Chapter 89: Played Against Me

“Never mind, let’s put it away for now!” After observing for a while, Rod sighed helplessly, storing his armor in his backpack. He was in a very low mood. He had thought he would find a valuable treasure, but instead, things turned out like this. The disappointment he felt was evident.
However, moments later, a bitter smile appeared on his lips. After all, if he were that lucky every time, would people in this world still need to live? The Dark Dragon was just a stroke of bad luck for him. There were only a few divine weapons in this world—how could he keep encountering them every time? With these thoughts, his mood eased somewhat.
“Niles, how should I deal with you?” Once he settled down, today’s events rushed back to his mind. That guy, Niles, had used such tactics against him. This was also his territory, so he had to find a way to resolve this. Otherwise, who knew what else might happen. On top of that, his name was on the blacklist—troubles never came alone, which gave Rod a serious headache.
He lowered his head and thought for a while but came up with no ideas. He couldn’t think of a good way to deal with that annoying guy. He wasn’t familiar with the capital, had weak influence, and his opponent was a significant noble here. A direct confrontation would be quite troublesome.
“Rod, are you in there?” Just as Rod was worrying, a voice came from outside the door. It was Lawrence’s voice. Hearing it, Rod frowned in confusion. He got up, replied, and walked toward the door.
When he opened the door, he saw Lawrence standing there. “What’s the matter?”
He had just returned to his room and hadn’t even been there for long when someone came to see him. Could it be something important? Rod wondered inwardly as he asked.
“Weren’t you looking for the marshal? He’s back. It happens to be a good time—I also need to go there. Let’s go together!” With a slight smile, Lawrence spoke softly, noticing that Rod wasn’t in good spirits. He also wondered inwardly. Ever since Rod returned, he had sensed something was off. Judging by Rod’s appearance, something must have happened outside, but since Rod wouldn’t talk, he was at a loss.

“Back already? So fast? Let’s go take a look!” Hearing this, Rod was slightly surprised before saying so, then leaving the room, closing the door, and heading outside. Anyway, he needed to visit Ocaz anyway. Though he believed Ocaz must already know that a bounty had been posted for his granddaughter on the Mercenary Guild’s blacklist, it was still better to mention it. More importantly, Rod had his own plans—sort of a trick—to try to get some information he wanted from Ocaz.

Led by Lawrence, they soon arrived at Ocaz’s study. After knocking on the door and getting permission, the two entered respectfully.

“How was your outing today? What do you think of the capital? Not bad, right? A bit better than your Flaming City, I suppose?”

Sitting at his desk, Ocaz put down the documents in his hands and asked Rod with a slight smile.

“It’s good. A thousand times, ten thousand times better than our Flaming City. After all, this is the capital. Flaming City is just a small town—how can it compare? But still, Flaming City is my hometown!”

At the mention of Flaming City, a hint of disappointment flashed in Rod’s eyes. The old man had been killed there, and he himself had been forced to leave under the pressure of Roger and the others to seek his fortune in the outside world. He harbored deep resentment toward that place that had brought him so much hardship. But hometown was still hometown, and his resentment was directed more at those people than at the town itself.

“Hmm, not bad. Few young people are as nostalgic as you. Lawrence, you’re here too. Is there something on your mind?”

Ocaz was momentarily stunned by Rod’s words. After pondering for a while, he stared at Rod and spoke in a low voice, filled with emotion.

“I’ve been back in the capital for some time now. I think it’s time for me to return to the Dark Legion. They need me!” Looking at Ocaz, Lawrence said in a low voice. His mission had failed this time, bringing great shame to the Dark Legion, which weighed heavily on his mind.

“Hmm, it’s good to go back. Work hard there. You still need to hone your skills. I believe you’ll become a new leader for the Dark Legion!”

After pondering for a moment, Okaz spoke with a slight smile. In his heart, he still held Lawrence in high regard. Although Lawrence was born into a wealthy family, he lacked the bad habits common among wealthy youngsters—a quality Okaz admired the most. His performance in the army had been outstanding, which was why his old subordinates treated him so well. It was also why he could secure a position in the Dark Legion at just 22 years old and become an officer commanding a thousand men. More importantly, he was extremely diligent; this very year, at just 24, he had joined the ranks of the Golden Warriors, truly a genius who was highly regarded by everyone.

“I will surely fulfill my mission and not disappoint you, General!” Lawrence replied, giving a standard military salute. The determination in his eyes showed his passionate spirit and unwavering confidence. Though he had suffered a crushing defeat this time, he believed he had gained far more, which would be beneficial for his future.

“Alright, if there’s nothing else, you may go. I need to have a talk with Rod,” Okaz said, nodding slightly and looking at Lawrence with approval before waving him away with a sigh.

Rod glanced at Rod and the marshal, wondering what they might be discussing, but he obeyed the order and stepped outside.

Now alone with Okaz in the room, Rod was puzzled. Why did Okaz want to talk to him alone, without Lawrence present?

“Well, how was your outing today? Did you learn anything?” Okaz asked, wearing a smile that Rod couldn’t decipher.

That smile gave Rod an ominous feeling, as if he were a naked lamb under a gray wolf’s gaze.

“Ahem… It’s… fine, haha, quite good!” Rod forced a smile under Okaz’s intense gaze.

“Hmm, did you go to the Mercenary Guild? Did you find anything?” Sure enough, his bad instincts were correct. He hadn’t guessed wrong. Realizing this, Rod understood everything. That’s why this old guy had smiled when he heard he would stay, and also earlier—he must have known about Rod being blacklisted all along but hadn’t said anything.

So that’s how it is. Realizing this, Rod looked at Okaz with clear understanding. So this guy had been mocking him the whole time, but what were his intentions? That was something he couldn’t figure out.

“You must already know, right? Yes, I’m on the blacklist, but isn’t your granddaughter there too? Her price is much higher than mine. Why aren’t you worried? After all, her mission has already been accepted!” Rod retorted after calming down.

“Hehe, see? It’s fine. You don’t need to worry about Lucia. As long as she stays within the capital, I guarantee that not even the Martial Saint could harm her in the slightest—there’s no doubt about that. As for you, hehe, two thousand gold coins—seems quite tempting, especially for those lone dark mercenaries. I heard your mission has been accepted. How? Do you think you can avoid this wave of pursuit? What about the next one? Or do you have no chance at all? Right now, you’re alone and weak—those people can easily attack you!” Okaz said with a laugh, looking at Rod playfully. At this moment, he truly resembled an old fox, making Rod want to pounce on him and bite him.

“Hmph, I’m lucky. Those people won’t be able to kill me that easily. The barefoot aren’t afraid of those in shoes. If they have the guts, let them come. At most, I’ll just hide in your mansion and not go out. Can they really come in and bully me? As for Lucia, that organization seems pretty big. Can you really protect her if you want to kill her?” Rod growled coldly, glaring at the guy in dissatisfaction.

“Cough, cough, cough… You… I guarantee Lucia will be fine. You can always hide in my mansion for life. Here, I have a way to help you escape the pursuit. As long as you agree to leave the rest to me, how about it? Interested?” Rod’s words completely surprised Okaz. He never expected this guy to act so shamelessly. But experience taught him to stay calm quickly, and he continued to manipulate him with that deadly smile.

“What method?” Rod became interested. This was currently his biggest concern. If it could really be solved, it would be great. At the same time, he remained wary—this old guy wasn’t easy to deal with. Now that the fox’s tail had shown up, he wanted to see how long it was.

“Simple. With your skills and strength, I believe you could get a good position in the army if you join. I can introduce you. It’s definitely better than being a mercenary. Of course, if you don’t want to join the army, you can stay in my mansion as a guard. Hehe, isn’t that great? Such a chance isn’t something others can even ask for!”

With a sly smile, Okaz said contentedly, “It took just half a year within a year to rise from an ordinary person to the peak of a Bronze Warrior. Who would believe such an achievement? Anyone who heard about it would probably lose their eyes. A true genius, an absolute genius. No matter what extraordinary luck he encountered, he can’t escape the title of genius. I wanted to claim this talent right from our first meeting; I just hadn’t found the right opportunity. Now that the chance has come, how could I miss it? Of course, I must seize it firmly.”