Ch#161
Tese tan froze on the stairs for a long while before asking again.
"Who took my sword?"
"The Necromancer King took it."
Tese tan came rushing down the stairs.
"What nonsense is that?"
The Necromancer King taking his sword.
Moreover, he had leaned it against the wall in his bedroom.
That meant if an outsider had entered the bedroom to take the sword last night,
"There's no way I wouldn't sense that bastard's presence."
"True. But the one who took the greatsword from the leader's room wasn't the Necromancer King—it was me."
"......What?"
Tese tan's lips parted.
Aleric continued.
"I sold that greatsword. To the Necromancer King."
Silence descended on the central hall.
Libia lowered her eyes as if unable to watch.
Victor stared at distant mountains beyond the grimy window.
A few seconds later.
Tese tan approached and stood before Aleric.
"Aleric, you...... have you lost your mind?"
Sold it.
Sold his greatsword.
What kind of sword it was, and he sold it to the Necromancer King of all people......!
But Aleric didn't flinch.
"I haven't lost my mind. And for reference, I sold the leader's armor and secondary weapons too. Sold my orb, and Libia's curved moon sword as well. Ah, left Victor's. He said he'd die before giving up his weapon."
"You......!"
Tese tan unwittingly yelled.
But before he could continue, Aleric spoke again.
"Leader. Do you realize our mercenary group has no one left? Even Pakun and Chester, who stayed until the end, left this morning."
"......What?"
"You said it when Trebaga was first founded. Recruit strong members mainly, but pay high dividends weekly instead."
"......"
"It worked fine when we were sieging mana stones nonstop. We could cover dividends with rewards. But after you lost to the Necromancer King."
"......"
"And you holed up in your room."
Tese tan's eyes filled with bewilderment.
Come to think of it.
He had been so shocked by the duel result with the Necromancer King that he'd completely forgotten about the mercenary group.
After a pause, he asked lowly.
"So you sent them all away."
"Some left on their own, some we let go. Told them we couldn't pay dividends for a while, so they went their ways."
"......"
"Honestly, hoping they'd stay is just our greed. Why do mercenaries do this? For money."
"Still, without a word to me......"
Aleric stared steadily at Tese tan.
"Who was it that threatened no one enter? Who scared them saying anyone who did would regret it? You, leader."
Tese tan, at a loss for words again, closed his mouth.
He had told them not to disturb him when he went to his room.
Aleric shook his head.
"Anyway, so they all left."
He added nonchalantly.
"And we paid retirement pay as per the leader's contract."
"Retirement pay?"
"Should we not? You said to pay based on years served after one year. Even if we're disbanding, we keep promises. Especially comrades who stuck it out for years enduring the leader's temper."
"......"
Tese tan stared blankly at Aleric.
"So...... you sold the greatsword."
"We had no cash on hand. Lucky the Necromancer King paid generously. Otherwise, we'd have sold this house dirt cheap."
"Ha."
It was so absurd no anger rose.
Tese tan opened and closed his mouth repeatedly.
Irritated, but somehow ridiculous, angry, but......
'Damn, Aleric's not wrong.'
He had set dividends weekly.
He had introduced the retirement pay system.
And he'd insisted on the duel with the Necromancer King—no room for excuses.
'......If only we'd saved money for times like this.'
But Tese tan had deliberately not saved despite being able.
Afraid filling pockets would blur his sense of purpose.
"If only you'd saved some mo...... mmph."
Libia, slipping in slyly, shut her mouth.
Victor had covered it.
Tese tan glanced their way, then pressed a hand to his temple.
A headache like someone pressing his head came on.
"Ha......"
He turned and headed to the window.
Drawing the curtain revealed the cozy, tidy neighboring house.
Well-kept garden.
Flowers blooming near the fence.
Agavert had windows wide open, airing out the base as usual.
"The Necromancer King said something."
Aleric's voice came from behind.
"You still have time, so if you're considering merger, come find her."
Libia rushed over with a teary face.
"Leader! Please merge! The Necromancer King said she'll return the weapons if we do. I can't let my curved moon sword go like this. What kind of weapon is it, sold for that Chester bastard's retirement pay?! It was your responsibility from the start!"
Tese tan's eyes shook.
"Of course, I know you'll stubbornly refuse to the end. Once you're against something, you're against it forever."
Aleric's following words weighed heavily on his heart.
"My curved moon sword......"
Libia's voice evoked past memories.
'Protect me? Me?'
'You're saying come with you now.'
The first comrades he kept by his side as a mercenary.
Tese tan had promised them.
To be a place to settle for those with nowhere to go.
To be a fence protecting them.
In truth, they had shared victory moments with him.
Believed in his unstable self until now, supported him whenever he faltered.
To Tese tan, who severed all past ties, they were no different from family......
"Ha."
Tese tan opened his eyes.
He turned, gazing tiredly at his members.
"......I can't promise merger."
He added to the members staring at him.
"Still, I'll get Aleric's orb and your curved moon sword back, so wait."
* * *
Agavert's base.
Tie sat on the sofa, hand on her pounding heart.
Weapons just received from Libia lay neatly on the table before her.
Dad's greatsword.
Aleric the mage's orb.
And finally, Libia's small, round curved moon sword.
"What are we supposed to do with these? More importantly, why'd those guys give these to you, huh?"
Veil pressed from beside, but Tie kept her mouth shut.
Her mind replayed the secret talk with Libia that morning.
'Necromancer King. One chance only.'
'One chance......?'
'Yeah. Our leader's a bit stubborn. Doesn't particularly like or cherish much. But his greatsword. He babies that thing terribly.'
'......The greatsword!'
'Yeah. We'll say we sold you his greatsword, my curved moon sword, and the mage comrade's orb. So when our leader comes, talk it out well. Get it?'
Of course Tie got it.
A chance to finally talk with Dad—what else could it be!
'He probably won't demand it back outright. He avoids anything shady.'
'......!'
'So use the weapons as excuse for a real talk. You've been coming every day 'cause you really want to merge with our leader, right?'
Tie panicked.
Amazingly, Libia had seen right through her intentions!
She'd pretended coincidences to hide wanting merger, but!
Tie swallowed, staring at the weapons.
"Kid, answer me. Why'd that monster-gut-head woman hand these over? Huh?"
It was time.
As she agonized.
Bang bang.
A noise unclear if knock or what sounded twice, and the front door burst open.
