MTM 49

Zed was alone and lost in thought. The conversation he had with Walter a moment ago lingered in his mind.

‘Walter, what’s the reason? Why did you use Leon to trap us?’

Zed questioned him. What he felt was closer to anger than curiosity, but he forced himself to swallow it.

‘You are being boring. …When did you notice?’

Walter didn’t seem particularly surprised. He only smirked and asked back.

‘The worms.’

‘The worms?’

‘The ones hiding behind the inn in the trash heap. There were some near the mercenary hideout too.’

Zed remembered the hidden worms, the breath worm and the moss worm, biting black feathers. Belnock was far from their hideout, and by nature, those creatures would never cross an entire city and climb into the mountains on their own.

That meant Leon had made a separate magic passage connected to the back of the inn. Which also meant he had been watching them long before Zed came to find Walter.

‘You’re no fun. I thought I fooled you completely.’

Walter smiled regretfully and walked slowly across the broken circular arena.

‘It was a lie. I was the one who found and killed the Night Rage spy.’

‘…Who was it?’

‘The kid Rozain picked up two years ago.’

Zed remembered without hearing the name. The boy from the plague-stricken village who had begged to be saved, the one Vice Captain Rozain had brought back because she had always been strong toward the strong but endlessly kind toward the weak. He had been an earnest boy who smiled often.

‘He said he needed money. He wanted to rebuild the village that the plague destroyed.’

‘…….’

Zed clenched his fists in silence. He was furious at the people who had used a pure-hearted child’s wish for money, and he was shaken by the fact that Walter had killed the boy even knowing that. Was this really the same Walter he had known? But the truth remained that betrayal among comrades always led to death.

‘After that, their leader, the Crow, came to me and offered a deal. I accepted it.’

‘Why?’

‘I thought you’d swing first and talk later. I didn’t expect you to ask.’

Walter sneered, but Zed remained silent. He didn’t want to let himself be drawn into the man’s words or his taunts anymore.

Then Walter’s smile disappeared.

‘I know who you are, Zed. But it means nothing to me.’

Walter’s eyes grew colder as he continued.

‘I won’t say Night Rage fell only because of you. No matter the reason, it only means we were too weak to defend ourselves when the enemy attacked.’

‘You mean….’

‘Weak. Pathetically weak.’

Walter clenched his hand as he remembered Lidel, who had died when an axe flew into her. She hadn’t been the only one. Many members, including her, had died so easily it was pitiful, all because of one clumsy spy.

Walter had never planned to make the mercenary group large. Born a half-demon, he had grown up under discrimination and scorn, and he had never been able to trust humans completely. He had only gone along with Zed’s plan because Zed had wanted to gather more people.

Rozain had been the same. Her heart was soft, and she liked taking in people who served no purpose. Walter had thought humans were usually like that and let it go.

He had endured. Zed and Rozain had both been strong. To Walter, their choices had seemed foolish, but because those strong ones stood beside him, he had believed Night Rage would stay standing.

But after Zed disappeared, chaos came, and the group fell apart miserably. That collapse had proven how weak Night Rage had really been.

‘Just… for that reason….’

Zed was speechless for a moment because Walter’s answer was so unexpected.

Walter’s red eyes, filled with hatred, were nothing like the ones Zed remembered. Even for a half-demon, they were cold and empty. It felt like he was facing someone entirely different.

‘Then why did you change your mind? You said you sided with the strong to trap me, so why did you throw me a weapon?’

He had to ask. It couldn’t be just because the fight had turned. Zed had lost his sword, and he had been the one at the disadvantage.

‘I never changed my mind. I never planned to sell you out.’

That meant he had only been testing Zed. He had wanted to see with his own eyes whether his former comrade was still strong.

‘Zed, fight by my side again. This time, we’ll gather only the strong and make the perfect mercenary group.’

Walter held out his hand to Zed. His tone was shameless. And if he had stopped there, Zed might have just refused.

‘I’ll let you keep that pet monster you brought.’

The moment Walter called Harto a “pet monster,” Zed felt so disgusted that it made him feel sick.

Shing.

Zed raised his greatsword and aimed the blade at Walter. He was pointing his weapon at a comrade he had fought beside for three years. It was something he had once thought he could never do.

‘This is my choice.’

‘Yes? That’s too bad.’

Walter shrugged and calmly stepped back. More than anyone, he knew there was nothing to gain from fighting Zed. Walter was a man who always calculated his odds.

‘What about Leon? Did he pass your test too and decide to follow you?’

‘I didn’t think of it as a test. But unlike you, Leon’s smart. I’m sure he’ll come to me eventually.’

Zed looked at Walter, who spoke so confidently, and the will to keep his sword raised left him.

‘I see.’

Zed lowered his greatsword and sighed.

‘Walter. Being strong or weak isn’t just about power. You trampled on the trust of comrades who believed in you, all for your own greed.’

‘You can see it that way.’

Walter admitted it without even a trace of hesitation. All that was left in him now was emptiness and distrust. There was no trace of a leader in him anymore.

‘But Zed, what about you? You hid who you are for three years. Do you really have the right to talk about trust?’

‘…….’

Zed couldn’t say a word. Walter’s last remark hit exactly where it hurt. The guilt weighed down on him until Walter left first.

“…It feels like I just woke up from a nightmare.”

As Zed recalled his talk with Walter, his thoughts grew even more tangled.

“Zed!”

At that moment, a voice called to him from afar. When he turned his head, he saw the soot slime bouncing toward him.

Seeing Harto’s ridiculous shape made him relax a little.

“Zed! Leon says we can go now!”

Harto ran up, still covered with white limestone dust. Normally, Zed would have laughed and teased him, but because of Walter’s words, he felt his heart aching.

“Harto, come here.”

“Huh…?”

When Zed opened his arms, Harto hesitated for a second. It seemed to be because of all the powder covering his body.

“It’s fine.”

When Zed gave permission, Harto jumped like a rabbit and threw himself into Zed’s arms. His big eyes curved like half-moons as he smiled.

“Um… Zed. If it’s okay, you can rest your face on me.”

Zed narrowed his eyes at the unexpected words. When he looked at Harto as if to ask what he meant, Harto blushed and added shyly,

“I mean… my body. It’s soft, right? Leon said it feels nice to touch….”

He had said it felt pleasant, so Harto thought maybe that was why Zed often hugged him. He gathered his courage and spoke.

“So, did you do it with Leon too?”

“Leon? No!”

Leon had only touched him to study his body, but the only one who held and comforted him like this was Zed.

“Then you only do it for me?”

“Ah….”

The word “only” made Harto’s heart flutter. It was embarrassing, but since it was Zed, he felt that calling it special was fine.

“…Yes.”

When Harto nodded, Zed brushed the dust from his hair and smiled.

“Good. If it’s special to you, that’s enough.”

Zed leaned his chin on top of Harto’s head. Harto couldn’t see his face, but he hoped that Zed felt a little calmer now.