A bolt of lightning struck the Black Forest dungeon.
The hidden stage of the Black Forest raid, which had remained undiscovered for centuries, was finally found.
Not long after, high-ranking members of the imperial family were dispatched, and a thorough investigation began.
The investigation proceeded smoothly.
Unusually, there were many survivors from the failed raid.
Thanks to the presence of a priestess, who could not speak falsehoods, many of the hidden secrets of the Black Forest raid were gradually revealed.
And if there was something noteworthy,
It was that the names of one person kept being mentioned by most of the adventurers, mercenaries, and even some high-ranking members.
“They say a mage played a crucial role in this incident.”
“He uncovered secrets that even the Azure Cloud party couldn’t.”
“I heard he was just a low-ranking mage?”
“A low-ranking mage? Not only did he survive the raid, but he even took command?”
“Hah! I don’t know which tower he belonged to, but they must be feeling quite bitter for expelling such a mage.”
“There are already rumors that several magic towers have started to make moves.”
“Is that so? But where is this mage now?”
And.
By the time the rumored mage opened his eyes, a week had passed since the hidden stage’s existence had been revealed to the world.
***
The first thing Jun saw when he opened his eyes were investigators from the imperial family.
After confirming through the healer that there was nothing wrong with Jun’s body, they immediately began questioning him about the events of the raid.
Though the investigation was fairly intense,
Jun was not a criminal or a suspect under imperial law, but a law-abiding citizen. Moreover, when Chloe appeared with a team of attorneys, the investigation wrapped up in the blink of an eye.
“Do you know how worried I was?”
And now,
Jun was staying temporarily at Chloe’s office.
On the surface, it was because he still needed time to recover.
“If you were that worried, imagine how I felt.”
“That’s true.”
At Jun’s casual retort, Chloe briefly pressed her forehead in exasperation.
“Haah… I’m sorry. Things have gotten a bit complicated because of all this.”
“What do you mean?”
“To put it simply, your name is spreading a little too quickly.”
“My name?”
According to Chloe, the hidden stage of the Black Forest raid, which had been revealed for the first time in centuries, had become an opportunity to gain immense fame.
The problem was that this opportunity was beginning to look very enticing to the imperial members, who were quietly eyeing the next imperial succession.
“Is that all? The nobles are starting to make moves too. Some are backing the imperial family, while others are trying to expand their own power.”
And all of them were targeting Jun.
“So the reason they’re looking for me is….”
“They need a justification.”
“I think I get what you mean.”
If things went as Chloe said, next year’s Black Forest raid would spark fierce competition over the raid party positions.
Of course, each faction would bring along their top experts, and in that case, the main factor would be the battle over justification.
“And I’m the most suitable for that justification.”
The justification being that if they brought Jun into their faction, they could carry out the raid much more safely.
That was why Chloe had pressed her forehead in frustration.
“If Leader Benjamin was still alive, things might have been different, but he ended up dying.”
The deputy leader didn’t carry the same weight, and on top of that, they were all branded as criminals.
“And somehow, word’s already out that I’ve been sponsoring you.”
“What about your family’s side?”
“Grandfather is observing for now.”
“So he’s waiting to see how you move.”
“That’s probably it.”
Chloe’s grandfather, Gillen Jake, was the one who brought the Gillen Merchant Guild to this point by always being politically neutral.
Naturally, Jun thought he would declare neutrality in this matter as well.
“Are you more concerned about your grandfather’s reaction than the situation itself?”
“Of course. What does it matter to me if other factions are fighting amongst themselves? What really matters is how my grandfather will see me dealing with those people.”
“Hmm…”
“So what do you think? It’s not like I’m really your sponsor.”
“That’s true.”
Even though rumors had spread that Chloe was sponsoring Jun, their relationship was strictly that of business partners.
Therefore, Chloe didn’t have the authority to give Jun orders as his sponsor.
After a brief moment of thought, Jun spoke up.
“Well, honestly, I don’t mind all the offers coming my way.”
After all, Jun was a mercenary. He needed the attention of others, and making a name for himself in the industry was more important than anything else.
And it was definitely a positive situation with his name being mentioned everywhere.
“But there’s no rush for now. I’ll wait a bit longer before deciding who to throw my support behind.”
“…Shall I gather some information for you?”
“You? Since when are you this eager?”
Jun gave her a look as if asking what she wanted in return, and Chloe responded with a merchant’s sly smile.
“Me? That hurts. Is that all our relationship is worth?”
“If you were an ordinary person, I’d accept the offer.”
“Ahem…”
Jun’s expression urged Chloe to confess quickly, and she eventually shrugged her shoulders.
“The ancient book you have. There’s been quite a bit of interest in it.”
“Well, I suppose that’s only natural.”
After all, it was a strategy guide for a raid that hasn’t been revealed for hundreds of years.
It would play a significant role, especially in providing the “justification” that many groups were currently seeking.
In the game, it was just a [Non-tradable] item; it was a nuisance that only took up space in the inventory.
Because of that, it was something he’d thrown into a corner of the storage and forgotten about. But in reality, it had this kind of use.
“So, you want to put it up for auction?”
“That’s right!”
Chloe nodded with a bright innocent expression.
Seeing that, Jun came up with a mischievous thought.
“It’s a bit annoying that you tried to hide your true intentions….”
“H-Hide? I just held off a bit, that’s all. You’re getting what you want, and I’m getting what I want, right?”
“You weren’t stacking up favors in advance and waiting to see how I’d react, were you?”
“No need to take it that far….”
“Watch yourself.”
“…Alright, alright. I’m sorry.”
In the end, Chloe was the one who folded again.
“So what are you going to do?”
“If nothing comes up, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Really?!”
Jun chuckled at the look of anticipation in Chloe’s eyes.
Just by selling the ancient book, Chloe would be able to build various connections.
“Anything else?”
“The imperial family sent an official notice. They’re going to hand out rewards and punishments related to this situation.”
“No punishment for me, I assume. I wonder what I’ll get as a reward?”
Considering it was a hidden stage revealed after hundreds of years, the imperial family would likely give a generous reward.
***
“Senior!”
As soon as Jun opened his eyes after a brief rest, Aiden’s voice reached him.
Aiden who looked as sullen as usual gazed at Jun with a worried expression.
“Are you alright?”
“Why do you always ask me that every time you see me?”
Maybe it was because he’d gotten seriously injured this time.
To be fair, there had been plenty of moments when he almost died on this occasion.
He fought the twin Level 3 adventurers, was ambushed by an undead, and even caught the attention of the Fairy Queen.
“Well, as you can see, I’m fine.”
“Phew, that’s a relief.”
“And what about you? I heard you were held by investigators for a week.”
“That… it was nothing serious.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Aiden, who spoke in such a manner, seemed somewhat downcast, so Jun straightened his posture and asked again.
“Really?”
“Well…”
As Jun quietly gazed into those blue eyes, Aiden lowered his head and said,
“Actually, the imperial family approached me.”
“The imperial family… What did they say?”
“They told me not to do anything that would draw attention anymore.”
During the investigation, Aiden’s true identity must have been revealed.
Given that Aiden had been cast out by the imperial family, it was entirely possible.
“Was that all they said?”
“Yes, that’s all.”
Aiden’s expression was incredibly heavy as he said this.
For Aiden, who had been abandoned by the imperial family, their orders were not something he could easily ignore.
The order was simple.
Don’t draw attention anymore, and live quietly in some secluded village as though you are dead.
In other words, if Aiden continued his activities as an adventurer, various pressures might follow.
In that case, knowing Aiden’s personality…
Sure enough.
Aiden spoke with a heavy expression.
“Perhaps, I can no longer…”
But before Aiden could finish, Jun silenced him first.
“Wait. Just hold on a second. Let me think for a bit.”
“Huh…?”
What use was there in thinking now?
Could there really be a way to defy the will of the imperial family?
For a moment, Aiden looked at Jun with anxious eyes.
Maybe if it’s him…
They hadn’t known each other for that long, but in that short time, they had been through a lot together.
Perhaps this time too he might come up with some kind of solution.
A glimmer of hope appeared in Aiden’s eyes.
But maybe it was too soon for such hope.
Aiden hung his head low at Jun’s next words.
“This is something I can’t easily give you an answer for. And of course, I can’t solve it by myself either.”
“I figured… Is that so.”
“Still, it’s too early to be disappointed.”
“Huh?”
“I’m not planning to give up on you just yet.”
It was only natural. Jun had already invested too much in Aiden.
From the equipment Aiden wore to the skills he had gained during their missions together.
On top of that, the Meteorite Sword was something that could never be obtained again.
And most importantly.
It wasn’t easy to find someone as reliable as Aiden to be on the front lines.
“And besides, just because it’s hard for me alone doesn’t mean it’s impossible with some help.”
“I don’t quite understand what you mean…”
“Hmm, it’s a bit hard for me to explain this in words. To give you a detailed explanation, you’ll probably have to experience it yourself…”
What is he trying to say, dragging it out like that?
While Aiden was feeling puzzled.
“The opportunity has come anyway.”
With that, Jun handed Aiden a letter.
The envelope was made of luxurious material and adorned with a golden border. It clearly didn’t look like an ordinary item to anyone who saw it.
“The imperial family has summoned us directly. It’s related to the upcoming mission.”
Jun smiled and said he’d show him in person once they got there.
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