The Adventure of the Boy With a Mind of a Middle-aged Man

Zem was born in a small village inhabited by the people of Raddle, the people of the mountains. Apparently, the villages in their homeland disappeared in the battle against the Empire before they became conscious.

The mercenary regiment hired by the Empire to destroy the village in that battle, oddly enough, protected Zem, who survived the burning field.

The unnamed small mercenary group, the Red Phoenix Brigade, raised Zem, a Ladle people, as a family. Of course, life on the battlefield can't be described as a flattering environment for children. Still, there was, indeed, the warmth of home Zem needed.

When Zem turns eighteen, his warmth is shattered and scattered. And it was Zem no other who pulled the trigger for that destruction.

A brigade takes on a small village escort who has been forced to relocate due to an epidemic disease and captures a suspicious 12- or 3-year-old boy as he looks around. The boy's unique identity was the ethnic costume of the mountain people, presumably lost.

Zem told him that he was a people of the same ladle, and made him swear without saying anything else, and let him go.

And tragedy happens.

An overwhelming number of ladle people surrounding the village. The captains who were adoptive fathers, adults, served as lords to keep the villagers away.

When Zem confessed about his own failure, the adoptive father's captain said, “ This is, so to speak, karma. You didn't do anything wrong. You're their brother, aren't you? Then do your part ', leaving words equal to a curse for Zem, who died in the battle.

Zem no longer knows. Not least, until this incident, there was a certain attachment to the fellow Laddle people. I believed somewhere that we could understand each other, and I didn't even think about attacking the weak who were doomed by a plague like that.

I don't know what to hate anymore Zem, but I still had a younger brother and sisters at the time. To feed them, Aquid, one of the captain's sons, as the new captain, puts aside the suspicions that arose and survives by Usuruo (Cancer).

As he raised several medals with the Aquids, the Red Phoenix Brigade grew into one of the most famous mercenary regiments in the Empire.

In the meantime, that case happens.

The brigade was hired by Viscount Dorto Magotta to wait in the city of Marghuris, the main city of Magotta territory, for a full-scale war with the people of Radl that began directly (momentarily).

According to information from Zem's scouts, a large army of Raddles is approaching the city. They arrive at Marghuris early the next morning, and the reinforcements arrive three days from the progression. I don't think I can support it.

Viscount Dort's decision is to abandon the city of Marghuris and immediately join the rear Imperial Expeditionary Army. And the people of the city of Marghuris will not be allowed to accompany them in any way but Viscount Dort and the family of the minister.

In short, Viscount Dorto intends to keep his own people safe.

Honestly, Zem was not greatly surprised by this decision. Rather, it even showed a certain understanding of this despicable and extreme way.

Indeed, abandoning one's own people is ugly. But from the whole war, that's not necessarily the case.

The people of the city are not stupid either. Even if you're an amateur, let's make some resistance. Moreover, even the people of Raddle, barbaric to boulders, cannot kill all the people of Marghuris. It takes a lot of effort to contain it.

In such a distorted (snoring) situation, you can defeat the Raddle Army if you retreat with a certain trick (only) applied to the city, rendezvous with the Imperial Expeditionary Army HQ, and attack Marghuris. Then Zem and the Red Phoenix Brigade (Sedanori), who led the Empire to victory, will be the true heroes of this war.

So Zem couldn't believe what Aquid did.

"Aquid, why did you hit Viscount Dort?

"Naturally! He tried to abandon his people. Besides, I tried to dispose of it!?"

"Aquid, this is war. If we put some tricks into this city, we can exterminate those barbarians without much effort. It's not too late now. Let's go apologize to the Viscount. We can still make it now."

"Zem, even if this is war, there's something you shouldn't bend. That pig spit flat on its iron code. I didn't kill him. I'm still rational."

"You know what I mean? He's an Imperial nobleman!?"

"You found out! Besides, Zem, when did you start calling the people of the mountains barbarians? Don't involve the regiment to satisfy your crappy vengeance!!"

"- Huh!!"

Zem couldn't say a word back to this word of Aquid. Because I've noticed.

From the end Aquid was in opposition to joining this war. It was Zem himself who insisted strongly on joining this war. Maybe Zem wasn't forgiving at all.

That child who trampled on his conscience and the people of Ladle who killed his gracious adoptive father. To achieve that vengeance, more importantly, even the most important ones were used.

I realized its own stupidity without salvation, and Zem couldn't argue.

In the end, Zem and the others opened Marghuris bloodless, and the Red Phoenix Brigade (Shigeru dust) will be called the Fools for a long time.

◇◆◇◆◇◆

That case, dubbed the role of the Second Ladle, ends with a single paper victory for the Imperial Army. Mountain people - Ladle was destroyed and forcibly annexed to the Empire.

After that war, the demands on the Red Phoenix Brigade (Shigeru Dumplings) have virtually disappeared, and they will live in Straheim under the guise of an adventurer.

For Zem, living with his family was a happy environment for nothing but humiliation for such mercenaries. In the meantime, a turning point comes. A strange child asked about the regiment.

A child with the appearance of that woman wants to hire a regiment, named Gray Millard, or would be, as a private soldier in this undead raid that struck the Empire. That's what I've been suggesting.

Normally, it's not even a laughing joke. Yet all the members of the team, starting with Aquid, were drawn to the word of a child named Gray Millard.

Gray hires the Red Phoenix Brigade for 100 million G's of money to perform some kind of miracle.

- to have some of the best assets in the Empire.

- having countless books of magic, which are extraordinary materials, and giving them to members of the regiment.

- The courage to speak to the McBurn Border Birds on an equal footing, and the charisma that attracts him.

Even just one of these things is definitely not just possible for a child.

No, let's stop the delusion. They are all, not of the essence.

Standing and behaving? Charisma? Ha! Can you appreciate a guy named Gray Millard for such a child trick?

Yes. It's hard to describe in words, but the most appropriate word is darkness. A darkness that could not reach a glimmer of light in the abyss was enclosed in the body of a little boy named Gray.

Only a very few of them, including the McBurn Border Boys, are aware of its utter madness.

It's roughly unthinkable, but Gray has in the past tasted an experience of despair and anger that Zem can't even imagine. That's what I felt.

Maybe that's why Gray craved an unfriendly light called Aquid.

No matter how many opponents Aquid is, he will never bend his own beliefs. Even if it were ruin ahead, if anyone was crying, I would reach out. Because he's such a fool and a warm guy.

The Red Phoenix Brigade, which won the master named Gray, changes dramatically. Yes, Zem had a similar feeling about certainty.

As if to prove Zem's anticipation, the presence of an employer named Gray will bring back the pride Zem once had caused them to lose, little by little. That made Zem happy to just jump up.

That's why I have to tell this man Zem's determination to hold. I think so and make a declaration.

It is for Zem to take away all events detrimental to her husband, Gray, and his family. Even if it turns out to betray Gray and his family.

Neither in that proclamation did Gray affirm or deny, he just snorted. Again, this guy understands the anguish Zem has had all along. At this time, Zem was even thankful for his destiny and his willingness to associate himself with the best Lord.

But that fate pokes so much despair, as if to mock Zem.

Rosh injured the son of Lord Curos, the chief of the Gateway nobility.

It's blood. In the middle of nowhere, falling on the ground is the man of the Laddle people. Otomo, I guess he even killed me at the noble play. This is a daily tea meal in this empire, and not uncommon. Even if they try to help, they are tied up the other way around and kill all the clan royalists. Of course, all the people of Ladle who tried to help. Because we know that, Zem never helps if he encounters it.

Yet Rosh has helped. Roche and Liase's parents died in that fugitive battle where their former regiment leader, their adoptive father, died. So to speak, the people of Ladle are the same as their parents' revenge. I've already told Rosh and Liase about it. In other words, Roche risked his life to protect his enemies.

The fact was, I couldn't help but be happy and at the same time very sad. Because Zem had to kill both of them to protect Gray and his family.

Yukihiro, the brave man, has asked Zem to cut the two of them off. If it's their position, it's a natural claim, and as they ask, Zem shakes up the love knife.

I try to shake it down again and again, but I can't move my hand at all. Raise your voice but the same.

(Can't you...)

Zem kills Rosh and Liase? I can't do that if the heavens and the earth turn upside down.

It was something I knew from the edge.

(Pathetic, I just declared it to the Lord)

Here, Zem's tiny life equals no chance of saving Gray and his family. Still, we have to do it.

Instruct Rosh and Liase to return to the Millard family formation and cut to the brave - Yukihiro. Even though the magic of the sacred attributes can be used, in Zem and the brave, the character is different as an organism. Results are visible from the end. Still, Zem has to play the role of an outrageous clown.

After a few minutes of meeting, the sword of the brave flashes Zem's abdomen and slowly falls to the ground on his back.

"Damn, everyone involved in that hungry ghost is busy and annoying"

When the brave man threw up like that, he waved his sword a few times, and when he took the blood paste, he went to the sheath.

"You can do it, too."

Multiple soldiers around us can be seen with signs of approaching.

(Sorry)

Such a small cry shakes my eardrum. A quick peek into his face brought tears to the eyes of the sword-wielding soldiers.

(Well, you were the same)

You don't have to hate me any more. I was kind of happy with that fact, asexually.

I wonder how long it took. Already, I don't feel any pain or feeling. My vision is white, too. It's just that my nostalgic husband's voice was shaking his eardrum.

"Gray...?

"Oh."

"Well, did you make it"

Gray is here. That's synonymous with Roche and Liase being protected. This man has the power to make it happen.

Thanks to you.

"Am I going to die?

I don't see or feel anything anymore. You won't even have to ask that.

"Oh, dying"

Again? That's a shame. Of course I can't see my family, but I can't see where the best Lord (or God) is going beside this Grey.

"Well... ask for the aquids"

This wonderful master will surely lead the Aquids to the right path.

"Okay. Leave it to me."

I felt that the hole that was empty when that adoptive father died had finally been blocked by that Grey proclamation.

If Zem's choice that day had brought Aquid and the Lord (Gray) together, it had too much significance.

This is a selfish and cowardly assumption. But still, it wasn't a mistake to help Raddle's boy then. It seemed so honest.

It's almost over. I want to see that invincible grin of the Supreme Lord at the end and touch his face.

Right. But you cry, Lord. But such a moist face doesn't suit you.

So...

"Sounds like... don't cry. You... have always been invincible... laugh."

- Please, have a warm, friendly future for my dear Lord and family!