With the mission finished, we began the journey back to the town where the mercenary office stood—Luxina.
Everyone in the group rode trained horses. I ended up riding behind Ron, holding the saddle tightly as the road rolled beneath us. Watching the others, a question surfaced.
"Is it mandatory for mercenaries to buy mounts?" I asked.
Ron smiled faintly.
"Once you reach three copper rank or higher, most people do. Jobs take you farther—escorts, emergency contracts, even war. A mount gives you speed, endurance, and survival."
That made sense.
"Then why not monster eggs?" I asked.
The group laughed.
Ron explained, "Eggs are cheaper than trained horses, but the success rate is terrible. Even if it hatches, you don't know what you'll get. Most mercenaries won't gamble their savings."
That finally made Duracal's earlier advice clear. I had spare coin. Failure wouldn't ruin me. Success could change everything.
By evening, Luxina came into view.
After dismounting, I told the others I'd meet them at the mercenary office the next day. Right now, I didn't have the energy to divide rewards or argue over shares. They understood.
I walked alone toward Duracal's house.
The sun was still visible, but night was closing in. With every step, the unease grew heavier.
What will he say?
Will he punish me?
Or worse—lose trust completely?
When I reached the forge, familiar voices drifted out.
Duracal was still working.
Beside him stood Bharam, Rathen, and Siena. Their expressions were tight, worried.
When they noticed me, I gave an awkward smile and waved.
"I'm back."
Siena reacted instantly.
She charged.
For a heartbeat, I thought she was coming to hug me.
The chill crawling up my spine told me otherwise.
Her fists were clenched. Her eyes were blazing.
I ran.
"DON'T YOU DARE RUN!" she shouted.
"I'M SORRY!" I yelled back.
She didn't slow down.
Panicking, I sprinted toward Bharam, thinking he'd stop her.
He smiled.
Not kindly.
He raised his bow and fired.
The arrow struck my leg and sent me crashing into the dirt. A training arrow—flat-tipped—but the pain was sharp and humiliating.
Siena caught up and beat me senseless.
At some point, I coated my body in dark aura just to endure it.
Strangely, those blows hurt more than the lizardmen ever had.
Eventually, Rathen stepped in.
"That's enough."
Duracal had stopped forging. He sat down without speaking.
I was made to sit in the center, surrounded.
I told them everything.
Meeting Ron.
Leaving without notice.
The hunt.
The battles.
The mistakes.
When I finished, Rathen spoke first.
"He gained real combat experience."
Bharam nodded slightly.
"Used terrain well."
Siena snapped, furious that I'd left my spear behind in the village.
Duracal raised his hand.
Silence fell.
"You survived," he said slowly. "That doesn't mean you were right."
My stomach tightened.
"You left without notice. You acted outside command. You survived by luck as much as skill."
He leaned forward.
"So you don't get forgiven."
My chest tightened.
"You get corrected."
He stood.
"For the next month, you don't take missions."
My heart dropped.
"At dawn and at dusk, you train. Every day. No exceptions."
He looked straight at me.
"Endurance. Footwork. Weapon drills. Aura control under exhaustion."
Then the final blow.
"And you will spar Siena. Repeatedly. Until you stop relying on luck."
Siena smiled.
I didn't.
"This isn't punishment," Duracal continued. "This is insurance. If you want to keep surviving in this world, you will earn it properly."
I bowed my head.
"Yes."
Later, I asked about Rusty.
He'd grown—only slightly—but he was more active now, running around and headbutting walls.
After bathing, I went to see him.
He glared at me. Still angry.
I placed a small piece of lizardman meat on the ground.
He sniffed it.
Then rushed forward and devoured it.
I met his eyes and smiled faintly.
Food really is the fastest path to loyalty, I thought.
Tomorrow, training would begin.
And this time—
I wouldn't be allowed to survive by mistake.