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If I could get anyone right now to be my escort, it would be.

Ethan began to sort through his options in his head. The more people he could get, the better, but the first thing he needed was a subordinate to act as an escort.

Even if there was such a thing as a mercenary king back in those days, he would have already been a renowned mercenary and wouldnt have accepted a job as a mere escort for the eldest son of a mere count.

If he was going to be searching for an escort, the person had to be someone who would be able to stay with him afterward, which meant that they had to be a man of character and, once they had pledged their loyalty, they had to keep it.

No matter how strong they are, if they dont have a good heart, theyll stab me in the back.

One by one, Ethan crossed off the list, each one timed to the present, until only one name remained.

Yerica. The granddaughter of the Archmage Hecate.

The Archmage Hecate, who ruled over a continent, was a mage of the Eighth Circle, one of the best on the continent, and died as a hero of the continent.

Its said that it was due to her obsession with magic.

That was the rumor, but the reality was different.

If one entered the magic tower and studied Hecates magic, one would hear stories about this stigma of Hecate and get clues about it.

And if you followed the clues and followed Hecates trail, you would find out.

That Hecate died unjustly.

She was deliberately assassinated by three noble families belonging to the Twelve Stars.

There was one who bore the stigma and the aftermath.

She was the granddaughter of Hecates only daughter.

Hecates granddaughter, Yerica, was gifted with the genius of Hecates talents, able to understand any magic and make it her own after just three glimpses.

But after Hecates death, she was shunned. Declared the child of a sinner, she was imprisoned with her mother with a binding spell written on her body.

Her mother died in the process, and Yerica was lucky enough to escape with some of the bindings removed.

Of course, shes dreaming of revenge.

Right now, she was hiding in the Dark Forest.

She still hadnt managed to break all of her bindings and deal with the poisons and curses that limited her power, so she was still weak.

But there was one problem.

The Dark Forest is some distance from the Counts estate.

He doubted he could get there in his current state.

But Ethan quickly made up his mind.

Still, its better than any escort I can get around here, both for now and for the future.

She was a good enough mage to be able to use magic right away, and as the granddaughter of an archmage, shed be as good as Hecate if she ever awakened properly.

She was far more suitable as an escort than any of the sword-wielding ones.

The problem is that she doesnt trust anyone, but there is a way around that.

He already had a plan for her in his head.

He didnt clear MePan ten times for nothing.

* * *

Ethan was about to leave for Pirenne, a city some distance from the county.

But he couldnt leave quietly.

Are you sure its all right?

The Count has asked me to come with you.

We will all come with you, Young Master.

No, not the whole knights, captain. Calm your nerves, its all right, I can walk now.

He needed an escort, but he didnt need the whole knights.

After some debate, Ethan chose a knight.

Because I cant go alone.

The Count would never let him go alone anyway, and he needed an escort he could use right away, just in case.

Then this person is the best.

Nice to meet you, Young Master! My name is Schudlen Mark!

Schudlen Mark.

The man who would one day be Count Whiskers strongest knight, and Nathan Whiskers bodyguard. Though he was only a rookie knight now, in a few years he would be a force to be reckoned with.

When I took Nathan Whiskers as an ally, he came along.

Ethan also remembered having this Schudlen as a subordinate.

But hes just a rookie right now. In short, he hasnt decided where this loyalty is going to go yet.

Then it was perfectly possible to redirect that loyalty to himself.

He wasnt a big deal, but he was a big enough deal that he could be a one-man show.

He was still new, so he asked with enthusiasm.

May I ask what reason youre going out, so I can prepare accordingly!

You dont need to be so elaborate, just protect me as best you can.

Ethan was equipped with good armor, but his body was still frail.

If they encountered a stronger foe, Schudlen would have to protect him.

I will do my best.

Ill have to wait until were closer to the Dark Forest to tell him.

If Ethan told him now, hed freak out.

* * *

Ethan took Schudlen with him to the magic shop.

To buy the materials they needed.

Welcome!

Do you have any subspace pouches?

Ah! Youve come at just the right time, there are only two left, and as you know, subspace pouches are worth their weight in gold. They come in frequently and disappear quickly!

Subspace Pouches were originally an item that added about ten more spaces to your inventory.

But in the absence of inventory, it was a valuable artifact that could serve as a small inventory.

Its 100,000 gold.

100,000 gold? I know the market price.

You know the price, thats right. 100,000 gold. Im giving you a bargain.

No, its not. No. Wasnt it around 110,000 gold?

Ethan smirked and tacked on another 10,000 gold.

Uhh.

Theres more Id like to get, and Id like to know about some information.

The shopkeeper wasnt the only one puzzled.

His bodyguard, Schudlen, looked at Ethan with a puzzled expression.

He had a feeling this wasnt the Ethan he knew.

The way he acted, as if he had a lot of experience dealing with people, didnt seem like the Ethan he knew.

But the shopkeeper quickly understood what Ethan was saying. He quickly collected the gold and smiled a kinder smile than before.

Cough, cough. What are you looking for?

Silver lilies.

Well, theres actually a limited amount of silver lilies available, and Im in short supply right now.

In short supply?

Ethan tilted his head.

At some point, the silver lily would become a hard-to-find medicinal plant. But not now. It shouldnt be that hard to find right now.

He needed a silver lily to make a magic-nullifying potion. Hecates granddaughter, Yerica, was under a binding spell and couldnt use her mana properly, so she needed to be fed that potion.

The shopkeepers expression darkened slightly.

Its actually.

What happened?

Ethans tone of voice also changed naturally.

Well, theres a guy who has a monopoly on silver lilies. I dont know if youve noticed, but this underworld is controlled by a guy named Granoll, and he just started buying them up and wiping them out. I tried to refuse, but I couldnt resist his threats.

Ahh.

Ethans eyes lit up.

Looks like some underworld thugs are up to no good with the silver lilies.

Among the achievements were those that involved doing good deeds.

They could be cleared by dealing with those with evil tendencies.

Ive never gotten all the good deeds achievements.

There was an end to all achievements, but strangely enough, there was no end to the good deeds achievements.

Even when he cleared the game, earning the title of Saint of the Lowliest by performing good deeds from start to finish, the good deeds achievement didnt end.

In many ways, its a good thing.

What do you think theyre going to do with those silver lilies?

Well, from what Ive heard.

The shopkeeper said they were making poison from the flowers.

Then he added a word.

They obviously dont have the skill to make poison. Its strange.

Could it be?

Ethan immediately remembered a quest.

It was the beginning of a quest that would set the continent ablaze, a big event called the Silver Lily Gate.

There was a famous poison magician who deliberately released his poison skills to conduct various experiments.

Poison Magician. The Poison King.

He used the Poison Skill to perfect the poison he had created, and with the experience he gained from it, he created an incredible poison.

He even poisoned the princess of the Holy Kingdom and held her hostage.

His objective was the Divine Blade, the treasure of the kingdom.

This is going to boost my good deed achievement score quite a bit.

Ethan grinned at the workshop owner.

Forget the silver lilies, then, Ill get them myself.

* * *

Young Master. Are you going to those underworld thugs?

I intend to, but just in case, be sure to guard me. Theres nothing worse than being stabbed to death.

Guard youIll make sure of that! But why go to a dangerous place? The underworld thugs have nothing to lose. Theyre only afraid of nobles from the outside, but if someone comes into their territory, theyll do something without thinking!

Probably.

Ethan agreed neatly.

Then why, why are we going there?

He was a new knight, but he was either full of heroism or didnt try to show off his chivalrous side as a knight.

That was why he couldnt understand Ethans behavior.

This wasnt Count Whiskers territory, and it wasnt like he had a grudge against the underworld of Pirenne.

Is there a reason to do something good?

To get likes for an achievement.

Ethan was just thinking about completing an achievement.

But when he said that, Schudlen looked shocked.

Ah

Schudlen made a brief sound of realization.

He hadnt realized that his Young Master had such thoughts.

He had forgotten until now.

The knight he once wanted to be was one who did good and helped the weak.

That was what a knight was. One who did not hesitate to do good.

Schudlen bowed deeply at the sight of Ethan, so much more knightly than he was.

At your service, Young Master.

Unintentionally, Ethan had earned Schudlens loyalty.

* * *

When Ethan, a noble, and Schudlen, a knight, entered the underworld, the thugs fell silent and backed away.

Schudlen looked at Ethan. From the way he talked, Ethan seemed to have quite a bit of heroism in him.

If so, hed want to deal with these underworld thugs.

Schudlen tensed, knowing that he would have to lead the way.

The moment Ethan stepped into the underworld, the thugs were wary and raised their weapons.

Ethan then spoke calmly to them.

Im just walking down the street. If you wont touch me, I wont touch you.

Schudlen was surprised.

Ethan responded calmly, he wondered where the heroism he had shown earlier had gone.

Then Ethan whispered to him.

Just hit them in the head. Theres no need to see blood.

A sense of experience. He could almost feel a ten-year mercenary veteran in front of him.

Yes. Young Master.

Something was different.

Different from the men of Count Whickers he knew. There was something far greater in Ethan than he had once felt in Nathan.

Of course, Ethan had no intention of capturing any of them.

I have to catch the big one to achieve the achievement faster.

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