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Chapter 5

"At first, I thought the knight was just looking for a place to stay, so I only intended to guide. But then the squire asked if there were any special problems in the area. So, I mentioned that our village has an excellent Fixer."

"Just get to the point. Keep it short," Ian interrupted.

"They wanted to talk to you. I politely refused as per the rules, but they promised not to cause any trouble, so I brought them here,” said the innkeeper, coughing awkwardly.

"I see." Ian nodded.

They\'re here to see me but won\'t say why. Contrary to the innkeeper\'s concern, Ian did not blame the innkeeper.

Knights in this world could legally turn into murderers at any moment. A knight\'s killing could be excused with a reasonable justification. Hence, knights were often arrogant and ruthless. Strict rules and chivalry applied only in front of those they recognized. So, the innkeeper making an effort to refuse was, in a way, keeping his loyalty. However, Ian\'s curiosity was more about the identity of the knight.

I definitely saw this knight somewhere in the game. Ian delved into his memory.

"Allow me to introduce properly," said the squire, stepping forward and clearing his throat. He slightly bent one knee as he spoke. "This is Sir Mev Riurel, a follower of Lu Solar and apostle of Tir En, the executor of the southern border and the blade of Agel Lan."

"I am Philip, the squire accompanying the knight. Pleased to meet you, Fixer." The squire, having introduced the knight, straightened up and gave a slight bow.

Ian didn\'t react to the theatrical introduction. Instead, he stared intently at Mev. ‘Damn it. It really is the knight.’ He finally remembered where he had seen this knight.

Mev. The Bleeding Avenger. This knight was the toughest mid-boss in the first chapter of Aquilonia.

Who would have thought that knight originally looked like this? No wonder I didn\'t recognize the knight right away.

The Mev Ian remembered was far from this noble and dignified appearance. The armor was dented and cracked, stained red with blood, leaking from the inside. It was inevitable since the knight had single-handedly faced the entire royal guard to assassinate the king of Agel Lan, almost annihilating them before Ian, who was then just a game character, confronted Mev.

Mev was incredibly strong, unbelievably so for a first-chapter boss. Despite hardly being able to stand without the sword, each attack was lethal, and the patterns varied. Ian had won because time was on his side; Mev was already near death.

Mev’s health, already below half at the start, kept dropping, even without Ian attacking, and faster with every sword Mev swung. Ian focused on dodging, and eventually, Mev fell, leaving only a faint whisper. But now, Mev in front of him was neither corrupted nor fatally wounded, a stark contrast to that memory. And to meet this knight so soon...

The situation is unfolding differently from the game. That\'s not good.

Still, Ian wasn\'t nervous, only surprised. He was no longer the low-level mage he had been back then, and Mev was not even aware of the fact that he was a mage. Ian was confident he wouldn\'t lose even if they fought. Of course, combat could wait until he understood Mev\'s intentions.

Ian finally looked at Philip. "I am Ian Hope. As you see, a mercenary."

"Sir Hope," Philip nodded, seemingly impressed.

Ian\'s composure, undisturbed even in this situation, was evident. High Mental Fortitude allowed him to manage his expressions and think clearly even in such moments.

"So, what do you want with me?" Ian asked directly.

"Well...." Philip glanced at the innkeeper and the maid.

Catching their eyes, Ian slightly nodded.

“We’ll be upstairs.” The innkeeper finally led the maid upstairs, glancing at Ian with a hint of anxiousness.

"Thank you for your consideration," Philip spoke as the sound of footsteps faded.

"Just get to the point of your visit," said Ian.

"We came to ask you something." Philip stepped forward, and he continued. "I heard you single-handedly annihilated a kobold stronghold. Is that true?"

Instead of answering, Ian pointed toward one side of the tavern\'s wall where the stuffed head of the kobold chieftain, its armor, and its ax were displayed.

"Believe it or not, that\'s up to you," replied Ian.

"...Impressive. Even the elite soldiers of the kingdom wouldn\'t dare to take on a stronghold alone." Philip showed genuine admiration.

He\'s naturally good at flattery, Ian thought, clicking his tongue before speaking. "Is that the question you wanted to ask? Whether I have really wiped out the kobold stronghold?"

"Of course not. It was just to confirm we were speaking to the right person. Let\'s get to the main issue...” Philip lowered his voice as he spoke, “Did you notice anything unusual at the kobold stronghold?"

"Unusual?" asked Ian.

"Something you wouldn\'t normally see in kobolds. Signs of black magic, or anything similar that\'s ominous,” replied Philip.

Ian raised an eyebrow.

Mev seeking a black mage? This was another unexpected turn. He hadn\'t noticed any such connection in the game. Or is this a sub-quest I missed, not a change in the situation?

Despite Ian’s doubts, one thing became clear. He held the key to the conversation.

"Well...," said Ian, he then continued. "I see no reason to share such information even if I had."

"It\'s a matter concerning the kingdom\'s safety. Please cooperate." For the first time, Philip\'s smile faltered.

"I\'m not a citizen of Agel Lan. I\'m a mercenary. Mercenaries don\'t take unpaid requests," said Ian.

"Are you suggesting a trade involving the kingdom\'s safety?" Philip\'s brow furrowed.

"I\'m proposing a trade with what I have. If possible," Ian responded calmly, turning to Mev. “I\'d prefer to deal directly with a knight in charge. A contract with a squire wouldn’t guarantee anything."

"How dare you...!" Just as Philip was about to react, Mev raised an arm to stop him.

"He’s not wrong, Philip." Mev’s voice came from behind the helmet.

That voice...? Ian\'s eyebrow twitched again.

"Please accept my apology for my squire\'s rudeness. Mercenary." Mev stepped forward and removed the helmet, revealing red hair that flowed down to the shoulders and green eyes that met Ian\'s gaze.

"I tend to be reticent in front of strangers. Philip was speaking on my behalf; there was no other intention," said Mev.

"...I understand," replied Ian. Ian nodded slowly, though his reaction was muted, he was quite surprised.

She really was a woman.

Ian hadn\'t imagined Mev to be a woman until hearing her voice. Furthermore, she was a beauty with a sharpness like a finely honed blade, and even the scar on her chin contributed to her charm.

Of course, there had been female knights in the game, but they didn’t wear heavy armor that completely concealed the contours of their bodies. And Ian had never really heard Mev\'s voice; all he remembered was her labored breathing and final whisper, and the after....

"And now to the main point." Interrupting Ian\'s thoughts, Mev, who had set her helmet on the table, took the seat opposite Ian.

"Your suggestion of a trade implies you know something, correct?" Mev asked earnestly, looking straight into Ian\'s eyes. He nodded readily.

"That\'s right. I not only have the information, but I also have also evidence," Ian replied.

"Evidence...?" Mev asked.

Ian didn\'t reply. Mev, after a moment of staring into Ian’s eyes, nodded.

"I\'ll pay for the information." Mev turned to Philip, who, though reluctantly, pulled a purse from his belongings. Mev took it and placed a gold coin on the table without hesitation — an imperial gold coin with the highest value.

Imperial gold coins, right away, thought Ian.

"There was someone intentionally nurturing the kobold stronghold. The chieftain grew by consuming that person\'s magic," Ian spoke leisurely.

"Consumed magic?" Mev\'s gaze shifted to the chieftain\'s head.

"That\'s right. It had a tainted essence bead filled with corrupted magic in its chest." Ian reached into his pocket and pulled out an essence bead from his pocket dimension. It was a small essence bead the village dimwits had looted, not the real high-grade essence bead from the chieftain\'s chest.

"This right here. The terminal of a black mage," said Ian.

"...!" Mev\'s eyes widened, staring intently at the essence bead, she continued. "It certainly feels ominous. But how can you be sure it\'s from a black mage?"

"Because I met him, and he used this terminal to turn a villager into his puppet," replied Ian.

"Holding such an object with your bare hands. You\'re quite bold." Mev\'s eyes narrowed.

"I\'m not weak enough to be affected by some magic." Ian shrugged casually.

"So Vernon\'s words were true. I couldn\'t believe it. To think that a seed of darkness was growing in the kingdom...,” Mev, who had been scrutinizing him, finally murmured.

Ian noticed the flicker of unease in her emerald eyes.

"Do you know more? If you met him, he must have left some clues," Mev added.

"He said he would find and kill me. I\'ve ruined his plans and insulted him," replied Ian.

Ian roughly knew where the mage\'s hideout was, but that information was too valuable to sell for a single gold coin. He had no intention of sharing the spoils anyway.

"I see. You\'ve been a great help. Now that we have a lead, all that\'s left is to track him down," said Mev.

"We don\'t have much time, my lord." Philip, standing behind, cautiously spoke up. He continued. "To arrive at the castle on the set date, we can\'t search for more than a week at most."

"Even so, now that we have a clue, we must do our best. If it doesn\'t work out, I plan to petition the king upon arrival. Now we have evidence and a witness." With a firm voice, Mev turned to face Ian again.

"I have another request for you."

"What is it?" Ian prompted.

"Would you be willing to part with that essence bead?" Mev asked.

"If you offer a fair price. As you know, once purified, this essence bead could be sold for a high price," answered Ian.

"This is all the money I have right now. Combined, it should be about ten imperial gold coins. That should be a fair price." Mev, now accustomed to Ian\'s manner, placed her purse on the table.

It was a considerable amount of money. Ian had other essence beads, including a higher-grade one, so parting with one for money was acceptable.

"Not a bad offer, agreed." Ian picked up the purse. Mev\'s expression tightened as she took the essence bead.

"It feels much more ominous than I expected," said Mev.

"Be cautious. That mage might spy on you through it," After transferring the gold coins to his spatial storage, Ian extended the empty purse.

"If he tries, I welcome it. It would allow me to find his hideout." Mev, placing the token in her pocket, spoke calmly and then locked eyes with Ian again.

As Mev placed the essence bead into the purse, she met Ian’s eyes.

"I have another request. If possible, I would like you to accompany me," said Mev.

"Me too...?" asked Ian.

At that moment, a translucent quest window appeared before Ian\'s eyes. He quickly scanned the content. The objective was simple: to accompany Mev and kill the black mage. The deadline was before Mev\'s arrival at the capital. The reward was a skill point –– a missed sub-quest from the game.

It seems I was too late in the game. Or perhaps uninterested, thought Ian. From Mev\'s words, it seemed she continued her investigation alone while heading to the capital. This quest was only available if encountered during that time.

"As of now, you are the only witness." Mev continued, "Others might have seen something, but a capable mercenary who single-handedly defeated a kobold stronghold will be more credible."

"I have incurred the black mage\'s wrath, he might reveal himself to eliminate me," Ian added coolly.

"I won\'t deny that." Mev nodded.

"You seem honest. But...." Ian maintained his expression, interlocking his fingers. He continued, "As I said, I\'m a mercenary. If you want my company, we\'ll need a contract."

Apart from the quest, free service was not his style.

"You mean to hire you?" asked Philip

"Yes," Ian answered.

"By the Light of Lu Solar. Now I see why you attracted the black mage\'s wrath. Already well compensated, yet still talking about money." Philip sighed exasperatedly.

"You seem unfamiliar with the concept of fair trade, Philip. Besides..." Ian glanced meaningfully at Mev. He continued, "If you hire me, I could help find him. Of course, with additional compensation if successful."

"The black mage... Do you happen to know where he\'s hiding?" Mev asked.

"Not exactly, but I can find out. It\'s my job," Ian answered.

"A village Fixer with such confidence." Mev\'s brow furrowed slightly at Ian\'s assurance.

"You said you had a week. If I find the black mage\'s hideout within that time, I\'ll claim additional compensation," said Ian.

"And if you don\'t?" asked Mev.

"I\'ll quietly accompany you to the capital. Then, I\'ll only claim the hiring fee. It\'s a deal where you won’t lose out. Isn’t three better than two?" replied Ian.

"Hmm..." Mev pondered.

Philip watched her with a nervous expression, watched her closely.

"Once we reach the castle and you testify, I\'ll pay you the same amount of gold as today.” At Mev\'s response, Philip covered his face with his hands.

"And if I find the black mage?" Ian, looking at him, smirked and added.

"What additional compensation do you want?" Mev asked.

"Let\'s see... Since you\'ve been so accommodating, I\'ll return the favor,” Ian said leisurely. He continued, "I\'ll propose my additional compensation after he is dead. Fairly, of course."

"Your idea of fairness seems to favor yourself quite a bit,” said Mev.

Of course, it was. Ian intended to claim all the spoils, except the black mage\'s body. If they refused and terminated the contract, he could claim their possessions as spoils. They were potential enemies anyway. By then, the quest would also be completed. Ian\'s smile grew wider.

"Your concern suggests you believe I can find him." Having said his piece, Ian leaned back in his chair.

"Alright. I accept. Mercenary, Ian Hope, I hire you. The contract is guaranteed in the name of Mev Riurel." Mev stood up and extended her hand. Ian grasped her gloved hand.

"The contract is established," confirmed Ian.

"I hope your skills match your confidence and your integrity." Mev released his hand. Ian shrugged and turned.

"I\'ll prepare and return. Have some food in the meantime. I\'ll send the maid down." Ian headed for the stairs.

"My lord, do you trust him? I understand your concern, but this is..." Philip spoke up.

"It\'s not about Vernon. I just want to maximize our chances. The essence bead was heavily corrupted. A black mage capable of creating such a thing could cause severe harm to the kingdom. With war looming, we can\'t afford such risks," replied Mev.

Incredible loyalty, Ian thought as he ascended the stairs, glancing down at Mev\'s side profile. The Mev of now showed no trace of the vengeful figure who once sought to drown the castle in blood to kill the king.

Well, there must be a reason. As with all corruption. Ian quickly dismissed these thoughts. It was time to focus on the quest at hand. Despite his confident assurances, a week was not a lengthy period. Therefore, before diving into the task, he needed to lay some groundwork.