Chapter 5
Ian narrowed his eyes at the youth and the knight entered the inn. As the door closed, an uncomfortable silence settled in momentarily.
I dont want to make excuses, but it seems like I should explain the situation, the tavern owner broke the silence.
At first, I thought they were looking for accommodations, and I only intended to provide guidance. But then this young man asked if there were any special problems nearby. So, I mentioned that our village already has an excellent man to fix these problems-
Just get to the point. Keep it simple, Ian interrupted.
The tavern owner coughed awkwardly. This young man here wanted to have a conversation with you. I politely declined as per protocol. But he assured me that he wouldnt cause any trouble, so I agreed to bring him here.
I see. Ian nodded.
Contrary to the tavern owners concerns, Ian didnt blame him. In this world, a knight could easily transform into a sanctioned killer. They were often acquitted of these murders, and frequently treated the common people in an arrogant and cold manner. Their codes of strict discipline, etiquette and chivalry only applied in front of those they acknowledged. So, pretending to refuse the knights request was a way of showing loyalty to his own values and those of the common people.
Ian was more curious about the knights identity. He definitely looked familiar from the game.
I will formally introduce myself. The young man stepped forward with a bow and cleared his throat, This person is a devotee of Lou Sola and a disciple of TyrEn. He is the executor of the southern border and the sword of Agellan. Sir Maeve Liurel.
The young man spoke reverently, then straightened up and slightly inclined his head. I am Philip, the one serving the knight. I greet you on behalf of Nari. Nice to meet you, Fixer.
It was an exaggerated greeting that felt like a historical drama, but Ian didnt react at all. Instead, he stared at Maeve with a penetrating gaze.
This is unbelievable. Ian finally remembered where he had seen this knight before, Maeve, the avenger who sheds blood. He was the toughest mid-boss in the first chapter of Aquilonia. I never expected him to look like this. No wonder I couldnt recognize him immediately.
The Maeve that Ian remembered was far from the noble and dignified figure in front of him. In his memory, Maeves armor had been covered in dents and cracks, stained red with blood trickling through the cracks. Naturally, this was because he had single-handedly faced the entire army of the Kingdom of Agellan with a letter of appointment to assassinate the king. He had almost wiped out the entire army.
The only reason he had failed to assassinate the king was because Ian, who had been a game character until that moment, stood in his way. Maeve was incredibly powerful, more than one would expect from a boss in the first chapter. Even though he could barely stand without relying on his sword, each attack was lethal, and his attack patterns were diverse.
Ian won because time was on his side. Maeve was already close to death and his life force had continued to diminish even without Ian attacking. As his vitality diminished, he swung his sword even faster. Ian had focused on dodging his attacks, and in the end, Maeve fell leaving only a barely audible whisper as he died.
But the Maeve in front of him now was not corrupted like before, nor was he injured. He was in a pristine state. The biggest concern was the timing of his appearance. The situation is different from the game. I wasnt supposed to encounter him yet. Thats not good, Ian thought.
Ian was surprised but he wasnt nervous. After all, he wasnt the low-level mage he had been before, and the other party didnt even know he was a mage. He had confidence that he wouldnt lose, even if they fought. Of course, it wouldnt be too late to fight after understanding the opponents intentions.
Finally, Ian looked at Philip. Ian Hopf, as you can see, I am a mercenary.
Philip nodded slightly, as if impressed. His expression revealed surprise at Ians calm demeanor, which didnt change even though he was being observed so intently.
So, what can I do for you?
That- Philip glanced at the tavern owner and the maid in the corner.
When their eyes met, Ian nodded slightly to the tavern owner and the maid, Ill be upstairs in a few moments.
Only then did the anxious looking tavern owner lead the maid up the stairs. When the sound of footsteps disappeared, Philip spoke. Thank you for your consideration.
Alright, lets get to the point.
I came here because I wanted to ask you something. Philip took a step forward. I heard you single-handedly annihilated the kobolds. Is that true?
Instead of answering, Ian raised his hand and pointed to one side of the inn. The preserved head, armor, and axe of the kobold chieftain were displayed there. Believe it or not, its up to you.
Wow, thats impressive. Even the elite soldiers of the border would hesitate to step into a kobold den, let alone enter with a letter of appointment. Philip showed genuine admiration once again. He seemed like a good person.
Ian cleared his throat and said, That wasnt the question you wanted to ask, was it? Whether I really swept through the kobold den?
Of course not. I just needed to confirm if I was talking to the right person. Lets get to the point. Have you- Philips voice became quieter, -found anything unusual in the kobold den?
Unusual?
Im talking about something that ordinary kobolds wouldnt possess, like signs of black magic or anything similar, something ominous.
One of Ians eyebrows twitched. Maeve was searching for a black magician. Once again, it was an unexpected development since he hadnt noticed the connection in the game. Has the situation changed, or did I miss a sub-quest? Ian wondered. Amidst his suspicion, one thing became certain, Ian held the key to the conversation. He calmly replied, Even if there was something unusual, I dont see any reason why I should give you that information.
For the first time, Philips smile froze. Please cooperate. This concerns the safety of the kingdom.
I am not a citizen of Agellan. I am a simple mercenary and we do not accept unpaid requests.
Are you trying to make a deal concerning the safety of the kingdom?
Im offering a deal based on what I have in front of me. Ian replied nonchalantly. He looked at Maeve and then turned to Philip. A knight with decision-making power and me, the fixer, in direct contact. I cant guarantee anything with a contract with a servant.
You insolent-! Philip was about to get angry, but Maeve stopped him with a raised arm.
A peculiar voice flowed through the helmet. Its not a wrong statement, Philip.
Ians eyebrow twitched again. This voice?
I apologize on behalf of my rude servant, Mercenary. Maeve stepped forward, removing the helmet, and sat across from Ian. Red hair flowed down around the knights shoulders and green eyes met Ians gaze. I usually refrain from speaking in front of someone Im meeting for the first time. Thats why Philip was speaking on my behalf. I had no other intention.
I understand, Ian slowly nodded. His reaction was calm, but he was actually quite surprised. She was really a woman. Before hearing her voice, Ian couldnt have imagined that Maeve was a woman. Her beauty was sharp as well-crafted sword, even the scar on her chin suited her well.
Of course, there were female knights in the game, but they didnt wear heavy armor that revealed the curves of their bodies. Ian had never properly heard Maeves voice before. All he remembered was tired breaths and a final whisper. And what happened afterward
Lets move on to the main point. Interrupting Ians reverie, Maeve continued, You are proposing a deal which means you must know something, right? She asked, looking into Ians eyes with a serious expression.
Ian nodded earnestly. Yes, thats right. I have both information and physical evidence.
Do you have proof?
Ian didnt respond.
Maeve, who had been staring into his eyes for a moment, nodded her head. The information comes at a cost, she said, turning to Philip. Philip reluctantly took out a purse of money from his pocket. Maeve confidently took out a gold coin and placed it on the table. An imperial gold coin.
Ian said calmly. There was someone intentionally raising kobold plants. The chieftain grew by absorbing his magical power.
Maeves gaze turned to the chieftains head. He absorbed the magical power?
Thats right. He carried a vial of contaminated magical essence in his chest. Ian reached into his pocket and took out the vial from a pocket dimension. It was the small vial, not the real high-grade essence that was embedded in the chieftains chest, but the small vial stolen by the villagers. This is it, the terminal of the dark magician.
Maeves eyes widened and spoke, It definitely feels ominous, but how can you be so sure its the terminal of the dark magician?
I met the guy. He used this terminal to turn a villager into a puppet.
Maeves eyebrows narrowed. To hold such an item in your bare hands. Thats quite a risk.
Ian shrugged one shoulder. Im not weak enough to be affected by such trivial magic.
Maeve stared at Ian as if assessing the truth. Vernons words were true. I couldnt believe that there were really seeds of darkness growing in the kingdom.
Ian noticed the uneasiness reflected in her emerald-like eyes.
Maeve added, Do you know anything else? If you met him, he would have left a clue.
He said he would find me and kill me. I ruined his plans and insulted him. In fact, he vaguely remembered the location of the guys hideout, but it was too valuable information to sell for a single gold coin. Besides, he had no intention to share the loot.
Is that so? Ive confirmed his existence for the first time. Now all thats left is to track him.
We dont have much time, Sir. Philip cautiously spoke up from behind. If we are going to arrive in the capital on time, we can only search for a week at most.
Still, now that we have a clue, we have to do our best. If all else fails, well petition the Prime Minister after we arrive. Now we have evidence and witnesses. Maeve, speaking firmly, looked at Ian again. I want to ask for one more favor.
Speak.
Can you give me that terminal?
If you offer a fair price. As you know, its a treasure that can be sold for a high price once the magic is purified. Ian seemed familiar with the approach, and Maeve placed the purse of money on the table.
This is all the money I have. It would probably be worth about ten imperial gold coins when combined. It should be enough. It was a considerable amount of money. Anyway, Ian had one more regular essence and a high-grade essence, so it didnt matter if he exchanged one for money.
Not bad. I understand. Ian picked up the purse of money.
Maeves eyes narrowed slightly as she received the vial. Its much more ominous than I expected.
After Ian moved the gold coins to a pocket dimension, he extended the empty purse. Be careful. He might be able to spy on you through your eyes.
It would be welcome. I will find out his hiding place in return. Maeve withdrew her hand after putting the vial in the purse. One more thing. If possible, I would like you to come with me.
Me? Ian asked. At that moment, a sub-quest window appeared in front of Ians eyes. He quickly skimmed through the information. The goal was simple: Accompany Maeve and kill the Black Magician. Of course, there were also restrictions and the deadline would be reached when Maeve entered the royal castle. The reward would be one skill point. It was the sub-quest that Ian had missed. I guess I was late coming to the village last time. This sub-quest would have only been obtained by encountering her on the way to the capital.
Ian accepted the quest.
For now, you are our only witness. Maeve continued, There may be other witnesses, but the words of s killed mercenary who managed to single-handedly defeat the kobold camp will be more credible.
Ian added bitterly, Now that I have earned the Black Magicians hate, I expect that he will show up to kill me.
Maeve nodded.
You are honest, but as I said, I am a mercenary. You must sign a contract if you want to me go with you. Apart from the quest, he had no intention of volunteering for free.
You want me to hire you?
Exactly.
Philip groaned, I think I know why the magician hates you. You have already received a lot of money and you are still asking for more.
If you hire me, I may be able to help you find him. Naturally, I will expect an additional reward if we succeed.
By chance, do you know where he hides? Maeve asked.
Ian shrugged. We should be able to figure it out. This is my job.
Maeves eyes narrowed slightly at Ians assertion. They say you are the village fixer. Your confidence is amazing. If you can find the hideout in one week, you will receive an additional reward.
What if you cant find him? Philip asked
I will quietly accompany you to the royal castle, and I will expect nothing except the fee for hiring me. You have nothing to lose in this contract. Wouldnt three people be better than two?
Maeve thought quietly for a moment, If you arrive at the castle and testify, I will give you the same amount of gold coins as today.
Philip covered his face at her answer.
Further, what extra pay do you want for finding the magician?
You are very reasonable. Ian added leisurely, Additional reasonable compensation can be offered after his death. Ian intended to give only the body of the black magician to Maeve and claim all the loot. If she refused the offer and broke the contract, then he could take the belongings of the knight and the servant. He was destined to become their enemy anyways.
The quest would have been completed by then. Ian smiled and leaned back against the back of the chair, ending the conversation.
This is acceptable. I will hire you, Ian Hopf, and guarantee the contract in the name of Maeve Liurel. She stood and held out her hand.
Ian stood and shook her hand. The contract has been established.
I hope your skills match your confidence. Maeve added, letting go of his hand.
Ian shrugged and turned around saying, I will be ready. Ill send the maid down with a meal for you.
As he turned and walked towards the stairs, Philip opened his mouth as if waiting. Sir, do you trust him? I understand your concerns, but this is
Its not because of Vernon. I just want to increase my chances. The essence was heavily contaminated. If this is the kind of dark magician who can create such a thing, he will undoubtedly cause significant damage to the kingdom. With war approaching, we cant leave such a dangerous person behind.
As Ian climbed the stairs, he suddenly looked down at Maeves profile. She was such a loyal subject. From her current state, he couldnt see any trace of the avenger who turned the castle into a sea of blood to assassinate the king.
Well, there must be a reason. Like all corruption. Ian brushed away his thoughts. Now was the time to focus on the quest. Although he made bold claims, a week was not a generous amount of time. So before getting into the mission, it was necessary to do some groundwork.