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[Translator - Prøks]
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Chapter 140: A Different Mindset
Returning to Khaoto, we entered Donkey's restaurant and started round two.
It's common sense to treat a skilled recruit to a good meal.
"Uncle Wolf, is it that delicious?"
"I'm surprised even as I eat."
Wolf had already finished two plates of spicy stir-fried chicken by himself.
As if that wasn't enough, he ordered another plate and was devouring it in the blink of an eye.
"Eat comfortably, Uncle Wolf. This is also one of the perks of our Fulkhao Brotherhood."
We heard Donkey chuckling from the kitchen.
A moment later, Donkey came out with moonshine and chicken stew and sat down in an empty seat.
"You'll get indigestion if you only eat stir-fried chicken. Have some soup too."
Wolf took a bite of the stew and let out an exclamation.
Donkey looked at Daisy and Wolf in turn and asked,
"By the way, what happened between you two?"
I said to Donkey,
"He's the Patrol's swordsmanship instructor starting today. He's Uncle Wolf."
"Is that how it happened? Come to think of it, everyone seems to become close after fighting. Maybe I should learn some swordsmanship too?"
I replied with a surprised expression,
"Swordsmanship?"
"For self-defense."
"Are you giving up on your dream of becoming the continent's best chef?"
"Ah, right."
"Let's stick to one thing."
Donkey chuckled and passed around the glasses.
Daisy offered Wolf a glass and said,
"Don't just eat the snacks, have some moonshine too, Uncle Wolf."
Suddenly, Wolf's expression contorted as he was eating the stew, and he looked at me.
"It might be better if you don't speak informally."
I replied,
"Why?"
"It makes me feel bad for some reason."
"No way. We can't go back on it now."
Daisy repeated my words.
"That's right. We can't go back on it. Ah, damn it. I said drink some moonshine too, Uncle Wolf. Don't just stuff your face with snacks."
Wolf shook his head and replied,
"Then at least show some respect."
I nodded and pointed at Daisy.
"Since you're here as a swordsmanship instructor, don't curse at them like they're kids, Daisy. Be respectful."
"Yes, Brother."
Daisy immediately corrected herself.
"I said drink some moonshine too, Uncle Wolf. Don't just stuff your face with snacks."
Suddenly, there was some commotion outside, and One-Eye entered the restaurant, followed by the other executives.
The subordinates, seeing Wolf, looked at Daisy with surprise. But when they saw Daisy and me casually sharing drinks with Wolf, they all joined us without a word and picked up their glasses.
As always, they were good at adapting to the atmosphere.
I looked around at my subordinates and said,
"He's our Patrol's swordsmanship instructor from today. His name is Uncle Wolf."
"Suddenly?"
"That's how it happened. All things happen suddenly."
"You're absolutely right."
"I've confirmed his skills myself, so anyone who has complaints can spar with him directly."
"..."
Since everyone knew what had happened to Daisy, no one raised their hand.
"If there are no complaints, then greet each other."
One-Eye raised his empty glass and said,
"Nice to meet you, Uncle Wolf. You have quite a unique name."
"It's just Wolf, not Uncle Wolf."
"Anyway, nice to meet you."
"You all have strong personalities."
Suddenly, Wolf got up from his seat, picked up a piece of stir-fried chicken, and said,
"I never thought a piece of stir-fried chicken would create such a connection. I thought it would be a bad fate, but it turned out to be a good one. I'll think of you all as training partners rather than a swordsmanship instructor. I look forward to working with you."
I nodded in agreement.
"Well said. You never know what will happen in life. Turning a bad fate into a good one is meaningful."
One-Eye poured moonshine for Wolf and said,
"Nice to meet you. I'm the One-Eyed Assassin. You can just call me One-Eyed, Uncle Wolf."
Daisy chimed in,
"One-Eye, speak comfortably to Uncle Wolf."
"Is that alright?"
"Yeah, be comfortable."
One-Eye laughed loudly and drank the moonshine.
"Oh! Uncle Wolf, you're refreshingly straightforward for your age. Nice to meet you, dammit! Hahaha."
Daisy pulled One-Eye's eyepatch and let go.
Snap—
"Hey, you! Don't curse. How dare you speak like that to the swordsmanship instructor!"
One-Eye replied with a mournful look,
"I apologize, Vice Commander Daisy."
I shrugged at Wolf.
"As you can see, this is the kind of place it is. Full of fools."
Wolf had a very strange expression on his face.
He frowned more and more, then lowered his head without saying a word.
His shoulders shook a few times, and then he suddenly burst into laughter.
After laughing for a while as if he hadn't laughed in years, Wolf said,
"This is an interesting place."
For some reason, Wolf's complexion seemed much more relaxed.
***
Empty moonshine bottles continued to pile up.
Deciding that it was time, I headed to the Patrol's headquarters with the executives.
The moon was rising in the dark night sky.
As soon as we arrived at the headquarters, Wolf exclaimed,
"It's better than I expected."
"I agree."
I was surprised as well.
In addition to the main building that the Bayern bastards used, several more buildings had been constructed, and a fairly large training ground had been prepared.
Well-maintained trees were also planted along the walls.
"Daisy is certainly good at this kind of thing."
"Thank you, Brother."
One-Eye and Ponytail, who were arm in arm, chimed in.
"It's much better than before."
"The executives each have their own room. There's a room for the Boss too."
Bravo Khan, who came out after hearing the commotion, was about to greet me when he spotted Wolf and his eyes widened.
I pointed at Wolf and said,
"He's the swordsmanship instructor."
Bravo Khan quickly grasped the situation from the atmosphere and nodded.
"Ah, I see."
I said to the executives,
"Gather at the training ground."
Daisy asked,
"Are we sparring?"
"The moonlight is nice, and we've had some moonshine. It's the perfect time to fight."
The executives' eyes changed, and they lined up at the training ground in unison.
Watching them, Wolf nodded with a satisfied expression.
As I stepped onto the platform overlooking the training ground, Bravo Khan asked,
"Should I call the lower-ranking members too? They're sleeping in the annex."
"Leave them be for today. Let's just have the executives."
"Yes."
"Officer, stay here and listen with us. I have something to tell you."
"Understood."
With everyone's attention focused on me, I got to the main point.
"Listen carefully, everyone. I'm going to the Demon Realm."
Daisy immediately asked,
"When, Brother?"
"It could be as early as tomorrow. I'll go within a few days at the latest."
"I want to go too."
The other executives also raised their hands.
"We want to go too!"
I shook my head and said,
"Then who will protect Khaoto? Huh? Will our old officer here protect it alone?"
Daisy replied with a disappointed expression,
"But still... How can you leave as soon as you arrive, Brother?"
"I'm not going there to play. You guys stay here and protect Khaoto."
"You should protect Khaoto too, Brother."
"Going to the Demon Realm is also a way to protect Khaoto."
"..."
"You must have heard the news. We got rid of the Bayern bastards, and then Urgon appeared. Now that Urgon has fallen, we don't know who will appear next. So..."
I made eye contact with each of the executives.
"Get your act together and become stronger. You guys are still lacking. You don't want to go back to being third-rate thugs, do you?"
Suddenly, silence fell.
It was Bravo Khan's firm voice that broke the long silence.
"I understand what you mean. We have dreams too. Everyone has their role to play. Even if we're apart, we are one with you, Boss."
"The officer understands me perfectly."
Suddenly, Daisy drew both daggers from her waist and walked to the center of the training ground.
Holding the daggers in a reverse grip, Daisy looked at me.
"I understand too, Brother."
I met Wolf's gaze and nodded once.
Wolf stepped into the center of the training ground and exchanged glances with Daisy.
A 4-star mana wave emanated from Daisy's body...
And then she lunged towards Wolf with lightning speed.
Clang—
Wolf effortlessly deflected Daisy's attack with his scabbard.
Even with dozens of attacks raining down like lightning, Wolf's expression remained unchanged.
He didn't retreat a single step.
Not a single strand of his long hair fluttered.
Calmly, as if he had already read all of Daisy's attacks, he blocked them one step ahead.
The other executives watched Daisy and Wolf in turn with dumbfounded expressions.
But this wasn't because Daisy was lacking in skill.
Even a 5-star knight, or higher, wouldn't be able to block Daisy's attacks so effortlessly.
In fact, Daisy's dagger skills had grown even further.
If you excluded mana, she might even be able to force a 6-star knight to take a step back.
That was the reason I brought Wolf to the Patrol as a swordsmanship instructor.
A former mercenary who had reached a high level of skill through countless experiences.
Someone who had already walked the path that Daisy needed to take.
Wolf had the qualities to lead Daisy and the others.
Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!
The sound of clashing swords and Daisy's ragged breathing echoed for a long time.
After almost three hours, Daisy collapsed onto the training ground, exhausted.
As if they had been waiting, the executives started stepping forward one by one.
I watched the executives' sparring, then went to the wall at the end of the training ground and sat down to meditate.
I closed my eyes and rotated the circles of my heart in reverse.
One, two, three... four.
Suppressing the tearing pain, I knocked on the door of the last remaining circle.
As the extreme pain continued, at some point, the pain dulled, and my mind became hazy.
Suddenly, I heard voices.
"Pant... pant... I can't win, Uncle Wolf."
"A sword suits you better than daggers."
"Pant... that's not possible."
"Why are you so obsessed with daggers?"
"Because 'One-Eyed Assassin' sounds cool."
It seemed to be the voices of One-Eye and Wolf.
"Using a sword doesn't mean you can't assassinate. But your mindset needs to change. Instead of pursuing swordsmanship that kills, pursue swordsmanship that saves."
"What do you mean?"
"Use your sword to save your allies."
"I've never heard that before. You're the first one to say that to me, Uncle Wolf."
"..."
"I need to change my title. Call me 'One-Eyed Savior' from now on."
I opened my eyes for a moment, feeling like I was about to lose consciousness.
Moonlight was shining on the spot where I was sitting.
Thinking of blocking the moonlight, I continued to rotate the last circle.
***
When I opened my eyes again, morning had arrived.
Looking around, I saw my subordinates sprawled out on the training ground, fast asleep.
Daisy was tossing and turning as if she were having a dream, and One-Eye was snoring loudly. Ponytail was drooling with his eyes wide open, and the others were all sleeping in ridiculous positions.
Wolf was nowhere to be seen.
'Where did he go?'
I got up and headed towards the main hall, and only then did I see Wolf sitting quietly.
He was perched on the wooden floor, gazing at the training ground.
His expression was hidden behind his long hair.
I sat down next to Wolf for a moment.
We looked down at the training ground without saying a word.
Suddenly, Wolf muttered without turning his head,
"...It reminded me of the old days."
"I thought you seemed lost in thought."
"I had those days too."
I looked at my subordinates sprawled out on the training ground and said,
"How were they?"
"They were all useful. Especially Daisy, she's at an amazing level. I knew she was talented, but she exceeded my expectations. She has a lot of areas that are still rough, but with some polishing, she'll quickly catch up to my level."
"Don't talk like an old man. You're still in your prime, Uncle."
I looked at Wolf's fluttering left sleeve and said,
"I know you didn't show your full strength when you fought me. You need to regain your senses and become stronger, right?"
Wolf shook his head.
"That's not an easy task."
"Nothing in the world is easy. There are plenty of shitty things though."
"That's a harsh expression."
"But even if it's a shitty thing, it's better than something you'll regret."
"What's the difference?"
"Mindset."
I looked at Wolf and shared my thoughts.
"Even if it's shitty, just do it. If you don't do it because your spirit is broken, that's what you'll regret the most."
Wolf looked at me.
His blue eyes were visible between his long hair.
After exchanging glances for a while, I said,
"Whenever you're ready, let me know. I'll listen to your story."
Suddenly, Wolf asked,
"Why are you going to the Demon Realm?"
"To raise Samael."
"To make a name for yourself?"
"Well, that's one of the reasons. Reputation often plays an important role."
I didn't give Wolf any further explanation.
Wolf nodded.
"Considering the Urgon incident, it doesn't seem like you're just saying things for no reason. I also heard rumors that you're connected to Ardehain."
"There's no reason for me to lie to you, Uncle."
Suddenly, Wolf asked curiously,
"What's the goal you're trying to achieve by doing all this?"
"The best clan on the continent."
Wolf let out a chuckle without realizing it, but then he saw my eyes and his expression subtly changed.
"I can't tell if you're serious or not."
"..."
"Are you really serious?"
For the first time, I revealed my goal in this life to someone else.
"I'm serious. I'm going to create a clan that even the divine clans wouldn't dare to challenge. And..."
Suddenly, I heard a commotion and looked towards the training ground.
I saw One-Eye snoring louder and louder, and Daisy sleep-talking and hitting One-Eye's head.
I met Wolf's eyes again.
"The Fulkhao Brotherhood will become the best mercenary group on the continent."
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[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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