Chapter One
The clouds lazily moving along the sky as the forest birds sang their song.
I take in the fresh air into my lungs and exhale.
If it were my choice I'd never leave but-"Come on, Cyruss, hurry up! We don't have all day!"
Duty calls...
"Do you really hate shopping with me that much?" Regina looks at me with a furrowed brow.
"No, not really."
Her face brightens up.
"Then let's hurry. I wouldn't want any of the really good stuff to run out."
"Hey... Are we shopping ALL day?"
"Of course! It takes time to make savvy, informed purchases!"
I don't get it. But I shrug in acceptance.
"Hey, just how long have we known each other, anyway? Was it really fifteen years ago that Dad brought you home? Do you remember those days?"
"Of course not."
"Hahaha, I'm not surprised. I don't remember things from when I was two or three, either."
"But I'll never forget the day I first met you. I remember Dad looking serious and saying, 'without this child, mankind has no future'."
Without this child, mankind has no future...
No one knew what he meant.
He refused to tell anyone.
But it was something everyone whispered about.
"It's tough to explain how shocked I was to hear that. It really scared me as a child.
And Dad wouldn't tell me what he meant, either… But now?
However special you were supposed to be, you turned out to be such a normal guy…"
...A normal guy, huh? That may as well be true...
"Sorry to disappoint…" I mutter.
"Oh, no need to apologize for it. Still, whatever happened, bringing a child into a mercenary brigade is another matter…
I really wonder what he was thinking, bringing you into our group. Well, enough about that. We need to get going."
Regina walks on ahead.
Now that she brought it up, those old buried up thoughts start to resurface.
What was the old man expecting? And why me?
What can someone like me do against something that threatens mankind?
"Hey, are you all right?!"
Regina shouts with urgency.
"Regina!"
I immediately start running.
Once I arrive on the scene I see Regina is kneeling over someone collapsed on the road.
I check up on them, the person rendered unconscious looks to be a silver-haired boy.
I don't know the medical way to say this but...
It looks like he's taken some blows from a blade.
"Cyruss… Let's go back to camp."
I give a nod in response and lift up the boy onto my back.
- CAMP -
And so, Regina and I saved the young man in the forest.
The Young man, whose name was Remus, told us he was travelling with his father when bandits struck.
Remus barely escaped alive.
Since he was close to my age, I was charged with looking after him…
It's been six since that day.
It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.
The kid even helped me out with some of my chores, which was a load off my back.
It gives me a lot more time to sit back and stare up at the clouds.
- A man in a large-body of armour approaches.
"Is Remus not with you today?" He asks.
"Huh? No, do you need him for something?"
"No, I just thought you were supposed to be looking after him. That's all."
"Oh, Right… I asked him to fetch some water from the river, he should be back soon."
The man blocking my sun is Bauer, he's the boss's right hand, and has been since before I've joined.
"Uh huh. Speaking of Remus, though… I had my doubts about him at first, but he's finally starting to snap out of it.
I saw him borrow some books from the boss and Pamela the other day."
"Huh, Books?"
"Looked like medical books and stuff. I asked him about it and he said,
'I'm still not allowed to fight, so I want to at least cure everyone else's wounds'."
Why didn't he mention any of this to me?
"It's all thanks to you being nice to him. I bet you're glad, too, having something like a younger brother."
A brother... I don't know about that.
He's a welcome pair of hands that's for sure.
But I doubt we're that close...
"Whoops, nearly forgot that the boss was calling for me."
As I watch the large man walk away a Remus ran up to me with a bucket in his hands.
"Cyruss, I got the water from the river!" I nod in acknowledgement.
"Silent as always, eh? You were already participating in real battles at my age, weren't you?
Amazing… I've yet to experience real combat for myself even once."
I've never understood what kids would find so fascinating about tearing another's head off.
"So, what's next on the agenda? I'll follow you as always, so if anything comes up, just let me know."
The two of us wander around the camp for a bit.
"Yo Remus, how goes?" A man approaches us but the kid hides behind me.
"Well enough, I suppose…" He spoke with a soft voice.
"Damn, you sure don't sound like it. Still having confidence issues?"
"Yes…"
"Listen. Even if you haven't seen combat yet, you're still a member of the Alten Schwart mercenaries.
Knowing you're there to patch us up helps us fight better.
So, have a little confidence and be proud of yourself!" The man spoke in a loud booming voice that I could only define as Jolly.
Quite frankly, I like Remus the way he is.
And I wouldn't want him to change.
"Thank you. I will."
The man looks at me.
"Glad to see you're well, too, Cyruss. Oh, yeah, I found this pretty rock the other day.
I'm not one for charms, so I'll let you have it. Think of it as a reward for taking such good care of Remus!" He handed me a green stone.
I recall finding a similar stone on the ground the day we found Remus.
I always kept the stone close in my pocket for safe keeping.
I never really believed in good luck or anything like that but having it comforts me for some reason.
We continue our walk around the campsite when we a woman approaches us.
"Ah, Remus. How goes it? Learned to wield that Ring Weapon yet?"
"Well… I did manage to get it working." He, of course, didn't have a shred of confidence in his voice.
"Let's see it, then!" She stares intently at Remus with anticipation.
"O-Okay…" He held up his hand, the ring shined a bright yellow, but in a second the light died down before his weapon could be formed.
Remus shakes his hand in a desperate attempt to sort of kickstart it but to no avail.
"...That could've gone better." She said as Remus hung his head in shame.
She turns to me. "Here, Cyruss, show him how it's done."
Remus raises his head and the two of them stared at me expectingly.
"I'd rather not," I replied as I covered my ring with my hand.
"Don't be so stingy! Do it for Remus's sake!" I look to Remus who turns his head away timidly.
I let out a sigh.
"Fine." I hold out my hand and before their eyes, the ring transformed into a long thin blade within my hand before reverting back into a ring.
"...There."
Remus's eyes lit up.
"Wow! I'm impressed you can make it work so easily."
"These Ring Weapons were supposedly developed by some nation's military." The Mercenary explains.
"Ever since they hit the black market, you see mercenary corps like us using them more often.
I don't understand the fine details, but supposedly it's triggered by one's self-preservation instincts."
"So, that's it…" Remus mutters under his breath.
"In other words, you can't make it work because your life's never been in real danger."
"I see… What should I do if I can't make it work in a real battle?" Remus asks.
"You'll just have to make do with a regular, heavy sword." And with that, she was off.
Remus was the youngest out of all of us. So, just about everyone in the camp felt the need to look out for him.
Kinda like how they were with me growing up.
Still, I'd rather they not put any expectations on him as they did with me.
I notice our local doctor, Pamela, a tall dark haired woman.
Though, not much for combat, It wasn't hard to believe she the smartest of the bunch,
and helps a lot by gathering useful information for us.
"Hey! Pamela!" I walk over to her with Remus behind me.
"Cyruss, is there something you need?"
"Huh, Oh Yeah! I was wondering if you've had some supplies to spare.
I've been meaning to restock before we head out again."
"I see. Lucky for you I just came back from the village with supplies." She dug into her bag and pulls out some of the stuff she brought back.
What she handed me were mostly stuff to lightly patch some minor injuries at a moments notice.
"Ah, Remus is with you… You'll need this. Here, give me your hands."
She handed him a small kit of supplies similar to the one she handed me.
"Thank you."
"Use it wisely." She said as she turns and walks away.
"Oh, Regina," Remus calls out.
"Ah, it's you two. Together as always,
Dad's over there, talking to Bauer about our next job."
"Our next job…?"
I let out a sigh. "Too bad our furlough is over…"
Goodbye peaceful days and Lazy Afternoons…
"Well, Fighting pays the bills." She replied.
"If you want to know more, go ask Dad yourself."
Regina walks away after giving us the news.
"Regina's so kind. Pretty too, isn't she?"
"You're kidding, right?"
"You don't think so? She's strong as the boss's daughter ought to be, but she's still a woman…"
What can I say?
All I really see is the boss's daughter and the boss is the closest thing to a father I've got…
Anyways, I brush him off and start to look for the boss.
We find him at the end of the camp talking with Bauer and Pamela.
"I see… Lamplast Island…" Said Bauer.
"Indeed. There are gold mines on that island, with many kingdoms fighting over the rights." The boss replies
"There are two factions. One has been working with the islanders all along and the other is the invading army." Pamela informed them. "The island's not small, but the fighting is so widespread that the whole place is now a battlefield."
"Boss. if you've already sealed the deal, is there a chance of winning? Or a reason to side with them?"
"The latter this time. At the very least, I'm sympathetic to the native islanders.
We have an even chance of victory, but with your support, I'm sure we can turn the tide."
"All right. Then it's our job to meet your expectations."
"I don't doubt you will. We'll depart tonight. Go on and spread the word."
"Right away!"
"I'll go back to checking on our supplies, then." Pamela and Bauer walk away.
The boss turns and notices us.
"Hm? You two heard all that…?"
"So, it's decided?" I ask
"Yes. We're headed to Lamplast Island. It's to the south of Marquelay, out on the sea."
"Um, boss…? I wanted to ask you something."
"What is it, Remus?"
"Please let me fight! I'm a mercenary, too! I don't want to stay a burden on this brigade.
"I see…" The older man stroked his chin.
"Very well, then. Cyruss, I want you to act as Remus's bodyguard."
"...Yes, sir." I say reluctantly.
"I-I'm sorry to inconvenience you." Said Remus.
"Thank you, though…"
"No need to be ashamed. Everyone must start somewhere.
As I recall, Bauer guarded you in your first campaign, Cyruss."
Right… From what I recall, most of what he taught me back then became the foundation from what I built my abilities on.
I suppose you can say he was kinda like a teacher. But he wasn't the only one…
I've had everyone here to teach me a lot of different things. Mostly related to fighting.
"Anyway, we'll be off soon. Gather whatever you need." He said before walking away.
"The boss reminds me of my father." Said Remus.
"Your father?"
"He was more reticent, but there was kindness in his brusque manner. The boss is somewhat similar.
You may not be his blood relation, but I envy you somewhat, having a man like him as a father.
I must try my hardest in battle to repay the boss's kindness."
"Right...First things first. Tomorrow's going to be another long day. Make sure you're ready for it"
"Right!"
Seeing him so pumped about something was rather off-putting, especially considering what he was talking about.
I went to get ready so that I could rest up as much as I could before we had to go.
And Remus followed closely behind.