Ivic Slad.
This man had a variety of nicknames, but among them, the one Ivic treasured and prided himself on the most was undoubtedly the Mercenary King. Even if the world might not distinctly remember the name Ivic Slad, the blatant moniker of Mercenary King was known far and wide.
This was not a self-proclaimed title either. In every era, there had always been a mercenary dubbed the Mercenary King. It was a title given to the strongest among those living by the sword. At the same time, it was a title for one who was a king in his own right, a mercenary who commanded a vast force.
In the present age, there was no mercenary more fitting for the title of Mercenary King than Ivic. He was the leader of the Slad Mercenaries, which was unanimously recognized as the continent’s finest mercenary group.
It wasn’t just about the number of mercenaries either. Each member of the Slad Mercenaries possessed exceptional skills. In fact, the Slad Mercenaries was the only group capable of a direct stand-off with the now-extinct Beast Mercenaries led by Jagon.
But that wasn’t the full extent of their influence and power. Under the Slad Mercenaries were dozens of other mercenary bands. The number of powerful nobles and royalty they had business with was too many to count.
They also maintained friendly relations with renowned knightly orders throughout the continent. Though now completely severed, even just a few years ago, they also had connections with high-ranking demons of Helmuth.
Ivic was a man who stood among the greatest in terms of pure skill. In some respects, his influence and the forces under him eclipsed even those of the knight commanders. That was who Ivic Slad was. His words moved not just the Slad Mercenaries and its affiliated forces but also the entire mercenary world.
And yet, the great Ivic Slad was... currently biting his nails with anxiety, his shoulders shamefully hunched while pacing back and forth in his room.
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‘My god... oh, my god...!’ he thought in panic.It was something that happened to people sometimes. A forgotten memory in the back of one’s mind would… suddenly resurface. It would usually be a memory regarding a topic not particularly important, not worth fussing over, something touched upon briefly in conversation. It usually involved a trivial subject from which a brief discussion was derived. It wasn't necessarily a heavy topic, nor did it lead to any other discussions.
That was exactly what was happening to Ivic. He had completely forgotten about this until today. He woke up well past noon, thanks to the pleasant buzz from the previous night's drinking session. He had been staggering out of bed with a groggy mind when it suddenly hit him.
It was a memory from about a year ago.
It was during the time when he had set out to vanquish Iris, who had still been the Pirate Empress rather than the new Demon King of Fury. Ivic had briefly visited the Lionhearts’ ship carrying Carmen, Ciel, and Dezra.
At that time, he had met three female servants standing behind the members of the Lionheart family. The one in the middle had especially caught Ivic’s eye. She had been tall and slender and seemed to possess extraordinary skills… a servant named Yuri.
When he later discovered her true identity, he was filled with shock and questions, yet he could not bring himself to inquire further.
— What do you think about Sir Hamel, Sir Ivic?
Ciel had shot an unexpected question.
— I do regard him as a great… even legendary mercenary, but I don’t look up to him. No, honestly speaking, I’m not sure that Hamel should even be considered a mercenary.
— Well, I did say that, but Hamel… the Stupid Hamel, he…. I’m not trying to disregard his accomplishments. However, those accomplishments weren’t achieved during his time as a mercenary, now were they? They were accumulated during his time as a companion of the Great Vermouth.
— Of course, I’ve heard that Hamel was quite an amazing person even as a mercenary, but… well, he rarely ever received a good evaluation from his fellow mercenaries, you know? Hamel was known to hate other mercenaries, and the mercenaries also hated him back.
— How should I put this…? Hamel was someone who had no love and respect for his own profession. He harassed the other mercenaries by forcing them to cooperate with him, and many mercenary companies ended up being crushed because of Hamel. That’s why I don’t really look up to Hamel.
That was the conversation they had shared. Ivic had not bothered to sugarcoat his words in the slightest in response to Ciel’s questions. He had given a brutally honest answer.
— Lady Yuri, may I ask why you keep grinding your teeth?
"Ugh..." Ivic groaned while clutching at his hair.
Why was he suddenly recalling this memory only now? Well, it had been a conversation not worth remembering. Or rather, it felt like he had forcibly erased it from his mind due to its peculiar and seemingly indecipherable nature.
Eventually, Ivic learned the true identities of the Lionheart's servants. He could not bring himself to probe further about the servants after he witnessed the divine might of the Hero during the battle against the Demon King of Fury. So, he erased the memory from his mind, but it had suddenly come back to him.
He remembered the sight of Eugene Lionheart during the liberation war of Hauria.
He thought of the tales passed down about the Stupid Hamel. After a moment of contemplation, Ivic arrived at an inevitable conclusion.
"Let's go beg for forgiveness."
Many mercenary bands had been disbanded at Hamel’s hands before he became a comrade of the Great Vermouth. Hamel had been notorious within the mercenary circle.
The specifics might not have been passed down, but what reason could there possibly be, during a war against demons, for a human mercenary to dismantle other human mercenary groups? Such tales were a testament to Hamel's fierce character.
Naturally, Ivic had no desire to see the Slad Mercenaries disbanded. He didn't want Hamel to humiliate him in front of his men.
If he could be so bold, as the Mercenary King of the current era, he wished to earn Hamel's recognition and respect.
Thus, Ivic burst out of his room. It might already be too late, but he had to take action since the memory resurfaced today. He would go and apologize, whether it meant kneeling or prostrating himself before Hamel.
Then, as he walked out of his room and along the corridor, he saw the press conference taking place in the palace garden. Right, the conference was today; he had totally forgotten about it.
The thought of running away crossed his mind.
Why on earth would they hold such a ridiculous press conference today? To call that farce a press conference was an insult to press conferences everywhere. If it had to be called something, it should be called Melkith El-Hayah’s Rambling Show.
"Haa..." Ivic sighed deeply.
He wished he could run away or hide right this very instant. Melkith's antics had apparently driven Hamel, or Eugene, to the brink of exploding.
Ivic stood still for a moment. He watched Eugene huff as the platform he stood on sank into the ground. The reporters shouted their complaints as they were magically flung beyond the walls, but Eugene completely ignored them.
"Ahem..." Sienna had no choice but to gauge the situation when she saw Eugene this enraged.
She stole glances at his face, thinking to herself, 'I need to shut Melkith’s mouth.'
Of course, she wasn't contemplating anything as drastic as silencing Melkith permanently. She simply planned to coax and persuade Melkith not to blurt out anything like, 'Sienna made me do it.'
"That kid's just a bit odd, but she means well,” Sienna finally spoke up, attempting to defend Melkith in hopes Eugene wouldn't take to really disliking her.
"Just a bit?" Eugene shot, turning sharply to glare at Sienna.
Sienna gulped and took a step back.
"A lot,” she corrected herself.
"She does have a good heart. She was quite helpful when we first met, even indulging my blatant freeloading,” Eugene grumbled while pulling his foot out from the collapsed floor. “And although she does inexplicable things like today, she's... alright."
It was remarkable how adaptive humans could be. Eugene had already witnessed Melkith’s nonsensical behavior multiple times, so the anger that had threatened to blow cooled off rapidly.
He even started to think it all worked out for the best. Melkith's wild antics provided a way for him to dismiss the remaining dozens of reporters in one fell swoop. It also served as a demonstration of Eugene Lionheart's notoriety for being fiercely temperamental, ensuring anyone would think twice before bothering him again unless they had a death wish.
"Good work,” said Kristina as she approached from behind.
She had watched the whole spectacle. Caught off guard by her approach, Eugene instinctively stepped back.
"Uh, uh…." Eugene uttered, flustered.
The last question Melkith posed about Kristina was still fresh in his mind. What exactly was his relationship with the Saint? They had been labeled a match seemingly made in heaven, a pair who shared honey-dripping glances….
Eugene awkwardly averted his gaze. He felt strangely embarrassed.
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[Hehe...] Anise chuckled inside Kristina's mind, amused by Eugene's acute awareness and embarrassment regarding their relationship. Kristina felt the same, and she found contentment in their mutual understanding.
Sienna might have bulldozed her way through for a clear answer with her forceful methods, but the Saints were different. Why would they need to rush for a clear answer? Feelings were meant to be teased and intertwined slowly.
Ivic had been looking down at the scene from the corridor window. He held his breath and slowly retreated.
He couldn't comprehend the relationship between the three figures. To him, Eugene seemed to be struggling to suppress his rage, with his face turning red. Sienna appeared to be tiptoeing around Eugene, and Kristina looked like she was calming down the enraged Hero.
"Ha..." Ivic sighed once again.
Was this really the right moment for him to seek forgiveness? Perhaps Eugene had already forgotten about the incident. Eugene might have stayed quiet during the past year for the sake of hiding his true identity. Still, even after revealing his true identity as Hamel’s reincarnation, he had not summoned Ivic.
‘Even so.’
Ivic shook his head, refusing to cling to uncertain hope and run away, which would be utterly disgraceful. Perhaps the fearsome Hero was waiting for Ivic to come forward and seek forgiveness….
Ivic solidified his resolve once again. He did not want to run away.
He decided to face the situation head-on, to sincerely apologize for his past disrespect, and to laud Hamel for the remarkable warrior he truly was.
After making up his mind, Ivic arrived in front of Eugene’s room. However, he saw a group of individuals already gathered there.
"What are you doing here?" Ivic asked. His confusion was palpable.
"And what brings you to this place?" Ortus Hyman, the First Knight of Shimuin, returned the question with a wary expression.
It wasn't just Ortus at the door either.
The group included King Aman of Ruhr, Alchester Dragonic, the commander of the White Dragon Knights, Genos Lionheart, the captain of the First Division of the Black Lion Knights, and his daughter, Genia Lionheart.
"I... I have matters to attend to with Sir Eugene," Ivic explained, trying to keep his composure.
Ortus coughed awkwardly and looked away.
"Well, everyone here has their reasons for seeing Sir Eugene," he responded, his tone suggesting it should have been obvious.
Ivic frowned and shot a glance at Ortus. The two were not very fond of each other. In fact, they had tried to exploit each other's weaknesses to their advantage.
They had fought together during the campaign against the new Demon King of Fury. They had covered each other’s backs on the battlefield. The same had been true in this war as well. They were already comrades.
But that didn't mean they could suddenly become friends. Although they didn't despise each other as much as before, Ivic and Ortus were still cautious around one another.
"What business could you possibly have with Sir Eugene? Surely you're not thinking of recruiting him like you tried during the Knight March,” Ivic accused.
"How did you come to know of that?" asked Ortus.
"Oh, there are ways to find out. Ah, perhaps you've come to seek forgiveness for overstepping your bounds? After all, to even suggest recruiting Sir Eugene could have been considered an insult in itself, considering how backwater Shimuin is,” said Ivic.
"You don’t hold back with your words, even though you’re only the second-best of the place you call a backwater. Spitting in your own face with such eloquence could indeed be considered a talent,” retorted Ortus.
"What? Sir Ortus, it seems you're greatly mistaken. My respect for you and understanding of Shimuin's circumstances are the only reasons I haven't already contested the title of the First Knight. Frankly, it's unlikely that the petty king would offer such a title to a mercenary scum in any case,” said Ivic.
"Ivic Slad, watch your tongue. Even if you are the Second Knight, speaking ill of His Majesty—"
"Enough, both of you!" Aman raised his hand and intervened as the argument intensified. "If you want to fight, draw your swords, not your words! I'll officiate the duel myself!"
"Your Majesty, really? Over such a trivial matter?" Ivic quickly backed off, jesting while casting one last glare at Ortus.
Not wanting to escalate the argument further, Ortus clicked his tongue and also turned away.
"So, Ivic, what brings you here?" Alchester broke the brief silence. "I've come to offer my congratulations on Sir Eugene's recovery and to have a private word.”
Ivic wasn't the only one pressed for an explanation. Alchester openly shared his reason. He was confident and unashamed.
"And frankly, I want to seek some advice from him as a swordsman,” he continued.
Genos’ interest was piqued, and he approached Alchester, momentarily leaving his daughter standing awkwardly behind him.
"That reminds me, Sir Alchester, there's a question I've been meaning to ask you,” said Genos.
"What is it?" responded Alchester.
"Sir Hamel... or brother Eugene…”
“Brother Eugene?” questioned Alchester.
“Ah, pardon me, I misspoke."
Originally, Genos referred to Eugene as brother because Genos’ lineage was supposed to inherit the Hamel Style, and Eugene was its rightful successor. But now that Eugene had revealed himself as Hamel, he no longer needed to use such a title.
"Master Eugene's swordsmanship, I wasn’t sure because the form it took is different, but… the way he layered sword-force closely resembled the Dragonic family’s Empty Sword. Did you teach that to Master Eugene?”
"Master?" Alchester was momentarily puzzled by the title but soon realized its appropriateness. He was aware that Genos’ family venerated Hamel as their supreme mentor.
"To say I taught him might be overstating it. As you know, Sir Eugene stayed with the Dragonic family a few years back,” Alchester explained.
"Yes, I know about that. I've heard that he tutored your son,” responded Genos.
"Indeed, a great honor. While seeking Sir Eugene’s guidance on mana manipulation for my son, I also shared the technique of the Empty Sword with him."
The Empty Sword was a secret technique used by the Dragonic family. Alchester had decided on his own to teach it to an outsider like Eugene.
Such was his fascination with Eugene's talent. At that time, Alchester firmly believed Eugene would be central to the Lionheart family, even if he did not become its head. He believed that Eugene would come to be the strongest knight on the continent.
Alchester thought that adding the techniques of the Dragonic family to Eugene’s repertoire would not only elevate Eugene's legend but also immortalize the Dragonic family’s techniques in history.
It had been the right choice. Eugene had been enlightened by the Empty Sword, and he utilized the Empty Sword’s fundamentals when he created new techniques.
"Indeed! So, Master’s swordsmanship was based on the Empty Sword,” shouted Genos.
"It's an honor that he holds it in such high regard,” Alchester answered.
"I came to—” Genos cleared his throat while glancing at his daughter, Genia, beside him. "Like Sir Alchester, I wanted to celebrate his recovery. And... my daughter wishes to apologize to him."
"Apologize...?" Ivic's expression darkened. “It’s the same for me.”
"Are you also here to seek forgiveness from Master, Ivic Slad?" questioned Genos.
"Yes... ah, it's complicated... but yes, I once acted disrespectfully towards him,” Ivic admitted while gauging Ortus’ reaction. He could see Ortus’ gaze wavering.
It seemed he, too, had come for the purpose of apologizing to Eugene.
"What brings Your Majesty here?" Ivic inquired.
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"Me?" King Aman blinked, turning towards Ivic. "I came to suggest we take a bath together now that his wounds have healed. The palace's bathhouse is splendid, isn't it?"
"A... bath?" Ivic asked, dumbstruck.
"We've done it once before,” Aman murmured while recalling his previous bath with Eugene.
"No... no, that's not right. I was the only one who bathed last time. So, this time, we should do it together."
Though the intention behind his words was unclear, it appeared he had not come to offer apologies.