Chapter 10: Dragged Into the Noble’s Game

I headed toward the Lord’s Castle.

‘Ugh, it’s never good to get involved with nobles…’

Of course, this wasn’t a rumor I’d heard from anywhere, nor something I had personally experienced; it was purely something I had read in novels.

But that was the only reason I believed it.

‘Looking at my current situation, it kind of makes sense…’

I thought so as I found myself being dragged along under orders from a noble I didn’t even know the name of.

I tried to think as calmly as possible.

There was really nothing else I could do in this situation.

After a while, I arrived at the gate of the Lord’s Castle with the knight.

“Wait, please show me your Mercenary Badge.”

Soldiers with proper military gear took my Mercenary Badge and thoroughly inspected it.

Then they asked about the possessions I carried, recorded everything, and even conducted a full body search before finally allowing me into the castle.

‘So the castle really feels just like I imagined.’

Passing through the gate, two paths opened up. One path led to the soldiers’ training ground and barracks.

I could see soldiers training hard, pounding the ground as knights stood beside them giving firm guidance.

I chose not to go where the soldiers were but instead took the other path.

“Wow.”

A small breath of admiration escaped me.

Though it was a small garden, it looked incredibly beautiful.

The modest flower beds and a bench in the middle blended harmoniously without any sense of incongruity, giving off a natural vibe.

“A beautiful garden,” I said sincerely.

The knight gave a faint smile and said quietly, “The Lady takes great care of this garden. If no guests come to visit, the Lady allows the knights and retainers to rest here.”

“I see…”

Judging by his words, it felt like the knight was more loyal to the Lady than to the Lord himself.

If this were a typical Korean drama pattern, this would have been a perfect setup for an affair.

‘Ah, but that’s not important right now.’

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, feeling like I had just unleashed a long string of unnecessary worries.

After following the knight for quite a while, I was finally guided into the castle’s reception room on the first floor.

“My Lord, I have brought him.”

“Hmph, well done,”

The Lord shifted his gaze toward me, who was standing behind the knight.

“That Mad Mage everyone’s been talking about recently. Sit.”

I carefully sat down in the chair the Lord pointed at.

Without a word, I felt the Lord’s eyes subtly scan me from head to toe.

His expression was full of concern, and his fingers tapped nervously against the armrest.

The Lord remained silent.

Instead, he appeared to be deep in thought.

‘Ah, damn, this is uncomfortable.’

His gaze made me feel uneasy as if he were constantly testing me, making me reluctant to make any moves.

If only there was something to focus on, like food, but there was nothing worthy of his gaze before me.

After what felt like about twenty minutes, the Lord finally spoke again.

“Well, first of all, I appreciate your effort.”

“Thank you.”

His sudden gratitude made me wonder what this was about.

“I’m talking about how you managed to break all the rocks in the western Rocky Wasteland. It was a real headache… that land.”

“Ah.”

The Lord said that thanks to me, the stones in that area were now manageable, and if we just cleared the stones properly, the land would be usable.

“So I’m counting on your magical ability for one favor.”

“Yes?”

“My son has to go to the Capital City Inkreya this time. I’m thinking of entrusting him to you.”

Unlike before, his tone was suddenly dry and emotionless.

“You don’t have to accept. But if you refuse, I’ll have to find a new mage, which will waste time. Then I might seek retribution against you.”

For the first time, the presence of a noble in front of me struck hard.

On the outside, he looked like an ordinary human.

Not someone trained in swordsmanship or magic—just an average man.

Yet his eyes, voice, and every action made him feel overwhelmingly like a noble.

“I think you will accept. Am I right?”

“I will accept.”

Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, I had no choice but to comply.

I truly felt the threat to my life—purely from words.

“Good thinking. Besides you, I’ve hired ten more mercenaries. Since you’re a mage, your pay will be higher, and depending on your performance, there may be additional bonuses. Do your best.”

“Performance?”

I asked, puzzled, but the Lord didn’t answer.

Instead, he called for a maid outside and ordered her to provide me with lodging and meals before leaving.

“Please come this way.”

Still feeling uneasy, I followed the maid and was led to a small, secluded room.

It was clean and simple, furnished with a bed and a desk.

I lay down on the bed.

“What is this? Hopefully nothing serious.”

Though my unease lingered, since I had already agreed, I decided not to think about escape plans.

“There’s no way out of the castle safely anyway.”

I gave up on thinking.

“Ah, whatever. It’ll work out somehow.”

After a long time, I prepared to sleep.

From now on, sleep time would be short anyway.

I closed my eyes, and soon I fell into a deep sleep.

Lately, I felt that I fell asleep quickly once I calmed my mind.

Unlike before when I suffered from insomnia due to reluctance to go to the company.

Not long after, the only sound in the room was my own snoring.

***

The next morning, I opened my eyes to the bustling movement of maids and soldiers preparing busily.

After quickly finishing the breakfast served, I headed toward the place where the mercenaries gathered.

It was the same gate I had entered through yesterday.

Inside the gate stood a carriage pulled by two horses.

It wasn’t particularly fancy, but the Baron Jenik Family’s emblem was proudly displayed on it.

Around the carriage were one knight and ten soldiers, all sharply equipped and standing in perfect formation without a single mistake.

“Ugh, this reminds me of the military days,”

I shook my head, trying to shake off a terrible memory, then headed outside the gate.

I was going to meet the ten mercenaries the Lord had hired.

I knew that dealing with those rigid soldiers and knights was far more troublesome than mercenaries.

As I stepped out onto the castle wall, the mercenaries had already arrived.

I approached first to greet them.

“Hello. I’m Solo, joining you all.”

“Oh, Solo, you’re here too?”

“Ah, that newbie? He hasn’t left yet?”

“You’re going with us? Welcome!”

Surprisingly, three mercenaries who had traveled with me from the County of Veric were here.

They warmly welcomed me and roughly introduced me to the other seven mercenaries nearby.

They told them I was a newcomer, strong enough to reach Rank D in a single trip, and that I held a Mercenary Badge recommended by Alcars.

The remaining seven gave me looks full of admiration.

“For such a young age, quite impressive.”

“Right? At twenty years old and already Rank D…”

“When I was twenty, I hadn’t even started mercenary work.”

“I only started because I was dragged out forcibly.”

“Man, I had a hard time cleaning up after those two.”

“Brother!”

The seven seemed to know each other well and chatted without restraint.

Because of that, I was able to blend in easily.

After chatting noisily for some time in front of the gate, a knight came out with soldiers.

“I am James, the Lord’s knight. From now on, I will be in charge of all schedules.”

When James said this, the mercenaries all wore uncomfortable expressions.

If that knight controlled the schedule, it was them who would suffer.

But no mercenary dared to complain.

“Just make sure we get breaks and meals.”

That was the only request they made.

James gave them a once-over, nodded, and reentered the castle.

Shortly after, I heard the carriage start moving.

James rode a horse alongside the soldiers’ procession.

We followed behind the soldiers surrounding the carriage.

Thus began my second mercenary journey.

***

Five days had passed since the start of my second mercenary contract.

And now I was diligently casting magic.

“Magic Missile!”

The Magic Missile I created with my hand sliced through the air and struck a charging goblin’s head, blowing it off.

Bang!

Blood and brain matter splattered in all directions from the goblin’s burst skull.

Though grotesque, I remained unfazed.

“Fire Bolt.”

I cast magic at another goblin standing dazed nearby.

The Fire Bolt quickly ignited its body.

“Kkiek, kkiek!”

As the goblin lost consciousness, another mercenary kindly stabbed a sword into its heart.

-Level up.

-Five skill points have been awarded.

The notification message that popped up covered the fallen goblin.

I was still pouring all my stamina into maintaining my health.

This was the plan until I hit a Health stat of 50.

I continued casting spells in succession.

“Magic Missile, Magic Missile, Magic Missile!”

The rapidly produced Magic Missiles flew toward the goblins, striking somewhere on their bodies and turning them half to ash.

The mercenaries swung their swords at the burning goblins.

Though it was uncoordinated, there was no need to match breathing anymore.

“Kkeeeek!”

With the last goblin’s scream, the fight was over.

“Well done.”

This battle alone saw us kill forty goblins.

Counting all previous battles, we had faced over two hundred goblins.

Yet none of us suffered injuries.

“Solo, you’re really amazing.”

“None of the mages I know use magic to this extent.”

“Is it that the mages I’ve seen so far are weak? Or is Dongsaeng special?”

“Anyway, we’ll make sure you get a good cut of the loot.”

They all looked at me with eyes full of respect.

No matter how much I thought about it, my magic abilities were beyond their common sense.

Especially the three who knew me were more surprised because of the magic I suddenly wielded.

“I’m pretty special. Hahaha.”

I just brushed it off, claiming I was special.

The mercenaries simply nodded and praised me without digging deeper.

That was their code.

Don’t ask about the past, don’t get too interested in others’ skills, and understand each other as much as possible.

As long as these three rules were followed, no one ever drew a sword against another.

After quickly searching the goblins’ bodies, we secured eleven Magic Stones.

That was a substantial income already.