Chapter 73 : …Oh, it’s Oppa

A massive sand-colored fortress wall loomed in the middle of the desert.

On days when the sandstorm was severe, one could pass by without even realizing it was a fortress, earning it the name “Mirage Castle” at one point.

“Baern…”

Usher repeated the name silently to himself.

Though he tried to suppress and set aside his thoughts, seeing fragments of the past in such a vivid way brought many emotions to mind.

If it had been a different time or under different circumstances, Usher might not have entered this gate at all.

He probably wouldn’t have even considered returning to this desert.

But now, it was different.

Since other concerns preoccupied him, his anxiety over this matter was lessened.

“We’re almost there.”

“…”

“Should we practice in advance? Oh. Pa.”

“…”

“People fear nearby violence more than distant tragedies. That fact struck me anew.”

At Bersia’s teasing whisper, Usher felt his teeth clench with frustration.

Indeed.

There was no time for sentimentality when hardships awaited them right at the gate.

“…Grmhnfhr.”

“I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

“….!”

There wasn’t even time to glare at each other in irritation.

Before they realized it, they had arrived at the gate.

Guards dressed in desert attire squinted at them through their hoods, scrutinizing the group.

After looking over the four people atop their camels, the guards snickered.

“Some rookies have arrived.”

“Wow, there are still fresh-faced newbies like these, huh?”

“Even their hair’s literally blue. Haha.”

It was obvious they were trying to assert dominance.

Discipline was, naturally, lacking.

But they were mercenaries.

The guards of Baern were essentially selected from the main mercenary corps and used as duty guards, so expecting discipline or formality was pointless.

Meanwhile, Usher could feel their gaze fixated on him.

Even though he wore clothing, it was thin fabric beneath his protective gear.

Whenever the wind blew, it outlined his figure, and it didn’t take a genius to realize their lecherous thoughts.

Diego furrowed his brows.

Usher signaled with a glance that he would handle this himself.

Braving the sandstorm, he stepped forward with a bright smile and said,

“Seems like these lowly guards who do nothing but stand around have sharp tongues.”

“…!”

“Do you think clinging to the leader’s reputation makes you something special? That’s not how you open your eyes. Strength reigns. Isn’t that the only rule in this desert?”

The guards’ eyes widened.

Their rising anger was evident, but Usher wasn’t the least bit afraid.

Even if they were selected from reputable mercenary groups, those stationed here as guards were merely reserve forces.

More importantly, if he wanted to achieve his goals in Baern, he needed to make a name for himself here.

“You damn wench!”

One of the guards suddenly swung his sword at him.

It was a genuine attempt to cut him down.

“Ah, a familiar style.”

If he couldn’t stop the guard’s sword, then he wasn’t qualified to enter Baern.

This was the unspoken understanding among the mercenaries in this city.

In other words, this was their first test to become a mercenary of Baern.

“Pathetic.”

Tiiing!

“…!”

Usher flicked the blade’s side with his index finger, deflecting it.

At the same time, he lifted his leg.

He stomped down on the incoming sword from the side with his heel, driving it into the ground.

That was a disarmament.

But that alone wasn’t enough to earn their submission.

Crack!

“Argh!!!”

He slammed the guard’s knee with the sword hilt.

Simultaneously, he grabbed another guard by the collar and smashed his head into the ground.

They weren’t left with irreversible injuries.

But for a while, until their shift ended, these mercenaries would be clutching their aching knees, quietly fulfilling their gate-guarding duties.

“Oh-ho.”

Halia stroked her chin and asked Bersia,

“Did you teach her that?”

“Yes, she’s improving rapidly.”

“She’s certainly not ordinary when it comes to natural talent.”

The awkward feeling from overhearing the conversation lasted only a moment.

Usher dusted off his hands and took a deep breath to steady himself.

Then, standing straight, he clasped his hands in front of him and spoke.

“The Blue Sword—it’s the name of our mercenary group. I’m Tia. The person in the middle there is our leader, Miss Ria. The silver-haired man beside her is Ergo.”

As he continued his explanation,

“And the person behind us is…”

Usher found himself on a true test of nerves.

Feigning calmness, he was inwardly overcome with turmoil and distress.

“…Oh.”

His words came to an abrupt halt.

His expression grew increasingly distorted.

It felt as though his inner masculinity was crying out in agony.

For some reason, he heard a phantom voice.

—Stop! Stop, Usher Therbion! Anything but that! Don’t deny yourself!!!

“…Oh…”

But he couldn’t listen to that voice.

The faces of the guards, who had been looking up at him with strained expressions, were beginning to show suspicion.

If he appeared hesitant now, it might raise doubts among these guards and their elite superiors from Baern.

In the end, Usher caved.

“…Oh, it’s Oppa. My older brother.”

His head drooped diagonally toward the ground.

His cheeks and earlobes turned red.

His body trembled slightly.

It was shame that drove him to act this way, but Usher had no way of knowing how it appeared to others.

His inner masculinity screamed in despair.

—Noooo!!!

And Bersia laughed.

“Sister, do you like me that much?”

With an arm slung around Usher’s shoulders, Bersia addressed the guards.

“Sorry, my younger sibling is a bit shy. Now, can we go in?”

The guards swallowed nervously, looking up at Bersia.

Then, gritting their teeth, they nodded.

“…The Blue Sword. We’ll remember that. Doesn’t seem like you’re just some random nobodies.”

“Pardon us.”

And with that, the group entered Baern.

Though Usher finally laid eyes on the landscape of Baern again after so many years, he couldn’t afford to become sentimental.

His heart ached, and it burned.

He closed his eyes tightly.

After the painful experience of entering the city, accommodations were arranged.

That part wasn’t difficult.

In Baern, the so-called land of mercenaries, the role of housing was rather unique.

Individuals rarely purchased homes in Baern.

Instead, renting homes for a set period of time was a thriving practice.

The reason was simple.

Unless they were part of a major mercenary group, mercenaries lived lives so uncertain that investing in a permanent home before retirement seemed unnecessary.

Thus, when mercenaries from outside came looking for a place to stay, there were plenty of property owners—essentially landlords—who were eager to make deals.

What impression would these green mercenaries give to the property owners?

“So you’re saying you got scammed?”

Halia’s eyes widened sharply.

The happiness she had shown about finding a comfortable place to stay in the desert melted away like snow.

She hated being disregarded to an extreme degree.

Though I’d heard about her having such a disposition, I didn’t realize it was to this extent.

Now I understood.

The reason Halia always walked around smiling in the church was that there was nothing there to make her feel disregarded.

In any case, seeing her veins pop in her white eyes, as if she were about to storm off to find the person who sold us the house, Usher stepped in to calm her.

“We weren’t scammed, Miss Halia.”

“What do you mean by that? Hm? No, Usher, you explain it to me!”

“I overheard everything, so let me explain it myself.”

Usher spoke in the calmest tone he could manage.

This was another thing he’d learned over the past few days:

If he approached Halia with a gentle attitude, she would calm down relatively quickly.

This, too, was an oddly childish trait for someone who looked like they were in their fifties.

“I already mentioned that we’d be staying in this city for more than a month, right?”

“Yes! You said the city’s ruling class had ties to the witch, didn’t you!”

“And I also explained the structure of this city, didn’t I?”

“The mercenary groups selected by the royal family! They are the true rulers of the city, right?”

“Exactly, that’s it.”

“Hm?”

“Our goal here is to aim for that mercenary group… ‘The Lion Corps.'”

Of course, it was an impossible task.

Being selected for the Lion Corps was something only the largest mercenary groups, with over a century of legacy in Baeren, could dream of.

How could a newly arrived four-member mercenary group, led by a young woman, even think of competing for that?

Though that was the surface narrative, what they were truly aiming for was different.

“When the next royal successor chooses the Lion Corps, we need to at least make it onto the list of candidates. If we appear to the outside world as a holy force…”

“We’ll form a connection with the royal family?”

Usher smiled and nodded.

“The current crown prince is a young man who’s just reached adulthood. He’ll want to shake off his childish image and start gathering allies. This is the perfect situation for Baern.”

“Indeed. If it were me, I’d want to meet and talk with a promising knight from the church myself.”

“Exactly. They’ll definitely approach us. To prepare for that, buying a house here was absolutely necessary.”

Halia, seemingly satisfied with this explanation, cooled her anger and nodded.

Her expression didn’t fully lighten, perhaps because she still felt a little cheated.

But that was fine.

With confidence, Usher declared:

“In just one week, I’ll turn ‘The Blue Sword’ into a holy name in Baern.”

His gaze showed no hint of doubt.

And why should it?

He had grown up watching the backs of the greatest Lions in Baern’s history.