Chapter 10

　　Cadel slowly lifted his teacup. Lowering his eyes awkwardly, he caught sight of his messy reflection in the yellowish tea. Faint ripples shimmered across the surface. He took a slow sip, as if savoring it to the fullest, and set the cup down just as slowly.

　　“…It is an honor. I’m grateful enough that you provided a healer, but to be served such precious tea… Viscount Stra, you are truly a merciful man.”

　　Across from him sat Viscount Stra, legs casually crossed. His graying hair was slicked back without a single strand out of place, his thin, fox-like eyes slanted upward, and his crooked mouth was devoid of even a hint of mercy.

　　Even if one searched thoroughly, there was no benevolent aura about the man. Yet Cadel had just praised him as the ‘merciful Viscount Stra.’ After all, Van was still somewhere in this mansion, receiving treatment from the Viscount’s people. There was no benefit in getting on his bad side.

　　Anyway… I didn’t expect my threat to work. I got to see a Healer much easier than I thought.

　　Cadel carefully smacked his lips.

　　He had taken the horse Babil brought—unable to ride himself, he entrusted Van to Ron and hitched a ride with Babil—and rushed straight to the Viscount’s estate. He had confronted the guards who came out to meet him, screaming threats along the lines of, “If you want to reclaim the Smog Plains, come out right now!” Soon after, the Viscount’s son, Drew, had come down, and Cadel explained the urgent situation to him.

　　He had naturally expected a scuffle, but Drew surprisingly sent Van to a healer without a fuss. He even guided Cadel to the drawing room.

　　If he had known he would be facing Viscount Stra in here, he would have stayed outside, no matter how exhausted he was.

　　How am I supposed to treat a noble, anyway?

　　He came from a world without a caste system. Of course, invisible power imbalances existed there too, but the innate hierarchy wasn’t as absolute as it was here. Because of that, Cadel held his tongue. Since Viscount Stra didn’t say much either, the drawing room had been engulfed in a suffocating silence for a while.

　　Fortunately, the Viscount graciously spoke up just before Cadel suffocated from the tension.

　　“Cadel Lytos. Is that your name?”

　　“Yes. It is.”

　　At Cadel’s answer, the Viscount raised an eyebrow in amusement. It was an unpleasant expression.

　　Why is he making that face? What’s wrong with my name?

　　Cadel sneered inwardly as he glanced at the man’s glossy face. After a brief pause, the Viscount casually tossed out a fact that Cadel had completely forgotten.

　　“To see a fallen noble of the Osma Empire in the Mainyu Kingdom. Isn’t it fascinating? Even the fact that you casually drop the name Lytos… is quite intriguing.”

　　A fallen noble of the Osma Empire!

　　That was Cadel Lytos’s background, something he hadn’t kept in mind at all. Cadel stared blankly at the Viscount, completely caught off guard. The Viscount seemed to misunderstand his reaction, openly mocking him as he pulled up one corner of his mouth.

　　“Did you think I wouldn’t know? They were once a promising, prestigious family of mages. I heard they were exterminated for the high treason of attempting to assassinate a member of the imperial family. To think I’d meet their bloodline in a place like this. Or should I say, a half-bloodline.”

　　Cadel remained silent.

　　Viscount Stra’s sarcasm didn’t deal a single blow to Cadel. It felt like listening to someone else’s story, and in reality, it was.

　　Right. Cadel Lytos was the illegitimate child of a fallen family. A fallen family is one thing, and an illegitimate child is another. But being the illegitimate child of a fallen family just makes me a worthless nobody.

　　In the game, despite being an illegitimate child, Cadel Lytos had a strong attachment to his family, and restoring them to their former glory was his secondary goal. However, that didn’t matter to the current Cadel at all. He just needed to see the end of the story and return to his original world.

　　“Look at yourself. A mercenary… Not even a knight, but a mercenary! Isn’t it truly laughable? Fleeing to another’s land only to play at being a mercenary…”

　　The Viscount let out an unpleasant laugh. His gaze, sinister with its small pupils, openly looked down on him. However, Cadel calmly replied without showing any sign of offense.

　　“Pride isn’t necessary to make a living. I merely found a way to survive.”

　　“The magic of the Lytos Family was famous. I wonder if the skills of an illegitimate child like you are as outstanding as the rumors say.”

　　“You can check the Smog Plains for yourself.”

　　Cadel picked up his teacup with a nonchalant face. At that, the Viscount’s expression shifted subtly. He seemed doubtful, yet also amused.

　　“Are you saying you really cleared the plains with a mere four people?”

　　“To be exact, it was two. The other two weren’t of much use.”

　　“…Are you certain?”

　　“If you’re talking about the monster subjugation, yes. I am certain. Since my capable subordinate ended up in that state, it wouldn’t look good if I wasn’t.”

　　The Viscount’s attitude was sarcastic, insinuating, As if someone like you has to save face, but he didn’t bother saying it out loud. Instead, he arrogantly tilted his chin up.

　　“Since day has already broken, I will send my soldiers tonight to verify it.”

　　“I suppose I won’t receive the commission fee until tomorrow, then.”

　　“That’s not all.”

　　Cadel looked at him questioningly.

　　“If you have successfully reclaimed the Smog Plains, Cadel Lytos, you will earn the opportunity to become my man.”

　　Cadel blinked, momentarily speechless.

　　An opportunity to become his man. He had a vague idea of what the Viscount was trying to propose, but the problem was the nature of this game. Terrified that this old man might be raising a romantic flag, his mouth went completely dry.

　　Fortunately, the Viscount wasn’t that kind of scoundrel.

　　“Mages are rare. Proper mages are even rarer, and mages with a lineage are rarer still. Even if you are an illegitimate child of a fallen family from the Osma Empire, that value does not easily drop. Even if you are currently chipping away at your own worth, that is.”

　　“Are you saying…”

　　“I will help you quit this degrading mercenary work. Your room and board will be taken care of, and you will receive a salary, so all your worries up until now will become a thing of the past.”

　　From Viscount Stra’s perspective, this was an exceptional offer with absolutely no reason to refuse. If anything, Cadel should be the one prostrating himself and pledging loyalty. The Viscount was personally offering to wash the record of a fugitive mage and keep him by his side. Cadel was bound to accept, if only to save his own hide.

　　Looking at the Viscount who clearly believed just that, Cadel thought quietly.

　　Is Van’s treatment over?

　　A mage affiliated with the Viscount’s family? Bullshit.

　　If he joined, it was obvious he would be bullied for being an illegitimate mage, he would have to run into the foul-tempered Drew all the time, and crucially, it wouldn’t help Cadel’s future in the slightest.

　　His only goal was escape. To return as quickly as possible to his own body, the condition of which he didn’t even know after being hit by a truck. He had zero desire to spend the rest of his life in a world without a single piece of modern technology.

　　But right now, Van was receiving treatment with the Viscount’s help. If he hastily refused and offended the man, Van could be kicked out in the middle of his treatment. Cadel chose his words as carefully as possible.

　　“If it were up to me, I’d want to seize this opportunity right away, but,” Cadel began, hesitating.

　　“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of refusing.”

　　“I have a subordinate. He’s a loyal guy who would lay down his life for me.”

　　“You mean that half-dead bastard.”

　　Cadel nodded with a bitter expression.

　　“Before accepting your offer, Viscount, I would like to persuade my friend. If I leave the mercenary group without a word, the sense of betrayal he’ll feel will be immense.”

　　“He looked like he had a pretty useful body. Is he of noble birth too?”

　　“No. He’s a commoner.”

　　“Hmm, that’s a shame.”

　　So he’d take in a fallen noble but not an outstanding commoner swordsman? Pushing down his offense at these incomprehensible values, Cadel studied the man’s face as if asking for permission. Soon, the Viscount spoke apathetically.

　　“It doesn’t matter. I won’t be able to verify if your skills are real until tonight anyway.”

　　“Thank you, Viscount Stra.”

　　Cadel bowed his head with the most polite smile he could muster. Only then was he finally able to escape the drawing room.

　　For now, he had to go see Van.

* * *

　　“The healing isn’t finished yet! If you move around as you please…!”

　　“I don’t need it. Don’t touch me and get lost. The Captain, where is Captain Cadel?”

　　Inside the healing room, Van was scuffling with the Healer, his entire body wrapped in bandages. He was displeased with his condition of being tightly bound in bandages that made him shudder just looking at them, with the fact that this was Viscount Stra’s mansion, and with not knowing the Captain’s whereabouts. He felt so foul that one wrong move and he might just kill the Healer in front of him.

　　As if sensing Van’s murderous intent, the Healer blocking him flinched. Meeting that cold-blooded gaze that looked perfectly ready to spill blood right this instant, he felt the urge to ditch the Viscount’s orders and run.

　　Just as the Healer was forcing strength into his trembling knees, it happened.

　　Van’s fierce expression softened gently, as if spring had arrived, and he smiled with a warmth so intense it was almost creepy in a certain way. Before the flustered Healer could even turn his head, Van shoved past him and walked over to the other side.

　　“Captain! Where were you? I was so anxious because I couldn’t see you.”

　　“Sorry, sorry. How’s your body? Are you okay?”

　　“Of course. I’m completely healed now.”

　　The man who had been acting so viciously just a moment ago, as if he could easily kill a person or two, was now fawning like a fox in front of the man he called Captain. As the dumbfounded Healer let out a hollow laugh, Cadel’s gaze belatedly turned to him.

　　“Thank you so much. He survived thanks to you.”

　　“…You can give your thanks to the Viscount.”

　　“Are there any precautions we should take? Like needing to rest for the time being?” Cadel asked, trailing off.

　　Rest? The healing process wasn’t even finished, so what did he mean by rest?

　　He wanted to snap back at him, but… facing Van, who stood gloomily behind Cadel and glared at him as if he wanted to kill him, the words simply wouldn’t come out. The Healer shook his head, vaguely brushing it off.

　　“No. He’s fully recovered, so he can run right out of here.”

　　“Ah! That’s a relief. Let’s go then, Van. I have something to tell you.”

　　Watching Cadel’s back as he took Van and left with a polite bow, the Healer muttered with a sour expression.

　　“I feel sorry for that Captain guy…”