Chapter 43
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Suspicious Iron Mine Request
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"Ugh."
Alize opened her eyes and spotted a familiar ceiling.
And beside it, Cloyang was peering down at her with a worried look on his face.
"Alize, you're awake?"
"How am I here...?"
"Just lie still. Your wounds aren't minor."
Cloyang tried desperately to stop her, but Alize gritted her teeth and forced herself to sit up.
"How did I end up here?"
"You came staggering back last night looking like you'd been through hell and woke me up. Don't you remember?"
"I did?"
Alize racked her brains, but she couldn't recall a thing.
She clearly remembered sacrificing the greatsword to take down Hugo, but after that, everything was a blank.
As Alize frowned deeply, trying to piece it together, Cloyang gently stroked her head.
"You're lucky it wasn't worse. If you'd been even a little later, it could've been really bad."
"Phew, I owe you again. Thanks."
Finally giving up on remembering, Alize let out a long sigh.
"Owe me? No big deal. I'll heat up some stew—rest a bit more."
Cloyang gave her a soft smile and left the room.
But the moment he stepped out, he bumped into Ruyan and froze in his tracks.
'How much does he know?'
Could he really trust Ruyan? Cloyang hesitated, unable to speak easily.
Then, unusually, Ruyan spoke first.
"I won't ask anything."
"Mm... so I shouldn't either, right?"
Ruyan neither confirmed nor denied it. He just shrugged and walked past.
Cloyang watched his retreating back for a moment before letting out a faint sigh and looking away.
And at that time, in Sotton Village, fury had reached its boiling point and was burning blue-hot.
"Fresh tracks again."
"Shrapnel wounds. Looks like weapon detonation technique."
Cage pondered deeply after hearing the report from the newly joined elite knights.
'Damn it. Another new player?'
In the worst case, that greatsword bastard might be backed by another faction.
Cage had accounted for that and summoned reinforcements from the capital.
But before they could even assemble, the squad leader was taken out. Could there be anything more infuriating?
'He wasn't someone who should go down that easily...'
Hugo was a Sword Master. On a whole different level from the lowly knights they'd lost so far—an elite.
Who could have crushed a Sword Master so brutally?
'Phew, let's backtrack from the start. Prime suspect is still the greatsword.'
The greatsword hadn't been cleared. The traces around proved it.
Separate from the weapon destruction technique, there were massive blade gashes everywhere.
'Is the greatsword a Sword Master?'
Based on the skills of the agents sacrificed so far, it made sense to peg the greatsword at peak Sword Expert.
'No. Better to assume the weapon destruction caught them off guard.'
The greatsword. And a powerful weapon destruction technique that could fell even a Sword Master.
'Wait... could it be...'
Putting those connections together, Cage quickly reached a conclusion.
'There is one greatsword like that.'
Cage scanned the battlefield with intense eyes.
Had they failed to clean up properly?
This time, the traces of battle were everywhere.
His gaze, following those clues, eventually turned toward Tvente Village.
Ruyan stared blankly at the plaque of appreciation from the Mercenary Guild before tossing it aside.
"You lied."
"Aw, come on. I exaggerated a bit, but it's not like I made it all up."
Now fully recovered, Alize replied with a cheerful laugh.
"I only took down goblins. The ogre wasn't me."
Ruyan had gotten the plaque solely because of Alize's report.
When she submitted the mission results to the guild, she'd greatly inflated Ruyan's contributions.
"Want me to go back and correct it? Say the monster you beat was actually a lich, not an ogre?"
At Alize's words, Ruyan had no choice but to shut his mouth.
'Too much hassle.'
Talking about the lich, still full of mysteries, would only invite trouble.
Better to compromise at ogre level—it worked for him too.
"It's not bad. With this generous score, knock out one big one more and you'll get a 4th-grade mercenary plate."
Strictly speaking, her false report was for Ruyan's benefit.
She wanted to get him that ID as fast as possible.
It came from good intentions.
But even as she said it, Alize's expression had an awkward edge.
'If Ruyan hits 4th grade... he'll leave the mercenary band?'
Once his ID issue was solved, Ruyan would go.
He'd never been someone her band could keep anyway.
A being on another level!
Looking back later, this brief time together might feel even stranger.
Ruyan glanced at Alize's sullen face before looking away.
Her thoughts were plain on her face.
'I have to leave. I've got my own tasks.'
That's why Ruyan held back his words. He couldn't promise a future lightly.
As Ruyan and Alize avoided each other's eyes and fell silent, an awkward air settled over the office.
Just then, perfectly timed, the office door opened and someone entered.
"Anyone here?"
The man who'd come to Alize's Mercenary Band office was someone Ruyan recognized.
"Administrator?"
Alize looked mildly surprised and awkwardly stood.
"Heard you were hurt. Feeling better?"
"Yes. Much thanks to you. But what brings you...?"
At Alize's question, the administrator tilted his chin up slightly and lowered his voice to a grave tone.
"Thinking of entrusting you with a commission."
It was a far cry from his previous groveling excuses.
"A commission? For that, the guild handles it—why come here personally?"
"Didn't I tell you? The Lord promised your band gets the next one."
The Lord's commission!
To a mercenary band, it was a golden lifeline.
No wonder the administrator was getting cocky.
"Ah... come on in."
Alize hesitated briefly before nodding and ushering him inside.
"What kind?"
"Straight to it. There's trouble at the iron mine northwest of Tvente Village."
"Huh? But Tvente doesn't have... "
Alize cocked her head, about to question him.
But Ruyan reached out and cut her off.
'Ruyan?'
He'd always hung back quietly—this proactive move was unusual.
Stunned, Alize turned wide eyes to him.
But he just kept staring at the administrator without explanation.
"Continue."
Ruyan's casual command made the administrator's brow twitch.
"Ahem. Five trolls have holed up in the iron mine, disrupting operations."
"Eliminate them?"
"Yes. The Lord hopes you'll exterminate the trolls and reclaim the mine."
Despite his irritation, the administrator stayed composed and explained the mission calmly.
"Pay?"
"1 gold upfront, 4 on success."
Alize whipped around in shock.
"5 gold?"
"It's that important a mine. The Lord wants it resolved ASAP."
Alize blinked in bewilderment before cautiously glancing at Ruyan.
Their eyes met, and he gave a tiny nod. Accept.
"Got it. We'll take it."
"As expected, straightforward. Good."
Alize's crisp reply brightened the administrator's face as he pulled out the contract.
But Ruyan doused it again.
"Full pay upfront."
A highly unreasonable demand.
This time, the administrator couldn't hold back and glared at Ruyan with axe eyes.
"Rude! No mercenary contract works that way."
"Nor does paying upfront for a commission, originally."
He meant the previous incident.
Speechless, the administrator flushed red and snorted.
"I apologized for that. And I can't decide on this."
"Tell the Lord. I'll wait."
Ruyan crossed his arms and leaned back, signaling no more talk with underlings.
"This guy... "
The administrator finally exploded and shot to his feet.
His trembling arms showed his rage.
"Don't like it? Go to another band. No pressure."
Yet Ruyan prodded him calmly.
Oddly, though furious, the administrator didn't leave.
"Dealbreaker?"
"No, not exactly... "
He'd seemed ready to grab Ruyan's collar, but suddenly shifted to an awkward smile.
"I'll report it."
"Won't wait long."
Ruyan stayed domineering to the end, and the administrator left without retort.
Alize watched his trudging back before sitting awkwardly.
"Ruyan, you provoked him on purpose, right?"
She didn't expect an answer—she knew it.
Why else would he rage but not seek another band?
Ruyan just shrugged, no reply needed.
"Ruyan, one thing you should know."
"What?"
"Tvente has no mine."
"I see."
"Sigh, that's not something to be so casual about."
Alize eyed him worriedly, but met his usual inscrutable face.
"It's the Lord's commission. Never straightforward."
"Tch, you know all that and still push for it? Why?"
"Aren't you curious what he's up to?"
A faint smile crossed Ruyan's face—an eerily cold smirk.
After the administrator left, Alize headed to the guild to check progress.
Finally alone, Ruyan went to his room, sat cross-legged.
'Hard to find time anymore.'
He pushed training whenever possible, but it wasn't satisfying.
Sometimes he wanted to hole up in the mountains again.
But he had tasks, and having emerged, he suppressed the urge for now.
"Meditation."
Starting with the meditation spell, he began circulating energy and sank into his own world.
Whooo.
Nature's energy swirled quietly, Ruyan's form blurring faintly.
How much time passed?
Deep in trance, completing the Grand Heavenly Circuit, a familiar voice intruded unexpectedly.
—Do you still cling to fame and fortune?
This time, even Ruyan couldn't help but jolt.
How could he forget!
It was the voice that had crushed him right before ascension.