Had he just been tricked?

  Mark processed Isolda’s words as silence once again settled over the room.

  What exactly did that woman mean by “becoming a resource of the Guild under martial law”?

  What kind of law was that?

  He frowned, suspicion now clear on his face. Mark had not come here to become a soldier or a pawn in a war he didn’t even understand. He wanted the freedom that the rank provided, not a golden leash.

  “Can’t I obtain the identification without that implication?” He asked, his voice keeping a low tone but carrying a note of dissatisfaction.

  Isolda did not seem surprised by the question. She leaned back in her chair, maintaining the same calm, icy expression as before.

  Folding her fingers together over the desk, she observed him for a moment before replying.

  “Not for Gold Rank. Not under these circumstances. Low-rank adventurers, such as Bronze or Iron, are seen merely as independent service providers. They come and go. But, as I said, Gold Rank is different. You are now considered an individual powerhouse.”

  She paused briefly, adjusting one of the papers on the desk.

  “Luminaris, and the Guild as a whole, invests resources and authority in someone at your level. In return, there is a contingency protocol. As long as you are a registered adventurer of the Guild, your strength belongs to the balance of power in this region. If a total war breaks out or if an enemy decides to cross the borders, martial law allows the Guild to summon all of its high-ranking members for defense or strategic missions.”

  Isolda tilted her head slightly, raising one finger. “We give prestige and access, and you offer the guarantee that you will stand with the side that welcomed you. If you want the benefits of being Gold Rank, you must accept the risks that come with the title.”

  She spoke so naturally that it almost sounded like a fair and obvious exchange.

  Mark almost agreed with her.

  “So if I accept, I’m basically signing a contract?” He asked, trying to simplify it.

  “You could put it that way.” Isolda nodded, not taking her eyes off him. “But remember: martial law is only activated in cases of extreme necessity. If Luminaris is at peace, you are free to do whatever you wish.”

  Mark remained silent for a few seconds, staring at the golden plate on the desk.

  Internally, he was weighing his options.

  “And if I refuse the rank and decide to act on my own?” He asked out of curiosity as a thought crossed his mind.

  Isolda’s expression did not change.

  “You would face certain limitations.”

  She seemed to have expected that kind of question.

  “Without an official high-ranking identification, you will not have access to Gold-level missions or above in any city where the Guild operates. You will not be allowed into restricted areas, you will have no right to escorts, and most importantly, you will not have legal immunity for the use of lethal force inside or outside the city walls. In essence, you would be treated as a street mercenary. If you caused any problems, you would be hunted as a common criminal.”

  She paused for a moment, as if a trivial memory had surfaced in her mind. “Furthermore, due to the strength you demonstrated in today’s examination, you would not simply be ignored. Someone with your level of power who refuses to cooperate with the system is considered a latent threat. You would be placed under constant surveillance by the Guild and the city’s intelligence network.”

  She leaned forward slightly, her blue eyes fixed on his with absolute clarity.

  “And if at any point your presence were considered unstable or dangerous to Luminaris’ security, I would have to intervene.”

  ‘Hm?’

  The air in the room seemed to change for a moment.

  Was he being threatened?

  It was obvious he was being threatened.

  She was saying that if he wasn’t an official ally, she would treat him as a potential target before he even did anything.

  Mark stared at Isolda for a few seconds.

  He had to admit, she spoke with the confidence of someone who truly believed she was capable of neutralizing him.

  It was an ironic situation.

  Mark had come here to make his life easier, and now he was being cornered by an unexpected logic that left no room for neutrality. Either he joined the club, or he became a problem to be dealt with.

  Surveillance?

  Intervention?

  He almost felt like laughing.

  For a moment, Vaelin nearly took control.

  The idea of Isolda trying to “intervene” against him was something bordering on absurd, but Mark tried to maintain his neutral fa?ade. He had no interest in causing a massacre or destroying the Guild.

  That could bring many problems. And it wasn’t necessary.

  “So it’s a choice with only one real path.” Mark said, extending his hand toward the desk after regaining his composure.

  If he refused, he would leave with nothing and likely be marked as a potential threat. If he accepted, he would get what he wanted, but he would technically be “on reserve” for that woman.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  In the end, the decision was simple for him.

  If war came and he did not want to fight, who there had enough power to force him?

  Isolda was Platinum Rank, yes, but he had confidence in his abilities.

  Mark sighed.

  He picked up the golden plate from the desk, but did not store it immediately. “I’d like to ask just one last thing.”

  Isolda looked confused, thinking the conversation had already ended.

  “Yes?”

  “You mentioned ‘in times of war.’ If Luminaris is a neutral city, why all this effort? The reinforced entrance, the guards’ excessive caution, this strict screening of new adventurers. If neutrality is real, what is the purpose of all this?”

  He paused, fixing his gaze on Isolda.

  “Or does the Guild have a side?”

  Isolda remained motionless.

  She did not seem offended by the question; on the contrary, she appeared surprised.

  Her gaze evaluated Mark again, as if lost in thought. After nearly a minute of silence, she spoke. “Luminaris is neutral by treaty, Sir Vaelin, but the enemy does not recognize treaties.”

  The enemy was clearly the Solis Empire.

  “We are in the path. If the Solis Empire decides to advance, or if the conflict in the east spills over, a city’s neutrality is merely an invitation for whoever arrives first. We reinforce our defenses not because we want to fight, but because we do not want to become the prize of whoever wins.”

  She slowly stood up and walked toward one of the windows overlooking the Guild’s inner courtyard.

  “As for the Guild… our side is stability. Adventurers live off monsters and exploration, not political battlefields. But when politics knocks on our door with armies, neutrality becomes a luxury. The purpose of everything you saw is to ensure that, when the time comes, Luminaris has enough teeth that no one will want to test our ‘neutrality.’”

  She turned back toward him.

  “So, what is your answer?”

  He picked up the golden plate. The metal was heavy and cold to the touch. His gaze shifted between the identification and Isolda’s expression, as if considering his options.

  “I accept the rank.”

  Isolda nodded, apparently satisfied. “A sensible decision, Sir Vaelin. Mila is waiting for you outside to finalize the formalities. Feel free to seek me out at the Guild if you need anything.”

  Mark simply nodded, storing the plate beneath his cloak.

  He had the answer he wanted.

  It was time to leave.

  Rising from his seat, he walked toward the door under Isolda’s gaze, leaving without saying anything else.

  Slam!

  Mila was outside, leaning against the opposite wall. The moment she saw him exit, she nearly jumped in surprise, her eyes darting to his hands in search of any sign of the result.

  “Sir Vaelin! You… how did it go?” She asked, her voice filled with anxiety.

  Mark simply displayed the golden plate for a brief second before letting it disappear beneath the folds of his cloak.

  “I’m a Gold Rank adventurer now.” He said simply.

  Mila let out such a long sigh that it sounded as though she had been holding her breath since he entered the room.

  “Thank the gods…” She murmured, wiping a drop of sweat from her temple. “I really thought things were going to end badly. Please, come with me. I need to finish the paperwork downstairs and hand you your weapon permit documents and access authorization for restricted areas.”

  Mark merely nodded, following Mila in silence as they left the area.

  “Now that you are officially Gold Rank, there are a few benefits I need to mention, Sir Vaelin.” She explained without looking back.

  “You have the right to unrestricted weapon carry inside the city, full access to the Guild library, and up to a 50% discount on any item or weapon under our logistics custody. Additionally, you have absolute priority when selecting Gold-level missions and the right to luxury accommodations if you so desire.”

  Mark listened with an indifferent expression, simply nodding as she continued.

  Wait.

  Library?

  Mark considered it for a moment.

  He had not forgotten his original objective when leaving Ziggurat to come to Luminaris, which was to gather information and learn more about this world.

  Now that he had obtained a Gold Rank adventurer identification, things would become much easier. He could collect information he would never discover just by asking around.

  Even so, the price he had paid to reach that position still left him slightly uncomfortable.

  Mark had been out of Ziggurat for less than a day and had already been tricked by a wartime contract clause disguised as a benefit.

  Fortunately, his commanders were not here to see this. Aside from the advantage of access to information, the other privileges Mila mentioned fell far short of what he actually needed.

  Isolda had already made it clear that he was a “powerhouse” and a resource of the city; the benefits now felt like the bare minimum payment for that kind of responsibility.

  For him, having discounts on weapons or a soft bed was useless.

  He already had all of that.

  Vaelin was not broke, and he certainly wasn’t lacking a roof over his head!

  Come to think of it… he had sold himself for very little.

  Mark was starting to regret it.

  Mila, however, could not help noticing his indifferent reaction when she mentioned the benefits.

  She glanced sideways, expecting to see at least a spark of satisfaction or greed in his eyes, but found only calm emptiness.

  For most adventurers, Gold Rank was the pinnacle of a career — the moment they became “untouchable” and wealthy. Seeing that those benefits did not seem good enough to even move Sir Vaelin stirred a quiet sense of admiration within her.

  He did not seem like a man seeking privileges.

  ‘Sir Vaelin is a righteous man.’

  With her own personal interpretation, Mila continued guiding Mark through the corridors.

  After a few minutes, they arrived at a smaller room reserved for high-ranking adventurers. Behind the counter stood a middle-aged attendant who simply nodded upon seeing Mila.

  Mila stopped and turned toward Mark.

  “Please, Sir Vaelin, could you present your identification?”

  Mark removed the golden plate from beneath his cloak and handed it over. Mila held it carefully, as if it were a sacred object.

  “Unlike Iron or Bronze plates, which are simply engraved metals, the Gold identification is forged with a special mana-treated alloy.” She explained, pointing to the nearly invisible formations along the edges of the metal.

  “It will now be linked to your mana signature. This prevents any kind of forgery or use by third parties. With it in your possession, you will have immediate access to all the benefits I mentioned. Simply bring it close to the library’s security seals or present it at partnered establishments.”

  ‘So that’s how it works?’ Mark lowered his head, looking at the identification. He had thought the plate was merely decorative.

  He had not expected the identification to function like a biometric device and a…

  High-loyalty credit card?

  It seemed like a technological and functional item.

  The middle-aged attendant placed the plate on a crystal pedestal that briefly glowed with a soft light.

  “Please place your hand over the plate for a moment to synchronize your mana, Sir Vaelin.” Mila instructed. “There’s no need to force anything, just let your energy flow naturally. The metal will do the rest.”

  Mark hesitated for only a fraction of a second.

  Controlling his mana was becoming as easy as moving his fingers. He channeled only the tiniest thread, just enough to be detected, and touched the metal.

  The golden plate emitted a warm pulse, and the formations along its edges glowed a deep shade of blue before stabilizing.

  It was done.

  “All set.” Mila smiled, returning the plate to him.

  “You are now, officially, a Gold Rank adventurer.”

  Mark stored the identification.

  It seemed he had already fulfilled his objective at the Guild. With a brief nod of farewell to Mila, he turned and left.

  “See you later, Sir Vaelin!”

  As he crossed the double doors of the entrance, the noise from inside the Guild was replaced by the vibrant chaos of the streets.

  The sun was already high in the sky.

  Mark paused for a moment at the top of the staircase, feeling the immediate heat. The mild but persistent discomfort began prickling his skin beneath the cloak like a constant reminder.

  “Sovereign…”

  Sensing that Isolda’s pressure was now behind them, Pippin finally dared to poke his small head out from the folds of the cloak. The servant looked around, curious about the city’s movement, before whispering to his master.

  “What are we going to do now?”

  The servant seemed to deliberately avoid mentioning what had happened inside the room.

  Mark inhaled the hot air, observing the flow of people, carriages, and merchants filling the main avenue.

  He still had the rest of the day to decide his next steps, but his mind was already fixed on a single place.

  That “martial law contract” needed to be worth it.

  Mark adjusted the cloak to better protect his body from the sunlight. “Let’s go to the library.”

  It was time to find out whether a thousand years had changed the information he knew from the game.