Chapter 83: Chapter 82 - Work For The hounds

Six months passed after the fight with Saldia.

And they were still not exactly on good terms, but it was slowly getting better.

Teclos was gone from home most of the time now, leaving early in the morning and only returning late at night to sleep.

Other than that, his life had suddenly become easy.

He always had coin to spare.

He always had a full belly.

And after completing plenty of jobs successfully, his standing within the mercenary company improved as well.

He improved their living conditions by bringing fresh food home. At first, Saldia refused to eat it, but with time, and with hunger gnawing at her, Teclos started finding leftovers in the trash. And the few times he did see her, she looked healthier.

Then he replaced the thin walls of their home with a sturdy stone foundation and logs stacked on top of it. Derrick and his friends helped him build it—of course, for some coin, but it was help nonetheless.

Their house became noticeable from far away among the rubble and patched huts around it, and that filled Teclos with pride.

It reassured him that even if the money was "dirty," he had made their lives better.

Not more miserable, like Saldia had said.

Saldia also asked fewer questions with time, but that did not mean she stopped caring. Teclos noticed her staring at his bruises with worry, so over time, he started hiding his scars better, hoping she would worry less.

The dissent that had brewed between them slowly began to fade.

They at least greeted each other now, and occasionally, they even held small conversations, checking up on one another in awkward, careful ways.

It was a painfully slow process, one that had taken six months just to reach this point.

She calmed down somewhat when she finally saw the mercenaries for the first time. At Teclos’s plea, Derrick arranged it carefully. He brought a few of the men by during the repair and renovation work and ordered them to be on their best behavior.

No crude jokes near Saldia.

No fighting.

And no alcohol.

They were rough around the edges, certainly. Scarred all over their bodies, loud, and far too blunt. But they helped lift stones, fixed the wall, and worked tirelessly. One even repaired a broken shelf without being asked.

Saldia watched them constantly, like a hawk. But even when she told them how she wanted something placed, they only smiled and did their work.

She was baffled.

"They are still dangerous," she told Teclos later.

"I know," Teclos said. "But that does not mean they are all monsters."

That was the moment Saldia let go of some of her anger.

That had been one month ago.

Now, Saldia had even gotten a better place in the market to sell her herbs.

Teclos had arranged that too.

He hated that she still wanted to stand behind that stall every day, but if it gave her peace of mind, then he supposed it was not such a bad idea.

—

One day, as he made his way toward the pub, he noticed something strange in the people around him.

He could not quite put his finger on it, but they seemed to be making way for him.

Like they were afraid.

It felt strange. He had not really killed anyone yet, and he had only shaken down people who, in his opinion, deserved a beating.

Then it clicked in his mind.

It must have been the company mark he wore openly now—a dark metal insignia hanging around his neck. He had it made yesterday and wore it for the first time because he was no longer ashamed to be part of them.

He had also bought better armor: a dark leather tunic and vambraces, along with matching shin guards and a neat short sword at his waist. He carried himself differently now, radiating confidence, with an upright posture.

Most people simply lowered their eyes and stepped aside.

But some even scurried away.

He liked that more than he should have.

As he turned the final corner before the pub in a good mood, he bumped into another person, and they both fell flat on their asses.

It was Ralph.

Teclos had not seen him since their fight over two years ago, and it was not a welcome surprise either.

Ralph was clad in polished silver armor that caught the light with every movement. A fitted plated tunic covered his torso, reinforced by pauldrons over his shoulders and vambraces along his forearms. Steel gloves protected his hands, and layered guards covered his shoulders and upper arms, making him look less like a common mercenary and almost more like a knight.

In contrast, Teclos felt almost bare beside him.

His dark leather armor, which had made him feel proud only moments ago, suddenly seemed cheap and thin. It looked like the Silver Griffins were treating their members very well.

His mercenary company was one of the top five in the city. The kind that merchants flocked to and nobles hired for protection.

Ralph did not scowl at first when he saw who he had bumped into.

But once his gaze dropped to the insignia around Teclos’s neck, his expression hardened.

"Hah! Really now?" Ralph said. "You refused my offers to join my company, and instead joined a criminal one? You chose to work for that pig Zamas?"

It was one thing that Ralph was better off than him, but another thing entirely that he nagged at him for choosing differently, as well as throwing shade at his company.

"Ah... I see. All those gold coins and silver rotted your brains out. I was in no way stable enough to choose anything back then, and don’t insult my company. They may be a rowdy bunch, but at least they’ve got my back."

Ralph’s mouth tightened.

Teclos felt his own expression harden in response.

For a brief moment, Teclos got ready to counter him, anticipating a fight. But Ralph only dusted himself off and turned around.

He did not say another word and only shook his head as he walked away.

Teclos just watched him go, feeling a little conflicted.

Then he also left that spot and walked the final stretch toward the pub.

The moment he entered, Falcon came looking for him.

Teclos knew something was different the moment he dragged him away to the back door.

"Zamas wants to see you upstairs."

"Now?"

Falcon just nodded, and Teclos followed him quietly.

Derrick was already sitting on the sofa beside Zamas, drinking ale.

"Do you really have to drink already?" Zamas asked, irritated.

"I’m thirsty, boss! Besides, it’s just one cup..."

As they walked closer, Teclos saw a new face standing by the window, a man armed to the teeth. He had rows of throwing knives on belts strapped to his body, a long scar across his face, and red eyes. He looked intimidating, even though he was only about 1.70 meters tall and bald.

"Oh! Kiddo, finally. Sit, you two. We have business to discuss. Oh, and this lovely fella is Zaxx. He’s going to be part of the job."

After they sat down and were offered refreshments by Kira, which they declined, Zamas started explaining what had happened.

"I was crossed and insulted yesterday at a party."

Teclos felt the air suddenly grow heavier.

"By who?" Falcon asked.

"A bastard," Zamas said. "He is a lower noble residing in Lupos for the season. His name is Hadrian Morholt, and he’s a baron."

Teclos frowned.

A noble?

That one word changed the shape of the entire conversation.

Zamas continued, "The baron thought coin and bloodline meant he could insult me openly and walk away alive."

Zaxx snorted.

He continued. "Now, you know me... I am patient and benevolent, and I let it slide. But it just so happened that later that same day, we crossed paths again in a gambling den."

"What happened?" Teclos asked.

"Well, let’s just say I want him dead now." He seemed to be embarrassed by something as he dodged the question.

Derrick then leaned back on the sofa and voiced his concerns. "A noble is not a debtor hiding behind a broken and moldy house. Even a lower noble is dangerous."

"I know."

Derrick’s eyes became emotionless as he heard the answer. It seemed that Zamas would not back away from this one.

Zaxx and Falcon were the same as Derrick, already preparing themselves mentally. Only Teclos worried that this might be too much of a risk. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Get it done..." Zamas ordered them for a final time.

Derrick stood up first, nodding to the boss, and left. The others followed shortly after, with Teclos right behind them.

They moved to the weapons room, where Derrick pulled out a map from a stash they had. It showed a detailed layout of the mansion the baron lived in.

"Alright, since the boss is dead set on killing a noble, listen carefully," Derrick said. "We have no room for error here. A baron can stir a lot of trouble should he live to tell the tale. We have to do a clean job on this one so it doesn’t come back to bite us."

Derrick pointed at the gate.

"The first problem is the gate. Falcon and Teclos will infiltrate the mansion silently. Once the gate is opened, Zaxx and I will charge in." He scratched his beard for a second. "Now, the second problem. Even a baron usually has one or two knights. These guys could make or break our mission. Since me and Zaxx will charge in, we will draw their attention, giving you two time to kill the baron... You have to do it quickly and return to us. Even we won’t stand a chance against knights."

Later, he pointed out where the easiest breach was and gave each of them additional gear from the stash, like cloaks, smoke bombs, and so on.

Once they were all set, Zaxx grinned. "Finally, some action."

"No," Derrick said sharply. "We won’t be repeating last time’s fiasco, where you blew up the whole caravan... You’re going to stick with me so I can keep an eye on you."

"Haha, come on, man, that was just an accident."

He looked him dead in the eyes and just said, "This is a stealth job."

Zaxx looked offended, like a kid who had been banned from using his toys.

Derrick ignored him and continued.

"Alright, we’ll infiltrate at night and rendezvous here at the pub. Get some rest now so you’ll be wide awake when night falls."

They nodded, and each headed home, except for Derrick, who ordered another cup of ale from Marek at the counter.

Zaxx looked personally insulted again and instantly joined him, shouting that Derrick couldn’t have all the fun to himself.

Teclos just shook his head and, for the first time in a long time, went home to meditate.

He had stagnated since... the incident... he thought, so it was time to pick himself up again with training.

Once home, he took the lotus position beside his bed and circulated his mana through his body.

Since his room was nice and dark, the mana easily responded to his call.

But he found something strange.

Huh... my mana is awfully strong? I don’t remember it being that potent.

He checked his mana veins, his core, his heart, and his mind, and found something shocking.

His mind had gone up by one circle. His mana had not duplicated or anything like that, but his fine control over it had improved vastly.

Not only that, his senses were sharpened, and as he looked through the shadows and darkness once again, the radius he could perceive was enormous compared to before.

He could almost see the pub, and he could feel the guards on top of the wall.

The damage from the black veins seemed to have healed, and in turn, it also made the walls of his veins thicker—stronger.

He was stunned, and he explored the boundary of his capabilities now.

And he lost track of time. When Saldia came home in the evening, she noticed that he was in his room, meditating.

She suddenly shed tears of joy, thinking that her son had finally gotten his act together again and returned to his old ways... but then a much more foul thought entered her mind, and she suddenly grew worried.

"Teclos...?" she interrupted him.

"Huh?... What time is it? Mom! I had a breakthrough!" He ran to her and hugged her, which shocked her to her core. "I have a third circle in my mind, and it almost feels like I could reach the fourth one as well."

She hugged him back suddenly. Her worry was unfounded, it seemed, as she cried happy tears and congratulated him.

They had a merry chat in the kitchen.

—

As midnight struck, Teclos jumped out of the window and into the night, running toward the pub.

It was time for the mission.