Chapter 85 : Chapter 85

Chapter 085 : A Lie Greater Than Truth (3)

* * *

When Maserin, having crossed through the Spatial Transfer Gate, brought the news that Bihen Benkou had finally slain the Blood Mage, the atmosphere split sharply.

Some cheered.

It was mostly the mercenaries who, due to the aftereffects of dark magic, couldn’t join the final battle and had been waiting in the rear.

Amid their cheers, there were those who could only lower their heads in silence.

Eugene had perished, and Bihen had not returned.

Many imperial sailors had also lost their lives in that foreign land.

Thus, the return journey of the Talrug Canyon subjugation force…was a mix of elation and heavy silence.

It was neither a triumphant victory nor a crushing defeat.

“To think we’re returning alive like this. I can hardly believe it.”

“When the mandrake got me, I lost consciousness, only to wake up ages later. It’s like I died and came back to life.”

“I was found collapsed on the way to the rendezvous point. They say I fought desperately to escape the mandrake, but I don’t remember a thing. Gives me chills just thinking about it.”

“We’re alive, aren’t we? That’s what matters. Heh.”

The members of the Black Rose Mercenaries, gathered in a circle, whispered among themselves.

They knew better than to laugh openly.

A glance around revealed countless faces either in tears or steeped in silence.

‘Tch.’

The mercenaries, smacking their lips, soon turned their gazes to one spot.

It was none other than their leader, Kendrick Coleman, captain of the Black Rose Mercenaries.

“…”

The mercenaries exchanged cautious glances.

Why was the captain acting like that, when no one else seemed to know?

At that moment, one mercenary mustered the courage to speak.

“Captain, you’ve been looking down all this time. Something wrong?”

Kendrick raised his eyes, one eyebrow arching.

“Something wrong? Can’t you tell?”

“Uh, no, I can’t. We don’t need to be all mopey too, do we? We did as we were told, fought for our lives. Isn’t that enough?”

“…”

“Captain, don’t get it twisted. We’re just mercenaries.”

It was a fair point, every word of it.

Kendrick, unable to retort, lowered his head again.

“Mercenaries or not, you’re human first.”

It was Bonnie, passing by.

Fierce glares shot toward her like a barrage of arrows, but Bonnie didn’t flinch.

Neither did Clyde, standing beside her.

For once, he had no intention of stopping his meddlesome wife.

“I’m not asking for mourning. But if you know who you owe your lives to, you should at least act grateful and keep your mouths shut. If you’re human, that is.”

As expected, Kendrick stood up.

He’d never liked Bonnie to begin with.

As a captain, he had his pride to maintain.

In this world, showing weakness meant the end.

“Hey, don’t fan the flames and get lost.”

“Fan the flames? Ha! Aren’t you the one gawking at a burning house?”

“We kill people even if it doesn’t pay. Didn’t you know?”

Shing!

With Clyde’s sword drawn, the sound of metal echoed from all directions.

It was Roland who quelled the imminent clash.

“What are you all doing!”

Roland stormed over, glaring alternately at the two.

Bonnie and Kendrick averted their eyes like scolded dogs.

“Useless fools, can’t even read the room.”

“…”

“Follow me, Kendrick.”

Roland strode ahead, and Kendrick followed, his face twisted with discomfort.

Roland stopped on a forest path far from the campsite.

Letting out a sigh into the quiet night air, Roland turned around.

“You did well.”

“…”

A brief, awkward silence hung between them.

Roland rummaged in his coat and pulled out a scroll adorned with purple silk, handing it to Kendrick.

Kendrick asked,“What’s this?”

“It’s His Grace’s will.”

Kendrick’s eyes wavered.

“Why give this to me…?”

“Not just you. It’s been distributed to all twelve mercenary captains here.”

“Can I open it?”

“Would that be wise? It declares the Young Lady as the official heir, complete with the seal.”

Roland quickly added, cutting off any obvious questions.

“She was supposed to deliver it herself, but as you can see, she’s too heartbroken to manage.”

“Has something happened to His Grace?”

“Perhaps.”

“What?”

“It’s been nearly a fortnight since he left Conwell City. It wouldn’t be surprising if something happened. Keep that scroll, and when the time comes, deliver it to His Majesty in Aleos.”

Kendrick, having served Adeline in the shadows for a long time, knew enough about Conwell’s affairs.

He didn’t need to ask why the lord’s will was being entrusted to mercenary captains.

The real question was why he was chosen as the envoy to Aleos.

“Aleos…”

Would Lady Adeline join hands with the king to oust the Archduke?

Preposterous.

So what did Roland mean by “when the time comes”?

A last resort in case something happens to the Young Lady.

In other words, this was a declaration that he was no longer considered part of Adeline’s forces.

As Kendrick’s thoughts reached this point, Roland spoke.

“You’ve worked hard, Kendrick.”

“…Sir!?”

“Why don’t you let it all go now? For your own sake.”

It felt like all the strength drained from his body.

After a pause, Roland spoke again, a wry smile on his face.

“See? You’re not even angry. If you’d heard this before, you’d have jumped up and down.”

“…!”

Roland looked up at the sky.

It was the first night sky he’d seen since escaping the demonic realm, with stars so bright they seemed ready to fall.

“Everyone has their own path. There’s no right or wrong path—just different ones.”

“Sir…”

“Even if you reclaim the honor of the Coleman family now, what would that mean for you?”

Why couldn’t he speak?

He felt stripped bare before the wise Roland.

“Kendrick, captain of the Black Rose Mercenaries. That’s who you are. A free spirit.”

His fist clenched tightly.

Kendrick raised his voice.

“I…! I’m Knight Kendrick…! You know why I’ve been scraping by in this world all this time!”

Roland didn’t respond, only raising one corner of his mouth.

Then, he quietly turned away.

Kendrick breathed heavily, his earlier words echoing back in his ears.

His legs gave out, and he sank to the ground, powerless.

“…Damn it.”

His low, exhausted mutter dissipated into the air.

* * *

“We… used your name.”

What’s that supposed to mean?

“Used my name?”

“Y-Yeah. We had no choice… to survive.”

I listened to his explanation.

Kendrick, in a suddenly somber tone, launched into a long account.

On the second day of the subjugation force’s return journey, the Archduke’s army ambushed their camp.

The Black Rose Mercenaries, led by Kendrick, were separated from Adeline’s main force and barely survived.

They decided to take refuge in Sylphiroa, near Haspeld—a village in the heart of the Blue Mist Forest, known as Conwell’s densest woodland.

“There was no better place to hide from the Archduke’s surveillance.”

Kendrick glanced at his men before continuing.

“Soon, all of Conwell was abuzz with rumors about you, Sword Fiend Bihen Benkou. Sylphiroa was no exception. We were warmly welcomed just for fighting alongside you.”

At this, Bonnie, who’d been listening, interjected with disbelief.

“The people of Sylphiroa, known for their hostility to outsiders, welcomed you? That’s absurd.”

“…We couldn’t believe it either. Our original plan was to hide somewhere in the Blue Mist Forest, expecting we wouldn’t even be let into the village.”

It wasn’t just them.

Clyde and the Theodore siblings couldn’t hide their astonishment either.

I was the only one out of the loop.

What was so special about Sylphiroa?

Perhaps sensing my confusion, Linda spoke cautiously.

“Sylphiroa is famous even in Theodore. It’s a pilgrimage site for mages.”

“A pilgrimage site?”

“There’s a Spirit Tree there. Thousands of years ago, it grew over the resting place of the Great Spirit Sylphinu. The Blue Mist Forest formed because of the Spirit Tree, and Sylphiroa was built to protect both the tree and the forest.”

Her explanation flowed effortlessly.

Was she so knowledgeable because she was a mana user?

Surprised by her unexpected erudition and kindness, I looked at her, but she quickly avoided my gaze.

…Why’s she acting like that?

“Every year, the Imperial Magic Corps sends new recruits to Sylphiroa. Swearing an oath before the Spirit Tree is a long-standing tradition. Beyond pilgrims, the tree’s sap and the rare mana herbs occasionally harvested from the forest are traded at high prices among nobles and magical factions, including the royal family. So, Sylphiroa holds both symbolic and practical importance in Conwell.”

Thanks to Bonnie, it was easy to understand.

That the people of such a place would shelter a bunch of mercenary riffraff as a refuge was what shocked them.

Kendrick, who’d been quietly listening to the additional explanations, spoke up.

“Anyway, thanks to that, we gained time to regroup in Sylphiroa. We planned to strike back at the Archduke when the opportunity arose.”

“Ha! You? Even a passing dog would laugh. You just laid low, waiting for the chaos to die down, didn’t you?”

“Shut it, Bonnie. You think you’re the only one who got His Grace’s will?”

I gestured to the two growling at each other.

“Go on, Kendrick.”

“The problem is, lately, the Archduke’s mages have been coming to Sylphiroa, throwing their weight around.”

“Demanding you be handed over?”

“…No. They don’t know we’re there. They want Sylphiroa’s magical resources and manpower. Apparently, the Archduke ordered a forced conscription. I heard it’s to break the Solari Order’s magical formation… but I don’t know the details.”

Bonnie let out a sigh.

The fierce glint in her eyes faded into something hollow.

“Archduke Callence… Just how far will he go?”

“Anyway, Sylphiroa’s in great turmoil. They never imagined the civil war’s ripples would reach them. Having never faced external oppression, they have no means to resist.”

Kendrick furrowed his brow mid-sentence.

I seized the moment to speak.

“So they asked for your help.”

“…Half right, half wrong. Their hopes naturally turned to us. They thought the Sword Fiend’s comrades might step up.”

He continued.

They ended up deciding to fight, but the Archduke’s forces in the Blue Mist Forest were far stronger than expected, and while fleeing, they ended up in this situation.

“We swear we didn’t use your name, Bihen Benkou, except when we first entered Sylphiroa. The villagers just assumed…”

“So you had no choice but to step up?”

“…Something like that.”

Declan, who’d been silent until now, suddenly spoke.

“No need to look further, Sir Bihen. I’ve sized these guys up, and they’ve got the faces of typical swindlers.”

The mercenaries, including Kendrick, shot sharp glares at Declan.

He, in turn, raised his chin defiantly.

“Do they even know who I am? I’m Declan Theodore, heir of Theodore. Can’t they keep their eyes respectful?”

“…”

“Sir Bihen, these guys are clearly trying to offload a high-paying job they were promised onto you. Even a stranger like me can sense their shadiness, and sure enough, Miss Bonnie’s fuming, isn’t she?”

Declan continued.

“I’m against it. If you seize power, the consequences won’t be light, but the Archduke isn’t so reckless as to cause trouble regardless. Besides, didn’t you stress we need to meet Viscount Mosfield on time? We don’t have time to get hung up on small matters, Sir Bihen.”

“Small matters?”

“Yes. Compared to the greater cause of helping Lady Adeline restore Conwell’s honor…”

Declan was overlooking one thing.

Archduke Callence and his followers were undoubtedly deranged.

I’d seen the atrocities they committed in Easton and Ludglen with my own eyes.

And from what they said, Sylphiroa’s strategic value in Conwell was significant.

If Adeline were here, she’d have insisted on protecting Sylphiroa at all costs.

‘Well, even if that weren’t the case…’

Meeting the gazes fixed on me, I spoke.

“Having learned of this, I can’t just overlook it.”

“Sir Bihen! You should reconsider. Sylphiroa’s terrain makes it an isolated village. If these men were recruited by the Archduke to lure us…”

“Hey, Young Lord! Aren’t you going too far? You’re saying that even after seeing us fight those bastards with our lives on the line?”

“Ahem! Is that enough to prove your innocence?”

Hmm, Declan Theodore.

Though a greenhorn, he wasn’t entirely clueless.

I decided to raise my evaluation of him a notch.

“Of course, we can’t completely rule out that possibility. But if, as they claim, Sylphiroa holds the means to break the Solari Order’s magical formation, we can’t hesitate. Leaving an enemy at our back is risky too.”

“Hmm, that’s not entirely baseless. Fine. If that’s your decision, Sir Bihen…”

“I’ll move separately. You, Young Lord, lead the Theodore forces and meet Viscount Mosfield as planned. Since Sylphiroa’s nearby, I’ll hurry to avoid being too late.”

As the matter seemed settled…

Linda, glancing back and forth, suddenly raised her hand.

“I-I’ll go with you! It’s too dangerous for you alone, Sir Bihen!”

Declan’s calm facade crumpled instantly.

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