Good-for-Nothing

"[Sarkaz expletive!] Does that guy have eyes in the back of his head!? He reacted to that!?"

On a distant hillside, Sarkaz Crossbowman B angrily punched the ground, kicking up a little dust.

"Missed?"

The casual teasing in his companion's—Crossbowman A's—voice only made B even angrier.

"[Sarkaz expletive!] See for yourself!"

Crossbowman A took the binoculars and slowly raised them to his eyes.

His gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield, and he let out a frivolous whistle.

"Oho? That chick's pretty hot. The gloomy one beside her isn't bad either, but I still prefer the bigger—"

His gaze lingered on Ines for a moment before focusing on Vera again—

Before he could finish, the figure in his view suddenly turned around. Those demonic eyes stared coldly at him through the lenses.

"!!!"

Crossbowman A jolted all over and nearly threw away the binoculars.

Before he could recover, Vera vanished from his sight.

"[Sarkaz expletive!] What the hell!? Where did that bitch go!?"

Crossbowman A frantically moved the binoculars around. How could a living person disappear without a trace in the blink of an eye?!

"..."

"Which one did you shoot at just now? One of them disappeared!"

"..."

"Why the hell are you acting so aloof!? Say something—"

"Looking for me?"

Crossbowman A's pupils contracted instantly. Before he could turn around, searing pain exploded from the back of his head.

Vera lowered the Hex Staff. The staff floated by her side on its own, bobbing gently up and down.

Raising her head, her elevated vantage point let her take in the entire battlefield below.

Just as Ines had predicted, the battle was indeed drawing to a close.

The attacking enemies had left behind over a dozen corpses and were fleeing in panic.

Some of Hedley's mercenaries chose to pursue them and press their advantage, while more had already begun efficiently "cleaning up" the battlefield—

Gathering weapons and looting supplies. Several sharp-eyed mercenaries had already noticed the disturbance on the hill and were rapidly heading toward her position.

Vera silently glanced at Crossbowman A, who lay unconscious at her feet, before turning her gaze to Crossbowman B, who barely dared to breathe.

The blade of the Void Sword rested against his neck. The chill radiating from it nearly froze his blood.

Soon, several mercenaries rushed up the hill.

"Boss, why'd you come up here?" The leading mercenary had barely begun asking when his eyes swept over Crossbowman A unconscious at Vera's feet, as well as the heavy crossbow beside him, clearly meant for long-range sniping.

The mercenary's face darkened as realization dawned on him, and he cursed furiously.

"[Sarkaz expletive!] Brothers! Some blind idiot tried to ambush the boss!"

"What!?" xN

That shout instantly ignited the battlefield below, which had only just settled down.

Every mercenary, no matter what they had been doing, stopped at once and surged toward the hill with undisguised killing intent.

When they saw Crossbowman B held at swordpoint by Vera, along with the heavy crossbow designed specifically for assassination, the vicious light in their eyes almost solidified.

"[Sarkaz expletive!] You dared take a cheap shot at the boss? Tired of living!"

"Kill him!"

"Chop him up and feed him to the Originium Slugs!"

The mercenaries were incensed. Gripping weapons still dripping with blood, they advanced step by step.

Hedley pushed through the crowd. After taking in the scene, he gave Vera a questioning look.

W squeezed in as well. Seeing the situation, her smile only grew more excited.

W licked her lips and looked Vera over appraisingly.

"...How do you usually deal with prisoners?"

"???" xN

The mercenaries were baffled. One of them hesitantly spoke up.

"Skin him?"

Vera's eye twitched. Another mercenary said excitedly,

"Chop off his ■■!!!"

Crossbowman B went pale and clamped his legs together.

Vera: "..."

Hedley seemed to understand something and stepped forward.

"You want to keep him?"

Vera did not answer. She picked up the heavy crossbow from the ground and pointed it toward where she had been standing.

"How accurate is it from here to there?"

Hedley glanced at the distance and understood.

"You want to recruit him?"

"No. You do."

Hedley pondered for a moment. Their team truly lacked a capable sniper, especially one who had made a request.

"No problem. What about the one beside him?"

Vera paused mid-step as she prepared to leave and looked at Crossbowman B.

"What's he good at?"

Crossbowman B was still rejoicing at having survived. Hearing the question, he froze for a moment.

"H-He can cook..."

The mercenaries silently put away their weapons. That was actually worth considering...

Vera said nothing more and turned to leave. The mercenaries hoisted the unconscious Crossbowman A up and followed behind her.

The first mercenary to rush up the hill moved close to Vera and carefully took out a half-empty bottle of medicine from his clothes.

"Boss, are you alright? You scared us to death just now! I've still got some medicine left. Want some?"

"No."

Vera was irritated. Not just because she had been ambushed, but because her understanding of this world had been overturned once again.

She unconsciously quickened her pace, wanting some time alone.

The mercenary failed to notice her impatience and continued following close behind.

"Boss, don't stand on ceremony. You were the one who gave this to me in the first place..."

Vera abruptly stopped and turned to look at him.

She recognized him. He was the one who had claimed he could cook but actually only knew how to roast potatoes.

Vera was speechless. She asked, "What's your name?"

"My name?"

The mercenary paused, scratched his head, and said,

"Stray dogs like us don't have proper names. Just call me Rice, Boss! That's what everyone calls me!"

Vera: "???"

Just as Vera wondered whether he was making fun of her, W's voice suddenly came from beside her, startling her.

"Is that so strange?"

W had somehow sidled up to her again, wearing a malicious smile as she looked at Vera.

"Stray dogs can't afford luxuries like names. Having a nickname people can call you by is already pretty good~"

Vera forcibly suppressed the urge to stop time and drive an elbow into W's ribs. Arguing with this lunatic would never end.

She ignored W and looked at the mercenary calling himself Rice again.

So... Rice really was what people called him?

Not getting the reaction she expected, W sidled up from the other side.

"What? Does our noble employer want to name her new pet? How kind of you~"

Rather than getting angry at W's words, the mercenary's eyes lit up.

"Really, Boss?"

W, having failed to provoke anyone, curled her lip and muttered a curse.

"Good-for-nothing."

She felt that being so easily won over by a name was simply humiliating for a Sarkaz mercenary. (What goes around comes around.)

Vera had no mood to keep bickering with the two of them, but seeing the mercenary's expectant expression, she fell silent for a few seconds before asking,

"You want a name?"

The mercenary froze, seemingly not expecting Vera to actually respond.

"I-Is that okay?"

Vera stopped walking. She was not good at naming things. A few scattered thoughts passed through her mind before she finally settled on a syllable that sounded pleasant enough.

"Rice." She spoke the name flatly.

"If you want it, take it."

With that, she did not linger.

Rice... no, he was Rice now.

He stood frozen in place, unconsciously murmuring,

"Rice... Rice..."

He rolled that unfamiliar syllable over and over on his tongue, as if savoring some exquisite delicacy.

"I... I have a name?"

He raised his head to look at W, his eyes shining.

W glanced at him sideways, her tone still full of familiar mockery.

"Yeah. Congratulations. You've been upgraded from a stray dog to a house dog."

She had expected him to fly into a rage from embarrassment, or at least look awkward.

Instead, Rice suddenly turned toward her with an extremely serious expression.

"W! Hit me!"

W: "???" She looked at Rice as if he were an idiot.

"Are you crazy?"

"Hurry! Slap me! Hard!"

"[Sarkaz expletive!]"

W cursed. Thinking the man was completely beyond saving, she could not be bothered with him anymore and turned to chase after Vera.

When W refused to cooperate, Rice did not hesitate. He raised his own hand and gave himself a crisp, resounding slap.

The burning pain spread across his face, but it only made the corners of his mouth curl up uncontrollably.

"Hehe... It's real... not a dream..."

The burly mercenary held his cheek, yet smiled like a child.

Then he suddenly turned and sprinted toward his fellow mercenaries cleaning up the battlefield.

"Hey—! I have a name now! The boss gave me a name! It's Rice!"

"You can't call me Rice anymore! Call me Rice! Hear that!? My name is Rice—!!"

The mercenaries looked up at Rice, who was running around and shouting like a madman. Their faces showed all kinds of expressions—

Confusion, incomprehension, ridicule, and some... envy.

Hedley shook his head and said nothing, merely continuing to direct the cleanup of the battlefield.

A name.

Someone had once asked him for one too, but he had refused.

He hoped this employer understood what she was doing...

After returning to the temporary camp, Vera exchanged a few brief words with Ines before teleporting directly back to the hall that served as the stronghold's hub.

Instinctively, she called out to her brothers in the group chat, wanting someone to talk to.

Their replies came quickly. They were all home.

[Gregor: Practicing skills in the nursery.]

[Gorth: Sorting things in the forge.]

[Vane: Playing games with the little fire dragon. What's up? Run into trouble?]

Vera shook her head and decided to find the calmest of them, her eldest brother, in the nursery first.

Perhaps his natural composure would make her feel better.

Yet when she arrived at the nursery, she found it completely empty.

Vera asked in the group chat, puzzled.

[Vera: Big Bro, I'm at the nursery. You're not here?]

[Gregor: ...Ah, I just went out.]

[Vera: Isn't it daytime right now? You're setting off already?]

[Gregor: ...I just wanted to meet up with you sooner.]

[Boom—!]

[Vera: What was that sound!?]

[Gregor: Cough, cough! It's nothing!]

[Just... hunting! Yeah, that's right! Ran into a big one, so I'm hunting!]

[Vera: Forget it... Boss, can you come back for a moment? There's something I want to...]

[Gregor: Aah! I just spotted a huge piece of prey over here! I'm going to catch it first. We'll talk later!]

[Vera: Boss? Boss?!]

After getting no response, Vera could only shake her head helplessly.

Forget it... I'll go have a heart-to-heart with Third.

However...

The forge was empty too.

[Vera: Third...]

[Gorth: I-I went out!]

[Vera: ...You went out with Boss?]

[Gorth: That's right, that's right... Oh, no, no! Listen to my explanation! I mean...]

Vera could not be bothered to listen to such a clumsy excuse. She directly blocked Gorth's communications, an inexplicable anger rising in her heart.

What was wrong with every single one of them...?

She took a deep breath and headed to the second floor. At the very least, Fourth was definitely there.

Sure enough, Vane was playing a game with Ifrit in a room on the second floor.

Vera walked up behind him and patted his shoulder.

The two turned around. Vane gave a startled shudder, and a flash of panic instantly crossed his face.

"Huh? Ah! Second Sister, why are you back so early?"

His reaction was far too exaggerated, and his gaze kept shifting.

Seeing how obviously guilty Vane looked, Vera thought of Boss and Third's strange behavior as well.

Her original desire to confide in someone completely fizzled out, replaced by the hurt and irritation of being left out.

She looked at Vane and fell silent for several seconds.

"...It's nothing. You two keep playing."

Vane exchanged a glance with Ifrit, then said with a troubled expression,

"What do we do? Boss seems to have been found out..."

"Why hide it from Big Sis? We're obviously worried about her... mmph!"

Vane covered Ifrit's mouth, glanced cautiously around, and said,

"It's precisely because we're worried that we can't let Big Sis know. We have to cover for Boss and the others, otherwise..."

Ifrit broke free and ran downstairs.

"Fourth, why are you as long-winded as Silence... I'm going to check on Big Sis!"

"Call me Brother!"

Watching Ifrit run off, Vane sighed, recalling the conversation from not long ago...

That morning, after Vera left, Gregor gathered the rest of them together.

Facing their puzzled gazes, the tall Flame Demon spoke in a grave voice.

[Third, Fourth... I called you here this time because I want to discuss something with you.]

[I want to...]

[Go into the dungeon alone, just once.]