“Hey, have you heard about that guy?”

In the Mercenary Union’s lobby, mercenaries gossiped with each other, uncaring about class or manners.

In one of the corners, two mercenaries huddled together. One wore leather armor, covering his torso, and the other was topless, proudly showing off his… skinny body.

“What guy? There’s tons of guys here,” the skinny mercenary asked, slapping the other's shoulder.

The armored mercenary clicked his tongue, rubbing his hit shoulder. “You know, that guy who watched his teammates die?”

“...did you just describe us?” The skinny mercenary narrowed his eyes.

The armored mercenary choked.

“Ahem! I mean, yeah, we’re like that…” He scratched his forehead. “But I’m talking about another dude! Lean build, long black hair like a ghost, pale like a corpse, and creepy red eyes. So? Does it ring any bells?”

The skinny mercenary cupped his chin, narrowing his eyes in thought. “Nope. So… what did he do anyway?”

The armored mercenary smirked, picking his nose. “Rumor has it, if you team up with him, you better watch your back. Because if he has a holy potion, and you’re dying, he won’t even think twice to abandon you.”

He patted the skinny mercenary’s shoulder, wiping his fingers on the other's skin. The skinny mercenary furrowed his brows, his eyes going wide.

“He has a holy potion?!”

The leather armored mercenary smacked him in the back. “Idiot! It was an example, a fucking example! You goddamn drug addict.”

“Hey man, you need to make it clear!” The skinny mercenary tried defending himself.

“Whatever,” the armored mercenary rolled his eyes. “Come on, let’s take on a mission. I need some quick cash.”

“What for?” The skinny mercenary frowned. “Girls?”

“You got it,” the armored mercenary winked. This time, it was the skinny mercenary who rolled his eyes.

“Pei! Girls this, girls that. You’re hopeless. Drugs is where it’s at! I’ll show you.”

“No thanks…”

While they walked, the wooden entrance door swung open, flooding the lobby with hot, afternoon air. The mercenaries frowned, and even more so after they saw just who came inside.

Meanwhile, the odd pair ignored the ruckus, opting to look at the mission board. There, dozens of mercenary hires were plastered on the wooden board, its difficulty varying.

“Hey, bro, look. It gives a thousand mitos,” the skinny mercenary said, pointing at a paper no longer nor wider than a hand.

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The armored mercenary squinted, yanking the paper off the wall and bringing it close to his face. Only then could he read it.

“You're right, the reward's a thousand mitos. Let's take it,” he said.

After approaching the clerk, they submitted an application and signed their names and ranks. However, when the clerk saw their applications, her polite smile turned into a frown.

The clerk looked at the armored mercenary. “Augustin, magician, rank 1, correct?”

The armored mercenary, Augustin, nodded.

“Hm… Gerardo, er, brute?” The clerk scratched the side of her face, looking at the skinny mercenary's body. “Um, rank 1?”

Gerardo, the skinny mercenary, nodded.

“...and you both wish to take on the mission, [Noble hunt, Viscountess Erri]?” She showed the mission paper to the two.

Like before, they nodded.

The clerk licked her lips for two seconds.

“...sirs, with all due respect… you cannot accept this mission. This mission is for rank 5 and above only, noobs—erm, beginners should stay clear from it,” she bowed slightly, refusing to accept their applications.

“Eh? But it pays a thousand mitos,” Gerardo said, not paying attention to Augustin, who was choking from his own spit.

“Rank 5?! Very sorry miss, but we'll—”

“I'll join them.”

Suddenly, a deep voice echoed behind them. Turning around, they saw a tall figure wearing a dark-brown cloak, its hood covering the person's face.

“Oh, sir! My apologies, but I really can't let you…” The clerk tried to refuse, when the cloaked figure placed a paper on the desk.

It was the man's application formed, and it was already filled up and signed.

“Ha… swordsman… wait, rank 6?” The clerk tilted her head. “...alright, you may take this mission. Please be careful and succeed,” she smiled.

On the other hand, Augustin was staring at the cloaked figure with bloodshot eyes.

“Hey, you good?” Gerardo nudged him from the side.

“Dude! That's a rank 6 mercenary!” Augustin said, dragging Gerardo by the arm to follow the cloaked figure.

“Mister, mister! I mean, master!” Augustin cleared his throat. “Can we follow you in the mission? We promise we won't make any trouble!”

The cloaked figure didn't answer. He exited the building, followed by two ducklings by the name of Augustin and Gerardo.

{=|=}{=|=}{=|=}

“Master, what's the plan?” Augustin chirped, lying on the ground beside Gerardo and the rank 6 swordsman.

Hearing this, Gerardo whispered into his ear. “Why do you call him ‘master’?”

Augustin whispered back, “Because I know how to bootlick.”

“There,” suddenly, the rank 6 swordsman spoke up. “Stay here,” he said.

Augustin blinked, watching as the rank 6 swordsman stood up and ran. In his path, a carriage was rushing through in full force!

“What the…”

Augustin shut his mouth.

The rank 6 swordsman leapt, and then buried his sword on the roof as he landed atop it. A miserable wail sounded out, and the carriage door slammed open.

The coachman, startled, tried to calm the horses, but the stallions rampaged away. At the same time, a woman dressed in a deep blue and white gown stumbled out, tripping and landing face first on the ground.

“Wow, she's pretty,” Gerardo commented from the side.

Augustin nodded, wetting his dry lips.

Before anyone could react, the rank 6 swordsman hopped off the roof and swung his sword at the woman in a blue gown.

However, his sword met another, and he crossed eyes with a gold-haired swordsman.

“Th-there you are! Quick, kill him!” The woman in the blue gown pointed at the cloaked swordsman.

On the other hand, the other swordsman pushed with his sword, his hair swaying with the motion. The rank 6 swordsman stepped back, and then stepped in to cut the other swordsman's arm!

“Urg!” The other swordsman stumbled back, holding his bleeding arm—it was now a stump.

The rank 6 swordsman ignored him, walking slowly toward the woman.

The woman shrieked, crawling back as the rank 6 swordsman approached him. Then, the he raised his sword—

“STOP!” The other swordsman yelled, attracting the rank 6 swordsman’s attention.

“Let viscountess Erri go, or I'll kill your man!” He yelled, pushing a dagger at Gerardo's neck as he held him in a chokehold.

The rank 6 swordsman looked at him, and then at the viscountess. Wordlessly, he swung his sword, cutting the viscountess’ throat.

“Fuck! You bastard!” Enraged, the viscountess' swordsman sliced Gerardo's throat, before running away without turning back.

“Gera!” Augustin yelled, crawling toward Gerardo's spasming body. His chest hurt, having been kicked by the viscountess' swordsman when he took Gerardo hostage, but he gritted his teeth and endured.

“Sir! Can you… carry him back? There's a doctor back in the city!” Augustin pleaded, kowtowing to the rank 6 swordsman.

The rank 6 swordsman stood still, carefully wiping off the blood from his sword. Then, as he sheathed his sword, he took off the hood of his cloak, revealing his blood red eyes, and his long, silky black hair.

“You're…” Augustin’s words got stuck in his throat.

“Let him die,” the rank 6 swordsman said, walking toward them.

“He sold his son and daughter to fuel his addiction. When his money ran out, he butchered his wife and sold her organs, and then kidnapped several women and sold their bodies in brothels. He's better off dead,” he said, turning around and walking away.

Augustin, pale faced and dumbfounded, shuddered in fury. Sure, he didn't know any of those crimes his “best brother* committed, but…

“Who do you think you are?! So he committed crimes, does it mean you can judge them yourself? Let the temple judge their sins!” He panted out, his heart beating as adrenaline pumped in his veins.

The rank 6 swordsman paused his steps, glancing back.

“...the rules are run by both corrupt and just. Those sinful and those innocent can be deemed guilty all the same. Rather than let the temples pardon the criminal, I'd rather just kill them.”

He turned around, his steps quiet as he walked away.

“As for who I am…”

He scoffed.

“I am Zethir.”