Episode 155: Athena Hopper (2)
The next day, Damian began his investigation into the mercenary group.
Truth be told, he didn’t know much about the Fafnir Mercenaries himself. All he knew was that in the not-so-distant future, internal strife would significantly weaken them, and a dark sorcerer was at the heart of it.
“You’re curious about the Fafnir Mercenaries, are you?”
Damian’s method of investigation was to befriend the regular mercenaries. Drawing on his past life experiences as a mercenary, he quickly found common ground with them.
“Yes, isn’t the Fafnir Mercenaries known to be stronger than the military forces of most major nations?”
Sitting by the campfire with the mercenaries, Damian posed his question.
“Ah, you know your stuff, Sir Damian! Our mercenary group is quite something, isn’t it?”
“We get requests from all over the continent. Only Fafnir can handle them.”
The mercenaries laughed heartily, pleased with Damian’s praise.
“It’s such a formidable place that one must tread carefully. Are there any rules I should be aware of?”
“Not really. Our group isn’t too strict with rules.”
“Unless you skip training, then you’ll get a beating. My cheek still stings from yesterday.”
“That’s just because you’re lazy.”
Though the conversation was mostly trivial, Damian listened intently. He knew that when guards were down, important information often surfaced.
“Oh, right. If you head north, there’s another fence. Don’t go in there.”
“Any particular reason?”
“That’s where the Mercenary King’s lovers are.”
It sounded like an intriguing story.
“The Mercenary King is a kind man, but when it comes to women, he’s ruthless.”
“Well, any man would react if someone messed with his lover… but the Mercenary King takes it to another level.”
“True. He’s a great man, but his fondness for women is his only flaw.”
“Is it okay to say that out loud?”
“It’s fine. Even the Mercenary King acknowledges it.”
Their casual tone suggested that the group’s rules were indeed lax.
“Besides, it’s not really a flaw, is it? There’s an old saying that heroes are often womanizers.”
“There are plenty of heroes who fell because of women. That’s why I’m a bit worried.”
Another mercenary spoke while roasting jerky over the fire.
“The influence of those women within our group has grown too much. They’ve been forming factions and checking each other for years now.”
“Hey, watch what you say. You can’t just say anything.”
A fellow mercenary clamped a hand over his mouth. Realizing his slip, the mercenary glanced nervously at Damian.
“Interesting. So the Mercenary King’s lovers are forming factions?”
Though it might be unfortunate for them, Damian was beginning to grasp the situation within the Fafnir Mercenaries.
“The Bloodlines can’t defy their mothers’ orders, after all.”
The Bloodlines were the core of the Fafnir Mercenaries. Naturally, the authority of the lovers would grow stronger.
“So, all the Bloodlines are part of these factions?”
Damian asked the mercenaries. They exchanged glances before responding.
“Most of them are, so you should be careful. If you cross one, you’ll make an enemy of the whole faction.”
“Most of them?”
“There are exceptions. Like… Athena Hopper, for instance.”
The unexpected name piqued Damian’s curiosity.
“Athena Hopper is the Mercenary King’s favorite. She doesn’t need to join a faction.”
“The Mercenary King won’t stand by if anything involves Athena, even if he ignores the other Bloodlines.”
“Sir Damian, you should be more cautious of Athena Hopper than the factions…”
“Damian Haxen! There you are!”
Someone approached Damian. He turned to see who it was.
A tall figure with gray hair, as slender as a reed.
It was one of the first-generation Bloodlines he had seen the day before.
The mercenaries jumped to their feet in surprise upon recognizing the man.
“Ni-Nil Hopper!”
“What brings you here?”
Nil Hopper raised a hand to calm them.
“I never expected to meet someone as famous as you here!”
Nil Hopper approached Damian, a broad smile on his face.
“I was so curious when I first heard about you. It’s fate that we meet like this. I hope we can become friends.”
Nil Hopper extended his hand to Damian.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Damian Haxen.”
Damian took Nil Hopper’s hand.
At that moment, a massive surge of magical energy flowed through Nil Hopper’s wrist.
Despite the agreement to avoid direct combat, Nil Hopper wasn’t particularly worried.
“Still, I can’t lose.”
The Bloodlines, descendants of the Mercenary King, were superior to ordinary people in every way. Their magical sensitivity, purity of magic, physical abilities, and sharpness of senses were all exceptional.
Nil Hopper, in particular, had a remarkable talent for magic control. The higher one’s control, the more power they could wield with minimal magic.
That’s why Nil Hopper chose to inject magic into Damian Haxen as a means to subdue him. Injecting magic into an opponent’s body could cause immense pain and even rob them of their freedom.
Of course, the opponent wouldn’t just take it. They would resist using their own magic.
A battle of magical strength.
Those with higher control and more magic were at an advantage.
Nil Hopper was confident he could subdue Damian Haxen here and now. He believed no one could handle magic more delicately than he could.
But something was off.
Despite the magic pouring in, Damian Haxen’s expression remained unchanged.
“Interesting.”
Suddenly, Damian Haxen smiled, and Nil Hopper frowned.
“You’re smiling? I’ll make you snap out of it.”
Nil Hopper intensified his magic. The magic surged into Damian Haxen like a torrent.
“You’ve prepared such an amusing trick. I should show you something too, right?”
Suddenly, the speed of the magic injection increased.
“W-What?”
Startled, Nil Hopper tried to retract his magic.
But the flow didn’t stop. It was as if it was being sucked in.
“W-What’s happening…?”
Nil Hopper desperately tried to regain control of the magic.
But the situation remained unchanged. In fact, the speed at which the magic was being absorbed increased.
“This is dangerous.”
Magic was like water. A certain level of magic was essential to sustain life.
What if the magic fell below that level?
It could cause internal injuries, or worse, be fatal.
“Would you mind letting go of my hand now?”
Nil Hopper forced a smile. Damian responded by gripping his arm even tighter.
The magic was being absorbed at an even faster rate. Nil Hopper felt blood rising in his throat.
“P-Please…”
Finally, Nil Hopper’s voice came out as a plea. Yet Damian Haxen didn’t release his grip.
In that moment, Nil Hopper’s mind went blank. When he regained his senses, he was on his knees.
“N-Nil Hopper is kneeling!”
“A Bloodline kneeling before an outsider…”
The other mercenaries shouted in shock.
If his magic reserves dwindled further, he might lose his life.
Despite the humiliation from the mercenaries’ reactions, Nil Hopper had no choice but to beg.
“P-Please… I’m begging you… let go…”
Damian released his hand. Nil Hopper was finally freed from his torment.
“Ugh, ugh…”
Nil Hopper knelt on the ground, coughing up blood. Damian looked down at him and spoke briefly.
“Get lost.”
Nil Hopper, his face flushed with humiliation, had no choice but to comply.
As he retreated, he unexpectedly encountered someone.
Athena Hopper had been watching him from a distance.
Nil Hopper’s face burned with shame. Of all people, she was the last person he wanted to see him like this.
“W-What are you looking at!”
Nil Hopper snapped, storming past Athena Hopper.
She watched him for a moment before turning her gaze back to Damian Haxen.
”…How did you do that?”
She murmured in admiration.
Nil Hopper’s humiliation spread rapidly throughout the mercenary group.
“Did you hear? Nil Hopper challenged Damian Haxen and lost.”
“Is that even possible? Nil Hopper is the Mercenary King’s son.”
When the second-generation Bloodlines lost to Damian Haxen, people were intrigued but not shocked.
The world was vast, and geniuses were plentiful. Many who visited the Fafnir Mercenaries had bested the second-generation Bloodlines.
But the first-generation Bloodlines had never been defeated.
To the Fafnir Mercenaries, the first-generation Bloodlines were sacred.
The once formidable figure had been defeated by Damian Haxen.
“You fool.”
The Mercenary King looked down at Neil Hopper with disdain in his voice.
Neil’s face flushed a deep red, but he didn’t dare lift his head.
“I gave you the order to subdue Damian Haxen just yesterday, and you’ve already lost?”
The Mercenary King’s face twisted with rage and humiliation, resembling a demon.
“F-Father… please, just one more chance…”
“Shut up and get out before I lay a hand on you!”
At the Mercenary King’s roar, Neil hurriedly exited the tent.
“Damn it… this cursed mess…”
The Mercenary King exhaled heavily, trying to calm his anger.
“Who’s next?”
He turned to the two others present.
Maxwell Hopper and Vanessa Hopper exchanged glances before shouting simultaneously.
“I’ll do it this time!”
“No, give me the chance!”
“I’ll take it.”
A voice unexpectedly chimed in. The Mercenary King and the two others turned to see Athena, sitting a little distance away, eating an apple pie.
“I want to fight Damian Haxen this time.”
“Athena, what are you saying? You showed no interest just yesterday.”
The Mercenary King had promised to pass on his secret techniques to whoever could defeat Damian Haxen. Yet, Athena had seemed indifferent to the offer.
Now, her sudden declaration left the Mercenary King bewildered.
“I’ve taken a bit of an interest in him.”
Her next words froze the Mercenary King’s expression.
“Interest… in him?”
“Yes, he seems more intriguing than I thought. I’d like to see for myself.”
“Our daughter… interested in a man… impossible…”
The Mercenary King, visibly shaken, collapsed into his chair.
“Athena, why are you suddenly getting involved?”
“Yeah, the three of us already agreed on this!” Maxwell and Vanessa protested, frowning.
The Mercenary King, still reeling from shock, couldn’t intervene.
“Agreed? I don’t recall agreeing to anything. Why don’t you two just step aside?”
“And if we refuse?”
Maxwell’s expression darkened, and Vanessa’s did too. Neither entertained the thought of losing to Damian Haxen.
The first to fight him would not only receive the Mercenary King’s secret techniques but also bask in all the glory.
Athena’s sudden interest was unwelcome.
“Honestly, I don’t think either of you can beat him. Wouldn’t it be better to avoid Father’s wrath and just give up?”
Athena’s words made Maxwell’s face twist with anger.
“You’ve got some nerve!”
Maxwell reached to grab Athena’s shoulder.
She caught his hand mid-air.
“I don’t like being touched.”
“And I don’t like having my prey stolen. Wait your turn, or else.”
Maxwell tightened his grip, but Athena didn’t back down.
He sneered at her defiance.
“Are you challenging me to a test of strength?”
While Neil Hopper excelled in magical control, Maxwell was naturally gifted with physical power. From a young age, he could lift heavy iron weapons with ease and crush stones with his bare hands.
As an adult, there was no one in the high-class mercenary ranks with greater physical prowess than Maxwell.
“How could I possibly beat you with strength?”
“Then let go of my hand and—”
“But I’m faster.”
Athena vanished from sight, moving so swiftly that Maxwell lost track of her.
“What?”
In a flash, Athena reappeared behind him, wrapping her arm around his neck.
“You… damn it!”
Maxwell tried to pry her off, but her grip was unyielding. Within moments, his carotid artery was compressed, and he lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground.
“You!”
“Are you going to stop me too?” Athena asked, her gaze fixed on Vanessa, exuding a murderous intent.
The sheer ferocity of it overwhelmed Vanessa, making her feel as if her body was being torn apart.
“Gah…!”
Vanessa found herself on the ground, gasping for air, trembling.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
Vanessa shook her head vigorously. Only then did Athena withdraw her killing intent.
“Now that both of you have stepped aside, there’s no problem, right?” Athena asked, turning to the Mercenary King.
He looked at her in astonishment.
“When did you become so strong?”
Though they were all high-class mercenaries, Athena had been weaker than the other two not long ago. Her talent was undeniable, but she was still young, not even of age.
Yet here she was, having effortlessly subdued them both. Her growth had surpassed the Mercenary King’s expectations.
“Who knows?” Athena replied nonchalantly. The gap between her and the others didn’t concern her.
“There’s no issue, right?”
The Mercenary King could only nod in agreement.