The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary (Light Novel) (2025)

A gritty swords and sorcery tale of a veteran mercenary who must start anew after he loses his old company. When seasoned mercenary Loren is the sole survivor of a disastrous battle that destroys the rest of his company, he must find a new way to survive in the world. With no friends or connections, he has no hope of joining an adventuring party-until enigmatic priestess Lapis offers to partner up with him. But there's more to Lapis than meets the eye, and Loren soon finds himself bound to a fate stranger than he imagined.

When seasoned mercenary Loren is the sole survivor of a disastrous battle that destroys the rest of his company, he must find a new way to survive in the world. With no friends or connections, he has no hope of joining an adventuring party-until enigmatic priestess Lapis offers to partner up with him. But there's more to Lapis than meets the eye, and Loren soon finds himself bound to a fate stranger than he imagined.

"One by one, the mercenaries who raised Loren fell in a terrible, bloody battle. The lone survivor in a hard world with only his wits and his sword to his name, Loren hires himself out as an adventurer. His new party, however, proves all too willing to run headlong into danger using him as their meat shield. Only Lapis, the party's sly priest, sees his true worth, just as Loren sees hers. They must rely on each other, or else neither of them will live to see the end of their first adventure."

One by one, the mercenaries who raised Loren fell in a terrible, bloody battle. The lone survivor in a hard world with only his wits and his sword to his name, Loren hires himself out as an adventurer. His new party, however, proves all too willing to run headlong into danger using him as their meat shield. Only Lapis, the party's sly priest, sees his true worth, just as Loren sees hers. They must rely on each other, or else neither of them will live to see the end of their first adventure.

Despite Loren's seemingly unending string of losses, the adventurers' guild has noticed his promise. They offer him a chance to take a test to prove his mettle and raise his rank. The only complication is that he's also caught the attention of a young woman of strange abilities-a vampire. Even stranger, she's not the only one of her kind eyeing Loren... and some of them may have a connection with the long-lost captain of his old mercenary company.

DESIRES DARK AND DIVINEFresh off his promotion to iron rank, Loren takes on a request from an old friend, Claes. A supply run to a nearby village needs security, which Loren and Lapis can happily provide. However, to reach the village, they must pass through a dangerous forest that devours everyone who dares to enter it. All too soon, Loren suspects they†ve identified the culprit behind these disappearancesâ€"the dark god Gula Gluttonia. But Gula isn†t the only threat lurking in the night, and her hunger isn†t the only one threatening to spiral out of control.

One by one, the mercenaries who raised Loren fell in a terrible, bloody battle. The lone survivor in a hard world with only his wits and his sword to his name, Loren hires himself out as an adventurer. His new party, however, proves all too willing to run headlong into danger using him as their meat shield. Only Lapis, the party's sly priest, sees his true worth, just as Loren sees hers. They must rely on each other, or else neither of them will live to see the end of their first adventure.

One by one, the mercenaries who raised Loren fell in a terrible, bloody battle. The lone survivor in a hard world with only his wits and his sword to his name, Loren hires himself out as an adventurer. His new party, however, proves all too willing to run headlong into danger using him as their meat shield. Only Lapis, the party's sly priest, sees his true worth, just as Loren sees hers. They must rely on each other, or else neither of them will live to see the end of their first adventure.

One by one, the mercenaries who raised Loren fell in a terrible, bloody battle. The lone survivor in a hard world with only his wits and his sword to his name, Loren hires himself out as an adventurer. His new party, however, proves all too willing to run headlong into danger using him as their meat shield. Only Lapis, the party's sly priest, sees his true worth, just as Loren sees hers. They must rely on each other, or else neither of them will live to see the end of their first adventure.

TO THE HOT SPRINGS!Loren and company team up with another mercenary band to seek some much-needed downtime in Karlovy, a town known for its hot springs. Their hopes of rest and relaxation are ruined, however, when it turns out the springs have been tainted by something evil at their source. Can both parties work together to solve the mystery? The fate of Karlovy’s entire economy depends on them—and so does the fate of their vacation!

ENTER ENVYNow that the party knows the names of all the evil gods, it’s clear there’s something fishy about one of their acquaintances—namely one Ivy Bridgeguard, humble receptionist at the adventurers’ guild. Might she hold the key to reviving Scena?

THE PACIFIST DRAGON AND THE WEDDING QUESTThe mysterious man called Magna continues to hound Loren and his companions, who’ve had enough. Seeking to put a stop to him once and for all, they go digging in the ruins of the ancient magical empire. An ancient dragon might just have the information they seek, but first, they have to help a fellow mercenary…get hitched?! By letting her join them on their quest?!

JOURNEY TO THE NORTHThinking it high time they meet the enigmatic chief of Loren's defunct mercenary company, Lapis proposes the party head to the northern reaches of the continent. While Loren is unenthused by the idea, the decision is quickly taken out of his hands when an urgent request hits the guild, sending them on a quest to the chief’s last known location—the Justinian Empire!

THE MAD KINGThe victorious army marches forward, only to encounter a town cloaked in eerie silence. In the enemy capital, Loren and his companions learn their foes are ruled by a mad king. Even better? The circumstances of his madness are somehow connected to the destruction of Loren’s former company. Now, Loren must face off against the man who started it all…