Dream Life

evening of May 12th.

I met “Kensei (Swordmaster)" Gideon Dyer at the Mercenary Guild training ground and was to have a get-together with his wife Francesca.

We decided to use the dining room at the inn where we were staying, but one more big man was added to it. The person is Clyde Holborn, the guild leader of the mercenary guild, or representative of Fortis, the mercenary country.

The three were friends who had originally deposited their lives in the same mercenary regiment, the Dyer Mercenary Regiment, and heard Gideon knew the Lockhart family, which meant Clyde came with him.

I'm baffled by the unexpected big guy, but I can't chase back the guild leader who's been this far, and I decided I had no choice but to engage him with my father.

My father was surprised just to say that he would drink with Gideon, who is said to be the strongest in the world, so it's weird to think of telling him that he even came with the guild chief.

The faces of the Lockhart family are already waiting in the dining room and will guide them there.

Including my father, the Lockhart family outfit was everyday and my father's face was drawn to three people close to the formal outfit.

"This is Gideon Dyer and his wife, Francesca. Behind you is Clyde Holborn."

My father said, "I'll see you first. I'm Masaias Lockhart, Viscount of the Empire," but I asked him if the name Clyde sounded familiar, "if, in His Excellency Holborn, the guild chief," with a slight grudge.

The squire and vigilantes also stretch their spines unintentionally to the words.

"It's Gideon Dyer. No, it's Gideon Dyer. My lord," Gideon bows his head nervously, and Francesca also says, "It's Francesca," the earlier hairball mother shake lurks in the shadows.

"I'm Clyde Holborn. Will Your Excellency please excuse me? Because I'm going to have to call you Lord Viscount."

With that word, my father returns to me, and he answers, "Well," but turns to me with the eye of the accusation, "Why didn't you say it first?"

There are no reprehensible sayings, but I don't know what my father is trying to say.

If the opponent is only Gideon, he does not need to respond as an imperial nobleman, but even a representative of Fortis will require political consideration. If something goes wrong and the relationship between Fortis and the Caerm Empire goes bad, it's because we have to take responsibility for it.

Though I thought it would be a hassle, I decided to take it between us to get rid of the heavy air.

"What do you say this time that those who practice martial arts get closer to each other? Because my father doesn't like being tough, and my people aren't familiar with etiquette. Mr. Gideon, Mr. Francesca and Mr. Clyde. Let's talk about that normally."

"That would help if you said so. I don't like nobles," Gideon said.

"I'd like to ask you to do that, too. But what should I call His Highness Viscount Lockhart?"

So my father thought to himself,

"Masaias, no, if you call me Matt...... no, call me. Let me call you Lord Francesca."

"Now let me call you Lord Matt," Clyde picked up, finally loosening the atmosphere on the field.

Soon afterwards, booze will be available.

It's Fortis' beer, not Scotch's, because Dwarf's not the opponent. Herbal tea will be provided for the younger brothers.

My father takes the head of the toast where a drink has gone to all of them.

"To meet Lord Gideon, Lord Francesca and Lord Clyde, cheers!

A jock is raised simultaneously, and a toast is summoned.

Having a sip of beer, my father sat down and began to bicker with the Gideons.

"I didn't think my sons were being coached by Lord Gideon. I regretted that I should have gone, too."

"I didn't expect the Lockhart family to come and see either. But I haven't had fun today in a long time."

Francesca nods loudly when Gideon says so.

"Right. I've never seen a magician before."

"Why didn't you call me? I thought he was a really bad guy," Clyde said.

"I think it was bad. But after that, you won't be putting a hands-free shot in the dovetail."

That's what I say. I give it around my belly.

"Naturally. It's the punishment we enjoyed."

We're talking to Gideon, so it wasn't that uncomfortable, but my fathers are circling their eyes at the conversation between us. Because it doesn't seem like a conversation between a legendary mercenary and one of the heads of the five guilds.

Sometimes, the feast goes on in a soothing atmosphere.

The food at the inn was better than I thought, and Gideon and the others enjoyed the food and booze satisfactorily.

The tension is also broken and the conversation progresses. Especially since my younger brothers were talking to Gideon and Francesca.

"What enemy did you fight? I can't seem to suppress my curiosity, like," What is the strongest enemy you've ever had? "

They talk to such younger brothers without making an unpleasant face. The squire and vigilantes who were reluctantly distant were also listening to them.

"Right. I fought all kinds of enemies. I fought the Evil Dragon and the Vampire King (Vampire Road)... I fought the Imperial Cavalry when I was younger, and I fought the Demons..."

We were drawn to the story. I added with a slightly distant eye that I had finished talking to him to some extent.

"... we fought all sorts of enemies, but we're a little different from a regular mercenary regiment..."

"Really?" and Serra leans her neck.

"Oh, regular mercenaries are the main job of escorting the merchants or something. But we don't like escorts. One way or the other, he was undertaking wars and massive demon crusades, so he often fought big guys..."

As Gideon put it, the main task of mercenaries in this world is to escort them.

It's often mistaken, but crusading demons is not a mercenary's job, it's an adventurer's job. This is because adventurers specializing in hunting demons are more efficient.

Mercenaries are mobilized if they just need a massive demon crusade.

Especially the Saeum Mountains, the border between the Empire and the Kingdom of Lax, is crossed by the Aortic Aurelia Street, where commercial guilds may become employers and ask mercenaries to crusade. However, it does not take place in the vicinity of Low Cliff, bordered by the northern region alone around the city of Aurelia, far from the Empire.

Sometimes other countries hire me to go to war, but not much nowadays.

Currently at war are the Caerm Empire and the Holy King Luke, all of which rarely hire mercenaries.

The Empire doesn't need to hire mercenaries if regular legions are going to march, and Luke doesn't have any money if he wants to. Because the sponsor, the commercial guild, does not offer money to hire mercenaries in view of their relationship with the Empire.

Although the Northern Governor's Office forces are now taking mercenary troops to the Lukes Front, this is an exception in the making.

This would mean that the only battlefield mercenaries fight is basically the war between the Empire and the Kingdom of Lax. It is also in the form of a hire by the Lax side, and the Imperial side can never have a mercenary unit if the army of the northern governor's office is not ordered to leave.

The war between the Empire and Lax has been in a state of truce for about a decade now, with no mercenary turning up. Also, although there are skirmishes, Lax has secured a brilliant mercenary regiment to the King's Capital, so the Fortis based mercenary regiment was less likely to turn up.

"Why is that? I think Mr. Gideon can do without any problems with the escort," Theo asks.

On that question Gideon scratched his cheek,

"I get hot when the fight starts. Like today."

"That's right. Even though this man is the captain of the regiment, he pushes his commands against Clyde and me, and he sticks them into demons and bandits. Even though it's my job to protect my customers, I've forgotten how many times I've told you."

When Francesca zeroes, Clyde snorts loudly, too.

You thought you were going to be pursued by the two companions, and Gideon tried to break off the topic, "Ma, that's the thing".

But with Sophia tilting her neck unable to read such air,

"I wish I had defeated all my enemies...... how could you sister?" Ask Serra a question.

Selah said, "Brother Zach told you,"

"The purpose of the escort is to protect. Defeating enemies is a means, not an end. It means we must not confuse purpose and means."

Answer confidently with tension.

These are the words I always say. But it seems to be difficult for Sophia, who is only nine years old, to "tell me more plainly," pointing her mouth.

Serra said, "Uh..." and mumbled. Nor does she seem to understand what is intrinsic. Well, I'm only eleven, so I can't help it.

That's where I'll get the help boat.

"Sophia's learning swordsmanship to protect everyone, isn't she?

"Yeah."

"But it's fun to improve your swordsmanship skills."

"Yeah! Glad to have one up today!" Answer cheerfully. I don't even think a girl under ten is okay with this, but I'm not pointing it out because it's not the same as the main point.

"But swordsmanship is about protecting everyone. And yet what would you think if it got fun and I forgot about that? I wonder if it would be strange if someone was attacked and he went to another demon because his sword shook well."

Sophia worries about "uh-huh,"

"I think it's strange. I think I'll be sad later, even if it's fun then... I figured it out too. Thank you, brother."

I was listening to a conversation between me and Sophia when Francesca said, "Ahahahaha!" and burst into laughter.

"I mean, you don't know better than such a little lady."

That's what I say and bash Gideon in the back.

"My ear hurts. There's no word to give it back," he said, grinning.

"That's the thing. When I'm in battle, I'm blind. So the captain didn't want to do it either..."

Again, this man was a "battle junkie".

"And Lockhart is amazing. I didn't know you were even educating kids like Serra and Sophia... my people need to educate them..."

Clyde has said that and nodded over and over again.

"Really? I thought Captain Holt had a good understanding of the area?

Russell Holt of the distilled liquor escort Scotch Guardians is a cheerful figure, but he understands exactly what's most important on the mission. He was a Fortis based mercenary and thought that was the standard idea for mercenaries in this country.

"Neither did Russell. Probably, but didn't you go to Lasmore Village and change your mind? Maybe there was strong pressure from the blacksmith guild, no, I had a request. Hahaha!"

Clyde says that and laughs aloud.

Indeed, it is possible that the Dwarves changed their minds when they saw their love for Scotch or obsession.

Since the Dwarf story came out, I asked why Gideon was not chosen to create the blacksmiths' weapons.

"Oh, you did hear from the blacksmiths. But I'm already retired. Now, even if we have all the weapons and protective gear, it will just rot the treasure. Then I told the younger guys to make it for me."

It does make sense, but I don't know why I retired when I said I was only in my mid-forties.

"How did you get retired?

Gideon looks a little cheeky and worried about what to say. Apparently, it was a story they didn't want to hear.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "forget about that one now," Francesca started explaining instead.

"I'm not keeping anything a secret. About two years ago, I had a major illness, and I almost died. I happened to be in Aurelia at that time, and luckily, I stumbled upon a well-armed Sartooth elf healer. So I picked up my life, and they told me I'd been at rest for about six months... and then soon we talked about this guy retiring... well, that's why"

Gideon was a more loving wife than I thought.

Retired to see my beloved wife. Although she was perfectly happy, she didn't return to active duty to spend more time with her afterwards, and apparently decided to relax at Fortis.

The face of the Lockhart family was touched by the story.

To have easily abandoned the “hobby” of “battle” so flattering that he forgot his fame and job as the best in the world for his beloved wife.

But there was only one question. However, the question seemed to step inside them and I was hesitant to ask.

hesitating like that, Theo was asking the question.

"I understand that Mr. Gideon and Mr. Francesca retired, but why did they even retire to Mr. Clyde? Speaking of Dyer Mercenaries, it's the most famous mercenary regiment in Fortis I know, isn't it? Why didn't Mr. Clyde take over after Mr. Gideon retired?

Clyde answers that straightforward question with a troubled face.

"It's a rotten thing to do with this guy. You don't know what you're gonna do without me. Suddenly, like I quit being a mercenary."

At the time, the head of the Dyer mercenary regiment was Gideon, with the number two being Clyde and Francesca. I was wondering if that top three fell out all at once and didn't cause any problems.

"But wasn't that hard?," he asked.

"Well, the mercenaries rubbed it somewhat... but you just have to do it the way the young guy wants to"

Word is looking far away to delude you in the back. It doesn't seem to be at the level that I rubbed it, but I can't help going any further into it, so this cuts this topic off.

After that, I had a pleasant drink with the Lockhart family.

And surprisingly, it seems Gideon liked both Theo and Selah.

"You guys, why don't you train at my place?

The two of them round their eyes to the word.

"If you guys have guts and talent, maybe you can go beyond me. What do you say?"

Sure, he's only eleven, but he's a delicacy beyond level twenty, but in terms of talent, I feel there's more to Mel. If you ask me about that,

"Mel is already done. In exchange, these two are solid foundations, but they are still incomplete. From now on, you can become a first-degree mercenary if you plant my way of fighting."

Indeed, Mel's style of combat is well established. This is because we have been fighting for years in the framework of Zachsextedt. Especially not like a normal swordsman in that it assumes magical aggression. She can make fierce attacks, but she often fights the big guys as a "tank," and sometimes in combos with me, like she did today.

Theo and the others are different in that respect.

Though he's undergoing his grandfather's rigorous training, there's no such thing as working with someone we've decided on but ourselves, it's an orthodox style.

So Francesca has joined the story.

"I think so, too. Whether you're going to be a mercenary or not, I'd be happy to be your apprentice."

Apparently, she liked them both, too.

Though the Theos are happy, they can't decide on their own, they alternate between my father and me.

My father bowed his head to Gideon,

"Thank you for your excessive offer to my sons. But once we get back to the village, we want to discuss and decide properly."

"Right. Better not be too late, but well, whenever you feel like it."

Once, the two training stories were put on hold.