Queen of the Mercenary World

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

As old Hank spoke, Rhode shifted his gaze toward the woman beside him. Under his scrutiny, she finally removed her cloak, revealing her true appearance.

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

With a delicate face, refined features, and a head of beautiful, snow-white hair that was exceptionally eye-catching, her large, wine-red eyes shimmered with curiosity. She carried the confidence and pride characteristic of a noble; judging by the exquisite collar of her outfit and its complex patterns, it was clear she was the scion of some noble house.

"And this young lady is..."

Rhode frowned. He did not want any unexpected complications.

"Greetings, Mr. Rhode Alante."

The girl extended her hand with poise and spoke with a smile.

"I am Marlene Xenia. As you have heard, I wish to join your mercenary group. I hope you will grant me this opportunity."

"Marlene Xenia?"

Upon hearing the girl announce her name, Rhode paused, a look of surprise crossing his face.

The name Marlene Xenia was not unfamiliar to Rhode. In the game, this character was quite famous among players, even earning the nickname "Queen of the Mercenaries." Rumor had it that she was a magical genius who had broken through the limitations of a Mid-Ring Mage by the age of nineteen and had founded a mercenary group called the "Circle of Freedom," making her one of the few genius girls in the Moon Principality. However, she was not well-liked by players, as it was rumored she had a peculiar quirk—she detested men.

This was very evident in the game; the mercenaries of the Circle of Freedom were all female, without a single man among them. Male players who tried to join were all turned away, and even when the group posted quests, they were restricted to female players. Male players who tried to use their wealth to hire them were also rejected. This made many players grit their teeth in frustration at her. Consequently, most people did not hold a high opinion of this mysterious woman known as the "Queen of the Mercenaries," and some even harbored hatred toward her.

Despite the resentment from many players, Marlene's ending was a classic hero's tragedy—when facing the invasion of the Kingdom of Night, she and her subordinates held off the enemy outside the Golden City for three days and three nights. Finally, surrounded by overwhelming forces, she unleashed a suicidal forbidden spell and sacrificed herself for her country. In that regard, she was truly worthy of respect.

Although Rhode had heard of her, he had never met her due to his own "male" status. Hearing that she was actually in Deepstone City and wanted to join his mercenary group left him quite astonished. Didn't they say she hated men? How could she take the initiative to seek him out? Or did she mistake him for a woman? Surely such a bizarre thing wouldn't happen.

Looking at Marlene's extended right hand, Rhode felt a flicker of doubt. Could it be a case of the same name but a different person? That didn't make sense; she was indeed a Xenia, and her attire suggested she was of noble birth. But—the Xenia Family was far away in the Golden City. Why would this young lady abandon the prestigious Royal Magic Academy to come to a backwater place like Deepstone City? Was she responding to some call to go down to the countryside?

"I have heard of your name, Miss Xenia."

Rhode replied calmly, taking her hand. He didn't know much about the legend's story—no more than any other player—but he understood the general situation.

"Please forgive me if this is offensive, but... shouldn't you be at the academy at this time..."

Upon hearing Rhode's question, a strange look flashed in the eyes of both Marlene and old Hank.

Marlene found it interesting that he knew her identity and even some details about her life, which confirmed the rumor she'd heard from old Hank: that this eccentric mercenary leader was indeed a noble. Old Hank, meanwhile, was surprised; he hadn't expected Rhode to actually have ties to the nobility. While many had speculated as much, it was hard to prove without evidence. Now, Rhode had finally shown his noble side; such information usually only circulated among noble children. If Rhode were just an ordinary mercenary, he would never have known such things.

"It is like this."

Perhaps because she confirmed that Rhode was "one of her own," the reserve and pride Marlene had initially displayed dissipated significantly.

"My mentor believes my strength has reached a plateau. To continue improving, I need a certain level of practical experience. That is why I asked Uncle Sereck to give me this opportunity and allow me to train here."

So, it had to do with Sereck.

Rhode suddenly understood. Clearly, the Xenia Family had sent their daughter to this godforsaken place out of respect for the sword master. However—before that, there were still things Rhode needed to confirm.

"Miss Marlene."

With that thought, Rhode withdrew his hand, his expression turning somber.

"Since Uncle Hank brought you here, I assume you already know our situation from him. To be frank, we are currently short-handed, but precisely because of that, following us on missions will be very dangerous. We recently accepted a four-star quest; if anything goes wrong, we could face total annihilation. In such a situation, are you willing to gamble your life to join my mercenary group?"

Facing Rhode's inquiry, Marlene lifted her chin slightly, revealing a confident and somewhat cunning smile.

"I certainly understand what you mean, Mr. Rhode. But for me, this is actually a good thing. Furthermore, as a Mid-Ring Mage, I am very confident in my own strength."

A good thing for her?

Hearing Marlene's reply, Rhode couldn't help but glance at old Hank in confusion. He hadn't interacted with the "Queen of the Mercenaries" in the game, and based on this first impression, she seemed independent and possessed a strong sense of self-esteem. Yet, her words left him baffled. How could a mercenary group that couldn't even fill its roster be a good thing for her?

Noticing Rhode's gaze, old Hank felt a bitter, unspeakable frustration. He knew Marlene's identity and influence all too well. A noble daughter arriving alone in a place like Deepstone City—while her strength was not to be underestimated, mercenaries often relied on more than just power; they relied on schemes. Even if you were a powerful mage capable of slaughtering countless enemies on the battlefield, you were still a woman. If you were drugged by some unscrupulous scoundrels and dragged off to a bed, being a Great Mage wouldn't help you, would it? That was why old Hank had been so careful, fearing that if something happened to this young lady, he wouldn't be able to answer for it.

Moreover, the arrogance Marlene displayed had rubbed many mercenaries the wrong way. Although old Hank had previously steeled himself to introduce her to several mercenary groups, they had all rejected her, claiming their rosters were full. After all, they were not the same kind of people, and mercenaries generally did not trust nobles.

Marlene was not stupid; she knew why these people didn't want to accept her, but the pride inherent to her noble status would not allow her to lower herself to cater to them.

Rhode's appearance, however, had ignited a glimmer of hope in Marlene.

She had heard he was also a noble. If that were true, he should be much better than those uncultured mercenaries. Besides, this group only had two people; they were definitely short-handed. If they tried to use the excuse that their roster was full—wouldn't that be a blatant lie?

Rhode didn't understand Marlene's intent, but old Hank knew exactly what she was implying, which made the old man secretly anxious. Before coming here, he had tried to persuade this proud young lady many times that the Starlight Mercenary Group was absolutely not her best choice. They were too few in number, their missions were too dangerous, and they were currently living in a notorious haunted house in Deepstone City. Yet, no matter how much he pleaded, she hadn't listened to a word. This made old Hank complain inwardly that nobles were all proud and stubborn—Rhode was like that, and so was this young lady. It was such a headache!

If he could, old Hank would have reported this to Sereck and let him handle it. Surely Sereck would never allow Marlene to take such a risk. But as luck would have it, Sereck had been away from the Mercenary Association for the past two days, and he couldn't be found anywhere. Marlene had cleverly spotted this, so she had forced old Hank to follow her demands while Sereck was away.

Oh, heavens, oh, earth, I really don't want to do things that offend people like this...

Old Hank could certainly foresee the expression on Sereck's face when he returned and learned of Marlene's decision, but what could he do?

Such was the sorrow of a small fry.

Rhode wasn't entirely clear on what Hank was struggling with, but even if he knew, he wouldn't have cared. Having a mage take the initiative to come to his door was the best thing that could happen. Even if old Hank objected, Rhode had already made up his mind to drag this future "Queen of the Mercenaries" onto his pirate ship.

But before that, Rhode felt he still needed to make things clear.

"I can accept your joining, Miss Marlene."

At this point, Rhode became much more serious.

"However, I have a few requirements."

"Please, speak."

Hearing Rhode relent, a flash of pleasant surprise crossed Marlene's eyes. She had come here to gain practical experience, but after arriving in Deepstone City, she felt like a canary in a cage, unable to move freely. This had left her very dissatisfied. Thus, upon hearing about Rhode and his mercenary group, she had quickly realized this was an excellent opportunity.

It seemed that he was close to success now.

"First, since you have joined the mercenary group, you are my subordinate."

Rhode held up one finger.

"As a subordinate, you must obey my orders unconditionally. During a mission, you are not to do anything without my permission. Even for a trivial matter like relieving yourself, you must report to me beforehand."

"You!"

Hearing this, Marlene's expression shifted slightly, but before she could say anything more, Rhode held up a second finger.

"Second, although you have joined our mercenary group, we are not familiar with each other, and I do not believe you can coordinate with our combat style. Therefore, I require that you follow my instructions completely during battle. You must do exactly as I say. If I do not need you to defend, you are not to move an inch, even if the enemy is right before your eyes!"

Having said that, Rhode finally lowered his hand.

"These are my conditions. If you can accept them, then I welcome you to join my mercenary group."

"What happens if I violate them?"

The young girl's face was now as cold as water; she gritted her teeth and asked in a low voice.

"I will abandon you immediately."

Rhode answered without a moment's hesitation.

"I have already said that this mission is very dangerous. If you cannot do as I say, we are all likely to die there. Therefore, I must ensure that the possibility of any accidents is kept to a minimum. If you act on your own and bring danger upon us, then abandoning you will be the inevitable choice."

As Rhode's voice faded, the atmosphere in the hall grew suddenly tense.