A Child Must Be Raised Tough
Raon straightened his back. His eyes met those of Adis Sefia, master of the Sepia Merchant Guild, whose presence was wrapped in a severe, imposing aura.
"Might I ask how you knew?"
Not once, from the moment they had arrived at the Sepia Merchant Guild, had he done anything that might have given his identity away. He had concealed the most distinctive features of Raon Zieghart—his golden hair, his crimson eyes, and the two swords he carried. Being found out in a mere five hours was frankly absurd.
"Do you know what grows the longer a man spends in commerce?"
Adis Sefia tapped the desk with a finger whose nail had been neatly trimmed.
"An eye for people. And what grows with age is, likewise, an eye for people."
His gaze settled, calm and unadorned.
"I have lived as a merchant to this age. I am rather confident in my ability to read a man."
"You are a comrade's father. Please, speak as you wish. And..."
Raon narrowed his eyes at Adis.
"That is not an answer."
Adis's words sounded vague, not a proper reply at all. No matter how exceptional his eye for people, seeing through Raon's identity at a glance simply did not make sense.
"The White Sword Dragon, vice-leader of the Light Wind Squad, would know this better than anyone. At present, the martial force about which the most rumors circulate on the continent is the Light Wind Squad."
Adis did not drop into casual speech, his manner as exacting as his appearance suggested.
"Both victors of the Six Kings combat tournament held in the Owen Kingdom belonged to the Light Wind Squad, so it is only natural. For a merchant, gathering information on such rising stars is essential."
He continued in the same even, unhurried voice as before.
"While investigating every swordsman of the Light Wind Squad—the vice-leader, the White Sword Dragon; the First Unit leader, the Rakshasa Sword; the Second Unit leader, the Azure Moon Sword; the Third Unit leader, the Gale Sword—I learned that the boy was among them."
"You investigated not only the unit leaders, but every member of the squad?"
"I did. I gathered every piece of information on the swordsmen of the Light Wind Squad. Appearance, temperament, preferences, even their personal relationships."
"Hmm..."
Raon swallowed as he looked at Adis, who spoke so calmly. Impressive. So that's why he's the master of one of the Five Great Merchant Guilds? No—that's how he became one.
It was true the Light Wind Squad had become famous, but not to a degree that would warrant this kind of attention from the Sepia Merchant Guild. They had merely won a tournament of promising young talents. The fact that he had investigated everything just to slightly increase the possibility of a future transaction was astonishing.
"I do not know what Dorian has done, but I heard he travels with the vice-leader more than anyone, and that they are close. So I thought that if the boy came here, someone of your character would come with him. You changed the color of your hair and eyes, but you did not disguise your height or the shape of your features. That is how I recognized you."
"...That's impressive."
Genuine admiration slipped out. They're similar, in a way. An assassin who investigated every detail of a target in order to kill them, and a merchant who investigated every detail of a counterpart in order to open a deal—there was a resemblance there.
Th-that old man has a stalker's temperament too.
Wrath stuck out his tongue as he looked at Adis.
This King cannot fathom why this continent is so full of bizarre creatures!
He's right. It does feel like a stalker. That was why it felt off. There was a considerable gap between Adis's current emotionless gaze and the faint tremor he had shown when he first saw Dorian.
Shall I probe a little?
Raon turned his gaze to Dorian, who looked completely at a loss.
"The reason I travel with Dorian, and the reason I came all the way here, is nothing complicated. He is a comrade I can trust. The world believes I resolved many missions on my own, but I have received this fellow's help more times than I can count."
At those words, Dorian's shoulders lifted slightly.
"The reason I was able to be rescued from Eden was because Dorian found the courage to act. Because of that, however, Dorian was kidnapped as well. I apologize for putting your son in danger."
Raon bowed his head respectfully to Adis.
"It was a choice he made himself. I have no reason to accept an apology. Rise."
Adis gestured for him to stand. The evenness of his voice suggested he had already known about Dorian's kidnapping.
"So you knew."
"..."
"It goes without saying, but you seem to take a great interest in your son."
Indirect words would not work on an opponent this seasoned. Raon had drawn a blade and stabbed straight in.
"Hmph."
Adis did not even glance at Dorian as he wet his lips with the water in his cup. Sorting his thoughts, perhaps. Until now, he had answered every question without the slightest hesitation. The fact that he was stalling for the first time made it clear something was there.
"He took a precious item with him. I ought to know where he died, at least."
Adis looked at Dorian's belly pouch. The answer went beyond composure into outright cynicism.
"Ugh..."
Dorian let out a groan, nervously stroking his belly pouch.
"I have heard many rumors about the Light Wind Squad myself, but I have never once heard Dorian's name among them. You must have conducted quite the investigation, to piece together the situation from such small, trivial details."
"Think as you please."
Adis shook his head, his eyes devoid of emotion. Ambiguous. The man was a slippery old fox. It would take more information and more time to see into him.
Raon took a step back so that Dorian and Adis could speak. Adis understood the intent and met Dorian's eyes.
"I said I would give the position of guild successor to whoever brought back the greatest treasure. What have you been doing all this time?"
"Um..."
Dorian's hand drifted toward his belly pouch, then stopped. Instead of the pouch, he gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"I trained with the sword."
"And what treasure were you training to obtain?"
A chill presence rose in Adis's eyes. It was not aura—it was the atmosphere of the man himself.
"I-it was a path I chose because I wanted to live a life unrelated to the guild."
Dorian honestly spoke the thoughts of his childhood. His voice, of course, trembled finely.
"A life unrelated to the guild..."
Adis nodded, unsurprised once again.
"Does that still hold true?"
"Hoo..."
Dorian did not answer at once. He let out a slow breath.
"N-no. A little, but... I've come to want to try my hand at commerce."
He conveyed his present thoughts in a trembling voice.
"A boy who has done nothing but swing a sword until now wants to try the guild's work? And only a little? Do you take commerce for a joke?!"
Adis slammed the desk, shooting a fierce glare.
"Even at this very moment, countless people are staking their lives on commerce. Those words dismiss every last one of them!"
"I-I'm not dismissing commerce! I only thought I could do it because there are people who believe in me!"
Dorian waved his hands in a panic.
"Even when I became a Zieghart trainee, I thought I would never become a proper swordsman. But because the people around me gave me courage and helped me, I was able to stand where I am now."
His gaze turned toward Raon.
"C-commerce will obviously be extremely difficult too, but I just thought that if I steeled my will and received help from the people around me, I could do it. Th-that's all."
Dorian finished speaking in a voice that trembled like a snapped rubber band.
"So you learned one thing, at least. That asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of."
The coldness that had settled in Adis's eyes seemed to recede, just a little. He closed his eyes, then lightly tapped the desk once more.
"Your siblings have all returned as well. I will issue a trial before long. Participate when the time comes."
He waved a hand as if he had nothing more to say.
"Go."
"Y-yes, sir!"
Dorian bowed his head.
Raon looked from Adis's eyes to Dorian's in turn, then clicked his tongue. He hasn't given up on him entirely. The fact that he was giving a chance to Dorian, who had done no guild work at all and only swung a sword, and the fact that he had scolded Dorian's faults, made it certain that Adis still considered him a candidate for successor. If they take the trial, I'll be able to tell. If he saw the changed Dorian, it should draw out his true reaction.
"I shall see you again."
Raon bowed his head and was about to leave when Adis raised a hand.
"Vice-leader of the Light Wind."
"Yes."
"I would prefer you drop the disguise. I worry the young ones of the guild might commit some discourtesy."
"Hmm..."
He had come in this appearance precisely so they would commit that discourtesy, and Adis seemed to be cutting it off in advance. As expected of the master of one of the Five Great Merchant Guilds. No ordinary man.
"Understood."
Raon bowed and followed Dorian out of Adis's office.
"Haaaaaah..."
Dorian clutched the railing at the top of the stairs and let out a long, long sigh.
"I thought I was going to die of nerves."
"You did well, though."
Raon patted Dorian's shoulder and chuckled.
"Did well? My heart was pounding so hard I couldn't even get the words out."
Dorian shook his head as he descended the stairs. True to his words, his legs trembled slightly.
"Is he always that dry?"
"My memories from childhood are hazy, but he feels a little colder than before. Maybe it's because I came back after so long..."
That made sense too. His son had come back after nine years. It would not be strange if he felt some resentment.
This one seems more shriveled up than usual.
Wrath frowned as he looked at Dorian, whose shoulders were hunched. It can't be helped. From the day he was born until the day he left, all he ever received was scorn.
If you bind a young elephant's legs with a chain so it cannot escape, even after it grows into an adult it will not think to break free of a thin chain. Dorian, too, even though his martial power and status had grown, felt the moment he arrived here as if he had returned to the childhood when all he received was scorn—and so he had shrunk like this.
I'll have to break that for him.
Raon nodded and continued down, then narrowed his eyes. The presence below... It was the presence of the person who had come looking for them before they met Adis. He didn't tell me to drop the disguise immediately.
He smirked and raised his voice.
"That's our Dorian! I was impressed watching you boldly declare you'd take over the guild right in front of the Guild Master!"
Raon shouted loudly toward the bottom of the stairs.
"I-I never said that. I just said I was interested..."
"Dorian!"
As Dorian tilted his head, his third sister Phalen, who had come looking for them in the waiting room, came storming up the stairs with a shriek.
"Follow me. Now."
She crooked a finger, her face twisting.
"I'll show you that all those years of yours meant nothing."
Her reaction hadn't changed, so she clearly hadn't heard his identity yet.
"Sister? W-why all of a sudden..."
Dorian gripped the railing tight, his lips trembling.
"Shut your mouth and follow me."
"Ugh..."
Dorian turned his head toward Raon. Tears looked ready to drip from his large eyes.
"Why are you doing this..."
"Perfect. You weren't planning to leave her alone anyway!"
At those words, the sound of grinding teeth came from Phalen's mouth.
"Let's go."
Raon muttered for him to show his strength as he patted Dorian's shoulder.
Hah!
Wrath let out a puff of disbelief.
Youuuuu are truly...
Raon followed Phalen out of the Sepia Merchant Guild Headquarters. Dorian flailed after them like a prisoner being dragged to the gallows.
"W-where are we going..."
"I told you to shut your mouth and follow."
Phalen walked for a long while before entering what appeared to be a training ground where the guild's martial artists practiced. Despite the late hour, the lights were on, and three martial artists radiating powerful auras stood waiting.
Dorian swallowed so loudly the person beside him could hear it.
"What is this..."
"I told you. I'm going to show you that all the time you've accumulated meant nothing."
At Phalen's gesture, the youngest-looking of the martial artists, a swordsman in his twenties, stepped up beside her.
"Are you sure it's all right to touch him? He's the Guild Master's son, isn't he?"
The young swordsman looked Dorian over, tilting his head.
"He's a bastard. A bastard no one even cares about, at that."
Phalen snorted and glared at Dorian.
"P-Phalen, sister?"
"You were so confident you'd beat me, so I prepared."
Phalen pointed at the young swordsman standing beside her.
"Silk Thread Sword, Toten Robel. A martial artist making a name for himself in the southwest, and about your age. The perfect opponent."
Raon clicked his tongue as he looked at the man called Toten Robel. Silk Thread Sword, huh... He'd heard that epithet before. At a banquet where martial artists of the Six Kings had gathered, he had heard of a swordsman who had reached Expert Peak-Class at a young age and was considered a prospect on the level of the Six Kings' rising stars.
"Y-you're telling me to spar with that guy?"
Dorian's mouth fell open.
"That's right. You said you'd beat me. Prove it here and now."
Phalen shoved her face toward Dorian, grinding her teeth.
"I-I never said anything like..."
"We start in ten minutes. Get ready."
Phalen turned her back without even listening to Dorian.
"I hear you're with the Light Wind Squad. I look forward to it."
Toten Robel waved a hand and stepped away.
"H-how strong is that guy?"
Dorian rushed over and grabbed Raon's sleeve.
"Expert Peak-Class. Definitely outstanding for his age."
He wasn't at the level of Burren, Marta, or Runaan, but for someone in his early-to-mid twenties, it was excellent skill.
"E-Expert Peak-Class? Aaaaaaah!"
Dorian clutched his head and screamed.
"What am I supposed to do about this?! You said weird things and now I'm going to get beaten up for nothing!"
"It's fine. You can win."
Raon smiled faintly and waved a hand.
"I'm only Expert Upper-Class now! How am I supposed to beat Peak-Class?!"
"It's possible."
"It's impossible! I'm done for!"
"Ahem."
Without answering Dorian's wailing, Raon cleared his throat as he looked toward Phalen and Toten Robel.
"W-what are you about to do now..."
"What? You can wipe the floor with someone of that level, no problem? The heart of the Light Wind Squad really is Dorian!"
Raon raised his voice so that everyone in the training ground could hear.
"That bastard again..."
"What?"
Phalen and Toten Robel turned to glare in their direction. It wasn't just Phalen—even Toten's previously casual gaze now held a blade-like chill.
"Aaaah..."
Tears welled thickly at the corners of Dorian's eyes. Foam began to bubble around his mouth like a crab's.
"W-why do you keep doing this? There has to be a reason!"
"What? An opponent of that level doesn't even need time to prepare?"
Raon grinned and gently pushed Dorian's back. Of course, more than three hundred points of explosive Strength were packed into that "gentle" shove.
"I never said anything like—
Uwaaaaagh!"
Unable to resist that brute force, Dorian screamed as he went flying toward the center of the sparring ground.
"Th-this isn't of my own will..."
"You said you couldn't wait to beat him, and look at you actually charging in! Go get him, Dorian!"
Raon raised a clenched fist toward Dorian.
"Crush him easy and shut your sister up!"
He gave a refreshing smile, as if he had no idea what was going on.
"Hah!"
Toten Robel let out a hollow laugh as he approached Dorian.
"Even for Zieghart's Light Wind Squad, the arrogance is scraping the heavens. It's been a while since I've been insulted like this."
A chilling presence, bordering on killing intent, rose in waves from his entire body.
"A bastard who doesn't know his place..."
Phalen, too, glared at Dorian as if she wanted to kill him.
"Ehehe..."
Dorian grinned at the two of them. His eyes had gone vacant, like the eyeballs of a rotting fish. He seemed half out of his mind.
Raon grinned as he felt the heated atmosphere filling the training ground. The atmosphere is just right. Kids needed to be raised tough, after all.
Ah...
Wrath's teeth chattered as he looked at Raon. His face had gone pale, as if terrified.
Are you even human?