Is That My Alter Ego

16 – Push and Pull

“Hmm… the task the guildmaster requested…”

On an ordinary sunny day, as summer reached its peak, Ceris walked, stealing glances at the strong sunlight that seemed to melt away her flesh.

Because it was the task personally requested by the guildmaster!

Since equipping the mithril armor, the Scar Mercenary Group had been growing rapidly day by day. Now, they could easily deal with level 3 monsters as a warm-up exercise.

As a result, the Scar Mercenary Group’s recognition naturally began to rise. There might be people on the opposite side of the empire who knew about them by now.

With the increase in recognition and the proven strength of the Scar Mercenary Group, job offers surged like waves.

Now, not only trivial tasks but also requests from distant areas poured in.

As the tasks piled up like a mountain, the Scar Mercenary Group found themselves going out on missions almost every day.

Of course, with the influx of tasks, Venice Guildmaster received double the paperwork.

“I must succeed no matter what…!”

Due to the busy paperwork, I only entrusted the guild with simple matters related to the mercenary group, but…

Since it was a task personally assigned by the “Captain,” Seris went to the Mercenary Guild with determination.

“The Captain asked me to deliver these documents.”

“Yes… Yes… Thank you…”

“Tsk.”

“heheheh-!”

She glared at the familiar receptionist of the Mercenary Guild. It was only because it was an order directly given by the “Captain” that she was being acknowledged…

Always staring at the Captain, her face would flush like a horny b*tch.

How dare she.

“I’m watching.”

“Heh… S-Sorry…”

Seris glared at the shrinking receptionist like a cornered mouse and promptly left the Mercenary Guild.

She couldn’t confess her feelings first because she was afraid of being rejected by the Captain, but she didn’t like it anyway.

“heheheh… Hey there, lass… Come here.”

“…..?”

“Yeah, yeah… It’s about you.”

Seris had done the Captain’s mission splendidly and took care of an ignorant female, which made her happy as she returned to the Mercenary Guild. While she was on her way, she heard an old man calling out to her.

“It feels like he wasn’t there just a moment ago…”

Certainly, before entering the Mercenary Guild, the shabby tent with the old man was nowhere to be seen.

Since there was no one around except himself, it was clear that the old man was calling him, so he approached him immediately.

Feeling a bit good at the moment, he decided not to dwell on such trivial matters.

“Sir, why am I…?”

“hehehe… Interested in these… items, perhaps…?”

“Ah.”

It was just a street performer’s act. Even though Seris respected the old man, he had no intention of falling for such a street performance.

“I have no interest. Well then…”

So, Seris politely bid farewell and tried to proceed towards the Mercenary Guild.

“There’s a man you fancy… hehehe…”

“……..?!”

The old man spoke those words, and it was enough to stop Seris in his tracks.

“H-how…?”

“You can see everything from a person’s appearance… hehehe… So, would you like to take a look?”

“Ugh….”

Seris, whose feelings for the leader were stronger than anyone else’s, couldn’t muster the courage and tossed and turned under his blanket every night before sleep.

“Perhaps I know the way to captivate that man…? hehehe…”

“I’ll just watch.”

With those words lingering in his mind, Seris pretended to be defeated and entered the shabby tent.

‘Something… feels mysterious.’

Inside the shabby tent, it appeared much larger than it had looked from the outside. The peak of summer had heated everything outside with sunlight, but for some reason, the inside of this tent was surprisingly cool.

“Take a good look around… Ho ho..”

After briefly surveying the interior of the tent, Seris turned her attention to the items on the table covered with a red tablecloth, prompted by the old man’s words.

Books. A dagger emanating an indiscernible aura. Mirrors, buckets… And a plethora of other objects whose purpose was utterly mysterious.

“What’s that?”

Among the items that Seris was examining, only one caught her eye.

-How to Captivate a Man. If you can finish reading this book, you’ll already be a married woman!-

The cover was suspiciously adorned with numerous hearts and an excessive use of red. Normally, Seris would have frowned and not even glanced at such a book, but…

‘.Could I… with the leader…?’

Gulp.

The Seris before meeting the leader and the current Seris were completely different people.

Staring intently at the book, Seris swallowed her saliva as she entertained a certain imagination.

“Ho ho… Do you like that one…”

“Ahem. How much is this book…?”

“The price… Extend your hand here for a moment.”

When Seris was about to pay, the old man unexpectedly asked to see her hand.

A normal person might have hesitated and not given their hand, but Seris, confident in her response, extended her hand without a word.

Squeeze-

“Ho ho… Fascinating, indeed..”

The old man wrapped Seris’s hand in his and alternated his gaze between her hand and face, then chuckled as if intrigued.

“It was worth it. The book is now yours.”

“Yes? Can it really be settled with that…?”

“Well, this old man doesn’t bother changing words unnecessarily.”

-Well then, go ahead to captivate your man. Good luck…

With the incomprehensible words of the elderly until the end, Seris stepped outside the tent.

It was impossible to determine if the old person was a woman or a man, and it was even unclear whether they were truly alive.

Moreover, Seris, who knew most of the residents of Leria Village, was seeing this old person for the first time.

“An intriguing individual.”

However, peculiar things happen in the world. Seris thought nonchalantly, unfolding the first page of the book as she headed towards the Mercenary Guild.

“The first method… seduction?”

-Oh… this method…?! Is this possible…!

Uttering constant exclamations, Seris, with flames in her eyes, studied the book and walked towards the mercenary squad.

“…So that’s how it turned out…”

The old man, quietly watching Seris leave, vanished in the blink of an eye.

Thus, as if the old man and the tent had never existed from the beginning, they quietly faded away, unnoticed by anyone.

***

Squeak-!

“Ah… Finally done with today’s paperwork…”

Having been stuck in the chair for a long time doing paperwork, I stretched my stiff body and left the office.

‘Ugh… Why are there so many things going on? I really can’t get myself together.’

Following Spin’s suggestion, our Ska Mercenary Group had gone to the Steel Mines to acquire mithril ore and received Spin’s mithril armor in return.

Since that day, the mercenaries, having adapted to the sturdy yet lightweight armor, began to fight with renewed frenzy.

These were individuals already rich in talent and effort, and now, equipped with superior gear, their prowess was unsurprising.

Two-star monsters could now be handled individually, while three-star monsters were easy enough to defeat as a group, akin to a warm-up exercise.

Even four-star monsters were taken down a few more, albeit with some injuries and close calls… but the fact that no one died while defeating a four-star monster was something even the Empire would marvel at.

A month. It had been just a month since I became the sixth leader of the Ska Mercenary Group.

According to information trickling down through imperial channels and rumors I heard as the leader,

It was often jokingly said that we had already regained the prestige the Ska Mercenary Group once commanded over the Empire.

‘I’m proud.’

This was an achievement I could never have accomplished through my efforts alone.

It was all thanks to our mercenaries following suit and Deputy Commander Seris tirelessly aiding me at my side.

Speaking of Deputy Commander Seris, a recent incident comes to mind. It must have been… about a week ago.

A flashy carriage had arrived in Leria Village and made its way to our mercenary base.

The man who stepped out of the carriage exuded nobility and a dignified air, unmistakably aristocratic.

“Is there someone named Seris here?”

“I am Seris.”

“Let me get straight to the point. Would you consider joining the Imperial Royal Knights?”

The Imperial Royal Knights. A formidable group within the entire Empire, comprising only the strongest.

They had sent an official to personally scout Seris, likely having recognized the growth of the Ska Mercenary Group and the shining talent of Seris at its heart.

“Seris, Vice Commander. I think it’s a good opportunity. It’s up to your choice.”

“……..I.”

For Seris, who aspired to become the future Swordmaster and decorate the history of the Empire, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would never come again.

Although she belonged to the rapidly growing Scar Mercenary Corps, she thought it was only natural to join the Empire’s strongest Knights Corps.

Well, I was determined to respect whatever decision Seris made.

“I’m sorry. I will decline.”

-Is that so? I understand. Then, that’s all.

Seris’s choice was to remain in the Scar Mercenary Corps.

Curious as to why I would stay in the Scar Mercenary Corps, I asked Seris why she had let go of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Just because… the path I desire… my light is here.”

In Seris’s eyes, which burned brighter than the descending sun, I could feel an unwavering determination.

Well. After that, Seris didn’t stop training, and she became stronger day by day.

Now, she has become so strong that I can no longer be her opponent.

And perhaps it’s only a matter of time before Seris becomes a Swordmaster. Just because she remains in the Scar Mercenary Corps doesn’t mean she won’t become a Swordmaster.

If someone with abundant talent and perfect effort exists, they can become a genius who will be remembered in history.

“Shall we warm up a bit?”

Finishing the thought that had crossed my mind for a moment, I picked up a sword lying in the training ground.

Lately, I’ve been sitting in the chair too much, and my body was getting restless.

Unlike usual, the training ground was empty except for a few members of the mercenary corps.

Since everyone’s skills were excellent and we worked well together, there was no need for Seris and me to go on missions together anymore, so we were being sent separately.

Tap. Tap.

Just then, familiar footsteps echoed from the entrance of the training ground.

“Hrmm…Hm!”

As expected, it was Seris. His face, slightly reddened perhaps due to the scorching sun, looked somewhat petulant for some reason.

“Deputy Commander Seris. You’ve arrived.”

“Hmm-hmm! Yes, of course…!”

“……..?”

What’s this? He seems a bit different than usual.

Feeling an inexplicable sense of puzzlement, I spoke to Seris.

“Ah. You’ve worked hard, Deputy Commander Seris. Instead of me at the Mercenary Guild…”

“It’s…it’s fine!!”

Tap- Swoosh-!

I reached out to place my hand on Seris’s shoulder, but he brushed off my hand and dashed into the interior of the base.

“………………”

…What’s this? Is he going through puberty?

Frozen in place, I couldn’t help but be taken aback by this new side of Seris I had never seen before.