Chapter 5

While Ian narrowed his eyes in thought,

the young squire and the knight fully entered the tavern.

Thud. The door closed, and an uncomfortable silence settled over the room.

“Ahem. I don’t mean to make excuses, but I suppose I should explain the situation.”

The tavern owner was the first to break the silence.

“At first, I thought the knight was merely looking for lodging, so I only intended to guide them here. But then the squire asked whether there had been any unusual incidents nearby. So I told them our village had an excellent fixer—”

“Just get to the point. Briefly.”

Ian cut him off.

The innkeeper awkwardly coughed.

“They said they wished to speak with you. I politely refused according to principle, but since they promised not to cause trouble, I brought them here for the time being.”

“I see.”

So he didn’t know why they were looking for him.

Ian nodded.

Unlike the innkeeper feared, Ian had no intention of blaming him.

Knights in this world were beings who could turn into legal murderers at any moment.

As long as they attached a proper reason, a knight’s killing was considered innocent.

That was why most knights were arrogant and cold by nature.

Strict discipline, etiquette, and chivalry only applied toward people they acknowledged as equals.

So the fact that the innkeeper had at least pretended to refuse meant he had shown some loyalty.

More importantly, Ian’s curiosity about the knight’s identity kept scratching at the back of his mind.

He was certain he had seen this knight in the game before.

Just as Ian dug through his memories again—

“Allow me to formally introduce us.”

The squire stepped forward.

After clearing his throat and lightly bending one knee, he spoke.

“This is Sir Mev Riurel, follower of Lu Sola and Apostle of Tir En. Executor of the Southern Border and treasured sword of Agel Lan.”

The squire straightened himself after introducing the knight as though presenting something sacred.

“I am Philip, squire to the knight. On my lord’s behalf, I greet you. A pleasure to meet you, Fixer.”

The introduction was overly dramatic, like something from a historical play, but Ian showed no reaction.

Instead, he stared straight at Mev with sunken eyes.

‘Damn it. It really is him.’

He had finally remembered where he had seen this knight before.

‘Mev. The Bleeding Avenger.’

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

‘So this was what he originally looked like. No wonder I didn’t recognize him immediately.’

But the Mev Ian remembered was far removed from the noble and dignified figure before him now.

His armor had been crushed and cracked everywhere, dyed red with blood pouring from between the gaps.

Naturally so.

He had faced the entire royal army alone in order to kill the King of Agel Lan.

And he had nearly massacred them all.

Before the assassination attempt could succeed, the one who blocked his path had been Ian, who at that time was still merely a game character.

Mev had been unbelievably strong.

Far too strong for a boss of the first chapter.

Even though he could barely stand without leaning on his sword, every attack was deadly and his patterns were varied.

The only reason Ian won was because time had been on his side.

As mentioned before, Mev had already been close to death.

His health had started below half from the very beginning, and it continued dropping even if Ian didn’t attack.

Even faster whenever Mev swung his sword.

Ian focused entirely on evasion, and eventually Mev collapsed.

Leaving behind only a faint whisper that could barely be heard.

But the Mev standing before him now was completely different.

Untainted.

Uninjured.

Perfectly clean.

And to think they were meeting this early.

‘Is the story diverging from the game already? That’s not good.’

Still, although Ian was surprised, he wasn’t nervous.

He himself was no longer the low-level mage from back then, and his opponent didn’t even know he was a mage.

Even if they fought, he was confident he wouldn’t lose.

Of course, there was no need to rush into battle before understanding the other side’s intentions.

Only then did Ian finally look at Philip.

“I’m Ian Hope. As you can see, I’m a mercenary.”

“So you are Sir Hope.”

Philip nodded with an expression that seemed slightly impressed.

He appeared surprised by Ian’s composure, not even blinking under pressure.

High mental strength allowed Ian to maintain his expression and think calmly even in moments like this.

“So. What business do you have with me?”

Ian asked directly.

“Well…”

Philip glanced toward the innkeeper and the waitress.

After making eye contact with them, Ian gave a small nod.

“We’ll go upstairs.”

Only then did the innkeeper lead the waitress upstairs.

Though he kept glancing back at Ian uneasily.

Once their footsteps disappeared, Philip spoke.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Enough with that. Tell me your business.”

“There is something my lord wishes to ask you.”

Philip stepped forward.

“We heard that you single-handedly annihilated a kobold hideout. Is that true?”

Instead of answering, Ian raised a hand and pointed at one wall of the tavern.

Mounted there were the stuffed kobold chief’s head, armor, and axe.

“Believe it or not. Your choice.”

“…Impressive. Even the kingdom’s finest border soldiers wouldn’t dare enter a hideout alone.”

Philip once again looked genuinely amazed.

This guy’s naturally good at flattery.

Smacking his lips lightly, Ian spoke.

“Was that what you wanted to ask? Whether I really wiped out the kobold hideout?”

“Of course not. We merely needed to confirm whether we had come to the right person. To get to the main point…”

Philip’s voice lowered.

“Did you happen to discover anything unusual in the kobold hideout?”

“Unusual?”

“I mean something ordinary kobolds shouldn’t possess. Signs of black magic, for example. Or similarly ominous things.”

One of Ian’s eyebrows twitched.

Mev was searching for a black mage?

Another completely unexpected development.

In the game, Ian had never noticed any connection.

‘Did the situation change… or was there a side quest I missed?’

Even while doubtful, one fact became certain.

“Well…”

The initiative in this conversation belonged to him.

Ian answered calmly.

“Even if I did find something, I don’t see why I should hand over that information.”

For the first time, Philip’s smile stiffened.

“This concerns the safety of the kingdom. Please cooperate.”

“I’m not a citizen of Agel Lan. I’m a mercenary. Mercenaries don’t accept requests without compensation.”

Philip frowned.

“Are you seriously trying to bargain over the kingdom’s safety?”

“I’m offering a deal over something I possess. Might as well.”

Replying casually, Ian turned toward Mev.

“Directly with the knight who has authority to decide. A contract with a mere squire guarantees me nothing.”

“How insolent—!”

Just as Philip was about to flare up, Mev raised one arm and stopped him.

A voice flowed out from beneath the helmet.

“He’s not wrong, Philip.”

Ian’s eyebrow twitched again.

‘That voice…?’

“I apologize on behalf of my squire. Mercenary.”

Mev stepped forward and removed the helmet.

Red hair flowed down to the shoulders beneath it.

Green eyes met Ian’s.

“I tend to speak little in front of strangers. That is why Philip spoke on my behalf. There was no other intention.”

“…I see. Understood.”

Ian slowly nodded.

His expression remained calm, but inwardly he was deeply surprised.

‘So Mev really was a woman.’

Until hearing the voice, Ian had never imagined that Mev could be female.

And she was beautiful in a sharp, blade-like way.

Even the scar carved into her chin suited her.

Of course, female knights did exist in the game.

But none of them wore heavy armor that completely concealed the body’s shape like this.

Thinking back on it, Ian had never properly heard Mev’s voice either.

All he remembered were exhausted breaths and that final whisper.

And what came after that…

“Then let’s proceed to the main topic.”

Interrupting Ian’s thoughts, Mev placed her helmet on the table and sat across from him.

“If you’re proposing a deal, then I can assume you know something?”

Meeting Ian’s gaze seriously, Mev asked.

Ian nodded casually.

“That’s right. Not just information. I also have physical evidence.”

“Physical evidence…?”

Ian didn’t answer.

After staring into his eyes for a moment, Mev nodded.

“I’ll pay for the information.”

She turned toward Philip.

With a reluctant expression, Philip pulled out a money pouch from inside his clothing.

Mev took it and immediately placed a gold coin onto the table.

And not just any gold coin.

It was an Imperial Gold Coin, the most valuable kind.

‘Starting with an Imperial Gold Coin right away, huh.’

Ian spoke leisurely.

“There was someone intentionally trying to grow the kobold hideout. That chief grew by feeding on that person’s mana.”

Mev’s gaze shifted toward the mounted chief’s head.

“Fed on mana?”

“That’s right. It carried an essence filled with corrupted mana inside its chest.”

Ian slipped a hand into his pocket and retrieved an essence from subspace.

Not the true high-grade essence from the chief’s chest, but one of the smaller essences stolen by the village idiots.

“This. A black mage’s terminal.”

“……!”

Mev’s eyes widened.

Staring intently at the essence, she spoke.

“It certainly feels ominous. But how can you be sure it’s connected to a black mage?”

“Because I met him. He used this terminal to turn one of the villagers into a puppet.”

Mev narrowed her eyes.

“You’re holding such a thing barehanded. You’re quite bold.”

Ian shrugged one shoulder.

“I’m not weak enough to fall for such petty magic.”

Mev silently studied him as though judging the truth of his words.

Then she muttered,

“So Vernon’s words were true after all. I couldn’t believe it… To think seeds of darkness were truly growing within the kingdom…”

Ian noticed the anxiety flickering in her emerald-like eyes.

Mev added,

“Do you know anything else? If you met him, he must have left some clues behind.”

“He said he’d definitely find and kill me. Since I ruined all his plans and insulted him on top of that.”

In truth, Ian roughly remembered where the black mage’s hideout was.

But that information was too valuable to sell for a single gold coin.

Besides, he had no intention of sharing the loot anyway.

“I see. This is already a great help. We’ve confirmed his existence for the first time. Now all that remains is tracking him down.”

“We don’t have much time, my lady.”

Philip carefully spoke from behind her.

“If we’re to arrive at the royal castle on schedule, we can’t spend more than a week searching at most.”

“Even so, now that we have a lead, we must do our best. If nothing comes of it, I’ll petition the Chancellor once we arrive. We now have both evidence and a witness.”

After speaking firmly, Mev looked back at Ian.

“I’d like to ask one more favor.”

“Go ahead.”

“Could you give me that terminal?”

“If you offer a suitable price. As you know, once purified, this can be sold for quite a fortune.”

Apparently getting used to Ian’s methods, Mev placed the entire money pouch onto the table.

“This is all the money I currently possess. Altogether, it should amount to around ten Imperial Gold Coins. That should be enough.”

It was an enormous sum.

And since Ian still possessed another essence and one high-grade essence, selling one for money wasn’t a problem.

“Not bad. Fine.”

Ian picked up the pouch.

Mev accepted the essence, but her brow slightly furrowed.

“It’s far more sinister than I expected.”

After transferring only the gold coins into subspace, Ian handed back the empty pouch.

“Be careful. That bastard may be able to observe through your eyes.”

“I’d welcome that. Then I could trace his hiding place instead.”

Putting the essence into the pouch, Mev calmly looked back at Ian.

“One more thing. If possible, I’d like you to come with me.”

“Me too…?”

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

A side quest window.

Ian quickly scanned the contents.

The objective was simple.

Travel with Mev and kill the black mage.

Of course, there were restrictions.

The time limit lasted only until before she entered the royal castle.

The reward was a full skill point.

As suspected, this was indeed a side quest Ian had missed in the game.

‘So in the game, I must’ve arrived too late. Or maybe I simply never cared.’

Judging from Mev’s words, she had probably continued investigating alone on her way to the royal castle.

This quest likely only appeared if you encountered her during that journey.

While Ian accepted the quest—

“At present, you are the only witness.”

Mev continued speaking.

“There may be others, but the testimony of a capable mercenary who single-handedly destroyed a kobold hideout will carry more weight.”

Ian calmly added,

“And since I’ve earned the black mage’s hatred, you’re probably hoping he’ll reveal himself while trying to kill me.”

Mev nodded.

“I won’t deny it.”

“You’re honest. But…”

Maintaining his expression, Ian interlocked his fingers.

“As I said before, I’m a mercenary. If you want me to accompany you, we’ll need a contract.”

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

“You’re asking me to hire you?”

“That’s right.”

Philip sighed in disbelief.

“Good heavens, Lu Sola. I can see why you earned a black mage’s hatred. You’ve already been paid generously, yet you’re still talking about money.”

“Sounds like you’ve never experienced fair trade before, Philip. Besides.”

After rebuking him, Ian looked meaningfully at Mev.

“If you hire me, I can help find the black mage. Though of course, there’ll need to be additional compensation if I succeed.”

“The black mage…? Do you know where he’s hiding?”

“Not exactly. But I can figure it out. That’s my profession.”

At Ian’s confidence, Mev’s brow narrowed slightly.

“So the village fixer really does have confidence.”

“You said we have about a week. If I locate the black mage’s hideout within that time, I’ll receive extra compensation.”

“And if you fail?”

“Then I’ll quietly accompany you to the royal castle. In that case, I’ll only take payment for being hired. It’s a contract where you lose nothing. Three people are better than two, aren’t they?”

“Hm…”

Mev fell into thought.

Behind her, Philip anxiously watched the back of her head.

“When we arrive at the royal castle and you testify, I’ll give you another amount equal to today’s payment.”

At those words, Philip covered his face with both hands.

Smirking at him, Ian added,

“And if I find the black mage?”

“What additional compensation do you want?”

“Well… fine. Since you’ve made a concession, I’ll make one too.”

Ian leisurely continued.

“I’ll decide the additional reward after the bastard is dead. Reasonably.”

“…Your idea of reason seems very generous toward yourself.”

Of course it was.

Ian planned to leave only the black mage’s corpse to Mev while claiming all the loot for himself.

And if she rejected the proposal and broke the contract, then the female knight and her squire’s belongings would simply become loot as well.

After all, she was destined to become an enemy eventually.

And by then, the quest would already be complete.

Ian’s smile deepened.

“Judging by your concern, it seems even you believe I can find him.”

As though he had said all he needed to, Ian leaned back in his chair.

“…Very well. I accept. Mercenary Ian Hope, I hereby hire you. This contract is guaranteed in the name of Mev Riurel.”

Mev stood and extended her hand.

Ian grasped her gloved hand.

“The contract is established.”

“I hope your skill matches your confidence. And your integrity as well.”

After adding that, Mev released his hand.

Ian shrugged and turned around.

“I’ll go prepare. Have something to eat in the meantime. I’ll send the waitress down.”

As he headed toward the stairs, Philip finally spoke as though he had been waiting.

“My lady. Do you truly trust that man? I understand your concerns, but this is—”

“This isn’t because of Vernon. I simply want to increase our chances. That essence was deeply corrupted. A black mage capable of creating such a thing would undoubtedly cause catastrophic harm to the kingdom. Especially with war approaching, we can’t leave behind a threat like that.”

What a loyal servant you are.

As he climbed the stairs, Ian glanced down at Mev’s profile.

The woman before him showed none of the appearance of the avenger who once turned the royal castle into a sea of blood to kill the king.

‘Well, there must’ve been a reason. Just like with every corruption.’

Ian quickly shook off the thought.

Right now, he needed to focus on the quest.

He had spoken confidently, but one week wasn’t actually much time.

Which meant before starting the real work, he needed to lay some groundwork first.