“Captain, are we really going to complete this mission?”
“Hmm?”
How long had I been sitting here?
A handsome young man with golden hair, as if crafted by the gods, looked up. He was meticulously polishing a long sword, perched on a rock with one leg propped up. He was wiping the blade with a cloth dipped in polish, the same blade that had been dripping with blood moments ago.
“I suppose we have to. That’s why we accepted the mission.”
“…….”
Denis Banya thought to himself that the captain’s calm demeanor was chilling.
However, he quickly reconsidered. Despite his rough exterior, the captain was a good person. He could separate personal feelings from work, which was why he could remain so composed in this situation.
Denis shook his head from side to side to clear his thoughts. He noticed the bodies scattered around them—people they had to kill to complete the mission. Realizing he had taken their lives, Denis trembled and covered his eyes.
“Banya, don’t be too sad.”
The soft voice of the mercenary captain pulled Denis out of his despair.
“After all, we got what we came for.”
Denis turned sharply towards what the captain was nodding at. There lay a large sack, big enough to hold a person.
Denis, remembering the purpose of their mission, jumped up and hurried towards the sack.
“If we rescued him, we should get him out quickly, Captain! What have you been doing all this time?”
He grumbled in disbelief.
“Oh, was I supposed to get him out? I didn’t know.”
The golden-haired man smiled faintly and shrugged. Denis thought, ‘He really is an odd one,’ and furrowed his brow. But for now, the priority was to free the client’s son, who had been kidnapped and stuffed into the sack.
The sack, which had been still until now, began to stir as Denis approached. The boy inside must have thought his captors were coming. Denis grabbed the knot on the sack and tried to calm the boy inside.
“Easy, easy. We’re here to rescue you, not harm you.”
Rescue? The golden-haired captain tilted his head at Denis’s words. There was a flaw in his statement.
“Banya, you need to explain properly. If he meets the client’s conditions, we have to kill him immediately.”
“……Captain, please be quiet for a moment.”
Their client had tasked them with rescuing the boy but with a condition that would determine whether the boy lived or died. Denis had doubts about accepting this mission, but the captain had agreed without hesitation.
The sack continued to squirm, and Denis frowned as he untied the knot and opened it.
“There, you must have been uncomfortable in there.”
Inside was a boy with bright silver hair, his eyes covered with a black cloth and his hands tied behind his back. He was filthy from being tossed around in the sack.
Blindfolded, the boy looked in the wrong direction, facing the golden-haired man instead of Denis.
The golden-haired man continued to smile as he gazed at the boy.
“……Why did you kidnap me? If you let me go, I’ll pay you double the reward.”
The silver-haired boy spoke defiantly. Despite his offer, his voice was filled with anger, as if ready to fight. The captain leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand.
“Banya.”
Denis looked up at the captain’s call.
“Remove his blindfold.”
Only then could they decide what to do with the boy. The captain grinned, his eyes fixed on the boy. Denis pursed his lips at the command.
“…….”
The boy also sensed the tension and waited silently, his lips twisted in a grimace. Surrounded by mercenaries, he couldn’t tell if they were friends or foes, so he had no choice but to await their decision.
Denis silently reached for the boy’s blindfold, hoping desperately that the eyes beneath would be an ordinary brown, sparing the boy’s life.
The black cloth fell to the ground. The boy slowly opened his eyes as the blindfold was removed.
The golden-haired man noticed the boy’s eye color before Denis did and smiled faintly. He stood up and walked towards the boy. Denis also checked the boy’s eyes and realized the captain’s intention. He clenched his jaw as the captain approached with his sword.
The boy’s eyes, hidden by the blindfold, were a brilliant ruby red.
“Captain… let’s just forget this mission.”
“Nonsense. What about the time and money we’ve invested over the past few months?”
The golden-haired man scoffed and shook his head. Since the boy was the client’s son, it was clear that personal feelings were involved.
“Are you going to kill me?”
The boy looked up at the golden-haired man with a steady gaze. The man’s golden hair glinted in the bright sunlight, almost blinding him.
“Yes. I’m sorry, but that’s how it has to be.”
“Captain!”
Denis stepped between the captain and the boy, blocking his path.
“Let’s think about this! We don’t have to kill him right away!”
“Denis… If you’re so soft-hearted, why did you join a mercenary group? I’ve told you before, killing people isn’t for you.”
“Who is suited for such a thing?! But that’s not the point. Why don’t we just release him in some quiet town? The client won’t know the difference!”
The man, known as the captain, pretended to consider the suggestion, tapping his finger on his chin.
“No, that would only complicate things further.”
Having made up his mind, the man nodded once and pushed Denis aside. He quickly raised his sword and plunged it into the boy’s chest. The sickening sound of metal piercing flesh made Denis gasp in horror.
The boy groaned in pain and slowly collapsed to the side. Blood, the same vivid red as his eyes, trickled from his mouth. He stared at the man’s face, which was illuminated by a brilliant smile. Then, he muttered something.
What did he say? The golden-haired man leaned in to hear the boy’s words.
Suddenly, the boy’s red eyes flashed, and he looked directly at the man.
“Adrian. Will you grant my wish before it’s too late?”
“……What?”
The captain, who had been indifferent all day, widened his eyes in shock. There was something familiar about the boy’s face, a strange sense of déjà vu. He narrowed his eyes, trying to recall where he had seen him before. The boy spoke again, his voice clear and steady despite his condition.
“Am I just another passerby in your life, or will you remember me someday?”
“……What are you talking about?”
Adrian.
The man repeated the name the boy had called him, trying to place it. He realized that during his time leading the mercenary group, he had never accepted a mission like this. His usually stoic expression crumbled as he reached out to the boy lying at his feet, bleeding.
He whispered a name that had been lingering in his mind.
“……Mikhail?”
But the boy did not open his eyes again. The fatal wound inflicted by the man’s own sword had taken his life. The man, his face contorted with grief, slowly reached out to touch the wound.
Did I kill him? Mikhail? There was no heartbeat left.
“Mikhail!”
The man, no, Luce, cried out the boy’s name.
“Mikhail! Wake up!”
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening echoed through the room. Luce felt as if he had been abruptly pulled back to reality and thrown to the floor.
This can’t be happening.
Wasn’t this a vast field?
Luce slowly opened his eyes. He first felt the soft blanket wrapped around him and then realized he was lying down, not standing.
He sensed someone approaching and quickly grabbed the intruder’s arm, pinning them to the bed. He pressed his forearm against their throat and demanded,
“……Who are you?”
The intruder was breathing heavily, having just woken up. Luce was confused. He furrowed his brow and looked at the face of the person who had reached out to him. It was Mikhail.
Luce sighed in relief and slowly released his grip.
“It’s just you. When did you come into my room?”
“……I heard you calling my name and thought something might be wrong.”
Mikhail studied Luce’s face, noting the beads of sweat and his disheveled appearance. He wondered why Luce had called his name.
“Are you alright?”
“……Even if I’m not, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Luce muttered weakly. He sighed again and slowly climbed off Mikhail. He waved his hand towards the door, signaling him to leave.
“It was just… a dream. No, a terrible nightmare.”
With Denis and Mikhail appearing in it, calling it a nightmare seemed fitting.
Luce rubbed his temples, trying to ease his headache, and gave a vague response. Mikhail looked at him with a curious expression and made a suggestion.
“Would you like me to stay with you?”
What? Luce looked up sharply at the offer.
