Chapter 295: Crimson Peak Mercenary Group

Chapter 295: Crimson Peak Mercenary Group



In the afternoon, Olena sought out Ren once again, leaving him a little perplexed. He felt that she was more like his personal secretary than the Deputy Administrator of the Task Hall, as she had been looking for him several times throughout the day.

"Sir Ren, this morning, I suddenly remembered that you were still in the Newbie Dormitory," Olena said with a smile, adding a touch of eagerness that made it hard not to like her.

"So, I immediately contacted the logistics department, and that's when I found out about your recognition as a Drilling Star-level. The news hadn't reached the office yet."

Olena explained with a smile.

"I've already arranged everything for you. According to your Drilling Star-level treatment, your new suite is located across from the Training Building, near the Training Ground. It's the best suite in the entire Swordsman branch."

Upon hearing Olena's words, Ren nodded thoughtfully.

At the same time, the others were in awe of Ren's skill with the sword and shield, a rare sight even for a Great Knight.

"Don't underestimate this. It also includes defense against elemental energies," Olena added.

'Knock knock knock!'

After all, Veri specialized in the two-handed greatsword, which naturally had more attack power than a single-handed sword.

Evelyn's beautiful eyes were fixed on Ren, as if waiting for his next words.

Suddenly, the sound of a heavy object falling came from behind them.

The third floor, with an area of over eight thousand square meters, had less than twenty suites, and it was here that the Swordsman branch of Minster housed the Drilling Star-level captains.

Ten minutes later, Angus, also out of breath and drenched in sweat, arrived with his sword and shield.

Ren's proficiency with the sword and shield was likely unmatched.

As the second son of a marquis, his sources of information were naturally extensive and diverse.

"Impossible! Did you see the dark silver metal on Sir Ren's forearm?"

"What do you mean?" Angus looked at Neror for an explanation.

The metal particles seemed to disperse according to Ren's will.

In Ren's new private training room, Drake and three members of the Crimson Peak Mercenary Group were deep in conversation.

"If I'm not mistaken, that's Enchanted Serenium. This metal has extremely high resistance to all elemental energies," Drake explained.

Evelyn had told him that Neror was the second son of one of the five great marquises of Minster, Marquis Wenger.

"What!" The group's faces changed in unison.

"Yes, my mother passed away when I was very young, and my father, a colonel in the empire, sacrificed himself in a battle against ferocious beasts," Veri said with a hint of melancholy.

"Indeed, and there's more trouble," Olena, the capable matron, added with a nod.

Seeing Ren's nod of agreement, Olena waved her hand, and at the end of the corridor, two tall guards appeared to help with the move.

"I live alone," Veri shrugged, looking at Ren.

However, a wry smile soon appeared on his face.

"Its power is indeed extraordinary! It feels much stronger than the average elemental defense magic. It shouldn't be like this!" Neror frowned, puzzled.

At this moment, Sir Ren, standing in the center of the training ground with his defenses as solid as a fortress, was actually most skilled in offense.

"Angus, it's your turn."

After the exchange with Neror, Ren, having fought three consecutive battles, temporarily concluded his display of the magic 'Metal Barrier'.

Initially, they had no idea that Ren had completed a Drilling Star-level task.

"I see it. What is it?" Angus looked pensive, as if trying to recall something.

They had never seen such a thick layer of metal covering someone's forearm like Ren's.

On the other hand, Ren learned that the inscriptions on the 'Secret Silver Engraved Plate Armor' were actually called 'Basic Energy Inscriptions'.

The group gathered around the coffee table to rest.

No, it wasn't just a matter of familiarity; Ren was an expert in this field.

With Veri as a new follower, the situation had suddenly become much more manageable.

Ren opened the door and was surprised to see Olena again.

Unfortunately, it was all in vain!

This surprised him because Angus had always assumed that Ren specialized in the two-handed warhammer and greatsword. He never expected that Ren would also have proficiency in the sword and shield.

"Even for a peak Great Knight, it would be a challenging feat to break through," Neror said, believing he had pinpointed the key factor.

Ren nodded after a moment's thought and said, "Alright, then I'll trouble you, Lady Olena."

"Sir Ren, have you heard about the recent events upstairs?" Neror suddenly remembered something and pointed upstairs, speaking in a somewhat mysterious tone.

Additionally, there was a dedicated housekeeping team stationed in the corridor, available 24/7 with a simple bell ring.

Ren's chisel glided effortlessly across the plate armor, as if carving through candle wax, smooth and fluid.

In the reception room on the second floor of the auction house.

It wasn't that Ren intentionally concealed it, but explaining it would be too complicated.

"According to the records of the Goddess Church, this 'Gaze of the Eye' has the ability to summon other Demonic Children once it has absorbed enough Soul Energy," Ren explained.

It wasn't until just now, when Ren invited them to spar and exchange skills, that they realized this was a suite fit for a Stelliferrous Iron rank!

"Speaking of which, if this event were held a few months later, you might not just be a viscount but a count as well," Olena said with a smile.

Ren raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, the Demonic Child that day wasn't at its strongest?"

Just for sending people, he gave them three Silver Evaluation Medals and two thousand Valor Points.

"Of course," Ren nodded.

Sunday was still six days away.

Veri, wielding a two-handed greatsword, was already out of breath, but he still couldn't even touch Ren's sleeves.

"Sure, we have it in Minster too," Neror confirmed.

After a brief greeting, the group boarded several luxurious carriages and headed towards the local branch of the Arcus Auction House in Minster.

"In other words, if Ren were to face a wizard, he would most likely use Enchanted Serenium as a countermeasure," Neror said, crossing his arms.

At this, Evelyn's beautiful eyes couldn't help but show curiosity.

However, this news should be true.

"It's not just the Demon Attack Incident, but also the assassination of Archbishop Gomez," Ren revealed a shocking piece of information.

When they arrived earlier, they were all stunned!

Ren smiled wryly, turned around, and effortlessly lifted the warhammer with one hand.

A rune that enhances the efficiency of energy conduction for various elements.

As Olena had mentioned, the suite was indeed fully equipped with a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and training room. Moreover, there was a dedicated housekeeping team in the corridor, ready to provide services.

Standing nearby, the red-haired beauty Evelyn, Neror, and Angus whispered among themselves.

Another reason was that as the current leader of the Swordsman squad, Ren wanted to gather the team members for a get-together or a meeting, as the current accommodation for new members was a bit too cramped.

Furthermore, how many Valor Points would it take to exchange for this suite? Evelyn's eyes sparkled at the thought.

Ren specialized in sword and shield, and although he was stronger than Veri, in terms of pure attack power, they were almost on par.

Ren also tested the Knight Plate Armor engraved with the 'Basic Defensive Rune', and its defense was about ten percent higher than the non-engraved armor.

Due to Ren's unique talent in runes, he didn't need to go to a blacksmith for this task.

"Veri, if you don't mind, you can move into my residence," Ren offered.

Veri narrowed his eyes, and without any hesitation, he executed a swift cross slash with his sword!

"Okay, thank you, Lord Ren."

"Angus, don't forget that Ren has completed a Stelliferrous Iron rank task and four Gold Rank tasks. Do you think he would lack Valor Points?"

"Pfft!"

The speed increase was quite satisfying!

Ren stood calmly in the center of the spacious training ground, surrounded by three dark crane-shaped shields, while across from him stood Veri, holding a two-handed greatsword with a serious expression.

"Lord Asimov, you're finally here," Drake and Fabien, who had been waiting nearby, greeted them enthusiastically.

"I'll contact my family soon. My home is in Cantar County, and the situation is similar to Evelyn's. My father, as a feudal noble, cannot leave, but the others can," Angus nodded.

Actually, he had another sentence that he didn't say.

A knock sounded.

"Okay!" Angus, excited, knocked twice with his sword and shield and stepped forward.

But what could be the reason that would keep the Empire's elite forces occupied for so long?

"Thank you, but you're too kind, Lady Olena," Ren smiled, not saying more.

Ren looked at the group.

"Wow, Lord Ren, your treatment as a Stelliferrous Iron rank leader is truly impressive," Angus said enviously.

Asimov looked around and shook his head, "We only know that it's related to the Empire's high-ranking official, but we're not clear on the specifics. These days, the top experts from various provinces and special departments have been summoned to the imperial capital."

"A suite?"

Hours later.

"By the way, I noticed the patrol personnel on the street was very dense. Is Minster always this focused on security?" A charming voice asked.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but Ren's dark crane-shaped shields are made of tempered mithril, an exceptional metal with high hardness and resilience."

To Ren's left stood an extremely muscular man, over two meters tall, carrying a huge shield on his back.

This made Ren a little confused for a moment.

"That's not it. It's just that in the past few days, the Goddess Church's high bishop in Minster was assassinated, so the patrol forces have been increased several times."

"Yes, I heard that for some reason, the top experts from various provinces have been summoned to the imperial capital."

"Neror whispered.

The middle-aged man nodded, "Your Excellency Drake, long time no see."

Upon hearing the mention of a training room, Ren became rather intrigued. After all, some of his techniques were not suitable for public training grounds.

Ren had been thinking about this for a while. His family's heritage was somewhat lacking, and apart from himself, there weren't any formidable fighters.

"Why don't you move there now?"

Two swift and powerful slashes were effortlessly blocked by the kite-shaped shield.

In comparison, their old dormitory was a shabby place.

Ren nodded, surprised by the excellent treatment for a Diamond Rank Swordbearer.

He felt that Ren was full of flaws, and the gap between the two kite-shaped shields was wide enough for his two-handed greatsword to strike.

The assassination of such a prominent figure was self-evidently significant!

The several-hundred-pound warhammer was effortlessly lifted by Ren as if it weighed nothing.

Now, he was ready to attempt crafting the 'Secret Silver Engraved Plate Armor'.

The guard gratefully looked at Ren, his eyes wide with amazement.

Of course, they would only enter when the room owner rang the bell.

"If it's not an extremely high elemental affinity, then there's only one explanation."

"Captain Ren's spell, 'Metal Barrier', is too strong. I would have no way to break through it either." Angus pondered, shaking his head.

At that moment, Neror tightened his grip on his staff and stepped forward. Seeing Neror, Ren smiled slightly and slowly cast his talent spell, 'Metal Transformation', retracting the three kite-shaped shields made of tempered mithril and covering his gauntlets and forearms.

Yesterday's battle had ended in less than two minutes.

"Is this...okay?" Veri asked, his face showing both joy and hesitation.

"Let's not talk about that. By the way, Your Excellency Drake, can you tell us about Captain Ren's situation? Grant and Elais were both killed by him."

Even without allocating skill points, his efficiency was tens of times that of others.

"You can help by carrying other weapons." Ren said casually.

Ren smiled and said, "Do you know what happened last night?"

Meanwhile, Ren crossed his arms and occasionally pointed out issues in Veri's swordsmanship.

"Neror, do you understand the spell 'Metal Barrier'? It's a bit too powerful." Angus asked, tilting his head.

Most of the time, enchanted serenium was used as a special coating, applied in a thin layer.

As Ren's only follower at the moment, Veri helped him improve his 'Metal Barrier' proficiency while Ren pointed out minor issues with his two-handed greatsword, achieving two goals at once.

The next second, Veri's toes pushed off the ground, and he rapidly circled around Ren, searching for an opening.

"It's very likely that the empire's situation is more turbulent than we imagined." Ren's expression turned solemn as he looked at the group seriously.

After the group left, Ren began studying runes.

When his greatsword descended...

The spacious and bright room was well-lit, with training dummies, archery targets, and various weapons. The floor was specially reinforced.

A flying ship from the imperial capital landed.

"It might be related to the metal used by Captain Ren." Neror's expression showed understanding.

"Yes, Captain Ren, there's a bedroom, a living room, and even an indoor training room, all fully equipped."

Only then did he understand why the young man before him, Ren, was a Diamond Rank Swordbearer.

The corridor staff respectfully served tea and refreshments, then quickly left the room.

Grant and Elais, though not from bloodline families, had exceptional talents and were important members of the Crimson Peak Mercenary Group. Grant was in charge of crowd control and attack, while Elais handled reconnaissance and assassination.

Ren suddenly realized that something important must have happened in the imperial capital, requiring the empire's elite fighters.

"Neror, if you cast a spell, can you break through Captain Ren's metal barrier?" Angus asked.

With Neror's guidance, Ren had mastered the 'Basic Defensive Rune' in runes.

"Captain Ren, do you mean the demon attack that happened yesterday?" Neror's eyebrows raised.

"Please keep this matter confidential for now. I'm telling you this because I hope that if your families haven't moved to Minster yet, you should consider doing so soon."

"My family has already moved some members here. But my father is a feudal noble, and he can't leave Rosby County." Evelyn nodded.

"Clang!"

Hearing this, the red-haired beauty, Evelyn, couldn't help but giggle, her body shaking with laughter.

Ren nodded in satisfaction.

Given the current turbulent situation, Ren initially planned to level up to lv3 and then allocate skill points to quickly enhance his combat power.

Ren, Angus, and Vieri descended the stairs, and Ren shared some news with his teammates.

"Your Excellency Ren, the investigation into the recent demon incident is complete. According to ancient records from the Goddess Church, the demon may have originated from a demonic artifact, a painting called 'Gaze of the Eye.'"

"Are you sure? Is there one in Minster too?" asked Angus.

Ren nodded, and Angus and Vieri burst into laughter.

Olena's enchanted serenium on her forearm transformed into a dark silver kite-shaped shield.

"Yes, Your Excellency Ren," Olena confirmed.

"When the team arrived, a painting was missing from the gallery, most likely the 'Gaze of the Eye.'"

They were in a three-story building next to the training ground.

Upon seeing this, Neror couldn't help but grimace and said, "Your Excellency Ren, this is a bit too targeted, isn't it?"

"Ah, enchanted serenium! But how many valor points would it take for such a large piece?" Angus, with his military background, was familiar with enchanted serenium.

Ren glanced at Olena's serious expression and asked, "Didn't you find the painting?"

It was like facing an impenetrable fortress, leaving one feeling hopeless.

Each suite had a small training room, bedroom, dining room, reception room, and other amenities.

Overall, the training room here was not much different from the one in the Habsburg Manor.

Minster Administrative District Airship Platform.

"So, there was a demon attack last night?" Vieri and Angus exchanged glances, realizing the truth.

Vieri attempted several times to get behind, flank, or directly engage Ren, but to no avail.

With his talent spell being metal transformation, Vieri found it much easier to engrave runes on his plate armor.

A perfect opportunity! The gap between the two shields was just right!

In truth, Ren didn't have much, but the cabinet was filled with various spoils of war.

Led by Olena, the group headed towards the training ground.

Ren, of course, checked out the training room first.

"By the way, is something big happening in the capital?" Drake recalled the content of the letter from his brother, Marquis Orenze, and asked.

"Hmm? Just you?"

In other words, the effect of the 'Basic Defensive Rune' was all-encompassing.

This couldn't help but dampen Vieri's spirits.

It seemed that Neror, as a local noble heir in Minster, was well-informed.

It wasn't that Vieri and Angus lacked perception, but by the time they noticed something, the battle was already over.

"It seems like there's a potential risk or trouble."

Ren couldn't help but think of something.

Upon entering the Diamond Rank suite on the third floor, Ren couldn't help but marvel at the excellent accommodations prepared by the Swordsmaster Branch for the Diamond Rank captain.

"The capital?" Ren raised an eyebrow.

This matter was something he had overheard from his Marquis father and was likely an imperial secret.

In an instant, the kite-shaped shield's swirling speed suddenly increased, blocking Ren's chopping path.

He thought that once the metal barrier's level increased and the casting speed significantly improved, it would be difficult for others to distinguish it from his talent spell.

Angus hadn't known this until their recent conversation, where he discovered that Ren was also skilled in coordinating sword and shield techniques, offering valuable advice.

Even a Great Knight would exhaust most of their stamina within ten minutes during an all-out battle involving rapid movement, requiring a rest.

A guard with a red-eared, blue-and-white double-handed warhammer raised it and grunted.

The gathering consisted of either noble heirs or those with military backgrounds, all aware of the status and power represented by the Grand Bishop of the Goddess Church.

When Neror spoke, he couldn't help but glance at the red-haired beauty, Evelyn.

He glanced at the warhammer wizard's (Legendary) profession panel. With the strong support of the newly joined Neror and the other two, his wizard metal barrier had reached lv2 (218/300).

On the right was a seductive woman with purple eye shadow and a noticeable scorpion pattern on her forehead, accentuating her figure.

Leading them was a middle-aged man in a gray robe, holding a fiery red staff, and exuding a profound aura.

This process intentionally took nearly ten seconds.

With his Arcadia Swordsmanship at lv16 or higher, Ren had no trouble guiding Vieri with his two-handed greatsword.

Drake briefly explained the situation.

"I see. That makes it difficult to take action," the Scorpion Maiden nodded.

"Not necessarily. If we cause any casualties, we can blame it on the Black Flame Cult," Asimov replied after a moment's thought.

"True, but the challenging part of this mission is obtaining the heart blood while the target is still alive for the best effect," the Scorpion Maiden chuckled.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end