Chapter 26

Jack Rogers belonged to a rough-named mercenary group called the “Steel Shield,” under which he had eight fixed team members. Their specialty areas were security and protection.

Unusually for a mercenary, he often took on noble escort missions. While his skills were outstanding, much of his favor came from his neat appearance and manners.

This was a three-month contract. The subject of his protection was the new Countess of Balthus, Marlena.

Jack knew of the many myths surrounding the infamous Marlena, but there was no point in trying to outwit his employer.

An employer is only as good as the money he pays on time.

Even Jack, who held such beliefs, had his own questions about Malena.

“Who was the bodyguard who had escorted the Countess before she hired us?”

Rumors circulated among the mercenary ranks about who was guarding whom.

Protecting nobles is a relatively safe and well-paying job, coveted and envied by all.

But there was no information about the young man who was supposed to be Marlena’s bodyguard, not even where he came from or what his previous experience was.

He was truly a mysterious figure.

Some speculated that he might not even be a mercenary.

After all, no mercenary organization would be so stupid as to send only one mercenary on a mission to escort a nobleman.

The more he thought about it, the more curious he became about the identity of the bodyguard in question.

Jack’s curiosity was answered not long after Marlena entered the mansion.

In the garden, during a briefing on shift times and guard positions, a young man opened the front door and stepped out into the garden.

Normally, he wouldn’t have cared who came out, but on this particular day, Jack’s eyes naturally went to the young man.

Jack realized immediately that the young man was Marlena’s bodyguard.

He didn’t have the gait of a normal man, that was for sure. But he couldn’t sense anything more special than that.

At the same time, it was bizarre.

“A kid?

He was tall but slim, with fair skin. His face… Rather than being rugged, it resembled someone who spent all their time indoors studying. His slightly droopy eyes made him look even more like a puppy.

“…That’s all. Dismissed.”

“Dismissed!”

Finished with his briefing, Jack walked over to the young man and shook his hand.

“I’m Jack Rogers from the ‘Steel Shield.’ And you?”

“Marlena Balthus.”

The unexpected answer came back with a swagger. Beyond the bravado, there was a subtle hint of hostility.

Roche didn’t like the fact that Jack had referred to himself as a member of the Steel Shield.

He couldn’t take half a step back from these men, who were nothing more than mercenaries paid for by money.

Roche held Jack’s gaze for a few seconds before accepting his request to shake his hand.

“I’m Roche. I’m in charge of protecting Countess Balthus.”

As soon as Roche’s words were out of his mouth, laughter erupted among the team members standing behind Jack.

The mercenaries snickered at the man’s appearance, which seemed a bit too fragile for a ‘bodyguard’.

Quick to recognize the source of the laughter, Roche stiffened and stared at the source.

Someone turned to Jack.

“Is this kid also part of the team? Seriously?”

Most of the mercenaries stammered, hands on their hips, squinting at Roche.

The “Jack Rogers Team” was relatively polite and gentle compared to other mercenaries, but mercenaries were mercenaries.

Mocking the weak was routine, and conflicts outside the employer’s sight were acceptable.

Jack didn’t mind the atmosphere.

“Well, did you say your name was Roche? I’ll include you in the team.”

He patted Roche on the shoulder cheerfully.

“Given your age and appearance, are you really capable of guarding the countess? Should we put you on the sidelines? Or do we have to protect you too? Two security targets?”

“Wahahahahaha!”

A roar of laughter, louder than before, erupted among the mercenaries.

Instantly, Roche’s head shot up. It was clear that Jack was looking down on him.

Especially the comment about being placed on the sidelines was extremely difficult to accept.

Roche gritted his teeth.

‘If they come out like this, they are my enemies. At least we have to establish a hierarchy.’

Roche’s expression turned grim.

The aura he exuded was unnerving, but the mercenaries were too busy chuckling amongst themselves at Jack’s ‘joke’ to notice.

Just then, the front door opened.

“What’s all the commotion outside?”

It was Dylan Moore, the butler, who stepped out.

Behind him was Marlena Balthus, the woman Jack would be escorting for the next three months.

Dylan was embarrassed; he’d hired the most famous man in town to guard the townhouse because he thought it would be a good idea to have someone who knew the capital well, and he hadn’t expected such an undignified disturbance.

Meanwhile, Jack grinned and waved at Dylan. His attitude was no big deal.

“Sorry about that. There won’t be any more disruptions. I’ll handle it. Normally, these guys don’t make such a ruckus at their employer’s house.”

Dylan was stunned.

It was Marlena’s first day at the townhouse, and he didn’t like that the peaceful atmosphere was already disrupted.

He’d told him he’d done a lot of aristocratic escorting, and he’d been so polished at the interview that he’d believed him. ……. Well, mercenaries will always be mercenaries.

He was about to say something to Jack, regretting his hasty hiring. Roche spoke up before Dylan could.

“Who among you will stand last? ”

The room fell silent for a moment, and then a snicker escaped the mercenaries.

“I asked who is the weakest among you? “

Roche asked Jack, but instead of Jack, one of his teammates answered.

“Hey, Billy. It’s you. From now on, say hi to the new guy who takes the end spot.”

He pushed Billy’s back a bit further, urging him forward.

Billy, staggering a few steps forward, looked back and forth between his amused colleague and Roche, chuckling nervously.

But the next moment, he stopped laughing.

Pow!

The sudden punch to his stomach was so powerful that Billy’s eyes rolled back in his head.

In his blurred vision, he saw a white face and brown hair.

No way, that Roche guy?

No, he’d been standing next to the captain for the briefest of moments before he’d looked away?

Was he using magic?

How did he get so close, so fast?

Billy wanted to ask anyone around him what was going on.

Billy wanted to ask someone nearby what was happening, but all that came out of his mouth was a strange sound.

He slumped forward.

Roche stepped over the fallen Billy and looked at each of the seven mercenaries standing next to him.

“Who’s next?”

Mercenaries are always measured by their strength.

They kowtow to the strongest or best-paid, and they mock the weakest and hold their heads high.

If you want their respect, you have to prove you’re stronger than them.

Roche took a step back.

“Next?”

* * *
I don’t know what conversation took place between the guards Dylan hired and Roche.

But I do know that Roche’s demeanor was completely different from his usual one.

There was clearly anger beneath his calm voice.

“Hmm.”

I thought about what to do but decided to wait and see.

If our Roche was angry, then surely there must have been some provocation from the guards who had arrived.

The attitude of the bodyguards was also suspicious. They were frivolous and somehow disrespectful of Roche.

While it’s best for the employees to get along, perhaps it wasn’t a bad thing for there to be a rearrangement of ranks among those who work with force.

Beside me, Dylan is freaking out.

“Hey!”

I grinned at him, tugging on the back of his head as he tried to break up the fight.

“Let it be. Let’s assess the situation.”

And for the briefest of moments, I held Dylan down.

“Ugh…….”

Meanwhile, another bodyguard went down.

Roche spoke, his voice calm and unassuming.

“Next?”

A light chill ran down my spine. I remembered my first encounter with Roche, when he took down a dozen men at once, all in the span of two minutes, while I listened from the corner of an alleyway.

The entirety of what had happened in those two minutes was now unfolding before my eyes.

“Ugh, ugh!”

Now, even the mercenaries seemed to realize that something was amiss. The next one in line pulled out a baton from his thigh and lunged at Roche.

The mercenary’s arm with the club swung in a wide arc, heading straight for Roche. All I could see was the afterimage of the wild motion.