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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The Mercenary King's Homecoming
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"If you introduce me like that, what does that make your aunt?"
Armifera gave a proper introduction of herself.
"I'm Armifera Dayamor. I left home to become a mercenary, and I've returned as the Mercenary King."
"I see."
Al greeted her politely.
"I'm Al of the Degladis family. Perhaps you've heard of me, Lady Armifera. If so, it would be an honor."
"Listen to this kid talk. Your parents weren't nearly this brazen."
At the mention of his parents, Al's eyes flickered slightly.
Armifera patted his shoulder lightly, her expression saying she knew everything.
Then she quickly moved on to another topic.
"Anyway, you've grown so much. How could I not remember you? If anything, I'm the one who's hurt."
You don't remember me at all, do you?
Armifera put on an exaggeratedly wounded look, feigning deep sadness.
Al, who was always so composed and relaxed, was thrown completely off balance.
Nibelria watched the scene with fascination.
"I'm kidding, kidding."
Armifera grinned.
"You were little back then too. It was six years ago, right? Hmm, how old are you now?"
"Twelve."
"Then it's no wonder you don't remember. You were just a baby."
"Hehe, she says I was a baby!"
Nibelria teased him innocently.
At the time, Armifera had been extremely busy preparing to run away from home.
She was honing the swordsmanship her father had taught her even further and working under Seletrina to save up money.
She didn't have time to pay attention to the neighbor kid.
"Still, seeing you grown up like this feels strange. Ah, does that mean I've aged just as much? My youth slips away as you kids shoot up in height."
"Lady Armifera is still beautiful. And your muscles are cool!"
Rubens insisted earnestly.
Before she knew it, her broad back had Nibelria and Rubens each claiming one side.
"But are you really the Mercenary King? Like, the king of all mercenaries?"
"Of course! See these scars on my arms? This one's from the semifinals of the tournament to select the Mercenary King."
"Wow...!"
By the time the children were completely engrossed in her brutal yet thrilling tales of adventure, Dether arrived with snacks.
Jam cookies brought as gifts by Al and Rubens, a glass pitcher of milk, and glasses.
And two lumps of dark-colored honey.
"Please have these first, young masters of Degladis."
"What's this?"
Rubens popped a honey lump into his mouth and asked.
His face immediately scrunched up.
"Ugh! It's bitter!"
Al, who had been watching his brother, put one in his own mouth.
He didn't grimace as badly, but his brow furrowed all the same.
"This is..."
"Honey lumps!"
Nibelria said as she dipped a jam cookie into her milk.
"But they have evil dragon scales in them, so they're kinda gross-tasting."
"Evil dragon?"
"Medicine. It's medicine."
Solles hurriedly corrected her.
"It's made with medicinal ingredients that look like evil dragon scales. It's a bit bitter, but soon the honey flavor comes out and it tastes good."
In the meantime, Arep whispered to Nibelria so only she could hear.
"Evil dragon is a secret."
"Oh, right!"
Nibelria pretended to zip her lips shut.
It was a promise never to speak of the evil dragon again.
Fortunately, just as Solles said, the bitter taste faded quickly.
"But we're not sick or anything."
Al asked Dether why they had to eat it.
"Lady Saintess prepared it for you. She said it's good for your health, so you must eat it."
"Ah."
Only then did Al's expression turn to one of understanding.
He could trust Muniel's word.
Rubens nodded too, saying, "If Grandma Muniel says so, I have to."
"...Bitter."
The moment Duke Kalarop Degladis popped the dark honey lump into his mouth, he whined like a child who'd just swallowed bitter powder medicine.
"Oh dear, is it bitter? Want a chocolate?"
"Lady Muniel..."
Kalarop shot Muniel a glare that held no real malice, even as she treated him like a child.
But he didn't refuse the chocolate she held out.
As he chewed slowly until the bitterness faded, Muniel asked,
"How are the two of them doing?"
"Well, thanks to you. They're healthy. They asked me to pass on letters to you both. And these are gifts for you."
"Oh my!"
Muniel gasped at the sight of the gifts.
She showed them to Ardores as well.
"Ardores, look at this. They drew pictures of us."
"Well drawn. Is the artist's skill better than Nini's?"
"Sadly, yes. Nini draws the eyes, nose, and mouth outside the face. This one at least kept them all inside."
A soft smile bloomed on Kalarop's face at the continued praise.
Muniel called a maid and ordered her to find a nice frame for the gifted drawings.
"By the way, Ferra came by."
Kalarop recalled the brief glimpse he'd caught of Armifera.
"Glad she made it back safe."
"Right? I was honestly bracing for her to come home missing an arm or something."
"Muniel."
"You thought the same, Ardores."
"I figured at worst a finger. I taught her swordsmanship myself. She's not the type to get beaten easily."
Parents worrying about their grown daughter running off to be a mercenary and possibly losing a limb.
Kalarop found their ongoing parenting a bit pitiful, yet he could vaguely understand their feelings.
I'd be the same.
Even when Al and Rubens grew into adults, they'd always seem like kids who needed his care.
"Did she become the Mercenary King?"
"She did, eventually."
"Congratulations are in order then."
"Tell her that when you see her. She's dying to brag to you."
Kalarop agreed with a chuckle at Ardores's jest.
In the meantime, Muniel, who had briefly stepped away, pulled a thick brown envelope from a bookshelf.
"Here, take this."
She handed it to Kalarop.
The moment he read the first page of the voluminous documents inside, Kalarop's red eyes twitched.
Soon, they began scanning the contents at a rapid pace.
Muniel and Ardores waited calmly.
A moment later.
"...Is this real?"
Having skimmed through the documents, Kalarop's face twisted with a mix of bewilderment and dread.
"Really, all of this... by that child?"
The papers detailed everything Rima had secretly orchestrated through the information broker while Kalarop was away.
Introducing a financial broker to young Petra to lure her into investing in Prok Kingdom's magic stone business.
And covertly diverting those investment funds to her own pocket, preparing to buy a small merchant guild with it.
This was no idea a seven-year-old would come up with.
Of course, his own sons—especially the mature and clever Al—might not find it entirely impossible.
But there was one clear difference: Rima's actions carried unmistakable intent.
She's trying to destroy Lubeo.
Kalarop reread the documents, praying his suspicions were wrong.
But with each pass, the horrific possibility clung tighter.
Anger boiled up from within.
"How...!"
How could she even think of doing something like this?
Even before leaving on vacation—no, even during it—Kalarop had thought of Rima constantly.
She was the child he'd personally sponsored and vowed to take responsibility for.
He'd worried endlessly about her left alone in the mansion.
He'd even nagged Al and Rubens, uncharacteristically, to get along with her.
He'd planned to consult experts about her slurred speech after his vacation.
"By the way, her pronunciation is perfectly clear."
Muniel pointed out exactly what Kalarop had been worried about.
"...Why go this far?"
Muniel had told Della to handle pretty much anything Rima requested.
And she was covering all the costs from her own pocket.
Kalarop couldn't understand it.
This feels like...
Like she was telling him to leave Rima be.
And his guess was correct.
"I was curious how far she'd go."
Muniel replied, slowly crossing her legs.
Ardores nudged the table lightly with his foot, preventing Muniel's shoe from bumping the leg.
She flashed him a small smile before dropping a loaded remark.
"Whether to kill her... or not."
"......"
"That's what I'm checking."
"Will you kill her?"
"I don't want to."
Muniel let out a deep sigh. Her slightly tense shoulders relaxed a fraction.
"Killing isn't easy for me either. Truly. The Crepat War ended forty years ago."
Besides, Rima was only seven.
Too young, too small, an age where redemption seemed possible.
"Even if Rima's soul isn't that of a seven-year-old child, I'd like to give her a chance."
But.
"If that child crosses the line..."
Muniel said no more.
Kalarop already understood everything she wanted to say.
Just then, the honey lump in his mouth fully dissolved, leaving no trace.
His dark eyes, clouded with confusion, sharpened with focus.
Soon, he asked.
