Chapter 2

The Karejas Mercenary Corps is a small but elite group of mercenaries.

Including the leader, about ten mercenaries fight on the battlefield, and currently, fifteen children who scavenge the battlefield are gathered with them.

They are a relatively well-known mercenary group based in the southern part of the Starlight Kingdom.

This war started over a trivial reason, a minor dispute between villages that escalated into a conflict between lords. The Karejas Mercenary Corps was hired by one of the lords and joined the battle.

"It's worse than a kids' fight... damn..."

At the campsite illuminated by the bonfire, the leader of the Karejas Mercenary Corps, Uval, grumbled while drinking. From the perspective of a third party like a mercenary, this war was incredibly trivial and lacked any sense of purpose.

It was a small-scale conflict between two territories, and Uval had taken the job thinking it would be over quickly with one side backing down. However, his prediction was wrong, and both sides continued to stubbornly prolong the conflict. Today, the enemy lord even brought out a mage, which Uval found absurd. His already stern face grew even more severe.

"You took the job, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I know... But who would have thought a fight between such small territories would escalate this far?"

"Well, that's true, I guess."

Listening to Uval's complaints across from him was the deputy leader, Guriare, a beautiful woman with orange hair. She was a skilled magic swordsman and led the mercenary group alongside Uval. Glancing to the side, he saw the other mercenaries drinking and making a ruckus. Some were dancing merrily, while others were starting arm wrestling matches and betting on them.

To be honest, Guriare was also fed up, but it was fortunate that the members of the group had not yet started complaining.

"Even a mage has shown up... What do you want to do? Let them use it?"

"...If we don't, we won't eat, will we?"

A little away from the rowdy mercenaries, Guriare looked towards the children who were boasting about their day's harvest from scavenging the battlefield. Among them were Kanata and Roa, who were eating around the bonfire.

"Kanata, you never get tired of it... picking up all that trash."

While scooping today's soup with an awkward spoon, Roa said. Next to him, Kanata was shining a fire-attribute pebble—magic residue—under the bonfire's light.

"It's fine, you know. I'm still collecting enough loot to give to the boss."

"Well, that's fine, but it's a waste. If you spent that time scavenging more, you'd get a bigger share, you know?"

The children who scavenged the battlefield collected swords and valuables for the mercenary group. In exchange, they were promised food, clothing, and shelter. The more they collected, the more individual rewards they received. The child across from Kanata, who had a good haul today, was smiling with a full belly of bread and dried meat. Kanata only had a piece of bread and soup, no dried meat. It was not a small amount, but it was unsatisfying, a somewhat middling quantity.

"What are you talking about? You don't have to give this to the boss. In terms of your share, it's all part of your share."

"What do you mean... If you don't give it, the magic residue will disappear, and if it disappears, your share will be zero."

"That... is... ugh..."

"Stop losing... Prepare a better excuse, will you?"

Even as Roa defeated him in argument, Kanata continued to look at the magic residue. It shone well in the bonfire's light, perhaps because it was fire-attribute. It looked like a gemstone, but it had no value like a gemstone. Magic residue was just the leftover residue of excess magic used in spells, which would eventually dissolve into the ambient magic and disappear. It had no delicate shine like a gemstone, so it couldn't even be used for nefarious purposes. However, for Kanata, there was an irresistible charm in collecting it. It was, in a sense, a hobby. Even if others didn't understand, it had value to him.

"If you like pretty stones, why not aim for gems?"

"Soldiers don't usually have gems, do they?"

"Well, that's true, but magic residue is also hard to come by without a mage, right?"

"Hehe... You don't get it, Roa. Everyone aims for gems, but no one aims for magic residue, right? It's easier to scavenge this way!"

"Doesn't that make you sad? Well, if Kanata likes it, that's fine..."

It felt like he had won the argument but ended up losing. As Kanata felt conflicted, he sensed a presence above them. Turning around, he saw that the leader, Uval, had somehow appeared and was peering at them with a barrel mug in hand.

"Hey! Kanata, you're collecting that trash again!?"

"Boss! It's fine! I'm giving the required amount to the boss!"

"Yeah, it's fine. As long as you meet your quota, I have no complaints. It's not like I can do anything with stuff that doesn't make money, so you can keep it."

The dangerous setup of a large man bothering a child around ten years old.

Kanata, who didn't seem to have a good impression of Uval, had a slightly tense expression. The other children scavenging the battlefield also seemed to feel the same way, as they became a bit quieter when Uval arrived. Roa, sitting next to him, also stayed quiet to avoid drawing attention.

"What's so fun about looking at this? It's not a gemstone, you know."

"W-well, it's exciting..."

"Huh?"

Kanata's shoulders trembled slightly at the threatening tone. Of course, Uval wasn't trying to threaten him; he was just asking a question. Still, his intimidating face made it seem that way.

"Magic residue is the magic power that comes from spells... So, when I look at it, I feel like I can touch the fragments of magic inside this small lump, and it's fun...!"

"Hmm...?"

"I know I can't study magic. But... can't I dream a little in this small lump? Is that so bad!?"

Kanata, bracing for a punch, spoke assertively. On the other hand, Uval, who had been listening, drained the barrel mug of alcohol in one go.

"It's fine, I guess. Dreaming is free. As long as you meet your quota, you can dream as much as you want."

"I'll do my quota! I'll work hard!"

"Of course. If you can't meet your quota, you'd have stopped collecting that trash long ago.

It's not just Kanata. Your clothes and food aren't free... work hard. As long as you work, I don't care what you do, whether it's collecting trash or anything else."

Uval drove the point home to the children, including those who were celebrating their good haul today. Scavenging the battlefield was easier for children, who could reach into the gaps of twisted armor or crawl under debris. While reminding them that they needed to earn their keep, Uval stared intently at the magic residue Kanata was holding.

"What, boss...? A-aren't you taking it?"

"Want it, idiot! Who else would want that trash besides you? It'll be gone by tomorrow!"

"Ew! Gross!"

"It's the smell of adulthood! Hahaha!!"

As Kanata tried to hide the magic residue to prevent it from being stolen, Uval blew his alcohol-laden breath at him. Many of the children, who also found the leader difficult, nodded in agreement with Uval's words.

"I think it's romantic... mmm..."

Dissatisfied with the reaction, Kanata pouted and started looking at the magic residue again.