Ch. 29 - Criminal, Rebel, and Mercenary (2)

In the southern continent, there was a term known as the "Four Pillar Mages".

It referred to the four strongest mages in the region. Semiramis, the woman dubbed the Queen of Black Doves, was the one who coined the term. Medea Samareas was one of the four members of Four Pillar Mages.

"But since you're a handsome young man, and because you gave me this glass of wine, I've decided not to curse you. Fufufufu. But I might change my mind. How about you take off that mask? I need to make sure you're handsome enough to avoid my curse."

"What if I refuse?"

Mariel was confident in his abilities, but the mage before him was troublesome. If he had to estimate, Medea was on the same level as Athrecia Le Fay. That didn't even factor in their spirit power. If the two of them fought, spirit strength alone might determine the winner.

"Fufufu~, fufufufu. Big sister will kidnap you. We can run many experiments together." Medea spoke while sensually licking the rim of her glass, her purple eyes gazed at Mariel like a predator eyeing its prey. "I'll guide you safely down the path to adulthood~"

Mariel shivered. Goosebumps rose on his skin. If the woman's power wasn't intimidating enough, her words made sweat bead on Mariel's temples. Even if she was joking, Mariel knew he couldn't win in this situation. Medea wasn't Celinee or Selena; she was on a different level.

"Of course, I'm just joking, fufufufu~"

Mariel had no words to counter her; he let Medea claim victory and admitted his defeat.

"So, what's a handsome young man like you doing here all alone?"

"Ha…." A long sigh escaped Mariel's mouth. "It's an honor to sit across from Medea Samareas. I'm known as M. I'm here looking for an informant."

"Heeee… You don't want to give me your real name?" Medea didn't wait for a reply. She shrugged and continued, but this time her expression was serious. "It so happens I also work as an informant and a mercenary mage. What information do you need?"

Mariel's expression matched the witch's seriousness. "All the information necessary to cleanse this city of One Eye and other criminal groups," he answered. "Do you have it?"

"Fufufu. Interesting, M. How much are you willing to pay?"

-----ooOoo-----

Neiracia Empire had grown stronger compared to a few years ago.

However, in terms of unity and integrity, the empire had declined significantly. A clear sign of this was the presence of a rebel group that could no longer be ignored: Libertania. This name had echoed across every corner of the empire.

Libertania was an organization structured with one leader, six deputies, two treasurers, and 1,442 members. Compared to the empire's population, that number was insignificant. However, the reality was quite the opposite. Libertania had sunk its teeth into even the most remote villages of the empire. They posed a serious threat to Neiracia.

Nico was one of the six deputy leaders of the organization. At only twenty-two years old, the young man with short, slightly wavy brown hair had a reputation that far outstripped his age. Though not as famous as their leader, Girhamvell, Nico's name was frequently spoken by imperial soldiers. Standing at 1.8 meters tall with brown skin, he was a nightmare for them.

Night had fallen when Nico set foot in an old building on the outskirts of the city.

This was the place where he and his ten comrades had agreed to meet after scouting the city for One Eye's vital locations. Libertania planned to expand its influence by eliminating One Eye and other criminal organizations. Nico and his team were tasked with mapping One Eye's power.

Silence greeted all of Nico's senses. The old building he had entered was dark and devoid of any signs of life. He knew he hadn't arrived too early—in fact, he was over ten minutes late. Yet Nico didn't sense anyone's presence. Only darkness and complete stillness welcomed him.

Nico began walking deeper into the building.

"What the—"

His words were cut short when the darkness was suddenly swallowed by spheres of light. His eyes widened as he saw his ten comrades lying unconscious on the floor. Normally, he would have rushed to check on them immediately. However, his steps halted when he noticed two individuals standing just a few steps away from their bodies.

"Nico Dawnold, we've been waiting for you," a masked young man said. "Don't worry," he continued before Nico could interrupt, "they're just asleep. Medea gave them pleasant dreams."

There was no reason for Nico to trust the speaker, but he realized he had no other choice. The masked young man was powerful—Nico's instincts were screaming at him. The woman beside the man was also dangerous. Medea… The name sounded familiar, but Nico couldn't remember where he had heard it before.

"What do you want?" Nico asked warily, his body ready to move at any sign of attack.

"We're going to destroy One Eye and wipe out all criminals. We need your cooperation. I want you and your men to help eliminate every criminal. By dawn, I want this city to be cleansed of the filthy breath of criminals."

...That wasn't what Nico had expected.

It was insane.

Sure, he had seen Bearbro and Weimei leaving the city earlier. However, Oz was still in town, along with his powerful and troublesome subordinates. There was no way they could eliminate all the criminals in just one night. Even if Girhamvell was here, Nico was certain he would have considered the masked young man's words utterly insane.

But… Nico couldn't deny that this was a good opportunity to test One Eye's combat strength. They could retreat if the situation went south. Still, what were the odds that the young man was telling the truth? What if this was all just a trap to ensnare him?

"You don't need to worry about a trap," the young man said, as if he could read Nico's mind. "This necklace proves I'm part of Ultores. We want One Eye's destruction just as much as you. We also plan to annihilate their slavery industry. Extend your hand for the good of this land."

That necklace…

Nico let out a long sigh.

He knew that Empress Lasyana often employed Ultores' services. So Nico could understand why the young man would want to see One Eye destroyed. Everyone knew Empress Lasyana despised slavery. Most likely, they were being paid to fulfill the empress's wishes.

"Alright," Nico agreed. "But how are we going to do it?"

"Good decision. Medea, you can release them from your sleep spell."

"Fufufufu~"

That laugh made Nico's bones shiver, but relief washed over him as he saw his comrades waking up one by one. And at that moment, Nico remembered the name he had just heard. Could it be… that the woman was Medea Samareas?

"As for how we'll do it, it's simple," the young man continued. "Medea and I will take care of their main forces. You and your men will handle the cleanup. We'll finish this as quickly as possible."

The words were spoken with complete confidence. Even Girhamvell would have been stunned by the young man's radiating self-assurance. He was certainly no ordinary person. Realizing this made Nico confident that the woman beside him truly was Medea Samareas.

"…Who are you?"

Nico couldn't stop himself from asking the most basic question.