The Knight of the Blue Sky
I opened my eyes. A ceiling. An unfamiliar ceiling. Though it was remarkably clean. This wasn't the infirmary for mercenaries. If mercenary infirmaries were this spotless, far fewer mercenaries would die from infected wounds. First, I checked whether my limbs were still attached. Fortunately, both arms and both legs were present. My body felt like it had been shattered, but at least nothing was missing. That was enough. That alone was a relief.
"Hoo."
I let out a long sigh. I hadn't thought I would die. A 13th-grade Berserker spell was that powerful. Even if my limbs broke, I never worried about dying. The real concern was whether I had killed any other humans.
"You're awake."
"Whoa, you startled me."
A woman was sitting just outside my field of vision. How could someone make no presence at all, even if they were in a blind spot? She really caught me off guard. Then I looked at her again, startled for a different reason. Could it be… this woman?
"Ines Arkelyn?"
The woman regarded me with a blank expression. A 7th-class knight. Known as the Knight of the Blue Sky. Blue hair, blue eyes. Probably in her early twenties. She was far too valuable to be wasting away in a backwater kingdom like this.
"Lord Theo."
Ines called my name calmly. I felt a flicker of unease. Why was she addressing me so formally?
"What brings you here…?"
"I came to investigate how you managed to slay a Grade 6 magic beast. Your cooperation would be appreciated."
"An investigation? I've never heard of such a thing in all my time as a mercenary."
"It is not an official inquiry. Merely a personal one."
Well. That startled me for nothing. She was just curious and came to ask.
"What exactly are you investigating? There's nothing special I can tell you. I suppose I was simply lucky."
"If luck alone could kill a Grade 6 Roller, this kingdom would not be struggling so much."
A curt reply. Typical of a knight. Still, I understood. To avoid being looked down upon as a woman among these rough men, that level of stiffness was necessary. But she didn't seem like the type to let this go easily. What now?
"You already have a rough idea, don't you?"
When I spoke as if I had no choice, Ines's eyes flashed briefly.
"That is precisely why I wish to ask. You were clearly in a Berserker state. Yet you are not a magician. How were you able to use that magic?"
Fortunately, her question was one I had heard countless times before. How could someone who wasn't a magician use magic? This was what a Grade 1 mana capacity looked like. No one ever saw me as a magician.
"This."
I raised my hand with difficulty and showed her a ring. It looked rather ominous. The sort of suspicious item that would draw suspicion toward anyone wearing it who wasn't a mercenary.
"It's an artifact that allows the use of Berserker magic. I cannot discuss its conditions. It's a secret."
Ines's blue eyes stared straight through me. Normally, people would accept that and move on. Somehow, I didn't think she would.
"May I see it?"
"Looking is fine. However, if I remove it, a curse will be placed upon me. So please don't attempt to take it off."
When I extended my hand, Ines stared intently at the ring. Not that she would learn anything from it. It was just an ordinary ring with no special abilities.
"…Up to what grade of magic beast can you kill, Lord Theo?"
"Why do you ask?"
"To use as reference when hunting magic beasts."
"Do I have to answer?"
At my less-than-friendly reply, Ines looked at me with an indifferent expression.
"Do you need money?"
"I'm a mercenary, aren't I?"
"I will hire you for 500 marcas per day. Additionally, if you provide information on magic beasts and we slay them using that information, I will pay you 100,000 marcas. Will that suffice?"
For a moment, I almost said, "I'll take it!" No, she really was a knight, wasn't she? Her sense of money was completely different. 500 marcas a day. Not a one-time payment per battle like a short-term mercenary contract. That meant even if we did nothing for ten days, she would still pay 5,000 marcas. There was no better contract for a mercenary. It was practically a dream offer. And 100,000 marcas on top? Even though I wouldn't be killing the beasts myself!? Of course I wanted to accept. The terms were more than fair. But of course, I didn't. It had to make sense. Contracts with suspiciously generous terms in unequal relationships almost never got properly fulfilled. I wasn't some fresh-faced rookie who had just become a mercenary.
"It's an incredibly tempting offer, and refusing it makes me question my own intelligence, but unfortunately, I must politely decline."
Ines stared at me with a puzzled expression.
"Is the money insufficient?"
I held back a sigh. Ha. This girl. She was skilled, but she had no idea how the world worked.
"No. As I said, it's a tempting offer. I simply don't feel inclined to accept."
Ines looked as though she had been struck by lightning, her face a picture of disbelief. Had she never even considered the possibility of being refused? Did she think money could solve everything?
"Are you perhaps worried the contract won't be properly fulfilled? I swear on the honor of House Arkelyn. So…"
"No, that's not it. As I said, I simply don't feel inclined. And I have something important I must do."
"…I understand that imposing one's circumstances on others is not ideal behavior. Still, I must ask once more. Could you not help me?"
It was quite a stirring sight. Ines Arkelyn, of all people, pleading with me in such a low posture. Yet it was also a frightening sight. If this woman decided to act as she pleased here, I would be the one in trouble. The gap between a knight and a mercenary was vast. Especially when it came to a prestigious house like Arkelyn. That was why I bowed my head even more respectfully as I spoke.
"I am truly sorry. I have my reasons. Please understand that this is not because I am unwilling to help you."
Ines's expression returned to its usual stiffness. She spoke calmly once more.
"…Understood. I have taken up too much of your time. Thank you for sparing me some."
Just from this attitude, anyone could see that Ines Arkelyn was someone worthy of respect, unlike other knights or nobles. If other knights and nobles showed even half her courtesy, the world would be a slightly better place to live. In any case, Ines turned and left the room without a trace of lingering attachment.
Later, I learned that the place I had been lying in was the nobles' infirmary. Ines had arranged for me to be treated there. She had even called in a priest for healing magic. Thanks to that, once my body had fully recovered, I went looking for her to express my gratitude, only to find she had already left the battlefield. Even if she had still been here, meeting her wouldn't have been easy. I wondered if I had been too stubborn, but I let it go. It wasn't as if we would meet again anyway.
Regardless, I had slain a Grade 6 magic beast. Fortunately, the one nearby had quickly led people away, so there were no casualties. That was the greatest flaw of Berserker magic. It didn't distinguish between allies and enemies. If only that could be solved, even a half-baked magician like me could have earned more money. But now, it seemed I might be able to solve that problem. The reward for killing a Grade 6 was enormous.
"For magic beasts of Grade 5 and above, when a mercenary slays one, ownership of the corpse is recognized. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Then sign here."
The young official affiliated with the kingdom's army handed me a document with a blank expression. It was titled "Certificate of Magic Beast Corpse Ownership." After I signed, he presented another document.
"Processing fees for the corpse's parts will be deducted. If you sell the parts in bulk to this office, a 5% commission will apply. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Then sign here."
I signed again. The young official stamped the document and handed it to me as well.
"The total comes to 175,882 marcas. How would you like to receive it? You may choose kingdom platinum coins or bonds, or…"
"175,000 marcas in empire bonds, please. 500 marcas in empire copper coins. And the remaining 382 marcas… consider it a token of appreciation for the hardworking official."
When I said that, a grin spread across the face of the official who had been working with a blank expression until now. As expected. Everything needed a little grease. Besides, these people always tried to pay in their own kingdom's platinum coins or bonds, even though their value was unstable. But since I had given him 372 marcas, he would obediently bring empire bonds and copper coins. 372 marcas wasn't a small amount, and there was no way I would accept this kingdom's worthless bonds and coins. I had to think of it as a conversion fee. At that rate, it was still a profitable deal.
As expected, the effect of 372 marcas was excellent. The official returned fairly quickly and handed me empire bonds along with five 100-marca empire copper coins. After all, a single hearty meal cost 10 marcas. Sitting still and earning this much money, this much was only proper. I tucked the money into my clothes and quickly left before anyone could notice. Large sums of money invited large troubles. That was a universal truth, so I had to be careful.
"Hey! Theo! How's your body? You all right? Ah! You already settled the payment!? How much? It was a Grade 6, right? Must've been huge!"
But it was too late. The mercenary fellows had already spotted me and were approaching with wide smiles. Damn it. I'd already been caught. This was exactly why I had tried to leave quickly.
"Here!"
I tossed five 100-marca copper coins. Their eyes widened as they reached out to catch them.
"I'm leaving! So don't come looking for me anymore! Use that to wet your throats!"
"Whoa!? 500 marcas each!? That guy must've made a fortune! Hey! Grab him!"
Despite their words, they were only joking. It was basically a gesture telling me to hurry up and go. A mercenary-style farewell, you could say. Of course, the fact that I had given them 500 marcas helped them let me leave without complaint. Anyway, I made my escape. And I left. This filthy battlefield. Having shaken off the mercenaries I had been most worried about, my steps felt light. If 500 marcas was enough to get rid of them, that too was a profitable deal. As expected, having a large sum of money made me more generous with my spending. I had risked my life countless times just to earn 500 marcas, and a single battle here only paid 100 marcas. Though the contract had been rather stingy since we had to collect the byproducts ourselves. In any case, I quickly left the area. It was fortunate I hadn't signed a term contract. Truly fortunate. Otherwise, I might have stayed here with this large sum of money. Whew. Just thinking about it gave me chills.
A mercenary carried no cumbersome baggage. Only their body, the equipment they carried, and a small bundle. That was why I left the barracks and the battlefield without issue. Yet I couldn't shake the feeling of regret. Even with this large sum of money in hand, Ines's proposal from a few days ago lingered in my mind. What a shame. It really was a pity. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt this regretful. But I refused to be consumed by it. A missed opportunity was a missed opportunity. Clinging to regrets only ruined a person in the end.
Thus, I headed for the empire's capital. To do what I wanted to do.