Chapter 48: Reunion (4)
Jyakari was quick-tempered and violent.
He was a man who believed above all else in the saying, ‘If a man draws his sword, he must at least slice a radish,’ so he had no intention of backing down from the current dispute.
He had to.
But.
‘Damn it, Jack?’
The moment he confirmed the opponent’s identity, he felt the strength slowly draining from his fist.
Who was Jack?
Until recently, he was a Wooden Plate Mercenary who reeked of a Newbie, but in just half a year, he had achieved tremendous growth and resolved numerous requests.
It was the prevailing opinion that if one were to pick the most famous rookie in the northwestern part of the Nadan Kingdom, he would easily be among the top three.
‘And if this guy is here, it means…….’
Jyakari rolled his eyes and scanned his surroundings.
Then, with an ‘as expected’ expression, he nodded.
He was there.
Matthew, also known as a super rookie like Jack, was saying something to one of the Merchant Guild employees.
While looking this way.
Sensing that the situation was not good, Jyakari stood awkwardly, unable to do anything.
Fortunately.
“Jyakari, stop it. If you don’t cool your temper here, you’ll be cut from the request immediately.”
“But, that bastard…….”
“I know, I know. But today isn’t the only day, right? For now, endure it. Let’s endure it and think about it later.”
“……Did you say Harang? Just you wait. You should know you’re lucky.”
At the opportune moment, a fellow Mercenary intervened, creating a pretext for him to retreat.
Thus, Jyakari, with a thoroughly displeased expression, moved his sleeping spot elsewhere, and the surrounding Mercenaries turned their heads as if the excitement had fizzled out and continued with their respective tasks.
Of course, Harang also had things to do.
Unlike with the Barjean Merchant Guild, where the Merchant Guild employees set up a communal tent, this time the Mercenaries had to set up their own individual tents, so everyone was moving diligently.
But there was something else that caught his interest more at the moment.
Jack.
And Matthew, who was approaching with a smiling face after finishing his conversation with the employee.
Harang, reunited with the first connections he had made after being freed from the ‘village,’ immediately threw a question.
“What happened?”
“Huh? What?”
“You’ve changed a lot. It’s only been half a year…… I’m curious. What on earth happened in the meantime for you to become completely different people?”
Harang looked at the two with an expression of utter amazement.
It wasn't just about the degree of physical training or the growth in swordsmanship.
If it were only that, he would have rather thought, ‘so be it’.
As he had said before, he could see their outstanding talent in his eyes.
It was as clear as day that their skills would rise sharply if only enough time and effort were added.
However, their growth surpassed such a narrow scope.
It was as if…….
‘It feels like the person themselves has grown.’
Harang recalled the dispute with Jyakari just moments before.
That Bronze Plate Mercenary was a person of poor skill with a fist so slow it made him yawn, but this was only by his own standards.
The rough Presence, tone, and expression he had shown would undoubtedly have felt very threatening to someone.
‘And the Jack of the past would have been one of those someones. To stand in front of a senior Mercenary who is fuming like fire? Not only that, but to mediate with a confident expression? Impossible. Certainly, the Jack I first met was not someone who could do that.’
But the current Jack had done it.
Not by forcing out courage, but casually, as if it were an extremely easy task.
This gave Harang a fresh shock.
He wasn't the only one who had changed.
Matthew had also changed.
He had grown so much that he was truly unrecognizable.
The people around them wouldn't have heard it, but he, with his sensitive hearing, could hear the conversation between the Merchant Guild employee and him.
That's why he knew.
Instead of panicking because an acquaintance was involved in a dispute, Matthew was calmly explaining the situation to the Merchant Guild employee and softening the atmosphere.
‘If it were the Matthew I first met, he would have panicked, not knowing what to do, and just stomped his feet. He works hard at everything, but he wasn't a person with a knack for this kind of thing…….’
In fact, he was a person with much weaker Gido than Jack, so he might have run far away to avoid getting involved in the dispute.
Therefore, Harang was curious.
What had made them grow so rapidly?
What kind of people had they met, and what had they experienced during the past six months?
“Haha.”
“It’s Harang, as expected. The same as ever. He’s just unpredictable.”
Watching Harang look at them with such an excited gaze, Jack and Matthew burst into hearty laughter.
He was indeed peculiar.
Usually, no matter how curious one was, wasn’t it common to ask about each other’s well-being when meeting after a long time?
More than anything, the fact that he threw such a question with an innocent face, as if he truly knew nothing, was a really amusing part.
The two exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.
And they said at the same time.
“Harang.”
“Harang.”
“……? Yes? Why my name all of a sudden…….”
“Harang, it’s thanks to you.”
Staring straight at his benefactor, Jack added another word in an even firmer tone.
“The reason we were able to grow this much, it’s all thanks to meeting you.”
* * *
Late at night.
When everyone in the camp was asleep, Harang stealthily got out of his bed and approached the night watchmen in front of the bonfire.
He said.
“Can I go for a little walk?”
“Ugh, you scared me!”
“What a surprise! Make some noise when you walk around!”
“Ah, I’m sorry. Anyway, can I go for a little walk around here? I can’t sleep.”
“You’ll be tired tomorrow because of the long travel distance…… Well, do as you please. However, make some noise when you come back. If we get surprised and shout, it’ll be a nuisance to the entire Merchant Guild.”
“Understood.”
Harang, who nodded, moved away from the campsite.
He didn't have a particular destination.
Just as he had told the night watchmen, he couldn’t sleep, so he thought it would be better to move his body than to just lie still.
As he wandered aimlessly around the campsite like that, his thoughts naturally drifted towards the connections he had met in the evening.
Jack, and Matthew.
Remembering them, who had grown from naive Wooden Plate Mercenaries into dignified and confident Bronze Plate Mercenaries.
Remembering them as they spoke of their newly embraced ‘dreams’ with sparkling eyes, Harang muttered softly.
“I’m envious.”
In the past, they had chosen the profession of a Mercenary to gain more money and honor.
But whether they truly wanted it, frankly, there were many ambiguous aspects.
It felt like they were just following along because others said it was good, or, as Mercenary Captain Carlson had said, there was a strong feeling that it was ‘to escape from what they disliked.’
‘Just like how I pursue freedom because I want to escape the village.’
But now it was different.
They wanted to become excellent industry seniors who encouraged, supported, and guided Newbie Mercenaries to adapt better.
The eyes of the two, who spoke of this aspiration with flushed faces, shone much more brightly than when they used to talk about money, honor, and ladies in the past.
It wasn't simply to escape from reality.
The appearance of Jack and Matthew, who had found the value they truly desired, shone brighter and more beautifully than anyone else he had encountered outside the village.
What was even more surprising was…….
‘To think that I was the one who brought about Jack and Matthew’s change, their growth.’
His words influencing others.
This wasn't actually the first time.
He had heard it before when he trained the gangsters.
He vaguely remembered Glen’s expression when he said thank you for changing his life.
But the feeling now was different from then.
If he hadn't had a chance to think about it properly back then because he was too busy, now he had enough time guaranteed for contemplation.
‘Come to think of it, it’s a natural thing.’
That’s right. This wasn’t strange.
It was Harang who had gained enlightenment from countless people until now.
Some of the words and actions they showed were special, but some were not.
There must have been things that would be considered useless words by others.
Nevertheless, he drew inspiration from both, pondered, and changed by digesting them in his own way.
He grew.
Perhaps it was the same for Jack and Matthew.
Whether Harang himself had spoken lightly or heavily was not important.
How they accepted it, how they digested it, was what mattered.
Thinking this way, all the words and actions he had shown so far, and all the human figures he had met, felt completely different.
It felt as if the objects in a faded picture book were newly blooming in full color.
“This is fun.”
It really was.
It was really, so much fun.
Wandering aimlessly here and there, he recalled the various connections he had encountered in the past.
He didn't just think about the influence they had on him, but also pondered deeply about what influence his words and actions might have had on them.
Some seemed to have received no influence at all.
And others showed as if they had been greatly influenced.
What came to mind most vividly was the Eddy Family.
In a way, it was strange.
They, who had reigned as terrifying beings in the back alleys of Marzen and reaped many benefits, had changed their profession to Mercenaries with just a few words from him.
Was that all?
They had abandoned the comfortable and leisurely life of eating good food and drinking good wine every day, and were now continuing arduous training daily, to the point where onlookers would shake their heads.
Despite that, they lived each day with bright faces, as if they had spent a more rewarding day, without any complaints.
‘What is it.’
He slowly, carefully re-examines things he had simply passed by before.
The Eddy Family, what aspect of him had influenced them to change so much?
And other people, why were they, unlike the Eddy Family, not influenced by him at all?
He was curious.
It was fun.
It was a riddle-like question for which no clear answer emerged no matter how much he pondered, but he didn't feel frustrated or annoyed at all.
Rather, as he retraced the many words and actions he had shown, and recalled each of the many connections he had made one by one, he lost track of how time was flowing.
It was then.
“This bastard. He came to a place that’s easy to mess him up on his own.”
“You’re right. If he had stayed cooped up in the campsite, there would have been no way…… He’s lucky.”
Jyakari and his two colleagues.
A total of three Bronze Plate Mercenaries revealed themselves.
The intention was obvious.
To repay the humiliating incident from the evening, they intended to beat Harang to a pulp in a secluded place.
Grin, Jyakari showed a savage smile.
The white teeth that appeared in the dark night sky looked vile and creepy.
The expressions of the two Mercenaries standing on either side were similar.
As long as Jack and Matthew, who had recently gained considerable fame, were not around, they thought beating up that Newbie Mercenary would be a piece of cake.
Of course, this was merely their delusion.
Swish.
Thwack!
In the blink of an eye, Harang, who had taken their backs, struck the nape of one Mercenary with his hand.
Slump, thud.
As their colleague collapsed powerlessly forward, the two Mercenaries tried to let out surprised voices.
But they couldn't.
“Quiet.”
“Hup!”
“Eum!”
White hands were placed on the heads of the two, including Jyakari.
They were so delicate it was hard to believe they were the hands of a swordsman.
However, a tremendous force unbefitting them pressed down on the two.
After a moment, a low voice flowed from Harang’s mouth.
“Please don’t interfere. I was just having fun.”
“……”
“……”
“Help the fainted person and go back.”
They couldn't refuse.
They couldn't resist.
Feeling Harang’s hand, colder than ice, on their scalps, the two barely managed to nod, then slung the fainted man over their shoulders and returned to the campsite.
Harang didn't look back.
He continued the thoughts he had been having until just before, occasionally showing a faint smile as if something was amusing.