25-218

EP.218 [A Grand Conspiracy, and the Shadow Behind It.] 

“Hahahahaha!! It really feels different being home! The party at camp was fun, but drinking like this here at home just feels different in my heart!” 

Ivan, dressed comfortably, let out a hearty laugh as he raised his glass. 

The Red Fox Mercenary Band had arrived at the Pangaea Jebodang Mercenary Village. Naturally, that night they threw a raucous welcome-back party. The villagers joined in, as did Vivian’s group. 

“Really? Wow… That’s basically a dragon, isn’t it, Peter?” 

“Well, you wouldn’t be wrong to call it a dragon. When it soars up, it casts a huge shadow on the ground~ and when it lands, the earth shakes like an earthquake!!!” 

“Oh my! So the Red Fox Mercenary Band took that down? And you were there, Peter?” 

“Of course! See this badge? It’s a provisional commendation badge from the Imperial Knights. The official badge will come later! I’ll make sure to show it to the ladies first!” 

“Wow~ Amazing~!” 

As Ivan said, the party at home had a completely different atmosphere. It was wild, boastful, and noisy-just as a mercenary’s party should be. That wasn’t possible with the Imperial Knights. And this time, the subject was the drake, a monster that was almost legendary among ordinary people. The Red Fox Mercenaries regaled the villagers with tales of their exploits. 

“Wow… I knew Master Vivian thought highly of us, but I never expected her to come visit like this.” 

Another hot topic at the party was, of course, Vivian. The officers of the Red Fox Mercenaries were especially interested. Regular members didn’t care much about who came and went. Thomas, sitting with Jeanne, expressed his surprise at Vivian’s visit. 

“I remember, the captain and I talked with Master Vivian and she said she’d come visit. She was really interested in the mercenary village after hearing about the kids from the slums.” 

Jeanne answered Thomas smoothly. It was a smooth answer because it wasn’t 100% true. Vivian did say she’d visit and was interested in the village, but 90% of her reason for coming to Pangaea was to see Eugene Schneider. But Eugene couldn’t just say that to his comrades. 

“I see… But Master Vivian must really trust the captain now. He did save her life, after all.” 

Marie, next to Jeanne, nodded while fiddling with her large mug. 

Vivian had come to see Eugene, so even though it was a meeting with the Red Fox Mercenaries, Eugene was effectively the host. He was still spending time with Vivian separately. He’d not only protected her during the quest but actually saved her life, so their bond was strong. Still, for her to come all this way to show her friendship was impressive. 

‘Hmm, Eugene’s harem is really growing. At this rate, it’ll be hard to keep it a secret for much longer.’ 

Jeanne understood what Marie’s reaction meant. Marie thought Jeanne and Eugene were an item, so it made her a bit nervous. 

Jeanne had honestly doubted Eugene would ever really form a harem, given his personality. But now he was thriving, building a harem like a fish in water-or like an octopus. Jeanne realized it was getting harder to keep things hidden from the rest of the group. In the end, Eugene was keeping secrets out of attachment to the Red Fox Mercenaries. 

“It’s such a beautiful place!” 

Vivian, looking at the evening scenery near the village, couldn’t hide her amazement. 

After dinner and spending some time at the party, Eugene and Vivian stepped outside for a walk. 

“How’s Shiakan doing? Do you think he still remembers me?” 

Eugene asked about Vivian’s pet beast, Shiakan. Being a beast, there were places where bringing him was restricted. Pangaea was a neutral area, which meant strict entry procedures, so Vivian hadn’t brought Shiakan this time. 

“Of course he remembers. Whenever I mention you, he reacts. He’s a very clever animal.” 

Vivian smiled brightly, pleased that Eugene remembered Shiakan, who was like family to her. 

“I can’t forget his charisma. I kept a poker face during our first meeting, but he gave me chills.” 

“Hahaha! You’re too modest, Eugene. Your presence was so overwhelming I almost collapsed!” 

Eugene knew this well, so he brought it up. Their meeting had been lively, but he was grateful for the connection and her visit. He tried to lead the mood. 

“When we met again, you said I should make a decision, right?” 

There was still a thread to unravel between them. Vivian, feeling ready after all Eugene’s care and consideration, brought it up first. 

“That’s right.” 

Eugene nodded slowly. 

The first impression Jeanne had given Eugene of Vivian was that she was a problematic noblewoman. But after working as her bodyguard, learning about her father’s story and his death, and seeing Vivian’s true character, Eugene became confused. He sensed there was more he didn’t know, but couldn’t ask Vivian directly, as she seemed unable to face those issues herself. 

So he told Vivian to come find him if she ever gained the courage to move past her confusion. 

“And now that you’ve come to see me, it means you’ve taken a step forward.” 

After about two months, Vivian came to Eugene. If she hadn’t been ready, she wouldn’t have come. Her appearance meant she’d decided to free herself from the shackles that had bound her for so long. 

“Yes, Eugene. Over these two months, I’ve come to realize something deeply. I, Vivian, love you very much.” 

Vivian smiled in agreement with Eugene’s words. 

“To nurture that love, I decided I needed to overcome my past.” 

She was ready to tell Eugene everything. 

“Hm, seeing that, I think I need to take a step forward too.” 

Eugene stroked his chin, hinting that he had something to share as well. He could see Vivian was sincere, so he felt he should be honest too. 

“What is it, Eugene?” 

Vivian looked at him with wide eyes, curious. 

“I’m the adopted son of the Oblaing ducal family. My name is Eugene de Sel Oblaing.” 

Eugene’s step forward was to reveal his true origins. Vivian had thought he was a regular mercenary dating Lady Jeanne of the ducal family. 

“What?????” 

Vivian, who had come all this way with a determined heart, was left wide-eyed in shock at this new revelation. 

“It’s just as I said. Jeanne is my sister, and I’m her younger brother. That’s the situation.” 

Eugene understood her reaction, but he couldn’t act sheepish in front of Vivian. He wanted to be confident with her, so he confirmed it with a straight face. 

“T-that can’t be… what…” 

Vivian was almost speechless, her mind blank. 

She’d suspected Eugene had some background-he was too capable to be just a regular mercenary. But to be the adopted son of a ducal family and Jeanne’s brother was a huge shock. 

But- 

“You’re definitely adopted, right, Eugene? Not a blood son?” 

Vivian was already hopelessly in love with Eugene. Losing him would be almost as bad as losing her father, Alexis Saint-Pierre. So she desperately asked for confirmation that he was adopted. 

“Yes, I’m definitely adopted. That’s why I can date Jeanne. I wouldn’t go that far otherwise.” 

Eugene knew Vivian was obsessed with him and accepted it. He answered boldly. 

“Right… In noble families, that’s not unusual…” 

Just as Eugene expected, Vivian, not wanting to lose him, rationalized it from his perspective. As long as it wasn’t blood-related, it was fine. In the Middle Ages, even cousins married, so what’s the big deal about an adopted son? That was Vivian’s thinking. 

“Now that I know your background, I have to tell you something as well.” 

But knowing Eugene’s background made Vivian more cautious. It seemed related to what she wanted to say. 

“I hope you’ll trust me. What I’m about to say is absolutely true.” 

Vivian was hinting that what she was about to say was very serious. 

“I trust you. That’s why I made that choice. If you decided to come here, I don’t think you’d lie to me.” 

Eugene nodded, affirming his trust. 

“Whew…” 

Vivian had made up her mind, but now that it was time to speak, she found it hard to start. She took a deep breath. 

“You know that my father, Duke Alexis Saint-Pierre, was in the line of succession for the throne, and after losing that competition, he passed away.” 

Vivian began to talk about her father Alexis’s death. 

“Yeah, I heard from Captain Antonio and Jeanne.” 

Eugene confirmed. 

“I heard that behind his death… at the time, it was Duke Oblaing, now Grand Duke Antoine de Sel Oblaing, who was involved.”