Verandez's announcement was met with varied reactions. Some mercenaries were relieved, expressing their frustration at the prolonged stay. "Finally, we've been here for nearly a damn month," grumbled one of the mercenary leaders, echoing the sentiment shared by many others. Another portion of mercenaries remained uncaring, as this was their original contract anyway. A few mercenaries, however, were rightfully confused by the sudden announcement.
"Why now all of a sudden? Did he figure out a way to kill the demon?" asked one of the mercenary leaders to another leader next to him, seeking answers. "Let's keep listening and we'll find out," came the pragmatic reply.
Meanwhile, Jakel was among the mercenaries who didn't care much about the announcement. He simply wanted to get the job done, get paid, and leave. Mincs poked him with her elbow, drawing his attention to the man standing next to Verandez. "Who do you think is the fella next to him?" she asked curiously.
"How am I supposed to know? He's probably just another merc," Jakel replied dismissively, uninterested. Mincs glanced at the man before quickly averting her gaze, murmuring to herself, "Goddess, looking at him gives me the creeps."
As the murmurs continued, one of the mercenary leaders finally addressed Verandez directly. "Why do you say that, sir? Do you have a way to slay the demon?" The demon was the mercenaries' sole threat, at least as far as they knew.
Verandez looked visibly stressed by the question, hesitating before clearing his throat. "I do... uh, never mind. He does," he said, stumbling over his words as he gestured towards the unfamiliar man standing next to him. "Do you have any idea who that is?" asked one of the leaders to another, who shook his head in confusion. "Nope, no clue," came the response.
Jakel glanced at the man, feeling a sense of uneasiness wash over him. *The hell is this feeling?* he thought to himself, recognizing the distinct aura of danger emanating from the mysterious figure. "He feels dangerous," whispered Mar under his breath, echoing Jakel's thoughts.
As the mercenaries discussed the mysterious man, he finally spoke up. "Didn't realize so many people were unaware of how I looked. Then again, a symbol is more recognizable than a face," he remarked casually. His words sent a shiver down the mercenaries' spines, and some instinctively reached for their weapons, backing away nervously.
"That didn't feel right," Jakel muttered, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. The man's voice sounded normal, but there was an unsettling element to it that made it feel inhuman, as if a natural disaster had been given vocal cords.
Seeing their reactions, the man smiled, which made all the mercenaries' hearts pound in their chests. Some began hyperventilating, while others swallowed large gulps of fear. "Now that's a reaction I'm more familiar with. However, there are a few problems," the man said, scanning the mercenaries before singling out three individuals: one company leader and two regular mercenaries from different companies.
"What... what is it?" asked a frightened mercenary with ashy hair and green eyes, his face marred by a massive burn mark that trailed down his body. He was visibly shaken by the man's presence, not even having his hands on his weapon.
"Your reaction just doesn't match your appearance," the man remarked casually. Suddenly, the mercenary's head fell off his shoulders, landing with a sickening thud on the ground. His lifeless body followed suit, blood gushing from the stump where his head had once been.
"What the fuck!?" exclaimed the mercenary beside the now-deceased man, horror evident in his eyes as he stared at the grisly scene unfolding before him.
"The hell did he just do?" Mincs exclaimed, her hands gripping her weapons tightly.
"I don't fucking know!" Jakel shouted, his grip on his rifle equally tight.
"We shouldn't show fear," Mar advised, managing to keep mostly calm, though tension lingered in his demeanor.
The other two mercenaries who the man had singled out were now even more terrified. The non-company leader mercenary, a woman with a prosthetic hand and glass eye, started to push her way through the crowd in an attempt to flee. However, she didn't get very far before her entire body was severed in half vertically, from head to pelvis. The two halves of her body fell to the ground with sickening thuds.
"Oops, used a little too much power. Thought she would survive longer than that," remarked the man, scratching his head casually.
The mercenary leader, who had been singled out, immediately dropped to his hands and knees. He was a veteran mercenary with graying hair, wearing plate armor that bore the scars of numerous battles. A scar ran down his left eye, and terror filled his eyes as he pleaded for his life.
"Please spare my life! I don't know what I did, but please don't kill me!" he exclaimed, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. The man looked down at him, and the mercenaries witnessed a sympathetic expression cross his face.
"Okay, I won't kill you, so raise your head," the man said, and the mercenary leader's face lit up with relief. "Really?" he asked, hopefully. However, the man's sympathetic expression transformed into a sinister smile.
"Nope," he said, and in an instant, the veteran company leader's entire body and equipment turned into a red mist. "You were the worst of the bunch," the man remarked casually.
As the remaining mercenaries looked at Orian with caution, he dusted his hands off casually. "Now that those three are dealt with, I should introduce myself," he said, turning to face the mercenaries with a smile. Their reaction was immediate—they all shifted into combat-ready stances. Orian noticed their response and motioned for them to calm down with a gesture of his hands.
"Don't worry, I won't kill any of you right now," he assured them, though his words only seemed to put the mercenaries more on edge. "Just state who you are already," Marcus interjected from beside Orian. Orian shrugged in response before turning back to the mercenaries.
"My name is Orian, Orian Lorenz—a man I'm sure you've all heard of."