TL: Knight Errant
To put it bluntly, Dio was unnecessarily lucky.
‘A grade…? Is this for real?’
The grade of the Mercenary Badge, appraised by Dio, was not C or B, but remarkably an A grade.
‘Oh man…’
Of course, it wasn’t as rare as the 0.001% probability S grade, but an A grade Mercenary Badge was still a very precious item.
According to Dio’s knowledge, the probability of an A grade Mercenary Badge appearing was about 0.1%.
‘Damn it. There’s probably no more unappraised Mercenary Badges left…’
As a result, Dio had to completely revise his plan.
If he were to pose as an A grade mercenary, acting merely as a guide would be nearly impossible.
However, this did not change his overall plan of joining a mercenary group and heading to the Temple…
“I want to meet the Guild Master.”
“It’s not that the Guild Master is free enough to meet just anyone.”
“Is that so?”
Dio’s stance had completely changed.
“How about this, then?”
“Huh?”
“I think this should prove that I’m not just ‘anyone’.”
Thud-
When Dio tossed the Mercenary Badge in front of the receptionist, the murmuring mercenaries suddenly fell silent.
And a moment later, when the receptionist picked up the badge.
—————
[Old A grade Mercenary Badge]
Description: A badge proving the holder has surpassed a veteran and reached the rank of an expert.
The owner of this worn and damaged badge might have a story of a loved one waiting for a long time.
—————
The atmosphere in the room had to change completely.
“Even for an A grade mercenary…?”
Intending to use a fake identity as a weapon, he had to commit to his performance thoroughly.
So Dio decided to fully act as an A grade mercenary from now on.
Even though his level was just 10.
“I’m sorry. I’m tired because of overtime… No, wait, this is a real A grade!?”
The receptionist, stunned by the Mercenary Badge Dio handed over, lost his words for a moment and started massaging his temples with his thumb and index finger.
The receptionist’s reaction, astonished enough to stand up and shout, was not only noticed by the mercenaries in the waiting room but also by people outside who opened the door and came in.
The only calm person inside was Dio.
It was natural for Dio to be calm.
He had already anticipated such a reaction.
‘The minimum level for an A grade mercenary is 300. It’s rare to see such an entity in a town of the 100 level range.’
Seeing the receptionist’s bewildered reaction, Dio slightly furrowed his brow, expressing displeasure.
Dealing with such an ordinary NPC was an easy task for Dio, who could claim to have reached the pinnacle in the OTF.
Whether it worked or not, the receptionist hastily placed the Mercenary Badge Dio handed over against the crystal ball on the desk.
The crystal ball, with an appraisal function, emitted a golden light, confirming the Mercenary Badge was indeed A grade.
But that was not all Dio had prepared.
He slightly revealed the ‘Imperial Medal’ hidden inside his leather armor.
“What, what is that?”
It was none other than an item one could obtain after completing an extermination quest given by the empire after a third class change.
The Imperial Medal is commonly used as a currency for exchange.
But in this situation of unclear identity, it could also serve as proof of belonging to the empire.
Given the empire’s stature on the continent, it’s not something to be taken lightly.
Dio often kept a few in his Storage, as they could grant a free pass in many places.
An A grade Mercenary Badge and an Imperial Medal.
With these, it was enough for anyone to believe Dio was a mercenary with experience in completing missions for the empire.
“Is it okay now?”
A grade mercenaries are usually arrogant.
Even in a small border outpost like Avera Village, it was inevitable.
Thus, Dio faithfully played the part, causing the receptionist to become even more frantic.
“Just… just a moment, please!”
As Dio looked around, the mercenaries were busy avoiding his gaze.
-Is he really A grade?
-Wow… no joke. Look at that masked presence.
-But his gear seems pretty basic?
-Hey, if he’s A grade, his body itself is a weapon. Why would he care about gear? We need to care about our gear to stay alive.
-Aren’t there less than a thousand A grade mercenaries on the continent?
-And with an Imperial Medal too? Isn’t he in the upper ranks among A grades?
Hearing the whispering mercenaries, Dio felt a cold sweat, feeling his reputation as a typical A grade mercenary inflate more than expected.
Especially the beginner’s leather armor, typically worn only in tutorial zones, had somehow become a ‘confident display of a strongman’s assurance.’
But, of course, he didn’t show it.
At this point, it was no different from seizing an opportunity.
‘As long as I’m not found out, it’s fine.’
While Dio was thinking this, the receptionist, who had run up the stairs, returned with someone.
“Hello. I am Cotton, the branch manager of the Avera Mercenary Guild.”
Dio briefly responded to him.
“I said I wanted to meet the Guild Master, didn’t I?”
Dio maintained his arrogant attitude even towards Cotton, who seemed like he had been quite powerful in his prime with his huge build.
However, Cotton, despite his size, bowed his head to Dio in a very polite manner.
“I’m sorry, but the Guild Master is currently not in the guild. May I hear the details… upstairs?”
There was no need to maintain such a high-handed attitude any longer, given the situation.
After all, Dio’s goal was not to meet the Guild Master, but to secure a quest under his desired conditions.
“Fine. Let’s do that, then.”
Thus, Dio willingly followed Cotton up the stairs.
The mercenaries, who had been watching Dio with curious eyes, only began to buzz again about the suddenly appeared A grade mercenary after he had completely disappeared.
* * *
A guild is a group formed for commerce and industry.
How many missions have the mercenaries through the guild completed?
How high is the satisfaction of the clients?
Based on such evaluations, the country and territories allocate subsidies to the respective guilds.
Hence, mercenary guilds want skilled and reputable mercenaries to work through their guild.
Scouting them with rewards is also done for a reason.
Even though there was no immediate way to confirm the achievements of Dio, the A grade mercenary.
Still, Cotton considered it a great benefit that an A grade mercenary had come to his guild.
Securing the title of an A grade mercenary was worth not skimping on formalities.
He didn’t know exactly why he was looking for the Guild Master.
But.
‘An A grade mercenary is still a mercenary. He must have come here to find a quest he needs.’
Thinking so, Cotton resolved internally.
If there wasn’t a suitable quest, he would create one to offer.
Cotton, who led Dio to the VIP room, personally served him tea.
But as Dio’s story unfolded, Cotton couldn’t help feeling puzzled.
Dio’s purpose was indeed ‘a quest,’ as Cotton had expected…
“So… you’re looking for a quest heading to the Forgotten Temple?”
The level of that quest was much different from what he had anticipated.
“Right. No other conditions.”
Cotton’s puzzlement was natural.
It was unclear why an A grade mercenary would specifically want a simple quest to the Forgotten Temple.
There happened to be a suitable quest, but it was one of the easiest, solvable even by C grade mercenaries.
‘I don’t know why, but…’
Of course, that didn’t mean he intended to upset Dio in any way.
“We do have a quest escorting a priest to the temple…”
Cotton added hesitantly, as if there was an issue.
“Mercenaries are already assigned to it.”
“Is that so?”
“Even if we remove them, I’m not sure if we can offer a reward suitable for you, Mr. Dio…”
But at this point, Dio suddenly interrupted him.
“I don’t need a reward.”
* * *
“Excuse me?”
Taken aback by Dio’s unexpected response, Cotton blinked and looked at him in confusion.
“I just completed a quest, so… I just want to go there comfortably.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Here lies the problem with being an A grade mercenary.
The hurdle to the Forgotten Temple is comparatively too low for an A grade, who is expected to be sufficient on their own.
However, Dio needed to be escorted by mercenaries and thus needed a convincing reason to persuade branch manager Cotton.
“Don’t you get it? I just want to go there comfortably.”
Perceiving an instinctive danger from Dio’s increasingly irritated voice, Cotton broke into a cold sweat.
Dio’s act was that convincing.
He wasn’t feigning irritation; it was genuine.
‘Man, this guy really can’t take a hint.’
Dio was genuinely tired from thinking about his plan all this time and didn’t bother to hide his frustration.
“You seem… quite tired. You have some business at the temple, then.”
The branch manager, who had dealt with many mercenaries, quickly caught the underlying intention in Dio’s words.
“Do you want to participate in the same capacity as the person being escorted?”
To this question, Dio responded very cautiously.
“Well, not exactly that. But if something dangerous happens… I won’t just stand by and watch.”
If Dio had said he wanted to be an escortee, it might have aroused Cotton’s suspicion.
It’s ridiculous for an A grade mercenary to be escorted and protected by lesser mercenaries.
Such a response would not be expected from a prideful A grade mercenary.
“Ah, I see!”
And Dio’s response seemed to be the perfect answer, as Cotton appeared very pleased with it.
Ultimately, Dio’s intention was to participate in the quest without a fee, on the condition of not being bothered.
“That’s entirely possible.”
“Good. Now we’re talking sense.”
For Cotton, there was no reason to refuse since he could use an A grade mercenary as insurance without any additional cost.
“The contract is for a round trip from the temple to Avera Village. Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
Cotton quickly made his decision, pulled out some documents, and swiftly proceeded with the contract.
Dio, receiving the contract, grinned and signed the document he had just reviewed.
Then, the next moment.
Ding-!
With the familiar notification sound, two lines of system messages appeared before Dio’s eyes.
[You have signed the ‘Mercenary Quest Contract’.]
[A quest will be generated shortly.]
“It’s an honor to work with you, Mr. Dio. The client will surely be pleased.”
“Looking forward to it.”
Dio, pleased with how smoothly things had gone, promptly stood up.
“Once the client is informed of the changes, the departure schedule will be set. Where are you staying?”
“I’ll stay at the inn in front of here.”
“In that case, I’ll send someone over as soon as everything is decided.”
After finishing the conversation with Cotton, Dio went back to the waiting room and felt the mercenaries’ eyes focusing on him again.
‘Damn. This is troublesome.’
Rumors about A grade mercenaries had apparently spread, creating a headache.
It was a stroke of luck that he had prepared a mask to wear beforehand.
‘I need to prepare more thoroughly for departure. If my identity gets exposed by mistake… that would be the worst-case scenario.’
Dio, who had gained unwanted fame with just one visit, quickened his pace as his mind grew more troubled.
*****