"Sigh, why can't I control my own hands?"
Ambrose lamented from the depths of his soul, rubbing the gold coin between his fingers.
The adventuring party heading into the sewers had generously offered a "recruitment fee" of one gold coin. Even if they didn't end up working together, Ambrose was still one gold coin richer.
While mages were a noble profession, and it was reasonable for adventurers to offer a small fee to entice one to join their party, a full gold coin was excessively lavish. It was as ostentatious as tipping the dwarf singer just to make him shut up.
Any lingering hesitation Ambrose might have had vanished the moment he received the coin.
But after taking the money, his apprehension only grew stronger.
The adventuring profession was often just a step above being an unemployed vagrant; very few of them were purely good people. A willingness to spend so much money suggested two possibilities: either they were genuinely powerful, or the mission was extremely difficult—or perhaps they were planning to betray their new teammate.
After all, mages were, in most cases, wealthy. Looting a few enchanted items from a mage's corpse could net thousands, even tens of thousands, of gold coins.
But if that was their plan, Ambrose would be even more delighted.
Double-crossing them? Child's play.
As long as he acted in self-defense, the City of Alchemy would have no pretext to trouble him, and Ambrose could pick the adventuring party clean for a tidy profit.
A washed-up Legendary was still a Legendary. With the advantage of his concealed lich identity, bullying a group of adventurers would be a piece of cake.
The real trouble would be if the mission was genuinely difficult. If this party wasn't trying to set a trap, then spending so much to hire a mage meant they were facing a truly formidable problem.
If he couldn't double-cross them and had to deal with a major hassle, the deal suddenly seemed far less profitable.
Of course, if things got too hairy, he could always back out. A free gold coin was still an acceptable outcome.
Ambrose sat in a corner of the tavern, quietly waiting for the adventuring party to arrive. The orc bartender had said they were traveling from outside the city and would likely not arrive until after midnight.
During that time, Ambrose devised several plans for a potential double-cross, along with various bargaining tactics.
However, when the adventuring party finally appeared, Ambrose knew at once that his scheming had been a waste of time.
It was a party of three: a fully armored knight, his head completely encased in a full-faced helmet; a war priest in chainmail, a mace the size of a man's head hanging from his belt; and a young man dressed as a mage, who looked particularly shabby in their company.
"A paladin and a war priest from the Ryan Empire?" Ambrose said in surprise.
There was no mistaking them. The equipment of two of the members bore the unique rose and dragon sigil of the Ryan Empire. And this wasn't just any standard issue; it was the mark of a member of the Royal Paladin Legion.
In terms of nobility, these two were at least viscounts with their own fiefs.
No wonder they were so generous. Compared to ordinary adventurers, these two were men of wealth and power.
But what were a paladin and priest from the Ryan Empire doing in the City of Alchemy? The two powers were not on good terms. The City of Alchemy equally disdained all mundanes who knew nothing of alchemy or magic, while the Ryan Empire equally disdained all non-human races. Like two villains who despise each other, the two nations, with their different standards of prejudice, had always held each other in contempt.
The Ryan Empire considered the City of Alchemy, with its multitude of races, a nation of heretics. The City of Alchemy saw the Ryan Empire, with its constant shouts of "For the light!", "For glory!", and "Die, evil!", as little more than barbarians who charged into battle.
Although there was no open hostility, friction between them was constant.
The appearance of these two was therefore highly unusual, so much so that the entire tavern fell silent and stared at them the moment they walked in. Everyone knew the style of the Ryan Empire. There were a few Lizardfolk and Drow drinking in the tavern; who knew if the newcomers would suddenly roar, "By the light! The evil before me is worthy of a fight!"
Amidst the tense atmosphere, the shabby-looking mage accompanying them stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Hahaha, my second time here, and this tavern is as lively as ever! You two find a seat, I'll go order a couple of fine ales."
Ambrose was unaware that he had a connection to this young mage. It was Harvey, the same apprentice who had followed the Porcupine Knight on his patrol outside Ambrose's domain.
Hearing Harvey's words, the patrons finally breathed a collective sigh of relief. If this wasn't his first time here, he probably wouldn't start a fight, right? There were no reports of mass casualties or ugly diplomatic incidents at this tavern last time, so it should be fine.
Despite this reasoning, quite a few customers threw down their money and left. For those with guilty consciences, sitting in the same room as a paladin was sheer torture.
The paladin and the priest seemed accustomed to being ostracized and calmly sat down in another corner of the tavern.
Wearing full plate armor and still choosing a seat against the wall—as expected of a well-trained paladin. He knew exactly what kind of enemies he faced.
Harvey bustled about, quickly breaking into a sweat.
The Porcupine Knight had gone to great lengths to curry favor with these two influential figures from the Ryan Empire. Though he still couldn't figure out their purpose in the City of Alchemy, he had successfully recommended Harvey to them as a guide.
When the two suddenly announced they wanted to explore the city's sewers, Harvey had no choice but to act as their errand boy. Just applying for entry into the City of Alchemy had nearly exhausted him, and then there were the adventure permits and the search for teammates.
A paladin from the Ryan Empire might find it easy to find party members elsewhere.
Despite their rigid demeanor and racial prejudice, a paladin's strength was undeniable, and they would never break an oath or betray their comrades, making them exceptionally reliable teammates.
But this was the City of Alchemy, where human adventurers were a minority. Moreover, they were looking for a mage skilled in a specific type of magic, which narrowed the pool even further.
The few mages they had found previously had all failed to reach an agreement, and some encounters had ended on bad terms.
The recruitment fee had slowly risen to one gold coin. Today, they received a magical message about a new potential teammate and had rushed over.
The orc bartender enthusiastically introduced Ambrose to Harvey.
"Hello, I am William Harvey, an apprentice mage."
Harvey took the opportunity to size up the black-haired youth, who looked even younger than him.
To Harvey's surprise, Ambrose's hair color, eye color, and facial features didn't match those of humans from any region he knew. He had a certain ethereal beauty, reminiscent of an elf, though Harvey couldn't tell which elven bloodline he might have.
But good looks were useless. A mage cast spells with intelligence, not charisma like sorcerers or warlocks.
"Greetings. I am Tiga Ultraman," Ambrose said, using his chat group username.
"A pleasure, Master Ultraman. I believe you're aware of our requirements. We need a mage who is proficient in ice magic..."
Harvey had barely finished his sentence when Ambrose raised his palm, and a ball of ice and snow coalesced in it.
From the magical formation, Harvey recognized it as Ray of Frost, a low-level ice cantrip. Casting a cantrip wasn't difficult; even a diligent apprentice could master it. He was about to question Ambrose's skill when he saw the icy energy in his palm split into two separate orbs.
Dual casting? A sorcerer's trick... no, this was pure magical control.
An expert reveals their skill with a single move. Harvey could only feel admiration for Ambrose. His earlier use of "Master Ultraman" had been mere politeness; now, it was well-deserved.
Harvey looked toward the paladin and nodded, indicating his approval of Ambrose's abilities. Harvey's job was only to confirm Ambrose's skills; the decision to cooperate rested with the two from the Ryan Empire.
"My lords, this is the fifth candidate, and perhaps our last chance, so..."
Harvey gave them a subtle hint, meaning, *please don't let this end in a near-brawl like the previous times, or we'll never find a teammate*.
The paladin paid no mind to Harvey's words. In a voice almost devoid of emotion, he said to Ambrose, "Master Ultraman, my faith does not permit me to work with evil. I wish to use Detect Evil on you. Do you consent?"
Ambrose: ...