The Soldier and The Novelist

Memoirs of Three People

On that day, the café Green Knight had its first temporary closure. According to the owner, Hugh, “It’s not the time for that.”

Inside the shop, with an impromptu sign saying “Closed for the day” hanging out front, we were listening to Hugh’s passionate sermon.

“…So, in the year 1868 of the Shore era, at the young age of 17, the youngest in history, the person who won the Carnegie Award was none other than Professor Forester here.”

We were sitting around a round table. Hugh was on my right, Gold on my left, and the female novelist was sitting across from us.

“Although she made a striking debut with her first work Pioneers, that’s not all. Her serialized novel starting with Monk’s Tale was a huge hit and created a movement in the literary world known as the Green Forest.” Hugh was talking on and on with delight, the novelist nodded with a satisfied smile.

I opened my eyes halfway and waited for the conversation to finish while resting my chin on my hand. Gold, who always had a grinning face, was now digging his ears with a disgusted expression.

“Professor’s works created the Green Forest movement, which is commonly referred to as a counter to the rigid and formalistic pure literature…”

While tuning out Hugh’s endless talk, I was looking at the novelist. Despite sitting across from me, she hadn’t once made eye contact with me since sitting down. It was definitely intentional. It seems that the woman herself hasn’t forgotten about me.

As expected, I grew impatient and interrupted Hugh’s story. “Oh, yeah, I get it. I know that woman’s a best-selling novelist now.”

Hugh, who had his story interrupted, frowned a little bit. “What’s the matter? I haven’t even finished introducing her properly yet.”

Although I felt a slight shudder at the fact that only one-tenth of the story had been told, I went straight to the point. “We can’t waste the time of this best-selling author. Let’s talk about work.”

Hugh reluctantly agreed to my words. It’s hard to believe that this usually calm man could be so excited. Come to think of it, I think I saw this woman’s name in the book Paul was reading.

A popular novelist, huh…

I gave a random glance at my opposite direction. Of course, I was ignored.

I see, she intends to treat me as if I don’t exist.

Feeling tired, I threw some words at the person next to me. “So, is this writer your client, Gold?”

“Seems like it.” Rocking back and forth in his chair and smiling as usual, Gold answered nonchalantly.

I gave him a suspicious look, “It’s your job, isn’t it?”

“I received the request by letter. My reply was also a letter. It’s my first time meeting her too.” Gold had a grin on his face.

I let out a gloomy sigh. That means I’m the only one who actually knows her.

Then, the novelist spoke to Gold. “Are you Bordine, the one I first requested the job from?”

In response, Gold put his hand on his chest in a dramatic tone. “That’s right. But, as the letter said, I had already taken another job. So today, I plan to introduce a substitute mercenary.”

“I don’t mind. He’s a great substitute, well-educated, gentlemanly, and a wonderful mercenary, even though I was a little worried about having a substitute. There’s no reason to cancel the request.”

The novelist said with a smile, then turned to Hugh next to him. Gold burst out laughing. “That’s right. Good for you, Sword!”

I had a dry smile on my face.

“I’m sorry, Professor Forester,” Hugh said, frowning in a troubled manner. “I would love to accompany you on your request, but I’m not a mercenary, I’m a coffee shop owner.”

The smile of the novelist froze. It was the face of someone who had considered the possibility but whose emotions had vehemently denied it.

I understood. I had been making the same expression long before her.

Hugh smiled wryly and introduced me with his left hand. “This gentleman here is the one who will be accepting your request. His name is Sword.”

“Tsk.”

This woman just clicked her tongue. She even kept the smile.

“Is something wrong?” Hugh leaned in, and she shook her head with the same calm expression as before.

“Never mind… But if that man is the substitute, there’s one thing that worries me, or rather, one thing that makes me uneasy.” The novelist sat up straight and gave me a quick glance that conveyed her innermost thoughts.

“Something’s bothering you?” Hugh asked.

She smiled with a tinge of bitterness. “Even though I don’t want to say this myself, I’m still a woman. I can’t help but feel a certain level of anxiety about traveling with a strange man alone.”

“Of course, that’s only natural as a woman.”

“I appreciate your understanding. Well, if you’re a gentleman who understands the proper etiquette, there should be nothing to worry about, but…”

The novelist’s gaze bore into me, but it was far from human. It felt more like she was scrutinizing a dead rat on the street.

“I just can’t seem to feel safe around this man,” she stated bluntly.

A snort of frustration escaped me. I knew I wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the blatant dislike was almost a welcome change.

Beside me, Gold was laughing his ass off. “Hahaha, amazing, Sword! It’s not every day you meet a woman for the first time and get that much hatred, is it? Huh?”

“…It’s not because it’s our first meeting that she hates me this much,” I muttered to myself in response. But Gold, who was desperately clutching his stomach, didn’t seem to hear me.

Hugh, with a wry smile on his face, spoke to the novelist. “I admit that this man’s appearance lacks a bit of intelligence and education to be called a gentleman.”

Whose side are you on, Hugh?!

Ignoring my disapproving gaze, he continued. “However, I can guarantee his ability as a mercenary. Especially when it comes to escorting. I believe this time request is about escorting, isn’t it?”

“Well, yes…” But the novelist seemed uneasy and still stared at me.

“Despite his rough appearance, Sword never failed in his job as an escort during his union days. Not even once. I think his past experience is enough to hire him,” Hugh added.

“Then let me ask you one thing.” The novelist turned to Gold. “Between you, who’s I initially requested and this substitute, who would win in a fight?”

My face twisted involuntarily. It was one of the questions I hated most in the world. In contrast, Gold’s eyes sparkled with delight and his mouth twisted.

“Definitely me.” Gold confidently replied. Unfortunately, I had no argument against this fact. It was true.

However, I wasn’t an angel to step back hesitantly in front of Gold’s gaze, which looked down on me sideways. “But if you and Hugh were to fight, Hugh would win, wouldn’t he?”

My words wiped the smile off Gold’s face. He snorted his nose in boredom and turned away. The thing he hated most was losing. In terms of winning and losing, Hugh was smarter than Gold.

I cursed him silently.

“But…” Hugh interjected, smiling calmly and looking at me. “If you and I were to fight, you would win, right?”

I was momentarily stunned by the unexpected words. However, after thinking calmly for a while, I nodded. “Well, that might be… possible.”

“What does that mean?” The novelist who had been listening silently furrowed his brow in puzzlement. She looked as if she couldn’t understand what they were talking about.

“In other words, it’s like the compatibility of our battles? Like rock-paper-scissors?”

“Well, yes,” Hugh pondered. “The word ‘compatibility’ doesn’t quite fit, though. But it’s hard to find a better word for it.”

“Okay, then let me ask a different question,” the novelist sighed and threw out another question. “If you three fought, who would be the last one standing?”

“Well, I would,” I replied.

“It’s Sword,” Gold and Hugh said, as if it was obvious.

“What? Why?” The novelist asked again, looking even more confused.

“Bordine is stronger than this man, and if Bordine fought the owner, the owner would win. If the owner fought this man, the man wouldn’t lose, but in a three-way fight, this man would be the last one standing…?” she muttered to herself before sighing in resignation, “It’s like a Zen riddle.”

“If I may, all you need to understand is that Sword is a tough guy who’s suited for guarding,” Hugh said.

Upon hearing this, Gold smiled provocatively at me. “Well, it’s like having the life force of a cockroach.”

“…Whatever,” I said, shaking my head slightly. I decided to act like an adult and not get too upset. I clearly wasn’t upset.

“Um… Well, if you say so, I have no choice but to acknowledge his strength,” the novelist said reluctantly, looking at me.

Although she said so with her mouth, the suspicion in her eyes hadn’t yet disappeared.

“But…” the novelist lowered his eyes and raised his voice slightly, “…no matter how skilled a mercenary may be, if they lack human character, they won’t do. It’s like a sword that no one can wield if it’s all blade and no handle.”

All I could do was let out a dry laugh, as I looked at Gold. This guy is the exact person she described and originally wanted to request.

“Anyway, for some reason, I can’t trust this man. I don’t know why, even myself,” said the novelist, intentionally emphasizing the latter half.

I couldn’t help but quietly murmur, “Liar,” as I had a good idea what was going on. But there was nothing to be done about it. No matter what, this woman seemed to want nothing to do with me.

To be honest, if I could, I would prefer to decline such a troublesome client. But since I basically had said I would take the job in front of Gold and Hugh, I couldn’t bring myself to reject it outright.

I let out a small sigh.

Watching me and the novelist, Hugh scratched his head in confusion. “I’m troubled. What could Sword have done to be hated so much? You two haven’t even exchanged words properly yet.”

Hahaha, that’s certainly true, but the feud isn’t limited to just today, Hugh.

“Bordine, can’t you cancel your prior appointment? Depending on the conditions, I’ll reconsider the reward,” the novelist said, a little annoyed.

Gold shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. “It’s an attractive offer, but freelancers can’t afford to just worry about where their next meal is coming from. To think about the future of my business, I can’t betray my clients’ trust.”

The novelist let out a small click of her tongue, looking annoyed. Then, her gaze shifted to the other side. “Well then, owner, um…”

“Hugh Green.”

“Green, what about you?”

“Haha, you’re joking. I’m just a coffee shop owner, not a mercenary.”

“Weren’t you a mercenary before? And those two swords hanging over the counter, aren’t they yours?” The novelist pointed to the counter.

On the wall were two well-maintained iron swords. Needless to say, they were Hugh’s weapons from his days as a mercenary.

“Oh, you’re very observant. However, those swords are part of my past. I just hang them up occasionally to reminisce. Now I’m just a humble coffee shop owner, and I can’t afford to leave my shop unattended.”

“Of course, if it’s for a reward during your time off…”

“More than that,” Hugh interrupted her. “I can’t afford to taint the scent of coffee with the smell of blood.” Saying that, he calmly narrowed his eyes behind his glasses.

The novelist remained silent, as if carefully considering her words, and eventually nodded without refuting her. “…It was an impolite invitation. My apologies.”

“No, I’m sorry for not being able to assist you.” The novelist bowed her head, but Hugh bowed even more respectfully than her.

The novelist sighed, lifted her face to meet my gaze, and let out an even bigger sigh.

She was truly a difficult woman.

“So, would you like to cancel the request, miss writer?” As Gold asked with a mischievous look, the novelist fell silent once again.

Her expression seemed to indicate that she was seriously pondering the matter. Since there was no mercenary union, it couldn’t be easy to find a replacement mercenary. I wondered which way her decision would tip, between the effort of finding another mercenary and hiring me.

After a period of contemplation, the novelist answered. “…Even though I understand it rationally, there are still things that I can’t tolerate on a visceral level. I’m sorry to do this after all this effort, but I’ll have to decline your recommendation. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to find someone else, but I’ll try.”

“Someone else? Hahaha, that’s impossible.” Gold laughed mockingly. The novelist’s face twisted suspiciously.

“Impossible?”

“As of now, there are no mercenaries in this city who are familiar with the geography of Evilshaw other than the three of us.”

Hugh’s face turned to surprise at the sudden mention of the place name. I, on the other hand, thought to myself, “As I expected.” If this woman needed a mercenary after yesterday’s incident, there could only be one reason.

“Evilshaw? Are you planning to climb that mountain, Professor?”

In response to Hugh’s question, the novelist nodded somewhat wearily. “That’s why I’m looking for a mercenary to accompany me. I heard that mercenaries are knowledgeable even about places that aren’t on the map.”

Then, she turned a suspicious eye to Hugh. “I hope you’re not planning on giving me that silly advice like the commoners around here to back out, Green.”

“No. If anything, the more reason you should bring Sword along.” Hugh’s eyes, looking at the novelist, were deadly serious.

“…Surprising. You’re not trying to stop me?”

“If one had read your books, they’d understand. Anyone who stops and quits here wouldn’t be able to write those kinds of works.”

The novelist let out a slight smile. She seemed a little pleased. “For me, that’s the same as a compliment.”

Then, she turned to Gold. “However, what do you mean by ‘there are no other than the three of us’?”

Gold didn’t break his smug smile. “Just what it sounds like. The only mercenaries who have climbed Evilshaw and come back alive are the three of us.”

“Gold, what you’re saying isn’t very accurate,” Hugh added. “The denominator is only us three to begin with. To be precise, there were only three mercenaries who climbed that mountain.”

The novelist’s face lit up with color. It was a mixture of surprise and faint excitement.

“Is that true? Have you climbed that mountain?” his gaze seeked confirmation from me, the one sitting across from her.

For the first time today, I receive a look that should be directed towards an ordinary human being from her. Apparently, her disgust towards me doesn’t come before her curiosity.

I opened my mouth, “It was just a little job five years ago. Even so, I came across a ridiculous amount of fanged beasts. But, I don’t think there were any mercenary jobs in that area, were there?”

Hugh answered that question. “Actually, there was a time when gold could be mined in that area.”

The novelist’s eyes widen in surprise. “Gold? That’s news to me.”

“It’s not surprising that you don’t know. The amount that could be mined was very small and the vein only lasted for about a year, so it didn’t lead to a western-style gold rush. However, it still became an important source of income for the towns in the area. Some mercenaries were hired for mining even from this town.”

“However,” Gold continued the story. “As mining progressed, foolish humans touched the wrath of nature.” Gold spoke dramatically.

The novelist tilted her head in confusion. “Wrath?”

Hugh nodded, “Fanged beasts that lived in the mountainous area began to come down to the coal mine near the foot of the mountain. They probably thought that humans had come to take their habitat. Originally, the mountainous area was a final resting place for fanged beasts that were driven out of their habitat due to road improvement.”

Remembering that time from Hugh’s words, I gave a self-deprecating smile, “Because of that, we, who were supposed to just transport coal, were forced to subdue them. We were just there by chance.”

“Well, we were young and took on cheap jobs,” Hugh chuckles.

I glare at Gold. “No, it was because of this battle-crazy maniac that we ended up with that shitty job. He just went out alone without permission.”

“Hahaha, it was fun. It’s rare to have such an exciting fight to the death. The only downside was that it dragged on a bit too long,” Gold chuckled.

He also had a distant look in his eyes as if recalling the past. But unlike us, his eyes revealed a sense of intoxication. If our memories of the same event can be interpreted so differently, then there is no doubt that his humanity is severely distorted.

“What was fun about it? We went through all that trouble climbing up the mountain, fighting off the enemy while spitting blood. In the end, that town said they ‘hadn’t officially requested the union’s services’ and skipped out on paying us.”

Just remembering it makes me sick to my stomach. Even if we call it fruitless labor, it’s an unfair memory.

“Well, I guess all we can do is think of it as a good lesson learned.”

“Yeah. It was definitely a good experience to learn just how greedy people can be. Thanks to that, I now have a healthy dose of misanthropy.” Hugh sighed with resignation, and I cursed silently toward the ceiling. This must be the normal reaction for a decent human being.

“So,” the novelist suddenly interrupted. There was a sharpness in her eyes, “At that time, what were you guys fighting against?”

The three of us were speechless and almost simultaneously turned our astonished gazes towards her.

“What do you mean, what?” I asked in confusion, trying to conceal my agitation.

However, the novelist sported a confident smile on her face. “Bordine, you said it just now. You referred to it as a fight to the death and apparently, you fought ‘an enemy’? Isn’t that a bit unnatural to describe the subjugation of the fanged beast?”

“I see,” Gold said, impressed, as he lifted the corner of his mouth.

Hugh sighed and corrected his posture. Then he asked the novelist. “Professor Forester, could you tell us now? What’s your reason for aiming for that mountain? And what exactly do you know?”

“Ah, yes. Let me explain in order.” The novelist said quietly as she stood up from her chair.