The Immortal Had a Guardian Spirit Chapter 18

At the unexpected appearance of a third party, both the bandits and Raven froze. A man, calmly surveying his surroundings, opened his mouth with an extremely light tone. A playful voice followed.

“I hope I’m not interrupting a good thing, am I?”

“…Judging by the fact that you’re talking, you don’t seem to be a bandit.”

Raven, who had barely stopped his own actions just before dying, rolled only his eyes to scan the newcomer’s attire.

“A mercenary?”

“Right you are!”

“Then instead of just watching, how about lending a hand?”

“Hah, what? Do you think you can just—”

Wham!

“Yeah. I was going to have to deal with them anyway because of a request.”

The mercenary, having casually kicked the raging bandit leader flying without hesitation, grinned refreshingly.

“B-Boss!!”

“Ah, that one was the boss? I was told to capture the boss alive—he’s still alive, right?”

“This crazy bastard dares to kick me?! Kill him right now!!”

“Oh, he’s alive. Good.”

A different breed of lunatic, this one.

He seems skilled enough, so there’s no need to pay him any further mind. Raven rose and sat up, patted Didi’s head reassuringly as he had come nearby, then shifted his gaze to face Dan.

With a face like an iron plate had been slapped on, the brat who had been shamelessly standing nearby now sheepishly looked at the distant mountains. At that ridiculous sight, Raven chuckled and looked away as well.

‘…Right, it is safe by my side, after all.’

Adding one more sandbag wouldn’t make much difference anyway. Even if he deliberately tried to become a burden, it wouldn’t be a problem. Rather, it was more curious that the kid seemed to have some strange conviction that Raven would save him.

More than that, though…

His rolling green eyes reflected a single mad dog, gleefully rampaging and diligently taking down the bandits.

‘I thought he’d try some low-quality negotiation.’

The mercenary who helped so readily was unexpected.

If he were a typical mercenary as Raven knew them, they’d be asking how much they’d get for saving him, or trying to extort a big payout while they were at it.

I suppose a different breed of lunatic has a different flow of thought as well.

Thinking such impolite thoughts without a care, Raven approached the mercenary, who was tying up the bandit leader tightly with a dagger in hand.

“Hm…?”

Sensing his presence, the man looked up. With an innocent face unlike the one who had been slaughtering people moments before, he turned to Raven.

Raven, with an expressionless face, grabbed the scoundrel by the collar and swung his dagger.

Clang!

A dagger flying from somewhere deflected with a chilling clash and bounced off.

“There were three of them.”

“Oh dear, I thought I had dealt with them all…”

The man, blinking while having his collar grabbed, looked remarkably stupid.

Well, since he helped, I suppose I can repay him this much. Raven reached into his bosom, wedged a dagger between his fingers, and threw it.

Because it flew almost as soon as he drew it, it looked at a glance like he’d swung an empty hand, but the mercenary who witnessed it up close knew the truth.

“Ugh!”

“Guh!”

“Whoa…”

The blades, having sliced through the air in an instant, seemed to have each struck their target, and people came tumbling down from the trees. The death rattles announcing the enemies’ demise were a bonus.

Even at a glance, that was extraordinary skill! The mercenary’s eyes began to sparkle brightly.

Raven, ignoring such a fellow as if he didn’t see him, released the collar as if discarding it and approached the already-dead ones.

After roughly rolling the corpses with his foot to inspect them, he opened his mouth.

“These guys aren’t bandits… Have you made any enemies somewhere?”

“Eh? Eh??”

“…”

What’s this, why are you suddenly using honorifics?

“Shall I ask again?”

“Ah, no, sir! You mean enemies! I have so many I don’t even know them all!!”

“…”

I see…

He hadn’t intended to solve it in the first place; he’d just asked. Giving the man a pitiful look, Raven turned to go check on the little brat he needed to look after.

But the man, like a dog meeting its owner, grabbed his wrist with eyes full of goodwill.

“More importantly! What is your name?!”

“…?”

“Ah, I’m Eckhart Lopty!”

…I don’t have the slightest interest in your name, you know.

A connection that wouldn’t last long even if they got involved. Just as he was about to give the name ‘Raven’ and leave, the Guardian Spirit reacted.

[…Guardian Spirit ??? asks if he just said ‘Lopty’.]

“…Lopty?”

A name that elicited a reaction from him, who rarely responded unless it was related to Raven himself. Perhaps it was connected to the Guardian Spirit’s past.

Instantly, Raven’s eyes changed.

First of all, the Lopty he knew was the name of the Mercenary King recorded at the tail end of the Mythological Era and the starting point of true history. It was also the name of the mercenary company he led.

Sure enough, the bright-faced man answered.

“Yes! I am a direct descendant of the legendary Mercenary King Lopty! I lead the illustrious Lopty Mercenary Company!”

Though right now, I’m the only member…

Raven, having caught even the muttered addendum, tilted his head with a blank expression.

‘Is there a reason the Guardian Spirit would react to this name?’

To say he had ties with the Mercenary King in his lifetime, the historical background doesn’t quite match.

At the tail end of the Mythological Era, countless heroes were born and faded away without a trace, so there was neither the time nor the reason to appoint official heroes. Even if they did, they’d just die soon anyway.

But the Guardian Spirit was said to be an officially recognized hero. Probably from an earlier generation.

“So, our prospective member… no, what is your name?!”

Prospective… what?

Did I mishear? Staring blankly at the utterly bright face, he answered.

“…I don’t have a name. Call me Raven.”

“Eh? Then isn’t Raven just your name?”

“…”

“I guess not!”

“…Well, you could see it that way.”

Giving a vague reply, he scooped Didi up. Dan had already distanced himself long ago.

The nuisance was resolved, and there seemed to be no more useful information to gain, so he felt no need to remain stuck with the mercenary before him. Raven turned his back without hesitation.

“Thanks for the help. Well, I’m busy, so I’ll be off.”

“Wa-wait a miiinute!”

That was the plan.

If he hadn’t had a human-sized sandbag attached to his leg, that is. He should have moved a little faster.

Forced to stop his now-heavy steps, Raven looked down at the man clinging to him.

“…Why.”

“You said thanks for the help, right?! Then please do me one favor!”

I have a feeling this is going to become incredibly troublesome.

“Can’t I just repay you with money…?”

“I don’t need—well, I do, but still!”

“…Alright, tell me. I’ll listen and think about it.”

“Join the Lopty Mercenary Compan—No, wait, where are you going?!”

No need to hear more.

So that talk about being a ‘prospective member’ earlier was serious too. Putting strength into his leg muscles, Raven started moving forward with the mercenary still attached.

“I’ll repay you later through the Mercenary Guild with money, so let go and go finish your own business.”

“Rather than money, I really want Raven—”

“I’m expensive, you know. That little bit won’t cover it.”

“You could just lend me your name!”

“My name is more expensive than my body.”

He could roughly guess the man’s circumstances.

He was well aware of the unique traditions of the Lopty Mercenary Company, which had been passed down since the era of the Mercenary King Lopty.

They adopt an heir and raise them together with the members. Then, when the adopted heir grows up and inherits the ‘Lopty’ surname, the previous generation all steps back from active duty together.

The heir who inherits the surname recruits his own comrades and operates. Then, when the situation stabilizes and matures, he adopts an heir and raises them with his comrades, repeating the cycle, just as those who raised him did.

However, the retired previous generation doesn’t retire prematurely and lends their name to maintain the company until the heir who inherited ‘Lopty’ gathers enough comrades and establishes themselves.

Given that he said he’s currently the only member, and he’s so desperate to recruit people, it didn’t take long for Raven’s thoughts to reach the conclusion that something must have gone wrong with that part.

But.

‘Why should I care about that?’

No matter how I think about it, I don’t.

So get off, you disgusting pest. Raven pushed the man’s face away with his palm.

“If absolutely not, just showing your face would be enough…!”

“…Tenacious bastard.”

It’s not like you can register as a mercenary just by showing your face without identification. No, before that.

He thrust his face in front of the man.

“To you, how much do you think this face is worth?”

“…”

“It’s not as much as my name, but it’s worth more than my body.”

He tapped his left cheek with the index and middle fingers of his right hand, grinning crookedly.

Thanks to his intervention, he’d gotten through easily enough, but it was a situation he could have resolved without any problems even without help. In other words, the value of this man’s help wasn’t that high.

As expected of a mercenary, trying to get a free ride.

“And I heard that ‘Lopty’ is very careful about recruiting members.”

He voiced his rising doubt without reservation.

He’d heard that Lopty chooses comrades carefully, even for the sake of the heir who would be adopted next. The current comrades would become the uncles who would help raise the child later.

“But… seeing you have a kid, you don’t seem like such a bad person… and you helped me…”

Ah.

I passed the first interview without realizing it.

“And you seem skilled too…”

Looks like I even passed the second interview.

What kind of interview is this easy? Any Tom, Dick, or Harry could get in.

He paused for a moment in bewilderment, then frowned and firmly pushed the man away. The surprisingly strong force used in the process seemed to actually increase the man’s favor, as his eyes sparkled even more after being pushed back…

“Even so, I’m not joining, so stop clinging.”

“…Yes, I suppose there’s no helping it. I can’t force someone who says no.”

His surrender was surprisingly clean. He’d expected him to be more whiny.

Squinting his eyes suspiciously at the man, just as he thought he’d given up, the scoundrel snapped his head up and said.

“If that’s the case, how about the position of Company Commander?!”

“Get lost.”

∞ ∞ ∞

The Lopty Mercenary Company.

A mercenary company that was active under the legendary Mercenary King Lopty as its commander, and simultaneously the oldest existing mercenary company.

As such, there was a time when everyone envied it, but sadly, that is no longer the case. Lopty was currently on the verge of collapse.

All that remains of Lopty now is a tattered, crumbling shell of its former glory.

There is no such thing as a mercenary company with only one member.

They had managed to endure until now by invoking their status as descendants of the Mercenary King and the company’s long history, but even the Mercenary Guild couldn’t wait indefinitely.

A grace period was given to Lopty.

‘I have to recruit comrades within a month.’

The minimum number of members required to maintain a mercenary company is five.

He needs to bring in at least four more. Otherwise, the Lopty Mercenary Company, which had endured for over a thousand years, would be disbanded. Lopty’s name would be erased from the Guild’s roster.

He couldn’t let such a sorrowful thing happen on his watch. Eckhart Lopty gritted his teeth.

‘I can’t be on a leash held by the Guild forever either.’

Even after carrying out missions without compensation on the condition of maintaining the company, things had ultimately come to this.

Now that the judgment has been passed, there’s only one way.

‘I need to find comrades as quickly as possible.’

And in that sense…

There’s a really excellent candidate.

‘I wonder if there’s really no way?’

He smacked his lips, looking at the man with the unique green eyes.

∞ ∞ ∞

Raven had shaken off the mercenary and intended to go on his way.

But that was foiled when the mercenary, having even abandoned the captured bandit leader, quickly grabbed him again.

The man, ignoring the bandit leader who was screaming in pain about what he was doing, shoved him away with a kick and looked at Raven with still-shining eyes. Whether Raven’s expression turned sour or not, he brazenly spoke.

“I’m heading to the Mercenary Guild in the capital to confirm the completion of the request, but where are you headed, Commander?”

“…Who’s Commander?”

“Ah, then Captain?”

“…”

Let’s just stop talking.

“The capital.”

“Oh, we have the same destination! May I accompany you?”

“It seems useless to refuse, so does the question even matter?”

“That’s true!”

“…”

There’s no further comment, but this is definitely permission!

Rejoicing inwardly at having bought time to persuade him, Eckhart Lopty, with a beaming smile, once again tugged firmly on the hem of Raven’s clothes as he started walking again.