The Queen of the Mercenary World

"This young lady... wants to join your mercenary group."

As old Hank spoke, Rhode turned his gaze toward the woman beside him. Under his watchful eyes, she finally took off her cloak and revealed her true appearance.

She was a girl who looked no older than sixteen or seventeen.

Her lovely face, delicate features, and beautiful snow-white hair immediately drew the eye. Curiosity glimmered in her pair of wine-red eyes. Her face carried the confidence and pride unique to nobles, and judging by the exquisite collar of her clothes and its intricate patterns, she was clearly the daughter of some noble family.

"This young lady is..."

Rhode furrowed his brow. He didn't want any unexpected complications.

"Hello, Mr. Rhode Ellant."

The girl extended her hand with an easy smile and spoke.

"I'm Marlene Xenia. As you've heard, I hope to join your mercenary group. I'd be grateful if you'd give me this opportunity."

"Marlene Xenia?"

Hearing the girl introduce herself, Rhode froze for a moment, then his face showed a hint of surprise.

The name Marlene Xenia wasn't unfamiliar to Rhode at all. In the game, she was quite famous among players. She even had a nickname: "the Queen of the Mercenary World." Rumor had it that she was a spellcasting prodigy who had broken through the limits of an Inner Circle Mage by the age of nineteen. She had also founded a mercenary group called the Circle of Freedom, making her one of the few outstanding young talents in the Moon Principality. However, players didn't like her much, because rumor said she had a peculiar quirk—she hated men.

This was obvious in the game: every mercenary in the Circle of Freedom was female. Male players who tried to join were all turned away, and even when the group posted jobs, they accepted only female players. Male players couldn't even throw their money around to hire a few of its mercenaries; they were turned away, too. This made many players hate the woman with a vengeance. As a result, most people didn't think highly of this mysterious woman known as "the Queen of the Mercenary World." Some even despised her.

Though many players hated her, Marlene met a classic tragic hero's end. When the Kingdom of Night invaded, she and her subordinates held off the Kingdom of Night's attacks outside the Golden City for three days and three nights. Finally, while surrounded by overwhelming forces, she unleashed a forbidden spell in a suicidal attack and gave her life for her country. In that respect, she truly commanded respect.

Rhode had heard of her before, but because he was a "man," he had never met her. Now he was surprised to learn that she was in Deepstone City and wanted to join his mercenary group. Wasn't she supposed to hate men? Why would she come to him of her own accord? Or had she mistaken him for a woman? Surely nothing that bizarre had happened.

Looking at Marlene's outstretched right hand, Rhode felt uncertain. Could she merely be someone else with the same name? That didn't make sense. She really was a Xenia, and from the way she was dressed, she did seem to come from a noble family. But the Xenia Family was based in the Golden City. Why would this young lady leave the Royal Magic Academy and come all the way to a backwater like Deepstone City? Was she answering a call to go work in the countryside?

"I've heard your name, Miss Xenia."

Rhode replied calmly as he took her hand. He didn't know much about the story of this legendary figure; he knew no more than any other player. Still, he was familiar with the basics.

"Please forgive me if I'm overstepping, but... shouldn't you be at the academy right now?"

At Rhode's question, a flicker of surprise passed through Marlene's and old Hank's eyes.

Marlene found it amusing that he knew who she was and even knew some things about her. That suggested the rumors she had heard from old Hank—that this odd mercenary leader was a noble—were probably true. Old Hank, meanwhile, was surprised that Rhode really did have ties to the nobility. People had speculated about it for a long time, but without concrete evidence, the rumors were hard to substantiate. Now Rhode had finally revealed his noble side. After all, this sort of news usually circulated only among noble children. If Rhode were just an ordinary mercenary, there was no way he would know about it.

"It's like this."

Perhaps because she had confirmed that Rhode was one of her own, Marlene's earlier reserve and pride had softened considerably.

"My mentor believes I've reached a point where I need some practical experience if I want to keep improving. So I asked Uncle Sereck to give me this opportunity and let me come here for training."

So she was connected to Sereck.

Rhode finally understood. Clearly, the Xenia Family had sent their daughter to this godforsaken place because of the Swordmaster. Still, there were a few things Rhode needed to confirm first.

"Miss Marlene."

With that, Rhode withdrew his hand, his expression turning serious.

"Since Uncle Hank brought you here, I assume you already know our situation. To be frank, we're short-handed, but that also means that going on missions with us will be dangerous. We've just accepted a four-star mission, in particular. If anything goes wrong, we could be wiped out. In these circumstances, are you willing to stake your life on joining my mercenary group?"

Faced with Rhode's question, Marlene lifted her chin slightly, wearing a confident, somewhat sly smile.

"I understand what you mean, Mr. Rhode. But for me, that actually makes it a good thing. Besides, as a Middle Circle Mage, I'm very confident in my abilities."

It actually made things better for her?

Hearing Marlene's answer, Rhode couldn't help glancing at old Hank in confusion. He had never interacted with the "Queen of the Mercenary World" in the game, and from this first impression, she seemed independent and fiercely proud. But her words still left him baffled. How could a mercenary group that couldn't even fill out its roster be a good thing for her?

Hank, who noticed Rhode's gaze, found himself unable to explain. He knew Marlene's identity and influence well. A noble girl had come alone to a place like Deepstone City. Though she was certainly powerful, mercenaries didn't always rely on strength; sometimes, it was more about the means they used. You could be a powerful mage who killed countless enemies on the battlefield, but in the end, you were still a woman. If some ill-intentioned fellows got you drunk, stripped you, and dragged you into bed, even being a great mage wouldn't help, would it? That was why old Hank had been so cautious. He was afraid that if anything happened to the young lady, he'd have no way to answer for it.

Besides, the noble pride Marlene displayed rubbed many mercenaries the wrong way. Old Hank had swallowed his pride and introduced her to a few mercenary groups, but each one had turned her down, claiming that their ranks were full and they couldn't take anyone else. After all, they weren't cut from the same cloth, and mercenaries didn't trust nobles.

Marlene wasn't stupid. She knew exactly why they didn't want to take her in, but the pride inherent to her noble birth wouldn't let her lower herself and pander to those people.

Rhode's arrival, however, had given Marlene a glimmer of hope.

She had heard that he was a noble, too. If that was true, he would surely be far more decent than those uncultured mercenaries. And his group had only two people, so they were definitely short-handed. If they tried to use a full roster as an excuse to turn her away—wouldn't that be an outright lie?

Rhode didn't understand what Marlene meant, but old Hank knew what she was getting at. It made the old man anxious. Before bringing her here, he had tried many times to persuade this proud young lady that the Starlight Mercenary Group was absolutely not the best choice for her. They were short-handed, their missions were too dangerous, and they were staying in one of Deepstone City's notorious haunted houses. But no matter how much he pleaded, the young lady hadn't listened at all. In private, old Hank complained that nobles were all such proud, stubborn people. Rhode was like that, and so was this young lady. What a headache!

If he could, old Hank would have reported the matter to Lord Sereck and let him handle it. Surely Lord Sereck wouldn't allow Marlene to take such a risk. But, as luck would have it, he hadn't been at the Mercenary Association for the past two days, and there was no way to find him. Marlene had cleverly noticed this, so she had waited until Sereck was away to order old Hank to do things her way.

Heavens above, earth below, I really don't want to be the one stuck with this thankless task...

Old Hank could already imagine Lord Sereck's expression when he returned and learned of Marlene's decision. But what else could he do?

That was the sorrow of being a little nobody.

Rhode didn't know what Hank was agonizing over, but even if he had, he probably wouldn't have cared. Having a mage come to him of her own accord was about as good as it got. Even if old Hank objected, Rhode had already decided to pull this future "Queen of the Mercenary World" onto his own ship.

Before that, though, Rhode felt he needed to make things clear.

"I can accept you into the group, Miss Marlene."

As he spoke, Rhode's expression grew more serious.

"But I have a few conditions."

"Go ahead."

At Rhode's agreement, a flash of delight crossed Marlene's eyes. She had come here to gain practical experience, but after arriving in Deepstone City, she had felt like a canary in a cage, unable to move freely. This had left her very dissatisfied. So when she heard about Rhode and his mercenary group, she had quickly realized this was an excellent opportunity.

And now, it seemed she was close to getting her way.

"First, since you've joined the mercenary group, you're my subordinate."

Rhode raised one finger.

"As my subordinate, you must obey my orders without question. During a mission, you can't do anything without my permission. Even if you need to use the bathroom, you must report it to me in advance."

"You!"

At that, Marlene's expression changed, but before she could say anything more, Rhode raised another finger.

"Second, even though you've joined our group, we don't know each other, and I don't believe you can work with us in battle. So I require you to follow my instructions completely during combat. Whatever I tell you to do, you must do. If I don't need you to defend, then even if an enemy is right in front of you, you mustn't move a muscle!"

With that, Rhode lowered his hand.

"Those are my conditions. If you can accept them, then I'll welcome you into my mercenary group."

"What if I break them?"

The girl's face had turned cold. She clenched her teeth and asked in a low voice.

"I'll abandon you immediately."

Rhode answered without hesitation.

"I already told you that this mission is dangerous. If you can't follow my instructions, we could all die there. So I have to minimize the chances of anything going wrong. If you act on your own and put us in danger, then abandoning you will be the only choice for us."

As Rhode's words fell, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly grew tense.