Chapter 99: Refusal
Gagaran was leaning back in her chair with her thick arms folded, her expression full of amusement.
Evileye let out a quiet sigh. "Good that it's settled. Moving forward to the other strongholds, we won't need to account for Six Arms anymore."
The gaze through her mask slit came to rest on Lucian.
"..."
The other Blue Roses members who knew her could hear the approval in it.
Lucian waved it off, adding a degree more modesty to his expression. "It was nothing — mostly luck."
He pulled the conversation back. The remaining Eight Fingers strongholds carried manageable risk now, but they still needed to be careful. He turned to Lakyus.
"And now I can head out to the Dragon Kingdom without worrying."
The moment those words landed, the room's atmosphere shifted quietly.
The excitement that had been all over Lakyus's face from the story a moment ago dissolved. Her brow drew together. Her eyes filled with worry.
"Brother is going there again?"
Her fingers twisted at the sleeve edge of her pale rose dress without her noticing.
"How about Blue Roses finishes with Eight Fingers first, and we go together?"
A brief silence. Then Gagaran's blunt laugh broke it.
"Captain's right." She brought a broad palm down on the table, hard enough to slosh the water in the nearby teacups. "I've been wanting to get a look at the Dragon Kingdom for ages. Word is the beastmen over there are especially well-built."
Her square face lit up with barely-contained eagerness.
"I'll go too." Evileye gave a nod. She had her own reasons for wanting to help save a country teetering on the edge.
Lucian looked around at these people, and felt genuine warmth and a genuine headache arriving at the same time.
In previous years it wouldn't have been a problem. A few inconveniences, easily managed with a little care.
This year was different. Because this year the matter concerned—
"Best to pass on it. Blue Roses is too expensive — I'd go bankrupt hiring the lot of you."
He let the deflection out as a joke.
Lakyus sat immediately straight. Both hands placed flat on the table, fingers interlaced, posture entirely formal.
"I have savings set aside."
She held his gaze directly.
"Let me cover the expenses for this operation. Brother doesn't need to worry about the costs."
Gagaran's grin spread.
"What's the captain saying — for something like saving people, I don't need paying." An expression of genuine integrity surfaced on her rough face, somewhat at odds with the rest of it. "I've got the same conviction as our lolicon noble here. Don't underestimate me."
She tilted her chin toward Lucian — a warrior's acknowledgment, plain and unadorned.
Over the years, Lucian had been sending cavalry support to the Dragon Kingdom and charging them almost nothing — only what was needed to cover march expenses and fallen soldiers' allowances. The Dragon Kingdom's finances were already stretched; charging market rates for a mercenary force would only make a desperate situation worse. That was the conviction Gagaran was referencing.
"I feel the same." Evileye's voice came again, moving a half-beat faster than usual. "Adventurers can't participate in wars between nations — but the Dragon Kingdom is facing active invasion by demi-humans. That falls outside the restriction."
A pause.
"The reason the Adventurers Guild exists is to help humanity."
Lucian looked at these people ready to give everything without being asked. The warmth and the headache had braided themselves into something he couldn't easily separate.
This is bad.
He let out a private internal groan.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
He'd planned to brush the topic aside and set off alone. Instead he'd ended up with all of Blue Roses wanting to come with him.
This won't work.
"Still best not to. I'd be far too indebted."
"Why does elder brother still refuse us?"
Lakyus's voice climbed a pitch.
"Could it be that elder brother has plans in the Dragon Kingdom that can't bear the light of day?"
Lucian's pupils contracted.
She can guess that? Something in his chest gave a lurch.
He spent a brief moment revising his assessment of Lakyus's intelligence. Perhaps his sister wasn't quite as easy to underestimate as he'd thought?
"Or perhaps... elder brother has truly fallen for the Dragon Kingdom's queen..."
Lakyus's voice transitioned without a break from interrogation into something quieter and more injured.
"We'd be in the way, wouldn't we."
She said it with her chin pressed slightly downward, as though trying to swallow the words back before they came out, and failing.
Lucian watched his sister like this and felt his mouth make a small involuntary movement.
Second review. Original verdict upheld.
Same idiot sister.
He drew a breath and pressed the rising exasperation down, then met Lakyus's eyes steadily.
"Not at all."
He didn't rush to explain. He denied her guess first.
"It's because of Eight Fingers."
When dealing with a good-natured person, you really do need a reason that looks legitimate. He turned this thought over once and kept going.
Lakyus studied his face, looking for any sign that he was lying.
"Eight Fingers is nearly done as an organization. But a criminal network that's been entrenched in the capital for years can't be completely removed overnight. There will always be remnants waiting for the right moment to retaliate."
"If Blue Roses leaves, those remnants will certainly choose that window to move, and Father and Mother are in the capital..."
He was holding his parents' safety as the weight that would tip the scale.
Lakyus's lips trembled slightly. The fingers resting on the table closed without her deciding to close them.
Lucian knew the words were working.
It had been a few years since the fight — Lakyus had clashed bitterly with their father over her decision to become an adventurer. Their mother had tried to smooth it over. Their father had turned and walked away, letting her decide for herself. For a while after that, Lakyus had almost never gone home. It was only later — after she made Adamantite rank, and after Lucian's quiet work as a mediator — that she had finally reconciled with their parents.
But she was still wavering. Lucian pressed the opening.
"And." His voice came down a notch. "Once Eight Fingers' remnants are swept clean and Blue Roses has room to breathe..."
He paused. His gaze settled back on Lakyus's face.
"After the evil is cleared away — next time, I'll take you to the Dragon Kingdom."
Lakyus looked at him.
"..."
A quiet sound of agreement.
Yielding is also a form of trust.
The Blue Roses members around them watched this in silence.
Lucian said nothing more. He stood and straightened his collar.
"Then I'll head out. There's a lot to prepare."
Lakyus gave a nod. She didn't try to hold him back.
Lucian nodded to the others and walked to the door. His hand was already on the handle when Lakyus's voice came from behind him.
"Brother."
He stopped. Turned.
"Come back in one piece."
Lucian gave a thumbs up and flashed a grin.
"Don't worry."