Naturally, Cadel could not decipher the magic book or determine the authenticity, but this was also naturally solved when he met the ‘specific person’ to who he would hand over the [Witch’s Bone Powder]. If this magic book was genuine, it was simply an unexpected good fortune.

‘Quests are harsh to the point of cursing, but other than that, the flow is unexpectedly smooth.’

He must say that the compensation was hefty. It made one sober up.

Cadel nodded in satisfaction and tied the bag. Today, the plan was to move by carriage before sunset. The destination was Drakium, the capital of the Mainue Kingdom. It wasn’t because there was a special main quest, it was because he remembered his first meeting with the person who would exchange [Witch’s Bone Powder] around that time.

Cadel checked over and over again to make sure he hadn’t missed anything, and when he opened the door, he saw Van, who had finished preparing earlier, waiting, leaning against the wall next to the door.

“Come in if you are here. Were your legs hurting?”

“It’s okay. How can I enter Commander’s room without permission?”

“……You’re so polite.”

Why couldn’t he do it? Feeling strange and uncomfortable, Cadel averted his eyes and went down the stairs of the inn, and Van followed immediately.

“Commander, give me your bag.”

“Never mind. I’m going to load it in the carriage anyway.”

“I’ll load it!”

Van casually took the bag out of Cadel’s grasp, who was ignoring him as he went down. When Cadel turned around in bewilderment, he smiled innocently. Cadel opened his eyes as he scanned Van’s bright face.

“You…… Are you in a good mood today?”

“Um, am I?”

“You smile more than usual.”

Originally, Van smiled a lot, but today he seemed particularly happy. A cheerful smile spread across his face as if his full stomach had been relieved. Was he looking forward to leaving for Drakium?

As he left the inn, guessing the reason for the increase in happiness, he heard a tickling voice from behind.

“I don’t know……. Maybe it’s because I’m looking forward to a happy journey without that single person I dislike.”

Ah.

It was only then that Cadel could see why Van looked overly happy. Lumen Dominic. Two days later, he hadn’t visited Cadel. At first, he was so angry because he couldn’t even see his nose. Moreover, it also meant that Lumen rejected the position of a ‘temporary member’ of the mercenary corps. It was a delightful result for Van who had not been happy with Lumen from the beginning.

Was it that good that the mercenary corps’ allocation of power had gone out of the window? Cadel shook his head, feeling a proper mixture of disgust and pity.

“One day, I really need to bring in new power, but it’s not good to hate them so openly every time. You know that, right?”

“Of course!”

I guess you have no idea.

Cadel looked away from Van’s face and looked for the carriage waiting outside.

Thanks to the commission fee, the finances were ample, and the distance to Drakium was close, so he was very excited and rented a carriage. There was also a reason why he thought that he should gradually stock up on stamina. He had to stock up enough stamina to survive even if the recovery from fatigue was 50% for a day, only then would he have a chance to read Van’s personal story.

Through this quest, Cadel felt the need to accurately grasp the character of Van Herdos. The better he got to know him, the more control he’d have.

‘That’s why I called a carriage without being picky…… Where the hell is it?’

He asked the coachman to come to the front of the inn last night with the advance payment. But now he couldn’t see his familiar face.

‘The only carriage available is that expensive-looking one. ……Is it the same for aristocrats? So the plain commoner carriage I called was on the waiting list? According to the law of the status system, you can’t go out in front of the aristocratic carriage?’

It was unlikely that such a rule existed. Cadel slowly felt uneasy about his carriage, which was nowhere to be found.

“Commander, shall I go out and look for it?”

Van asked cautiously as if sensing his nervousness, but Cadel waved his hand saying no. If the coachman didn’t run away with the advance payment, he would have come in a hurry. Because this was a medieval setting. There was no need to be angry at each and every one of them for not being on time.

The moment Cadel decided to wait a little longer while cleaning up his unsettlement, the noble carriage, which was quite far from this side, began to move in front of the inn. Van, wary of the carriage that was openly approaching the entrance, dragged Cadel behind him.

“It’s about to crash.”

Van frowned annoyedly and glared at the coachman. However, the coachman stopped the carriage in front of the inn instead of giving them a special apology or a glance.

‘What, are they also waiting for customers to come out of the inn?’

A large carriage obstructed one’s view. What stopped Cadel from going back was the carriage door that opened in front of his nose and the presence of the man who jumped out of it.

“Why aren’t you riding it?”

“You……!”

After checking the man’s face, Van almost reflexively crumpled his face, and Cadel was appalled by the unexpected encounter.

The person in the carriage was none other than Lumen. He got off the carriage with a blank face as usual and stretched out his hand toward Cadel.

“Lumen……? Why are you here…….”

“I think the Temporary Leader’s eyesight isn’t very good. I did some upgrades to the carriage with my own money.”

When Cadel did not readily take his hand, Lumen stretched out his arm longer and grabbed Cadel’s empty hand. Cadel, who was unexpectedly dragged by his hand, rode the carriage. As he settled down on the soft cushioned seat, Lumen chinned Van with a sour expression.

“If you don’t get on, I’ll leave you behind.”

“You…… Why the hell are you…….”

“Why are you both saying the same thing?”

“The two-day deadline given by Commander has passed! And yet you’re brazenly putting your face in?”

“I was just a little late and now you’re acting so inflexible. You got a nice carriage as an apology. I also got the advance payment from Leader, so stop grumbling.”

As if not wanting to hear any more nagging, Lumen tried to close the carriage door in Van’s face. In response, Van opened the door violently as if to tear it open and climbed inside. He proudly occupied the seat next to Cadel, who was still speechless, and spoke with strength in his voice.

“This guy is so impudent, Commander. Are you really going to go on like this?”

“Um…….”

Cadel was lost in thought for a moment.

Of course, Lumen didn’t even keep the deadline he gave, and he didn’t ask for an apology or understanding on such a subject, and he shamelessly bought a new carriage and tried to join naturally. At a time like this, he wondered if it was necessary to give him a hard blow at least once to show the commander’s dignity.

‘Cushion, comfortable. The inside is also spacious.’

As soon as he enjoyed the comfort compared to the cheap wagon he had obtained, his will to discipline faded like a lie.

Eventually, Cadel leaned comfortably on the seat and closed his eyes.

“I’ll let you off the hook for once since your effort is praiseworthy.”

“Commander……!”

“Instead, the inn and food expenses for the next destination. You pay for everything, Lumen.”

This was why the power of capital was scary no matter what time it was. Cadel was ready to enjoy a comfortable trip, ignoring Van’s unfair voice.

* * *

Capital Drakium. Being the capital of the Kingdom of Mainue, it was at the height of its splendor, with its high reputation.

As if they would not forgive even a handful of darkness, the dazzlingly bright lights, soaring sophisticated architecture, the sweet scent wafting from here and there, and the procession of aristocrats wearing expensive trinkets. In that dazzling street, Cadel was busy looking around.

“There’s an inn I saw when I visited Drakium. Let’s unpack first.”

Lumen, on the other hand, made his way through the crowd casually. Like he was accustomed to such a blatant display of wealth.

It was natural. He was an aristocrat by birth, and he was sick and tired of seeing people who were ridiculously lavishly decorated or parties that bordered on money. Drakium’s dazzling did not stimulate Lumen’s peripheral nerves at all. But there was no better place to stimulate Van than this.

Van had to put up with nausea every time he saw the nobles waving their feathered fans or the attendants following them. Cadel caught sight of Van’s complexion, from blue to white, and sneaked up next to him.

“You didn’t sleep a wink in the carriage. Are you really tired?”

“……No, I’m fine.”

“When you enter the inn, don’t go around for no reason and go to bed right away. I’m going to ask for a request from tomorrow, so take a good rest.”

He patted Van’s shoulder, who silently nodded, and followed Lumen.

Having Lumen join, though obnoxious, was definitely a good choice. As an aristocrat from the Kingdom of Mainue, he was fluent in the geography of Drakium, had abundant information, and above all, he had personal funds. At this point when he has not yet joined the mercenary corps, Cadel’s plan was to extract the funds he had as much as possible. If Lumen joined, he’d have to raise him himself.

Whether or not he knew Cadel’s ulterior motive, Lumen searched for an inn that looked neat and luxurious at first glance. He also showed his interpersonal side by giving away one room per person. Cadel thanked Lumen insincerely and entered his room to unpack his belongings.

“Hmm, let’s see. First, take the bone powder…….”

He told Van to relax as they would move as soon as tomorrow dawned, but Cadel had no intention of letting go of the night. He wanted to find an exchanger to hand over the bone powder as soon as possible. Recruiting knights and growing them would inevitably take a lot of time and effort, but it was easy to reap your own growth as much as the effort you put in. He wanted to find a way to become stronger as soon as possible, even if he split his time.

After taking money, items, and even the magic book, he cautiously opened the door. It would have been a hassle to look around if he ran into Van or Lumen, but luckily no one was in sight in the hallway. Cadel hurried out of the inn.

‘What kind of commission can I get from Drakium? There’s nothing memorable about the story.’

Cadel shook his head as he weaved through the muddled crowd.

As the capital of the Kingdom of Mainue, Drakium occupied a fairly large portion in the game, but unexpectedly, it had little connection with the large main story. Instead, various merchants and event NPCs were located here, so its importance in the game was high. The ‘exchanger’ Cadel was looking for was one of them.

‘Ah, if it’s a game, I just have to press the exclamation mark. How long have I been looking for it in such a wide place?’

He let out a deep sigh, stood tall, and immediately began to look up at the sky with a vague expression. It was like a habit in times of trouble. However, the night sky was full of clouds and he was unable to see the stars, it made him feel like his inner self was full of greed and no answers.

The moment he tried to start a search that was close to wandering again with such an unresolved feeling.

“Where are you going, wandering around like that?”

Instead of the sky that had filled his field of vision, Lumen’s curious face suddenly popped up. Cadel, who met his blue eyes, jerked his head back in surprise, and Lumen stepped back with a small smile.

“Scared me! Why are you here?”

“Taking a walk.”

“Taking a walk?”

“……Of course not. I couldn’t see Leader, so I came out to find you. By the way, you’d better stay out of this. There’s a duke’s family nearby, so if you wander around for no reason, you’ll only be suspicious.”

He laughed lightly and casually stood next to Cadel. Cadel glared at Lumen, pressing down on his still-fluttering chest.

“Don’t chase me and go back. I’m not going anywhere weird.”

“Well, I guess so. You left your loyal dog behind.”

However, as if he had no intention of going back, Lumen widened his stride to match Cadel’s speeding up.

‘Crazy punk! Why are your legs so long? I’m the only one who’s running here!’

It was as if Cadel’s three steps were Lumen’s one step. The harder he walked, the more deprived he felt. In the end, Cadel, who couldn’t shake the feeling of a small dog out for a walk, decided to stop excluding Lumen.

‘Yeah. Lumen knows this area better anyway. Maybe it helps.’

If Lumen wanted to stick with him, he’d use him as much as he wanted. Cadel adjusted his quickened breathing and gave a crooked look.