Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: Bad Ties (4)
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The return of the Mercenary King turned the Pafnir Mercenary Group completely upside down.
“This filthy lump of flesh—mistaking it for me!”
The Mercenary King’s first act upon his return was to burn the fake body to ashes.
“You blind fools! You’d be better off gouging out your eyes and getting around that way!”
The fact that every single mercenary had fallen for a doll crafted by some black mage pushed his rage to the boiling point.
And among them were the elite members he had always been so proud of.
There was no greater humiliation in the Mercenary King’s life.
“Bring all your mothers here! Not a single one left out!”
Next, the Mercenary King rounded up all the women who formed the core of the factions.
“The moment I fall, you start squabbling over power? How dare you pull this nonsense! I’ve let you run wild for far too long!”
The Mercenary King ordered all support provided to them cut off.
Not just luxuries, but even their maids were taken away. They were left to fend for themselves with nothing but their own strength.
“You should be ashamed of yourselves! Even if it was your mothers talking, letting yourselves get dragged along? You idiots!”
Even the elite members couldn’t escape the Mercenary King’s wrath. They were all assigned grueling missions under the pretext of punishment.
Only after unleashing his fury like that did the Mercenary King finally summon Demian.
* * *
“Thank you.”
Those were the first words out of the Mercenary King’s mouth.
It wasn’t just empty words of gratitude. The prideful man even clasped Demian’s hand tightly and bowed his head.
“If it weren’t for you... I might’ve ended up captured by Slara, who knows what they’d have done to me.”
Neutralized and turned into an experimental subject for black mages?
Even the Mercenary King shuddered at the thought, given their infamous reputation.
“Thanks to you saving me, we avoided a split in the mercenary group.”
If Demian hadn’t rescued the Mercenary King in time, the Pafnir Mercenary Group would have descended into civil war over power struggles.
“And that’s not all... You stopped us from losing Athena too.”
The Mercenary King gripped Demian’s hand hard. Demian could feel just how deeply grateful the man was.
“I only did what needed to be done.”
“No. What you did... it was enormous. From your perspective, it was someone else’s problem... yet you risked your life for it.”
No.
The reason Demian had helped the Pafnir Mercenary Group was purely for his own goals.
Kill Dorgo and prevent the apocalypse war.
And in case he failed to stop the apocalypse war, gather strength in preparation.
He had saved the Mercenary King and Athena solely for those two purposes.
That was why Demian felt he didn’t deserve the Mercenary King’s gratitude.
“What do you plan to do with those involved in this incident?”
To change the subject, Demian posed a question to the Mercenary King.
“If I had my way, I’d kick them all out... but what can I do? Like it or not, they’re family.”
The Mercenary King spoke with a complicated expression.
“Instead, I’ll keep a tight watch to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”
From what Demian remembered of his past life, the split in the Pafnir Mercenary Group had been due to the Mercenary King’s womanizing ways.
But what Demian had witnessed firsthand was slightly different. The direct cause of the division was conflict between factions.
Perhaps in his past life, the Mercenary King had willingly shouldered the blame himself?
Taking on the criticism that should have gone to his family.
Of course, with that future erased, it was all just speculation.
“You’re not planning to let them off with just words, are you?”
Demian said in a playful tone. He’d meant it as a joke, but the Mercenary King’s face was deadly serious.
“As if. I’ve been racking my brain over how to repay you.”
The Mercenary King held out something to Demian. It was an iron medallion forged from red metal.
“This is the iron medallion symbolizing the Pafnir Mercenary Group. Take it to any mercenary office, and you can hire any mercenary for free.”
It was a somewhat underwhelming gift from Demian’s perspective.
Demian was a powerhouse on the cusp of Master Class. He had no need to borrow mercenaries.
“For the record, ‘any’ includes the Pafnir Mercenary Group—and me.”
At those words, Demian realized he’d undervalued the gift.
The Pafnir Mercenary Group was the continent’s greatest and strongest. Hiring them was nearly impossible, and it cost a fortune.
To be able to hire not just them, but even the Mercenary King himself?
“There’s no limit on uses. Use it whenever you feel like it. Though if you overuse it, I’ll get mad.”
The Mercenary King added with a grin.
Demian expressed his thanks and pocketed the Mercenary King’s token.
“Are you leaving now?”
“Yes. It’s been too long since I’ve seen my family.”
Thinking of his family brought back memories of what his sister had suffered at Slara’s hands.
And it wasn’t just Luise. The souls of his other family members had endured unspeakable horrors at the black mages’ whims.
Just recalling it briefly filled him with disgust and rage. Demian gritted his teeth to suppress his emotions.
“Before you go, see Athena. She’s been missing you a lot.”
“Understood.”
With a curt reply, Demian left the tent.
Once Demian was gone, the Mercenary King looked regretful.
“What a shame to let him go like this...”
He wanted to keep Demian in the group, but he had no justification.
“I even sent him off on a mission alone with Athena just in case... but no progress there either...”
The Mercenary King scratched his head and flopped onto the bed.
He rolled around on the wide bed, lamenting.
“What a waste~ Such a waste~”
* * *
Demian went to find Athena.
Athena was lying in the infirmary within the mercenary group.
She needed time to heal her severed ankle ligaments and recover her weakened body.
“Athena, how’s your condition?”
Demian said as he entered. Athena, who had been lying in bed, jolted upright in surprise.
“Demian! You came.”
“I came to check on you.”
“Really?”
For some reason, Athena’s face flushed red, and she grinned from ear to ear.
Watching her, Demian suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
The Athena of the past hadn’t been like this.
She’d been like a venomous serpent, brimming with poison. Every word and action had been rough and sharp.
Considering what had happened to Athena in his past life, it made sense.
Her father went missing, and she was chased out of the mercenary group.
It was only natural her personality would twist.
“...Thank you.”
Suddenly, Athena spoke. It was a simple phrase, but Demian’s eyes widened as if struck by lightning.
In his past life, Athena had become the second Mercenary King to avenge her father and fought Demian.
In the end, she failed to get revenge. After losing to Demian, she became a plaything for the black mages and lost her life.
That event lingered in Demian’s heart as guilt.
It wasn’t just Athena. Demian harbored the same feeling toward everyone he had led to ruin.
“Thanks to you, we saved Dad too. Otherwise, it would’ve been a disaster.”
Was it because he’d saved her this time?
Her gratitude eased the guilt he’d carried, if only a little.
“I’m planning to leave the mercenary group now.”
“Huh?”
Athena stared at Demian with a flustered expression.
“C-Could you stay a bit longer?”
“I’ve been away from my family too long. It’s time to go back.”
Demian spoke firmly.
Countless emotions flickered across Athena’s face. Finally, she opened her mouth.
“C-Can I come visit you later?”
“Anytime.”
Demian wasn’t the type to turn away a guest.
Athena glanced at him cautiously before asking again.
“C-Can I greet your parents?”
“Of course.”
When visiting someone’s home, it’s only proper to pay respects to the family head, right?
That was what Demian meant. But Athena seemed to take it differently.
“Really? For real?”
Athena grabbed Demian’s forearm tightly and asked again. Her grip was no joke.
“...Yeah, for real.”
Demian replied with an awkward expression. Athena let out a cheer.
“You can’t ever forget you said that!”
* * *
“Aw, he’s really leaving after all.”
The Mercenary King watched Demian depart with regret. Athena stood beside him, gazing after Demian as well.
“By the way, you actually managed to stay here. I figured for sure you’d follow him.”
“I wanted to go with him too.”
The Mercenary King gave Athena a puzzled look.
“But when I thought about it, right now, I’d just be a burden to Demian.”
Without Demian, Athena would have been ousted from the mercenary group and lived in misery.
Meanwhile, Demian had overcome every obstacle alone and rescued the Mercenary King.
“I want to become someone Demian needs.”
Athena stared silently at Demian. A moment of quiet passed between father and daughter.
“More importantly, I sent you two off on a mission together hoping you’d tumble into bed, and what did you do?”
“You didn’t send me for that reason, did you? How could a dad do that!”
“You said you liked him!”
Father and daughter bickered for a good while.
“Don’t worry. It turned out just how you wanted.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I got Demian’s permission. Next time, when I go to the Haksen Viscountcy, I’ll greet his parents.”
At those words, the Mercenary King’s eyes went wide.
What else could “greeting the parents” mean?
It meant they’d gotten that close.
“T-This girl! I knew you’d pull it off!”
The Mercenary King hugged Athena in delight. Athena wore a triumphant smile.