Change (3)
The world was structured much like Earth’s late medieval period.
A clearly defined class system, with laws and order to match.
Naturally, people’s perceptions and ways of thinking were aligned with this order.
Thus, it wasn’t unusual for a knight to speak down to a commoner or to draw a sword to block someone’s path.
However…
“If this weren’t the city-state of Palsion, the heart of the City Union, things might be different.”
The City Union, a nation formed by dozens of cities centered around Palsion, had a rather unique social structure.
While the existence and roles of nobility were similar to other countries, one’s status wasn’t solely determined by bloodline.
In the City Union, if you had exceptional skills, you could rise as high as your talents would take you.
“Take the noble explorers, for example.”
Explorers who achieved great feats in the labyrinth and were recognized for their contributions could be granted noble status.
Even soldiers protecting the city could aspire to become knights or even higher, provided they demonstrated sufficient prowess.
This system applied equally to mercenaries and merchants.
As a result, anyone with proven abilities was naturally treated according to their skills, regardless of their current status.
Therefore…
“Still holding your head high, are you? Seems like words won’t work on you!”
It was rather unusual to see a knight trying to intimidate an explorer, a gold-ranked mercenary who had survived the labyrinth, by flaunting his status.
This wasn’t the Southern Empire, after all.
“Tsk.”
Though it was irksome, he couldn’t just bash heads in the city without cause.
After all, the Silver Order was the official organization entrusted with maintaining order in this area.
It was necessary to understand the reasons behind this absurd confrontation.
Dalen casually hooked his fingers into his belt and surveyed the plaza.
The first thing he noticed was nearly a hundred soldiers surrounding the plaza, led by seven or eight knights.
The number of troops was several times the usual security force.
Their wide formation around the plaza seemed as if they were waiting for someone to emerge from the labyrinth.
“So, there really is an order from above.”
The exact circumstances were still unclear. He had some guesses, but there was no rush to conclusions.
Unexpected events were a daily occurrence on this continent.
And such unforeseen events often led to direct confrontations.
Tap. Tap.
A hundred soldiers.
Less than ten lower-ranked knights.
With his current strength, he could handle them without resorting to the power of the dragon.
The key was how long it would take.
And how much collateral damage and allied casualties could be minimized in the process.
Tap. Tap-tap.
While his mind calculated hundreds of scenarios in an instant, his fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the axe blade.
And how did they interpret that action?
“Wait a moment. Let’s talk, Sir Knight.”
Sienna hurriedly stepped in front of him, diverting the knight’s attention.
Dalen scratched his chin at her gesture behind her back, signaling him to calm down.
Did they really think he was about to draw his axe?
He was just thinking, that’s all. Just thinking.
“And who might you be?”
Naturally, the knight, who had been consistently high-handed, looked displeased at Sienna’s interruption.
“I’m the mage of this party. You mentioned it was an official duty under the command of the Golden Palace. Could you tell us what this is about?”
“Hmm…”
Of course, that displeasure was short-lived. Sienna’s appearance and aura had an undeniable allure.
The bald knight, still on horseback, gazed down at Sienna intently.
His eyes glistened with greed, blatantly admiring her appearance.
From her hair to the figure revealed by her armor, his eyes roamed over her face with a shameless gaze.
’…He’ll probably end up dead in some sewer later.’
Sensing the faint killing intent from the back of Sienna’s head, Dalen withdrew his hand from the axe head. It was clear that the knight’s fate was sealed without him needing to intervene.
Who would dare provoke an information broker from the back alleys? The amusing part was that the knight seemed completely oblivious to his impending doom.
“Ahem, mercenary Dalen. Sienna of the Bronze District. And soldiers from the Tsar Kingdom, correct?”
“What the hell! Why am I left out, Sir Knight?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Bjorn protested at being left off the list, while Sienna calmly nodded, blocking his path.
The knight cleared his throat and lowered his voice.
“We’ve received orders from above to detain you for investigation. You need only comply obediently with the glorious command of the Golden Palace. As for the offense of making our knights wait for days, we’ll decide whether to forgive it based on your future conduct.”
”…Ha, what a fool.”
Perhaps Sienna’s patience had reached its limit.
At the knight’s absurd words, she finally let out a sigh filled with her true feelings.
”…What did you say?”
The knight’s eyes twitched. He trembled with anger, raising his sword with both hands and taking a deep breath.
“Hup…!”
As he tensed his glistening forehead, a shimmering aura began to form on his sword.
It was sword energy.
“Heh, seems like it’s your first time seeing sword energy. Be grateful if you get away with just losing an arm for that insolent mouth. I, Sir Angel, will personally…”
Damn. Can’t listen to this anymore.
Dalen shook his head and stepped forward.
”…Kuh!”
His approach cut off both the knight’s words and breath. The bald knight instinctively swung his sword vertically.
Clang! Clatter!
But the sword, faintly imbued with energy, was easily sliced in two by Dalen’s casual gesture, falling to the ground.
“Wha, what…?”
“What do you mean, ‘what’? You can’t even form proper sword energy.”
Thud.
Dalen took a step forward.
Not on the ground, but in the air.
As if there were invisible steps, the empty space supported his body with a small ripple.
It didn’t take long for him to be at eye level with the bald knight on horseback. And soon, the knight was looking up at Dalen.
“Did you say just an arm?”
“Uh, well, that is…”
“I’ll take it.”
Whoosh.
There was no flashy movement.
Swish—
Dalen’s hand, which had been resting on his belt, blurred for a moment.
Thud.
The knight’s arm, still in its armor, fell onto the stone pavement.
“Wha, wha, aaaaah!”
Crash!
With a delayed scream, the bald knight writhed on the ground, clutching his severed shoulder.
A momentary commotion erupted among the soldiers surrounding the plaza.
But the chaos was short-lived.
Not everyone was as foolish as the bald knight, and the loose formation quickly tightened into a sharp encirclement.
”…Oh dear.”
“Haha, seems like there’s no avoiding it now.”
Sienna pressed her forehead, drawing upon her magic. Beside her, Bjorn chuckled softly, pulling explosives from his coat.
Meanwhile, Dalen wiped the blood from his axe on his clothes and sheathed it. It seemed there would be no need to spill more blood today.
The presence he had sensed just before severing the bald knight’s arm had already reached the edge of the plaza.
Thud! Thud!
“Stop! Cease your hostility towards the explorers!”
A voice, amplified with magic, echoed through the plaza.
At the same time, a knight on horseback shot through the encirclement and entered the plaza.
“Lower your weapons as well! We have no intention of being hostile towards you!”
The knight, who shouted towards Dalen and his companions, leaped gracefully from his galloping horse, landing smoothly on the ground.
Clang!
Despite the immense weight of his armor and the speed of the horse, he stopped as if he were merely out for a morning jog.
Unlike the boastful bald knight, the natural ease of his movements was a testament to his genuine skill.
“Captain! These lowly scum dared to…”
“Silence, Angel. For your reckless behavior that nearly endangered your comrades, you will be disciplined according to regulations.”
The knight silenced the bald knight’s indignant protests and approached the group with measured steps.
“My subordinate has been discourteous. Thank you for your leniency.”
He bowed deeply, his voice low and sincere.
When he lifted the visor of his helmet, a familiar face was revealed.
“It’s been a while, Dalen.”
“Indeed, it has, Captain Silence.”
Dalen extended his hand first, and the knight hesitated briefly before grasping it.
Captain Gawain of the Silent Company, who had fought at the forefront of the war between the Bronze Guard and the cultists, now appeared as a leader of knights.
Under Gawain’s guidance, the group moved to the Golden District.
It turned out that the orders from above weren’t for an arrest or detention.
The directive was to escort him with utmost care, as he was believed to be a key witness in a recent incident.
“The Night of the Vengeful Spirits?”
“Yes. Spirits were unleashed across the southern regions of the Tsar’s domain, leading to a massacre. It’s suspected to be the work of an unknown group of dark sorcerers, and the death toll is in the thousands.”
”…I see.”
Though the evidence was more than just a hunch, it was best to remain silent until meeting the person who issued the orders.
The instruction to escort him was indeed genuine, as a carriage was already waiting near the square.
The group set off towards their destination, enjoying the plush seats of the luxurious carriage and the diligent escort of the knights.
Of course, before that, they made sure to address the unpleasant incident that had occurred earlier through Sienna.
“Drawing swords first in front of those you’re supposed to escort—it’s clear the Silver Knights have quite the ego. I suppose they thought they could treat us like that because we’re explorers, lower-class citizens from the Bronze District, and foreigners from the north?”
”…I apologize. It was a mistake by my subordinate. He’s from a noble family and studied in the Empire, so his pride was wounded at the thought of waiting for explorers. He’ll be dismissed for this, so I ask for your understanding.”
“That’s it? Just a reprimand and an apology? Captain Gawain, you’ve changed a lot.”
”…Would gold suffice?”
“We have plenty of gold ourselves, Captain.”
After a brief but intense negotiation, they secured a one-time bidding pass for the Golden Auction House in the Golden District.
The bidding pass for the Golden Auction House, which opens only once a year, was not only worth dozens of gold coins but was also notoriously difficult to obtain, no matter how wealthy one was.
The reason was, of course, the rarity and quality of the items and the status of the participants.
“If it’s the Golden Auction House, you’ll definitely find what you’re looking for.”
“What I’m looking for?”
“You wanted potions to enhance your stamina or vision spells, didn’t you?”
Sienna murmured, her eyes closed lazily against the carriage’s gentle sway.
Dalen couldn’t help but chuckle.
She remembered his requests from half a year ago when they were selecting assignments.
”…That’s right. Thanks for remembering.”
“Who do you think I am? I’m the best information broker in the Bronze District.”
Mumbling, Sienna soon drifted into a light nap.
“A bidding pass for the Golden Auction House, huh.”
It was an exceedingly generous reward for dealing with a troublesome knight.
The Golden Auction House attracted not only the nobles of the Golden Palace but also royalty and high-ranking nobles from across the continent.
Even Dalen, who had lived through hundreds of lifetimes, had only managed to attend the auction a handful of times.
Though he had already resolved his stamina issues, it didn’t matter much.
The elixirs available at the auction weren’t limited to just enhancing stamina.
“Still, it might be better to explore other options than just potions that boost stats.”
The discoveries from the labyrinth this time were possibilities that far surpassed a mere increase in stats.
“Status window.”
Dalen stroked his chin as he opened his status window. The numbers and lists that appeared were incomparable to those from half a year ago.
But what caught Dalen’s attention wasn’t the significantly increased stats or the list of skills that had grown to double digits.
It was the new notification at the very bottom of the status window, below the skill list.
[You have acquired more than five unique skills.]
[You can now view the unique skill list.]
These two lines, which he had never seen in hundreds of playthroughs, were the greatest achievement he had gained from breaking through hell.