Dinago had once been a mercenary. He picked up the long sword his father had left behind at the age of fifteen and joined the Blood Blade Squad, a mercenary outfit of modest repute organized by his uncle Wake. Over five years of adventuring, Dinago grew from a greenhorn mercenary into a seasoned hunter and sharp-eyed scout. His uncle Wake even began carefully plotting out his future.
"You should go study at an academy—you can't spend your whole life as a crude mercenary like your father and me." This was the refrain Wake constantly drilled into Dinago's ear. He hoped his nephew would attend an academy for a few years and learn proper skills, rather than wasting his days among those reckless, rough-mouthed mercenaries. Even if one became a veteran free mercenary, in the eyes of lords and nobility, one was still a lowly wretch.
Dinago didn't want to study. He loved the free life of a mercenary. But his uncle was strict, forcing him to accept the arrangement. Just as Dinago was reluctantly about to become a student at Saint Maso Academy in the academy district of
At first, indignant mercenaries banded together to resist the Trinborg Kingdom's invasion. But as the war's fortunes shifted, the Forde side ended up becoming the aggressors instead. The Blood Blade Squad seized the opportunity to recruit and expand rapidly, then stormed into Trinborg territory—transforming from righteous fighters into rampant bandits. Killing, arson, robbery, rape—they committed every evil imaginable. To these bandits, the Glass War was a carnival, a holiday for mercenaries...
But the good times didn't last. That blockheaded Trinborg VII suddenly issued a bounty, turning the war into an arena for high-level combatants on both sides. Dinago's uncle Wake became one of the first casualties. As the founding captain of the newly established Blood Blade Mercenary Corps and a Gold Two-Star swordsman, he led a squad of elite mercenaries to attack a Trinborg noble's country estate, only to be ambushed by two Sword Saints. Nearly a hundred men were wiped out to the last.
Dinago managed to recover only his uncle's headless corpse. While he was drowning in grief, the Blood Blade Mercenary Corps erupted in internal strife over the wealth accumulated from their earlier raids. Blood ran through the streets. When the infighting ended, the surviving members packed up their loot and left the base. The mercenary band that had barely been established simply dissolved into nothing.
After burying his uncle, the young Dinago—filled with hatred for Trinborg VII—joined the armed legion of the Double-Headed Dragon Trading Company. In his mind, as the armed force of the Forde Commercial Alliance's largest trading company, they would surely charge at the forefront, and he would have no shortage of opportunities for revenge. Finding those two Sword Saints who had killed his uncle was beyond his reach—after all, twenty-year-old Dinago was merely a
Who could have imagined that the Glass War was nothing more than a farce? There were no major pitched battles or siege operations. After spending several months in the military camp, Dinago suddenly discovered that the Forde Commercial Alliance had won the war somehow. The Trinborg Kingdom ceased to exist, and Trinborg VII was said to have committed suicide. Subsequently, the various giants of the Commercial Alliance were busy carving up the spoils of victory, claiming trading company territories from the ruins of the defeated nations.
No one cared about the disappointment of a Black Iron mercenary. Dinago suddenly found himself with nowhere to go. Having lost his uncle—his only family—the young man didn't know what to do next. He regretted everything, wishing he could return to Morant City and enroll in the academy, but he had no money. The mercenary corps' wealth had been swept away by the victors of the infighting; he had even borrowed money to bury his uncle. While joining the Double-Headed Dragon Trading Company's armed legion came with decent pay, he was only a Black Iron mercenary, and he had always been a big spender—winning over comrades, currying favor with officers—so he hadn't managed to save a single coin...
With no prospects, Dinago could only bide his time in the Double-Headed Dragon Trading Company's armed legion. Over the next decade-plus, he fought in every foreign war the Commercial Alliance waged. There were great victories and bitter defeats alike, but Dinago was extraordinarily lucky in keeping his life on the battlefield. Whether storming fortresses or leading charges, he always emerged as one of the final survivors. Even on battlefields where the entire army was annihilated, he would somehow be among the handful who made it out alive. His comrades gave him a well-known nickname: Lucky Dinago.
This time, Dinago had accepted a secret mission: infiltrate Morant City. Grand Steward Kirov of the Double-Headed Dragon Trading Company personally received the several selected candidates, promising them that if they completed the mission, Grand Duke Comberlight himself would promote them to his personal Guardian Knights and grant them generous rewards.
More than a decade of battlefield life had honed Dinago into a thoroughly seasoned veteran. He knew full well that heavier rewards meant greater danger. But the promise of becoming a Guardian Knight to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke still moved him. For all his experience in a hundred battles and whatever reputation he held in the Double-Headed Dragon Trading Company's armed legion, he could only circle around mid-level positions. The reason was simple: he was a mercenary by origin, having joined the company's armed forces midway. Even after more than a decade in the legion—even having become a Silver Three-Star swordsman—he still couldn't measure up to those the company had trained from the ground up. To the trading company, someone like Dinago would forever be an outsider, never to be entrusted with anything of real importance.
Monetary rewards didn't matter much. What mattered was that Dinago and the other mercenaries would be promoted to Guardian Knights by Grand Duke Comberlight himself. That would mean the Double-Headed Dragon Trading Company had accepted them as their own. From that point on, they would receive the same treatment as those the company had raised internally—in both position and salary, their earnings would surpass what they had before. Even their children would be taken in by the company, receiving training from a young age. It meant a life of comfort and security without worry.
This was an opportunity, so not one of the selected personnel would refuse the mission. Moreover, in Dinago's eyes, the mission wasn't particularly dangerous. All they had to do was infiltrate Morant City, make contact with the first wave of agents already in place, deliver the location of a hidden weapons cache, help them retrieve the weapons, and then incite an uprising among the city's residents...
The mission was truly simple—far better than the time a few years back when, leading a scout squad, he'd been trapped on a small hillock by the cavalry of the Central-Southern Kingdoms coalition. He remembered being stranded on that little hill for nearly ten days without water, so desperate he'd even drunk his own urine. To keep the cavalry below from discovering his hiding spot on the hilltop, he'd lain motionless on the ground for three full days before they finally moved on.
The only thing about this mission that demanded serious attention was one question: how to stay alive in the midst of an uprising. Dinago knew all too well how dangerous it was to move among rioting citizens as a ringleader, because that was precisely the position most likely to draw the attention of the
Dinago chose a mercenary named Ricardo as his partner. A total of eight people had accepted this mission, all former mercenaries like Dinago. They would split into four groups and infiltrate Morant City separately before regrouping. Grand Steward Kirov told them that a group of agents was already lying in wait in Morant City, but they had found the Norton Family's armed forces on extremely high alert. The Norton Family had confiscated all weapons from the outer district residents to guard against attacks.
The first wave of agents had sent word that the Norton Family's oppressive taxation in Morant City had inflamed the entire citizenry to revolt. But without weapons in their hands, they couldn't launch an uprising, and with too few people, they couldn't cover all fronts. So the first wave was requesting reinforcements and weapons—only then could they spark an uprising and deliver a sudden, devastating blow to the Norton Family's forces.
Grand Steward Kirov explained that a few years back, the Livode Trading Company had shipped three cargo loads of weapons and equipment to Hidden Gold Bay. Due to certain circumstances, they hadn't been transported back to the company's territories but were instead stored in a remote small estate outside the dock district. Dinago's primary task was to meet up with the first wave of agents, relay this information, and then have the weapons and equipment from that estate moved to the outer city's twenty-fourth district of Morant City, distributed to the citizens preparing to resist, and finally lead them in an assault on the Norton Family's forces.
To avoid drawing the attention of the Norton Family's garrison in Morant City, Dinago took Ricardo on a wide detour. They entered the Kristo Hills from the Titanini Mountains, posing as two free mercenaries who had just completed a contract in the Havistan Khanate and had purchased large quantities of cattle, sheep, and furs before arriving in Morant City.
The Norton Family soldiers guarding the eastern gate showed no interest in two dust-covered travelers and waved them through without a second glance. When Dinago and Ricardo found the agreed-upon meeting and contact point, they discovered it was a tavern called the Red Crow Tavern.
Behind the bar sat a young man in his twenties. After exchanging the password, the young fellow complained: "What's the deal? The others all arrived days ago. You two dragged your feet and just now showed up. Everyone's getting anxious."
"Sorry, we were being cautious," Dinago said. "We just didn't expect the Norton Family's defenses in Morant City to be this lax. It doesn't quite match the intelligence you sent over. Also, on our way here, we noticed bustling foot traffic on the streets, with plenty of shops doing business. From what I observed, the atmosphere in the city seems perfectly peaceful—nothing like the suppressed, ready-to-explode tension you described. Can you tell us what's going on?"
"You're a meticulous one, aren't you? Sharp observation. Much cleverer than those six bumbling fools who came before you. After they got here, all they wanted was food, drink, and for me to find them women—dumb enough to die without knowing how. I originally didn't want to go through the trouble, but it looks like you won't hand yourselves over quietly." The young man grinned as he set a long sword on the counter.
"Shing, shing"—Dinago and Ricardo drew their swords in unison, every nerve taut with vigilance, stepping back inch by inch.
"So this was a trap from the start? The distress message from the first wave of agents was all fabricated?" Dinago scanned the surroundings as he spoke in a cold voice.
"That's right. We sent those messages. After we capture you, we'll send another report to the Commercial Alliance—say the second batch they sent were a bunch of idiots who foolishly got into a conflict with the Norton Family's forces, seven killed on the spot and one escaped, ruining the uprising plan for everyone—and request they send another wave of reinforcements..." The young man answered with a smile, then drew his long sword from its scabbard inch by inch.
"Call out whoever you've got lying in ambush..." Dinago said.
"Don't even bother thinking about the front door you came through. My senior fellow disciple is right outside. If you can't even handle me, you certainly won't be getting out that way..."
"You have a master?" Dinago narrowed his eyes, his vigilance ratcheting higher.
"I do," the young man sighed. "Truth is, I'm not much for fighting and killing, but my teacher insisted I come. He said it was a perfect opportunity to use the Commercial Alliance as a source of sparring opponents for me—safer than actual battlefield combat. Anyway, come at me. But I'll give you a chance. You're a talent. Are you willing to serve our Norton Family?"
Ricardo, at Dinago's side, charged forward without a word. Watching Ricardo's flesh and blood fly amid the flashing sword light, Dinago felt his blood surge. He roared "Kill!" and lunged in after him...
...
The estate atop Brin Hill—once the lodging of the Storm Sword Saint, now seized by
Tagel strode briskly onto the veranda of an elegant study. Lorist was reclining in a lounge chair beneath the overhanging eaves, taking a brief rest.
"What is it? Is something wrong with Jenorio's side?"
"No, Your Highness. Jenorio has captured the last two spies sent by the Commercial Alliance. It just took longer than expected, and Lord Reidi scolded him for it." Tagel paused. "We just received a messenger hawk from the imperial capital."
"Oh? Our king has returned to the capital, hasn't he? What's he been stirring up now?"
"Well..." Tagel hesitated. "Your Highness, I'm not sure how to put this..."
"What do you mean, not sure how to put it? Just read the message as is."
"Right. The message from the capital says Her Majesty the Queen is pregnant—seven months along." Tagel kept his head lowered, seemingly suppressing a smile.
Lorist replied lazily: "The queen is pregnant? That's good news. Looks like we should prepare a congratulatory gift... What? Seven months!"
Lorist shot to his feet: "The queen is seven months pregnant?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
What a scandal! The
"Your Highness, the intelligence states that when the king returned to the capital, Her Majesty the Queen did not come out to greet him, claiming she was gravely ill. So His Majesty, to demonstrate their deep affection, brought a party of nobles to visit her anyway. When the curtains were drawn aside, there she was with her great belly on full display... The king's face turned crimson. He drew his sword and cut down four or five of the queen's attendants on the spot. The queen fainted from fright, and only then did His Majesty storm out in a fury..."
Lorist said nothing for a long while. Then he sighed: "It seems His Majesty won't have the mind to hold his coronation ceremony in the next couple of years."
...