Madoran, located adjacent to the royal palace, was more developed than most cities. While it couldn't compare to Neka, its streets were bustling with people. The key difference was the absence of slums in its back alleys; the city was uniformly prosperous.
"I thought you hated sightseeing. Has hell frozen over?"
"I'm not here for sightseeing. I'm looking for someone."
"Who? Someone you know?"
"I know them, but they don't know me."
I'd often visited Madoran during the game, and there was one place here I always made a point to stop by—a place that had been instrumental in progressing the storyline.
To be precise, it was a place I had to rely on.
'The Desion Mercenaries.'
Most mercenaries catered to minor nobles or wealthy upstarts, but the Desion Mercenaries set a high bar. Unless you were a named noble, you'd be turned away at the door. Unlike other mercenary groups, which averaged around the 2nd Circle, Desion's members were at least 4th Circle or higher.
'After the Gutra family, they're the most prominent mercenary group.'
I had the Zatma Mercenaries on my side, but if they were ants, Desion was a dragon. Zatma operated solely in Neka, while Desion worked across the entire empire. They weren't even in the same league.
"I doubt they'll agree to meet."
"Huh? You're just showing up without an appointment?"
"No time for that. We're here."
We arrived at a location slightly off the center of Madoran. The building was five stories tall, with a vast compound surrounding it. A 50-meter radius around the building had been cleared, like a sports field, for security purposes. The surrounding structures had been bought and demolished, making it easy to spot.
"The Arahant?!"
As I approached, the guard immediately recognized me. He was so flustered he didn't even try to block my way—just fumbled awkwardly. It was proof that, while they dealt with influential families, the Arahant was on a whole different level.
"W-What brings you here?"
"I'm here to see the mercenary captain. Is he in?"
"Ah… Do you have an appointment?"
"Do I need one?"
"…I'm sorry, but you'll need to make an appointment and return."
He maintained a polite tone while cautiously blocking my path. There were four guards, and even they exuded a faint trace of mana. For mere gatekeepers, they knew how to handle mana, though they were likely only 1st or 2nd Circle. In an average mercenary group, they'd be officers.
"I'm leaving tomorrow. I don't have time to make an appointment."
"I'm sorry, but it's against our internal rules."
"Hmm."
They must have dealt with enough nobles to know how to be courteous. If they'd been rude, I'd have forced my way in. Too bad.
"At least pass a message to the captain. Tell him the Arahant of the 7th Order has arrived."
"The 7th Order… You mean Zed Arahant?!"
The man's eyes widened as he looked me over again.
"You know me?"
"Of course! You're a legend! Haha. It's an honor to meet you, Zed. I've heard all about you—how you exposed the corruption in Katura and Remang, and how you were at the palace just yesterday."
Come to think of it, he wasn't carrying a sword. Probably a mage, which might explain his friendliness.
"What's all this noise?"
"Ah, Vice Captain!"
A burly man emerged from the building. Was he the vice captain? He carried a massive glaive-like sword at his waist, and his appearance alone made him look like a thug.
"Zed Arahant is here, but he doesn't have an appointment. He wants to see the captain—"
"Then there's nothing more to discuss. Why are you wasting time? Have you forgotten your duties?"
"It's just that Zed is…."
"Zed is what? Just because he's the Arahant, rules don't apply?"
"S-Sorry…!"
The vice captain glanced at me and Nunes before glaring at the guard. Knights and mages always seemed to have some deep-seated animosity. No need to be this hostile.
"I'm not here to break the rules. Just cut me some slack."
"Ha! The brat's got a sharp tongue."
"What did you just say?"
"Did I say anything? I don't think so."
Wait, did he just insult me? The man tilted his chin up, looking smug.
"You're not here to break the rules? Then why are you still standing there?"
"Not even a little flexibility?"
"If we bent the rules for every dog and cow, what's the point of having rules?"
Dog and cow? His blatant mockery rubbed me the wrong way, but Nunes stepped forward before I could react.
"What?! Do you know who I am? I'm Nunes Colt, a provisional investigator! If you don't step aside immediately, I'll have you charged under imperial law—"
"Yes, yes. Nunes Colt, eldest son of the Colt family. What brings you to our mercenary group? Did someone report us?"
"What…?"
"Surely an investigator wouldn't throw his weight around without reason. What have we done wrong?"
Nunes, who'd been so bold a moment ago, was now speechless. This guy's verbal skills were no joke. Nunes was clearly out of his depth.
"Zed… What do we do? Is this person really that important?"
"Stay back. I'll handle it."
I pushed Nunes behind me and stepped toward the man. If he wasn't going to be polite, neither would I. In fact, this worked out better.
"Seems you've forgotten who I am."
"Ha! Now you're pulling rank? Do you even know what the Desion Mercenaries are?"
---------
"I know. A group that scratches others' backs for profit."
"W-what?! How dare you mock us!"
The man's hand twitched toward the hilt of his sword. I subtly manipulated my mana, letting sparks crackle across my palm. The sight made him hesitate.
"The moment you draw that sword, you're dead."
"You…!"
The threatening sparks seemed to do their job. He gripped the hilt but didn't unsheathe it.
"The Arhan are wealthy. To mercenaries, I'm the best kind of client. And yet, you turn me away without even hearing my proposal? Do you think your leader would let this slide if he knew?"
"I'm just following protocol—"
"So protocol comes before profit? Who says? Your leader?"
This time, it was the man who fell silent.
Even the most successful mercenary groups are, at their core, profit-driven. Turning away a VIP like me wouldn't end well for them.
"Take me to your leader. I'm giving you a chance."
"Tch…!"
Pride wounded, the man stood his ground. After a moment, he began muttering under his breath—loud enough for me to hear.
"This is why I hate mages. The Arhan, especially. They think they're better than everyone else."
"No backbone, huh? If you've got something to say, say it to my face."
"Hmph! I despise people like you. A brat hiding behind the Arhan name, strutting around like you own the place!"
"You're the one who started this without any courtesy."
"Courtesy? For a mage? Don't make me laugh! Your kind doesn't deserve it."
"You're hostile because I'm a mage. The protocol thing was just an excuse. Glad you admitted it yourself."
"You little—!"
Clang!
The man finally snapped, drawing his sword and swinging it at me in one swift motion. Nunez's blade was a beat too late, flailing in the air as the man's eyes widened in shock.
Crackle!
His glaive was blocked by a barrier of lightning. My voice dropped low.
"I told you. Draw your sword, and you die."
"Urgh!"
"Remember this. The Arhan always keep their word."
[Magic: 'Current Discharge' activated.]
Zzzzap!
I released a concentrated burst of electricity. The man tried to shield himself with mana, but the force was too much.
Thud!
He was flung several meters back, scrambling to steady himself. His crude glaive began to glow with mana.
"You drew your sword first. Whatever happens next is self-defense."
"You think you're tough, just because you're a brat from the Arhan?!"
Whoosh!
The man leaped into the air, muscles bulging as he prepared to strike down with all his might. I gathered my lightning once more.
Boom!
"Huh?!"
His glaive veered off course, slamming into the ground beside me. The lightning barrier had altered its trajectory.
"Straightforward attacks are the easiest to manipulate."
"What?!"
"And they leave you wide open."
"Gah!"
Thud!
I pivoted on my left foot, delivering a clean roundhouse kick to his jaw. He flew back, crashing into a wall with a groan.
"Captain! Are you alright?!"
"Damn it…! Don't touch me! I'm going to kill that brat today!"
"Calm down…! He's from the Arhan!"
"So what?! Don't stop me! I just got careless!"
The man staggered to his feet, gathering mana once more. The energy around him surged violently. He was preparing his ultimate move. I tensed slightly.
[Item: 'Artisan's Necklace' activated.] ['Mana Surge' active.]
The golden currents around me intensified, doubling in power. A fierce wind whipped through the area.
A true master would recognize the gap in our strength, but the man was undeterred. He raised his sword high.
"Die!"
"J-Jade! Watch out!"
His mana formed a massive barrier, rushing toward me. This was his all-out attack. Nunez tried to intervene, but the man was a step ahead.
"Jade! Dodge!"
No. I won't dodge.
A knight's fight with a mage is about closing the distance, but I'm not playing by their rules.
[Magic: 'Chain Lightning' activated.]
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bolts of lightning struck his barrier repeatedly. I'll break it with raw power, not evasion.
The relentless strikes began to crack his mana wall. His momentum slowed noticeably.
"Impossible! How can this be?!"
"A wide-area attack relying on speed. Take away the speed, and you lose half the power."
"What?!"
"It's a common knight tactic. Nothing surprising."
"Shut up!"
What was his trump card was just a simple charge to me. Knights rely on closing the distance, making their attacks predictable. Countering them is child's play.
Whoosh!
Even as his speed dwindled, the man forced himself forward. A charge attack relies on explosive mana to close the gap instantly. Once interrupted, it can't regain its former power.
"Still in denial? Let me end this properly."
I shaped my lightning into a long spear. If he charged again, he'd impale himself on it.
As I aimed the spear at him, a voice interrupted.
"That's enough."
"?!"
The voice came from behind the man. And then…
[Trait: 'Champion's Noble Soul (S)' resists magic: 'Gravity Field.']
Gravity Field.
A spatial control spell, just like my master's. I frowned as the system window appeared above me.