Episode 66
Episode 66
As soon as we arrived in the capital, I parted ways with the caravan and went to check the guild building first.
Standing before the desolate building, I muttered to myself.
"They disbanded, I see."
The building, which had been quite large even by capital standards and once saw many people coming and going, was now completely empty.
The sign bearing the name 'Harmony's Flame' that had been out front had also fallen off.
Well, it was only natural since the joint operation had failed.
If only I had rescued and brought back Karen Unni just a little bit sooner, maybe things would have been okay.
Even if such thoughts crossed my mind, they had already disbanded, so there was nothing to be done.
"Are you okay?"
Perhaps my gloomy mood showed on my face, as Aron approached me from the side.
He slowly pulled me close and stood pressed against me.
I naturally leaned against his body.
"Of course. I was just lost in memories for a moment. Everyone must be living well on their own. They're not the type to be downtrodden anywhere."
Just as I was about to take one last look at that sight and move on.
"Huh? Vice Captain-nim."
At the awkward yet familiar term, I sharply turned my head to identify the owner of the voice.
It was a member who had gone all the way into the Forest of Temptation with us.
"Bina?"
She was a member who always stayed by my side to help with work and moved together with me even in the Forest of Temptation.
Seeing my expression, Bina broke into a wide smile.
"Vice Captain-nim! Long time no see! After that monster disappeared, I thought even you had died."
"Ah..."
Her words brought back the image of the members dying horribly.
The members who died like fallen leaves with a single attack.
And Karen Unni dying on top of that.
'Haven't I completely moved past it yet?'
I gripped my trembling arm tightly with my hand and forced a smile.
Thanks to Aron's faint scent, it wasn't too severe.
"This person saved me. I'll bring the Captain back soon too, once she finishes recovering."
"Wow! You're both alive? That's a relief. We thought you died saving us. I was really worried because of that..."
"You didn't... resent me?"
At my question, Bina came closer as if to ask what I was talking about and tightly grasped my hand.
"I know the Vice Captain always has an overwhelming sense of responsibility, but don't be like that. We all saw how you and the Captain fought."
"...Is that so?"
"Of course. You both fought risking your lives to protect us. Who would resent you after seeing that? Everyone waited for a long time even after making it out alive."
At Bina's words, spoken with a smile, the lump that had been lodged in one corner of my chest slowly dissolved.
The feeling that had been weighing heavily on my heart disappeared.
"That's a relief. What about the other members? Did everyone scatter?"
"No, not exactly. We moved offices. Without the Captain and Vice Captain, even with the personnel, it was insufficient to remain one of the Three Great Mercenary Groups."
"Then are you receiving the compensation we were promised?"
Bina shook her head side to side.
"They acknowledged there were sacrifices, but said that since they couldn't determine what merits the Three Great Mercenary Groups had, the compensation ended with just a small payment."
Hearing that answer, my hands clenched with force.
For the first time in a while, I felt my emotions fluctuating uncontrollably.
"Don't tell me that was the answer from the very person who commissioned the request?"
"Yes, the Administrator came in person to notify us and left."
"Those damn bastards..."
It clearly wasn't the party that went there that saved the Hero's party.
Effectively, Aron saved them, and someone else took them out of Aron's house and helped them recover.
But there were sacrifices.
Because we went, I met Aron, and we confirmed the Hero's party was there.
You can't say there was no merit, at the very least.
Furthermore, there's no way the Imperial family properly knows these detailed circumstances.
"And the knight order that went in with Knight Commander Rex returned intact. They said they turned back and left almost immediately after entering."
"What about the other races? Is it the same situation for everyone?"
Bina thought for a moment before answering.
"About half of the Beastkin and Elves died. The Dwarves had almost no casualties, and among the mercenary groups, only us and Blunt Club have a few left. Red Tide was practically wiped out."
"Didn't they protest? At that level, there must have been an uproar."
"The other races protested too, but they suppressed them by force. They deployed knight orders to the border to pressure them."
"The other races who had already suffered losses couldn't do anything."
Bina nodded.
"The Beastkin and Elves both give off that elite minority feeling, right? I heard the dispatched forces were about half their military strength. So they had no choice but to let it go."
"Losing 25 percent of your military strength, you'd have no choice."
If the other side was preparing for war in advance, there was even less they could do.
Aron, who had been listening, also furrowed his brow.
"They're just a bunch of thugs. It wasn't like this in the past."
"They act like that because they've been around a long time and have power. Tch."
I clicked my tongue and gave Bina a tight hug.
Bina hugged me back with both arms.
"You've been through a lot."
"You've been through a lot too, Vice Captain-nim."
Just then, a member who had come looking for Bina walked up behind her.
"Bina. What are you doing there? Is that an ex or some... Huh?! Vice Captain!"
The member who spotted me shouted.
"The Vice Captain is here! Everyone, come here! The Vice Captain is alive and back!"
"The Vice Captain?"
"Mia? I thought you were dead, but you're alive?"
"What, our cutie is here?"
"The Vice Captain-nim is alive? Then is the Captain-nim here too?"
Everyone, seemingly preparing something nearby, began to gather one by one.
Before I knew it, dozens of people were standing around me.
"Uh, oh? I didn't know there would be this many... Anyway, everyone, hug me! I'll hug you all!"
With a hearty voice, we crowded together like penguins.
We cheered, clung to each other, and cried.
The joy was so loud it ended when the guards arrived to check on a complaint filed by a resident.
*
We first moved to the new guild headquarters.
Compared to the previous 5-story building we used, the size wasn't bad.
They had probably moved a bit further out to the outskirts, considering land prices.
"Anyway, so that's why I'm with Aron like this now. Got it, everyone?"
I explained most of what had happened in the spacious area on the first floor of the building.
I left out the slightly secretive stories, like losing my virginity, hoping to become Aron's wife, or Aron being the First Hero.
When the story ended, a male member sitting in front asked.
"So you two are dating?"
"That's... right."
"What the. You told us you'd never date. Was that a lie? How many people have confessed to Mia here~"
At his voice, teasing or defending voices could be heard from behind.
As if he liked the reaction, he grinned and continued.
"You better be that happy, okay? You take responsibility and make her happy. We're all giving up and cleanly yielding to you."
At his appearance, smiling as if he'd said something cool, jeers poured from behind.
"Boo~ How pathetic! Apologize right now!"
"We declare this statement is unrelated to the opinion of Harmony's Flame!"
"Mia! You have to be happy!"
I was smiling contentedly when an unignorable question came from among the many voices.
"So the Captain-nim is alive?"
I nodded.
"Yes, I'm going back to the Forest of Temptation this time to bring her back. Everyone, don't worry and wait. Once I return, I'll make sure we get the compensation we deserve too."
The members clapped and cheered, seeming happy.
They had held on diligently, but it seemed they had suffered with their two strongest fighters gone.
If both had been here, the Empire would have given much more compensation.
"Then we're partying today, right? Let's drink together for the first time in ages!"
At Bina's words, the other members also agreed.
As if they had prepared it who knows when, they brought out cups and started fetching and arranging large barrels of alcohol one by one.
"Let's party today! The Captain wouldn't like it if you went back crying like this, right?"
"Mia's become a heavenly woman! Crying over something like this? Let's get married with this opportunity and quit being Vice Captain too!"
"If Mia gets married, Karen will cry!"
Wiping away the tears that welled up in the familiar atmosphere, I accepted a beer mug.
Not caring at all about the beer spilling, I raised it high.
"Enough with the weird talk, let's get soaked! Anyone who gets drunk before me has training from dawn!"
""Woooaahhh!"
The members collectively raised their drinks high.
Glasses clinked together, beer splashed everywhere, and they began to chug.
*
Aron sat in a corner, staring intently at Mia chugging alcohol with the members.
It was a kind of smile he hadn't seen when she was with him.
The kind of smile that comes out when with friends.
"She's cute."
Even though she was with other men, he didn't feel particularly worried or jealous.
Because Mia didn't show that unique look or demeanor to other men.
There was absolutely no need to worry.
'The girly side of Mia is something only I should know for life.'
Mia herself might not know it, but Aron, watching from the side, knew well.
The slightly flushed face and the sidelong glances when they were alone.
Her lips were slightly parted too.
Her fingers fidgeted restlessly as if impatient for something, that was a bonus.
And then, always within 5 minutes, she would demand something.
"Usually she asks to be hugged. Since she'll get drunk today, maybe she'll ask to be petted."
Normally, she gets embarrassed if petted.
When drunk, she demands it as if it's natural and presses her whole body close so as not to be separated.
On the contrary, she doesn't stop with the kisses either, to the point where even Aron himself gets flustered.
"By any chance... are you thinking of marrying Mia-nim?"
While staring intently at Mia, a woman approached from the side.
It was Bina, who had been the first to recognize Mia earlier.
"If Mia is okay with it, I definitely want to."
"Then please make her happy. She's the Vice Captain and has such a strong sense of responsibility that she always suffers alone. But..."
Bina's gaze turned toward Aron.
Her eyes didn't hold any hostile or suspicious look.
Pure gratitude.
Only that emotion was visible in her eyes.
"Mia-nim, who came with you, looks so much happier than before. So please take responsibility and make her even happier."
"...I must do that, of course."
Bina smiled as if pleased and shot up from her seat.
And then she climbed onto a table and shouted.
"What is everyone doing! He's sitting here all alone and lonely! Aren't you bringing him a drink right now?!"
Everyone's gaze turned toward Aron.
As if they had been waiting, they smiled, grabbed drinks in both hands, and swarmed toward Aron.
"Here here, drink up!"
"So, what is it about Mia that you like enough to be with her? You're not just doing it for her pretty looks, are you?"
"Tell us who confessed first!"
"Explain quickly! Honestly, she's your type, right? There's no other way you'd like Mia, who's called the Black Cliff!"
Faced with the barrage of questions and drinks from all sides, Aron smiled awkwardly.
'Ah... So this was their plan.'
Aron finally realized it then.
The fact that the mercenary group called Harmony's Flame had an enormous number of 'Mia Moms'.