“Is that the right direction?”

“Yes.”

The innkeeper’s daughter nodded.

But they couldn’t easily approach. There were about fifty Skeletons. It was a battle happening in the path.

A fight was happening in the path they had passed on their way. He wondered if he should avoid the fight. The Protagonist didn’t have much mana.

He had used stone armor and cast spells indiscriminately in the common Cemetery. So, less than half his mana remained. He didn’t have the Capital City to fight recklessly when he didn’t know how many more battles he would have. If his mana ran out, the Protagonist was no different from an ordinary person.

“What should we do? Should we help them?”

Mordon asked.

Unlike when he offered advice, this time he was asking for a choice.

Previously, the Protagonist would leave the choices to him.

But now it was different.

The Protagonist had to make the decision.

Rael thought about it and decided to help the Guards.

There was no particular reason.

There were no enemies with ranged Weapons on the other side. The Protagonist was riding on the Golem’s palm, so there was no danger unless it was an Arrow.

Above all, he felt a sense of welcome from the gaze of the Guard Soldier looking this way.

They were surrounded by Skeletons, so they didn’t have much leeway, but he recognized that it was a Guard Soldier he had encountered before.

He didn’t remember all their faces.

They might have been the ones next to the Guard Captain he met last time. He had asked for the Guard Soldier’s understanding many times because of the Golem.

“Golem Mage!”

Among them, there was one who shouted. He was the most relaxed-looking Veteran Soldier. His skills were proficient, but he was also struggling, panting for breath.

The situation seemed urgent.

He felt he needed to move quickly, but at that moment, his movements froze at the man’s shout.

“What are you just watching for! Hurry and help us! We’re about to die to these Skeletons!”

He looked around at the man’s irritated voice.

The Guard Soldiers also seemed to have similar thoughts, showing dissatisfied expressions. Seeing that, it occurred to the Protagonist that what he was about to do would be a loss.

Looking at their expressions, it seemed like the Protagonist wouldn’t gain anything by stepping in.

Unless there was a pretty woman among the Guard Soldiers. The Protagonist didn’t want to fight an unnecessary battle either.

“Oh! Mage!”

“Mary?”

“Please help me here! We’ve even shared a body!”

The innkeeper’s daughter stared.

“That’s nonsense.”

“Ah… yes.”

The woman nodded. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to believe it.

I sighed.

Since the woman was there, I had to move the Golem. We had been together for a short while, and I wasn’t cruel enough to just let her die.

Meanwhile, the Skeleton, holding a knife in its hand, slashed at the Golem’s leg. It was a futile attack.

It was a Golem that could withstand the axes of Orcs. A blade wielded by a Skeleton, which was nothing but bones, was laughable.

The Golem, which had taken the blade, swept the ground with its arm. The Skeleton’s entire body crumbled, scattering bones.

The Guard Soldiers were agitated by the immense power. Their displeased expressions quickly vanished, replaced by awe. The Veteran Soldier who had shouted earlier watched the Golem swing its arm again, his mouth agape.

The number of Skeletons was rapidly decreasing. Before the Golem appeared, I had been swinging my sword for nearly an hour, and three of my comrades had died, while I had dealt with seven Skeletons.

But the Golem had defeated even more Skeletons in one go.

Skeletons alone were so troublesome and difficult, and seeing a Golem even stronger than them made me realize I didn’t know much about Mages.

Rael put strength into his legs.

When I came to my senses, broken bones were scattered on the floor.

While the Golem finished the battle, the best I could do was to hold on to its palm so I wouldn’t fall. I couldn’t even think about casting a spell.

I felt it was amazing just to be standing there.

I could feel people looking at me.

After the fight, the Golem knelt and extended its palm.

I stepped down onto the ground.

Looking around, all eyes were on the Protagonist.

The gaze that had once been on the Golem now gathered on the Protagonist, the Mage.

It seemed to be because I was riding on its palm.

It was clear that it wasn’t the Golem that was amazing, but the Mage who controlled it.

Mary flew toward me with open arms.

It was as if she had met a long-lost lover.

Mordon blocked her in the middle, so she couldn’t embrace me.

Taking advantage of her hesitation, I asked about what happened earlier.

“What do you mean by ‘shared a body’? I don’t remember sleeping with you.”

“When we first met, I clung to you. That’s what I meant.”

Mary scratched her head, as if embarrassed by her own words. Her hair was greasy, as if she hadn’t washed it for a long time.

“Don’t say things that could be misunderstood.”

“I won’t do it again next time. I’m sorry.”

She readily admitted her mistake.

She even said that since I saved her, it would be fine to actually ‘share bodies.’ She also said her body was clean. Since she didn’t seem to wash her body, it probably meant something else.

He shook his head.

He thought he knew why Mary was acting that way. She was trying to cling to the Protagonist because he was a Noble.

He didn’t dislike her for it. It seemed to be because she acted openly without hiding her intentions. If she had hidden her true feelings in a sly way, he might have felt repulsed.

For her, a low-ranking Mercenary, such behavior was natural in the Capital City. The Protagonist was not so narrow-minded as to get angry at her struggle to survive.

It also seemed to be because Mary was a woman.

When the battle ended, the Veteran Soldier shouted something, making the Soldiers move. The Soldiers checked on the wounded and cleared the surroundings.

The Veteran Soldier turned his head.

He looked at the Mage, observing him carefully.

He remembered shouting earlier.

His heart sank, thinking about shouting at such a powerful Mage, no matter how urgent the situation was.

If the other party hadn’t helped him right then and there, he would have been dead. He didn’t know what to do, wondering if the other party might be offended.

Fortunately, the Mage didn’t seem too offended. Still, he couldn’t be sure. To avoid upsetting him as much as possible, he smiled and spoke. It was a smile that none of his subordinates had ever seen from him.

“Thanks to you, Mage, we are alive. If the Golem hadn’t stepped in, we would all be dead.”

They wouldn’t all have died, but if the fight had dragged on, only a few would have survived. It was already difficult when the number of comrades to protect each other in such a dangerous situation decreased. Thinking that, his gratitude towards the Mage surged.

The Guard Soldiers who had directly faced the enemy also shouted their thanks. Winning the battle, they were all excited at the thought of having survived.

Rael nodded. Although he felt good, the Protagonist’s purpose in saving them was not to hear words of thanks.

“Are you the highest-ranking person here? How did you recognize me just now?”

He used polite language towards the other person. Only those with clear status could join the Guard of the Capital City. There might be commoners, but to rise in rank, one’s background had to be good.

This meant he was at least a Second Son or third son of a Noble family, even if not the eldest son to inherit the Title.

“I’ve seen you talking with the Captain. Though I haven’t spoken with you directly like this. I also saw you leading a Golem then, but I didn’t realize you could fight so well.”

“Since I’ve saved you all, may I ask a few things?”

“Of course. I’ll tell you anything I know.”

The Veteran Guard Soldier nodded. It was nothing to answer a few questions when they were already indebted to him.

“What exactly is going on right now?”

“The situation, you mean…?”

“I’m talking about the Skeletons openly roaming around.”

“I don’t know much about that either.”

“You don’t know anything?”

“We were called to assembly from the new Wall, and then received orders to stop the Skeletons. Since then, we’ve just been running around and fighting until we met you, Mage.”

“And the higher-ups didn’t tell you anything else?”

“I haven’t heard anything. The chain of command is that the South City Wall Defense Captain hears news from the Royal Palace and then informs the Guard.”

The Guard Soldier, though a Veteran Soldier, had little information. He felt he needed to meet someone higher up. Before that, he had to consider whether to go to the inner Castle.

It wasn’t a long distance, but he didn’t know if he would encounter Skeletons along the way. For now, he also needed to rest. His thoughts became numerous.

He felt frustrated, as if his curiosity would be satisfied if he met the Fortune Teller. He had no idea how many more Skeletons he had to destroy.

“What are you all going to do now? Are you going to keep stopping the Skeletons like this?”

“It’s madness to fight more when the Soldiers are exhausted. We’re going straight to the Sixth Guard Captain.”

“The Sixth?”

“This City is so large that the Guard is divided by district.”

“Which Guard Captain did I meet last time?”

He stroked his thigh. It was the area where he had been stabbed by an Assassin last time. At that time, he was so furious that he brought a Golem and caused a commotion. During that process, the Guard Captain who had taken bribes came to mind.

“That person is the third. For your information, there are up to ten.”

“You’re from a different unit, so why were you together?”

“Many people were on vacation then, so we sent people from our side to fill the ranks. Have you heard of ‘fill-in’?”

Since they were all Guard Soldiers, it seemed that if there was a shortage of personnel, they would call in people from other units. Still, he was relieved to meet someone who knew about the Protagonist.

There were still many who looked down on him because he seemed young. Even those who were careful did so because they saw Mordon standing behind him.

“I generally understand the situation.”

“What do you intend to do, Mage?”

“Me?”

“Please join us as you are. If we have a Mage, it will be a great help.”

“I was planning to head to the inner Castle as I am.”

“You won’t be able to enter there. A Blockade Order has already been issued.”

“Blockade Order?”

“It must be dangerous if an evil Mage enters. They said they would send Soldiers to calm the situation, so we must hold out here.”

He felt a slight regret. If he had followed the three Mages he met in the common Cemetery, he thought he would have entered the inner Castle. Not accepting their offer put him in an awkward position.

On the other hand, he also felt that it couldn’t be helped. No one would have expected the situation to turn urgent in just one day. It was just bad luck.

He felt a little better when he realized that this wasn’t something the Protagonist had experienced due to immaturity, unlike before.

“Did they mention a deadline?”

“That, I also…”

The Veteran Soldier avoided his gaze. Instead, urgency filled his eyes.

He had to hold out with his subordinates. Their opponents were Skeletons, and there was no knowing how many would surge forward. Just a moment ago, they might have died. Most of them would have died if not for the Mage.

The Mage’s skill was needed. Even just the Golem could sweep them away, and if he also cast magic, it would be reassuring. With that thought, he resolved to definitely keep him.

“It’s not bad for you either, Mage. The lodging where we are staying is a Capital City that can be used as a fortress in an emergency. We also protect the surrounding citizens, so we need a skilled person. Someone like you, Mage.”

The Veteran Soldier pleaded. Just a moment ago, he had almost single-handedly ended a battle that would have killed more than ten people. If the Mage lent his strength, fewer people would die.

His hometown friends he had worked with for a long time and the neighbors he had seen on the streets wouldn’t have to die. That made him even more desperate.

Looking at the woman by his side, he thought his words would be effective. An unfeeling person wouldn’t bother to save people.

It might have been because she was a woman that he saved her, but he quickly shook off that thought.

The Veteran Soldier didn’t think this young-looking Mage was infatuated with women.

“Alright.”

“Then…”

“I’d like to rest first.”

The Veteran Soldier nodded.

He thought the Mage had used a lot of strength moving the Golem just now. The Mages he knew were those who would collapse after casting a few spells.

The innkeeper’s daughter, who had been listening to their conversation, brightened. If people gathered, it wouldn’t be dangerous.

The group headed to where the Guards were gathered.

***

“Captain.”

The veteran soldier arrived at the lodging where the Sector 6 Guard was staying and reported the recent battle to his superior.

The superior’s name was Gutz, a captain in charge of a sector. Being a Guard Captain wasn’t something just anyone could do. It wasn’t a position you could hold forever, but those who quit the job invariably bought a mansion in the Capital City.

The veteran soldier envied the Captain. Although their ranks weren’t that different, the protagonist wouldn’t be able to touch that much money even if he worked until he died. It wasn’t the first or second time he’d wished he had a better background.

“Is that true?”

The Guard Captain, hearing the story from the veteran soldier, was startled. He had also heard about the mage who controlled golems, but hearing it from the subordinate by his side made it feel different.

“Others saw it too, so you can ask them.”

“I’m not doubting you, but it’s hard to believe that golems are that strong. Where did you say that mage was?”

“He’s staying at the Barracks Lodging.”

“Bring him here. We need to discuss future matters.”

“Matters?”

“You don’t need to know.”

The veteran soldier wondered what they would discuss, but he didn’t ask further and stepped back. It was his lot in life to do as his superiors commanded.