing about him, but I never saw it as a problem, as he was already independent, like I was at his age. I thought he could be like me. How wrong I was…
He started hanging out with bad company and became increasingly aggressive towards me and his siblings.
Until, a month ago, he left home after an argument. Among all this, a man wanted to buy my house, but I have no plans to sell it. It is my only memory of my parents, the place where I lived with my late wife, and it is all I can give my children when I die.
But that man wouldn’t accept “no” as an answer and started to harass me to give up the house.
I usually do cleaning jobs to earn money, and since I met that man, no one hires me.
I guess he must have threatened them or something…
And the reason you came to my house, my son, who I haven’t seen in a month, took a huge debt with that man and now they want me to pay that money.
With that excuse, they want to take my house, and I don’t know what to do to take care of myself and my children…
…
…
…
I heard the story from the father of the children. The man was crying at the end of it. I suppose I now know why those children looked bruised; it must have been the work of his older son. He didn’t mention it because I think it hurts and embarrasses him both not having protected the children and having raised an abuser.
“Alright, I know what to do. Give me a personal item of your son’s, preferably something with his scent.”
The man stood up and led me to his son William’s room.
“The room is tidy now, but when William left, he left this place in ruins during our argument. I cleaned it hoping he would come back when he calmed down, but he didn’t return. Pick whatever you want from this room, it was all his.”
I searched through his things and took a dirty shirt. I made sure it was William’s and put it in a bag.
“Alright, sir, will you be okay here alone with the children? I have a big house with a pool where I live. If you want, you can come with me.”
“Thank you very much, young man, but I refuse to leave my house.”
I took out some silver coins and gave them to the man. “I noticed the children haven’t been eating well. I grew up in an orphanage; I have a good eye for these cases.”
The man gave a serious look. “I may not be at my best, but I don’t like begging.”
“What are you talking about? It’s not begging. I told you, I have a big house with a pool. It needs to be cleaned from time to time.”
The man, almost crying, accepted the coins and thanked me. I approached the little children.
“Children, I’m sorry for the argument I had with your dad. I’ve already apologized to him, but I also want to apologize to you for involving you in our dispute.”
The children, still somewhat scared, accepted my apology, and I took the opportunity to touch their heads with my hands and recite healing magic, healing some of their injuries.
I could heal the more recent ones, but I couldn’t heal the ones that had already scarred.
I suppose William used to mistreat them behind their father’s back.
“Big brother, you’re a priest. I already feel better than before.”
“I feel better too. Thank you, big brother.”
These children remind me of the children from my orphanage. I said goodbye to the family and headed back to my home.
…
When I got home, I saw my three companions in the living room drinking wine. I guess this is what they call a girls’ night.
I noticed that Karla was playing a harp for the entertainment of my other companions.
“Master, you’re back. How was your day? Master, are you okay? Did something happen?” Chizze asked.
Raiza, while drinking wine and eating some grapes, said with some laziness, “Oh, Ester, you’re back. I got sunburned. Can you help me with your healing magic… that…?”
What happened? Why did Chizze and Raiza fall silent? Kharla, stopping playing the harp and looking a bit nervous, asked:
“Mister Ester, are you angry with us for something we did?”
Wow, my face is giving me away. I think dealing with that family left me very angry. They were a loving family. That their own son did that to his father and younger siblings makes my blood boil.
“Sorry, girls, it’s not your fault. Let me give you a summary of my day…”
…
My three companions listened attentively to my story. By putting everything into words, I managed to vent and release some of the fury inside me.
“I see your first job as a mercenary is quite complicated,” Raiza says.
“That William had a loving and dedicated father... and he treated him like trash. Now I think I’m angry too,” adds Kharla, while Chizze remained silent; I don’t think she understands our anger.
“Anyway, I need to get to work. I only came for Chizze. By the way, Kharla, your magic was very useful. Use it on Chizze; we have a lot of work to do.”
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Kharla accepted my praise and cast her magic on Chizze.
“Chizze is ready, master. What are your orders?”
I took William’s shirt and had Chizze sniff it.
“We’re going for a night walk. If you detect someone with that scent, let me know. And if things get ugly, try not to make a fuss, remember I’m still just an intern.”
I went out with Chizze for a night walk. We got into a carriage, and I told the driver we were tourists wanting to see the city and to go slowly.
The driver followed my instructions, and we wandered for an hour without Chizze being able to pick up the scent of our friend William…
Until we arrived at the red-light district of Cuencas. This area was home to brothels, bars, and casinos.
I noticed people dealing drugs for recreational use on the streets and even people consuming them openly.
It was a perfect place for the most depraved individuals, but it wasn’t to my liking.
“Master, I detected the scent you were looking for.”
“Driver, stop here, we’re getting off.” The driver charged me a silver coin and 50 copper.
Once on the street, I followed Chizze.
“Try not to attract too much attention, Chizze. We don’t want our prey to escape.”
“Don’t worry, master, you can trust Chizze.”
image [https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/078/703/371/large/duval-saul-23133212323.jpg?1722866379]
We walked slowly through the red-light district until we reached a large casino. It was the biggest building in the area.
The guards saw my badge and, without exchanging words, let us through.
The place was very crowded; it would be complicated to find William here, or so I thought.
“Master, the person you’re looking for is not on this floor. The scent you’re after is upstairs.”
I noticed that there were private rooms on the upper floor of the casino, so William must have connections with this casino.
Now, how do I get upstairs without attracting attention?
Chizze, almost reading my thoughts, went to the bar and spoke with the bartender.
“Hello, sir. I’m looking for a friend. Chizze owes him money from a business deal and said he would be here, but I can’t find him. His name is William. Do you know where I could find him?”
After saying this, Chizze placed a silver coin on the bar. The bartender discreetly took it and said,
“I think I know where he is. Give me a minute.”
The man called a casino guard, who went up to confirm that our subject was indeed there.
The same guard came back down and told Chizze to follow him, as William was expecting her.
Well, not a bad plan, but how do I get up?
Chizze had a brief chat with the guard:
“Wait, Chizze can’t go anywhere without her bodyguard.”
“This place is quite safe. No need for a bodyguard.”
“Well, in that case, Chizze will…”
Chizze took my hand and led me to the door, and we left the casino. “Master, sorry. That didn’t go as I expected. I panicked, and if Chizze went alone, she would definitely have made a scene.”
I took Chizze’s hand and said, “Don’t worry, Chizze. What you did was fine. Now, hide on one of the rooftops and watch the exits of this building. I already have a plan to find William.”
…
You might be wondering what my plan was.
I thought about it a lot, and every idea I had ended with me hitting someone… so I realized that was inevitable.
I went back into the casino, but one of the guards refused to let me through.
I grabbed his arm and recited “Paralyze Nervous System,” leaving the guard writhing on the floor. The other guard stood still, watching me with some fear in his eyes.
I went to the entrance of the first floor, which was blocked by a muscular man with a skull tattooed on his face.
I recited “Paralyze Nervous System,” and when I reached the first floor, I was met by more guards who wanted to attack me.
They all ended up paralyzed on the floor.
I noticed that one of them was the guy who came to take Chizze. I grabbed him by the arm and said, “Where is William?”
The man nearly wet himself in fear and just pointed to an office at the end of the hallway.
Breaking down the door was easy, but at that moment, I was met with a freshly fired cannonball.
I got careless, let my anger get the better of me, and took the cannonball hit directly, leaving me lying on the floor writhing in pain.
“So you’re the one looking for me. What do you want, priest apprentice?”
He was a young man, 21 years old, with blonde hair and half of his face tattooed; he was definitely William.
image [https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/078/703/368/large/duval-saul-4343434334.jpg?1722866372]
“Wait a moment, this guy has a mercenary guild badge. I told those idiots to collect your debt from your father, not you. This will be a problem.
I wanted to avoid getting my hands dirty with blood, but I have no choice now. We have to kill him and burn his body. Not even the bones of this idiot should remain.”
“That’s what I should have done with your father from the beginning,” said an old man in a suit with the generic villain appearance of any novel.
“I told you to do it. Contacting the mercenaries was a terrible idea,” William replied…
The fact that they wanted to kill me doesn’t affect me as much, but hearing a son talk about killing a father who did everything he could to care for him and that he wants to kill him hurts more than my broken ribs…
He truly needs exemplary punishment…
“ACCELERATED HEALING.”
I use my speed, kick William in the face, and throw him against the wall, then I grab the hands of the man who wanted to kill me.
“DEGENERATIVE MAGIC: CELL DESTRUCTION.”
The man’s hands begin to deteriorate until they resemble those of a mummy.
“Ah! Damn son of a bitch, what did you do to me!”
“PARALYZE NERVOUS SYSTEM.”
The man writhes on the floor.
“You’re probably wondering what I did to your hands. It’s my unique ability, degenerative magic. I destroy your body from within; no matter what you do, you won’t be able to heal. With just a touch, I can turn you into a sack of inert bones, but you’re not my target.
My real target is the ungrateful son who wanted to kill his father. So I’ll take him and leave with him. We’ll send him to forced labor to pay back the money you lent him, and if you mess with his father again…
No, it’s more than that.
If I even see your face or hear your name, I’ll destroy you and everyone who protects you.”
I gently rub the man’s cheek and return his nervous system to normal.
“Do you want me to repeat what I just said?”
“If you want William, take him. I didn’t even want his house; he just recommended it to me as a good place to build my new mansion. I…”
I place my hand on his back and inflict more pain on his nervous system. “Repeat what I just said.”
The man looks at me with fear in his eyes.
“William will pay his debt by working, I won’t interfere with his family, and you’ll never see me again.”
“Good boy. See, it wasn’t that hard.” I restore his hands to normal, except for a pinky on his left hand.
“Take that pinky as a warning so you don’t forget my words. And if you want, go to some priest to try to heal you and realize I wasn’t lying.”
When I look for William, I notice that guy ran away, but I stay calm.
I walk slowly towards the exit.
As I walk, I remove the paralysis from the guards, as I’ve completed my mission.
When I finish with the guard I left at the casino entrance, I see that Chizze had captured William, who was unconscious on the floor.
…
We left the red-light district at dawn.
We got into a carriage that initially didn’t want to let us in, as I had blood stains on my clothes and William was unconscious.
But I placed 10 silver coins in his face and he asked for the address.
I told the driver I needed to visit 3 places.
First, we went to William’s father’s house.
While Chizze waited for me in the carriage, I woke William up by force.
“Where am I? Is this my house? Why did you bring me here?”
I punch him in the face and say, “Shut up. Now you have to apologize to someone.”
As soon as I knock on the door, William’s father comes out. I think I made a lot of noise because even his children were behind him.
“Sir, I found this lying around. It was next to the guy who wanted to take your house. It turns out they were friends, but I think they’ve fought because he agreed that William should pay his debts through work.”
William’s father cries upon seeing him.
“Why, son? Why are you doing this to us?”
William looks up with hatred in his eyes, looks at his father, and says:
“Do you really want to know why, Dad? Because you’re a shitty father. You never cared about me. The only person who cared about me was Mom, but she died giving birth to those animals you force me to call brothers, and for them, you were the father you never were to me.
That’s why, Dad, that’s why I’m doing this, that’s why I hate them so much, that’s why I want to see them dead.”
At this point, both William and his father were crying, but the siblings were strangely calm; I guess it’s not the first time they’ve heard their brother say those words.
“Sir, I think it’s useless to get your son to do the right thing, even in the end. It’s better if I take him away to pay for his sins.” I grab William by the collar of his shirt and drag him to the carriage.
“Wait, don’t take my son. I don’t want him to end up like this. It’s not too late for him to change. I don’t mind selling the house; that way, I can pay his debt, and we can start over as a family.
Please, William, forgive me. I should have been a better father. It’s not too late to be a family.”
Then I release William and hit his father in the face.
“Shut up, idiot. Can’t you see it was that attitude that turned your son into the man he is now? Stop lamenting. You still have two kids who need you and need a safe home. Just don’t make the same mistake twice. Now it’s my decision what happens to William, not yours.”
The man, after hearing my words, could only cry while I took his son away to pay for his sins.
I took William back to the carriage, which took me to my second destination. During the rest of the trip, William had a very calm demeanor, almost as if he were at peace… I really don’t understand this guy.
I stayed at the mercenary guild and told Chizze to go home; the rest I could do alone. She wanted to stay with me, but seeing the determination in my eyes, she chose to follow my orders without questioning.
Once I arrived at the guild, almost as if expecting me, Rammus was outside, reading a newspaper while drinking coffee. “Ester, I told you to come earlier, but the guild is still closed at this hour.”
Rammus sees that I’m dragging William.
“Let me guess, you couldn’t evict the family and went for the guy who got into debt,” I reply to Rammus:
“How do you rate this first job as a mercenary?”
“Honestly, it was mediocre. You’re a mess, but let’s say you just barely made it. You can go now; I’ll make sure this guy pays his debts. I don’t care if I have to sell his organs. Try to take today and tomorrow to rest because, in all honesty, you look terrible.”
I hand over William and get into another carriage that was near the mercenary guild.
When I get home, Chizze was waiting outside for me.
I guess she can’t rest if I’m not around.
As soon as I get out of the carriage, I collapse and fall unconscious on the ground.