Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: A Mercenary's Past
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“Uncle, didn’t I do a good job?”
Inebil held out the gutted fish she had cleaned.
She had removed the innards cleanly and trimmed the fins neatly. I told her she had done well.
“But are you really going to keep following us?”
Guchi said after taking the fish. He dropped the formal speech and honorifics.
There was no need to treat her stiffly now that they had agreed to travel together. Of course, a lingering unease still sat in one corner of his mind.
“Lander said it was fine. I don’t know if I’ll be able to learn anything or not, but I have to stick it out to the end. More importantly, Uncle, take this too. I’ve finished cleaning it.”
She had quite the skill at preparing fish, as one might expect from a long-time mercenary. Guchi threaded the fish onto a spit and said,
“This is pretty fun when you think about it. Yesterday, this knight lady had a knife to my throat, and now we’re sitting side by side preparing a meal. You never know what the world will throw at you.”
“Should I offer you my neck right now?”
Inebil, who had been smiling as she spoke, lowered the corners of her eyes slightly.
“I’m really sorry about yesterday. Lander vanished into the darkness, and all I could hear were the soldiers’ screams... All I could think was that I had to resolve it quickly. Taking the uncle by my side hostage and threatening them seemed like the simplest and safest option. That’s why I did it. Because I’m a coward.”
“Well, Lander does make a mess that’s pretty scary. Actually, you...”
“Call me ‘you’ or Inebil. I’m calling you Uncle, after all.”
“Fine. When you grabbed me, I was scared at first. With a blade against my throat and all. But I forgot about it quick. Why? Because Lander was right in front of me.”
“You sure talked a lot for someone who wasn’t scared.”
“You in a position to nitpick? Take the good with the good.”
“Got it.”
Guchi sniffed and laid out the fish. Even though she was the one who had held a sword to his throat last night, it wasn’t so awkward that he couldn’t even meet her eyes.
He too had wandered the continent as a hunter and worked with countless mercenaries.
They’d snarl at each other like they wanted to kill, spewing curses, and the next day they’d be arm in arm, chugging booze. That was the mercenary life.
What mattered to them was the ‘now,’ not the ‘past.’ Because he understood that ecosystem and mindset—and had even dipped his toes in it to some extent—he could understand Inebil’s actions.
Of course, it didn’t change the fact that she was unusually bold for a woman.
“You were a mercenary for a long time?”
“Yep. I threw myself into surviving tenaciously.”
“Looks like you learned the trade properly. I mean, following us so boldly like this.”
“I’d roll in bed with a guy I fought to the death with the day before, then face off against booze buddies from the night before on another battlefield, wagering our lives. Living like that taught me to stay true to the moment. You never know if tomorrow will even come.”
“You know that’s pretty far from ordinary values, right?”
“Ordinary isn’t always good. Live like everyone else and just end up like everyone else. Die weakly in a comfy chair muttering, ‘That’s life.’ I don’t want that.”
“You’re a far cry from when you were acting all prim and proper on horseback.”
Inebil plopped down and said,
“That’s why it was tough. Changing my speech, picking my words—it’s no small thing. I wanted to act normal, but my master said I couldn’t, that you have to change with the situation, so I forced myself to follow.”
“I thought it was weird when you verbally crushed Salat. Proper knights don’t make crude jokes like that.”
“Why’s it crude? I was just pointing out the little stick between his legs. Even if you peeled it, it’d still be small.”
“Salat’s starting to seem kinda pitiful.”
He brought the spitted fish near the campfire.
“Cook it skin-side first. The fat melts out just right.”
“You know your stuff. Since we’re on the topic, you do it.”
“Wasn’t I a guest?”
“Guest my ass. Here.”
He handed over the fish. Inebil took the spit, smiled slyly, and said,
“We’re foraging and cooking together—we’re a full team now, right?”
“Team?”
“Isn’t that what this is?”
“We’ll see.”
He flipped the fish he had placed near the campfire while looking for Lander.
Did he go to the ends of the earth for firewood? He’d left his spot a while ago and still hadn’t returned.
“What kind of person is Lander?”
Inebil asked, inching closer bit by bit. He held out a wooden spit and said,
“Stay there and I’ll tell you.”
“Why? Distance is key to getting close. Don’t tell me you hate women?”
“I like women fine. You’re just a bit much right now.”
Inebil chuckled quietly as she grilled the fish. Guchi turned back to the campfire. He yawned lightly and glanced sideways—Inebil had sidled right up next to him.
“That’s gonna burn.”
“You’re slyly ignoring me.”
“That’s part of my charm, though...”
Inebil flashed a grin.
Was she trying to lighten the mood in her own way? Guchi decided to drop the scolding.
He bit into the well-cooked meat. Inebil took some fish too.
“Why are you traveling with Lander, Uncle? If what you said to me is true, you haven’t known each other long.”
“Another interrogation?”
“No, not like that. I’m just purely curious.”
“If it’s pure curiosity, how about pausing? It’s not an interesting story anyway.”
“Can’t you just tell me?”
“You’ve got a real talent for wearing people out.”
“My master said the same. ‘You’re such an exhausting kid.’ You don’t seem like you want to talk, so how about I chatter instead? I love talking.”
“If I say don’t, will you listen?”
“If I shut up, does that mean you forgive me, Uncle? And we get closer?”
“Was there something to forgive? I just need time to adjust mentally.”
“...Thanks.”
Inebil gave a faint smile. They finished their simple meal and settled in. Maybe because he’d been so tense the night before, the fatigue hadn’t lifted.
“I’m gonna catch some shut-eye, so don’t chatter by my side—go take a walk.”
“What if I pounce on you while you sleep?”
“Do what you want.”
“You don’t back down either. I like that.”
He spread out his blanket and lay down. Focusing on the crackling firewood sounds improved his mood. Sleep was starting to come.
“Was I nine, or maybe younger.”
Inebil’s voice roused his fading mind. Guchi pulled his blanket up slightly.
Someone carefully lifted the blanket then. It was Inebil.
“Can I come in?”
She smiled brightly, but somehow looked lonely. A grown woman looking like an immature child.
“I won’t ask you to reply, so can you just listen?”
“Do whatever.”
He said with his eyes closed. He stopped covering his face with the blanket.
“You might laugh at this, but you feel comfortable somehow, Uncle. That must be why Lander doesn’t mind traveling with you.”
“So you took a comfortable guy hostage.”
“Maybe.”
“You’re taking jokes now?”
“Was that when I should’ve apologized?”
“Nah. Time to laugh it off.”
He kept his eyes closed but his ears open.
“You seem like a good guy, Uncle. Listening to me ramble and all.”
Footsteps approached. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lander coming with an armful of firewood. Lander sat by the campfire and added some to build up the flames.
Silence stretched for a while. It was a welcome quiet, but Inebil nagged at him a bit. He turned his head to check on her. She sat hugging her knees, staring into the fire.
She looked forlorn. Guchi asked quietly,
“What happened at nine?”
“Huh?”
“Keep going with what you were saying. I said I’d listen.”
He said with eyes still closed.
“Sounds like I walked in on a story. Mind if I listen too?”
Lander joined in. Inebil raised her voice a touch.
“You too, Uncle. Were you just trying to sleep? Oh well. So, I must’ve been around nine. My dad sold me. I had an older brother above and two younger brothers below, but they were all good at work. I was dumb and weak besides. I get it. Feeding the rest of the family with one less mouth.”
“Common story.”
Guchi replied.
“Happens all the time. Still, I was pretty cute as a kid, so I got sold to a 3rd Class Aristocrat’s house. The guy loved kids. Wasn’t bad. He fed me, housed me, gave me work. Touching my layered belly folds was a bit much, though.”
“Why not grab a kitchen knife and stab him?”
“Didn’t think of that as a kid. I just got swept up in the atmosphere, thinking I had to behave. And he treated me better than my dad, who looked at me like trash. But that didn’t last. After three years, prettier kids came below me. And I’d grown a ton in those three years. My weak little body suddenly changed.”
Inebil laughed, saying even thinking back now excited her.
“That’s when I heard I was useless. I’d always been useless, so no big deal. But the aristocrat grabbed my hair. Then he beat me. First time I’d been hit like that, so I clung crying and begging him to stop.”
Guchi sighed inwardly and turned toward her. He saw Inebil. She stared at the fire with a smile, but her eyes weren’t amused.
“He beat me till I passed out and threw me in the basement. I woke up, patched myself, went back to work. Got called again, beaten again. You know what? They say manners come from fear. I served that aristocrat with utmost courtesy. Praying he wouldn’t hit me today.”
“Must’ve been rough.”
Lander said. Inebil waved it off as old news.
“That’s when I realized. My older sister who worked with me vanished one day, so I knew I’d end up the same. The aristocrat beat without mercy. Hands that once cradled me gently as a kid. It was another day being dragged and beaten. But it didn’t hurt as much as expected. I even had time to look around.”
“So what’d you do?”
Guchi asked.
“Just me and the aristocrat in the room. Don’t know if he hated his refined hobby being exposed or if it was part of his taste. Perfect setup. Behind the aristocrat who was hitting me, I saw a silver candlestick. Don’t know why it looked so appealing—I just grabbed it.”
Inebil gripped the fish stick like she was reenacting it.
“I wasn’t thinking. Didn’t know why I picked it up. But in that moment, I saw it. Fear creeping into the aristocrat’s face. A familiar feeling. One I always carried. The aristocrat, who’d seemed almighty, suddenly felt like a bug. So I did what you do with bugs.”
She slammed the stick into the ground. The wood splintered, flinging the fish to the dirt.
Guchi picked up the fish that bounced toward him.
“If you don’t wanna eat it, just say so.”
“Sorry. I’ll eat that one.”
Inebil smiled as she took the fish.
“That’s when I ran away. Joined a mercenary band. Realized I had talent for something other than housework. And thus, a great mercenary was born.”
“Never heard of a mercenary named Inebil.”
“If I’d kept at it, you would’ve. In my prime, I was called the ‘Mad Female Warrior.’”
“Who called you that?”
“I told them to. As a joke, but they all went along. Good people.”
“Not sure about female warrior, but mad fits.”
Inebil smiled with her eyes.
“That’s how I mercenary-ed until I met my master. Two big turning points in my life: meeting my master, and of course, grabbing that silver candlestick.”
Inebil finished speaking and started picking at her fish. She looked utterly relieved.
“Time to sleep. I’ll take first watch, so you two rest.”
Lander said. Guchi covered his face with the blanket again.
“Night.”
He added one word to Inebil.
“You too, Uncle.”
Inebil replied.