People Change

Gale had once been the strongest knight in the territory, and the most envied man in this land.

He did not come from a noble background. At the age of thirteen, he had walked out of a mining town, clutching half a broken sword, and joined the Eagle Mercenary Group, which was the most unremarkable mercenary group at the time.

Fighting his way up, he relied on the sword in his hand, the scars on his shoulders, and his stubborn, unyielding temper.

It took him nine years to build the Eagle Mercenary Group from a ragtag band of seven into the strongest mercenary group in the territory. Even Elena used to say that the safest years for the surrounding territory were when Gale was around.

And back then, there was someone else by his side.

Her name was Asha.

They had grown up together in the mining town, catching fish in the river, counting rainbows after the rain, and huddling together by the fireplace on cold winter nights. Everyone believed they were the most perfect match in the territory.

He had shielded her from wild beasts, taken blade wounds for her, and draped his only thick coat over her shoulders while he walked over ten miles of mountain paths in the freezing night. When he returned, his lips would be blue from the cold, yet he would grin the moment he saw her and say, “It's fine, I'm not cold.”

He had believed the promises of those years were real. The hands held tight during those nights, the solemn vows of entering marriage together—he had believed none of it could ever be forgotten.

Until the day that church knight arrived in the territory.

The man wore light, silver-gray armor, and the silver emblem on his chest shone brighter than those of most knights they had ever seen. When he spoke, he carried a natural air of authority.

Gale had not thought much of it, assuming the man was just a passerby on inspection. He had always believed that the bond between him and Asha was something no one else could ever come between.

But he was wrong.

Asha began going out on various pretexts, returning later and later, though she smiled more and more. Her gaze toward him turned from warm to fleeting, from focused to evasive. It was as if her smiles were now reserved for someone else.

She praised the way that man spoke, his attire, and his worldly knowledge. Gale had paid no mind to it, until he learned she was going to leave the territory with the knight to go to the Holy City. Suddenly, he understood. She had fallen in love with him.

He had gone to find the knight, wanting a clean and decisive duel.

And the result of that duel was that his right arm was severed by the knight.

As he collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from the stump and staining the soil beneath him, he saw Asha standing not far away, looking down at him with cold eyes.

She turned and walked away, and he never saw her again.

Gale did not go after her. His right arm was gone, and he could no longer hold a sword. One by one, the mercenary group members who had once gone on missions with him drifted away.

He eventually fell into the habit of buying alcohol on credit at the tavern, drowning his sorrows in drink.

The patrons of the tavern only knew him as a penniless drunkard who came every day—a ruined man abandoned by the Eagle Mercenary Group and his woman.

These stories were what the residents of the territory had told Lovene.

“I may not have experienced these things, but she is not all there is to your life, is she?”

“You still have Marcus, the brother who went through life and death with you, and those mercenary members who still admire you. You have the people you saved. Have you really forgotten all of them?”

As she spoke, Lovene glanced at Lina.

Gale lowered his head, resting his left hand on his knee. After a few seconds of silence, he said quietly, “...People change.”

Just like Asha. Gentle and kind in her youth, she grew up to become cold and heartless.

Just like himself. High-spirited in his youth, he was now nothing but a drunkard of a bastard.

“But there are always some people who will never change, even unto death.”

The cool voice drifted past Gale's ear. He let out a soft laugh, having no desire to argue.

Someone who would never change even unto death?

Who?

Could this Saintess be talking about herself? She was still too young. Perhaps in a few years, she would realize just how childish her words were.

Lovene saw right through his thoughts. She turned around and waved her hand rather coldly. “It seems she was right to leave you. You are nothing but a loser.”

A loser...

Gale kept his head down, showing no reaction. But Lina, the young girl beside him, suddenly stood up and shouted at Lovene, “Grandpa Gale is not a loser! He is a hero! He's a hero in my eyes and my dad's!”

“If you change your mind, come find me at the lord's manor. I will heal your right arm then.”

Ignoring Lina, Lovene left his house after leaving those words behind. Lina dragged her chair closer to Gale and comforted him in a low voice, “Grandpa Gale, don't take her words to heart. You are a great hero to me and my dad. If it weren't for you back then, we would have been eaten by wild beasts long ago.”

“To think I used to admire the Saintess so much. I didn't expect her to be this kind of person. Grandpa Gale, you are still the kindest one!”

Lina held Gale's calloused hand, speaking with indignation as if venting on his behalf. Gale kept his eyes lowered, seeming to listen, yet also seeming to be lost in other thoughts.

Lina's father had been a member of the Eagle Mercenary Group in the past, and someone Gale had saved.

Only... it was said that after Gale left the Eagle Mercenary Group, her father had been severely injured during a mission and was left almost completely paralyzed in bed.

After a moment, Lina's voice rang out again, though it was much softer than before. “It's just... Grandpa Gale, I probably won't be able to visit you very often in a couple of days.”

“Why is that?”

Lina lowered her head, her fingers gripping the edge of her skirt. “My dad... passed away the day before yesterday. My mom is sick in bed, and we have a younger brother to feed. So I... I applied to be a servant for Mr. Toronto, and I was chosen.”

Gale was stunned.

The news of Lina's father's death hit him like a heavy hammer, leaving him somewhat speechless. But what stung him the most was the news that followed.

“Toronto? That notoriously lecherous wealthy merchant?”

Toronto was a notorious beast in the Oswell territory. Not only was he lecherous, but he also enjoyed abusing his servants. Hardly any servant in his household survived past five years.

When Marcus was around, Toronto did not dare to be so flagrant. But now that Marcus was dead, his true nature was fully exposed. It was said that within the span of three months, five servants had already died in his household.

If Lina went to work as his maid... her end would be miserable.

Yet Lina seemed to have long grown used to his infamy, and she accepted her own future. Her lips curled into a smile as she said, “Yes, he is my master now. I have to go to his mansion to work as a servant the day after tomorrow. Don't worry, Mr. Toronto is very generous. My family's life will get better.”

“When the time comes, I'll visit you often, and I'll definitely have spare money to buy you alcohol. From now on, I'll cover the cost of your drinks...”

As she spoke, she deliberately kept her tone light, as if this were just a minor matter to be proud of. But at the very end of her words, her voice began to tremble slightly.

Warm tears traced down her cheeks, dripping onto her knees. Lina hurriedly wiped them away, not wanting to show such a fragile side in front of Gale.

Gale looked at the flustered Lina. He took a deep breath, and his remaining left hand clenched tightly into a fist.