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Verdan had mentioned the meeting had been long, and the air felt stuffy, likely because of that.

As if reading Ian’s thoughts, Verdan’s assistant, who had entered first, moved to open the windows one by one.

With the fresh breeze coming in, breathing became much easier.

“Did you meet the Hero?”

Verdan, seated across from him, got straight to the point.

Ian, noticing where his brother’s gaze had landed, smirked and lifted his chin slightly, making the insignia pinned to his collar more visible.

“Yes, I did. You’ll be shocked when you hear what happened.”

It was hard to put into words the feeling he’d had upon discovering that what seemed like a simple monster-slaying task had turned into a hunt for a demon beast.

If it hadn’t been for his experience before his regression, he would have died, swinging the new sword he had just acquired like an idiot.

After explaining the ordeal and how much he had struggled, Verdan smiled faintly, acknowledging his efforts.

That look, as if he was admiring a child showing off, made Ian’s excitement gradually fade.

“You really did great. If the Hero hadn’t shown up when he did, things could’ve gone south fast.”

“I would’ve either died or been left crippled.”

Mana exhaustion wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

Just as one would die from excessive blood loss, having no mana left at all was just as fatal.

It had been a gamble with his life. Luckily, it paid off, but Ian didn’t even want to imagine what would have happened if it hadn’t.

“Anyway, this is the proof.”

Ian placed the pouch he had been holding onto the desk.

The body went to the Hero, Sigel. The head and one horn had been sold to the magical store, Milky Way, and the remaining horn was what he had left.

Verdan opened the pouch and pulled out the horn to inspect it.

“Ian, you’ve always been lucky.”

“For surviving?”

“That, and more. I don’t mean to downplay your achievements, but you got that gold insignia fairly easily, didn’t you?”

“Well… yeah, I suppose that’s true.”

Ian couldn’t deny that, this time, luck had been on his side.

Who could have predicted that he would run into a Hero there? It had been as unexpected as the encounter with the demon beast itself.

“Of course, getting it easily is also part of your luck—and your ability. But don’t take the weight of that gold insignia lightly. Now that you have it, people won’t underestimate you. And you must ensure they don’t. You’ll need to carry yourself with the dignity that comes with the authority of that insignia.”

“Father wouldn’t say something like that… It’s the kind of thing you’d expect from an elder.”

Verdan smiled at Ian.

“If Father hears about you receiving the gold insignia, he’ll say the same thing I did. And just in case you forgot, I’m your older brother. I’m four years older than you and have more social experience, so I think that qualifies me as an elder.”

“Hmm.”

Ian, who couldn’t bring himself to say, I’m older now, watched Verdan, who seemed proud for some reason, and simply nodded.

“…Do you think this raises the family’s reputation?”

“Definitely. Even if it wasn’t a great demon beast, you hunted a demon beast alone and received a gold insignia from the Hero. That’s an impressive feat, something not just anyone can do. But it’ll take some time for it to be officially recognized.”

“The temple needs to send an official letter, right?”

“That’s part of it. But more importantly, Ian, there will be those who doubt your abilities. Some will start to question whether Berger House is inflating your accomplishments by taking credit for someone else’s work, or spreading false rumors. People like that will gradually appear.”

Verdan wasn’t wrong. Up until recently, Ian had been a young noble who shirked his duties, drowning in alcohol. Now, people were hearing that this same young man had taken down a Dark Mage and even a demon beast, receiving a Hero’s insignia for his efforts. Who would believe that?

Only those who directly witnessed it would think it wasn’t suspicious.

“But that’s something time will eventually resolve. As long as you prove your skills by completing each… no, since you’re a mercenary, I should say request—people will have no choice but to recognize you.”

“So… what you’re saying is you’ll give me more work, right?”

Verdan grinned slyly.

“I don’t know whose brother you are, but you sure are quick to catch on. Yes, exactly. With our shortage of manpower, we can’t afford to leave someone who can take down a demon beast on their own sitting idle. You’ll need to take on more tasks.”

Ian frowned in distaste.

“Hah, no thanks.”

“Why?”

“I won’t have time to train.”

“If you want to grow, you need to gain experience through real combat. Simply repeating the same actions will lead you to a quick plateau.”

“That’s true, but think about it, brother. Every time I step out, something bad happens. Sure, once or twice might be a coincidence, but three times?”

“There’s a saying: once is coincidence, twice is fate, and three times is destiny. So, perhaps it’s your destiny. Shouldn’t you be happy about that?”

“Happy? About what?”

“You keep getting opportunities others can’t catch no matter how hard they try. If you can survive, you’ll achieve even greater feats in the future, gaining fame and rising to higher positions. If that frightens you, then you’re just being greedy. Besides, didn’t you say you’d take on responsibility?”

Verdan’s question, paired with his sharp gaze, left no room for escape.

“You’re really just trying to work me to the bone, aren’t you?”

“I told you. You’re a valuable asset, and I trust you. I trust you won’t go back on your word now, right?”

“Uh, yeah. Of course not. I won’t. But if possible, I’d prefer to start with some easier tasks…”

“I’ll consider that. In fact, I’ll even let you choose your tasks, like a mercenary.”

“Oh!”

Now that sounded appealing. It would make it easier for him to explore undiscovered ruins later on.

If he managed to find relics or elixirs, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“However, you won’t be allowed to refuse just because you don’t like any of the available tasks.”

“With that kind of concession, of course.”

“And, I’ll assign the Red Spear Knights to accompany you.”

Ian’s expression soured.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

If possible, Ian would rather decline. If he had to perform tasks for the family, it would be far more convenient to work alone. He was about to object, but Verdan was firm.

“That’s not an option. At least when you’re carrying out tasks for the family, you’ll be accompanied by the Red Spear Knights. Depending on the situation, you may even need to lead or protect them.”

“Wait, brother. I may have gotten a bit closer to the Red Spear Knights, but I’m not exactly in a position to give them orders.”

“You’re right. You lack the experience.”

“And yet you still want to entrust them to me?”

“The knights I’m assigning to you aren’t full members yet. They’ve just finished their training and are ready to be deployed in the field. But don’t worry, they won’t be a burden to you.”

“Of course, they won’t.”

They might not yet fully be knights, but they were no pushovers.

Still, knights weren’t just anyone. They needed talent and the grit to endure brutal training.

Even if they were rookies, they were high-level personnel, incomparable to most mercenaries or soldiers. After a few monster hunts, they would surely adapt quickly.

But the fact that Verdan was assigning such valuable assets to accompany him suggested that the tasks he was being given would likely be too much to handle alone.

A hunt to subdue a group of demon beasts—it was probably something like that.

“But will they really follow me? I’m basically an outsider.”

“Follow you? That’s the wrong question, Ian. It’s not about them following you; it’s about you leading them. You need to make them follow.”

“…”

“But don’t worry about that just yet. The discipline of the Red Spear Knights is beyond what you can imagine. Especially those who have just completed their training—they’ll have no reason not to follow you, especially since you’re a direct descendant of Berger. If they’ve been ordered to follow you, they won’t even think of complaining unless you do something incredibly stupid. And don’t worry, I’m not asking you to command them from start to finish.”

“Then what?”

“I’ll assign Mael and Mari from the 4th Squad to accompany you. It’ll be easier if you’re with people you’re already familiar with. Officially, they’ll lead the new recruits and protect you.”

Ian sighed.

“Well, if that’s how it’s going to be, I’m fine with it. When do I start?”

“The sooner, the better. But first, let me ask you something. You mentioned you consumed the magic stone of Baphomet, right?”

“Yeah.”

“How long do you think it will take to fully absorb it?”

At Verdan’s question, Ian smirked confidently.

“I’ve already finished.”

“Oh, already?”

“On my way back, I even formed a new ring.”

“Does that mean… you’re at Level 4 now?”

Verdan asked, his voice tinged with surprise. Ian didn’t bother replying verbally, simply nodding confidently.

The four rings now encased the magic core in his dantian. It hadn’t been long since he’d completed the third ring, so this rapid progress was almost unbelievable.

There was a reason why people sought out expensive elixirs.

‘However…’

Verdan narrowed his eyes. Not everyone could increase their level just by consuming an elixir. Absorbing such a massive influx of external mana depended entirely on one’s own ability and talent.

Ian’s achievement was nothing short of impressive.

“I trust you even more now.”

“…You’re not planning to give me work right away, are you?”

“Is that what you’re hoping for?”

“No.”

“I know you’ve been through a lot with those demon beasts, so you deserve a few days to rest and recover. I’ll give you a week to get yourself in top condition. Is that enough?”

Ian nodded in agreement.

A week. It wasn’t a long time, but it would be more than sufficient to recover from his accumulated fatigue and test the new power and magical limits that came with forming the fourth ring.

—

The week passed like a sweet dream.

Ian spent it sleeping on a soft bed instead of hard, uneven ground, wrapped in cozy blankets.

He ate to his heart’s content, enjoying hot, steaming meals.

But he didn’t just laze around. He used the time to study techniques related to Bane of Evil and practiced alone in the training grounds, trying to make the most of the time.

On the appointed day, Verdan, perhaps fearing Ian might forget or try to sneak away, sent his aide to fetch him early in the morning.

Ian dragged his tired body to Verdan’s office, feeling the weight of the task ahead, much like those who dreaded their daily commute to work.

Verdan, dressed neatly, was sipping on a cup of coffee as Ian entered.

“You’re here, Ian. I’ve been waiting.”

Verdan placed three sheets of paper on his desk, all prepared in advance.

“Here, I’ve got them ready. Come and choose the one you like.”

“Hoo…”

Ian let out a long sigh as he skimmed through the papers.

‘Goblins… Hyolangs… and is this Kanol?’

As promised, none of the tasks were particularly difficult, but with the Red Spear Knights assigned to him, every single one felt like a hassle.

‘There’s probably more than just these.’

Ian glanced at the pile of documents. The three sheets he’d been handed came from one of many stacks of papers on Verdan’s desk.

In other words, the other documents likely involved more cases of monsters.

‘The defense line hasn’t been breached yet. Either monsters slipped through the outer gates, or we completely failed to respond.’

Verdan had casually mentioned that they were short-staffed, and it seemed that was truly the case.

‘It can’t be helped. The territory is vast, and the manpower is limited.’

At least the situation wasn’t completely hopeless. The fact that monster stones fetched a good price was now common knowledge. As a result, capable mercenaries were flocking to the eastern regions from all over the empire.

The Red Spear Knights were handling the upper-tier monsters, so the situation hadn’t spiraled out of control yet.

Verdan probably assigned him these lower-tier monster hunts to maintain appearances and avoid unnecessary attention.

Ian stared intently at the three sheets of paper before him.

“This one.”

“Have you made your choice?”

Verdan held out his hand expectantly, as if he already knew what Ian was going to say.

Ian handed him all three sheets.

“I’ll take care of them all.”

Let’s do this.

———