Hugo Mercenaries: Past and Present

You came across Derk, a former member of the Hugo Mercenaries. Read the last letter Derk received from Hugo.

"I don't want to say goodbye like this. I want to give him a proper farewell..." If not for that Fafnite retrieval mission in Ishalgen... Derk had left the Hugo Mercenaries after clashing with Hugo over his decision to accept such a reckless assignment. When news reached him that the entire company had been wiped out in Ishalgen, he was left speechless. Hugo cared for his comrades more deeply than most mercenary captains ever would. No one could understand why a man like him had suddenly begun accepting one dangerous mission after another, only for it all to end in tragedy. "He gave up his own eye... That stubborn fool." Several of Hugo's belongings were recovered from a stronghold once used by the mercenaries. Inside a small, battered box, you found a gouged-out eye, a bloodstained dagger, and a diary. Its pages revealed Hugo's fear of becoming Karas, as well as his worries about the future of the Hugo Mercenaries. The handwriting matched the letter that had been sent to Derk. Hugo had held onto a faint hope that he could still be saved if he managed to reach the Bulwark. Resolute until the very end, he only put his true feelings into writing after realizing death was close. Even then, he confided only in his diary, unwilling to burden his oldest friend with his fears. Together, you held a quiet memorial at one of Hugo's favorite places. Derk stood in silence, haunted by regrets that could never be undone, while the fragrance of Hugo's favorite flowers drifted around his empty grave.