A Wish to Grab Happiness

Volume 7, Chapter 149: The Mercenaries’ Freedom

Bruder’s quiet voice echoed in the road. Bruder appeared from between the mercenaries and Belfein’s private soldiers who faced each other.

「Isn’t it cruel, Tolga. Do you want to split the siblings after they were finally reunited?」

A low and heavy voice crawled out through the rift in the ground. Bruder’s eyes narrowed and his eyebrows raised. Nevertheless, his cheeks were strangely exciting and crumbled, as if they were refreshing.

Two people showed big reactions upon hearing this voice. One of them was Vestaline, who flashed her eyelashes next to Bruder. And the other one was the captain of the private army, Tolga, who looked down on Bruder from the horse.

Even though it was a big reaction, Vestaline just shook her eyes while wondering if he were talking about their unfortunate past. However, Tolga was different. After a moment of hesitation, Tolga’s serious expression grew pale, and he began to distort his face as if he had seen a demon on earth. It looked as if he had heard unbelievable words. Yes, as if he had seen the dead walking out of the graveyard.

「Impossible. No way… It can’t be even if the heavens and earth are turned upside down!」

Tolga’s position almost collapsed from the horse for a moment. His words finally came out of his throat but in denial. A refusal reaction that categorically denied the person who stood in front of him. It could not be.

However, denial did not mean that reality disappeared altogether.

「I often say that it is the joy of life when something impossible becomes possible. It’s been a long time, huh… How have you been since the day where you condemned my mother and me as sinners, knowing that we were innocent?」

Bruder’s voice sounded threatening, but also frightening and trembling. The words that he spit out were unmistakably reminiscent of that day. Bruder’s eyes shook and his spine shuddered violently. He remembered everything well. “I remember. This man was the first servant of the man who destroyed my family.” Bruder remembered well that he was once a man who, like his leader, laughed at his own family.

“I deeply and deeply remember the bitter taste that that person gave me back then.”

「…I see. Did he hurt you, Lady Vestaline? Or are you really the culprit of all this?」

After the initial shock, Tolga let out a cold sigh, as if he had seen or known everything. The hands held the reins with a strong grip. Tolga’s swaying eyes stared at Vestaline, asking her to deny everything he was suspicious about.

However, he feared that most of his hope would dissipate immediately.

Vestaline echoed through the road, as if doing an attempt to cut off the gaze that fell upon her.

「…Yes, Tolga. It seems that our path is no longer the same. Let me say it again. Retreat now. I will never walk backwards again.」

That was all.

Vestaline’s eyes also quivered like Bruder’s eyes, as if they were suppressing some emotions. However, Vestaline perfectly knew very well that she should not expose her ugly emotions on this very place. She wanted to destroy everything like a fiery fire and/or spit it out with a swearing voice to one person in particular. Yes, only one person.

Again, a blank space created on this road. Upon hearing Vestaline’s words, Tolga could not speak as if he had choked on his throat. He could not function that well at this precise moment. The thought of a man named Tolga was unable to look directly at the reality in front of him. Soon the traces of the terrible sins of his past suddenly approached him.

The human named Tolga had a straightforward nature. In other words, he was someone who conveyed things that were captured as they were. With that personality, he served the Lord obediently until now. He had lived for more than a dozen years filled with these thoughts. The path carved into his brain was a rut of thought that should not be taken for granted. Yes, Tolga just wanted to be straight and honest about his views and feelings.

Tolga’s brain, which stopped moving shortly, tried to remind him of that path again. He just had to think straight.

Vestaline no longer hid hostility towards the Lord. If she went through this road to the Lord’s House, the life of the Lord would be in jeopardy. And, in turn, it would lead to the collapse of his position and property. Tolga had a dear wife and an adorable child. His important family. He could not let her go. Only for that reason, he lived on.

Ah, no matter how wrong it was or how it looked like extreme actions, Tolga no longer wanted to hesitate. Tolga spoke aloud, prompted by his fierce thoughts.

「…Lady Vestaline has gone mad! That man has corrupted the mind of our Lady and her fellow mercenaries by professing false words! They are trying to point the spear at Lord Mordeaux! Take them down!」

Tolga released resilient words as if they pierced through the blank space.

—

In Belfein, it was common for swords, spears and shields to clash with one another. Belfein was a mercenary city after all. Many of the mercenaries were rogues, outcasts, and those who were willing to use violence. Even with the strong authority of Vestaline and tight security, many of the inhabitants went wild in the mercenary city from time to time. While the sun delivered its glory to the horizon, of course, even if the moon brought the night, Belfein was a land where the music called swordplay never stopped.

Nevertheless, even in the mercenary city of Belfein, today, this music was not something that sounded familiar.

One could hear the sound of a brutal swordplay. The iron drew lines in the air and sparkles flew. The screaming voices of soldiers hit the sky. Battlefield-like music filled the roads of the mercenary city of Belfein.

This brutal swordplay was a battle between the Lord’s private soldiers and the fangs of a group of mercenaries. Originally, such a battle would not be possible. The mercenary side scattered instantly, and the battlefield collapsed straightaway. A private army was an organization, and mercenaries were just a flock of wild people. Moreover, for the mercenaries, the battle on the main road of Belfein was unintended. This battle would not be profitable. Only those with nothing to do would step into such battles to wield their weapons.

Therefore, the reason why they still remained on the battlefield to wield their weapons. It must be because of the Iron Devotee and Steel Princess Vestaline. Vestaline said before. If you follow the title of the Iron Devotee and Steel Princess, then turn your back here. If you are with me, then do whatever you like.

Then, those who did whatever they liked were the mercenaries who fought in the battlefield. After all, only those with nothing to do remained on a battlefield like this one.

Many of them listened to Bruder’s words, but his story did not impress them. After all, they were mercenaries. The mercenary’s job was to rob, and the story they had heard at the tavern was similar to what they have been doing. The one with power robbed everything in order to rob. That was all. A justified means.

Whether one liked it or not, that was a different story. It seemed foolish. Inconsistent all the way through. How could a mercenary dislike a story of someone who was robbed when such mercenary lived by robbing others?

Still, some of them did not like it. The story of the Steel Princess whom they admired. Yes, the story where someone ruthlessly robbed the Princess of the mercenaries.

If so, it was not a bad call to repay the favor to the Iron Devotee and Steel Princess who saved their lives before. They might forgot this favor tomorrow. They believed in that freedom. With the wind of freedom, they risked their lives to trample the soldiers on this battlefield.

The battlefield-like music roared. Something appeared at the edge of the mercenaries’ eyes.

The appearance of silver hair swaying in the air. The vivid color that seemed to reflect the sunlight as real it was. For a moment, the mercenaries saw it sparkling on the battlefield, dashing as if it were about to catch some prey.