The light in the room is a bit dim. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Although it is a VIP room, a large amount of extravagant furniture has been purchased to satisfy the guests and show off their financial resources, but due to the hidden nature of the secret conversation, this room does not have a window.

Under the magic lamp that glowed with a pale blue light, Lotus, the president of the Adventurers' Guild, was surveying the guests in the room.

Rost was essentially a businessman rather than an adventurer. In his belief, he sees the services that adventurers can provide as a commodity. Whether it's hunting for rare materials, killing monsters, guarding or acting as bodyguards, these are the glamorous selling points of adventurers beyond the reach of the Knights of the Knights, the power of the nation.

It was because he was a merchant and the president of the Adventurers' Guild that Rost was present at this secret meeting, although in his eyes it was nothing more than a discussion. Thinking so, he looked at the center of the room, where the guest who was sitting the most out of place here.

The fabric on the body is not high-end, and it can be seen that the owner's finances are not rich. He looked a little tired, and his black hair was like weeds that had not been combed at all. Although the facial features are not upright or bad, they always have the face of a gambler who owes a lot of money to others. The obsidian-like pupils exude an inexplicable coldness, which is incompatible with the atmosphere he gives people as a whole.

Lyle Laljos, the man who was the protagonist of this meeting. Save the near-rout battle from that vampire crisis and push it back. With such strength, even in this shit-like world, there is nothing wrong with being called a hero.

However.

Is it a missed eye, this man doesn't look like he has such strength at all, and he doesn't exude the charm of being a commodity at all. While estimating how much he could get out of him, Rost looked away from Lyle, who was curiously looking at the porcelain tea set, and looked at the other end of the table, the initiator of the meeting, the head of the Third Knights of the Kingdom, Gesself, and his deputy commander.

"Let me thank you for saving the Knights and repelling the vampires."

Gesself rested his hands on the table with his hands clasped together, staring ahead.

"So I'll get straight to the point, Lyle Raljos, what are you?"

"What do you mean?"

The young man, who had returned from the curiosities on the table, asked with a little confusion - Gersself could tell at a glance that it was an acting.

"As shameful as it may be to say this to a benefactor, it is something that must be confirmed—I say it again, Lyle Raljoth, what are you?"

In the face of the cold gaze that came to him, Gesself's expression did not change in the slightest.

"I thought you were looking for me for something, but it turned out to be like this as soon as I opened my mouth...... Well, it's boring. ”

Almost five days had passed since the vampire incident, and in that time no force had sent anyone to make contact with Lyle.

It was completely unexpected, but it was also calculated.

Because of the memories of the real Lyle Raljoth, the adventurer, Lyle is well aware of the level of power he has shown for humans, even if it is a victory based on sneak attacks and stratagems, but it is not an absolute power. Originally thought that they would soon come into contact with Gesselph, but as a result, Lyle was placed as if he didn't exist. It is unknown what the reason is, maybe it's because of fear, or maybe it's because the internal decision on how to deal with Lyle hasn't been decided. It may even be that there is some imminent problem that will have to leave Lyle for now.

That being said, during the few days that Lyle was in the city as an adventurer, he had always felt like he was being watched.

Admittedly, this is indeed a very boring question. If anything, it's probably out of curiosity. Lyle Laljos, 17 years old, came from a peasant family in the southern part of the kingdom. At a young age, he lost all his family and possessions during a beast tide and was sold to a gang of thieves, who was later able to join by his wit. When the lord led the army to sweep away the thieves, he took the opportunity to escape. After escaping the hanging, you were invited to join the Adventurer Squad because you were able to put what you learned from the gang of thieves to good use. The stronghold of my previous activities was the royal capital, and I had to travel away to come here because I offended the local magnates, am I right? ”

"That's right. The knight must have thought that I would almost become a death row prisoner. So, are you trying to hang me this time? ”

"How is that possible," a slightly self-deprecating smile curled down the corners of Gersself's mouth, "I just said - you are my benefactor. Not only that, but the man behind me, as well as the other brothers of the Order, were all saved by you. In comparison, this can only be regarded as not knowing. ”

"I thought Your Excellency would definitely bring me to justice, but it seems that I overestimated the responsibility of the knights of the kingdom."

"There is no point in provoking me, so to speak." Gesself gave his back to the back of the chair, feeling the softness, and continued: "Although the value of life is the same, the weight on the back is not the same. The number of lives we knights can save is not comparable to the number of people you killed when you were in the Bandits. Therefore, saving the Knights is naturally equivalent to indirectly saving so many lives...... It may not sound like such a pleasant statement, but it is the dominant value of the country. The conversation has diverged far enough, and it's time to get back to business. ”

"Ahh Lyle shrugged his shoulders, "...... Does this answer really matter? ”

In fact, the monster has been wondering if it is necessary to act as the real Lyle Raljos.

The answer is no.

Because Lyle Raljoth simply doesn't have such deep relationships. He is an orphan, and as a thief-type adventurer, he and his team have a very poor relationship with other adventurers, on the one hand, ordinary adventurers look down on Lyle and other adventurers who do the work of thieves, and on the other hand, due to their withdrawn nature. The number of people he comes into contact with on a regular basis is probably in the single digits, and none of them have intimate relationships that are familiar enough to detect anomalies. Withdrawn and eccentric, this is the trace of the human being of Lyle Ralhos in the world.

However, the question is not to wonder if Lyle has forged some identity, but to ask what he is, which indicates that Gesself is clearly aware of something. Realizing the hidden answer, Gesself paused for a moment, and then nodded realizing that he could not delve into the topic.

"Indeed...... That's not an important question, so let's leave it at that. So the next question is – which side of the hell are you? ”

The atmosphere seemed a little stiff, and Lyle frowned.

"Your Excellency, it depends on what you want."

Lyle did not deny the possibility that he might betray, but the implication was to see how much benefit Gersself could give him to win him over.

Hearing this, Gesself finally breathed a sigh of relief for the first time. Gesself prefers to work with mercenaries who focus on practical interests rather than people who talk about ideals, and negotiations at the negotiating table are only possible when both parties have interests that they want to strive for. And as long as you can always pay the corresponding benefits to it, you can get the corresponding loyalty.

Gesself pondered for a moment and asked, "Lyle Raljoth, what do you mean by the word reserved?" ”

Lyle was briefly silent in response to the strange question that Gerself suddenly raised.

"Maintain your own morality and self-control."

"......, we are rewarded with fame, money, and status. That's what we're going to talk about, in this age of heroes, we hope you can hold up the banner - lead many adventurers as an S-class adventurer, protect the people from monsters, and restore peace to the city. What's more, when faced with the threat of that vampire, the warriors who fight bravely must have some kind of spiritual sustenance - and only the presence of heroes can keep the people at ease. ”

Lyle did not accept or oppose Gersself's proposal, but questioned it.

"I know very well what it takes to be promoted to the highest level of S rank of adventurers, long-term merit, popularity and strength are indispensable."

Lyle glanced at the three men in front of him with his eyes.

"To many, Lyle Raljos is just an unknown adventurer who has come out of nowhere just to take credit. It is impossible for them to accept my words, unless something happens that will change their concept. Even if \ is almost completely wiped out, as long as the Galkados, who is known as the world's cold light blade that cuts off evil, is still around, he should be far more suitable for the role of hero than me, right? ”

After listening to Lyle's words, Gesself and the union president glanced at each other.

"You're right, Lyle-kun. But that is no longer possible. ”

The guild president's answer made Lyle raise his head slightly in surprise and think in a brief silence.

“…… Was there any aftermath of the battle with the vampire that made him unable to continue his activities as an adventurer? ”

"No, Archbishop Puneda personally prayed for a miracle and was cured with a healing prayer. Physical wounds can be healed, but heart wounds are different...... You should understand that the real horror for lions is not the loss of teeth and claws, but the loss of the heart of hunting. When lions stop hunting, lions cease to be lions, and no one will regard them as the king of beasts. ”

So when Gargados he was no longer able to fight, he was no longer up to the duty of a hero. Rost, the head of the union, slowly heard in Lyle's ears.

"But," Gersself's voice came from the side. "Even that doesn't mean you're going to be an S-Class adventurer right away. In this world, the prowess of an individual sometimes has a value that rivals that of an army, no, depending on how it is used, it even has a power above it. The so-called strong person is an existence with such power. ”

"Oh, I see." Considering the recent rumors and the enmity between the church and the Kingdom, many things have become abundantly clear, and a little analysis is all it takes to draw conclusions. From the beginning, they didn't care what they were, all they wanted was to make sure they could go head-to-head with that vampire.

Moreover, co-opting himself without the church's involvement also confirmed another conjecture of Lyle.

That is to say...... You're planning to promote me to an A-rank adventurer first, and you're also going to let me join the Knights. Although I have heard that the adults of the Order look down on us adventurers, and seeing the President and the Knight Master sitting so intimately together, it seems that this statement only applies to ordinary members. ”

"That's an interesting statement, Lyle Raljos. I've never hated dealing with smart people," Gersself glared at Lyle with a sharp gaze, "Tell me...... The reason for recruiting you into the Order. ”

"Quite simply, the movement of the church this time. Compared to the armies sent by the Church, the kingdom's strength was pitiful. If this continues, whether or not the vampire actually comes to take revenge, or whether the city can be defended by the vampire, public opinion will definitely be unfavorable to the kingdom. -- For this country, the lives of ordinary people do not matter at all. If the time comes, if you succeed in defending this place from the vampire's revenge, all the credit will surely go to the church, and if you fail, you will be blamed on the indifference of the country. Actually, although it is not clear why, you seem to have decided that you will defeat these vampires in your next battle. In other words, all you need is a tool that can reverse your disadvantage in the world's evaluation."

Even if he called himself a tool, Lyle's expression didn't change.

"You're not entirely right. If the Sword Saint Hallest, he could not have been so troublesome, this level of matter is not a threat at all, that person is a peculiar point favored by the heavens, and it is not the turn of the church to take advantage of him at all, which is why the church will go to great lengths to mobilize the army and publicize its actions in a high-profile manner. It's a pity that now the Juggernaut has been sent abroad according to the covenant, and even if it is urgently recalled, it is too late. Let's get straight to the point, the credit for killing the vampire called Javiana must belong to the Knights, so the value you show will determine our relationship in the future - our country seems to be a bit too dependent on the Juggernaut himself, and even heroes can die of overwork, so we have been looking for a successor. ”

"Your offer is tempting, but allow me to decline."

"Why?"

"Quite simply, that vampire's eyeliner - the person who admires the powerful monster of the vampire, the one who is called a cultist by the church is not a minority, and it must exist in this city. I don't want to expose myself so quickly and get into trouble, and I think you can understand that. And it seems that you blocked the news in order to prevent the church from wooing me, which is a good thing. ”

The Knights wanted to promote their presence as a powerful man who could compete with the vampires, in order to boost their morale. For Gesself, the possibility of Lyle appearing is very slim now that the church has sent heavy troops, so it is even more necessary to take advantage of the characteristics of the curious soldiers.

“…… I understand your concerns. Let everything remain as it is, and you will continue to maintain your current identity and status, and you will not be raised to the rank of adventurer, and everything about you will be kept secret. But before we talk about pay, let's talk about how to deal with those vampires. ”

“…… No problem. I've already prepared a way to deal with these vampires, and I promise you that I'll kill them-"

-- Leave no mercy and kill them all.

Lyle's leisurely voice was as flat as if he were recounting what to eat for dinner. But everyone knows what is behind the sound.

That's heroism.

Rost swallowed and glanced at Gersself, who was a little stunned. No one could have expected this change of momentum.

Now that a consensus has been reached, the next step is to discuss the details. This is the area he is most proud of, and no one wants to escape from the palm of his hand. Regardless of whether the other party is a hero or a monster, or a nobleman of the Knights, Rost treats him as an opponent without discrimination and does not take it lightly, and all the distribution of benefits must pass through his hands and be held tightly by him.

Rost squeezed out the smile he was good at, deliberately despised by others, and faked a cough.