Chapter 213 : Oliver (1)

Reina covered her mouth.

“U-Unni…….”

“Are your ears blocked? Lower your arm and step back.”

Despite Rachel’s growl, Gallard was not dispirited.

Rather, he laughed leisurely. His unusually sharp canines shone as they twinkled.

“Kukuk. Look here, girl. Do you properly know what you are doing right now? I am the Silver Lion Vice-Captain Gallard.”

“So? Do you Silver Lion bastards have your hearts attached at the bottom or something?”

When Rachel, who snapped back like that, put strength into the tip of her sword and pressed down firmly, Gallard took a surrendering posture and hurriedly stepped back.

“Oops. Got it, I got it. So quick-tempered.”

But that was a trick.

Simultaneously with stepping back, Gallard stomped his foot.

A pile of dirt mixed with gravel shot up and momentarily blocked Rachel’s vision.

Not missing that opportunity, Gallard swung his arm.

Swish!

He hadn’t swung a sword, but it was a sufficiently murderous attack.

Because the edge of the buckler, the shield attached to his forearm, was striking exactly at Rachel’s vital point, her temple.

However, despite her vision being blocked by the dust, Rachel struck the buckler away without difficulty.

Clang!

“Hoh. You blocked it? Then how about this!”

Gallard only then drew the broadsword hanging at his waist and swung it, and soon the campsite turned into a mess with people on the same side fighting.

“Unni! Stop it!”

Watching that scene, Reina only stamped her feet anxiously.

Because she thought this happened because of herself.

‘I-I just tried to save Mr. Oliver…….’

Gallard claimed she interfered with his action, but that was wrong.

Because when Reina saw it, Gallard at the time wasn’t paying any attention to Oliver’s protection.

If she hadn’t cut in and unfolded a defensive barrier, Oliver would have been hit by the poison needle.

‘Right! I’ll ask Mr. Oliver to stop them!’

Reina hurriedly looked for him.

Oliver was sitting still in front of the campfire.

Seeing his appearance as if he had no connection or even interest in what was happening right now, Reina was blank for a moment but quickly came to her senses and spoke.

“Mr. Oliver! People on the same side are fighting, so what are you doing here! You have to meditate quickly!”

“Why me?”

“……Yes?”

“Why do I have to do that?”

Reina was speechless at the unexpected cold-heartedness.

“N-No. Of course, Mr. Oliver gathered us and also…….”

“Go ponder about how to protect me well instead. Don’t bother me.”

“……That’s too much.”

Oliver looked at the teary Reina for a moment, then turned his head away sharply.

Like this, there was no choice.

Reina picked up her crutch and headed back to the fighting ground.

It was to help Rachel.

Clang! Clang!

The two people’s fight was still in full swing.

At a glance, it looked like Rachel held the initiative, but it looked dangerous because the surrounding Silver Lion mercenaries were ready to join in at any time.

……That was purely Reina’s thought.

The reality was the complete opposite.

Reina didn’t know, but the one in danger was actually herself.

A few Silver Lion mercenaries might help Gallard, but the rest were secretly looking for an opportunity to subdue Reina.

And Rachel knew that sign.

The reason Rachel couldn’t finish Gallard right now even though she could.

If she kills Gallard, Reina becomes endangered.

From Rachel’s position, it was a situation where she couldn’t do this or that.

However, this frustrating situation ended as the other members who went to chase the goblin remnants returned.

“Stop!”

It was Gorian.

At his shout, Gallard’s arm stopped and Rachel also backed off.

“U-Unni.”

“Come here, Michelle.”

Rachel immediately took care of Reina.

“Hm? What’s with the atmosphere?”

“What is it? Did you guys fight by any chance?”

As Gerard, Yuria, and even Karina returned following that, the situation faced another turning point.

Because as they stood next to Rachel and Reina, a strange confrontation structure was formed.

“Mitchell. Did you fight?”

At Gerard’s question, Rachel nodded her head.

“Why?”

Reina explained instead.

As the story continued, the faces of the group became rapidly cold.

Karina’s anger was tremendous.

“Has this crazy bastard lost his mind? What? Grabbing her by the collar? Breaking her leg?”

“Huh? I didn’t say it like that…….”

“Who is it? Come out to the front! Right now!”

Her sharp voice swallowed Reina’s words and rang loudly through the entire mountain.

“…….”

Heavy silence.

After a slight murmuring spread from the Silver Lion Mercenary side, a man walked out.

It was the mercenary captain Gorian.

“Listening to the story, it seems there was a bit of misunderstanding between each other.”

He immediately called Gallard.

“Apologize.”

“……I apologize for causing discord.”

Gallard, who stepped forward, bowed his head.

It was a sincere and polite attitude, clearly different from just a moment ago.

However, Karina was not one to be deceived by that appearance.

She thought they just wanted to avoid this moment briefly because they were afraid of the Academy’s background.

“Hmph. It seems you want to move on quietly because we appeared, but did you think we’d be deceived? Not a chance.”

“It is true though, otherwise what should I do?”

“You don’t even know that? You have to take responsibility for your actions.”

Gallard looked at Gorian once.

When Gorian nodded his head, he walked stride by stride toward Rachel and Reina.

Then he took something out from his bosom, and it was none other than a money pouch.

“It’s 100 shillings. I don’t know if this will be a consolation, but I am sorry.”

Reina received it in bewilderment.

“Ah, that is.”

“I also have responsibility for training my subordinate wrongly. It has become a sorry situation for everyone.”

“Yes…….”

Since the situation became like this, the atmosphere was such that even Karina couldn’t make more of a fuss.

She just clicked her tongue with an expression that she didn’t like something.

This was the same for the others too.

But in a situation where even the captain Gorian stepped forward and apologized like that, they couldn’t push further and ask for responsibility.

Eventually, the situation came to a vague end like that.

Since goblin blood and corpses were scattered around, they had to move the campsite, so they moved hurriedly, found a suitable place, and set up a new campsite.

Afterward, they decided on the night watch and each went to sleep.

That night.

There were shadows moving secretly in the silent darkness.

“How was it?”

“To speak of the younger sister’s side first, as expected, she’s nothing special. The speed at which she manifests magic is quite fast, but her level was exactly as we expected. At best, she’s in the 2nd Circle.”

“Far from being an obstacle, she won’t even be a target for containment.”

“She’s just a leg cripple slightly better than a normal person. Hehe.”

The shadow laughed slowly and licked his sharp canine with his tongue.

He was Vice-Captain Gallard.

And the person he was speaking to respectfully was, naturally, Gorian.

“Then what about the older sister?”

“That bitch…… honestly was burdensome.”

“Hoh. Is that so?”

“Yes. It hurts my pride, but to speak for the success of the operation, she is definitely a cut above me.”

Gorian’s eyes twinkled.

Gallard was an outstanding mercenary and warrior who had reached the Beginner Aura Expert level.

Wielding an Aura Sword freely, he fought much better than average knights, and the practical combat experience he built while going around various battlefields was no less than his own.

‘But to be a cut above him…….’

Can that be?

Gorian tilted his head.

It didn’t make sense that a mercenary with skills above Beginner Expert, and a female mercenary at that, had never had her name known until now.

The mercenary industry is large and wide, but due to the nature of the industry, it is a place where fame spreads quickly.

Of course, she could be a rookie who just stepped into the industry, but the timing was too exquisite to say that.

Because the Silver Lion Mercenaries were currently carrying out a double request.

One was the guard request to escort Oliver.

And, the other one was the murder request to kill Oliver.

‘But for a guy like that to cut in on all things. I didn’t know that guy Oliver’s connections would exist in the Frey Empire.’

It was somewhat ominous from the moment the Academy got involved.

……Honestly, Gorian’s real worry was this.

The Academy joining.

The Mitchell and Michelle sisters?

Mitchell’s skill is unexpected, but to speak frankly, the Silver Lion Mercenaries alone can handle them sufficiently.

However, the Academy is a different story.

Especially when the faces are Gerard, who is frequently listed in Royal Dream and is indisputably the Academy’s best output, Yuria who is the disciple of the Magic Swordsman, and Karina Zain who is a direct descendant of the Zain family.

‘Once the job is done, we won’t be able to operate within the Frey Empire anymore.’

We have to see it as virtually confirmed.

However, Gorian didn’t care much.

As for the area of activity, it was enough to just settle down anew in another country, and the Silver Lion Mercenaries and Gorian had the ability and confidence to do so.

“What shall we do?”

“At Gorian’s question, he answered.”

At Gallard’s question, Gorian answered.

“We must approach cautiously. Because if those sisters and the Academy even join forces, handling the job might become annoying. Send a carrier pigeon to the client.”

“Yes.”

Whether they knew of the Silver Lion Mercenaries’ scheme or not.

After the night of plotting ended and a bright morning came, as soon as Reina woke up, she offered morning greetings to people with her unique innocent yet lively expression.

Her behavior was as if she had completely forgotten the events of last night.

At that, people were dumbfounded and awkward, but she didn’t care and emitted bright energy.

And there was a gaze staring intently at her like that.

“…….”

It was none other than Oliver.

Waking from sleep, he had been staring at her since the moment Reina offered morning greetings just now.

Then suddenly, he crinkled his brow fiercely and turned his head; considering he had only shown a lethargic appearance until now, it was a surprisingly large emotional change.

“……What dog-like thoughts are you thinking, Oliver.”

He muttered quietly.

And he glanced at Reina again, then shook his head left and right as if it wasn’t it, and shut his eyes tight altogether.

“If you’re done eating, get up!”

After breakfast ended, under Gorian’s lead, the group moved their steps toward the destination again.

Unlike yesterday where he stood at the head of the formation, this time Oliver walked behind the mercenary troop.

Since the Silver Lion Mercenaries were at the front and the Academy was at the rear, he was exactly in the middle.

It wasn’t particularly intended.

Just walking along, he naturally came to walk in that position, and came to walk close to the Rachel sisters too.

Naturally, the sound of the two people’s conversation came into his ears.

“But why did you do that earlier, Michelle?”

“Huh? Do what?”

“Earlier when you woke up in the morning.”

“Ah. That?”

Reina said with a laugh.

“Since it’s all over anyway, isn’t it good to share morning greetings with a smile!”

Looking at such a dense younger sister, the older sister sighed and shook her head.

He didn’t know why, but Oliver empathized with her appearance.

Furthermore, he became a little bit interested in those mercenary sisters.

‘Mercenaries introduced by Parnaci.’

Aside from that, there wasn’t much he knew.

Judging by the small scale, he only guessed they came from some mercenary office not affiliated with a guild.

Still, since they were mercenaries confidently introduced by Parnaci, the inn owner and the only person he opened up to in the Frey Empire, while thumping his chest, he had some degree of expectation and curiosity.

Honestly, at first, he was disappointed.

Because both were women, and one of them was a disabled person relying on a tool because her leg was uncomfortable.

‘……Can that thing even protect me?’

Did Parnaci perhaps look down on him?

For an instant, he even had this suspicion.

However, as a result, Parnaci was correct in introducing them properly.

The battle with goblins that happened last night and the friction with the Silver Lion that occurred consecutively. There, Oliver could confirm Rachel’s martial prowess.

He pretended not to be interested, but Oliver was observing the entire situation.

‘She’s quite good.’

On top of that, the younger sister’s side is a mage too.

Considering that mages are treated as high-class manpower in the mercenary industry, Parnaci’s introduction was a proper one.

However, if there was a problem.

Since that incident yesterday, every time he saw Reina, someone’s face kept coming to mind.

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