(After making some changes, quite a few settings and plot points have changed. If you have time, I recommend starting from the beginning and reading it again! Please recommend the story!!)
The Adventurer brought the black-robed mage over, bowed to the people in the secret chamber, then respectfully withdrew.
The black-robed mage looked at the young man at the head of the group and asked, his voice rising slightly:
"Black Knight Jack?"
The young man known as Black Knight Jack, leader of the Black Knight Brotherhood, gave a faint laugh and replied:
"That's right! You must be the infamous Mr. Goman the Warlock, wanted jointly by the Hand of Justice and the Solon Kingdom!"
"Have those dogs from the Hand of Justice already spread word all the way to the remote Northern Lands?"
Black Knight Jack didn't answer Goman. Instead, he looked into the Warlock's dark eyes and said softly:
"Mr. Goman, your strength is astonishing. I don't know why you'd want to join a small organization like the Black Knight Brotherhood. If you're willing to join an organization, plenty of local nobles—and even powerful groups like the Thieves' Guild, Shadow Demon City, and Fallen Tower Forest—would be more than happy to take you in!"
The Warlock seemed surprised. He studied the young thief leader carefully before saying:
"For the leader of a band of thieves, you certainly know a lot. It seems you have some powerful backing, too."
As spellcasters who wielded the forces of darkness, evil, and chaos, Warlocks were shunned by most human factions. The True God Church and state organizations aligned with the forces of justice regarded them as heretics and attacked them on sight.
That didn't mean every Warlock was evil or that there were no good people among them. In truth, however, most Warlocks could be called villains by any standard. The most extreme ones were generally twisted and disturbed, a group of vile creatures who reveled in evil and would stop at nothing.
Warlocks were therefore usually solitary, with few friends and enemies almost everywhere. Even when they joined an organization, they chose one among the forces of darkness.
The three organizations Black Knight Jack had mentioned were all backed by powerful true gods, and all accepted members of the evil alignment. Generally, as long as they didn't violate the organization's core principles, even members of the evil alignment could find protection after joining a neutral or even righteous faction. Of course, some organizations devoted to pure goodness and order would tolerate no impurity and allowed no chaotic or evil beings among them.
Goman, who had always been used to looking out for himself and standing alone, had never considered any of that. He wanted to join a band of thieves simply because a small group like this wouldn't restrict his power and would be easy to control.
"To be honest, I want to join the Black Knight Brotherhood for two reasons. First, to hide my identity and evade the dogs from the Hand of Justice. The Northern Lands are beyond their reach, so they're the perfect place to hide. Second, operating with you here will let me kill and burn to my heart's content without worrying about exposing myself. You can take the blame for everything I do, as long as you clean up the traces. You can keep all the spoils. That'll boost your organization's reputation, bring you real benefits, and give you the strength of a Silver Ranker like me!"
"A Silver Ranker? You haven't crossed that threshold yet, have you?"
As a peak Bronze expert, Black Knight Jack had great confidence in his own perception. Though the Warlock's power was somewhat strange, it didn't seem to have surpassed the Bronze rank.
Faced with the young bandit leader's challenge, Goman scolded him irritably:
"Young man, don't use your experience as a warrior to judge a spellcaster's strength, especially that of a great Warlock! I may not have reached the Silver rank, but the power in my bloodline allows me to summon and control a powerful Silver-rank Demon. Don't provoke a Warlock's wrath. Destroying a tiny remote city like Giant Stone City would be child's play!"
As the leader of an underground organization backed by the Lord of Giant Stone City, the young man knew that Goman was merely bragging to inflate his own value.
Though Demons were said to be much stronger than others of the same rank, they were still bound by the limits of their rank. Their power was also suppressed to some extent when summoned into the main world. Giant Stone City had at least three Silver Rankers: Mage Messer, the white-robed high priest of the Temple of Agriculture, and the Giant Stone City Garrison Commander. Two of them were Silver-rank spellcasters. Three against one—and Goman thought a Silver-rank Demon could raze the city? It was an absurd fantasy.
Black Knight Jack didn't believe Goman's exaggerated boasts, but he didn't want to offend the volatile Warlock, either, then face the wrath of a Silver Demon in this sealed chamber.
So he quietly discussed the matter with several subordinates beside him. Then the young man said:
"By our rules, anyone from outside who wants to join the Brotherhood has to complete a task first. This one is difficult, and you mustn't let your identity show in the slightest. Can you accept that, Mr. Goman?"
"What's the task?" Goman asked with interest.
"Here's the target's information. Look it over before you decide. If you complete the task, we'll officially admit you, and you'll also receive a generous bounty of one thousand Gold Sol!" After Black Knight Jack finished speaking, one of the men behind him immediately took out a sheet of parchment and handed it to the Warlock.
Goman glanced at the contents and sneered:
"He's just a low-level Black Iron mage, a freshly promoted apprentice. And he's got you this nervous?"
Black Knight Jack replied with a pointed tone, "He's no ordinary mage. His teacher is none other than the one known as the North Shire's Number One Mage."
Hearing this, Goman looked further down and understood.
"So it really was you who did that last time. I was wondering who had the nerve to assassinate a mage with that kind of backing!"
"What's the matter? Are you afraid? Since the task is difficult, we've arranged two people to help you. You'll meet them shortly."
Faced with Black Knight Jack's attempt to provoke him, Goman proudly lifted his chin.
"I don't need any help. The target may have troublesome connections, but Warlocks and mages are natural enemies. I don't care what grudge you or your backers have against that young mage. I'll take the task. Even if he's a Summoner, I can deal with him easily! Just wait for the good news!"
"Very well. I won't insist, then. Arrange a place for Mr. Goman to stay in the city, and give him the best accommodations!"
After he spoke, two men in black led the Warlock out of the secret chamber. Black Knight Jack and the other bandit leaders left as well, heading to an underground hall that served as their true base.
"That Warlock clearly doesn't get along with mages. Those two old men have called in mages to help, too, so I doubt they'll be able to work together. We'll keep them in reserve!"
Black Knight Jack wasn't acting out of any noble intentions. He didn't trust the unfamiliar Warlock at all, but it was difficult to refuse Viscount Macbeth's orders for the time being. Fortunately, they didn't have to act themselves. They could just leave the whole task to the Warlock and the others.
In a secret chamber at the underground hideout, two figures wrapped tightly in black cloaks followed a man in black inside. Just as he had when receiving the Warlock, the young leader of the Black Knight Brotherhood met with them in the chamber.
If Donald had been there, he would have recognized the two mages immediately. They were the Snow Mage he had once defeated and his friend, the mage Naron.
Before you continue