Tesetan froze on the stairs, and only after a moment did he ask again:

"Who took my sword?"

"The King of the Dead took it."

Tesetan burst into motion and ran down the steps.

"What nonsense?!"

The King of the Dead took his sword?

And he had left it leaning against the wall in his bedroom.

Which meant—if someone had entered the bedroom last night to take it—

"I wouldn’t have failed to notice their presence."

"Right. Only, the one who carried the greatsword out of the squad leader’s room wasn’t the King of the Dead. It was me."

"......What?"

Tesetan’s lips parted.

Allerik continued:

"I sold that greatsword. To the King of the Dead."

Silence fell over the yard.

Ribia lowered her gaze, as if unable to watch.

Victor stared toward the distant mountains through the stained window.

After a few seconds—

Tesetan walked over and stopped in front of Allerik.

"Allerik... have you lost your mind?"

Sold.

He sold his greatsword.

What kind of sword it was—and to the King of the Dead...!

But Allerik didn’t even blink.

"I haven’t lost my mind. And for the record—the armor you were wearing, and all the auxiliary weapons, I sold those too. I sold my orb as well. And Ribia’s crescent blade. Ah, I left Victor’s weapon. He said he’d never give it up."

"You—!"

Tesetan shouted without thinking.

But before he could continue, Allerik spoke again:

"Squad leader. Do you even know that we don’t have anyone left? Even Pakun and Chester, who stayed until the end, left this morning."

"......What?"

"When you first formed Tregava, you said it yourself—recruit only the strong, but pay them high weekly shares."

"......"

"While we were raiding magic crystals, it worked. The rewards covered everything. But after you lost to the King of the Dead—"

"......"

"And then locked yourself in your room—who was supposed to pay the shares? We’re not raiding anymore. There are no rewards."

Confusion surfaced in Tesetan’s eyes.

That was right.

He had been so shaken by the result of the duel with the King of the Dead that he had completely forgotten about the squad.

After a brief silence, he asked quietly:

"And you... dismissed everyone?"

"Some left on their own, some we let go. The moment we said we couldn’t pay for a while, they all dispersed themselves."

"......"

"Honestly, wanting them to stay would’ve just been our greed. Why do mercenaries work? For money."

"But still... you could’ve told me something—"

Allerik looked at him sharply.

"Who was it that forbade anyone from entering? Who threatened that if anyone came in, they’d regret it? That was you."

Tesetan fell silent again and closed his mouth.

He really had told them not to disturb him.

Allerik shook his head.

"In any case, they’re all gone."

And added calmly:

"As you wrote in the contract—we paid everyone severance."

"Severance?"

"What else? You were the one who proposed it—after a year, pay based on tenure. Even if we’re falling apart, promises have to be kept. These are people who put up with your temperament for years."

"......"

Tesetan stared at Allerik in shock.

"And you... sold my sword."

"There was no cash. It’s a good thing the King of the Dead paid well. Otherwise we would’ve had to sell even the house for nothing."

"Hah."

The situation was so absurd he couldn’t even get angry.

Tesetan tried to say something several times, but each time he closed his mouth.

There was irritation, there was anger... but—

'Damn it, he’s right.'

He was the one who had set the weekly shares.

He was the one who introduced the severance system.

And he was the one who insisted on the duel with the King of the Dead.

There were no excuses.

'...At least some savings.'

But Tesetan had deliberately avoided saving money.

It felt like he would lose his purpose if he did.

"I told you—we should’ve saved—cough."

Ribia, who tried to speak, immediately fell silent.

Victor covered her mouth with his hand.

Tesetan glanced at them and pressed his palm to his temple.

His head felt like it was being crushed from the inside.

"Hah..."

He turned away and walked to the window.

Pulling the curtain aside, he saw the neat and cozy base next door.

A well-kept garden.

Flowers by the fence.

At Agavert, as usual, the windows were open to air out the rooms.

"By the way, the King of the Dead said—"

Allerik’s voice came from behind.

"That you still have time. If you decide to merge, go to him."

At that moment, Ribia ran up with a near-tearful face.

"Squad leader! Let’s just merge already! He said he’ll return the weapons if we agree! I can’t lose my crescent blade like this! What kind of weapon is it to sell it for severance for that damn Chester?! That’s something you were supposed to pay!"

Tesetan’s eyes trembled.

"I understand—you’ll resist to the end. If you’ve decided, then you’ve decided."

Allerik’s voice pressed heavily on his chest.

"My crescent blade..."

Ribia’s words pulled memories along with them.

'Protect me? Me?'

'You’re asking me to go with you?'

The first comrades he took by his side when he became a mercenary.

He had promised them.

To become a place they could return to.

To become their protection.

They had walked with him through victories.

They believed in him, even when he faltered.

For Tesetan, who had cut off his past, they were almost family.

"Hah."

He opened his eyes.

And, turning around, looked at those who remained with tired eyes.

"......I can’t promise a merger."

And added, looking at them:

"But I’ll get back Allerik’s orb and your crescent blade. Wait here."

—

Agavert base.

Tie sat on the sofa, clutching her chest as her heart pounded wildly.

On the table in front of her lay the weapons she had just received from Ribia.

The greatsword her papa used.

The mage orb belonging to someone named Allerik.

And finally, Ribia’s small, rounded crescent blade.

"So what are you going to do with all that? And why did those people hand all of it over to you, anyway?"

Bale interrogated her from the side, but Tie only pressed her lips together tightly.

In her mind, she replayed the conversation she had with Ribia that morning.

'King of the Dead. You only get one chance.'

'Only one...?'

'Yeah. Our squad leader is like a rock. He doesn’t like anything, doesn’t get attached to anything. But his greatsword... that he treasures like crazy.'

'......The greatsword!'

'Right. We’ll say we sold you that sword, my crescent blade, and the mage’s orb. When he comes—talk to him properly. Got it?'

Of course Tie understood.

A chance had finally appeared to talk to her papa—how could she not understand!

'He won’t be able to just demand them back. You know, he follows the rules.'

'......!'

'So use the weapons as an excuse. Talk properly. You want to merge anyway, don’t you? You come to see me every day.'

Tie had panicked back then.

Ribia had read her completely!

She had °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° worked so hard to make it look like she came by accident!

Tie swallowed, staring at the weapons.

"Hey, kid, answer already. Why did that woman with monster guts for brains give you all that, huh?"

It should be about time he arrived.

She had just been thinking that.

Bang. Bang.

A sound that could hardly be called knocking rang out.

And the door flew open.