Named

This was the first time Pernok had summoned them so late at night.

When Hallam entered the office, he found Sallio and Enri already waiting.

“Your arm doing okay?”

“Oh? You can actually move it.”

Their injuries weren’t as severe as Hallam’s.

Once again realizing the gap between himself and the level 6 mages, Hallam forced a bitter smile.

But his position was equal to theirs now.

To avoid disappointing Pernok, Hallam answered with confidence.

“This much? I’ll be fine after a few days’ rest. It’s nothing serious.”

“That stubborn pride of yours.”

When Enri clicked her tongue, Sallio chuckled.

Over the past year of snarling at each other, they’d grown surprisingly close under Pernok’s leadership.

With clear positions guaranteed, they even made light bets on who would earn Pernok’s trust first.

“Everyone’s here.”

All three turned their gaze to the door.

Pernok and Rio entered.

Pernok took the head seat while Rio stood beside him.

“How are your injuries?”

Sallio and Enri shrugged, while Hallam waved his injured arm.

Pernok nodded.

“Can you move in a week?”

“If there’s no training, sure.”

At Enri’s blunt response, Pernok smiled.

“Good. Then while you’re resting, organize your units and prepare to climb the mountain range.”

“The mountain range? Did we get a request?”

“I’m planning to take the summit.”

“Ah, the summit…”

Enri, who’d been nodding, stopped abruptly.

“…The summit?”

“You don’t mean beyond those clouds, do you?”

When Sallio asked in disbelief, Pernok answered calmly.

“Yes. I’m going to meet the master of this mountain range.”

“Gasp!”

Hallam sucked in a breath.

Summit conquest.

Many guilds had attempted it, but no one had ever broken through beyond 8000 meters altitude.

That place teemed with high-grade demon beasts, and even level 5 mages found their mana freezing solid like stone—it was a disaster zone.

Once, the nation had organized a massive summit subjugation force led by a Magus, but even that had failed.

Because of the massive barrier protecting the master.

“You’re joking, right?”

Enri’s disbelieving question was understandable.

“I’ve been planning to conquer the mountain summit for a long time.”

“Oh my god!”

Enri covered her mouth with both hands, eyes wide.

Sallio and Hallam showed similar shock.

Rio wore a subtle smile beside them.

“No, it’s something I had to do.”

“Is that why you came here, guild leader?”

At Sallio’s sharp question, Pernok nodded readily.

“What I’m about to tell you is a secret known only to the executive staff.”

Pernok looked at each of them in turn.

“I’m a bastard of Illumina Kingdom.”

For a moment, Sallio, Enri, and Hallam couldn’t hide their blank expressions.

Only Rio calmly sipped his tea.

Clack!

The moment Pernok set down his teacup, all three snapped to attention.

“What do you mean, guild leader?”

“Don’t tell me Illumina sent you to absorb us?”

“Please explain in detail.”

Hallam, Enri, and Sallio each expressed their complicated feelings.

Pernok slowly explained his situation.

He wasn’t revealing this because he trusted them.

It was because only by exchanging information and solidifying goals could their interests align.

“…So I accepted the bet, and I have to subjugate the demon beast at the summit of this mountain range. This year I’ll settle things here, consolidate my forces, and then enter Illumina Kingdom. With a Magus as my solid backing.”

Silence descended.

Only the sound of Pernok sipping tea echoed through the office.

The three seemed to be pondering how to process this situation.

After a moment, Enri asked cautiously.

“So… should I be calling you ‘Your Highness’?”

“Act as usual.”

“Uh… huh… ha… haha… kyahahahahaha!”

Leaving the hysterical Enri behind, Pernok turned his gaze to the other two.

“If I say I’m pulling out now, will you kill me?”

“I’d have to find a mage who can erase memories.”

Hallam scratched the back of his head.

“I should’ve never listened to this.”

“Haven’t you told me every time I taught you that you wanted to go to broader places?”

“This isn’t on that level. How do you think someone who’s just been hunting demon beasts feels suddenly hearing about seizing a throne?”

“Well. Some might feel as overwhelmed as you.”

Pernok turned his head toward Sallio.

“While others, like him, might find it interesting.”

Sallio had already composed his emotions.

“I was shocked enough to nearly collapse. But now it feels like the puzzle pieces are fitting together. How could someone like you create a three-way alliance so quickly? I suspected you had backing, but to think it was a Magus. And a candidate for Illumina’s throne backed by a Magus…”

“Want to run?”

“…Even if I abandoned you, I don’t think my life would change much. I’ve seen your ability, judgment, and execution up close. Your dream doesn’t sound absurd to me.”

“Will you raise your stakes with me?”

Sallio nodded heavily.

“A title. If you promise me at least a baron rank, I’ll follow you to the end no matter what.”

“Unexpected. With your skill, if you wanted a title, you wouldn’t have become a mercenary. Why are you asking for one now when you built an A-rank guild?”

“Even useful mercenaries who receive noble titles are just treated like hunting dogs in the end. I don’t want limits defined for me. I want to open a path where I can go beyond what’s guaranteed based on my ability.”

“Didn’t know you had such ambition.”

“I’m lowborn. I was lucky enough to master magic and make money. Now I want a title that will be remembered by posterity.”

“Good. If you’re alive when I ascend the throne, I promise you at least a baron title.”

Sallio’s lips twitched upward.

His habit when pleased.

Pernok turned his gaze to Hallam.

“Should I erase your memory?”

“Do I look like someone who’d say something that crazy in this situation?”

“Then?”

“You’ve kept your promise to develop my abilities, guild leader. I believe you’re someone who understands the weight of words. If someone who values us needs help, answering that call is Bayble’s founding principle.”

Hallam looked at Pernok seriously.

“If you want to become king, the guild members should support you with everything they have. However, I expect a rough road ahead. Please promise generous compensation for the guild members.”

“I don’t waste talent. And the guild members we have now are people you, me, and the others personally selected. I’ll take responsibility to the end.”

“Then I have nothing more to say. I’ll keep following you just as I have been.”

Pernok smiled and turned his gaze to Enri, who’d composed herself.

“And you?”

Enri seemed to think about something, then scratched her cheek and asked.

“Hey, guild leader. Do you know what I did in the past?”

“I heard rumors you were a noble lady.”

“Those rumors are true. I was the third daughter of Count Yant.”

“Count Yant?”

“It’s a family that doesn’t exist anymore. My father died after being marked by the king. Anyway, the Yant family’s swordsmanship was quite good. As the only survivor, I became a mercenary using those sword skills.”

“Want to restore your family?”

Enri snorted.

“What good is rebuilding a family that’s already fallen?”

“Then?”

“Give me this mercenary corps as it is.”

Pernok looked at Enri’s desire with an interested expression.

“I like money. Money never betrays you and lasts forever. And even those stronger than me eventually bow before money.”

“Is the profit Named brings in worth dedicating your future to?”

“I can do many things with the guild’s income. Plus, the guild is full of talent like you said. With them, I can do anything.”

“You want the entire guild. That’s greedy even if Sallio and Hallam take separate positions.”

“In return, I’ll prove it with results. I’m confident at working dirty, you know.”

“Asking for Named means you’ll have to dance with knives in the middle of death all day for it to work.”

“I’ve already enjoyed everything worth enjoying in my life. To climb one step higher from here, I have to take those risks. That’s what it means to be a mercenary. That’s my life. If you need it, I can go cut even a king’s throat. Even if I die as a result, I won’t regret it.”

Enri grinned.

Sallio and Hallam also burned with fighting spirit.

Everyone thought only of moving forward without retreat.

When what they lack is filled, would they still say the same words?

[Those who are deceived are the fools.]

It was the same in the past.

Having failed once, Pernok knows.

People are truly treacherous—they pledge loyalty to your face but stab you in the back at crucial moments.

These three were especially bound by transactions.

Then it’s better to weave tighter interests together so he won’t have to worry about the future.

“I don’t expect loyalty from you. I won’t trust you just because you prove your abilities. I’ll only emphasize the responsibilities and rights that match your power.”

Pernok grinned at the three.

“But I think we’ve sufficiently proven each other’s capabilities over the past year together. Big crises will come, but honestly, that’s nothing. I hope we can build more trust in each other so our unity doesn’t waver.”

“Just give me some decent title later.”

Hallam’s words were the catalyst.

“Let’s revisit the future when it comes. Right now, dealing with immediate matters quickly is the priority.”

“Then how should we address you, guild leader?”

Enri and Sallio gazed steadily at Pernok.

“Act as usual, but the three-way alliance will need to change.”

At Pernok’s signal, Rio recited several reorganization points.

“Our goal is to seize the throne. Therefore, until we conquer the mountain summit as our first condition, we’ll maintain the form of mercenaries, but afterward, we’ll reorganize into a systematic military structure.”

The three nodded.

“Rear support, vanguard, assault team. Right now we only have three frameworks, but as more people join, we’ll subdivide further. For now, just keep that much in mind and filter out who’ll climb the mountain.”

“If we’re only taking the best, we’ll prioritize high-level mages.”

At Enri’s answer, Rio firmly disagreed.

“Strong people aren’t determined by magic but by how they overcome adversity. We’ll additionally select experienced guards and proceed in four-person team formations.”

“Wait, that makes the group too large. We’ll be easily exposed to high-grade demon beasts.”

“That’s why we’ll set up camps at each altitude and alternate rest and combat.”

“You don’t mind being slow?”

Pernok nodded.

“Summit conquest must be drawn carefully from the foundation. Like Rio said, cooperation between guards and mages is important. We’ll open the path safely and solidly while even re-measuring demon beast respawn timing.”

“How long are you estimating?”

At Sallio’s question, Pernok answered firmly.

“Two months.”

Everyone except Rio groaned.

They’d expected at least six months.

“More than that is unnecessary.”

Though hardship was expected, no one voiced the word impossible.

Every request Pernok declared doable had been completed quickly.

His absolute statements carried solid trust.

“In two months, we meet the master of the mountain range.”

Summit conquest.

The realm of impossibility that no one had achieved since Rezhen’s subjugation force.

Thinking they might reach that place filled them with both fear and excitement.

“We plant Named’s flag on that summit.”

* * *

Rezhen’s Chancellor Parkov was carefully examining a single report.

[Demon beast mountain range, Named guild advancing summit subjugation.]

He’d been watching Named closely since the three A-rank guilds merged.

Currently in Rezhen, each prince was shaking up even powerful noble and merchant alliances to clearly establish succession.

As part of the 1st Prince’s faction, Parkov had tried to pull Pernok to their side.

But he’d refused titles and focused solely on breaking through the mountain range.

After that, Parkov planted informants in the demon beast mountain range.

He had to monitor what a level 7 mage leading a group of high-level mages was aiming for.

“The summit…”

Too impure an intent to call mercenary-like.

“Does he know why the nation withdrew from summit subjugation but proceeds anyway?”

The reason the mountain summit subjugation force withdrew wasn’t just the barrier.

At that time, the mountain’s master was scattering terrible demonic energy throughout the entire range.

In other words, the moment they subjugated the mountain’s master, the demonic energy rooted in the range would likely disappear.

‘There were occasional reports of demon beasts escaping surveillance and killing citizens, but we can’t give up money for such trivial reasons.’

Money entering pockets is more important than citizens’ sacrifice.

A situation where the mountain range, deprived of demonic energy supply, repeatedly regenerates and weakens before returning to its original clean state was absolutely unacceptable.

“An insignificant mercenary trash not knowing his place.”

Parkov immediately transmitted orders to Named’s watchers.

[Report immediately when Named reaches the mountain summit. I’ll mobilize the court Magi.]