Chapter 16
I need to convince him to join. No matter what!
I stared at Travis.
I needed another reason to convince him.
Then an idea came to me.
"Leon and Elia should start learning how to take care of themselves," I said.
Travis raised an eyebrow.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"They're not going to have you around forever," I explained. "They need to learn how to be independent. Especially since you're a mercenary."
Travis stared at me.
I continued before he could interrupt.
"What if something happens to you during a mission?" I asked. "They should at least know how to manage on their own."
The moment I finished speaking, Travis flicked my forehead.
"Ow!" I complained, rubbing it.
"Don't say things like that," Travis said, frowning.
"But it's true," I muttered.
"I'm not planning on dying anytime soon," Travis replied.
I blinked.
Then he sighed.
"Besides, Leon and Elia aren't helpless," he added. "They've been taking care of themselves while I work."
I rubbed my forehead and pouted.
"Then that's good," I said, brightening. "If they're already capable of taking care of themselves, there's no reason we can't join the mission."
Travis stared at me.
"That's not what I meant," he replied.
Travis sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I still don't feel comfortable leaving them alone for two weeks," he admitted.
I tilted my head.
"But you just said they're not helpless," I pointed out.
"That doesn't mean I can stop worrying about them," Travis replied.
I crossed my arms.
"Then what if we ask someone you trust to check on them while we're gone?" I suggested.
Travis fell silent for a moment.
He seemed to be considering it.
I watched him closely.
Come on...
Please say yes.
Suddenly, Travis looked at me.
"Why are you so eager to join?" he asked. "You haven't even joined the guild yet, so you're still not a mercenary."
I froze.
Right.
I hadn't actually thought of that.
I quickly turned toward the guild counter.
"Then I'll register," I said.
Travis blinked.
"Now?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Why not?" I replied.
I walked over to the receptionist and placed my hand on the counter.
"I'd like to register as a mercenary," I said.
The receptionist handed me a registration form.
I filled it out, paid the five silver coins, and waited as she stamped the guild's seal onto it.
Finally, she handed me a small copper card bearing the guild's crest.
"Congratulations. You're officially a mercenary," she said.
I looked down at the card and smiled.
Travis glanced at the card before looking back at me.
"You really registered just to join this mission?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Of course," I replied. "It's a great opportunity to gain experience."
Travis sighed.
"I'll think about it," he said.
My eyes lit up.
"Really?" I asked.
"I still need to find someone to look after Leon and Elia," he replied.
I smiled.
A few days later, I arranged for a trusted neighbor to look after Leon and Elia while we were gone. I even paid them in advance.
With everything taken care of, Travis finally agreed to join the mission.
He prepared enough food and supplies for Leon and Elia to last the two weeks we would be gone.
Once everything was ready, the day of our departure finally arrived.
We joined the other mercenaries gathered at the village entrance.
Several wagons were waiting for us.
As I approached the group, several mercenaries glanced at me.
Their eyes fell on the sword at my waist.
A few exchanged amused looks.
"They started letting women join monster hunts now?" one of them scoffed.
A few mercenaries laughed.
I frowned.
Before I could say anything, Travis stepped forward.
"She's a mercenary now, just like the rest of us," Travis said firmly. "What's the problem?"
The mercenary shrugged.
"We'll see how long she lasts."
I clenched my fists.
I really hated being underestimated.
Still, I kept quiet and followed Travis toward the wagons.
The other mercenaries began climbing in, and soon everyone was ready to leave.
I climbed into the wagon beside Travis.
A few moments later, the wagons began moving.
I looked back at Zorad as the village slowly disappeared behind us.
This was it.
My first real mission as a mercenary.
And, more importantly, I was finally going to see Duke Cassian.
After a few hours of traveling, we finally arrived at the meeting point.
Several mercenaries were already gathered there, along with soldiers from the duchy's forces.
I looked around curiously.
So this was where the monster subjugation would begin.
I tightened my grip on my sword.
"Everyone, gather around!"
A loud voice suddenly came from behind us.
I turned toward the voice.
A group of soldiers approached, led by a tall man wearing silver armor.
"You're the mercenaries recruited for the subjugation, correct?" he asked.
Several mercenaries nodded.
"Yes, sir," one of them replied.
The soldier looked over the group.
"The Duke will brief you shortly," the soldier said. "Until then, stay together and prepare your equipment."
The Duke.
My heart skipped a beat.
Cassian was here.
A few moments later, the soldiers suddenly straightened.
I turned toward the approaching footsteps.
A group of knights appeared, and at the center of them was a tall man with black hair and striking red eyes.
My breath caught.
Duke Cassian.
He looked terrible.
His face was pale, dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his expression was cold and distant.
As he approached, the knights around him instinctively kept their distance.
I knew why.
Cassian was cursed.
Whenever he slept, nightmares of the people who had died around him would haunt him, especially those he had lost on the battlefield.
In the novel, he would occasionally visit the temple when the nightmares became unbearable. The priests could ease them with divine power, allowing him to sleep peacefully for a while.
But judging by his exhausted appearance, I could only assume he hadn't been able to visit the temple lately.
With the sudden monster attacks, he probably hadn't had a chance.
"You're the mercenaries recruited for the subjugation," he said coldly.
Everyone fell silent.
"The border has recently come under attack by an unexpected wave of monsters," he continued. "Most of my knights have been stationed there to defend the area."
His red eyes swept over us.
"However, some of the monsters managed to escape during the attacks. They've begun moving farther from the border and attacking nearby villages."
He paused briefly.
"Your task is to hunt them down before they cause any more damage," he continued.
His gaze moved across the mercenaries.
Then it stopped.
On me.
Our eyes met.
I froze.
For a moment, Cassian simply stared at me with those cold red eyes.
I quickly looked away.
I could feel his gaze lingering on me.
Why was he looking at me?
I subtly glanced back at him.
Cassian was still staring.
My heart skipped a beat.
Did he recognize me?
No.
That was impossible.
He had never met Rishima before.
...I think.
~~~
Yohan entered Theon's study with a grim expression.
"Duke, I have some bad news," Yohan said.
Theon looked up from his documents.
"What is it?" he asked.
"The nanny has disappeared," Yohan replied.
Theon's expression hardened.
"Disappeared?" he repeated.
Yohan nodded.
"The people we sent to check on her found her house in disarray," Yohan reported. "There were clear signs of a struggle, but the nanny was nowhere to be found."
Theon fell silent.
Yohan hesitated before continuing.
"I think... that person may have found her."
Theon's eyes darkened.
His hand slowly tightened into a fist, his knuckles turning white.
"Damn it," he muttered.
"I'm sorry, Your Grace," Yohan said, lowering his head. "I should have done more to ensure her safety."
Theon was silent for a moment before speaking.
"Send someone after Rishima immediately," he ordered. "I want her brought back to the duchy."
"Yes, Your Grace," Yohan replied, bowing his head.
Theon looked toward the window, his expression dark.
He regretted letting her leave.
He could only hope she was safe.
And that his people would reach her before anyone else did.
Not long after, three of Theon's men set out for Zorad.
To reach the village as quickly as possible, they used a teleportation scroll.
Once they arrived, they began asking about Rishima.
But no one recognized the name.
"Rishima?" one of the villagers repeated, shaking his head. "I've never heard of anyone by that name."
The men exchanged glances.
One of them quickly pulled out a portrait and showed it to the villagers.
"Do you recognize this woman?" he asked.
The moment they saw the portrait, several villagers nodded.
"Ah, her!" one of them exclaimed. "That's Luna."
The men froze.
"Luna?" one of them repeated.
"Yes," the villager replied. "She arrived here a while ago. It's hard to forget her."
Another villager nodded.
"She left with Travis. I heard they joined the group heading out for the monster subjugation," he explained.
The men exchanged worried looks.
They had arrived too late.
Rishima was already gone.
"Do you know anything else?" one of them asked.
"Apparently, she recently registered as a mercenary," another villager replied. "That's why she was able to join the subjugation."
The men cursed under their breaths.
"We'll follow her," one of them said firmly. "We can't go back without her. The Duke might have our heads."
The other two swallowed hard and nodded.
One of them quickly wrote down everything they had learned and attached the message to a messenger bird.
"Use the teleportation scroll on the bird," the same man ordered.
Another nodded and activated the scroll.
The bird disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared near the Grimaldi Estate, carrying the message straight to its destination.
Meanwhile, the group remained in Zorad and prepared to follow Rishima to the monster subjugation.
The message arrived at the Grimaldi Estate not long after.
Yohan immediately entered Theon's study.
"Your Grace, we've received a report from the men we sent in Zorad," Yohan said.
Theon looked up from his desk.
"What did they find?" he asked.
Yohan unfolded the letter and began reading.
"They found Lady Rishima in Zorad. However, no one there knew her by that name."
Theon frowned.
"They only recognized her after being shown her portrait," Yohan continued. "The villagers said she goes by the name Luna."
Theon's eyes narrowed.
"Luna..." he muttered.
Yohan continued reading.
"They also learned that she recently registered as a mercenary and joined a group heading out for a monster subjugation," Yohan said. "She was traveling with a mercenary named Travis."
Theon went silent.
"She became a mercenary?" he asked, disbelief evident in his voice.
"Yes, Your Grace," Yohan replied.
Theon stared at him.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
His daughter had been gone for barely over a month, and she had already managed to become a mercenary and join a monster subjugation.
"Where is she now?" Theon finally asked.
"They are following her to the subjugation site," Yohan answered. "They'll bring her back to the duchy once they find her."
Theon sighed and rubbed his temples.
"That girl..." he muttered.
.
.
.