The next day, someone came to visit the protagonist, who was staying at the lodging.

It was the veteran soldier who came to deliver the message that the Guard Captain was looking for him.

Rael got dressed.

He had to go meet the Captain.

He asked the veteran soldier walking ahead of him,

“Why are you calling me?”

“He said he had something to discuss.”

“Something?”

“I don’t know what it is either.”

Curiosity stirred.

He didn’t know what the Captain wanted to say to him. The protagonist had already said he would fight with them. There was no need to ask for anything.

“I did tell him about the battle where the golem was involved.”

“The battle?”

“He was very surprised. I think he’s calling you for that reason.”

“But I’ve already agreed to fight with you.”

“I think he might ask for something difficult. After all, he’s the one seeking help.”

He nodded.

The veteran soldier’s words sounded quite plausible.

The protagonist had said he would fight with them, but he hadn’t said he would risk his life.

If a truly awkward request came up, he could always refuse.

Thinking that, he felt annoyed.

As he frowned, the veteran soldier added that he might be intending to commend his efforts.

It was an empty compliment.

Even the Count couldn’t satisfy the protagonist, so it seemed unlikely the Guard Captain would offer proper compensation.

He took a deep breath.

It was something he would find out when he met him. So he didn’t think too deeply about it.

“I will take my leave now.”

The Veteran Soldier guided him to a room in the Lodging and then left.

Rael knocked on the door and then stepped inside.

Inside, a portly Middle-aged man was sitting. His unkempt beard gave him a messy appearance.

“Glad to meet you. My name is Gutz. Feel free to call me Former Captain.”

The Guard Captain extended his hand for a handshake.

“I am Rael.”

“Normally, I should have come to you myself, but I have a lot of work to do, so I called you here. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”

His body didn’t seem to be trained, but his hands were strong. He could feel the other person’s strength in their clasped hands.

He wasn’t offended.

The other person was also a Noble. No one could maintain order in the Capital City, let alone other places. One had to have a good background to hold such a position.

Most importantly, he could feel that the other person was being mindful of him. If he had been ignored, the Protagonist would not have stood by. Now he was a Noble with power. There was no need to remain silent.

“My Deputy tells me you took care of over fifty Skeletons?”

“It was nothing major.”

“Is that so? Most Mages would boast, but you are humble.”

“It seems you don’t care much for Mages.”

The Captain’s expression twisted.

“They are a bunch who live for their own pride. Of course, I dislike them. They are the kind of people who discriminate even among Mages.”

It seemed he had been hurt by a Mage before. Still, his gaze towards the Protagonist wasn’t bad.

“Anyway, thank you for your efforts. We only have about twenty men, so it would have been an impossible difference in power for them to survive. I didn’t expect a single Mage to step up and come back alive.”

His tone was sarcastic.

It was as if he was annoyed that his subordinates hadn’t died.

He couldn’t understand.

If his subordinates died, it would be his loss.

He wouldn’t be desperate to avoid a loss.

He couldn’t understand why the Protagonist’s actions had upset the other person.

“What happened in the Slum?”

The Guard Captain also brought up the communal Cemetery. It seemed what he had told the Veteran Soldier on the way to This Place had reached his ears.

He recounted what he had experienced there.

Fighting against an endless horde of Skeletons.

The struggle against the Skeleton Knight.

Even if it was just a Skeleton Soldier, a Knight could even fight a Golem. It was something an ordinary Knight couldn’t do.

His words made the battle on the way seem like nothing.

He naturally thought the other person wouldn’t believe him.

But surprisingly, the Guard Captain’s mouth dropped open and he exclaimed. If he had thought it was nonsense, he should have scoffed.

“Was that Dark Mage wearing glasses and holding a staff embedded with several Magic Stones?”

“I didn’t see his appearance. Do you know anything about the other person?”

It would be good if he knew about the evil Mage.

The Protagonist hoped that the Mage he faced was not an ordinary person. If so, he would have to think about escaping immediately.

The Captain’s face seemed to harden, then he relaxed his expression.

“I wouldn’t know about black mages. It’s just that it’s similar to the rumors I’ve heard. If what I know is correct, the person you faced must be one of the top three most skilled individuals on their side.”

“That’s more than I expected.”

“Huh! You don’t know what you’ve done. If you gather all those who wield black magic scattered across various regions, they would easily exceed a hundred. To be among the top three of those is truly remarkable.”

“You know a lot about evil mages, don’t you?”

“Who said I know a lot! Don’t go around saying such things.”

The Captain’s attitude was strange. It was bordering on suspicious. But he didn’t bother to speak up. It wasn’t the time to do anything right now.

If he was a spy, there was no need to fight the Skeletons.

At this point, the Protagonist wondered why the Captain had called him. He was curious about the suspicious opponent’s intentions.

“I called you to ask for a favor to enter my castle.”

“Your castle?”

“I heard you’re close with the Count. And that you played a significant role in the North.”

“That’s right.”

“A blockade order has been issued, and most people can’t enter my castle. But it might be different for you. If all else fails, there’s always the option of using a Golem to threaten the Capital City.”

“So you’re asking me to use my influence to get you all in too.”

“You’re quick-witted.”

“But aren’t you a Noble too? As the Guard Captain of the Capital City, you should have quite a bit of power, so why are you asking me for such a favor?”

“This is the South. And I don’t get along with the Commander who guards the south gate of my castle. Does that answer your question?”

He nodded.

Using power only worked against opponents weaker than the Protagonist.

“When do you plan to go to the castle?”

“There’s an order from above. For now, I plan to clear the surrounding areas.”

“Because of the citizens, I presume.”

“They won’t let everyone in, you see.”

Only those of high status stayed in the castle.

They locked the City Gate for their own safety.

It seemed they wouldn’t let commoners in, unless they were fellow Nobles.

He felt that the other person was a good sort.

An ordinary person would only care about saving themselves and wouldn’t bother with others. Thinking that, his suspicion of the other person vanished.

Such a person couldn’t possibly be a Demon’s minion.

“I plan to patrol the surroundings for a week and deal with the Skeletons, and I think I’ll need your help, Mage.”

“For free?”

He crossed his arms. Helping the citizens was something he should do, but if he didn’t ask for a reward, he might be seen as foolish in the Capital City.

In the past, he wouldn’t have been so confident. But now, he wasn’t in a position to be outdone anywhere. Mordon was also standing behind him.

With someone to back him up, the Protagonist gained confidence.

The Guard Captain laughed. It was a hearty laugh.

“I should pay a price for asking for help from a Mage of your incredible skill.”

“With what?”

“What I offer won’t be enough. Let’s do this. When I go to my Castle this time, I will report about clearing out the Skeletons, and I will also speak about you.”

“Is that all?”

“Don’t make such a disappointed face. This is a great thing too.”

He couldn’t get rid of his disappointed expression.

What he gained from the Count speaking well of him was the title of Baron and a fief. Compared to that time, he had fought fewer battles, and he didn’t have high expectations of how well an opponent who was merely a Guard Captain would speak of him.

“Mordon?”

“It’s not a bad offer.”

“Are you saying I should accept the offer?”

“Don’t forget that this is the Capital City. A Guard Captain will have more influence than most Nobles.”

The Guard Captain smiled.

“That friend knows a thing or two. You will be able to get what you want from the King. He’ll have no choice but to give it to you, even if it’s just for appearances.”

“There’s nothing specific I want to get.”

Mordon said from beside him.

“Don’t you have the orbs?”

“Ah, the orbs.”

“There will be Mages captured this time, so they will have orbs. You can ask for those as compensation.”

He opened his mouth. He had thought he had only fought a fierce battle against the evil Mage and gained nothing, but he never dreamed it would connect like this.

With things this way, the Guard Captain’s offer seemed appealing. There was no one else who could properly report what the Protagonist had done right now.

There were Court Mages, but they couldn’t be trusted. At first, they had even cast Magic at each other. Seeing what the Old Man did, it was hard to see him as simply a good person.

“Alright, I’ll do it.”

“You’ve thought well.”

He clasped the Guard Captain’s outstretched hand.

A dark light seemed to flow from the other person’s eyes.

The scent of death emanated from him.

It was a scent only the Protagonist, who could sense mana, could detect.

‘As I thought, he’s suspicious.’

He exchanged greetings with him and left.

The Guard Captain seemed like a good person.

But mana didn’t lie.

“Mordon. What do you think of the Guard Captain?”

He was troubled about what to believe. He brought up the topic with Mordon. These kinds of things had to be asked of someone who had lived a long time.

He had lived at least twice as long as the Protagonist. Looking at his age, he might have lived three times as long. He would have had many experiences meeting people, so the impression he had of the Guard Captain seemed accurate.

“Does he seem suspicious to you?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know what made you feel that way, but I also had a slightly uneasy feeling.”

“Uneasy?”

“That person knew a suspicious amount. Too much. Even if he held a position where he was well-informed, it’s still strange.”

Mordon’s insight was remarkable. The Protagonist had been completely fooled before seeing the mana.

“What should we do if the other party is a spy?”

“They’re probably planning to enter my castle and cause trouble. It’s clear they intend to use the Baron in the process.”

“Will they try to kill me?”

“They need the Baron for now, so that won’t happen. It’s possible they’ll even live normally in my castle. There’s no need to bother them.”

“So, I just have to let myself be used?”

Mordon fell into thought.

“If it were me, I’d look for evidence first.”

“Evidence?”

“It’s hard to believe his subordinates are all in on it, so wouldn’t it be solved by just revealing that he’s an informant?”

“How do I find it?”

“We need to think about that starting now. Anyway, we’re not heading to my castle immediately, so there’s time.”

As he said, there was still time. The Guard Captain intended to subjugate the Skeletons for a while. There was no need to rush.

If the other party intended to use the Protagonist, they needed to be taught a lesson. It was unpleasant to be manipulated like a puppet without the Protagonist’s knowledge.

Mordon said there was no need to worry much. He added that the Guard Captain seemed to think highly of them after hearing that they had driven out the evil Mage earlier.

From the Protagonist’s perspective, the other party hadn’t shown such an inclination. But since it was Mordon’s word, they had no choice but to believe it.

Although the Protagonist’s magic skills were excellent, Mordon was far superior in swordsmanship and judging people.