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Volume 11, Chapter 273: Steel and Thoughts

The tents prepared for the mercenaries of Belfein at the Heraldic camp were much larger than their numbers. They seemed too wide for the current number of people.

Did they expect more people to come in, or were they trying to please them? Those tents were prepared after receiving the instructions of Largud Ann, so it was probably the latter. If the space prepared for them was spacious enough, then no one would be offended.

Because of this, it became perfect for drinking ale. In any case, the loud voices did not reach the other tents since they were large, and drinking ale in a wide place was delicious.

I poured ale, which had become cold due to the temperature, into my throat. After a moment, my viscera became full of a pleasant touch.

The dead snow was not a topic to be taken lightly, but it was good to be able to drink a lot of cold ale. The market price for drinking cold drinks was at a fixed high price because of sorcerers and nobles’ rules.

「Lord Lugis, do you always hang out like this? 」

When two mercenaries began to wield swords against each other as entertainment, Vestaline spoke, while distorting her expression.

I wet my tongue with the special ale from Belfein that I’ve got from a mercenary and nodded with a slightly pungent sensation on my lips.

「It’s not like that. It seems there are some people who are angry about what we did in Philos. I’m waiting for the medicine of time to calm them down. 」

I couldn’t afford to think when I was busy dealing with the demon beasts that Roseau had set up after cleaning up the mess in the city of Philos. By the time the end was finally visible, the place was a little in jeopardy.

The feeling that uncomplicated things were gradually being replaced by hard things was increasing recently.

The cause was Caria, Filaret and Eldith. So were Matia and Ann. They were looking for an opportunity to give me an earful unless it was an emergency.

The biggest problem was probably Caria. She was an unpredictable woman. I did not know what she would do, especially this time.

After all, when I headed to Philos, I had a history of abandoning Caria, who was willing to accompany me, since I didn’t want her to bother me.

She could even cut my arm off if I said the wrong words. At least, she would have done it if she was the former Caria. No doubt about it.

The cold wind of the dead snow cooled down the heat a little.

I let out a sigh. My throat, numb by ale, was bringing something like a slight pain. In front of me stood a place where money was bet in a duel between mercenaries. It was a nostalgic and calm landscape.

I asked Vestaline how was Bruder’s state, while presenting a cup of ale. She seemed confused for a moment, but when she received it, she drank the cup in one breath. Could I say that she was Bruder’s younger sister or the head of Belfein’s mercenary corps?

「I can’t say her current state is good, but according to Ann, it seems that she was able to avoid returning to heaven, although some scars will remain. 」

After nodding, I put the ale in my cup into my throat. My throat was hot. But at the same time, something close to relief was leaking deep inside of my chest. I see, so she was finally safe.

Humanity’s natural enemies and predators…well, humans who touched demons had died, all of them. I could say that Bruder was lucky if she could get over it for the time being.

However, did she say that scars will remain? As long as Bruder was on the battlefield, that would be inevitable. But that battle with Roseau was different. I should have punched Roseau more than I did.

Cheers rose from the surroundings. Apparently, the duel had been settled. One of the mercenaries was kneeling, bleeding from his arm. This kind of gambling duel had a fixed market price when one of the opponents bled.

Vestaline, who was sitting next to me, said the following words.

「I’m grateful for what you did to my sister. Next, I would like to talk to you. 」

I stared at her face when she said those words. She had a very serious look. I couldn’t even joke since she looked way too serious.

I kept my lips soaked in the newly poured ale and urged her to continue. Somehow, I was able to predict the future. I didn’t even dare to question it.

「…About what happened in Philos, the actions taken by my sister are clearly beyond the degree of danger. If things are done as before, the appropriate action would be for her to be punished. 」

Vestaline spoke clearly amidst the hustle and bustle of the surrounding mercenaries. Everyone was overwhelmed by the outcome of the bet. Perhaps, I was the only one who could hear Vestaline’s voice. I shook my head a little to agree with her words.

Even though it was dangerous enough to get inside a hostile city and gather information, it was even worse to try to reap the heart of the leader.

Of course, that didn’t mean we didn’t trust Bruder. In this case, the degree of danger was too high. The result itself turned out to be good, but with one mistake and we could’ve seen the worst result.

So why did Bruder take such an option by herself? Certainly, she was seen as unreasonable from time to time, but she never took reckless actions.

Vestaline’s strong eyes pierced me. It felt as if her gaze was tearing my insides apart. Her thin lips were even tightened.

「…My sister said that it was a gift for you. Of course, I didn’t stop her either. My sister is responsible, and so am I. Lord Lugis, I want you to know that I don’t blame you in any way.」

I was impressed that she was such a sincere person. She invoked seriousness, fairness and affection. That was probably the nature of the Steel Princess. In essence, she had something similar to Bruder.

I placed the cup that was empty and saw Vestaline biting her lips.

「But, I understood this matter well. Your influence is too great for my sister. I have a request, Lord Lugis. I want you to make a choice.」

I frowned slightly. I didn’t think she would go this path.

Given Vestaline’s character, I thought she would say that I shouldn’t approach Bruder in the future, or that I should be careful with my words. Apparently, my expectations weren’t that reliable.

Vestaline widened her eyes and said.

「In the future, I would like you to never exchange words with my sister again…or take my sister’s hand and withdraw from the battlefield. In that case, I will also take responsibility and quit the mercenary corps.」

I see. Half was right. The other half was going in a very different direction.

I listened to a loud noise coming from outside the tent and hardened my expression.

—

To be honest, Vestaline Geluah didn’t like the human being Lugis. At least, she didn’t remember having a good impression of him.

When she met him in Belfein, he was quite rough with words and deeds. Moreover, she did not like that he was by her sister’s side more than anything.

Of course, in terms of reason, Vestaline understood and appreciated that he helped her sister a lot. However, she couldn’t get rid of her emotional side that quickly.

In addition to that, one of the reasons Vestaline continued to dislike Lugis was that her sister strangely talked a lot about him.

While treating Vestaline’s injury at Garoua Maria, Bruder’s lips talked about a person named Lugis. She didn’t notice that much, but her sister talked about almost the same thing every day.

“…I don’t like him.”

That was the impression that Vestaline intuitively thought of Lugis. Her beloved sister, whom she loved, treated a man like that, with affection.

If they stayed in the countryside and never met the human named Lugis, her sister would have never held that man in her heart. That was the most unpleasant thing for Vestaline.

At last, the sisters were finally together. It was hard to accept that someone whom they didn’t know would take one of their hearts away.

That was not the only reason Vestaline decided to join the Heraldic army.

She decided to do this.

She decided to speak with Lugis. If he was, as her sister said, a wise, sincere and heroic man, that was fine.

But if he was an unscrupulous person, a person who was not worthy of her sister…even though he was a benefactor, God would not easily forgive him. An accident in a battlefield could give her the answer.

In that sense, the incident at Philos was a good opportunity to determine Lugis’ worth.

However, Vestaline could not draw any conclusions in the end.

Vestaline’s sister made a terrible mess for this man, and this man also made a mess with his reckless behavior. That unreasonableness seemed to be the nature of this man, and her sister was being pulled in by that unreasonableness.

How could Vestaline judge this situation? It would be a problem if all of them continued to be unreasonable.

However, it seemed that the human being, Lugis, was not the unscrupulous human being who was proclaimed by the world. Vestaline understood that much. She was not bold enough to utter it plainly.

Therefore, Vestaline turned to Lugis and urged him to make a choice. Would he leave her sister or would he take her sister’s hand?

“It will be fine if he withdraws from my sister. On the contrary, it won’t matter if he takes my sister’s hand. At that time, I will be with them, and I will identify this man for a while. Then, my sister will be convinced. It is the best option because I will identify the essence of this man until the end.”

For Vestaline, this man was worthy to be called a hero, but he liked the bold and impulsive colors way too much. Whatever it was, that point was unacceptable for Vestaline, who loved honesty and fairness. She also had to settle that point.

Therefore, Vestaline sent a messenger to the Saint and Ann, who were searching for him. He said he was doing his duties and working hard, but in reality, he was drinking ale with Vestaline on her tent.

“This matter will be transmitted to other people in the future. At that time, what kind of expression will the hero make while sitting beside me?” Vestaline was looking forward to it.