Politics

After they walked out of the Guild, Blaze asked Leus

"So how was it?"

"Hmm? What?"

"Your experience inside, interacting with all these people"

Leus thought about everything that transpired

" ... I think it was interesting, a different experience for sure"

Blaze nodded

"Good. Get used to it. In the future, you will be able to accept missions on your own. And trust me, the more missions you complete, the better life you'll have here.

Room rentals above will get cheaper, and even if you're just a Knight, you'll live comfortably."

He gave Leus a side glance

"Joining a team also makes things smoother. Of course, there's always a risk, but it's safer than enlisting in the military, especially for Knights"

Leus had a question

"The pay isn't really that much, so if I have a team, won't it lower my income because I'll have to split the reward?"

"Yeah, but it's safer. All the missions require you to leave the city, either to enter the forest or to escort someone to a different city. Without a team, the chances of dying are much higher, especially if you're a Knight; you're easy prey for bandits, or you might face an unexpected situation in the forest.

And don't even think about taking Escort missions solo; no one's going to trust a single Knight to keep them safe.

Blaze continued

"But with a team, things move quicker. You can finish missions faster, meaning you’ll be able to take on more. That balances out the split in pay."

" ... Ah, I understand now"

'The pay is still not that good for Knights tho ... Just 1 Silver per mission? really!'

Anyway, there was no point in complaining about it

'Welp, I guess that's just how it is'

He re-focused on the present and asked

"Where are we going now?"

"We will go to the forest. Once we are outside the city, we can run to it. We can also rent a horse, but it's better if we run; taking care of the horse in the forest is kinda troublesome"

"Alright"

They walked silently for a while, and then, out of nowhere, Blaze broke the quiet with a more serious tone than usual ...

"Leus"

Leus turned to him, sensing the change in his tone

"Yes?"

"You're smart enough to decide for yourself, but I'd strongly suggest you never ask for help or favors from Ishaan"

'Oh I almost forgot about that'

Leus nodded

"I wouldn't, I never believed anything he said anyway. But why are you saying that?"

Blaze explained

"Because once you start with people like him, it never stops.

One favor leads to another, and then another. And before you even know it, you’re trapped in their web, dragged from one situation to the next.

And trust me, these bastards have ways of getting you in deeper without you even realizing it."

His voice became heavier as he looked Leus in the eyes

"Eventually, they will use you for their political games or personal schemes, and you won't be able to reject.

Keep them as a last resort, or contact them if you are in an advantageous situation. But if you seek their help, they'll make sure you owe them, and they won't let it go."

Then he added jokingly

"And specifically, Ishaan has a bad reputation for being a bastard who only cares about himself"

"Don't worry Dad, I'll be careful" He replied with a chuckle

Then he asked curiously

"But who exactly are (them)?"

"Ignatius' Faction."

"Faction? ... Ah, that reminds me, who exactly is Ishaan? Is he Ignatius' brother or something?"

When Blaze heard that, he laughed

"Ahaha, Brother? Ignatius is like an Ancestor, he has no brothers, no living ones at least. Maybe Ishaan is his grandson or his grandson's son ... I lost count"

" ... Ancestor?"

"Yeah, as far as I know, he and Arno are from the same generation, they both are at least 170 years old or something.

Both of them are rivals, it's rumored that Arno is smarter but Duke Ignatius is stronger"

Leus raised his eyebrow in surprise

"Huh, 170? That's ancient! Interesting ..."

Blaze continued, interrupting Leus' thoughts'

"You know? I could've taken you to Ishaan from the beginning, but I decided to take you to Arno for a reason"

Leus re-focused on Blaze as he continued

"I think that he is not as interested in politics as Ishaan, also, he will probably die soon, so he should have a more -selfless- mindset right now"

Leus tilted his head

"Die soon?"

"Yeah, he already crossed the end of an Elite's lifespan, which averages around 150 years, and I don't think that he can evolve further; I doubt that he has much time left. Never say that in front of him though."

"I see, too bad for him ..."

But genuinely, Leus didn't really care about Arno's fate, his mind drifted back to the topic at hand

"Anyway, you mentioned something earlier about him and the Duke being rivals. Isn't the Duke supposed to be the strongest person in the city?"

Blaze shook his head

"Strength isn't always everything. Politics is far more complex than that"

Blaze took a deep breath, preparing to explain further

"The Librarian, Arno, holds as much political power within the city as its Ruler. It’s a system the Kingdom designed to keep things balanced and prevent corruption."

He continued

"You see, the Rulers are directly under the Crimsons, meaning they don't have anyone overseeing them directly. So, the Librarian is there to keep the Ruler in check.

Both of them are meant to work together and prioritize the prosperity of the city and the Duchy as a whole.

If they want to pass any law, tax, or policy, they both have to agree. If they don’t, it goes straight to the King's faction for judgment. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work."

Leus was surprised to hear that

"So Arno is as important as Duke Ignatius?"

Blaze nodded

"Inside the city, yes. He has all the authorities of the Ruler"

'Woah .. He's much more important than I thought, better start calling him Master Arno'

As Leus was thinking that to himself Blaze continued

"I want you to trust Arno, however, only to an extent. He’s more trustworthy than Ishaan, but still, always be cautious."

Leus absorbed everything Blaze told him, and then he replied

"I understand, thanks"

The political matters were finally over, so Leus asked a question about the Guild's teams

"By the way, how many members are in a team in the Guild?"

Blaze shrugged

"It just depends on what they prefer. Mostly the teams consist of 3 Knights or 1 Elite and 2 Knights, however, some Elites prefer to work alone like me, and some prefer to be in teams of four or five.

Regardless, most of the teams have an Elite Knight as their leader as almost all Escort jobs are of Elite level"

'Why am I not hearing anything about Magicians ...'

Thinking that to himself, he asked

"Are there no mages?"

"Of course there are, just not as many"

As Leus and Blaze were approaching the northern walls of the city, they could see a few Crimson Guards patrolling atop the walls, and two standing at the gate ...

Blaze approached one of the guards at the gate and showed him his Military Badge.

He could have shown the Guild's membership, but this was faster.

The Guard immediately saluted him and opened the gate, then he pointed at Leus and asked

"Is he coming with you?"

"Yeah"

The guards were clearly surprised, but they had no complaints.

The two walked out of the city, and the gate closed behind them ...

Blaze said excitedly

"The forest is in the northeast! Now we start sprinting ..."