"So, the purpose of your trip is also to find us?"
"That's right, the purpose of this trip is to find you all."
After lunch, the two sides exchanged information, and the answer they received was unexpected.
Vera rubbed her temples in frustration. Babel Tower noticed that they were there earlier than expected.
If I had arrived earlier, would I have saved so much time?
On the other hand, Scout was equally troubled.
Vera's group's superior weaponry, completely inconsistent with the intelligence reports, greatly worried him, and the appearance of the Confessarius also made him doubt the purity of this team.
Just as Scout was trying to figure out how to start the conversation, Flamebringer was standing to the side, couldn't hold back any longer.
"I don't like beating around the bush, so I just went straight to the point."
The muscular Sarkaz cracked his neck and pointed his weapon at Vera's back.
Is that guy one of yours?
A brief silence followed, and just as Scout's heart pounded, so too did the numerous gun barrels of the Butcher be drawn.
Vera waved to reassure everyone, then glanced at Shining, who was being pointed at behind her.
"She is indeed our companion, is there a problem?"
"A companion... a Confessarius?"
"She betrayed us, it's that simple."
Startled by this perfunctory answer, Flamebringer's expression twisted slightly.
Taking advantage of this lull, just as Scout was about to break the stalemate, Shining stepped forward and looked at Vera.
"I have entrusted my life and my sword to her; this journey is also for atonement, but..."
She paused.
"If you are connected to my past sins, I will not evade them, but please do so only after I have completed my mission."
Flamebringer stared at her for a few seconds, then put away his weapon.
Scout breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart was immediately filled with anxiety again.
I still can't trust you.
Flamebringer searched his body for a while, then used the tip of his knife to cut off the emblem belonging to the Babel Tower.
After handing it to Scout, he picked up his weapon again.
"Right now, I'm just a wandering mercenary. If what you're saying is true... then let's settle things with a fight."
The scene fell silent as the mercenaries stared at the swordsman with strange expressions.
The other party's meaning was very clear.
Tearing off the emblem signifies their lack of connection to the Babel Tower, but it also implies that they can act without restraint.
Is it courage?
Seeing that distorted expression, the mercenaries immediately denied it.
It's madness.
Faced with this hostility, Shining didn't say much, only glancing at the silent Vera.
"... Let's keep our distance."
She certainly loathed drawing her sword, but if necessary... she wouldn't refuse.
The crowd spontaneously parted to make way, and the mercenaries wore expressions of amused amusement.
Perhaps it was disdain for Flamebringer's provocation, or perhaps curiosity about Shining's strength.
"Etc."
As the two walked toward the empty space, Vera, who had been silent all along, called out to them.
She looked at Flamebringer and said calmly:
"I'll fight you."
"..."xN
After a brief silence, the mercenaries erupted in noise, shouting as one after another took their place.
You must take her place.
Flamebringer asked the question, but he did so in a declarative tone.
"Yes."
Vera stood up and stretched her arms.
"I was thinking about it just now, and if it were him, he wouldn't just sit there like this."
"He?"
Without answering Flamebringer, Vera muttered to herself:
"He's their boss, after all. We can't just ignore things."
The laughter and chatter gradually faded, and the mercenaries realized something.
"It may sound strange to you, but I'm willing to believe her." Vera looked at the stunned Shining.
"So... if you can't trust her, then let me take her place."
Without mentioning replacing Vera again, the mercenaries felt a subtle stirring in their hearts.
What would the Sarkaz mercenaries know about these things?
When two mercenary groups clash, the conflict either escalates into a full-blown firefight or is resolved through individual combat between the conflicting parties.
That's why no one came to Shining's aid during Shining duel.
Vera offered another solution.
"You hate drawing your sword, right?"
"You don't need to worry, I'm willing..."
Why so many questions?
Vera patted Shining on the shoulder and walked towards the open space.
Flamebringer silently followed, and the two stood facing each other on the field.
"You really are a strange fellow." Flamebringer drew his sword.
"Strange? Isn't it normal for the boss to protect the underling?" Vera placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"Tsk..."
Flamebringer looked somewhat agitated and switched his weapon to the other hand.
He couldn't sense any warrior aura from Vera, yet the powerful attack earlier had come from her.
A contradictory individual...
With even breathing, Flamebringer calmed down.
Never mind, if she wants to know what kind of person the other party is, the sword in her hand will provide the answer.
"Are you ready?" Vera asked.
There was no answer, only the afterimage of a sudden thrust in this direction.
[Time Stop Sound Effect]
"..."
As the people before him transformed into the gloomy sky, Flamebringer, who was clearly in the midst of a battle, fell into a daze.
"What happened?"
Scout shared the same doubts; even with his sharp eyesight, he hadn't seen Vera's movements.
Everything seemed unchanged, except for Flamebringer lying on the ground, which proved that the battle was over.
"Wow! As expected of the boss! She beat this kid to his knees in an instant!"
The mercenaries cheered spontaneously, Vera silently turned her face away.
She understood, of course, that Flamebringer wanted a sword duel, but... all she really knew was how to throw bricks with her strength.
Suppressing the guilt that arose from her sense of morality, Vera cleared her throat.
"The battle is over."
As if startled by the words, Flamebringer instantly pushed himself up and stood up.
"... Again."
Sarkaz's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the figure opposite him.
He didn't believe it; he had to capture the trajectory, even for a fleeting moment!
With a sigh, Vera placed her hand on the hilt of her sword once more.
"Are you ready?"
Instead of rushing forward as before, Flamebringer tensed his body, waiting for Vera's move.
[Time Stop Sound Effect]
He fell to the ground.
"... Again!"
He fell to the ground.
"Again!!"
He fell to the ground.
"Again!!!"
Each failure, each attempt to start over, filled the mercenaries' eyes with pity.
"There's absolutely no trace of it, is it Originium Arts?"
Seeing Scout still having the mind to speculate, Hedley was speechless.
"Aren't you going to stop him?"
"I wish I could," Scout sighed.
"But look at him, he'd get chopped up if he went up there, wouldn't he?"
He was breathing heavily, his dazzling golden eyes were wide open, and even the hand gripping the hilt of the knife made a grating sound.
Despite his outward appearance, Flamebringer's physical condition was surprisingly good.
No injuries...
He carefully examined his body and found no injuries.
That's why he felt so humiliated.
"Shall we continue?"
Vera's voice came through, tinged with a hint of helplessness.
"... the last time."
Adjusting his breathing, Flamebringer struck a pose that Vera found all too familiar.
"A sword-drawing technique? At this distance?"
Undisturbed by the exclamations of others, the crystals on Flamebringer's face emitted a crimson glow as if he were breathing.
The scabbard and arm were enveloped in crimson light, and even from a distance, everyone could feel the heat.
Seeing this, Vera immediately stopped them.
"Stop right now! Are you trying to kill yourself by using Originium Arts like that!?"
"Don't worry."
The crimson light intensified, Flamebringer responded:
"My swords don't contain Arts Unit, so even if they hit you, you won't get infected."
"Isn't that even worse?!" Vera frowned.
If we don't use Arts Unit, doesn't that mean Originium within the body? Wouldn't that increase the risk of infection?
"Troublesome guy..."
Flamebringer gritted his teeth and maintained his Originium Arts, believing that Vera still had some doubts.
"I'll use the back of the knife, it won't infect you. Besides, didn't you see the crystals on my face? Isn't it normal for Infected to cast spells directly..."
Who cares?
"What?"
"Who cares if you're Infected? Stop right now, your hands are practically smoking!"
"You really dare to say that..."
Seeing that Vera was not making any preparations, Flamebringer angrily stopped using Originium Arts.
"It's easy for you to say that. If you actually contracted Oripathy, would you still be able to say such things?"
Why not?
Vera gestured for Liz to come forward and treat her, and responded:
"It's just an illness. It's absurd to think that an illness can change a person's true nature."
Flamebringer was about to refuse treatment, froze on the spot, letting Liz hold his scalded hand.
The girl was overjoyed that she could finally be of use, while Flamebringer, belatedly realizing what was happening, didn't shake off those hands but looked at Vera with a puzzled expression.
"Is this what you think?"
"Is there a problem? Or is your personality a product of Oripathy?"
"A pointless question..."
Flamebringer scrutinized Vera, wondering if the horns on her head were fake.
There is no discrimination against the Infected in Kazdel; mercenaries even actively seek out infection in order to gain greater power.
"Oripathy is just a weapon to us, and besides, the Sarkaz were born to fight."
I can't pretend I didn't hear that.
Vera patted Liz's head, affirming the girl's achievement, and then looked at Flamebringer seriously:
"What others think is their business, but it's truly pathetic if Sarkaz himself is prejudiced against himself."
Not only Flamebringer, but all the onlookers fell silent.
"... What kind of Sarkaz do you see?"
Flamebringer suddenly asked a question, and the mercenaries all perked up their ears.
"Tsk, why is it this question again..."
Recalling her previous answer to Scar Eye, Vera found it rather difficult to speak at this moment.
Soulless corpses... that was her assessment.
But after this period of travel and witnessing the changes in the mercenaries, she could no longer give that answer.
Therefore, her answer was--
"Just a bunch of immature kids."
"..."xN
Feeling the strange looks from everyone, Vera said angrily:
Do you have any objections?
"No, no, no, you're absolutely right, boss."
"Yes, yes, yes, let alone children, we'll be your grandchildren!"
"Wait, if we're just kids, then isn't the big sister our...?"
"Disgraceful bastard!"
"Mind your own business! I'm happy to do it!"
Seeing the chaotic scene before him, Flamebringer silently put away his weapon.
"Not playing anymore?"
"I'm not playing anymore..."
With a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, Flamebringer put on a somewhat ferocious smile.
"If the Military Commission were full of guys like you, this war wouldn't have even started."
"I should be the one saying that. Are you saying everyone in the Babel Tower is as brainless as you...?"
"Ahem! Actually, Flamebringer still has an unfinished treatment plan in the Medical Department. It's just an isolated case, just an isolated case..."
Scout entered the dispute, attempting to salvage the reputation of the Babel Tower.
"You're sending patients to the battlefield? Are there children among them?"
Absolutely not!
Scout tightened his face, trying to express sincerity with a serious expression.
"How could we send our children to the battlefield? Those kids must be out of their minds."
"Have you caught a cold, Kal'tsit?"
Theresa watched her friend sneeze for no apparent reason, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"No, my lifestyle wouldn't cause this condition. It's probably nasal irritation caused by dust. It seems the environment wasn't properly cleaned while we were away."
Hmm... maybe someone is missing you?
"... This is not funny, Theresa."
Seeing his friend's perpetually gloomy face, the gentle demon king couldn't help but sigh.
"I will, the Doctor will, Amiya will, and..."
Just as the Demon King was about to move his friend, he suddenly got stuck and tried to search his memory for more real examples.
In this subtle silence, the green lynx's lines dropped two pixels from the corner of its mouth.
"Alright, Theresa, I don't care about these things."
"Do you really not care?"
"..."
The pixel count dropped again, then he laughed helplessly.
"I'm only leaving for a while, I'll be back soon."
Seeing that her friend had finally spoken, Theresa stopped teasing.
I'm not lying, we'll all miss you.
"Um."
"At times like these, you should say, 'I'll miss you all too.'"
"..."
Seeing that her friend wasn't fooled, Theresa had no choice but to give up.
"Aren't you going to see the Doctor? Amiya misses you too."
"It's just a short separation, Amiya... I'll bring her a gift."
Kal'tsit shook her head. Rather than have her child experience this sadness, she preferred not to let her child go through the pain of a brief reunion followed by another separation.
Feeling helpless about Kal'tsit's decision, Theresa could only hope that she would return soon.
"Do we need other Elite Operator to escort us? The wastelands of Kazimierz don't seem to be very peaceful either."
"This Daichi has never been free from conflict; the strength of Elite Operator should be reserved for where they can be of greater use."
Kal'tsit put her hood back on and walked to the other side of the fork in the road.
Goodbye, Kal'tsit.
"Goodbye, Theresa."
With the Scar Market evacuated, she had no choice but to seek assistance from her former friends in order to ensure the flow of essential supplies to the Babel Tower.
The makeshift vehicle drove away into the wasteland, carrying with it the anxieties of the immortals.
Kazimierz, a land of knights and commerce.
She does have some connections in the country, but the nature of the Business Federation means this won't be an easy deal.
But the purpose of this trip was not limited to transactions.
The Flame Demon heading east...
If they can meet on the road, let her go and persuade them in Theresa's place.
If all goes well, sacrificing one's own life to quell the anger is not out of the question.
"..."
If all goes well...