After listening to Mark’s confession, Lucen didn’t respond imdiately, and after a while, he sighed. Even now, after knowing how mature Lucen was for his age, it was weird for the rcenaries to see a twelve-year-old sigh like so middle-aged man.
"So you were going to update your forr employers about what we’re doing, but with lies. Then, before you were able to do anything, Harlik had already intercepted you and stopped you from doing anything."
"Yes, that’s right," Mark answered.
The other rcenaries did not say anything as they simply looked at the exchange between Lucen and Mark.
"I think I already know the answer to this question, but I’ll ask it anyway. Why did you do it?" Lucen asked with a serious tone and face. A smile appeared on Mark’s face as he answered.
"What other reason would a rcenary like do such a crazy thing? Of course, it’s for money. They offered gold that would help my family eat like nobles for a year... I wasn’t planning on betraying or anything. I would have just sent so random report, and that would be it. That’s all there is, so little leader, if you wish to banish or kill , do whatever you deem is right. I will follow your decision."
Everyone thought that Mark was done talking, but then he looked Lucen straight in the eye, his Lackadaisical deanor changed into a serious one.
"But if you allow to stay, then I swear on the graves of our fallen brothers and sisters, I will never betray you again."
The other rcenaries waited to see how Lucen would handle the situation. In this kind of situation, Lucen did not know what to say; he was not truly a leader type of person. Even though he had mories of his past life, he was just a normal person who liked playing video gas and watching ani, and movies.
Lucen, who noticed the intense stares of Harlik and the rcenaries, knew that this was sothing he should not make a mistake in.
’Since it ca to this, then I’ll use acting adept and just imagine a character from my past life being in this situation. Then who should I take inspiration from?... I wasn’t really that into watching docuntaries, so I don’t know much about great n in history. I know their nas, but nothing much... I guess I have no choice, gotta take sothing from the characters I know well enough.’
Lucen closed his eyes, and the image of a little girl appeared. She was called a monster by her enemies and so of her allies, but she worked with efficiency in mind. The image of another person appeared; it was a man who dreamt of conquering all with his n at his side. These were the two that Lucen knew enough of to copy, so he decided to speak using what he rembered of the two.
Lucen felt their personalities blending into him, his trait acting adept was kicking in as his deanor changed, even his subtle movents were no longer his but those of the two characters in his mind.
"I see, I understand. What is a rcenary but one who dives into danger for the promises of untold riches? The soldiers of fortune. I also understand that I’m the person you were hired to kidnap, and you betrayed your employer for . Not only that, but you did all this with your family in mind."
While he was talking, Lucen was walking toward Mark, and as he got closer, he used his gun creation skill to create a revolver, took out bullets, and loaded them into the revolver. Lucen, who was now within arm’s length of Mark, pointed the revolver at his head.
Since Mark was taller than the twelve-year-old Lucen, he had his head down to look at Lucen. The barrel of the gun was now pointing at him.
He did not know what kind of magic Lucen used, but since it looked like a smaller version of the thing Lucen was carrying, Mark had an idea what would happen to him once Lucen decided to kill him.
Lucen looked up at him, red eyes almost glowing cold and clear.
"I may be young and inexperienced, but do not mistake that for naivete. You see, I believe in reason, I believe in discipline. I believe that the mont a leader tolerates betrayal without consequence is the mont a group starts rotting from the inside. If you betray once, it could also an you can betray again."
The rcenaries watching saw Lucen pull back the curved tal piece with a click, on the unknown object he was holding. Even though they don’t know what that was, they felt it was like a bow string being pulled.
"Still, you did admit to your mistake even though you were forced because you were caught."
Lucen’s expression, sharp and unreadable, was no longer that of a boy. It was the mask of soone weighing a man’s life not with emotion, but with logic, and a sense of command far beyond his years.
It was truly an eerie sight that the rcenaries present could not comprehend. A twelve-year-old boy was emitting such pressure simply from his presence alone.
It was like the Lucen they saw before was soone else from the person who was standing before them now.
"What do you think I should do in this situation, Mark? Do you wish for to kill you or not?"
"I told you, little leader, do whatever you wish from ," Mark answered without blinking as he looked Lucen eye to eye.
Lucen pulled the trigger, and the sound similar to thunder echoed in the cavern. The rcenaries who had seen how their companions died yesterday, that sound ans death, but surprisingly, Mark was still standing. Mark himself was looking at Lucen confused.
"If I were like a certain little monster I once knew, you’d be dead already. But I also knew soone who said a true leader shows his n a dream worth chasing. So I need to lead by example. I will need you alive so that you can see that wonderful dream for yourself."
Lucen turned the weapon in his hand and let it vanish into mana sparks, dismissing the conjured gun with a casual flick of his will.
"Since I decided to let you live, you better do your best. You wanted to earn enough gold to feed your family, right? Then earn it as one of my own!" A fierce grin cracked across Lucen’s face as he looked at the other rcenaries. "Follow , you fools, and I will show you a wonderful dream!"
Lucen’s words resonated within the rcenaries, and for so reason, for a split second, the back of the twelve-year-old boy looked so much bigger, so much broader. It was like they were standing before a general, before a king.
Harlik and the rcenaries did not know when, but they all unconsciously knelt on one knee on the ground.
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