Chapter 5

# Chapter 005

While Ian furrowed his brow, the young man and the knight had fully entered the room. *Thud.* The door closed, and an uncomfortable silence suddenly descended.

"Hmm. I don't want to make excuses, but I do need to explain the situation."

The silence was broken by the tavern owner.

"At first, I thought the knight was looking for lodgings, so I only intended to guide him. But then the squire asked if there were any special problems nearby. So, I told him that our village has an excellent problem solver—."

"Get to the point. Keep it simple."

Ian cut him off.

The owner awkwardly cleared his throat.

"He wanted to have a conversation with you. I politely refused, as per the rules, but he promised not to cause any trouble, so I brought him in."

"I see."

You didn't know why he was looking for me.

Ian nodded.

Contrary to the owner's worry, Ian didn't blame him.

Because in this world, knights could turn into legal killers at any moment.

A knight's murder was considered innocent as long as there was a reasonable excuse.

Therefore, knights were mostly arrogant and cold.

Strict discipline and chivalry only applied to those they recognized.

So, the tavern owner's attempt to refuse, even if it was just a show, was a sign of his own integrity.

More importantly, Ian was curious about the knight's identity.

I've definitely seen him somewhere before.

Just as Ian was trying to recall, the squire stepped forward.

"Let me introduce him formally."

The squire straightened his neck and lightly bent one knee before speaking.

"This is a follower of Ru Solar and an apostle of Tir En. He is the executor of the southern border and the sharp sword of Agel Ran. Sir Mev Liurrel."

The squire, who had held the knight as if presenting him, straightened up and bowed slightly.

"I am the squire who serves Sir Mev, Philip. I convey my greetings on his behalf. Nice to meet you, problem solver."

It was an exaggerated greeting, reminiscent of a period drama, but Ian showed no reaction.

Instead, he stared intently at Mev with a serious look.

'Damn. It's really him.'

He finally remembered where he had seen this knight.

'Mev. The Bleeding Avenger.'

He was the most difficult mid-boss in the first chapter of Aquilonia.

'He looked nothing like this back then. No wonder I couldn't recognize him.'

The Mev Ian remembered was far from the noble and dignified figure before him.

His armor was dented and cracked, stained red, and blood dripped from the gaps.

It was a natural result.

He had faced the entire castle's forces alone to kill the king of Agel Ran.

He had almost wiped them out.

Before the assassination attempt succeeded, Ian, who was still a game character at the time, had stood in his way.

Mev was incredibly strong.

So strong that it was hard to believe he was a mid-boss in the first chapter.

Even though he could barely stand without leaning on his sword, each of his attacks was deadly and varied.

Ian had won because time was on his side.

His health, which was already half depleted, continued to decrease even without Ian's attacks.

Faster when he swung his sword.

Ian focused on dodging his attacks, and eventually, Mev fell.

Leaving behind a barely audible whisper.

But the Mev in front of him now was clean, neither corrupted nor mortally wounded.

Moreover, to meet him so soon.

'Is the situation different from the game? That's not good.'

Ian was surprised, but not tense.

He was no longer the low-level mage he used to be, and the knight didn't even know he was a mage.

If they had to fight, he was confident he wouldn't lose.

Of course, it was better to understand the knight's intentions before engaging in battle.

Ian finally looked at Philip.

"Ian Hope. As you can see, I'm a mercenary."

"Mr. Hope, I see."

Philip nodded, looking somewhat impressed.

He seemed surprised by Ian's composure and lack of reaction.

High mental strength allowed him to maintain his expression and think calmly even in such moments.

"So, what do you want from me?"

Ian asked bluntly.

"That... "

Philip glanced at the tavern owner and the waitress.

Ian, meeting their eyes, nodded slightly.

"Let's go upstairs."

Only then did the owner lead the waitress up the stairs, glancing nervously at Ian.

Once the footsteps faded, Philip spoke.

"Thank you for your consideration."

"Understood. Get to the point."

"I came to ask you a question, sir."

Philip took a step forward.

"I heard that you wiped out the kobold stronghold alone. Is that true?"

Instead of answering, Ian raised his hand and pointed to one of the walls of the tavern.

The preserved head, armor, and axe of the kobold chieftain hung there.

"Believe it or not, it's your choice."

"...Impressive. Even the elite soldiers of the border wouldn't dare to enter the stronghold alone."

Philip showed a genuinely admiring expression.

A flatterer, huh.

Ian cleared his throat and said.

"Is that what you wanted to ask? If I really wiped out the kobold stronghold?"

"Of course not. I just needed to confirm that I was talking to the right person. Let's move on to the main topic. By any chance... "

Philip's voice lowered.

"Did you notice anything unusual in the kobold stronghold?"

"Unusual?"

"I mean something you wouldn't normally see in a kobold. For example, signs of black magic. Or something similar and ominous."

One of Ian's eyebrows twitched.

Mev is looking for a black mage.

Another unexpected turn of events.

He hadn't noticed the connection in the game.

'Is the situation different, or did I miss a side quest?'

Despite his doubts, one fact became clear.

"Hmm... "

He held the key to the conversation.

Ian replied calmly.

"Even if there was something, I don't see why I should give you that information."

For the first time, Philip's smile froze.

"It's a matter of the kingdom's safety. Please cooperate."

"I'm not a citizen of Agel Ran. I'm a mercenary. Mercenaries don't do favors without payment."

Philip's brow furrowed.

"Are you trying to bargain over the kingdom's safety?"

"I'm offering what I have. Might as well."

Ian, who had remained calm, turned to Mev.

"Directly with the knight who has the authority. A contract with a squire won't guarantee anything."

"What impudence...!"

Just as Philip was about to get angry, Mev raised an arm to stop him.

His voice came from behind the helmet.

"You're not wrong, Philip."

Ian's eyebrow twitched again.

'His voice...?'

"I apologize for the squire's rudeness. Mercenary."

Mev stepped forward and removed his helmet.

Red hair flowed down to his shoulders.

Green eyes met Ian's.

"I'm usually a man of few words in front of strangers. Philip was just speaking on my behalf, with no other intentions."

"...I see. Understood."

Ian slowly nodded.

His reaction was calm, but he was quite surprised.

'Really a woman.'

He hadn't imagined Mev could be a woman until he heard her voice.

She was a sharp beauty, like a well-polished blade.

Even the scar on her chin suited her.

Of course, there were female knights in the game, but they didn't wear armor that revealed their curves.

Thinking about it, he had never properly heard Mev's voice.

All he remembered were her labored breaths and her final whisper.

And what came after...

"Let's get to the main topic."

Mev, breaking Ian's thoughts, placed her helmet on the table and sat opposite him.

"By offering a deal, I assume you know something?"

She asked, looking at Ian seriously.

Ian nodded readily.

"Yes. I have not only information but also evidence."

"Evidence...?"

Ian didn't answer.

After a moment, Mev nodded.

"I'll pay for the information."

She turned to Philip.

Philip, with a reluctant expression, took out a money pouch from his coat.

Mev, taking it, pulled out a gold coin without hesitation and placed it on the table.

It was even an imperial gold coin, the most valuable.

'An imperial gold coin right away.'

Ian spoke calmly.

"Someone was intentionally growing the kobold stronghold. The chieftain was feeding on his magic and growing."

Mev's gaze turned to the chieftain's head.

"Feeding on magic?"

"Yes. He had a corrupted essence in his chest."

Ian reached into his pocket and pulled out the essence from the subspace.

Not the real high-grade essence embedded in the chieftain's chest, but the small one stolen by the village idiots.

"Here. A black mage's terminal."

"......!"

Mev's eyes widened.

Staring intently at the essence, Mev said.

"I can definitely feel the ominous presence. But how are you sure it's a black mage's terminal?"

"I met the guy. He used this terminal to control a villager like a puppet."

Mev's eyes narrowed.

"To hold such an item in your bare hands. You have quite the nerve."

Ian shrugged.

"I'm not weak enough to be affected by a mere spell."

Mev, who seemed to be judging the truth, finally murmured.

"Vernon was right. I couldn't believe it, but dark seeds were indeed growing in the kingdom... "

Ian noticed the unease in her emerald eyes.

Mev added.

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

"He said he would definitely find and kill me. I ruined his plans and insulted him."

In fact, he roughly remembered where the guy's hideout was.

But it was too valuable to sell for just one gold coin.

He had no intention of sharing the spoils anyway.

"That's helpful. Now we have a lead. All that's left is to track him down."

"Time is not on our side, sir."

Philip, standing behind, spoke cautiously.

"To reach the castle by the set date, we can't search for more than a week."

"Still, we should do our best with the lead. If it doesn't work, I'll petition the chancellor after we arrive. Now we have evidence and a witness."

Mev, speaking firmly, turned to Ian again.

"I have another request."

"Go on."

"Can you give me the terminal?"

"If you offer a fair price. As you know, this is a valuable treasure that can be sold for a high price after purifying the magic."

Familiar with Ian's style, Mev placed the money pouch on the table.

"All the money I have. About ten imperial gold coins. I think that's a fair price."

It was a considerable sum.

Since Ian had another essence and a high-grade essence, he didn't mind trading one for money.

"Not bad. I agree."

Ian picked up the money pouch.

Mev's brow slightly furrowed as she took the essence.

"More ominous than I thought."

Ian, who had moved the gold coins to the subspace, extended the empty pouch.

"Be careful. He might use your eyes to spy."

"Welcome. I'll use them to find his hideout."

Mev, putting the essence in her pouch, met Ian's eyes again.

"One more thing. If possible, I'd like you to come with me."

"Me...?"

At that moment, a translucent window appeared before Ian's eyes.

It was a side quest window.

Ian quickly read through the content.

The goal was simple.

Travel with Mev and kill the black mage.

Of course, there were constraints.

The deadline was before she entered the castle.

The reward was a skill point.

As he suspected, it was a side quest he had missed in the game.

'In the game, I was too late. Or I didn't care.'

From Mev's statement, she must have continued her investigation alone while heading to the castle.

This quest could only be obtained by meeting her during that time.

While Ian was accepting the quest.

"You are the only witness for now."

Mev's voice continued.

"There might be other witnesses, but a skilled mercenary who wiped out the kobold stronghold alone would be more credible."

Ian added coldly.

"Since I've earned the black mage's enmity, he might reveal himself to kill me."

Mev nodded.

"I won't deny that."

"Honest. But... "

Ian, maintaining his expression, folded his arms.

"As I said, I'm a mercenary. If you want me to come with you, we need a contract."

Separate from the quest, he had no intention of working for free.

"Do you want me to hire you?"

"Yes."

Philip sighed, exasperated.

"Ru Solar, I see why you earned the black mage's enmity. Already making a fortune and now talking about money again."

"You've never experienced a fair deal, Philip. Besides, "

Ian, scolding him, looked meaningfully at Mev.

"If you hire me, I can help you find him. Of course, with additional payment for success."

"The black mage...? Do you know where his hideout is?"

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

Mev's brow slightly furrowed at Ian's assurance.

"You're the village problem solver... Your confidence is impressive."

"You said you have about a week. If I find the black mage's hideout within that time, I'll get the additional payment."

"What if you don't?"

"I'll quietly accompany you to the castle. Then I'll only take the payment for being hired. It's a win-win contract. Three is better than two, isn't it?"

"Hmm... "

Mev pondered.

Philip, anxiously watching her, focused on the back of her head.

"If you testify at the castle, I'll give you the same amount of gold coins again."

Philip, hearing her response, covered his face.

Ian, smirking, added.

"If I find the black mage?"

"What additional payment do you want?"

"Hmm... Alright. Since you're making a concession, I'll do the same."

Ian spoke calmly.

"I'll propose the additional payment after the black mage is dead. Reasonably."

"...Your sense of reason seems quite generous to yourself."

Of course, it was.

Ian planned to give Mev only the black mage's body and demand all the spoils.

If she rejected the offer and broke the contract, he would make the knight and squire's possessions part of the spoils.

They were bound to become enemies anyway.

By then, the quest would be completed.

Ian's smile deepened.

"From your concern, it seems you think I'll find him."

He leaned back in his chair, as if he had said all he needed to.

"...Alright. I accept. Mercenary, Ian Hope. I hire you. The contract is guaranteed by me, Mev Liurrel."

Mev, standing up, extended her hand.

Ian shook her gloved hand.

"The contract is sealed."

"I hope your confidence matches your skill. Of course, your integrity too."

Mev, adding, released his hand.

Ian shrugged and turned around.

"I'll prepare and come down. Have a meal. I'll send the waitress down."

As he headed for the stairs, Philip, as if waiting, spoke.

"Sir. Do you trust him? I understand your concern, but this is—"

"It's not because of Vernon. I just want to increase our chances. The essence was heavily corrupted. A black mage who can create such a thing will definitely cause significant damage to the kingdom. We can't leave such a risk, especially with war approaching."

What a loyal subject.

While climbing the stairs, Ian glanced at Mev's profile.

There was no trace of the avenger who had turned the castle into a bloodbath to kill the king.

'Of course, there must be a reason. All corruption has a reason.'

Ian quickly shook off his thoughts.

Now was the time to focus on the quest.

Although he had boasted, a week wasn't a generous amount of time.

So, he needed to do some groundwork before starting the task.