Chapter 34: Royce
Royce was born and raised in the central region of the Astria Kingdom.
Thanks to his exceptionally outstanding physical condition from childhood, he was selected as a territorial soldier at the early age of fifteen, and at nineteen, he distinguished himself in a local war against the Niboria Empire and moved to the Royal Central Army.
For a commoner, there was no better path to success than this.
He received an implant of Luminas Radiant, one grade higher than the Luminas Aegis (kingdom-made neural accelerator) used by regular soldiers, and through his superior's introduction, he even married the daughter of a military family.
Personally, he regretted not being able to connect with merchant, artisan, or administrative official families, but the happiness of daily life easily overshadowed this.
Two sons and two daughters.
With four children under his care, the house was always in disarray, but his heart was abundant. Until the plague spread through the kingdom's capital.
"What I achieved in my youth flickered and crumbled in an instant. A plague called the devil's breath spread from the outskirts of the capital. First my wife, then my two daughters, and finally my youngest son coughed up black blood and died one after another. There was nothing I could do. It was heaven's fortune that my eldest son survived."
"......"
"I burned away the happy times with a dazed expression. How well they burned. I had served in the military for 15 years. Building a house on the outskirts of the capital, meeting a woman and holding a wedding ceremony, raising children while laughing and crying... All those moments turned to smoke and disappeared."
Calix quietly listened to the leader's words. The emotionally detached tone made it difficult to add any comment.
"Still, I didn't lose everything. My eldest son was quite clever. That fifteen-year-old boy was actually better than me. Saying he couldn't burn this too, he brought along a wooden carving that his youngest brother used to play with."
"A wooden carving..."
"A mountain rabbit."
"......"
After reflexively asking, Calix closed his mouth again. Perhaps because much time had passed, the leader of the large mercenary group didn't clench his teeth or show a sorrowful expression.
"After that, I left the Royal Central Army and began a wandering life. I no longer wanted to stay there, nor did I have any desire to remain in the military. Half out of my mind, I roamed the world without any purpose."
"......"
"And that was madness. I was a pathetic father lost in grief. Eventually I realized this and apologized to my son... But the boy just laughed instead. 'If we're going to do this, let's at least properly organize a mercenary group', he said. That's how it started. The mercenary group's name was Mountain Rabbits. There were only two members. The old one was thirty-six, and the young one was a fifteen-year-old kid."
Following this, he told the story of rolling around at the bottom for seven years.
Stories of nearly dying to mere bandits, being stabbed in the back by other mercenaries, and experiences of almost disbanding due to betrayal within the Mountain Rabbits, among others.
"Looking back, I struggled with everything I had to raise the mercenary group's rank by even one level. I didn't refuse dangerous requests, and whenever I saw someone with potential, I tried my best to recruit them. There were many arduous times, but as time passed, experience accumulated, and the core members who would form the backbone of the mercenary group gathered one by one. Enke, Gregor, Chagov, Erusia..."
"Those are some names I've never heard before."
"That's right. Most of them died or left."
Calix responded but didn't continue at length. In fact, he was mentally busy considering one possibility.
Could Marik be his son?
Considering age and skill, only Vice-Captain Marik seemed to be a candidate.
"My son was no exception."
"......"
The monotonous voice that suddenly flew in gave him a feeling as if his breath was being cut off.
The anxious speculation became reality.
"My son, Ramon, died on muddy ground. It wasn't because of the war with the Niboria Empire. It was just because he got caught up in a trivial and insignificant territorial battle. At that time, the Mountain Rabbits had joined after receiving a request from Baron Ekensi, but as soon as the fighting started, that lord ran away."
"......"
"When that bastard fled with thirty knights, those who remained were slaughtered one-sidedly. Calix, you've fought against knights too, right?"
"Yes."
"How could we hold out when dozens of such men charged into our allied camp? The soldiers who lost their commander dropped their weapons and fled, and the mercenaries scattered in all directions. This foolish boy offered up his own chest trying to save his comrades' lives. And then..."
Commander Royce, no.
The father recalled his son's last moment.
Ramon, with his lungs pierced and constantly gasping for breath, spoke with his eyes to his father who held him in his arms. With his finger, he pointed to the only thing father and son had in common and the last thing that remained.
"The boy told me to protect the mercenary group's flag. As if telling me not to lose the Mountain Rabbits anymore. It's ridiculous. To me, that boy was the rabbit."
"......"
"Anyway, I lost something precious once again. I barely survived, but only after giving up something more important than money and comrades. I searched for Baron Ekensi to get revenge, albeit belatedly, but that bastard had already had his head taken off by another noble."
It was a painful story just to hear.
On one hand, it felt like Royce was revealing his weakness, so Calix momentarily couldn't grasp why he had brought up such a story.
Then, the other person turned his head and met his gaze.
He was... Smiling.
It was a smile as dark and cold as night shadows.
"So did I despair? Because even the target of my revenge had disappeared? No. Absolutely not. I couldn't dare to. Because I had a mission. Do you understand what I mean?"
"...The Mountain Rabbits."
"Right, the Mountain Rabbits. The only and absolute thing left to me. For the human named Royce, 'Mountain Rabbits' means that much. The truly precious things have disappeared and only the shell remains, but to someone, that shell becomes the help they desperately desire."
And at the end of that, the main point emerged.
"Basim wants to return to his homeland, the Viale Mountain Alliance. But before that, he must pay for his sins. He needs something worthy of recognition from his fellow dwarves. Zahira wants atonement. Because she has a painful past, she wants to wash it away and be liberated in some way. Vice-Captain Marik is similar to me yet different. He grew up in the eastern part of the kingdom and lost his family to monsters that poured out from the Shadow Lands. That's why he wants us to prioritize requests related to 'anomalous phenomena' above all else. He hates the very existence of monsters."
"...I see."
"Right. And now it's your turn, Calix. What do you want? For what purpose do you need the Mountain Rabbits?"
"......"
Calix understood the person called Royce a little. His beliefs and affection for the Mountain Rabbits. And at the same time, he clearly realized the situation he faced.
This was a second interview.
If the first was fighting against him as a conscript on the castle wall, now he had to present a reasonable reason for remaining in the mercenary group.
Otherwise, the commander would kick him out instead. He wouldn't tolerate an existence that dared to shake the Mountain Rabbits.
'This actually worked out well. I think I know what I want.'
Therefore, what was needed now was refined honesty.
"I... Want to become a knight. Becoming a knight has been my dream since childhood. But my desire to meet my mother again comes first. And to do that, I need to surpass one knight."
This referred to his maternal uncle, Marquis Ashapel, whose neural accelerator emitted golden light. But Royce had no intention of easily letting it pass.
"Then you should become a knight of a Count's house all the more. There's the stable growth environment, and if you achieve results, they'll give you a new neural accelerator implant. With your talent, you could easily rise to the level of intermediate knight."
"He is a supreme-grade knight. Naturally, he'll have subordinates under him as well."
"...Hmm."
Calix resolved the doubt by mentioning the existence of a supreme-grade knight. While he personally didn't need a new neural accelerator, making the other person understand this was a different matter.
Additionally, it had the effect of clarifying his sense of purpose. Ultimately, to seize what he wanted, he had to surpass Marquis Ashapel.
He had to become strong.
Overwhelmingly so.
"...Calix, you also have a past as complex as anyone else's."
"Yes. Anyway, that's also why I think the ordinary way won't work."
"But being active in a mercenary group doesn't necessarily provide better opportunities than now. Except for the increased number of battles... How about using the Count's house as a stepping stone to climb up? Stepping up to Marquis or Duke houses?"
"I... Don't think Jursi Mozak is that magnanimous a person. I can't know how long he'll continue to show favor. Right now, he's persuaded his father whom he respects so much, so he probably harbors emotions close to curiosity just from that fact alone. I think betting on that would be an unwise choice."
"That's true too. That makes sense. Nobles are fickle creatures."
Then staying in the remote Count Mozak territory in the western part of the kingdom would be close to a bad move. What meaning would neural accelerator replacement or various treasures have?
With this, Calix looked directly into Royce's eyes and continued speaking.
"Above all, after crossing swords with the Desert Knight Commander, I think I understood something. He's much stronger than me, but this level isn't enough. And-"
"Hm?"
"There's more to learn from the commander of the Mountain Rabbits."
Indeed, Desert Knight Commander Sir Gorik was deep blue, and Leader Royce had reached purple, one level higher.
Although the differences in weapons, equipment, and neural accelerator stability were clear, when considering pure skill alone, choosing the commander was correct.
However, knowing that this alone couldn't convince the other person, he added a few more words.
"I won't lie. I won't promise to remain with the Mountain Rabbits forever. But I think continuing mercenary life would be more beneficial than staying in the territory. Truly."
This was Calix's answer.
That while the day he might leave could come someday, it wasn't today.
Having equipped an excellent neural accelerator and with his talent supporting it, what was most prioritized for him was an excellent teacher and broad experience, nothing more and nothing less.
Puk, puk, puk.
And after a long silence, Royce walked down the sand dune and casually threw out his words.
"When we return to Marquis Hoover's territory, this request will be finished. After that, we'll need to convene a meeting to choose the next request. At that time, Calix, you should come in too."
"...?"
"I mean come into the key personnel meeting, not the group meeting. You distinguished yourself in this mission, and you can read as well, can't you? That's reason enough."
Though Calix's explanation wasn't perfect, it seemed to be convincing, as he casually informed him that his position within the mercenary group had been elevated.
With this, the second interview successfully came to an end.
"Calix, the leader has convened a meeting. You're coming in, right?"
"...Yeah."
Several weeks later, Calix actually received a call to the key personnel meeting. Volga's wide-open jaw and the surprised looks of veterans and newcomers were a bonus.