#118
Forewarning (3)
“Hey—! Harley!”
As Harley finished washing up in his lodging and stepped outside, he was greeted by a trio excitedly calling his name—an old man, a hulking figure, and a scarred southern warrior.
“Wow— I thought you were impressive before, but today you look even more like a monster!”
“The mercenary guys from Tarak were all scared because of that. I’m sure there were quite a few who were secretly talking behind your back.”
“Thanks to you, those who looked down on the Engraving of Karkos can’t say a word, and it feels oh so good!”
Indeed, Harley is the pride of the south, a true warrior’s role model…
As he stood there receiving a downpour of praise from the trio, he couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.
“Hahaha! Thanks, friends! But I feel like you guys weren’t here until recently. Where have you been all this time?”
Finally, Harley interrupted their praises and changed the subject.
Considering how long he had been in the Northern Mountain Range for a rescue mission, it didn’t add up that they had just now arrived at the Steel Fortress.
“Oh, we were mobilized to set up a line of defense behind the fortress. The lord came here directly this time, and we followed along.”
“Even if this is a strategic point, there’s no way to block every single one. Some will slip through no matter what.”
Due to the geographic features, the Steel Fortress at the forefront was protruding, taking heavy hits from monster attacks. But…
It was impossible to block all of them with just one fortress against the hordes pouring down from those vast mountains.
That’s why this situation required a lot of manpower.
Moreover, the Tulk Kingdom only had the Aonia Territory before it facing the mountain range, while the Azerion Empire, bordering the central part of the Northern Mountain Range, was now mobilizing all of its forces to respond.
After chatting with his long-lost comrades, Harley promised to meet them again later and headed toward the command center.
‘I’m not particularly tired right now, so I might as well go see the lord right away.’
It was better to finish tasks as soon as they came to mind.
Even if they said to come at a more convenient time, surely they would also appreciate a visit sooner, right?
However, just as he was nearing his destination, he unexpectedly bumped into a familiar face.
“Long time no see, Harley. I’ve heard you did great today. Well, it’s expected from you, right?”
It was Charlton, the ranger who had been dispatched with him on the rescue mission and was now responsible for the security in this area.
Unlike the other mercenaries, he was military personnel, so this was their first meeting since they parted ways…
They exchanged light greetings and caught up on recent events.
“Hans is still in the military infirmary recovering. Although he had potions, his injuries were severe, so it seems it will take quite a while to recover from overextending himself.”
Still, it seemed the ranger Hans would be able to return without major aftereffects.
As someone who carries on the name of ‘Hans’, it was only natural he would overcome this much.
“And Bordo… We held a joint funeral with the relics we brought back. Apparently, the losses in our unit were quite serious during our trip to the mountains.”
After the situation calms down a bit, they planned to send his relics back to his hometown.
Bordo wasn’t someone Harley was particularly close to, but it was true he felt concerned since he had died during their journey together.
However, all he could do was nod solemnly and express his condolences.
“Oh, I’ve held you up long enough, you busy person. You can head in that direction for the command center. Well then, I wish you good luck in your future exploits.”
Charlton gestured toward the building inside, saluted him, and disappeared to survey the surroundings.
‘Hmm, it feels like I’m running into a lot of familiar faces today. I hope I won’t bump into anyone else, right?’
He squinted and scanned the area as he approached the building.
But among those he could potentially meet at the Steel Fortress, it was mostly just the mercenaries he had gone into the mountains with.
And he had already exchanged greetings with them every time they ran into each other.
“You arrived early. Come inside and I’ll guide you.”
But such assessments were too hasty indeed.
“Oh, I completely forgot about this guy.”
Welcoming him was Robin, the knight he’d worked with on a mission.
Seeing him fully equipped in splendid metal armor instead of the leather armor from when they set off made it clear he truly was a knight.
“Sir Knight, it seems you’ve been well? You look like you’ve become more impressive in my absence.”
“It’s an illusion. But it does look like that here since I can wash up well. Given the circumstances, I hardly have time to rest. After going through all that trouble, being thrown right into work is a bit much…”
Having become friends through shared hardships, their conversations were relaxed.
However, this wasn’t a time or place for leisurely catching up, so such conversation didn’t last long.
“I’ve told the lord about your disposition multiple times, but you should still pay more attention to your demeanor.”
“Huh? Is there something wrong with my demeanor?”
Harley blinked innocently and tilted his head.
Of course, he just looked odd due to his unique appearance.
“Umm, please be as polite as possible…”
“Oh, don’t worry about that! Being courteous is my middle name! I’ve never cut in line once in my life!”
Though he often accidentally had others yield to him, that was simply their voluntary consideration.
“I don’t use violence recklessly either!”
In the early days, there had been quite a few who would click their tongues and gossip whenever Harley walked by in the city.
But he couldn’t go around hitting each of them, could he?
His solution was simply to warmly embrace them.
Every time he picked up on gossip thanks to his keen senses, he’d just meet their eyes and flash a charming smile.
He never responded with violence.
The effect was astounding.
Whether it was his sincerity or not, those instances sharply decreased afterward.
‘Of course, eye contact also led to more people provoking him, but such cases were unavoidable.’
Avoiding provocations wasn’t something a real man like Harley would do.
But since he never initiated violence, one could say he was a paragon of courtesy.
“Okay. Still, I have my accomplishments, so it should be alright. …And my skills are there too.”
Overwhelmed by his confident assertion, Robin nodded and guided him to the reception room.
And soon, Harley finally came face to face with him.
“Oh! So you’re Harley, come over and have a seat.”
The lord of this area, Count Tarmin Aonia.
“I’ve heard so many praises about you from Jaonic and Robin that my ears are ringing, but seeing you in person is definitely different.”
Now in his late thirties, the lord raised an eyebrow for a moment at Harley’s peculiar attire, but quickly masked his expression and launched into flattery.
“Haha! I’m not really sure how to respond to that! I’m just doing this for a fee. Hehehe—!”
His hearty laughter made the lord’s eyebrows twitch again.
Robin, who stood behind him, squeezed his eyes shut, but Harley paid no mind.
Just using honorifics was enough effort for him.
‘Ah, this is Harley-style courtesy. But I did my best to be considerate for Robin’s sake!’
Whether the lord noticed Harley’s mindset or not, he slowly took a sip from his cup and spoke again.
“Ahem, anyway. Regarding the request, you’ve done great work again, so I wanted to see your face at least once. I’d like to offer you some additional compensation.”
As he said that, the compensation he hinted at didn’t sit well with Harley.
‘A knight’s title? Of course, it’s natural for them to try and recruit him considering Harley’s strength, but…’
That wasn’t something to just nonchalantly offer as compensation.
At least not for someone who had repeatedly proven himself up to now.
And as a free and untamed warrior, Harley was quite resolute in matters like this.
“Ah, I’m not very keen on that. How about giving me something tangible instead?”
“That… like what? Tangible?”
“Um, you know. I think a large and sturdy two-handed axe would be nice. The one I’m currently using is pretty flimsy!”
“………………”
As he spoke, Harley’s tone slipped a bit, but the lord looked like he had no time to fuss over that with his sour expression.
The knights behind him merely stared at the ceiling with a resigned expression.
“Y-You! How dare you refuse the lord’s proposal! And what kind of rudeness is this!”
However, it seemed like the other knights of the lord weren’t willing to overlook it.
From the moment he entered the reception room, knights frowned and glared, readying their hands on their weapon hilts.
Of course, Harley merely looked back at them with a disgruntled expression.
‘Has it been over a year and a half since I entered Auterica?’
Having settled in over that time, he couldn’t be oblivious to the customs of this place.
It was common sense not to act recklessly in front of the noble power class…
“Enough. Everyone step back.”
“But, my lord…!”
“I said step back!”
With the lord’s sharp rebuke, the knights lowered their heads with gloomy expressions and stepped back.
‘In times like these, only strength matters. And Harley has more than proven that.’
Besides, he was a crucial asset in blocking the monsters overflowing from the Northern Mountain Range.
One refusal was a minor issue.
To successfully recruit a good talent often required several rounds of effort in persuasion.
“Right, you mentioned an axe? I’ll have one custom-made for you through Jaonic. You’ll surely be satisfied.”
Like the lord who was trying hard to smile.
“Hahaha! Thank you, my lord! Just as I’d expect from someone managing a large territory, you’re quite generous!”
“Of course, I’m not stingy when it comes to rewarding my subordinates. Hahaha!”
Yeah, who’s trying to take advantage of whom?
Benefits are offered, gifts given, and repeated interest and affection must be shown to acquire talents.
‘Of course, there’s no guarantee I can get it when the time comes.’
Is there anything in this world that’s perfect? That’s just how it is.
With that, Harley was enjoying lavish treatment in the northwest while establishing his influence and fame.
*
“My lord, all investigations are complete. We have also cross-verified information received from the Oath of Reversal.”
“Really? Is there anything wrong with the information?”
“Yes! Currently, we’ve confirmed that two Truebloods have moved to defend the Forest of Monsters due to the madness incident. The only Trueblood left in the capital Talia is a pair, the former and current lord of Brokoslac.”
“Hmm… That’s quite audacious for someone as cautious as Mulo. Is it the new lord’s intention?”
As the subordinate reported, the figure listening briefly rubbed his chin and broke into a smirk.
Honestly, it didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
‘If they’re confident enough to fight head-on, leaving two Truebloods behind… this is going to be way too easy!’
The gap in power was overwhelming.
He wasn’t sure what level the current lord of Brokoslac was, but he was definitely not a Pureblood.
“Well, fine. Still, it’s best to make sure. Gather the other Truebloods and prepare the combat units.”
The man with white hair and pale eyes spoke softly to his bowing subordinate before whispering.
“…We are heading to Talia.”
Thus, the strongest vampire clan on the continent, the Yufershi Clan, began to move.
