Chapter 72
Chapter 72
Saint, You’re So Vulgar! – Chapter 72
Name: Blue Sword Mercenary Corps.
Members included Halia as the leader, Diego playing the veteran mercenary, and Versia and Asher as the sibling mercenaries.
It was a pretty sparse lineup for a mercenary band, but that didn't pose much of a problem.
"From the start, external mercenary groups rarely enter in large numbers. Most start out small-scale."
"Is there a particular reason for that?"
"Even if they come in big groups, half of them die on the way to Baern. Crossing the desert while protecting supplies is no easy feat."
Halia wrinkled her nose, looking like she didn't quite get it.
Asher chuckled and added,
"Moving dozens of people requires that much in supplies. Wouldn't that be a dream come true for rich greenhorns who don't know the desert and the bandits who prey on them?"
"Is it some kind of demon realm or something?"
"It's a place where people live. ...Or so Sir Trebion told me."
"That's right, Saintess."
"Hmm...."
Halia nodded as if she roughly understood.
On the third day of travel, Haliawho had looked half-dead on the firsthad pulled herself together and regained her usual composure around Asher.
Which meant her trademark willful mischief was back in play.
"You two get along so well, like a perfect pair. Careful, or you'll end up married."
"M-Marriage?! Lady Halia!"
"What? Aren't you two dating?"
"No!"
Asher jumped up in alarm, denying it vehemently.
The sudden motion rocked the carriage.
With his ears turning bright red, a shadow of hurt flickered across Versia's face.
Catching that, Halia burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Your knight's wounded now!"
"So you find me that distasteful, Saintess."
"Th-That's not what I...! Both of you, stop teasing!"
"I was serious, though? Everyone in the Church knows how much you dote on your knightthere's no one who hasn't heard about you two!"
"Ow...!"
There was a reason for that, of course.
But she couldn't very well say they'd swapped bodies, so it was utterly frustrating.
She glared at them with twitching eyes, but sadly, no one in the carriage was on Asher's side.
The one person who might defend hima gruff voice from outside the carriageonly added a single line.
"Lady Halia, you're making the Saintess uncomfortable."
"Huh? Why's she the Saintess and I'm just Lady Halia?"
"You suit the knight role better, don't you?"
"Haha! What a weird way to flatter someone!"
A deep sigh escaped her.
And so the third day drew to a close.
They were still far from the city, so tonight it was camping.
That wasn't difficult.
Not because they were used to it, but because someone in the group had a knack for making camping feel romantic.
"Saintess, here you go."
"Oh, thank you...!"
Halia's escort and 1st Class Knight, Diego.
He pitched the tents with practiced ease, cooked up a meal, and served it to the group.
The food was surprisingly delicious, and when she praised it, Halia beamed with pride.
"This guy's made more bowls of food than you've got years under your belt. He cooks at home too, not just while camping!"
"My wife won't eat unless it's something I cooked."
"But you bring in good money! That's what matters!"
From their cheerful banter, Asher picked up a few facts about Diego.
"You're married?"
"Lucky in love. She's the head of a massive trading companythe reason I live in a mansion I couldn't afford on a knight's salary."
"Though I don't get home often."
"And his son's around your age. Heh, back in the day, that little squirt chased me around begging me to marry his mom...."
"That was right when you were turning forty, Lady Halia."
"Hearing my age made him wail like a banshee."
"He still makes that face whenever the story comes up."
Watching the two reminisce with fond smiles, Asher felt a warm glowand a pang of envy.
It was the bond forged by decades together that stirred those feelings.
Could he and Versia ever share something like that someday?
They were close now, sure, but Asher knew it was a different kind of intimacy from that deep, unbreakable tie.
A small smile tugged at Asher's lips.
That was when dinner wrapped up.
Halia left to scout the surroundings, with Diego tagging along as her guard.
Asher and Versia were alone at last.
Only then did the tension ease, and Asher shared the emotions still fresh from earlier.
"Those two really seem close, don't they?"
"They've spent over thirty years together."
"I could feel the trust between them. The kind where words aren't neededyou can just see they're connected...!"
Having been so moved by their conversation, Asher had plenty to say.
Especially since it gave insight into Diego, whose taciturn nature and Halia's shadow left little known about him publicly.
Even Asher only knew of his battle exploitsnothing more was needed to explain.
"I think he's pretty cool. Our captain's an idol to so many Holy Knights, and Diego's right up there too."
"You like older guys?"
"...It's admiration. Do you have to twist it like that?"
"Sorry to be the jealous type. You get so excited talking about other menit makes me jealous too."
"......"
"You don't even fluster anymore. Just look at me like I'm pathetic."
Why did that smacking of her lips in mock disappointment grate so much?
Maybe because her sky-blue dyed hair made even her own body feel like it belonged to Versia.
Or maybe because he'd seen the depths of who she really was.
Either way, it hit home how their relationship had changed from the start.
She used to shock and headache him whenever she pulled this, but now it was more a helpless 'what do I do with her?'
Like dealing with a stubborn seven-year-old who wouldn't listen.
Asher glared at her, then sighed and shook his head.
"Anyway, cut the joking. Keep it up, and your speech habits will go right out the window."
"Just one more? Pretty please?"
"You think that'll fly?"
"No, but there's some real worry mixed in."
What was she leading up to with all that setup?
Intrigued by the "real worry," Asher decided to hear her out.
He regretted it almost immediately.
"We're playing siblings, right?"
"Yes?"
"But if we're too chummy, won't people think it's weird? Like, we're too close...."
"Want to flick my forehead?"
"I'm serious! I hear real siblings hate each other on average, but we don't fight. People might say we're all lovey-dovey."
"Wh-What lovey?! That's not it!"
Asher's ears burned red.
Why'd she have to phrase it like that and freak him out?
His eyes twitched in irritation.
Ignoring the flush of embarrassment and itch, he scolded her.
"Plenty of close siblings exist out there. Saying they have to hate each other is way too narrow-minded. And...!"
Of course, Versia wasn't listening a bit.
When would this woman ever grow up?
The night deepened with another sigh.
* * *
A week or so later, the group finally reached the desert region.
Crossing it would bring them to Baerna long haul ahead.
Up until then, they'd been relaxed, but now tension ramped up.
And they shifted into full infiltration mode with their 'roles.'
When it was time for Halia to play the spoiled young lady, she pouted in genuine annoyancewhich actually fit the part perfectly.
Diego's role as group guardian wasn't much different from usual, so he stayed calm. The real issue lay elsewhere.
"Time to decide, don't you think?"
Versia smiled brightly at Asher.
Asher squeezed his eyes shut.
The unavoidable moment had arrived.
What for?
The answer was obvious.
"Who wants to be the little sibling?"
Asher and Versia were posing as sibling mercenaries.
Naturally, there had to be an order between themand they both wanted the same role.
"I wanna be the big brother."
"Does it have to be you?"
"Yep. I want to hear you call me big brother, Sir Knight."
Asher nearly blacked out from Versia's pure malice.
Just to hear 'big brother'? No way that flew.
"Absolutely not. I'd sooner die than say that...!"
Asher Terbion, pillar of the Church.
He'd swapped bodies and grown used to a woman's life, but his core masculinity remained.
That was his identitylosing it meant the death of his self.
No way, not even over his dead body, would he play big brother.
He'd bite his tongue first. That resolve burned in his eyes.
They were at a standoff when...
"Still haven't decided?"
Diego appeared.
Asher felt a twinge of guiltmaybe Diego thought they were wasting time on nonsense.
But it didn't last.
"I'll flip a coin. Pick heads or tails."
She flinched at his offhand method to settle it.
But Versia agreed in a flash.
Refusing now would just look like whining.
Asher trembled, then steeled himself.
Fine, pure chance would mean less resentment.
And if it was luck, his faith might help.
"...Tails, I'll take tails!"
His eyes snapped wide.
Silently, he beseeched the Parent God.
'O Parent God! Have mercy on this poor lamb...!'
Staring holes into the coin as he prayed, it flipped with a ting! and landed on Diego's hand.
"Heads. Sir Trebion, you're the big brother."
"......!"
In that instant, Asher remembered something he'd forgotten.
Divine favoritism. Versia was so beloved by the Parent God that it was practically her epithet.
Despair crashed over him.