“Surprisingly, our mercenary seems reluctant to harm people. It doesn’t suit the title of ‘Beast of the North’. How about living up to your name? Or, did you want to live like a human upon arriving in the Empire? Quite bold for a mere mercenary.”
A fairly high-ranking officer blurted out these harsh words. Despite the rudeness, no one tried to stop him. Overt laughter at Libel’s expense could be heard from various places.
Indeed, the path taken by the Ricus Mercenary Group was uncommon. In the Western Continent, mercenaries were seen as pitiful lives, unable to settle and constantly drifting.
People who would lick the dust off carpets for money. Mercenaries were widely perceived as materialistic, valuing wealth over human life.
However, they sought humanity and acted accordingly. Even during the invasion of Rosen, they did not plunder civilians.
It was as if they, no different from street thugs, were struggling to become better humans.
Claudius was irritated by their attitude. He stood askew, glaring at Libel. Even his seemingly taller stature subtly irked Claudius.
“I enjoy war for a reason. Only when wielding a sword and aiming a gun does life seem worthwhile. Watching people squirm like minnows on the riverbank to stay alive… it’s quite enjoyable.”
As if aiming a gun, he tilted his empty glass and pressed it firmly against Libel’s chest. Even so, Libel did not flinch or get pushed back, but Claudius did not care.
“It seems you quite cherish people’s lives. Keeping them for some good use in the future?”
“…I’m saving them for later.”
A bone-chilling voice filled with undertones resounded. Libel slowly opened his eyes, looking up from the ground, and observed each person surrounding him.
They either covered their mouths to laugh or sneered at Libel. Despite the vast difference in their social status, being as audacious as they were.
Being royalty and nobility, they ought to show generosity to those ignorant of manners. Amidst the continuous murmuring, Claudius again sneered at Libel.
“So what if it’s crude and materialistic. Isn’t it a fitting attitude for someone of your background?”
“Your Majesty.”
Finally, Ilaide intervened. Had they decided to go around inflicting verbal wounds? She was so sick of their slimy behavior that it was almost nauseating.
“Each has their own life and the path they have lived. I believe it is a great disrespect to casually make remarks about the life of Commander Libel.”
“……The Empress is so serious even at times like this, utterly joyless.”
“Oh my, Your Highness, the Empress. It’s all just a joke for fun.”
The people gathered began to laugh uproariously. There was nothing as dreadful as the scornful laughter of a crowd.
The moment they start ridiculing and despising someone, the joke loses its original meaning and turns into violence. Laughter-filled jokes become knives and bullets, cruelly tearing a person apart from head to toe.
To them, Libel was just an ant, insignificant and deserving of disdain and trampling.
In a situation where she was too astounded to speak, Libel’s low voice silenced their laughter.
“Then, would Your High Majesty, the Emperor, be willing to grant a request from a lowly mercenary?”
Libel’s words were clear, but they were laden with unmistakable mockery. His eyes held a brazen challenge, as if to say, “Let’s see if you can even do this.”
How dare a mere mercenary stand up to the Emperor? How far could this lowly creature climb? Claudius lifted his chin and uttered with a slanting posture.
“Speak.”
“Grant me a title and a fief.”
A brief, heavy silence descended upon the banquet hall. Why, at that very moment, did even the quartet of string instruments come to an abrupt halt?
Ilaide prepared to intervene if necessary, ready to restrain the nobles and Claudius around her. Given their attitudes, they might lash out in violence, deeming him an overstepping lowlife.
Whether she anticipated it or not, the music soon resumed. At the same time, laughter burst out among the crowd.
Claudius stood out among them. He started to laugh boisterously, slapping Libel’s shoulder. His forced, awkward laughter fell to the ground.
“Right. Such materialistic ambition is necessary. It would be dull if you entered the imperial palace without any thoughts, wouldn’t it?”
Libel remained unshaken. No matter the insults or harm they inflicted, he seemed like he would never bend.
“If you achieve another merit next time, I might grant you the title of a border count.”
The laughter around them subsided, replaced by a faint rustling. A title for a mercenary? It was shocking, yet not entirely surprising.
In some parts of the continent, noble status had become a commodity, traded for money. Honor was fleeting, born in a moment’s transaction and disappearing like dust.
Claudius raised his head and looked straight at Libel. Blue and red eyes met in the air.
“Tell your subordinates. The contract with the Ricus Mercenary Group will be extended.”
His attitude was like that of a generous philanthropist bestowing charity. Libel, as if he had anticipated this, was not greatly disturbed.
Contract extension. Ilaide, standing nearby, clasped her trembling hand over the glass she held. It was a long-awaited development, yet an inexplicable anxiety washed over her.
As the involved party, Libel immediately knelt on one knee and expressed his gratitude to Claudius.
“I express my infinite gratitude for Your Imperial Majesty’s boundless grace.”
He knew how to fall in line properly. Claudius’s lips curled in satisfaction, as if he had just snared his prey.
Knowing his place and crawling around on his own, he seemed like a loyal dog.
However, Claudius failed to see the look in Libel’s eyes as he rose.
Under his long eyelashes, the sharp gaze seemed ready to unsheathe a dagger and aim it straight at Claudius’s heart.
As Libel stood up, the nobles scattered in various directions. The main topic of conversation had already shifted elsewhere. People bustled about as if they had no memory of a person named Libel.
Only one person remained by his side.
“Libel…….”
Ilaide’s body was trembling faintly. She couldn’t bring herself to look up at Libel.
Bringing him into the palace had been a mistake. She had involved a complete stranger, someone unrelated to her revenge, and caused him to be humiliated and hurt.
Social status didn’t matter. No one, regardless of their background, had the right to disgrace others. Whether born on the streets or in a warm mansion, everyone was human, living under the same sky.
“I’m, I’m sorry.”
Even the words of apology didn’t come out properly. She stood there, covering her mouth with one hand, as if rooted to the spot.
Had she known this would happen, would she have prevented him from coming? No, she would have stopped him from entering the palace at all. There were other ways to think about revenge. First, she needed to get him out of here….
“……Your Highness, the Empress.”
The surrounding noise seemed to wash away into silence. It was still noisy, but as soon as she heard Libel’s low voice, her heart strangely eased.
The glass that had been in Ilaide’s other hand was nowhere to be seen. Had someone taken it away in the meantime? The flustered Ilaide quickly came to her senses and lifted her head.
Libel had already approached, meeting her eyes. His eyes, as always, were tender and brightly shining.
Then, an unexpected sentence flowed from Libel’s lips.
“Shall we leave together?”
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
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